Survivors of Genocide

Documenting survival stories on Tibetan refugees is one of 3 Generations’ biggest priorities. This summer we were fortunate enough to interview Rinchen Dharlo, a pre-eminent Tibetan refugee, statesman and current president of the Tibet Fund. We at 3 Generations are all grateful he has shared his story with us.

Rinchen Dharlo is the former representative of the Dalai Lama to the Americas and is currently living in New York City. Mr. Dharlo was born in Western Tibet near Nepal, the oldest of five children. In 1959, he and his family fled oppression from occupying China. While migrating around Nepal, they lived in tents or under trees, having to endure very harsh conditions while also stricken with disease. His mother and younger brother died tragically during this time.

Rinchen eventually managed to enroll at a school in India which the Indian government setup for Tibetan children. Unfortunately, he had to leave his family behind, but still tried to keep in contact with them as they moved from place to place despite not always knowing where they were. As president of the Tibet Fund, Mr. Dharlo now helps other Tibetan refugees retain their cultural practices and teach others about Tibetan culture and tradition.

Mr. Dharlo's moving story will soon be publicly available through our archives at www.3generations.org. Thank you, Rinchen, for sharing your incredible story with us. For more stories like this one, please consider donating to our project today. Just 5 donations of $10 would help us research to identify survivors of genocide while 5 donations of $25 would provide one hour of professional editing. The more support, the more we can do to raise awareness about international human rights abuses. Help be a part of the change!