Canada Tibet Committee, May 15, 2019: On May 14, Senator Thanh Hai Ngo presented a motion on Tibet in the Senate of Canada calling the Government of Canada to actively support the genuine autonomy of Tibet. The Senator reiterated the key points of the proposed motion to have Canada call on the People’s Republic of Chinato grant genuine autonomy to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and greater Tibet and restart Sino-Tibetan dialogue.“Since I last spoke on this issue on November 23, 2017, I remain deeply distraught by the fact that the human rights situation in Tibet has not improved. The fundamental rights and freedoms that we have been granted and continue to protect here in Canada, including freedom of expression, religion, movement and conscience, are severely restricted and increasingly repressive in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, TAR, and in greater Tibet.” said Senator Ngo.[i]
The repression of religious freedoms in Tibet and ongoing erosion of linguistic freedom was raised with the destruction of Larung Gar and the imprisonment of Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk. He also called on Canada to ask for reciprocal diplomatic access to Tibet, while citing how Stephan Dion as Minister of Foreign Affairs had previously recommended this.
In June 2018, under the initiative of Senator Thanh Hai Ngo, the Senate Standing Committees on Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade hosted a special meeting to hear the Central Tibetan Administration President Dr. Lobsang Sangay speak on Tibet’s geopolitical importance and aspirations of Tibetan people.To explain the true aspirations of Tibetan people to seek genuine autonomy within China, Dr. Sangay highlighted reports on Tibet by Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders. According to the Freedom House, Tibet is the second least free places in the world, after Syria. However, for nearly six decades, Tibetans continue to pursue non-violence, tolerance and compassion to preserve their language, land, religion and culture.[ii]
[i]Motion on Tibet http://senatorngo.ca/motion-on-tibet/
[ii]Dr. Lobsang Sangay presented before the Senate Standing Committees on Human Rights, and Foreing Affairs and International Trade http://tibet.ca/en/library/media_releases/444