Dr Sangay with John Bercow
Photo: Tibet.net
China has issued a threat to Britain following a meeting last week between Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and John Bercow, Speaker of Britain’s House of Commons. China warned that relations between the two countries could be hampered by the meeting. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying was quoted as saying that the meeting “severely damages China’s core interests” and that China “strongly opposes Lobsang Sangay and other people’s separatist acts…and will strongly oppose their contact with foreign officials”, she continued, “We urge the UK to honour their promise and avoid causing damage to China-UK relations”.
Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay with members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet
Photo: Tibet Society
Dr Sangay has been on a five-day official visit to London in the United Kingdom. He attended a meeting of All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet (APPGT) in the UK Parliament on November 1, addressing the meeting by speaking about the destruction of Larung Gar, the largest Buddhist institute in the world, and the plight of monks and nuns who are facing forced eviction. Sikyong also spoke about the importance of Tibet as the roof of the world and source of major rivers in Asia. He urged members of UK Parliament, as well as Tibet supporters, to stand up for democratic principles and support the Tibetan movement.
Sikyong’s interview for BBC World News
Halda Yakim of BBC World News interviewed Dr Sangay on varying topics related to Tibet. Sikyong said that even though the UK constitution, European constitution and the constitutions of other countries around the world talk about democracy, human rights and values all the time, when it comes to practicing those values they shy away from meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He continued, “That’s an unfortunate commentary as to the status of that country and the very principles on which those countries have built their own country and constitution”, in reply to a question posed about how world leaders shy away from meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama or discussing Tibet when they say they are concerned about Beijing’s actions.
On October 31, Sikyong gave a speech, Uniqueness of Tibetan experimentation with democracy in exile, its strengths and challenges, to over fifty undergraduate and postgraduate students of politics and international relations at the University of Westminster. Later that day, Sikyong visited Merton College in Oxford where he was invited to give a talk to their students and spoke about democracy in exile and the Middle Way Approach as a solution to the Tibet issue. At the Oxford Union, Sikyong gave an elaborated talk, Rise of China, what about Tibet?, to over 300 students followed by a question and answer session.
Sikyong with young members of the Tibetan Community in Britain
Photo: Rinzin Wangyal/THT
Dr Sangay also visited the Tibetan community in Britain and addressed the large number of Tibetans gathered to meet him. He expressed appreciation to the teachers and supervisors of the London School of Tibetan Language and Culture for voluntarily contributing time and effort towards the preservation of the Tibetan language, culture and tradition.
On November 3, Sikyong left the UK for Goa in south India to attend the third India Ideas Conclave hosted by the India Foundation, a right wing think tank.
Print
Email