September 2nd, 2008 - 4:15 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Tibetans celebrated their 48th "Democracy 
Day" Tuesday and suspended protest demonstrations that were going on 
in the Indian capital since March against "atrocities in 
Tibet".Scores of exiled Tibetans, holding their red-blue-yellow flag 
in pride, celebrated the day, which marks the beginning of the 
Tibetan government in exile in India.

Saying it was a directive from the Tibetan Solidarity Committee 
members in Dharamsala, Tenzin Lekshay of the committee said the 
protests against "atrocities in Tibet" going on in Delhi since March 
this year, have been temporarily suspended.

"The Tibetan parliament, which begins its monsoon session Sep 6, will 
decide whether the demonstration will continue or some other form of 
protest will be held instead. But for now, it is suspended," Lekshay 
told IANS.

According to him, the "Tibetan Democracy Day" was introduced in 1960 
after the Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet. The Tibetan government in 
exile has been functioning since then and the day observed each year.

The Democracy Day at Jantar Mantar, the observatory in the heart of 
the business centre of the capital, began with the singing of the 
Tibetan anthem followed by the Indian national anthem.

Tempa Tsering, representative of the Dalai Lama, while speaking to 
the gathering, most of who had come down from Dharamsala, abode of 
the Dalai Lama, as well as Tibetan students from across Delhi, 
expressed gratitude at the amount of Indian support to the Tibetan 
cause.

Dharamsala is the seat of the Tibetan 'government in exile' and the 
Dalai Lama has made the town his home along with thousands of his 
followers after he fled Tibet following a failed uprising in 1959.