Zurich — The Sikyong ( President) of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government in exile, said: ‘Negotiation is the only way to resolve the conflict between Tibet and China, and the Central Tibetan Administration will continue to appeal the government and the international community to urge the Chinese government to resume dialogue between representatives of Tibet and China.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering, of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), is visiting five European countries to meet MPs and senior officials from these countries to highlight the critical human rights situation in Tibet, seek their support for the Tibetan struggle and urge governments and international communities to push the Chinese government to resume dialogue between representatives of Tibet and China in order to resolve the issue of Tibet and China.
Sikyong embarked on its first tour of the country, starting in Zurich ,Switzerland on April 28, 2024. Led by representative Thinlay Chukki, the Tibet Office in Geneva and its staff, as well as the presidents and vice-presidents of the Tibetan communities of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the community warmly welcomed Sikyong on its arrival for its second series of official visits.
The Tibetan political leader explained to the Tibetan communities present at the meeting the official commitments made by the 16th Kashag to strengthen the capacities and operations of the Central Tibetan Administration. Regarding the recent comment by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on the dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and China, Sikyong stressed that ‘negotiation is the only way to resolve the conflict between Tibet and China, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama will continue to call on the government and the international community to urge the Chinese government to resume dialogue’. In this regard, Sikyong urged the Chinese government to start implementing constructive reforms in Tibet rather than instructing His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership on what they should or should not do.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering interacted with members of the Swiss Parliament and participated in closed-door meetings with prominent leaders and senior officials of the Swiss administration on April 29, 2024 in Bern. The meeting was organised at the Swiss Parliament by the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, led by MP Maya Graf, Vice-Chair of the PGT, MP Barbara Gysi, member of the PGT, MP Fabian Molina, Co-Chair of the PGT, and MP Nik Gugger, Co-Chair of the PGT.
During the meeting, Sikyong drew parliamentarians' attention to the importance of Tibet's historical status in adding value to the Middle Way policy. Sikyong also called for parliamentary initiatives to remedy the situation in Tibet. He stressed the central role of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers and Taiwanese as intrinsic agents of change in China: ‘If you want to bring about positive change in China, you need internal and external forces, and we are the internal forces’.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering met with President Kompatscher of the autonomous province of Bolzano in South Tyrol on May 2, 2024. Sikyong spoke about the alarming reality of Chinese state-run colonial boarding schools in Tibet, which have forcibly separated over a million Tibetan children from their families and cultural roots as part of China's Sinicisation policy.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration addressed the 20th anniversary of the World Uyghur Congress in Munich, Germany, on May 3, 2024 as a guest at the opening ceremony. To highlight the long-standing partnership between Tibetans and Uyghurs in their common quest for freedom and justice, Sikyong recounted the historic collaboration between Erkin Alptekin, founding president of the World Uyghur Congress, and the late Lodi Gyari, former special envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Drawing attention to the imperative of collaboration, Sikyong said,"I consider the Uyghurs, Mongolians, now even the Manchus, Tibetans, Hongkongers, Pro-Democracy leaders in China, and, if you want to include, Taiwan also. We are all travelling in the same boat against the brutal storm of Communist China.”
Sikyong added, “Can we organise a big rally in Europe of all the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hongkongers, Mongolians, Taiwanese, and pro-democratic Chinese leaders? If you are willing to do that, we are willing to join you or take the leadership.”
