NEW YORK, March 11, 1997 -- Around 500 Tibetans and Tibet supporters gathered on March 10, 1997, in New York, to commemorate the 38th Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day. The program began at 11 AM with a number of distinguished speakers before the United Nations buildings, after a reading of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's statement by Mr. Dawa Tsering, His Holiness' Representative for the Americas. Speeches were given by Jose Ramos-Horta, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Adam Yauch, activist and member of the Beastie Boys; Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness in Washington; Professor Robert Thurman, President of Tibet House; Xiao Qiang, Executive Director of Human Rights in China; and several others.

At 1 PM, the crowd began marching towards the Chinese United Nations Mission, carrying dozens of placards and Tibetan flags. Along the way they were joined by many bystanders, and made quite a spectacle marching along some of New York city's main avenues and stopping traffic. Upon arrival at the Chinese mission, the protesters put up a deafening noise, filling the entire block opposite the 10-story Chinese mission building.

A number of speeches were given, and at approximately 3:30, thirty Tibetans and American supporters staged an act of civil disobedience. These activists laid themselves in the street before the Mission, their fallen bodies draped with Tibetan flags as statistical facts illustrating the terrible suffering of the Tibetan people under the Chinese occupation since 1949 were read over the loudspeakers. Sixteen were subsequently arrested, and released later in the evening.

The demonstration, and the arrests, were covered in the New York Daily News and New York NewsDay on March 11. CNN presented a half-hour of live coverage, from 1:00 to 1:30 on March 10, including an interview with Adam Yauch. Also present at the demonstration were reporters or camera crews from the Associated Press, Reuters, MTV Radio, the Chinese TV Network of Hong Kong, Radio Free Asia, and the Voice of America.

Major demonstrations were also held in several other American cities, including Chicago; Washington, D.C.; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Boulder, Colorado.

The events on March 10 concluded Tibet Awareness Week in New York, organized by a March 10 Committee made up of representatives of the Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan community organizations in the New York area. Among these events was a one-hour panel discussion on WBAI radio 99.5, broadcast in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey states, which received a high number of responses from the public. In addition, there were several successful events at local universities and high schools.

In the evening of March 10, about 150 supporters of Tibet and distinguished guests gathered at a reception hosted by the Office of Tibet in New York. A speech was delivered by Representative Dawa Tsering, thanking all the supporters for their work in making such a successful commemoration of March 10 in New York.

Students attended the events on March 10 from schools and universities in the New York area, Philadelphia, and other areas of the east coast. The Tibetans present were mainly from the New York area, with substantial numbers also from Boston, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Connecticut.

Numerous organizations took part in the organizing committee for the March 10 events, including Students for a Free Tibet, US Tibet Committee, Tibetan Association of NY & NJ, Tibetan Youth Congress of NY & NJ, Tibetan Women's Association- East Coast, World Artists for Tibet, and many others.

Proclamations recognizing March 10 as Tibetan National Day, and supporting the nonviolent struggle of the Tibetan people for justice and liberty, were issued by the governors of New York and New Mexico, by the State Assembly of Wisconsin, and by the cities of Albuquerque and Providence. The Tibetan flag was flown over the State Capitol of Wisconsin. Strong statements of support were received from New York Senators D'Amato and Moynihan.

In Toronto, the March for Tibet's Independence organized by Professor Thubten Jigme Norbu and the International Tibet Independence Movement began its three month walking route to New York city, with speeches by the leaders and a major rally of Tibetans and Tibet supporters. Over 100 persons accompanied the marchers, who are scheduled to arrive in New York on June 14, out of the city of Toronto.