By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 10: The President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile, Dr. Lobsang Sangay urged Tibetans in the diaspora to gather support for the Tibet Policy and support bill, as he announced his second visit to the US on Tuesday. The Sikyong said that his upcoming visit is expected to strengthen renewed interest and support for the Tibetan issue.
Dr. Sangay congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and wished the duo success in overcoming challenges especially during the pandemic. “I would like to thank Mr. Biden on behalf of all the Tibetans for his promise that he made to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sanction China for their human rights violations. It is rare for a Presidential candidate to express it publicly during their election campaign,” he added.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Trump administration that highlighted the Tibetan cause through the passage of Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act (RATA), increased funding for the exile Tibetan administration and Secretary Pompeo’s remarks against China on the issue of Tibet. The two-term President reasserted the importance of his meeting with Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Robert Destro, at the US State Department. “[It is] an emphatic acknowledgement by the US Government of the Central Tibetan Administration and the leadership of Sikyong,” he further remarked.
The Tibetan President appealed to Tibetans in the US and various organizations to contact their respective officials or representatives to push for the Tibet Policy Support bill to be signed into law, “This bill must get signed before the Senate session [that] concludes in January 2021, so we have to make every effort to push it into law this time or lose the progress that has been achieved so far”.
