Kalon Tripa Visits Australia, USA

By Contact Staff / July 24, 2012;

Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay Speaking at the Sydney Institute on June 28th

Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Tibet’s Prime Minister, or Kalon Tripa, has recently visited Australia and the United States.

On his first official visit to Australia, from 24 June to 1 July, he visited Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and participated in more than 40 public engagements. Throughout the visit Dr. Sangay urged Australia to recognize the need for a peaceful resolution to Tibet’s worsening humanitarian crisis. Meeting with almost one quarter of Australia’s parliament in Canberra, he stressed that as one of China’s major trading partners, Australia has a vital role to play in the current Tibetan impasse. He stressed that it is possible to be both a successful trading partner with China and an advocate for basic human rights and democratic values.

Dr. Sangay received widespread print and broadcast media coverage in Australia, a nation with a vibrant Tibetan community and an increasing awareness of Tibet’s plight.

Shortly thereafter, on a five-day visit to the United States last week, the Kalon Tripa met with a number of key congressmen and senators, including Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator John Kerry, Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman, and Congressmen David Dreier and David Price.

Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sagnay Meets with Senators Joseph Lieberman (L) and John McCain (R) in Washington DC on July 18th - Photo from Tibet.net

Senator Lieberman underscored the importance of the visit, stating that it would “test the conscience of the nation.” Dr. Sangay also met with Maria Otero, Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights and Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. The pair discussed current human rights concerns in Tibet.

In an hour-long meeting with the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Dr. Sangay received assurances that the BBG would continue to cover Tibetan-interest stories and to support the cause of Tibetan freedom and democracy.

Reflecting on the U.S. visit, Dr. Sangay said “our impression is that U.S. support for Tibetan concerns has remained steadfast and strong.”

China and the U.S. began their annual closed-door human rights dialogue in Washington D.C. on Monday, July 23^rd. International human rights groups and the CTA hope the White House will press China to end the “humanitarian crisis” in Tibet during these talks.