The Chinese occupation of Tibet in the 1950s resulted in widespread oppression of Tibetans and the Tibetan uprising was violently suppressed by China. Tibetan Democracy Day is also celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising in 1959. On this day, Tibetans protested against the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the forced abdication of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.
The Chinese government suppressed the uprising, forcing the Dalai Lama and many Tibetans into exile. On 10 March 1960, the 14th Dalai Lama took refuge in India. It was also in 1960 that the Dalai Lama established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala, India. It became the de facto government for Tibetan emigrants and the Dalai Lama worked to make it democratic.
The day also marks the beginning of the Tibetan democratic system in exile. At the heart of the Tibetan democratic system, which governs over 1 million refugees worldwide, is the Tibetan government in exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala. On September 2, 1960, the Dalai Lama established the first elected body known as the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE), which was a step towards parliamentary democracy.
This was the first time in Tibetan history that a system of governance allowed ordinary Tibetans to vote for their representatives. The Dalai Lama further strengthened democratic governance by releasing the draft Tibetan Constitution. Tibetan Democracy Day, celebrated on September 2, is an important historical milestone in the political development of the Tibetan community in exile.
Tibetan Democracy Day is also celebrated on September 2 as a day of political empowerment. The day also commemorates the Tibetan people’s continued struggle for autonomy under Chinese rule and their efforts to preserve their culture and way of life. Tibetan Democracy Day, or as the community calls it Mangsto Duchen, marks the beginning of the Tibetan democratic system in exile.
Tibetans celebrate Democracy Day on September 2 to commemorate the establishment of the Tibetan democratic system in exile. The date marks the anniversary of the first elected representative body of Tibetans in exile, known as the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE), which was formed on September 2, 1960.
Since the Chinese invasion in 1950, Tibet has suffered relentless cultural genocide and the destruction of religious institutions. Tibetans’ efforts to preserve their culture and religious identity continue to this day. On September 2, 1960, a year after thousands of Tibetans were forced to flee their homes, the first elected representatives of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile took the oath at Bodh Gaya to inaugurate the Tibetan democratic system.
In 1963, the Dalai Lama promulgated the Tibetan Constitution based on the ideals of democracy and universal values, following which the first female representatives were elected. In 1975, the Kashag, the apex body of the CTA, declared September 2 as the Foundation Day of Tibetan Democracy.
Led by its current president, Penpa Tsering, the CTA operates seven departments: religion and culture, home, finance, education, security, information and international relations, and health. The president is directly elected every five years.
