(TibetanReview.net, Jul11’24) – The 89th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, usually clamped down on by the government of Nepal with preventive detentions, police deployments and onsite arrests due to its fear of offending China, appears to have been held in Kathmandu without a hitch this time as a religious and cultural event on Jul 6.
The event was held at the Hyolmo Monastery near the capital city’s landmark Buddhist site of Boudha stupa.
Senior diplomats and officials from the European Union, Australia, Switzerland, France and the United States, attended the event, said the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on its Tibet.net website Jul 10.
The chief guest was stated to be Sabchu Rinpoché, with the special guest being HH the Dalai Lama’s representative at the Office of Tibet, CTA, Tsepri Lopan Tulku Ngawang Chokdup. His office previously organized the event until Nepal’s crackdown came since many years ago.
Besides, prominent figures from Nepal’s human rights groups such as Inhured International, Human Rights Organisation for Nepal, and HURON, as well as prominent individual human rights activists were stated to have attended the event which drew a crowd of more than 2000.
The celebrations, in fact, continued over two days filled with Tibetan opera and other Tibetan cultural performances, the report said.
However, Nepal still does not allow Tibetans to gather on Wednesdays to mark the Dalai Lama’s weekly birthday with traditional folk group dances.