Robert W. Ford

Ford served in the Royal Air Force as a radio technician during World War II in England & India. In 1945 from India he joined the British Political Mission in Lhasa, Tibet, as its Radio officer. Later that year he was transferred to the Political Office in Sikkim, responsible for British Indias relations with Tibet. He travelled in Sikkim, often referred to as the "ante room of Tibet", & Southern Tibet. With Indias independence in 1947 Fords post was taken over by one Indian. Now he was able to fulfill an ambition to return to Lhasa. He had been asked by the Government of Tibet to join its service to start Tibets first broadcasting station, train Tibetan radio operators & set up a radio communications network throughout Tibet. He was the first foreigner to be employed by the Government of Tibet & given an official rank.

After a year in Lhasa he travelled the northern route to Chamdo, eastern Tibets capital, adjacent to China, from where he established a radio link to Lhasa - another first.

Along with Tibetan officials, including the Governor General, Ford was captured in 1950 by the invading Chinese forces. He was accused of espionage, spreading anti-communist propaganda & murder. He remained political prisoner of the Chinese for about 5 years, before being released & expelled from China in 1955.

He wrote a book about his experiences in Tibet and China "Captured in Tibet" (Oxford University Press, Hong Kong, Oxford, New York 1990) .

In 1956 he joined the British Diplomatic Service. He served in the Foreign Office in London & at various posts in Vietnam, Indonesia, the United States, Marocco, Angola, Sweden, France & finally as Consul-General in Geneva from where he retired in 1987. He was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

In retirement he was able to actively resume his support for Tibet & its people. He has written extensively & lectured on all aspects of Tibetan & Chinese affairs in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia & the USA.

He remains in contact with the Government of Tibet & His Holiness the Dalai Lama both as friend and confident. Robert Ford had his first audience with His Holiness in Lhasa in 1945 when His Holiness was a boy of 11 years.

He undertook a country wide lecture tour in India at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During that lecture tour Robert and his wife Monica were detained under house arrest at Dharamsala by the Indian authorities, as it coincided with the Chinese PM Li Pengs official visit to India, although Mr. Ford had given lecture at the Indian Army College, Civil Service College & in the Lokh Sabha (Lower House)!