On Thursday, March 10, I joined a gathering in front of Amherst Town Hall for the annual commemoration of the Tibetan Uprising Day of 1959.
I was truly moved by the local officials who came up to introduce themselves and to express their support. In Tibet we grew accustomed to being uncomfortable around Chinese officials and afraid of how they might treat us at any time. At the March 10 gathering, people from the Amherst town manager to Amherst police officers to state Rep. Mindy Domb made a point to let us know they supported the group and would ensure its safety along the route that it would be walking from Amherst to Northampton, with police from Hadley and Northampton taking over at each town.
I was moved almost to tears to think that instead of local officials threatening to harm and jail us for voicing our cause, I now live in a place where this is allowed and supported. It has been my mission to voice my support for human rights in Tibet since I was a young girl there, where it led to my imprisonment and then having to flee and leave all my loved ones behind.
Several people have supported me over my years in this area in being a voice for the voiceless, and the warmth and caring expressed by these local officials on March 10 was both healing and encouraging in carrying on with my mission. Thank you to each of you, and may we all also keep Ukraine in our thoughts and prayers.
Tsultrim Dolma
Amherst