Sněžka, Czech Republic: On 7 March 2026, nearly 30 Czech supporters of Tibet, including Senators Přemysl Rabas and Jiří Růžička, climbed Sněžka, the highest mountain in the Czech Republic, on 7 March to raise the Tibetan national flag and express solidarity with the Tibetan people ahead of the 67th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day. The climb was joined by Former Deputy Prime Minister and Former Minister for Environment Martin Bursik, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Thinley Chukki from the Tibet Bureau in Geneva, Mayor of the municipality of Blatno Iveta Rabasová Houfová, President of the Czechs Support Tibet and Secretary of the Czech Parliamentarians’ Group for Tibet Kateřina Bursik, Advocacy Officer Phuntsok Topgyal of the Office of Tibet in Geneva and several Czech supporters expressing solidarity for Tibet.
The event marked the eighth time Czech supporters have organised the solidarity climb on Sněžka to commemorate the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising and demonstrate continued support for the Tibetan people’s struggle for freedom and human rights. Many participants carried Tibetan flags as they ascended the mountain, which rises 1,603 meters above sea level.
At the base of the mountain, Senator Rabas thanked all the participants for joining the event for Tibet and welcomed Representative Thinley Chukki for joining the event. Senator Rabas recollected his recent trip to Dharamshala with the Czech Parliamentary delegation in December 2025 to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and having invited the Representative to partake in the event. Former Minister Martin Bursik also thanked all the participants and hoped that such an event would shed light on the ongoing atrocious human rights violations in Tibet.
During the gathering, several participants shared reflections from their travels in Tibet and spoke about the importance of preserving Tibetan culture, religion, and identity. Their remarks highlighted the strong connection many Czech citizens feel toward the Tibetan cause.
Upon reaching the summit, participants held a brief solidarity program, and Representative Thinley Chukki addressed the gathering, thanking the senators and supporters for this wonderful program.
In her remarks, she said: “This year marks the 67th commemoration of Tibetan National Uprising Day, and we commemorate it to honour the Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for Tibet.
The other day, I was listening to a story about the movement against apartheid in South Africa. At the beginning of the movement, a couple of Irish nuns held protests in Ireland. Even though there were no South Africans in Ireland at that time, they still protested because they believed that the South Africans were human beings who deserved equal treatment. In the same way, your solidarity climb is meaningful whether Tibetans know about your journey or not, whether there is recognition from the community or not. You do it because you stand for justice, because you believe Tibetans also have the right to freedom, and because you support His Holiness the Dalai Lama. You do it for Tibetans inside Tibet, and this means a great deal to us.”
From the roof of the Czech Republic to the roof of the world, I say: Save Tibet. Let us hope that in the coming years we will be able to bring His Holiness to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. And that one day we will be able to climb the highest mountain in Tibet and say, from the roof of the world to the roof of the Czech Republic: Thank you Czech Republic.”
Following her remarks, former Minister Martin Bursík also addressed the participants.
“Even when you live in a democracy, you must defend it every day. Today, we are living in a time when democracy faces many challenges. For us, Tibet is like a mirror. If we truly value human rights and support those who are oppressed—although Tibetans are not weak and we deeply admire their resilience—then we must stand with them. We do this because we value democracy and freedom, and we will continue to do so throughout our lives.”
Senator Jiří Růžička also thanked the participants and noted that the event is organised every year to show the solidarity of Czechs to Tibetans and that the Czechs stand with Tibet. The mayor of the municipality of Blatno Iveta Rabasová Houfová, noted that this event has a special meaning for us Czechs, as we stand in solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet and across the world.
The annual climb has become a symbolic gesture of solidarity linking Czech supporters with Tibetans around the world ahead of Tibetan National Uprising Day, commemorated each year on 10 March.
– Report filed by Office of Tibet, Geneva
