By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 21: In what is being seen as a landmark development, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, met with US officials at the White House on Friday. This is the maiden visit to the White House by any head of the CTA in the last sixty years.
The two-term elected president told Radio Free Asia (RFA) service about the meeting, “I met with representatives from both the President and Vice-President offices. We had our meeting for almost an hour and I believe that this visit will be equally beneficial to the next Tibetan administration and new cabinet in the future.”
The Harvard graduate also expressed his gratitude to the Trump administration for being tough on China for its policies, for raising important human rights issues in Tibet and for the funds for the CTA. He also further remarked that he believes that the new administration will continue to work towards Tibet as the US government always has. This is the first visit at the White House recognising the legitimacy of the Dharamshala-based Tibetan government in exile.
Earlier this month, he met with the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Robert Destro last month at the State Department. The Tibetan President appealed to Tibetans and various organizations in the US to contact their respective officials or representatives to push for the Tibet Policy and 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”. His visit is expected to strengthen renewed interest and support for the Tibetan issue.
5 Responses
How about “first time in CTA history”, rather than ‘first time in sixty years’ because the latter gives the impressions there were few visits and meetings at the White House prior to six years ago, which is not true. We have not seen the world prior to that.
What Sikyong and the CTA are saying is that since his election and complete devolution of power to him by HH the great 14th, he is the first in the history to be formally invited as an elected leader. The picture above was not taken at the White House as CTA has claimed, clarified by one Tibetan sympathizer American. on his Twitter. If Sikyong and his dignitaries have not physically stepped into the House, I don’t see any reason why CTA would publish the report in the first place, why OoT DC would submit that report in the first place, why Sikyong would declare on TibetTV interview available not in Tibetan and English. The picture was taken at the adjacent building, an architectural marvel, which I had seen at the National Capitol during my last year’s visit.
I have some hope and conviction in saying there was some kind of meetings and visit at the White House by the current Sikyong. Maybe he was told to tell the world, loud and clear, but to keep the pictures at the White House secret. Trump before leaving his office in January has one last surprise for China. Isn’t that calling for celebration? This Sikyong is something. All’s well that ends well (say it Aamir khan style)
This is definitely a landmark achievement and one step forward towards the ultimate aim of freedom of Tibet from the clutches of China which everyone is hopeful in the coming years.
Now the ultimate test in diplomacy. Has Beijing invited Sangay? How about EU countries?
Claiming it as “the first visit to White House by any head of the CTA in the last sixty years” is raising many questions.
What about HH Dalai Lama’s several visits to White House and meetings with several US Presidents there?
Any thoughts from any other readers?
Yes, this may be the first visit of Sikyong to White House during his entire tenure though we all know that HH the Dalai Lama had been to White House in the past at several occasions on the invitation of incumbent Presidents.