Human Rights

Press Release: President of Central Tibetan Administration visits Brussels

On Thursday, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, along with 5 members from the Parliament Serta Tsultrim, Konchok Yangphel, Ngodup Dorjee, and Tsering Yangchen arrived in Brussels to raise awareness of the situation in Tibet. 

During the first day, the delegation met with the Tibet Interest Group, including the President of the Tibet Interest Group Mr Mikuláš Peksa in the European Parliament. Sikyong Penpa Tsering touched upon the worsening situation for Tibetans under the Chinese zero-Covid policy, which has taken away any movement of freedom left for Tibetans. He also points out the infringement of human rights that is happening as the Chinese government is mass collecting the DNA of the Tibetan population. 

The visit was kicked off with a meeting between Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Mr James Moran, Associate Senior Research Fellow from the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and Ms Dr. Katalin Cseh, Vice-Chair of Renew Europe and Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Human Rights in the European Parliament.

The day concluded with a networking event in the evening, where representatives of liberal parties from across Europe, including Ms Kira Rudik, Vice-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the leader of the Ukrainian Golos Liberal Political Party, Mr Lauren Heinen, Chair of People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Brussel, Ms Julie Szmaj, Vice President of MR International, representatives from Renaissance Brussels, the youth liberal organisation LYMEC, as well as of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) Germany. Through this event, liberals were able to gain insight into the situation in Tibet and spread further awareness in their own parties back home. 

The visit was organised and arranged by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Brussels in cooperation with the office in New Delhi.