Dharamshala: Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), who recently visited North America to address the three-day Halifax International Security Forum-2023, met and engaged with number of MPs, government officials, and Tibet supporters in Ottawa to garner support for Tibetan freedom struggle and raising the issue of Human Rights violation in Tibet under the People’s Republic of China.
On 19 November, the democratically elected leader of the Tibetan diaspora was accorded with warm welcome from the director of the Canada Tibet Committee, Sherap Therchin, and executive members of the Ottawa Tibetan Community Association upon his arrival to Canada’s capital.
Thereupon, Sikyong Penpa Tsering met and interacted with MP Francois Blanchett, the leader of Bloc Québécois, MP Alexis Brunelle and MP Julie Vignola. He also met the Chair of the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, MP Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada); long-time Tibet supporter and Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, MP Garnett Genuis; and members of Ottawa Friends of Tibet. During the meetings, the head of the exiled Tibetan administration expressed his appreciation to the supporters on behalf of the larger Tibetan community and discussed with them the strengthening of Canada’s support to Tibet. He further updated the situation of human rights in Tibet under the Communist Party of China among other issues when interacting with the MPs and supporters.
A farewell reception was also organised by Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet for the visiting Tibetan leader. Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Minister Kamal Khera, Minister Arif Virani, Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Speaker Greg Fergus, MP James Maloney, MP Yvan Baker, MP Bryan May, MP Francesco Sorbara, MP Brendan Hanley, MP Jaime Battiste, MP Paul Chiang, MP Ryan Turnbull, MP Sameer Zuberi, MP Parm Bains, MP Fayçal El-Khoury, MP Joël Lightbound, MP Judy Sgro, MP John Williams, MP Kody Blois, MP David McGuinty, MP Adam van Koeverden, MP Garnett Genuis, MP Rob Oliphant, MP Brenda Shanahan, and MP Julie Vignola attended the reception.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering was accompanied by Representative Dr. Namgyal Choedup of the Office of Tibet, Washington DC and Sherap Therchin, Director of the Canada Tibet Committee, during his engagements.
