Photo: screengrab
Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan Government-in-exile, is in Canada meeting Canadian Tibet supporters, parliamentarians and members of the Tibetan communities in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa city; this follows his official visit to the United States last month.
On May 5, Sikyong appeared before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. He testified on the case of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, who disappeared 27 years ago when he was abducted by the Chinese, and on the status of Tibet, with an analysis of the situation as it is at present under Chinese occupation.
Speaking of Gendun Choekyi Nyima 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 incarnation between Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas”. He continued, saying, “even now if you go to Lhasa, you will not see the pictures of the Chinese appointed 11th Panchen Lama, but you will see the picture of the 10th Panchen Lama” – this referring to the boy appointed by the Chinese as Panchen Lama after abducting Gendun Choekyi Nyima and who is not recognised by the Tibetan people.
Sikyong responded to a question from MP Garnett Genuis regarding the repression of Tibetan language, stressing the degradation of the language over time under the Chinese régime and saying that there is no freedom of language in Tibet. He continued, “When [Chinese President] Xi Jinping came into power, it’s now one nation, one language and one culture. Under this policy, the Chinese Communist Party is striking at the very root of our identity, which is our language”.
Regarding the issue concerning the resumption of the Sino-Tibetan dialogue, Sikyong urged the committee to pass a motion calling for the resumption of the dialogue adding, “Under President Xi, things look [so] dire that even hope for negotiations in the immediate future seems remote”.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada has objected to the appearance of Sikyong before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, reports the Chinese state media the Global Times quoting a Chinese Embassy spokesperson as saying, “The ‘Tibetan government-in-exile’ is a separatist political organisation with the aim of achieving ‘Tibet independence’. It completely violates the Chinese constitution and laws and is not recognised by any country in the world. As the leader of the organisation, Tsering is a downright anti-China separatist whose purpose of visiting is to sell the idea of ‘Tibet independence’ and advance the internationalisation of Tibet-related issues”. The same representative continued, saying that the Tibetan Government-in-exile has no right to represent Tibetans inside Tibet and that Tibetans inside Tibet “enjoy social stability and economic prosperity […] The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and Panchen[…] has to be conducted in accordance with the historical system, religious rules as well as within China’s rules and laws”.
Photo: Tibet.net
Zeekyab Rinpoche, the Abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, who is with Sikyong in Canada also testified to the committee and presented a five-point appeal which included a request to the committee to pass a motion urging the Canadian government to mandate their ambassador to China to meet the 11th Panchen Lama in China and to ascertain his whereabouts and wellbeing. The also requested that this would be a precursor to securing the Panchen Lama’s early release. They suggested that the Canadian parliament observe the Panchen Lama’s birthday as a way of drawing attention to the situation.
Sikyong and Zeekyab Rinpoche, together with Representative Namgyal Choedup attended a welcome reception at Parliament Hill in Ottawa organised by the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet and attended by many parliamentarians. Sikyong thanked Canadian Members of Parliament for their support and said that Canada is the country with the second highest population of Tibetans in the diaspora community.
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