Tibetan leader slams China’s repression in Tibet at UK parliament, urges action on religious freedom

LONDON: Secretary of the Office of Tibet in London, made a powerful plea for Tibet during a joint parliamentary event titled “United Voices: A Joint Discussion About Freedom in North Korea, China, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Burma/Myanmar,” as reported by the Central Tibet Administration (CTA).

The event took place on May 14 in the UK Parliament and was co-hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on North Korea and Fortify Rights.

It was chaired by David Smith MP, the UK’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, alongside John Glen MP, according to the CTA report.

As a representative of the Tibetan cause, Kunga spoke about the severe and ongoing suppression of religious and cultural liberties in Tibet under Chinese governance. He emphasised the systematic attempts by the Chinese government to undermine Tibetan Buddhism, which include monitoring of monasteries, enforced political re-education for monks and nuns, and colonial-style boarding schools that exclude Tibetan language and religion.

In reflecting on the other speakers’ presentations, Tenzin Kunga drew connections and pointed out similarities to the situation in Tibet. He cautioned the audience about the broader threat posed by the Chinese Communist regime to the international rules-based order, as noted by the CTA.

He highlighted two significant cases: the 30-year disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama, Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo, known as Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and the recent death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje, a revered Tibetan religious leader, while in custody in Vietnam.

Kunga described this latter case as a troubling example of China’s transnational repression, indicating a new and perilous phase in silencing dissent abroad, and called for an independent investigation, according to the CTA report.

Kunga urged the UK Government, through the special envoy and the attending MP, to undertake two essential actions: to publicly declare that the Dalai Lama alone has the sole authority to determine his reincarnation without any political interference, and also to elevate the issues surrounding the cases of the Panchen Lama and Tulku Hungkar Dorje in bilateral talks and at the United Nations, advocating for transparency and accountability.

At the end of his remarks, Kunga presented a copy of the Dalai Lama’s new book, Voice for the Voiceless, to Special Envoy David Smith and encouraged increased attention to the case of Tulku Hungkar Dorje. This was noted in the CTA report. (ANI)