Dharamshala: On the Oct 21st, a delegation comprising Tibetan Parliament members Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen, Lobsang Gyatso Sither, and Tenzin Choezin held a meeting with member of Swiss National Council from Geneva, Mr. Nicolas Walder.
During the meeting, they briefed him about the critical situation inside Tibet and urged discussion of human rights in Tibet as a condition for continuing the Free Trade Agreement between Switzerland and China. They also raised concerns about difficulties faced by Tibetans in Switzerland. The delegation presented him with an appeal letter signed by the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
On the same day, the parliamentary delegation held a closed-door meeting in the morning with UN Member States’ Missions from a number of countries. During the meeting, the delegation shared updates on the critical situation inside Tibet and the current policies and practices of the Chinese government aimed towards the eradication of Tibetan Language, Culture and Religion in both physical and online spaces.
The delegation also took this opportunity to thank the various missions for their recent mentions and recommendation’s at China’s UPR and expressed our gratitude to them on behalf of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and from Tibetans inside Tibet and all over the world.
At the same time, the delegation stressed on the importance to continue to hold China accountable and requested the members present at the meeting to continue to raise their voices for Tibet at the UN and at the same time, creating spaces for Tibet at UN side-events.
In the afternoon of the same day, the parliamentary delegation held a closed-door meeting with various Special Rapporteur Secretariats. The delegations shared updates on the situation inside Tibet based on the mandates represented during the meeting and also shared our overall concern about the critical situation inside Tibet.
The delegation also thanked the staff present for the number of reports that they have published on Tibet which puts China on the spot and highlights the critical situation inside Tibet to the world.
The delegation was accompanied by Thinlay Chukki, Representative of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Geneva and UN Advocacy Officer Phuntsok Topgyal.
