Dharamsala,
February 16: Nearly hundred Chinese and Tibetan people in and around
Tokyo gathered jovially on Saturday evening to celebrate the formation
of a “Friendship Association” between the two communities in the region.
| Executive
members of Chinese-Tibetan Friendship Association with Representative
Lhakpa Tshoko (centre) (Photo: Tibet House, Japan) | The two-hour function-cum-interactive dinner gathering was organized by the Tibetan Community in Japan.
Mr.
Kalsang Dhondup, President of the Tibetan Community, in his opening
remark, greeted the gathering and expressed his happiness that the two
communities have “come together to show to the world that we are not
against each other, that we love and respect each other and that we can
live peacefully together”.
Mr. Lhakpa Tshoko, Representative of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Japan and East Asia welcomed the
formation of the Association and said that it was “in line with the
principle of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has always preached love,
compassion, non-violence and universal brotherhood.”
Describing
the newly founded “Chinese-Tibetan Friendship Association” as a
non-political entity, the Tibetan representative hoped it could
“contribute immensely in clearing many doubts and misunderstanding
between the two communities”.
“It is a friendship association
formed at community level and this will greatly help in promoting peace
and stability in China and Tibet,” Mr Tshoko said.
Dr. Tsewang
Nishikura was appointed the president of the association. Mr. Liu Bao
and Lee Komatsu are appointed as its Vice Presidents, and Mr. Kalsang
Dhondup as the General Secretary of the Association.
Dr.
Tsewang, while accepting the responsibility, urged the respective
communities to abide by the policy of peace and friendship, and in
promoting better understanding, which he would help send good message
to the people in China and Tibet.
Vice President Mr. Liu Bao
expressed great happiness about the successful formation of the
Association. He said that he had been to Tibet several times and had
good many Tibetans as friends. Commending Tibet’s “unique Buddhist
tradition of peace and concept of others before self”, Bao said Chinese
people “have many things to learn from Tibetan”.
In his speech, Bao insisted on the need to have more communication between the two communities.
`Whatever
the Chinese government has done, it represents the Government’s stand
only, which does not represent Chinese people,” Bao said, and prayed
for the success of the Association.
An elderly Chinese man said
he was so happy that he wanted to dedicate a song for the occasion and
played harmonica. A group of Tibetan and Chinese casually performed
Tibetan dance together at a corner. A young Tibetan girl sang a Tibetan
song. The performances drew great appreciation and ovation from the
crowd. The gathering concluded with an announcement to meet again in
future.
According to latest Japanese official records, there are
some 606, 899 Chinese residing in Japan, forming the largest foreign
community in the country - nearly 30 per cent of the total foreign
population. This is exclusive of some 110,000 Chinese who had taken
Japanese citizenship till date. On the other hand, Tibetan population,
including those who had taken Japanese citizenship, counts to little
more than 100 only.
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