Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, June 25: The President of the exile Tibetan government known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), concluded a high-level official visit to the United Kingdom with a final engagement at the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet (APPGT) on Monday, where he urged the British government to take a more assertive and principled stand in support of Tibet.
The event, held at Portcullis House in Westminster, was hosted by Chris Law MP, Chair APPGT. Addressing the gathering, President Tsering laid out a set of timely policy recommendations, urging the UK government to reassess its approach to Tibet and strengthen its support for Tibetan religious and cultural rights. Chief among his appeals was a call to return to the UK’s pre-2008 policy when Tibet was treated as an unresolved international issue, instead of being relegated as an internal matter of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
He further urged the UK to publicly affirm that the issue of reincarnation of Tibetan spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama, lies solely with the Tibetan Buddhist community, not with any other authority such as the Chinese Communist Party. The democratically elected leader also proposed that the APPGT take the lead in convening a strategy meeting to explore the possibility of introducing UK legislation on Tibet, inspired by recent US congressional actions such as the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act.
The three-day visit to the UK coincides with global commemorations for the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As the CTA has designated 2025 as the “Year of Compassion” in celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, President Tsering also encouraged British parliamentarians and supporters to initiate commemorative events that honour the Dalai Lama’s legacy and contributions to global peace, compassion, and non-violence.
The APPGT meeting saw the presence of MPs Jessica Morden, Clive Lewis, and Wera Hobhouse, along with parliamentary aides, members of Tibet advocacy groups such as Free Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet, and Tibet Action Institute, as well as members of the Tibetan diaspora in the UK.
President Penpa Tsering is currently on a two-day official visit to Berlin, Germany, as part of his ongoing international outreach to garner greater support for Tibet’s non-violent struggle. The visit aims to engage German policymakers, civil society leaders, and Tibet support groups in strengthening international advocacy for the Tibetan cause. Building on the momentum of his recent engagements in London, he is expected to raise key issues concerning Tibet’s political status, religious freedom, and human rights under Chinese rule, while also appealing for stronger European support in defending the Tibetan people’s right to preserve their cultural and spiritual identity.
One Response
The smiling Buddha aspects in the high arid mountain plateaus and flashes in the Indian Ocean when newer generations are not taught what has repeatedly failed to be yet again repeated. Even countries with UN representation are in a quandary. World leaders only engage if they feel there is something they can manipulate or exploit–there is no sense of any “compassion”. Token handouts for media purposes does not even begin to address the issues.