Toronto : After the successful pursuit of their program on the last day of the first leg of the tour at Ottawa on June 14, during which the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation interacted with the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet Canada (PFT) interns who are Canadian Tibetans living in different parts of Canada. The interns asked wide range of questions from functioning of CTA, election of Members of Parliament to legal challenges faced by the CTA in carrying out its activities in India.
In the same evening, CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay and the parliament members addressed the small yet active Ottawa Tibetan community. In their speech, the Parliamentarians talked about His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s visionary leadership and his contribution to the world, Tibetans inside Tibet and their loyalty towards Tibet cause and advised the community to maintain the same enthusiasm shown by them in facilitating the Tibet Advocacy work in Ottawa.
The delegation arrived in Montreal on June 15 and was given a warm traditional welcome by the Tibetan Community in Montreal at the community center. The delegation then addressed the community followed by a Question and Answer session and Pot Luck dinner.
The delegation left Montreal for Toronto on June 16 and was accorded rousing reception at the Toronto Airport on arrival by Sonam Lankar, President of Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario (CTAO) and representatives of various Tibetan organizations. The meeting with the Tibetan Community started in the late afternoon with welcome speech by the CTAO President. Tibetan Parliamentarian Migyur Dorjee then started addressing the large public turnout followed by parliamentarians Dhondup Tashi, Namgyal Dolkar and Tenpa Yarphel. Large number of Tibetans participated in the Q&A session and the delegation answered each of the questions very clearly and precisely in detail.
On June 17th morning, the delegation called on James Maloney, Canadian Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, which is the home for sizeable Tibetan community; and thanked the MP for his support for the community and the Tibet Cause. The Canadian parliamentarian is presented with souvenir by the Tibetan parliamentary delegation.
The delegation then attended the function organized in their honor by the Tibetan Language and Cultural School run by CTAO. Parliamentarian Tenpa Yarphel addressed the large crowd of students, teachers and parents on behalf of the delegation and then the delegation visited the classes and interacted with the teachers and the students.
During meeting with the Tibetan Community in Canada, the delegation spoke about His Holiness’ accomplishments and visions, critical situation in Tibet, international politics in relation with Tibet issue and Tibetan parliament-in-Exile and its fifth session.
– Report filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC –
