(TibetanReview.net, Oct19’23) – Tibet-sympathizing lawmakers have on Oct 18 marked the 16th anniversary of the conferment of the US Congressional Gold Medal on His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with the attendance of the visiting Sikyong (executive head) Mr Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
Penpa Tsering has called the award to His Holiness “a huge honour for Tibetans suffering inside Tibet as it represents the sustenance of their indomitable spirit even after 64 years of Chinese suppression.”
Others who attended and addressed the event in the Capitol Hill in Washington DC have included Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congressmen Jim McGovern and Chris Smith, Congresswomen Betty McCollum and Jan Schakowsky.
Others who took part in the event were stated to include Hollywood star and Tibet activist Richard Gere who is the board chairman of Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) , ICT President Ms Tencho Gyatso, former CTA Kalon Tenzin Namgyal Tethong, and staff of State Department as well as USAID staff, said the CTA on its Tibet.net website Oct 18.
The report cited Pelosi as saying the bestowal of the highest civilian honour to His Holiness was “a source of pride” while commending Gere for his tireless efforts “to attract people to not only His Holiness, but to the cause of Tibet”, expressing eternal gratitude to him.
Chris has lauded the His Holiness for his tremendous influence that cut across all political divides.
McGovern has expressed admiration of His Holiness for his anti-war stance while calling on China to engage with him for a peaceful resolution of the Sino-Tibet conflict.
McCollum and Schakowsky have expressed similar sentiments.
Gere has called the award an honour not only for His Holiness but also to the United States itself as well, saying: “I felt so proud that the American experiment was embracing the Dalai Lama into the hierarchy of deities of our democracy. It was like he was giving us an award instead of us giving him an award, that he embraced us into his heart and this American experiment into his heart.”