Ms Ngawang Sangdrol is on a brief visit to Paris, France, to thank the French Government and people who had staunchly campaigned for her freedom from prison. Sangdrol is accompanied by Ms Dechen Pemba, ICT, Germany.Mr Tashi Phuntsok, Representative of the Dalai Lama for Western Eurioen Paris, received them at train station in the afternoon of July 2nd.
The visit is organised by the Bureau du Tibet, Paris. Today evening, they will leave for Brussels after attending the Bureau du Tibet’s reception for the 68th birth anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
This much awaited visit has been very useful and meaningful. Ms Sangdrol made a strong presentation of her experience at the National Assembly which was jointly organised by the Tibet Groups in the Senate and the National Assembly. Mr Lionnel Luca, President of Tibet Group in the National Assembly received her warmly at the gate of the National Assembly. A number of MPs from both the Houses were present at the meeting. Mr Jack Lang, former Minister for Education also attended it and felicitated Ms Sangdrol affectionately.
Ms Sangdrol also made a similar presentation to Tibetans and French public on the evening of the July 2nd. Over 300 people listened to her accounts with great emotion and sympathy. Yesterday evening she had an hour and a half meeting with Mr Nicolas de Riviere, Advisor to the French Foreign Minister on Asia. He was accompanied by his colleagues in Asia Directorate. Mr Tashi Phuntsok, Representative, and Mr Wangpo Bashi, were present from the Bureau du Tibet.
In all her presentations and press interviews, Ms Sangdrol emphasised that she was not a special or exceptional person, and that she has done what, she as a Tibetan could do. She maintained that her release from prison, or any other release of Tibetan prisoners, is not the final object. It is the resolution of the Tibetan suffering which needs to be redressed. For that she appealed to all to support and work for concrete result to the non violent Middle Way approach of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She repeated this last point repeatedly at the Foreign Ministry.
The media coverage for her visit was tremendous. Le Monde daily likened her to Joan of Arc. L’express weekly magazine is bringing out a long feature article on her today. ELLE magazine has done a photo session and a short interview with her. AFP, as usual, has made many dispatches. TFI, French national TV channel 1, beamed her interview on the first day at a prime time evening 8 PM news. France 3, another national TV covered her visit from her arrival to other engagements with her interview and showed it last evening at the prime time news slot.
Submitted by Bureau du Tibet, Paris, France.
Wangpo BASHI
