Ladakh, 7 August: The Tibetan Freedom Torch that started from Olympia, Greece, has finally reached its final leg. It reached Leh-Ladakh this morning. The torch received blessings from Tsona Rinpoche from Tawang in Delhi on the 6 August before leaving for Ladakh. Upon reaching Ladakh this early morning, the torch has been taken straight to Spituk Monastery where it was welcomed and blessed by Rha Rinpoche, Jangtse Choejhe, who will be the next Gaden Tripa, the highest post of the Gelukpa sects of Tibetan Buddhism. He hails from Ladakh.
Himalayan Committee for Action on Tibet (HIMCAT), a sister organisation of Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association with support from Regional Tibetan Youth Congress and Regional Tibetan Women's Association are organising a torch relay tomorrow in Leh-Ladakh. Thousands of Ladakhis and Tibetans are expected to take part in the relay that starts at 8:30 am. The torch will travel to all the regions of Ladakh before culminating at the Tibet border.
The Tibetan Freedom Torch is a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of the Tibetan people for freedom and justice, and of the commitment of people around the world to helping achieve this goal.
The Tibetan Freedom Torch relay gives voice to the true ideals of Tibetans and the dreams of all people of conscience: dreams of freedom, justice, and human rights for all. The flame of Tibetan freedom will burn in all our hearts until Tibetans are once again free to determine their future in their own land.
The torch has been traveling the globe starting from Olympia, Greece, on 10th March, 2008 and thereafter toured more than 50 cities across America, Canada, Mexico, Europe, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Uruguay before finally reaching India on the 9th July. The current India leg of the torch started from Delhi on the 10 July and ends in Ladakh in August 2008. During this month-long tour, it was received by Tibet Supporters in 28 different cities including capital cities of almost all the states in India.
For detail log on to: www.TibetanFreedomTorch.org
8/August/2008 Copyright © International Tibet Support Network. All rights reserved
The International Tibet Support Network (ITSN) is a global coalition of Tibet-related non-governmental organisations. Its purpose is to maximise the effectiveness of the worldwide Tibet movement, which is dedicated to ending human rights violations in Tibet and to working actively to restore the Tibetan people's right under international law to determine their future political, economic, social, religious and Cultural status.
ITSN pursues its goals by working to increase the capacity of individual Member Organisations, through the coordination of strategic campaigns and by increased cooperation among organizations, thereby strengthening the Tibet movement as a whole. See www.tibetnetwork.org for more information.