London: The 61st anniversary of the Tibetan Democracy Day was marked in the London Borough of Waltham Forest Council, located north-west of London, with the ceremonial hoisting of the Tibetan national flag outside the Waltham forest Town hall.
Organised and hosted by Councillor Berberi with the joint collaboration of The Office of Tibet, London and the Tibetan Community in Britain, the Flag Raising Ceremony, held outside the Assembly Hall, was graced by The Mayor, Councillor Elizabeth Baptise; other Councillors and Town Hall staffs; Tibet supporters and members of Tibetans in Britain.
Cllr Berberi welcomed everyone to the formal ceremony outside the assembly hall and introduced the chief guest Mr Sonam Tsering Frasi, the official representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Office of Tibet London. In his opening remarks he mentioned that Tibetan Democracy Day for 61 years has been a significant celebration of the Tibetan Community and represents Tibetan community’s high democratic values, culture, traditions and great contribution to the wider community of Waltham Forest and United Kingdom.
The Mayor, Councillor Elizabeth Baptise began her speech remarking, “I am absolutely delighted to welcome representatives of Waltham Forest Tibetan community here today to mark an important day, Tibetan Democracy Day! For those of you, who have been here before, I hope you like the changes to what is now Waltham Forest Town Hall Fellowship Square. Each time, we gather to welcome many different communities that calls Waltham Forest home. Each time, when we mark a date in the calendar for a community group, we get a flavour of what that would as to the richness and diversity of the life, of the borough and a sense of importance of cultural identity.”
She reassured her support for the Tibetan community in Waltham forest and expressed her pleasure and privileged to have joined the celebration of the Tibetan Democracy in her concluding remarks.
Representative Mr Sonam Tsering Frasi thanked the Mayor Councillor Elizabeth Baptise, and Cllr Berberi, for joining the event and supporting the Tibetan community.
He added, “through the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibetans in exile are enjoying and practicing a true form of democracy in par with rest of the free world but Tibetans in Tibet are prosecuted and imprisoned for expressing freedom and possession and display of Tibetan national flag. And your support conveys a huge message of inner happiness and inspiration to the Tibetan people inside Tibet whose voices cannot be heard and for those who cannot speak out due to fear of persecution and intimidation from the occupying force of China”.
In conclusion, he hailed the contributions of late Cllr Christopher Robins who had been very supportive of Tibetan cause.
The Tibetan national flag was ceremonially raised on the high flag pole as the Tibetan community sang the Tibetan national anthem.
A group of young Tibetan children in Waltham Forest presented a beautiful Tibetan dance performance called “Yarkyi Tamo So” which was enjoyed by everyone.
Tibetans who have gathered there expressed appreciations to the Mayor and the organiser Cllr Berberi with offering of Tibetan ceremonial scarf.
–Report filed by Office of Tibet, London