(TibetanReview.net, Nov07’26) – China on Nov 4 both demanded and appealed to the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch Parliament to stay away from the visiting executive head, or Sikyong, of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Mr Penpa Tsering. However, Mr Penpa Tsering went on to meet with the members.
In a letter addressed to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Dutch House of Representatives, the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands sought to school them on Beijing’s position on Tibet. And it urged them to respect what it called China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and refrain from providing a platform to “Tibet independence” forces.
The letter called “Xizang” – China’s Sinicized name for Tibet (or Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) – an “inalienable part of China’s sacred territory since ancient times” with the claim that the “Chinese central government” had long exercised effective sovereign jurisdiction over the region. It called “Xizang” a “purely China’s internal affairs” and expressed opposition to “ attempts by other countries or organizations to interfere in China’s domestic affairs”.
The letter cited economic growth figures, infrastructure development, spending and drive on compulsory education, and improved life expectancy to justify China’s ruled in Tibet.
The letter called CTA a “separatist political organization” that pursues “Tibetan independence” and operates in violation of China’s Constitution and laws while being not recognized by any country.
It urged the Dutch Foreign Affairs Committee to refrain from providing a platform for “Tibet independence forces to carry out anti-China activities.”
The embassy expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with members of the Dutch House of Representatives, in order to present its version of an “objective, comprehensive and accurate picture” of China and Tibet.
Despite it all, the Tibetan Sikyong went on to hold discussions with Dutch government officials and interacted with the Dutch media on wide range of issues besetting Tibet today. Said the CTA on its Tibet.net website Nov 7: “On the third and final day of his visit to The Hague, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the democratically elected leader of the CTA, addressed members of the Dutch Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs at the invitation of the Committee. The exchange took place at the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives) in The Hague and was livestreamed and open to members of the public to observe the proceedings from the visitors’ gallery.”
MPs Queeny Rajkowski, Hanneke Van der Werf, and Tom van der Lee were stated to have attended the meeting.
Discussions at the meeting covered the political, religious, environmental, and human rights situation in Tibet, support for Tibetan Buddhists regarding the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama through the Gaden Phodrang Trust, and a call for a dedicated EU Special Representative for Tibet, said the Tibet.net report.