World Uyghur Congress, 30 October 2018

The World Uyghur Congress was saddened this week to hear about the passing of Lodi Gyari Rinpoche, former Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the United States and tireless supporter and advocate for universal human rights.

Reflecting on his life and work, former Uyghur Congress President Erkin Alptekin, who worked with Gyari beginning in the 1980s said, “He always supported the friendship between Uyghurs and Tibetans.”

Gyari’s dedicated work between 2002 and 2010 in attempting to resolve the Tibet issue directly with the Chinese government speaks to his determination and willingness to engage directly with his adversaries for the greater good.

His work in mainstreaming the Tibet issue in the United States over his active years also illustrated his ability to bring people together and put the Tibet issue deservedly front and centre, which was known to all those who worked alongside him.

The Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur community more broadly express our deep sympathy for this great loss and will continue to take his work as an example for how best to seek respect for universal rights.