Representative Ngodup Tsering joins the State Department’s virtual Losar celebration

5 years ago

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets Tibetans on Losar.

Washington DC: Representative Ngodup Tsering attended the State Department’s Losar celebration which was moderated by Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) A/PDAS Scott Busby. Special attendees included the Department’s Acting Deputy Secretary Dan Smith, Senior Official Lisa Peterson, DRL Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Kara McDonald, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) A A/S Sung Kim, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) A A/AS Dean Thompson, SCA DAS Laura Stone, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) SBO Nancy Izzo Jackson, PRM A/PDAS Richard Albright, Chairman of International Campaign for Tibet Richard Gere, ICT Board Member Gare Smith, Gere Foundation Executive Director Mollie Rodriguez, and Interim ICT President Bhuchung Tsering, Lieutenant Commander Tenzin Jangchup, Tsering Bawa, Tsejin Khando, and Tenzin Kunsel.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a pre-recorded greetings for Losar where he stated that the new Administration will support Tibet, “…The Biden Administration is committed to preserving, protecting, and honoring this linguistic and cultural heritage…your traditions continue to symbolize love, compassion, justice, forgiveness, tolerance, and peace.”

A video showcasing Tibetan-Americans was broadcasted during the event. Afterward, Representative Tsering gave a speech thanking the US Government for their enduring support for the Tibetan people, through special events like these and highlighted the many recent achievements with the US-Tibet policy, such as the passage of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020. On a somber note, Representative Tsering lamented the ongoing repression of Tibetans by the Chinese Communist Party, and how, “…the people of Xinjiang, Hongkong, and Southern Mongolia have joined the pack of victims. CCP also threatens India and Taiwan clearly proving that it is a threat to world freedom and democracy.”

In the end, Representative Tsering commended the Tibetan-Americans who rose to the challenge of the pandemic by serving as essential workers, helping community members with food deliveries and face mask production, and donating to COVID-related NGOs. The speech concluded with a prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life and America.