President Sangay lobbies in US, meets politicians/ENG

2017. december 8./Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 8: Tibetan President Dr. Lobsang Sangay who is on an official visit to the United States met with politicians including senators and member of the House of representatives across party lines as well as influential staffers to “raise awareness” and push for key developments related to the Tibetan issue in Washington DC.

The Sikyong (President) of the exile Tibetan government, known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration, accompanied by the newly appointed North America envoy Ngodup Tsering on Thursday met a close aide of US President Trump, Senator Tom Cotton, who has been closely associated with the Tibet issue for a number of years. It was their fourth meeting in less than five years. “The meetings dwelled on discussing Tibet issue in ascertaining the situation inside Tibet,” CTA run Tibet.net said.

Earlier in the week, the Tibetan President met with senator Marco Rubio, former Republican Presidential candidate with whom he reportedly discussed the Reciprocal Access to Tibet bill introduced by Rep Jim McGovern in the US Congress earlier this year.

Sangay also met with two key politicians responsible for appropriating funds for Tibetans; Senator Lindsey Graham, Chair of Senate Appropriations Committee and Nita Lowey, ranking member on the House Committee on Appropriations, followed by meetings with senior officials of Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) that have been the funding agencies for Tibetan programmes.

“President Dr Sangay further raised awareness on the Middle Way Approach of the Central Tibetan Administration and highlighted the need to resume dialogue with China to resolve the Tibet issue. He also urged the Senators and Representatives to expedite the appointment of a special coordinator for Tibetan issues in the US State department, which has been left vacant since the new US administration came in,” Tibet.net reported.

On December 10, World Human Rights day and the 28th anniversary of the conferment of Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan President will address the North America Solidarity with Tibet Rally, where activists and Tibet supporters like Richard Gere, Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, Ven Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, the speaker of Tibetan Parliament, will also partake.