Contact is taking a holiday!

Sikyong Lobsang Sangay,President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (CTA), visited Prague to attend the 23rd Forum 2000 – the Forum 2000 Foundation pursues the legacy of late Czech President Va’clav Havel by supporting the values of democracy and respect for human rights.

Sikyong spoke at the opening ceremony at the Zofin Palace Forum Hallon October 13, his talk was entitled Responsibility as the Ultimate Measure of Human Action. He was hosted by Mr Jiří Oberfalzer, Vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic.

The panel discussed Vaclav Havel’s notion of human responsibility and its relativity to today’s world where democracies and the spirit of freedom are put to the test. Vesna Pusic, Former Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Haykuhi Harutyunyan, President of Protection of Rights without Borders, and Adam Michnik, Editor-in-Chief of the Gazeta Wyborcza joined President Sangay in the panel discussion. During the discussions that followed a broad range of issues was raised, including the Tibetans’ longstanding demand for genuine autonomy within the scope of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and their consistent efforts for dialogue based on the Middle Way Approach – the official policy of the CTA which seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty. The Senate, Vice President and Representatives at the Forum collectively called on the PRC to respect the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s commitments. Towards the close of the meeting, Sikyong invited the Czech Vice-President and other Senate representatives to visit the seat of the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamshala, India; his invitation was warmly received.

On October 17, Sikyong arrived in Brussels, Belgium. He and Representative Tashi Phuntsok, along with European Union Advocacy Officer Rigzin Choedon, met the Representative of the President of European Parliament David Sassoli, and three other Members of the European Parliament Petra De Sutter, Dinesh Dhamija and Tomas Zdechovsky. Sikyong also met Senator Sabine de Bethune and Els Van Hoof at the Belgian Senate. During these meetings he briefed them on the critical situation in Tibet and on China’s attempts to interfere in the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He urged the European Union to endorse the Middle Way Approach and to urge China to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue. The parliamentarians and senators all expressed solidarity and assured Sikyong of their support. The President is visiting Frankfurt in Germany on the next leg of his European trip.