The people of Tibet defended their leader in a revolutionary spirit on March 10th, 1959, but their initial enthusiasm was ruthlessly broken by the "peaceful liberation" of the communist regime in China, claiming thousands of lives.

The Dalai Lama, forced into a fifty year long exile still continues his peaceful protest and the people of Tibet are forbidden from commemorating this day. In Eastern Europe, where I come from, this story sounds all too familiar. Even though it seems that here we have reckoned with such practices typical to communist regimes, I believe we must not forget the lessons learned: each nation has moments of commemoration that cannot and should not be forbidden.

As a representative of a national minority, I understand the Tibetan nation’s situation and I fully support their peaceful strive for self-governance. It a special joy for me that the mapping of the journey of the famous Hungarian Asia-researcher, Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, who acts as a cultural link in between Tibetan and Hungarian cultures, will hopefully materialize in the near future.