South Korea hails top prize for 'Parasite' at Oscars

Yahoo – AFP, February 10, 2020

A man walks past a screen showing a poster of Bong Joon-ho's film 'Parasite'
at a cinema in Seoul on the day the movie won the Oscar for best picture
(AFP Photo/Jung Yeon-je)

Seoul (AFP) - South Koreans reacted with joy and stunned disbelief Monday to the historic best picture Oscar for "Parasite", with one film fan suggesting the feat should be recognised with a public holiday.

Director Bong Joon-ho's movie -- about the widening gap between rich and poor -- became the first non-English-language film to win Hollywood's biggest prize, prompting celebrations in South Korea.

Even President Moon Jae-in got in on the act, saying he was overjoyed to see South Korean cinema receive world recognition.

"I extend my gratitude especially for giving a sense of courage and pride to the (Korean) people," Moon said.

"I am very proud of director Bong Joon-ho and the cast, as well as the staff members."

K-pop supergroup BTS -- who Bong has previously praised -- also joined the congratulations.

"Congratulations so so so so so so very much, director Bong Joon-ho," the members wrote in a tweet.

"Parasite" won four awards -- best picture, best director, best international feature and best original screenplay -- defying the received wisdom that the Academy would overlook a subtitled Asian movie.

South Korean film fans were overjoyed.

"I am in tears," one wrote on Twitter. "I'm so proud of Bong Joon-ho. It's amazing to hear acceptance speeches in Korean."

Another joked: "Shouldn't today be declared a public holiday?"

Along with a congratulatory tweet, US ambassador Harry Harris posted a photo of what looked like jjapaguri -- an instant noodle dish featured in "Parasite", where it was unusually garnished with sirloin steak.

"Wow! Congrats Director Bong, Team #Parasite & ROK cinema!" Harris wrote.

The success of "Parasite" comes despite the global dominance of the English language in the 92-year-history of the Academy Awards.

Actor Sandra Oh, the Canadian-born daughter of South Korean immigrants who was among the award presenters in Los Angeles, tweeted her congratulations, saying: "So so proud to be Korean".

Darcy Paquet, a Seoul-based film critic who wrote the English-language subtitles for "Parasite" said: "I'm so happy... this isn't real."

"I hope that all Korean filmmakers can share in this moment and be proud, because it's the tremendous hard work and professionalism of the industry as a whole that makes a movie like 'Parasite' possible."

South Korean filmmaker and scholar Kim So-young, who introduced Bong's early comedy "Barking Dogs Never Bite" to programmers at San Sebastian Film Festival back in 2000, said the win was "well deserved".

"I've been following his work for the last 20 years, and I can confidently say he is a true artist," she told AFP.

"I'm very happy for him as a fellow cineaste in South Korea, as Bong has always been a respected colleague who always remained a socially conscious, outspoken citizen even outside the film industry."

Shim Woo-hyun, a 31-year-old film fan in Seoul, said: "I heard the news while eating tonkatsu at a food joint, and I was just speechless.

"I screen-captured the news immediately and shared with people through my mobile messenger. I will never forget today's tonkatsu."

Nepal makes first arrest over 'menstruation huts' after woman dies

Yahoo – AFP, December 6, 2019

Many communities in Nepal view menstruating women as impure and in some
remote areas they are forced to sleep in a hut away from the home, following a
centuries-old tradition known as "chhaupadi" (AFP Photo/PRAKASH MATHEMA)

Nepali police have detained the brother-in-law of a woman who died in a 'menstruation hut' in what is believed to be the first arrest over the outlawed tradition, officials said Friday.

Many communities in Nepal view menstruating women as impure and in some remote areas they are forced to sleep in a hut away from the home, following a centuries-old tradition known as "chhaupadi".

The practice leads to the death of women every year due to smoke inhalation, snake bites and even attack by animals.

Parbati Buda Rawat, 21, was found dead on Sunday morning in the western Accham district in a smoke-filled hut because of a fire she had lit to keep warm.

"We arrested the brother-in law of the victim yesterday for investigation after suspecting his involvement in forcing the deceased to stay in chhaupadi shed," local police official Janak Bahadur Shahi told AFP.

"I believe this is the first arrest in such a case."

If convicted, the man will serve a three-month jail sentence and be fined 3,000 rupees ($27) under a law introduced last year against anyone caught imposing chhaupadi.

"It is positive to see the police act proactively and it will help discourage people from following the tradition. But there is a long way to go to end it," said Radha Poudel, an activist working against chhaupadi.

Rawat's death is at least the third this year. Two more women have died of smoke inhalation in menstruation huts in neighbouring districts.

However, Poudel said that many deaths go unreported and authorities often sympathise with family members in reported cases.

Chhaupadi was outlawed in 2005 but is still enforced in parts of Nepal, particularly in remote and conservative western regions.

It is linked to Hinduism and considers women untouchable during menstruation and after childbirth.

Women are banished from the home, barred from touching food, religious icons, cattle and men, and forced to sleep in basic huts known as chhau goth.

Japan anti-high heels campaigner steps up to fight 'glasses ban'

Yahoo – AFP, Kyoko HASEGAWA, December 3, 2019

Yumi Ishikawa, leader and founder of the KuToo movement, is now turning her
attention to glasses (AFP Photo/Charly TRIBALLEAU)

A Japanese woman whose campaign against mandatory high heels in the workplace won broad public support has stepped up her fight against strict corporate dress codes -- including a de-facto ban on women wearing glasses.

Actress and freelance writer Yumi Ishikawa shot to prominence this year with her drive against Japanese office culture, in which high heels are seen as near-obligatory when job-hunting or working in the office.

Known by the slogan "#KuToo" -- a play on words from the Japanese word "kutsu", meaning shoes, and "kutsuu", meaning "pain" -- the campaign was chosen on Monday as one of the buzzwords of the year.

Ishikawa's latest petition to relax the rules, delivered to the labour ministry on Tuesday, has attracted more than 31,000 signatures.

"The root cause of the problem is that (there are companies) that have rules for women only -- such as a ban on wearing glasses or a requirement to wear make-up," the 32-year-old told reporters.

"This practice has to be reviewed," she added.

Campaigners had already submitted a petition to the government in June which called for legislation to declare the obligatory wearing of high heels as harassment.

But Ishikawa said progress had been lukewarm and she was "shocked to see there was no mention of high heels" in the government's draft rules published in October.

An official who received the petition said the labour ministry would "consider the petition as one of the opinions" before making a final decision on new government rules to counter harassment in workplace.

One 28-year-old woman contacted by AFP, who asked to remain anonymous, said glasses were banned at her workplace because they give a "cold facial expression".

"I've been wearing glasses for more than a decade because I suffer from dry eye syndrome. I feel uncomfortable wearing contact lenses and am worried that my eye disease may get worse," said the receptionist.

An official at a major employment agency told AFP that come companies asked receptionists to "refrain from wearing glasses" as part of dress codes that also included a ban on dyed hair or unmanicured nails.

Campaigners have said high heels are akin to modern foot-binding while others have urged other dress codes, such as the near-total donning of business suits for men, to be loosened in the Japanese workplace.

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MPs back female quotas for supervisory boards, VVD votes against

"Listening to the Voice of Spirit" (2) - Feb 20, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (DNA Efficiency is on average at 35 percent now) - (Text version)

“… With free choice, the percentage of DNA efficiently started to go down as humanity grew. As soon as the DNA started to lose percentage, the gender balance was dysfunctional. If you want to have a test of any society, anywhere on the planet, and you want to know the DNA percentage number [consciousness quota] as a society, there's an easy test: How do they perceive and treat their women? The higher the DNA functionality, the more the feminine divine is honored. This is the test! Different cultures create different DNA consciousness, even at the same time on the planet. So you can have a culture on Earth at 25 percent and one at 37 - and if you did, they would indeed clash. …”

“… You're at 35. There's an equality here, you're starting to see the dark and light, and it's changing everything. You take a look at history and you've come a long way, but it took a long time to get here. Dear ones, we've seen this process before and the snowball is rolling. There isn't anything in the way that's going to stop it. In the path of this snowball of higher consciousness are all kinds of things that will be run over and perish. Part of this is what you call "the establishment". Watch for some very big established things to fall over! The snowball will simply knock them down. …”

Dutch king calls on India to ensure its people can live as equals

DutchNews, October 15, 2019

The king gives his speech while queen Maxima listens. Photo: POOL –
Frank van Beek via HH

Dutch king Willem-Alexander has given a gentle rebuke to the Indian government in a speech at a state banquet given in his honour, broadcaster NOS reported. 

During the speech, the king stressed that ‘our wish is that, for future generations too, India will be a country where there is room for all Indians, whatever their belief, origin or position in society.’ 

‘India must be a country ‘in which everyone can make their voice heard, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the coastal plains of Kerala’, the king, on a five-day visit, said. ‘If 1.3 billion people can live as equals and develop their talents in freedom, India will be invincible,’ the king said. 

He went on: ‘”No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”.’ We were taught that by Mahatma Gandhi, the 150th anniversary of whose birth we celebrate this year. The reverse of his words is also true: an inclusive society is a vibrant society!’ 

The comments were ‘subtle’ but ‘clear’ for those who could understand, NOS commentator Kysia Hekster said. The king was effectively speaking in the name of the government and the speech must be balanced between expressing concerns and not pointing the finger, she said. 

Prime minister Narendra Modi is a staunch Hindu nationalist and communal violence has been rising against Muslims, according to Human Rights Watch. While the majority of Indians are Hindus, Muslims and people of other faiths account for around one fifth of the population.

Related Article:

Dutch king and queen touch down in India for five day state visit

North Korean defector mothers struggle in South

Channelnewsasia – AFP, 4 Sep 2019

North Korean defector Lim is one of hundreds of North Korean single mothers
in the South, struggling to make ends meet (Photo: AFP/Jung Yeon-je)

SEOUL: When Lim reached South Korea, she thought she had left behind the miseries of poverty and an unwanted marriage for a better life with her daughter.

She is one of more than 33,000 North Koreans - the vast majority of them women - who have fled to the South from hardship and repression in their homeland, where the Kim dynasty has ruled with an iron fist for three generations and stands accused of widespread human rights abuses.

The transition to a radically different, democratic and capitalist society - while juggling work, school and motherhood - is not easy. "Life in South Korea was the complete opposite of what I had expected," Lim said.

Nine years after arriving she still struggles to make ends meet, one of hundreds of North Korean single mothers in similar situations.

Their plight was highlighted by the case of Han Sung-ok, who had difficulties keeping jobs while caring for her epileptic six-year-old son. Their bodies were found in a Seoul flat two months after they are believed to have died from starvation.

The death of North Korean defector Han Sung-ok and her six-year-old son
sent shockwaves across South Korea (Photo; AFP/Jung Yeon-je)

News of the deaths sent shockwaves across the country last month and triggered an unprecedented campaign by the defector community urging Seoul to overhaul its aid programme for North Korean refugees.

"Han fled North Korea, where scores of people die from starvation, only to starve to death in South Korea," said campaigner Heo Kwang-il.

'VICIOUS CYCLE'

The vast majority of North Korean migrants go first to neighbouring China before making their way to the South.

As the oldest daughter, Lim - who asked to be identified by her surname only - left home at 24 to provide for her family but like many others was trafficked and sold to an abusive Chinese man, with whom she had a child.

After four years of what she described as "imprisonment", Lim ran away with her toddler daughter to Seoul.

At first, she took odd jobs but with no one to help look after her daughter, Lim was forced at one point to put her into care and contemplated suicide, tormented by the guilt of not being able to provide fully for her child or her family in the North.

At times she doubted her decision. "Sometimes, I wanted to go back to North Korea," she told AFP in her tiny flat.

Nowadays, she works as a waitress and is sometimes able to send money to her family in the North via intermediaries, and has no regrets - but it has taken time.

Life in South Korea is riddled with cultural and economic challenges for all new arrivals from its neighbour - the two have been divided since the Korean War fighting stopped in 1953. But single mothers face further complications without a family support network.

"When they have to take care of a child, they end up seeking part-time, unstable jobs," said Kim Sung-kyung, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.

"This starts a vicious cycle that holds them back from adjusting financially or finding stability."

'KOREAN DREAM'

The South Korean government provides newly arrived defectors a lump sum of around 8 million won (US$6,600) to help them settle.

They can seek additional aid but some give up, saying the system is too complex - especially if their education in the North has left them with limited literacy.

The transition to South Korea's radically different, democratic and capitalist society
is not easy for North Korean defectors, especially single mothers (Photo: AFP/
Jung Yeon-je)

Media reports say Han had sought help but was turned back by a district official who demanded legal papers to prove her status, which she could not provide.

"People come to the democratic South with the 'Korean Dream'" but many end up suffering from depression and other illnesses, said Lee Na-kyung, a defector activist for single parents and people with disabilities from the North.

Lee arrived with her husband - who has a disability - and their son in 2006 but was soon homeless after spending all their money on medical treatment.

She calls herself a "rare success story", saying her aggressive personality helped her settle in her new home, where she first worked as a gas meter reader and later became a humanities instructor.

The state has a pervasive role in North Korean society, where authorities impose extensive controls over individuals' lives, in marked contrast to the more individualistic South.

Many single mothers who come to the South "have no one to talk to and they feel cut off from the world", Lee said.

"They say even if they were poor in the North, they never felt isolated."

Japan abdication stirs female succession debate

Yahoo – AFP, Natsuko FUKUE, April 8, 2019

As it stands, the future of the Japanese imperial family rests on 12-year-old
Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Naruhito's younger brother and the last eligible
male heir (AFP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Japanese Emperor Akihito's historic abdication later this month has reignited concerns over the future of what is believed to be one of the world's oldest royal families, given its hereditary, male-only succession rules.

As it stands, the fate of the Japanese imperial family rests on 12-year-old Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Naruhito's younger brother and the last eligible male heir.

Japan's centuries-old succession would be broken if Hisahito does not have a male child as the Imperial Household Law, in place since 1947, does not allow women to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne.

That means Naruhito's only child, 17-year-old Princess Aiko, is not in line to inherit the throne.

While public attitudes seem to be shifting to change the succession laws to allow women to rule, the chance of concrete reform looks remote.

According to a poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily between October and November, nearly two-thirds want the law revised to allow women to be the rightful heir.

"I just wonder why Princess Aiko cannot ascend the throne," Mizuho, a Tokyo resident in her 30s who only gave her first name, told AFP.

"If it's just because she's a girl, then I think it's out of place in the current era," she said.

The Japanese royal family tree. (AFP Photo/AFP)

"Why don't we allow female heirs like Queen Elizabeth in the British monarchy?"

Under the current rules, female imperial family members also lose their royal status upon marriage to a commoner, a point highlighted by the engagement of one of Akihito's granddaughters, Princess Mako, to her college sweetheart.

'Sun goddess'

Traditionalists are vehemently opposed to any change in the law but there have been as many as eight empresses, with the last one, Gosakuramachi, on the throne about 250 years ago.

And the imperial family, which has a myth-filled history dating back more than 2,600 years, is said to be descended from legendary sun goddess Amaterasu.

When the parliament passed a one-off rule allowing the ageing emperor to step down in 2017, it also urged the government to "swiftly study" reforms that would allow the sons of royal women to become emperor.

Tokyo has said these discussions will begin soon after May 1, when Naruhito ascends the throne.

But the government has also decided that only male royal adults will attend the main abdication ceremony, during which the new emperor will inherit the traditional regalia such as a sacred sword and jewel.

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito's only child, 17-year-old Princess Aiko, is not 

in line to inherit the throne (AFP Photo/HANDOUT)

Politicians are dodging the looming issue of male-only succession because "they do not want to shoulder the responsibility", Yuji Otabe, professor of Japanese history at Shizuoka University of Welfare, told AFP.

"If you think about the heredity system, a woman is also of imperial blood," he said, voicing concerns about the future of the Japanese royal line if the situation does not change.

'Great pressure'

Another consequence of the male-only succession line is the enormous pressure to conceive boys to keep the line going.

The future emperor and empress were under huge pressure to have a boy but their only child -- born in 2001 -- was Princess Aiko.

The "crisis" was averted when Prince Hisahito was born in 2006 to the Crown Prince's younger brother Akishino, meaning the male blood line could continue.

After Crown Prince Naruhito takes the throne, Akishino is next in line, followed by Hisahito.

Crown Princess Masako, a former high-flying diplomat, has struggled for years with a stress-related illness after joining the tradition-heavy household, which some have put down to the pressure of producing a male heir.

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito and his bride, Masako Owada, in full traditional 

Japanese Imperial wedding costumes at the Imperial Palace in 1993 (AFP Photo/Handout)

Hideto Tsuboi, professor of modern Japanese literature and history at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, argued that Masako's illness epitomises the difference between Japanese and British royals.

Japanese imperial family members "do not enjoy normal human rights due to too much emphasis on" the male-blood lineage succession system compared to the British monarchy, said Tsuboi.

Analyst Otabe also pointed to the "great pressure" on any woman marrying into the imperial family to bear a son.

"Who would want to marry (Hisahito)?" he asked.

Tokyo resident Mizuho called for change, saying: "I really don't think it has to be a man."

"As long as the person has the qualities needed to take over the throne, whether the heir is male or female doesn't matter to me."

Graves prepared as New Zealand looks to bury mosque massacre dead

Yahoo – AFP, Jerome TAYLOR, March 17, 2019

People in Christchurch lay flowers in tribute to those killed in Friday's attack (AFP
Photo/Marty MELVILLE)

Dozens of graves were being dug in a Christchurch cemetery on Monday for the 50 worshippers killed in two mosque attacks, as families clamoured for the return of their dead.

Coroners said they hoped to let grieving relatives fulfil Islamic burial customs soon, but insisted they had to move carefully through their investigation into the horrific multiple murder.

As New Zealand grappled to come to terms with the slaughter -- the worst attack on Muslims in a Western country -- tales of heroism, suffering and incredible grace emerged.

Farid Ahmad, whose 44-year-old wife Husna was killed as she rushed back into a mosque to rescue him, refused to harbour hatred toward the alleged gunman, Australian-born, self-avowed white nationalist, Brenton Tarrant.

"I would say to him 'I love him as a person'," Ahmad, who uses a wheelchair, told AFP.

Asked if he forgave the 28-year-old suspect, who is being held in custody after appearing in court, he said: "Of course. The best thing is forgiveness, generosity, loving and caring, positivity."

Residents pay their respects by placing flowers for the victims of the mosques attacks

 in Christchurch at the Masjid Umar mosque in Auckland on March 17, 2019 (AFP Photo/

Michael BRADLEY)

Husna Ahmad was among four women believed to have been killed by Tarrant, who documented his radicalisation and two years of preparations in a lengthy, meandering and conspiracy-filled far-right "manifesto".

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office and some 30 other officials had received the document by email about nine minutes before the attack.

"It did not include a location, it did not include specific details," she said, adding that it was sent to security services within two minutes of receipt.

Around Christchurch, New Zealand and the world there have been vigils, prayers, memorials and messages of solidarity.

"We stand together with our Muslim brothers & sisters" were the words on a large red banner, above a sea of flowers at one of the sites in what one resident dubbed the "city of sorrow".

An emotion-filled haka -- the Maori war dance -- was performed by a New Zealand biker gang to honour the Christchurch dead.

Police forensic officers are carrying out painstaking work at the Dean Avenue 

mosque (AFP Photo/Marty MELVILLE)

The country remained on high alert, with police on Sunday briefly closing an airport in the southern city of Dunedin -- where Tarrant had lived -- after an unidentified package was spotted on the airfield. The airport reopened a few hours later.

Generations

Islamic custom dictates that the dead should be buried within 24 hours, but strained authorities, desperate to make sure no mistakes are made or the complex investigation harmed, said a quick process was difficult.

"All of the deceased have had a CT scan, their fingerprints are taken, the property they were wearing or had with them is removed," said Chief Coroner Deborah Marshall, adding that dental impressions were taken and post-mortems performed.

Ardern said she expected all the dead would have been returned to their families by Wednesday.

An AFP reporter early Monday saw workers and excavators preparing dozens of graves in a cemetery in Christchurch though it was unclear when any funerals might start.

There has been an outpouring of grief in the wake of the attack (AFP Photo/

Marty MELVILLE)

"It's a massacre, what else do they need to know?," said school principal Sheikh Amjad Ali, expressing frustration over the wait for loved ones' remains.

The dead from Friday's attack span generations, aged between three and 77, according to a sombre list circulated among relatives.

Some victims came from the neighbourhood, others from as far afield as Egypt. At least two of the dead came from the same family -- a father and son.

Delhi said Sunday that five of its nationals were killed, while Pakistan said nine of its citizens were among the dead, including one man who died trying to rush Tarrant.

Four-year-old

Authorities said 34 people remained in hospital.

Gestures of sympathy have been made all around the world since Friday's 

horrifying attack (AFP Photo/Salty Dingo)

Among those fighting for their lives is four-year-old Alin Alsati. The pre-schooler was praying alongside her father Wasseim at the Al Noor mosque when she was shot at least three times.

Her father, who was also shot, recently emigrated to New Zealand from Jordan.

"Please pray for me and my daughter," he pleaded in a Facebook video message from his hospital bed before undergoing surgery.

The number of dead and injured could have been higher, were it not for people like Afghan refugee Abdul Aziz.

Aziz was at the Linwood mosque with his four sons when he rushed the attacker armed with the only weapon he could find -- a hand-held credit card machine.

Afghan refugee and local resident Abdul Aziz chased the gunman with the only weapon 

he could find -- ahand-held credit card machine (AFP Photo/Anthony WALLACE)

He then picked up an empty shotgun discarded by the gunman and shouted "come on here" in an effort to draw him away from his sons and the other worshippers.

"I just wanted to save as much lives as I could, even if I lose my life," he told AFP.

Gun policy on agenda

The mosque attacks have shaken this usually peaceful country, which prides itself on welcoming refugees fleeing violence or persecution.

Later Monday Ardern will gather her cabinet to discuss changing the country's gun laws.

That could include a ban on semi-automatic weapons of the type used by Tarrant. A series of reform attempts in recent years have failed.

Ardern also wants answers from social media giants over the livestreaming of the carnage.

Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack around the world in the first 24 hours.

Kiwis say they will not be beaten by the horror that was visited on them by a lone 

gunman (AFP Photo/MICHAEL BRADLEY)

After days of lockdowns and security warnings, police have urged Kiwis to go back to their normal business.

When they return to work and school on Monday however, they will find a high police presence, said commissioner Mike Bush.

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#UPDATE New Zealand will tighten its gun laws in the wake of its worst modern-day massacre, the government said Monday, as it emerged the white supremacist accused of carrying out the killings at two mosques in Christchurch will represent himself in court https://t.co/ptiKYSrqwy pic.twitter.com/GH2Z9lnzNl

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 18 maart 2019

Afghan refugee Abdul Aziz is being hailed as a hero after he ran towards the attacker outside his mosque in Christchurch armed with the only weapon he could find -- a hand-held credit card machine https://t.co/qrYektTZXE pic.twitter.com/stwQCRgv8o

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 17 maart 2019

Students in #NewZealand perform a traditional Maori haka in tribute to the victims of the Christchurch shootings outside one of the mosques where the massacre took place pic.twitter.com/HNv09szqwM

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 18 maart 2019

Tibet supporters in India mark 60 years since uprising

Yahoo – AFP, Archana THIYAGARAJAN, March 10, 2019

Supporters of the Dalai Lama chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous
Dharamsala - home to Tibet's government in exile (AFP Photo/Money SHARMA)

Huge crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple in India Sunday to commemorate 60 years since the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that drove the spiritual leader into exile.

Supporters of the 83-year-old peace icon chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile after fleeing a deadly Chinese crackdown in Tibet in 1959.

Devotees in the Indian hill station the Dalai Lama has called home for six decades waved Tibet's colourful "snow lion" flag, which China has outlawed as a symbol of separatism.

Some had "Free Tibet" painted on their faces along with the colours and distinct golden sun of the iconic flag.

"This is a proud day," Lhakpa Tsering, a Tibetan living in exile in India, told AFP in Dharamsala.

Performers danced and recited Tibetan songs at the temple for guests, which 

organisers said included parliamentarians from 10 nations (AFP Photo/Money SHARMA)

"Sixty years we've been in exile. Still, our struggle is young and fresh and strong, so we can give a message to China that until Tibetans remain, our struggle will never end."

The Dalai Lama himself was not present at the anniversary ceremony, but chief representatives of the exiled Tibetan administration and foreign dignitaries gathered for the solemn occasion.

Performers dressed in traditional attire danced and recited Tibetan songs at the temple for guests, which organisers said included parliamentarians from 10 nations.

A minute's silence was held at the outset to remember those killed when China brutally crushed the fledgling Tibetan revolt, a crackdown the government-in-exile claimed killed tens of thousands.

Call for dialogue

Buddhist Tibet, a vast Himalayan area of plateaus and mountains, declared independence from China in the early 20th century but Beijing took back control in 1951, having sent in thousands of troops.

The Dalai Lama himself was not present at the ceremony, but chief representatives 

of the exiled Tibetan administration and foreign dignitaries were present (AFP Photo/

Money SHARMA)

The Dalai Lama -- chosen at the age of two in 1937 as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism's supreme religious leader -- was enthroned as head of state after the Chinese invasion.

His co-existence with the Beijing authorities was tense and when the Chinese authorities summoned him to an event without his bodyguards on March 10, Tibetans feared a trap that could endanger their leader.

Thousands of his supporters assembled at his summer palace to prevent him from leaving; thousands more demonstrated in Lhasa to demand the Chinese depart, the Dalai Lama would later say.

Beijing sent more troops into Tibet, and in the bloodshed that followed, refugees poured over the border into Dharamsala -- already then a sanctuary for Tibetan exiles fleeing Chinese repression.

The Dalai Lama evaded Chinese authorities and slipped away dressed as a soldier, escaping to India with an entourage of supporters in a gruelling two-week trek through the Himalayas.

Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay addressed the huge 

crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharmasala (AFP Photo/Money SHARMA)

There he formed a government-in-exile and demanded autonomy for Tibet, a decades-long quest that would earn him worldwide respect as a figure of nonviolence. He won the Nobel Prize in 1989.

He remains a thorn in the side to China, which adamantly rejects any suggestion of Tibetan autonomy and blacklisted the Dalai Lama as a dangerous "separatist".

Beijing continues to be accused of political and religious repression in the region, but insists Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms and that it has brought economic growth.

"If (China) earnestly believes that co-operation can bring more peace, it should renew dialogue with the envoys of His Holiness Dalai Lama," Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

"As we have seen repeatedly, the envoys are ready to talk and peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet through the 'middle-way approach'".

VIDEO: Tibetan supporters speak out at a rally in India to commemorate 60 years since the failed uprising against Chinese rule pic.twitter.com/LKhw92Xc4o

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 10 maart 2019