US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Visits Dharamshala

By Tenzin Samten / January 17, 2016;

United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Sarah Sewall, accompanied by an eight-member US delegation has visited Dharamshala to discuss with Tibetans living there issues important to the Tibetan refugee community. The two-day official visit reached Dharamshala on January 15. Sarah Sewall and her team were welcomed at Kangra airport by members of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA): Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok, Secretary of the Kashag(Cabinet), Tashi Phuntsok, Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations and Ngodup Dorjee, Secretary of Social and Resource Development, together with other CTA representatives.

Regarding her visit to Dharamshala, the US State Department issued a press release saying, “Under Secretary Sewall, in her role as Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues, travels to India and meets Tibetans from all walks of life to discuss ways to preserve Tibetan culture and promote educational opportunities for all Tibetans.”

During her two-day visit, Ms Sewall held a meeting with the Tibetan Prime Minister in exile, Dr Lobsang Sangay, and received an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She also met individuals and representatives of various Tibetan non government organisations to learn about issues relating to Tibetan community such as gender equality, women’s empowerment and the role of Tibetan youngsters in the Tibetan struggle. Members of the delegation also visited Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School and interacted there with staff and students.

Before coming to Dharamshala, Ms Sewall led the US delegation to the US-India Global Issues Forum at in New Delhi to review and expand areas of regional and global cooperation. She also met civil society representatives to strengthen cooperation around mutual interests, including countering violent extremism, religious freedom, trafficking in persons and transparency and governance.

Sarah Sewall is the US Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights and the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. This is her second visit since her appointment to the post on February 20, 2014.