On April 25th, Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) hosted a concert in TIPA in honor of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima the XI Panchen Lama’s Birthday. Around 6:15 the crowd began to trickle into the TIPA grounds. By the time the concert started around 7:15, there were approximately 1500 people packed into the courtyard. All 700 chairs were filled and people were also crammed into the bleachers that lined the walls. The President of TWA, Mrs. B. Tsering, opened the concert with an introduction Unfortunately, rain began as soon as both of the MCs, Tenzin Paldon and Tsering Yangkyi, had started the program. The crowd waited for almost a full hour for the rain to stop. The crowd’s positive response and patience showed the emotional involvement in the Panchen Lama imprisonment. The concert reopened with a solo singer. The performers graced the stage with a mixture of both contemporary and traditional songs.
The chief guest, Geshe Yougdung Gyaltsen the Member of Parliament, gave an official speech, followed by the General Secretary of TWA, thanking the performers and crowd. The concert continued with a few songs. Unfortunately the rain cut the performers short. Almost seven acts were unable to perform due to the poor weather conditions. The concert is not only to entertain people, but also to educate the audience about the situation of Panchen Lama. The main goal of the TWA concert was to create awareness and to involve people in the campaign to release the Panchen Lama. The guest who attended the show that night included members of the parliament, representatives of NGO, monastery, nunnery, schools, and media.
Artist came from all over the exile community including Nepal, TCV Gopalpur, Sarah Institute, and Mcleod Ganj. All the singers, both professional and students, sang as volunteers. The massive support from the public shows to see some response from the Chinese government concerning the Panchen Lama. This is one type of campaign, but we are currently planning more activities in the coming months.
