By Tsering Tashi
LONDON, December 10 – The international human rights day was marked here today with Christian and Buddhist prayers and laying of wreath at the Memorial for Victims of Torture at Westminster Abbey, in memory of Tibetans who have died and are suffering as a result of China’s occupation of Tibet.
The colourful wreath was jointly laid by Lord Weatherill, Lord Avebury and Mr. John Wilkinson following prayers recited by Canon Michael Middleton of Westminster Abbey and Ven. Yeshe Togden, President of the Gu Chu Tum Movement based at Dharamsala in northern India, headquarters of the exiled Tibetan government headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Lord Weatherill, member of the House of Lords and former Speaker of the British Parliament, is the patron of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet – UK. Lord Avebury, member of the House of Lords is the Co-founder of the group. Mr. John Wilkinson, MP, is the Chairman of the parliamentary group for Tibet that had organised this memorial event.
From the Tibetan side Ven. Yeshe Togden and Tsering Tashi, Secretary of the London-based Office of Tibet, laid traditional white scarves beside the wreath to honour and remember all those who have sacrificed their life for Tibet’s cause.
Ven. Togden and Ngawang Kyonmey are in London as a part of speaking engagements mainly at colleges and universities at the invitation of the Students for a Free Tibet – UK. Before coming to UK, they had visited several townships in France where they also met with officials whom they found sympathetic and supportive of the Tibetan cause.
“In France they all assured us that they would do whatever they can to help in facilitating the fulfillment of the four main points that we had raised and sought their support,” said Ven. Togden. The four points were: China’s withdrawal of the death sentence passed on the popular Tibetan religious leader Ven. Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, due April next year; Release of the young Panchen Lama and all political prisoners in Tibet and guarantee of their right to livelihood thereafter; recognition of the Tibetan government in exile (as per the resolution passed by the European Parliament) if China does not enter into timely and substantive negotiations with the Tibetan side; and appointment by the European Union of a special representative for Tibetan affairs in line with what is already in existence in the United States of America.
According to Ngawang Kyonmey, 31, the sight of the multi-coloured Tibetan national flags flying outside city offices and public sympathy for the plight of Tibet was overwhelming and proved to be a source of much inspiration.
“Being a former political prisoner, I feel very inspired by the amount of goodwill and support there is for Tibet. It has encouraged me to further work for the Tibetan cause. We are very grateful to the Students for a Free Tibet for arranging our visit here despite their own limitations. I feel very touched,” said Mr. Kyonmey who escaped over the Himalayas to India in 2001 after having had to spent about two years in a Chinese prison in Tibet.
Emilie Hunter, President of the Students for a Free Tibet, UK, and her colleague Alice feel that the visit of Ven. Yeshe Togden and Ngawang Kyonmey was successful in that it provided the Gu Chu Sum Movement a forum to explain their objectives and feelings to the British public and especially to the students who will be the future leaders.
“The majority of students were meeting Tibetan political prisoners for the first time. So it was very motivating and the response from the students were interesting,” said Emilie, before escorting the Tibetan activists to another round of meeting, this time to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Earlier, Mr. Frederick Hyde-Chambers, co-founder and adviser of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, accompanied by Philippa Carrick, the group’s Honorary Administrator, gave the Gu Chu Sum representatives and their helpers an informative tour of the British Parliament, considered the mother of all democratic governments.
On Saturday, Ven. Yeshe Togden and Ngawang Kyonmey spoke and openly interacted with members of the Tibetan Community in Britain and others who had gathered here to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for leading the non-violent Tibetan struggle for freedom.
