Dharamshala: On July 5th, the Workers Party's delegation arrived in Dharamsala, some coming from China and some from Australia, to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama's birthday the following day. Their primary objective was, simply, to offer birthday greetings and express their solidarity. Fanyuang, the president of the party, resident in Australia, and Shiying Kuan, an advisor from mainland China and teacher at Hainan University, headed the delegation. They claimed it was originally to comprise of eleven, but that some couldn't make it due to visa restrictions and other difficulties. This morning at 11am they held a press conference at the staff mess of the Gangkyi (Library) of the Central Tibetan Administration.
Sangye kyab, editor of the Chinese edition of the Tibetan Bulletin, introduced the delegation and explained their activities, going on translate the proceedings into Tibetan. First, Mr. Fanyuang addressed His Holiness the Dalai Lama, proclaiming his long life as a source of happiness for both Tibetans and Chinese. ‘This delegation of the Workers Party of China came to Dharamsala to wish His Holiness a happy birthday. The remainder of our delegation was prevented from attending by the Chinese government. We all attended the ceremony, where His Holiness greeted us with enthusiasm and hospitality, even those of us who came directly from China.
‘In the afternoon we met with the Tibetan Prime Minister, Samdhong Rinpoche. The next day we had an audience with His Holiness at his residence, in which Mr. Fanyuang offered him a gift on behalf of his party members. "Our gift is only very small," Mr. Fanyuang said. "But it is a token of the great respect all of our party members have towards you, His Holiness. We all wish you a life as unchanging as a Himalayan mountain and as long as the Yellow River, which bless and provide happiness for Chinese, Tibetans and every human being."
‘The Dalai Lama has previously professed concern for workers within China and sympathy for the party, and affirmed the importance of harmony within Chinese society, something that must derive from harmony of the mind. His Holiness said that, if the problems of the workers are properly addressed, then harmony is achievable in China. "A harmonious society cannot tolerate violence or torture." We thanked him for his concern, on behalf of the workers of China.
‘In conclusion Mr. Fanyuang said, "In China, presently, the poor are facing greater and greater pressures and the rich are losing sleep in the pursuit of money. Mr. Shiyingkang said that, when he returns home to his school, he intends to explain to his students the Tibetan situation and the proposals of His Holiness and the Tibetan government in exile.'
This is Fanyuang's second visit to Dharamsala and Shiyingkang's first. The Chinese Workers Party has around 80,000 members in China and abroad and they are resolutely opposed to the continued rule of the Chinese Communist Party. As a result they have, over the years, found much common ground with the His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan struggle. With a free Tibet arguably presupposing a free China, their fates are intertwined.
