OTTAWA, June 3, 2026 — Dr. Namgyal Choedup, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration in North America, concluded a three-day official visit to Ottawa, meeting with Canadian parliamentarians, senior government officials, and members of the Tibetan-Canadian community to advance key priorities on Tibet.
The visit was anchored by the annual Tibet Day on the Hill, hosted by the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet (PFT), and also included a community reception with Tibetan diaspora and a roundtable with Tibetan-Canadian parliamentary interns.
The visit began with an evening gathering organized by the Ottawa Tibetan Community Association (OTCA), where Representative Choedup met members of the capital’s Tibetan community and discussed developments in Tibet and the work of the Central Tibetan Administration.
On the second day, Representative Choedup met with a range of parliamentarians, including MPs James Maloney, Karim Bardeesy, Yvan Baker, Peter Fonseca, Robert Morrissey, Mona Fortier, Dr. Marcus Powlowski, Taleeb Noormohamed, Terry Sheehan and Elizabeth May. He also held meetings with Hon. John Zerucelli, Secretary of State for Labour; Hon. Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board; and Hon. Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State.
In these meetings, Representative Choedup briefed parliamentarians on the recently concluded Tibetan democratic elections, the swearing-in of Sikyong Penpa Tsering for a new term, and the appointment of the 17th Kashag, highlighting the Central Tibetan Administration as a functioning model of democracy in exile.
He also raised serious concerns about conditions inside Tibet, including China’s newly enacted Ethnic Unity and Progress Law and its assimilationist residential schooling policies targeting Tibetan children. He urged Canada to support a peaceful resolution to the Sino-Tibetan conflict through dialogue, reaffirm support for genuine Tibetan autonomy, and sustain humanitarian assistance for Tibetan refugee schools and settlements.
The second day concluded with the Tibet Day on the Hill celebration, drawing cross-party participation from PFT Chair MP James Maloney; Vice-Chairs MP Garnett Genuis, MP Karim Bardeesy, and MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe; MPs Yvan Baker, Mona Fortier, Giovanna Mingarreli, Marilyn Gladu, and Matt Jeneroux; former MP Julie Vignola; and community representatives from Tibetan organizations.
On the final day, Representative Choedup held a roundtable with Tibetan-Canadian PFT interns on the political, cultural, and humanitarian dimensions of the situation in Tibet, and met with Karma MacGregor, Senior Advisor in the Senate and former staffer to the late Senator Consiglio Di Nino, a longtime champion of the Tibetan cause. The visit concluded with a briefing at Global Affairs Canada on developments in Tibet and Canada’s ongoing engagement through diplomatic and development channels.
Representative Dr. Namgyal Choedup was accompanied throughout the visit by Sherap Therchin, Executive Director of the Canada Tibet Committee.
