PEN Norway Mourns the Death of Chungdak Dawa Koren, Recipient of the 2008 Ossietzky Prize
PEN Norway mourns the passing of Chungdak Dawa Koren, a well-known Tibetan activist, former representative of the Dalai Lama, and recipient of PEN Norway’s 2008 Ossietzky Prize. Koren passed away on September 10 at the age of 74 in Oslo, Norway, after a prolonged illness.
Koren, more known as Tibet’s ambassador to Norway, was a committed voice for Tibetan human rights and a powerful figure in activism.
Her death is a tremendous loss to the cause of activism, Tibetan human rights, and oppressed communities worldwide. She was a powerful voice, and her passing will leave a deep void in the hearts of her colleagues at the Norwegian Tibet Committee and among the oppressed.
Born in Tibet, Chungdak Koren fled into exile in India following China’s occupation in 1959. She later moved to Norway at a young age and trained as a nurse in the early 1970s. Since then, she tirelessly fought for the Tibetan cause.
Koren played an important role in establishing the Norwegian Tibet Committee in 1988, where she later served as Executive Director. In 1989, she was appointed by the Office of Tibet in London as the Coordinator between the Office of Tibet and the Nobel Committee to facilitate the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize award. She was also a founding member of Voice of Tibet, a Norway-based Tibetan radio station launched in 1996.
In 2008, PEN Norway awarded her the Ossietzky Prize, a highly regarded honor for those committed to protecting and exercising free speech. Chungdak Koren earned this award through her dedication to the struggle for Tibetan rights.
Through her immense commitment, Chungdak has given a voice to the voiceless, stood up for the defenseless, engaged and informed Norwegians, and challenged politicians in the fight for Tibetans’ rights.
