The local chapter of the French TSG Aide a l’Enfance tibetaine (AET) and the Foundation France-Libertes with a support of the Mayor organised the Tibet related events in Agen, South France, from 8th June to 11th June 2004. It was inaugurated by Mrs Danielle Mitterrand, Former First Lady and President of the Foundation France Libertes and Mr Tashi Phuntsok, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Paris, at a press conference in the afternoon of the 8th June. Mr Gilbert Leroy, Representative of the AET was also present. The national dailies based in the region and VOA Tibetan section correspondent were present. Mrs Mitterrand reaffirmed her support for the Tibetan people. She also alerted the media that the war for petrol is almost over now whereas a war for water is very likely to rise up in different parts of the world. Tibet, she said, as a reservoir of the major rivers of Asia, has strategic importance. Mr Tashi Phuntsok thanked the organisers and gave details on the efforts being made by His Holiness and the exile administration to resolve our issue through dialogue. Mr Gilbert Leroy said his association, the biggest in France, has been engaged for over 23 year in bringing educational support to over 3500 Tibetan children, and that it has become necessary to give a political momentum to their action of sponsorship since he argued, the young Tibetans whom the association helped in their education have insistently said they want to return to their own country.
After the press conference, a reception was held at the Town Hall of Agen where the Mayor Mr Alain Veyret praised the resilience and strong determination of the Tibetan people to regain their freedom through peaceful means. Surgeon himself who has been involved in bringing help on behalf of the Doctors without Borders in 1982 and 1983 in the Tibetan cluster areas of Ladakh, Dharamsala and south India, he said there are a lot of things to learn from the Tibetan culture, and especially the traditional medicine. Mr Tashi Phuntsok in a thanked the Mayor by presenting a scarf.
In the evening, a documentary movie “Tibet, history of tragedy” was shown to some 70 persons. They were very moved by the movie. Afterwards, Mrs Danielle Mitterrand, Mr Tashi Phuntsok and Mr Gilbert Leroy replied to various questions put to them from the audience.
The other programmes running till Friday the 11th June on Tibet include three different documentary movies on the exile life in India, a public talk on the education in exile by Geshe Tenzin Dorje, music and dance by Mr Tenzin Gonpo.
Agen which has a population of 35000 inhabitants has been hoisting Tibet flag every 10th March.
The events were covered prominently in three different dailies of the 9th June : Depeche du Midi, Sud Ouest and Le Petit Bleu. (Enclosures)
Report edited by Wangpo BASHI, Bureau du Tibet, Paris. Dated 10th June 2004
