62nd Tibet Uprising Day: Australian city council raises Tibetan flag

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Blue Mountains Tibetan children singing on 62nd Tibet Uprising Day. (Photo courtesy: Blue Mountains Gazette)

(TibetanReview.net, Mar12’21) – The City Council of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, located in the Blue Mountains range west of Sydney, raised the Tibetan national flag on Mar 10 to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising against Chinese occupation of Tibet. This was the third successive year the Blue Mountains City Council commemorate the event, noted bluemountainsgazette.com.au Mar 12.

The report said the flag was raised jointly by Greens Cr Kerry Brown on behalf of the Council and Lobsang Tharchin on behalf of the Tibetan community. It will fly for a week. The flag has also been raised in Leura Mall by the Leura Village Association.

The report quoted council spokeswoman on behalf of the mayor, Cr Brown, as telling the gathering: “We support and acknowledge the suffering of the Tibetan people and their right to self-determination in their country. We thank you for being part of our community here and enriching us.

Brendan Doyle (left), Lobsang Tharchin, Cr Kerry Brown, Shel Gedun Tsering – Raising the Tibetan flag in Katoomba. (Photo courtesy: Blue Mountains Gazette)

“I see many young Blue Mountains-born Tibetans here today and hope that soon there will be a Tibetan Blue Mountains councillor.”

Cr Brown was reported to have read a joint letter of support to the Blue Mountains Tibetans from Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi and all the NSW Greens MPs. “We pay our respects to everyone who sacrificed their lives for Tibet on this day, send our condolences to their families and recognise all those from the successive generations that have continued to advance this freedom movement.'”

And Susie Van Op Dorp, speaking on behalf of federal member Susan Templeman and state member Trish Doyle, was quoted as saying: “We are standing in solidarity with you. We are a better community because of you.”

Leaders from both the major political parties have addressed the gathering.

Liberal Cr Kevin Schreiber was reported to have told the gathering “You were so careful with your own environment and now you are here looking after our environment. I love that I can hear Tibetan children running around having fun and enjoying their freedom while we raise their flag.”

And Labor Cr Romola Hollywood has said, “The struggle for human rights and self-determination is so important. The council can provide a safe haven for you to tell your story here and hopefully across NSW and Australia.”

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