The four panelists, from left to right: Will Parrinello, Tseten Phanacharas, Tsering Lhamo and Congressman Tom Lantos.
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus and Co-chairs Tom Lantos (D-California) and Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) hosted a screening of the film “Dreaming of Tibet,” on Thursday July 14, 2005 at the Rayburn House Office Building. The film discusses the plight of Tibetan refugees through the stories of three Tibetans: Tseten Phanacharas, a Tibetan human rights activist and press coordinator for the Dalai Lama in California, who also works as a hospital administrator, Tsering Lhamo, a Tibetan nurse working with Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Ngawang Ugyen, a Tibetan monk living in Nepal.
Congressman Lantos provided opening remarks before the screening, and the film was followed by a panel discussion with Tseten Phanacharas, Tsering Lhamo, and the films director and producer, Will Parrinello. Parrinello commented on the current state of Tibetan refugees, saying that “since completing the film, the situation has become much more difficult for Tibetans.” Tsering Lhamo added that the “problem is getting bad to worse.”Highlighting the need for more work and attention to Tibetan issues, Tseten Phanacharas commented that Tibetans “need the support of every good hearted, caring individual in the world.”