Sikyong Campaigns for Support in N America and Germany

By Dhriti Agarwal / November 30, 2016;

The Halifax International Security Forum
Photo: Tibet.net

The Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, has been touring Canada to meet Members of Parliament and to campaign for more support from the government.

At the Halifax International Security Forum 2016 in Nova Scotia, Sikyong took part in a panel discussion Power Corrupts, Corruption Corrodes and spoke on the topics of women, climate security, the responsibilities of big countries, the Syria conflict and the politics of slow moving threats. He also stressed the importance of the Tibetan plateau as the water tower of Asia, China’s exploitation of Tibet’s rivers and the impact on the global climate.

Sikyong later met members of the Tibetan community at Gadhen Choedhenling in Toronto, where he addressed more than a thousand Tibetans. Amidst cheerful applause and reverence, Sikyong spoke about the international community’s growing respect towards the Central Tibetan Administration and its leadership
Sikyong met members of the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet in the capital Ottawa on November 22 and appealed to the Canadian government to follow the United States’ footsteps and extend support towards the Central Tibetan Administration’s Middle Way Approach of achieving autonomy under the Chinese Government, and integral to that, respect for the human rights of Tibetans living in Tibet.

While appealing to the Government, Sikyong said he appreciated the Canadian government’s commitment to resettle additional Tibetan refugees; this refers to the 900 Tibetans who have arrived in Canada since 2013 under the resettlement programme initiated by the previous government.

Sikyong then travelled to the US where, on November 24, he addressed the Tibetan communities in New York and New Jersey.

Arriving in Frankfurt in Germany the following day, Sikyong attended a round table conference organised by the Schwarz-Schilling Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Germany. He then spoke to members of the Tibetan community in Germany about the need to retain Tibetan identity and culture in exile and encouraged them to prioritise their children’s education.