Ottawa, December 14, 2022 – In a historic day for political and human rights issues of Tibet, Canada’s parliament today passed a motion in support of the resumption of Sino-Tibetan dialogue with 324 – 0 votes. The motion was introduced in Parliament by MP Garnett Genuis and received unanimous support from across party lines. Speaking… Continue reading Tibetan Canadians celebrate historic support for Tibet
Category: News
Tibetan Canadians call for Canada’s support to the Sino-Tibetan dialogue
Tibetan Canadians call for Canada’s support to the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. Ottawa, December 13, 2022 – Tibetan Canadians are urging Parliament to actively support the long-stalled Sino-Tibetan dialogue and help resolve the 70-year-old international conflict. Community members from Canada expect all-party support for a parliamentary motion on a Sino-Tibetan dialogue that will be debated and voted on… Continue reading Tibetan Canadians call for Canada’s support to the Sino-Tibetan dialogue
Canada Reiterates Support for Meaningful Dialogue Between Chinese and Tibetan Representatives
September 20, 2022, Ottawa – In a recent letter addressed to Mr. Ali Ehsassi, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly reaffirmed Canada’s steadfast commitment to facilitating substantial and meaningful dialogue between the representatives of the Chinese government and the Tibetan people. The letter,… Continue reading Canada Reiterates Support for Meaningful Dialogue Between Chinese and Tibetan Representatives
Representative Dr. Namgyal Choedup calls on Canada to help resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict
Ottawa, September 1, 2022: Representative of the Office of Tibet in Washington DC, Dr. Namgyal Choedup, called on Canadian parliamentarians, government officials, and think tanks this week to strengthen Canada’s support to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict. The series of meetings over three days included meetings with Chair of Parliamentary Friends of Tibet MP Arif Virani and… Continue reading Representative Dr. Namgyal Choedup calls on Canada to help resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict
Ottawa, May 10, 2022: Canada’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade has called for renewal of the stalled Sino-Tibetan dialogue.[1] The call came as Tibet’s political leader, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, concluded his first visit to Ottawa since being elected as Sikyong in May 2021.
The motion achieved unanimous support with each of Canada’s political parties voting in favour and no votes against. The motion was introduced immediately following Sikyong Penpa Tsering’s testimony before the Committee.
“This motion is important not only for Tibetans in Canada,” said Sherap Therchin, Executive Director of the Canada Tibet Committee, “but it is especially meaningful for Tibetans inside Tibet who will now be reassured that the international community has not forgotten them.”
The motion also directs the Government of Canada to provide a response to Sikyong’s testimony before the Committee. The Government is directed to table its response in the Canadian House of Commons. Sikyong’s testimony included a review of past Sino-Tibetan dialogue initiatives [2] and an update on the current human rights situation in Tibet.
The Government of Canada has changed its position on Tibet’s political status several times since China took control of the country in 1959. Sikyong Penpa Tsering reminded members of the Committee that despite his government’s current middle-way approach, Tibet was once a fully independent state.[3]
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[1] Full text of the motion: “That this committee call for dialogue between representatives of the Tibetan people (his Holiness the Dalai Lama or his representatives and/or the Central Tibetan Administration) and the government of the People’s Republic of China with a view to enabling Tibet to exercise genuine autonomy within the framework of the Chinese constitution; report this motion to the House, and request the government table a response to the report.”
[2] For more information about the Sino-Tibetan dialogue, visit https://tibet.net/important-issues/sino-tibetan-dialogue/
[3] For example, see “Tibet Brief 20/20” by Michael van Walt van Praag and Miek Boltjes. Executive Summary available at https://usanasfoundation.com/tibet-brief-2020-by-michael-van-walt-executive-summary
Sikyong Penpa Tsering to call upon Canada for stronger support to Tibet in his maiden visit to Ottawa
Ottawa, May 3, 2022 – The democratically elected leader of the Tibetan people Sikyong/President Penpa Tsering is leading a delegation to Ottawa this week with plans to advocate for Canada’s support of human rights in Tibet. The weeklong program in Ottawa starts with a reception by Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, followed by hearings on Tibet at the… Continue reading Sikyong Penpa Tsering to call upon Canada for stronger support to Tibet in his maiden visit to Ottawa
Webinar on Climate Change, Human Rights and Tibet
Ottawa, February 9, 2022 – On the 40th anniversary of the University of Ottawa’s Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC), the Canada Tibet Committee partnered with the HRREC to host a webinar on climate change and environmental human rights on the Tibetan plateau. The event was designed to discuss the intersection of climate change,… Continue reading Webinar on Climate Change, Human Rights and Tibet
Climate Change and Environmental Human Rights on the Tibetan Plateau
Ottawa, February 7, 2022 – University of Ottawa, in collaboration with the Canada Tibet Committee, will host a webinar today on climate change and environmental human rights on the Tibetan Plateau. The webinar will address the adverse effects and consequences of climate change in Tibet and specific Government of China policies and practices that exacerbate… Continue reading Climate Change and Environmental Human Rights on the Tibetan Plateau
Alternative ceremony in Ottawa for the Genocide Olympic in Beijing
Ottawa, February 4, 2022: As China began the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing today, a coalition of organizations supporting the human rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Mongolians, Falun Gongs, and Chinese marked the alternative opening of Genocide Games in Ottawa and Toronto. Tibetan activist from Toronto Tsewang Dhondup, who participated in… Continue reading Alternative ceremony in Ottawa for the Genocide Olympic in Beijing
Demonstration in Ottawa against ‘Genocide Games’ in Beijing
Ottawa, February 4, 2022: A coalition of organizations supporting the human rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Mongolians, Falun Gongs, and Chinese will mark the start of the Beijing Olympics with a ceremonial kick-off of the Genocide Games in front of the Chinese embassy in Ottawa. The Chinese authorities in Tibet are clamping down on… Continue reading Demonstration in Ottawa against ‘Genocide Games’ in Beijing