London: On 16 May, Mr Sonam Tsering Frasi, the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London raised the Tibetan national flag at the Nipponsan Myohoji Buddhist Temple in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom along with the Mayor Cllr Andrew Geary and Mayoress Lisa of Milton Keynes.
The flag raising event is an annual event organised by a long time Tibet supporter Ms Catherine Mostyn Scott. She started this yearly event in 2014 with the importance of flag raising, suffering in Tibet and to create awareness about the plight of Tibetans in Tibet and in exile to concern Mayors and the general public. This is the 8th Tibetan national flag raising in MK.
Usually, there will be 70-100 people attending this annual flag raising event but due to the pandemic, the event organiser organised the event with the rule of six- restriction in compliance with government Covid regulations.
The event was attended by Representative Sonam Tsering Frasi, Mayor and Mayoress of Milton Keynes, sister Maruta, the nun of the temple, the Scott family and local Tibetans in MK.
Addressing the ceremony, Mr Frasi thanked the Mayor and Mayoress, the Scott family, sister Maruta for their presence and standing in solidarity with the Tibetan people and urged them to continue the same.
He further stated the case of the Panchen Lama. He informed them that the 17th May 2021 marks the 26 years of Panchen Lama’s enforced disappearance and urged them to call on Chinese government for the immediate release of Panchen Lama and his family.
The Mayor in his speech said, “We are commemorating this event to remember and stand in solidarity with people who are suffering every day with arrest and abuse in other parts of the world. I am privileged to be here to continue the tradition of first citizens of this place raising the flag of Tibet to stand in solidarity with Tibetans who are suffering in Tibet.
–Filed by Office of Tibet, London