Over 1,000 Tibetans in Switzerland and Liechtenstein joined the commemoration of the 65th Tibetan National Uprising Day in Geneva, organised by The Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The Tibetans march from the UN office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the UN Human Rights Council’s building, holding the Tibetan National flag and placards.
The program begins with prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for the Tibetan Martyrs and others who are suffering under the Chinese Communist regime, followed by a singing of the Tibetan National Anthem by the TCSL Folklore artist and a minute of silence dedicated to all the Martyrs who have sacrificed their life for the cause of Tibet.
The President of the Tibetan Community of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Karma Choekyi, addressed the gathering and urged all Tibetans to stand up for Tibet’s cause. Subsequently, the president of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe and the President of the Tibetan Women Association in Switzerland spoke on the situation in Tibet and the importance of the day.
The Chief guest of the demonstration, René Longet, co-head of the GSTF section Romandy, and Nicola Walder, Co-president of the Switzerland Parliamentary Group for Tibet, also addressed the event. They expressed their concerns over China’s extermination of the Tibetan Language and destruction of Tibetan Monasteries and expressed their solidarity and support for the Tibetan freedom movement.
Tenzin Choesang, the staff of the Tibet Bureau, attended the event and addressed the gathering. She highlighted the China occupation and destruction of Tibetan Language and Culture and urged all Tibetans in diaspora to take extra responsibility for preserving the unique Tibet identity while encouraging youngsters to participate in the CTA’s V-TAG initiative.
Similarly, Tibetans and Tibet Supporters across Central and Eastern Europe, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy, commemorated the 65th Tibetan National Uprising Day.
Tibetans in Austria commemorated the 65th Tibetan national uprising by peacefully protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy.
In Germany, the Tibetan Association of Germany, Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) and the Society for Threatened Peoples collaboratively organised a commemoration in Berlin with around 200 partakers.
Tenzin Yeshi and Pema Zompa, the coordinator of the Tibetan Association of Germany opened the demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate.
German MP Michael Brand, who attended the official commemoration in Dharamshala as chief guest, sent a message for the commemoration in Berlin that Rita Etges from the TID Berlin regional Group, read.
Officiating Representative of the Tibet Bureau, Phuntsok Topgyal, along with Tibet supporters from Hong Kong and China, attended the commemoration.
The Tibetan Association organised a photo exhibition of the Tibetan self-immolators at the Brandenburger Tor Berlin to create awareness amongst the spectators. They further distributed statements in German and held a rally from Brandenburg Gate to the Chinese Embassy.
