Secretary Thinley Wangdue from the Office of Tibet, Brussels, attended the 63rd celebration of Tibetan Democracy Day in Antwerp, the diamond city of Belgium, as chief guest on 9 September 2023.

The Belgian chapter of the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) organised the ceremony, and executive members of various Tibetan Associations in Belgium were also invited to the occasion.

The event began with a brief introduction of the day by Nyima Tsamchoe, President of the TWA-Belgium, followed by the singing of Tibetan National Anthem and a minute mourning for those Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for Tibet.

Secretary Thinley Wangdue paid tributes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his visionary leadership and particularly for bringing about a historic democratic system for Tibet in his address. He further stated that Tibetans living in free countries should remember Tibetans living inside Tibet, where even fundamental human rights are not allowed to be practised. He also requested the audience to participate in the upcoming Green Book Day, which the Tibetan Community Association of Belgium will organise on 23 and 24 September, where two Paljor Office staff will be present to carry out Green Book-related activities, he concluded.

In the end, he prayed for a long life for His Holiness and appealed to all to ensure that we did not disappoint him in his ripe age in our pursuit of democratic practices.

Members of the RTWA presented a few cultural performances, followed by Belgium-based Tibetan artist Norbu Tsering, who also performed some solo songs.