Luxembourg: Sikyong Penpa Tsering arrived at the Luxembourg Airport on the morning of 10 October, where he was accorded a warm welcome by the Tibetan community of Luxembourg.
Sikyong who was accompanied by Representative Rigzin Choedon Genkhang were hosted a luncheon by Her Excellency Laima Andrikiene, former Member of the European Parliament and current Member of European Court of Auditors, at the prestigious Cercle Munster Asbl.
Her Excellency Laima, a long-standing friend and advocate of Tibet, expressed her desire to gain a deeper understanding of the current situation facing Tibet and the Tibetan people. Of Lithuanian origin, Her Excellency Laima shared memories from her childhood, recalling how her parents would tell her stories of her grandparents reassuring her parents that one day they would witness and live in an independent Lithuania. While such a notion may have seemed implausible at the time, it has since become a reality. Drawing a parallel to her personal experience, she expressed a profound connection with the people of Tibet and articulated her deep empathy for the Tibetan cause. She commended Sikyong for his dedicated efforts in advancing the cause of Tibet and expressed her desire to contribute further to the Tibetan community. Sikyong and Representative Rigzin Choedon also graciously extended an informal invitation to Laima to attend the 90th birthday celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which will take place in July of next year.
Following a heartwarming luncheon, Sikyong was introduced to another group of long-standing supporters of Tibet—Les Amis du Tibet, an association that has been actively working to support Tibetans, particularly through the sponsorship of children at Tibetan Children Village Schools. Pierre Baumann, President of Les Amis du Tibet, introduced Sikyong to the association’s members, who then engaged in an informal discussion on Tibet. This was followed by a public conference organised by the association.
The commitment of Les Amis du Tibet to raising awareness of the situation in Tibet was evident through their thoughtful decision to hire a translator, ensuring the audience had a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of Sikyong’s talk. During his address, Sikyong highlighted the global significance of Tibet, particularly emphasising Tibet’s crucial role as the ‘water tower’ of Asia. He also urged the audience to ‘not feed the dragon,’ a metaphorical call to action, warning against empowering China to the point where it becomes dangerously dominant.
The audience demonstrated a keen interest in the issues surrounding Tibet, engaging Sikyong with insightful questions. The first day of Sikyong’s visit to Luxembourg concluded with a casual dinner alongside the team from Les Amis du Tibet, where conversations on Tibet continued in a warm and informal setting.
