Tibet's culture faces 'death sentence'

The Dalai Lama has warned that Tibetan culture is in peril under Chinese rule as the 150,000 people of the Himalayan nation living in exile have decided not to celebrate Losar or the Tibetan New Year

"When narrow-minded Chinese officials portray Tibetan beliefs and our cultural heritage as a threat, the Tibetan people hear a death sentence," The Dalai Lama said as he received a German award.

The exiled spiritual leader, 73, insisted Tibetans were not trying to break away from China.

"We are not a threat, but an asset to China," he said at a ceremony attended by 600 German business and media celebrities.

Meanwhile, Tibetan exiles have decided not to celebrate Losar (Tibetan New Year), the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of its government-in-exile said.

According to the Tibetan lunar calendar, Losar is the first day of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated in a big way. This year, Losar is on Feb 25.

"The CTA will hold only customary religious programs to mark Tibetan New Year, taking into consideration the continuing repression in Tibet and the ruthless crackdown last year which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Tibetans and thousands imprisoned," said its statement.

"We (the CTA) appeal to all the departments concerned and offices of the administration not to organize any lavish celebrations such as hosting feasts, dance parties and lighting firecrackers."

Other organizations of Tibetan exiles based in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala have also decided not to participate in festivities to mark the day.

"We will observe silence to mourn the death of our brethren who sacrificed their lives for the cause of people in Tibet during the Beijing Olympics," said president of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) Tsewang Rigzin. The group has more than 30,000 members across the globe.

The TYC, which the Chinese labelled as a terrorist organization, plans to burn effigies of Chinese leaders on that day.

B. Tsering, president of the Tibetan Women Association, said: "This year, we (the exiles) will remember the sacrifice made by countless unsung heroes during the past five decades... This is an occasion to mourn those who sacrificed their lives and to express solidarity with those who are still suffering."

The Dalai Lama, who along with many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India in 1959, has spent the last two decades campaigning for "meaningful autonomy" for his homeland.

Nearly six million Tibetans live in the Tibet region of China while over 150,000 live in other countries.