Tibetan delegation testifies before Canadian House of Commons

A Tibetan delegation testified before the Canadian House of Commons on Foreign Affairs and International Development where they raised concerns over the ongoing rights abuses in Tibet.

The Tibetan delegation last week testified on the case of the disappeared 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and other issues concerning the Tibetan people.

Speaking about the attacks on the Tibetan language, Tibetan exile leader Penpa Tsering started by saying that the Tibetan language and religion come from India.

"When Hu Jintao took over as the president he introduced dual language. But that was okay. You have to learn other languages. But when Xi Jinping came to power its now one nation, one language, and one culture. With this policy, the Chinese communist party is striking at the very root of our identity," he said.

"We know that this is a political decision by the Chinese government because this also concerns the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama because there is reciprocal recognition of the incarnations between Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas. I personally feel that China made a big tactical mistake by not recognizing Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the young boy who was recognized by His Holiness. If China had done that, they would have the child under their control," the Tibetan leader further said.

Penpa Tsering also dismissed the Chinese government's re-writing of narratives that insist on Tibet being a part of China, Phayul reported.

"Under President Xi, things look dire that even hope for negotiations in the immediate future seems remote," he said, requesting the committee to pass a motion on the resumption of Sino-Tibet dialogue with unanimous consent.

Penpa, who is the Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration, was in Washington, DC last month on his first trip to the US capital since his election last year.

He, who was elected Sikyong on April 11, 2021, serves as the democratic leader of the Tibetan diaspora. He is the second Sikyong elected since the Dalai Lama retired from politics and devolved political power in 2011 and previously served as the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Representative at the Office of Tibet in Washington, DC.

During his visit to the US from April 24 to 30, Penpa held talks with the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The meeting also witnessed the participation of Richard Gere, chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), and Namgyal Choedup, representative of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

( With inputs from ANI )

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