In a rare admittance from a high profile foreign official on the international stage, the Vice President of United States of America, Mike Pence during the keynote address at the first ever U.S. State Department’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, told that the Tibetan people continue to be brutally repressed by the Chinese government.
“Pence in his address spoke strongly in support of victims of religious persecutions in different countries. He expressed being honored by the presence of former Tibetan political prisoner and activist Golog Jigme. In recognising Golog Jigme’s courage and stand for liberty Vice President Pence said that for nearly 70 years, the Tibetan people have been brutally repressed by the Chinese government and Golog Jigme’s escape from Tibet and into exile meant that the Tibetan people’s “fight to practice their religion and protect their culture goes on.” said the report in the official website of Central Tibetan Administration on Friday.
The report also added that during a side interaction Golog Jigme shared a moving personal account of having faced persecution from Chinese authorities and urged Vice President Mike Pence to engage with Chinese leaders, to engage with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to restore religious freedom in Tibet and to find a lasting resolution to the Tibetan issue and allow the Tibetan people to have true religious freedom. He also urged the U.S. to seek the release of Panchen Lama, incarcerated for 23 years.
Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, through a video message and in the video messaged that was played before the gathering urged a harmonious existence of all different religious traditions including the non-believers too.
Gyalwang Karmapa, Venerable Demo Rinpoche, North America Representative Ngodup Tsering, ICT’s Executive President Matteo Mecacci and Vice President Bhuchung K Tsering were present at the prestigious Ministerial.