Berlin: During the 67th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day, Tibetans and supporters of Tibet gathered at Potsdam City Hall, where the Tibetan flag was officially hoisted alongside the German and city flags.

Brigitte Meier, Councillor for Order, Security, Social Affairs, and Health, shared her experience meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2001. She recounted the diplomatic obstacles from China when trying to invite His Holiness to Munich, the efforts of the Munich SPD to proceed with the event, and the overwhelming public interest. She described His Holiness the Dalai Lama as wise, intelligent, and politically astute, and emphasised the importance of preserving Tibetan culture, religion, and the Dalai Lama institution. She concluded by expressing her support in hoisting the Tibetan flag.

Representative Thinlay Chukki of the Tibet Bureau in Geneva addressed the 67th Tibetan Uprising Day, honouring Tibetans who lost their lives during China’s occupation. Speaking on behalf of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, she thanked the City of Potsdam, its leaders, and supporters for organising the event. She highlighted ongoing repression, including restrictions on culture, language, religion, family contact, and the placement of over a million children in boarding schools. UN reports also note forced labor and cultural suppression. Despite this, Tibetans continue to show resilience. Representative Chukki expressed gratitude to global supporters and hoped for a peaceful resolution of the Tibet issue under His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s guidance.

Tibetan Initiative Deutschland (TID) started the Tibetan flag hoisting initiative in 1996, and this year marks 30 years of hosting the Tibetan flag in Germany. Tenzyn Zöchbauer, Executive Director of Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID), presented an appreciation certificate to Meier in recognition of her many years of hosting the Tibetan flag in her city.

Later in the afternoon, a peaceful rally marched from the Weltzeituhr at Alexanderplatz to the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The event brought together various organisations and supporters, including members of the Church of Almighty God, the Association for the Defence of Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ADHRRF), the Federation for a Democratic China, Students for a Free Tibet, representatives from the World Uyghur Congress, Hongkongers, and Tibetans from across Germany. The rally was organised by the Tibetan community in Germany and Tibetan Initiative Deutschland to remember the historic uprising of 1959.

During the gathering, Representative Thinlay Chukki read the Kashag statement and addressed participants. She recalled that on 10 March 1959, Tibetans from all walks of life gathered in Lhasa to protect His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to protest against the Chinese Communist Party’s occupation of Tibet. She emphasised that Tibetans around the world continue to remember the sacrifices made by those who lost their lives and livelihoods for Tibet.

In her speech, she highlighted ongoing human rights concerns in Tibet, stating that millions of Tibetans continue to suffer under Chinese rule. She mentioned reports that over one million Tibetan children are placed in residential schools where they cannot freely learn their language, culture, or religion, and that many Tibetans are restricted from possessing images of the Dalai Lama. She also referred to allegations of forced labor, cultural suppression, and environmental destruction on the Tibetan plateau.

Representative Thinlay Chukki noted that concerns about these issues are also raised by international experts, including United Nations specialists and scientists studying environmental changes in Tibet. She called on the Chinese government to resume genuine dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Tibet–China conflict. She also urged the German government and the international community to address Tibet in diplomatic discussions with China and to ensure that Tibetan voices and human rights concerns are not ignored. The speech concluded with gratitude to supporters and a message that supporting Tibet means supporting justice, truth, and international law.

– Report filed by Office of Tibet, Geneva