Trending This Week on Social Media: In your hearts you remain undefeated, in your minds you are already liberated says Former Botswana President Seretse Khama Ian Khama during the 60th Tibetan National Uprising Day

Seretse Khama Ian Khama, former President of Botswana made his precious presence as a chief guest during the commemoration of 60^th Tibetan National Uprising Day in Dharamshala despite his own government reluctance to let him attend the anniversary for fear of angering China.

Sixty years ago on this very day in Lhasa, thousands of Tibetans from all walks of life blockade the Norbulingka, summer palace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to protect him against the perceived threats from the People’s Republic of China. The nationwide peaceful protest for illegal occupation of Tibet by the People’s Republic of China was brutally suppressed, resulting in the death of thousands of Tibetans, and subsequently His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, then 23-year was forced to flee into exile.

In this unprecedented gathering, the delegation of parliamentarians, Tibet supporters from 11 nations and 60-member Chinese delegations from the mainland China, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, etc. shared the same platform to show their solidarity with Tibet, marking the historic commemoration of the 60^th Tibetan National Uprising Day, held at the main temple, Mcleod Ganj, 10 March 2019.

The chief guest Ian Khama, in his keynote statement remarked, ‘our own presence here is testament to the fact that while the March 10 patriots were physically defeated, the spiritual struggle for a Free Tibet lives on in the hearts and minds not only of Tibetans at home and in exile but also among growing numbers within the international community.’

While addressing the gathering, he recalled the year 2017 when he was President of Botswana, he refused to give in to Chinese government pressure for letting His Holiness the Dalai Lama to attend Mind and Life Institute conference convened at a tertiary institution in the capital city of Gaborone. Unfortunately, in the end, His Holiness was unable to attend the conference, which otherwise attracted esteemed participants from the region and beyond.

Earlier that day in the morning, Ian Khama had an audience with His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama. The two distinguished personalities had a thoughtful conversation on tackling global issues via dialogue without being biases and prejudices based on skin color, race, and religion.

Ian Khama updated pictures of him commemorating the 60th Tibetan National Uprising Day at the Main Temple on his official Facebook page @SeretseKhamaIanKhama, and he also wrote, “It’s such a great honor to have been invited by the Central Tibetan Administration as the Chief Guest to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Tibetan People’s National Uprising. In global solidarity, I find it necessary to recall that it was on the 10th of March 1959, that unarmed Tibetans from all walks of life rallied in Lhasa to protect His Holiness the Dali Lama; sparking spontaneous protests against the increasingly oppressive hegemony being practiced by the authorities of the Peoples Republic of China.”

And other distinguished guests who spoke at the 60th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising were Hon Shri Shanta Kumar, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, sitting Member of Indian Parliament; Mr. Michael Brand, Member of the German Bundestag; Mr Thomas Mann, Member of European Parliament, President of the Tibet Interest Group; Mr. Garnett Genuis, member of Parliament from Alberta representing Conservative Party of Canada; Mrs. Lucia Duris Nicholsonova, Deputy Chairman of the Slovak National Council; Ms. Mei Nu Yu, MP, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan; Ms Sandy Kalyan, MP, Democratic Alliance, South Africa; Mr Alberto de Belaunde, MP, Liberal Party, Peru; Ms Antonella Incerti and Dr Yang Jianli, Citizen Power Initiatives for China.

Catch a glimpse of the ’60th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day’ updated posts on the official Facebook page of Seretse Khama Ian Khama :