Dharamshala, 9 October 2025: A Swiss parliamentary delegation visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, underscoring the enduring ties between the Swiss and Tibetan peoples. The delegation included Members of the Swiss Parliament Fabian Gabriel Molina, Linda Gabriela De Ventura, and Leonore Porchet, accompanied by Thomas Bernhard Buchli, Secretary of the Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet, and Thinlay Chukki, Representative of the Geneva Tibet Bureau.

The delegation received a warm welcome from Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and held an interactive session in the Standing Committee Hall. In his address, the Speaker expressed deep appreciation for Switzerland’s longstanding support for the Tibetan community. He recalled Switzerland’s pioneering role as one of the first Western countries to welcome Tibetan refugees in 1963, allowing 1,000 Tibetans to resettle. This marked the beginning of a strong bilateral relationship, further strengthened by the establishment of the Office of Tibet in Geneva, the founding of the Tibet Institute Rikon, and the historic visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Switzerland in 1973. These milestones paved the way for the formation of the Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet and numerous Tibet support groups across the country.

The Speaker thanked the Swiss government and people, along with other nations such as India and the United States, for their continued support in helping Tibetans preserve their unique language, culture, and identity in exile.

Turning to the current situation inside Tibet, the Speaker highlighted measures taken during the 60th anniversary of the so-called Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), when Chinese authorities intensified efforts to promote Mandarin and assimilate Tibetans into the broader Chinese population, moves aimed at consolidating the Chinese Communist Party’s control over the region.

He also reiterated His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s affirmation on the continuation of the Dalai Lama institution, made during the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference. Following this, the Conference adopted a resolution asserting that the Gaden Phodrang Trust holds the sole authority to recognize the next Dalai Lama, rejecting Beijing’s claims to this religious prerogative.

The Speaker further brought attention to a recently uncovered case involving Choegyal Tulku, a respected Tibetan lama who was imprisoned and tortured approximately seven years ago, and who passed away in custody. Chinese authorities subsequently refused to return his body to his family or monastic community, reflecting the ongoing human rights violations in Tibet.

The delegation was then briefed on the evolution of Tibetan democracy in exile over the past six decades, including the structure and functions of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, its biannual sessions, the Standing Committee, and major initiatives such as the World Parliamentary Convention on Tibet (WPCT).

The visit concluded with a Q&A session, during which the Swiss MPs inquired about the electoral process in exile, eligibility criteria for parliamentarians, and other related topics. The Speaker then led the delegation on a guided tour of the Parliament Hall.