The Secret Tibet (The Forbidden world)

As China celebrated, a coinciding parade organized by four Tibetan NGOs in exile was underway in Dharamsala, though the mood was not so festive. Beginning at the main Tibetan Temple where His Holiness the Dalai Lama offers teachings and holds public audience, approximately 400 protesting monks, nuns, lay Tibetans, and supporting foreigners marched for over two hours through the streets of McLeod Ganj. Carrying Tibetan flags and signs with slogans like "60 Years of Tyranny," "End Autocracy, Democracy Now," "Release All Political Prisoners," many wore black headbands to mark the period of Chinese occupation in Tibet as a dark one. As the protesters careened through the winding streets, chants of "United Nations, we want justice," "Long live the Dalai Lama," and simply "China, China, China - out, out, out!" could be heard over loudspeakers.

After the protestors completed their circuit and made their way back to the main temple, four speakers from prominent organizations in exile addressed the crowd. Ven. Ngawang Woeber, President of the GuChuSum movement of ex-political prisoners, spoke about how China is celebrating their anniversary by exhibiting their military might - the same power that enabled them to oppress people over the past 60 years by denying basic human rights. He talked about the psychology of fear, and how by keeping military muscle at the forefront of public consciousness, the government is able to subdue its citizens. Finally, he aligned Tibetans with ethnic Uighurs, victims of the Tiananmen Square massace, and other "Chinese" who have been oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

President of the Tibetan Women's Association Kirti Dolkar recited a list of atrocities perpetrated by the CCP upon Tibet since occupation in 1959, including the murder of 1.2 million Tibetans, the destruction of over 60,000 monasteries, and immeasurable damage to the natural environment. "Today we condemn these things."

In his speech, read from a press release issued by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Parliament Speaker Pemba Tsering accused the Chinese government of holding anniversary celebrations in all three Tibetan provinces "to misuse [them] for political propaganda." Meanwhile Tibetans and other ethnic minorities in China have had stricter limitations imposed upon "their movements and activities in order to hide all the destruction caused by deceptive policies."

Last spoke Tsewang Rigzin, President of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest Tibetan NGO in exile. He announced that the TYC had organized various protests throughout the world today, and that twenty-one Tibetans had already been arrested in New Delhi for protesting at the Chinese embassy there.

Following the speakers, an hour long silence was held in memory of those Tibetans killed under Chinese occupations. Many of the protestors who had worn black headbands during the march now sat with them drawn mournfully over their mouths.

As Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed optimism over China's progress in recent years, a group of protesters in Calgary said a more forceful message is needed to prompt change in the Communist country. He said he had "nothing much to say "about the 60th anniversary of Communist China.

His Holiness noted the country has left behind its socialist past in favour of capitalism. He also told reporters that meetings with influential Chinese have left him optimistic about progress in China's attitude toward him and Tibet. "Judging from a wider perspective, things are moving," he said.

Thousands filled the Saddledome on Wednesday to hear a message of compassion and peace from one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

Many among the Calgary audience said they were encouraged most by the simple truth of His Holiness' words in his first visit to the city in three decades. "The whole thing was just overwhelming, to see somebody like the Dalai Lama. It was wonderful. It was almost peaceful. It was like he was talking to me, person-to-person," Henrietta MacGregor, 80 told Calgary Herald.

"I just feel happy. He's awesome," added her granddaughter, Jasmine MacGregor, 12. His Holiness the Dalai Lama enthralled the audience of nearly 15,000 for more than an hour as he described the attitude needed to find both inner and outer peace.

"We are the same human beings. I want a happy life, you want a happy life. On that level we can work together...make a common effort for a better world," the exiled Buddhist leader said.

His Holiness also called for the end of violence and urged peace and compassion among humankind. "Each country heavily interconnected. That is today's reality," he said. "The centuries-old concept of 'we' and 'they' according to this reality are no longer there. We must consider the entire world as a part of 'we.'

The Tibetan leader has met his share of confrontation since he fled Tibet after the Chinese invasion in 1959, with many arguing his political leadership is controversial. When he travels the world, His Holiness said he focuses on a spiritual message of peace prompted by compassion, not fear.

"The destruction of your neighbour is destruction of yourself. The concept of war is out of date." Conflict is inevitable among humankind, he said. But the use of violence and force is outdated and ineffective.

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama received an Honorary doctor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary during the conference at the Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, September 30, 2009.

His Holiness also weared traditional white cowboy hat, native leather mitts and a traditional native eagle feather he received as welcoming gifts at the Calgary airport. The White Hat ceremony is a Calgary tradition reserved for dignitaries and is a symbol of Calgary's hospitality, and the eagle feather is a gift by the natives to only the highest dignitaries.

Dharamshala:

After preliminary morning chanting and prayers at the stupas that line the back of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama's temple, attendees for the ceremony were treated to a breakfast of sweet rice, Tibetan bread, and milk tea. A drum line from the Tibetan's Children Village (TCV) then played the Tibetan national anthem to commence the ceremony. President of GuChuSum Ngawang Woeber asked the world community and peace-loving supporters to put pressure on China to stop ethnic cleansing and the destruction of the Tibetan language and environment. Aligning Tibetans' plight with that of the ethnic Uighurs, he called for the unconditional end of oppression and release of political prisoners.

Following President Woeber's speech, Chairman of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Pemba Tsering, the keynote speaker, addressed the audience. "Speaking of behalf of the Tibetan Parliament, I'd like to compliment the achievements and actions of the ex-political prisoners of the GuChuSum movement and those still under Chinese arrest." Acknowledging the "huge debate" in Chinese between liberals and conservatives, he noted, "Unlike in the times of Chairman Mao and Deng, great changes have taken place in Chinese politics, economics, international relations, and military strategy over the last 22 years. Tibetan NGOs must be aware of these changes in order to stage a new approach for the future survival of the Tibetan struggle."

Chairman Tsering announced the release of two new books, "An Undiscouraged Life," a biography of late political prisoner Shamba Pinso who was imprisoned for 25 years, and "An Analysis of Darkness in Tibet for Fifty Years," about the Tibetan environment and modern educational policy under Chinese oppression, both published by GuChuSum. He praised the organization and all honorable work it has done.

Each syllable of the name GuChuSum symbolizes a month with a day of significance in the Tibetan freedom movement, all related to political protests. "Gu" (Tibetan for the number nine and shorthand for September) represents the uprising of September 27, 1987. Six days earlier, His Holiness the Dalai Lama presented his Five Point Peace Plan to the UN, which called for the return of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms to Tibetans. China responded by categorically denying his requests and conducting mass demonstrations in Lhasa.

On the morning of September 27th, 21 monks from Drepung Monastery, bearing illegal hand-drawn Tibetan flags, began shouting pro-independence slogans "Tibet is Independent" and "Long Live the Dalai Lama" while circumambulating the Barkhor. Other Tibetans joined them, and after only a few circuits the number of demonstrators had swelled to nearly a thousand. They were soon met by approximately 200 Public Security Bureau officers, however, who immediately arrested the original 21 monks along with 9 lay Tibetans. The crowd was disbanded, and the arrested were ultimately transported to Lhasa Gutsa detention center. While they day's conflict ended without violence, the protest is considered to be of great significant in the Tibetan freedom movement; it was the first political demonstration in the capital city since the Lhasa Uprising of 1959, and catalyst of many others soon to follow.

To conclude the morning's service, those in attendance were encouraged to participate in tsampa tossing, an offering of good tidings and congratulations. Later in the day, GuChuSum volunteers collected signatures for petitions calling for the immediate release of Tibetan political prisoners from Chinese prisons and detention centers, and held a candlelight vigil that ended back at the Dalai Lama's temple.

As China prepares for the 60th anniversary of The People's Republic, ensuring national unity and the reunification of the motherland is a top priority, officials claim.

According to Global Post news updated on 29 September, "Armed military details are stationed at every street corner 24/7, six-troop patrols march up and down the lanes of the old town in synchronized step, and watchmen stand sentry on rooftops adjacent to all sensitive zones like the Ramoche and Jokhang temples, two of the most sacred sites in Lhasa city as well as the focal points for past protests."