Tokyo: Japanese lawmaker Yamatani Eriko, Chairperson of the Japan Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, visited Tibet House Japan’s office and expressed her solidarity with the Tibetans suffering in the earthquake-affected areas Tibet. She said she was sorry to hear the tragic news, lamented the loss of lives and property in the region, and prayed for the early recovery of the situation.

Representative Dr Tsewang Gyalpo Arya and the office staff received the lawmaker and her staff and thanked her for coming to the office to show her solidarity. He informed her of the situation in the affected regions and showed her pictures collected from social media. He told the lawmaker that the possible reason for the earthquake could be because of China’s hegemonic dam-building activities to contain the Tibetan rivers, especially the Yarlung Tsangpo which flows from Tibet to India and Bangladesh as the Brahmaputra river. Scientists attribute the 2010 earthquake in Yushu in eastern Tibet, which cost the lives of around 3000 people, to the increased dam building and mining activities of China in the regions.

Lawmaker Yamatani Eriko and Representative Arya further discussed about the situation in Tibet and the status of Chinese colonial boarding schools and religious freedom in in region. Yamatani Eriko is accompanied by her secretary Hayamizu and Watanabe. Some university students who visited the Tibet House for discussion on the Tibet issue also interacted with the lawmaker Yamatani Eriko. The visit was covered by Sankei Shinbum, one of the Japan major newspapers on the day.

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit the areas around Dhingri County of the Shigatse prefecture in southwestern Tibet on 7 January morning and brought heavy destruction and loss of lives. His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed deep sadness and conducted special prayers for the victims at Tashi Lhunpo monastery in South India. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) organised an official prayer meeting today. Tibet House Japan will soon be conducting a prayer gathering in Tokyo.

-Report filed by the Office of Tibet, Japan