On Wednesday, October 24, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the elected leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile, visited the Tibetan Center on Route 28 in the Town of Kingston. On hand to welcome him were the Tashi Kyil Tibetan Buddhist monks, who are the recent new owners of the center; Steve Drago, former executive director of the center; county executive Jen Metzger; legislator Kathy Nolan; Robert Thurman, professor of Tibetan Buddhist studies, an American Buddhist author and co-founder of the Tibet House US in NYC; and Center members.
Penpa Tsering’s message was his plan to sponsor a bill in Congress to acknowledge that Tibet has historically always been an independent state. For the past couple of decades, neighboring China has been usurping Tibet’s land and natural resources. During my visit to Tibet in 2011, my guide said he feared that his language, customs, history, schools, and way of living will disappear. At that time, 80 percent of the people living in the capital of Lhasa were Chinese. Many came via the cross-country bullet train built by the Chinese that takes 40 1/2 hours one way.
Penpa Tsering just came back from a South American tour with his message and for support and plans to visit US cities.
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