Eröffnungsrede von Mr. Ngodup Dorjee, dem Repräsentant Seiner Heiligkeit des Dalai Lama

Originalrede des Repräsentanten Seiner Heiligkeit des Dalai Lama, Mr. Ngodup Dorjee aus Genf.

Übersetzung der Eröffnungsrede. Übersetzt von Irmela Erckenbracht.

Your excellency Mayor Cornelius Turrey, Vice President of Council Susanne Selbert, ladies and gentlemen.

I should say thanks to the organizer being inviting me to participate in this program and I feel great honor to be here.

As you all know the today's reality of "Tibet" with its unique culture of peace and compassion is struggling for very survival in this world under communist rule. The whole world know that Tibet is dying but no one dare to speak, the world sees the human rights violation in Tibet but no one dare to raise voice, the world experience in destruction of Tibet's environment but no one dare to stand for protection. Because the world is very much interested towards POWER of ECONOMY and forgetting the HUMANITY.

Historically, Tibet was particularly hard hit in the Cultural Revolution in 1960s. Many temples and monasteries were destroyed often with the help of Tibetan Red Guards. Buddha was declared a reactionary and the Dalai Lama was called a criminal. Over the next few years, monasteries were destroyed with dynamite and artillery, libraries were looted and rare books and painting were burned. Buddhist scriptures was used as shoe soles or wrapping paper, monks were forced to wear blue Mao suits instead of their traditional robes. Some were put to work for 20 years on communes digging vegetables. By the time it was over 99 percent of Tibet's 6,000 religious monasteries, temples and shrines were looted or totally decimated and hundreds of thousands of sacred Buddhist scriptures were destroyed.

Even today, religious freedom is one of its worst states. China's consistent repressive policies coupled with intense regulation and control over religious institutions against the practice of Tibetan Buddhism has given rise to series of protests including self-immolation protests. So far 147 Tibetans have resorted for self-immolated with latest case of self-immolation from Kadze, eastern Tibet on Saturday, 15th April 2017 by a father of three children.

Since the late 1990s, the promotion of Mandarin Chinese has been an important national agenda resulting in increased marginalization of the Tibetan language and cultural assimilation. Tibetans become minorities in their own country because of population transfer.

But fortunately those monasteries, religious institutions, learning centres, temples, libraries and cultural centres once completely destroyed in Tibet has been able to rebuilt in exile under the great leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and flourishing in this world once again which attract the interest of many western world. Even in Germany also we have many Buddhist religious centres established by many religious sects. I believe that Tibetan Buddhist culture which is also known by culture of peace and compassion has potential to contribute something for better world and happy world. If Tibetan Buddhist culture has potential in contributing towards happy world or peaceful world then I think its utmost responsible for the international community to preserve and protect this ancient culture.

At the same time I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to those volunteers of the Förderverein Weberei-Museum Kircher e.V. being adopted the program focusing on Tibet for coming two years. I very much appreciate such kind of initiatives and would like to thanks the coordinator and all those who are interlink with this program. We have Tibetan libraries, Tibet Museum etc. in India and if you feel important to collaborate for meaningful activity in the days to come and need of any help from the Tibet Bureau then kindly contact me.

Finally, I wish for every success of this program and may peace prevail on Earth.

Thank you!