DHARAMSHALA: Thousands of local Tibetans and Tibet supporters attended a prayer service yesterday (18 June) held as a mark of respect and solidarity with all the self-immolators including nun Wangchen Dolma who burned herself on 11 June. Most of the self-immolators have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans. The prayer service was organised by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration.

Jhador rinpoche, former abbot of Namgyal monastery presided over the prayer service which was attended by all the staff and officials of the Central Tibetan Administration including the heads of  the three pillars of Tibetan democracy.

Addressing the prayer service, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay said that a total of 119 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet since 2009. 102 have died while the whereabouts and the physical condition of the remaining are unknown, he said.

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay also spoke about his recent trip to Lithuania. He met with various important personalities of the country and his visit was well documented in the media. Sikyong Dr Sangay’s visit to Lithuania was aimed to drum up support in Lithuania during the next six months of Lithuania’s stewardship of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union starting next month.