On 10 March, Tibetans commemorate the popular uprising against the Chinese occupying power in Lhasa in 1959. Over 80,000 Tibetans lost their lives back then.The 1959 Tibetan Uprising in Lhasa was driven by years of brutal repression under Chinese occupation. After the Chinese military entered Tibet in 1950, their control over the region tightened, leading to the confiscation of food supplies, which caused widespread starvation. The oppressive policies of the Chinese troops, numerous atrocities committed by the advancing troops, and the systemic persecution of Tibetans created growing unrest.In early March 1959, rumors spread that the Chinese authorities were planning to arrest the Dalai Lama under pretext of an invite to a theatre performance. Fearing for his safety, tens of thousands of Tibetans gathered around the Norbulingka Palace in Lhasa (the Dalai Lamas’ summer residence) to protect their spiritual leader. This mass gathering, driven by both the immediate threat to the Dalai Lama and years of cruel treatment under Chinese rule, sparked the full-scale uprising that was brutally suppressed by the Chinese military, causing an estimated 100’000 victims. Around 80’000 Tibetans escaped to India.