(TibetanReview.net, Nov21’24) –As Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the fringes of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov 18, and emphasised the importance of a “strong UK-China relationship” for both countries, a delegation from the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) has visited London to meet with key lawmakers in the country, according to bbc.com Nov 18 and Tibet.net Nov 20-21.
Starmer’s was the first time a UK prime minister met the Chinese president in person since 2018, following a recent souring in relations under the erstwhile Conservative Party government. With China’s military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine having prompted criticism from the UK and other Western countries, the PM has said he wanted to “engage honestly and frankly” on areas of disagreement, including on Hong Kong, human rights and Russia’s war in Ukraine, said the bbc.com report.
In London, the TPiE delegation of Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and member Dawa Tsering met with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons; Sir Geoffrey Clifton Browne, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Commons, other Members of Parliament (MPs), and some prominent figures over Nov 18-19, said Tibet.net reports.
The UK Speaker has appreciated the importance of resuming dialogue with China to address and resolve the Sino-Tibet issue.
Other meetings were stated to have been held with Baroness Julie Smith, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Defence (House of Lords) and Member of the Federal Executive Committee; Lord David Alton, Member of the House of Lords; and Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament Sir Bobby Dean.
These engagements provided the delegation with valuable insights into the legislative processes of the UK Parliament. The Tibetan visitors explored how an idea evolves into a political party’s policy, its navigation through the House of Lords, and the procedural steps required for a bill to be introduced, debated, and ultimately passed into legislation by both Houses of Parliament. They offered opportunities for collaboration between the TPiE and the UK Parliament, said the Tibet.net report Nov 21.
Underlining the gravity of the situation in Tibet, marked by new Chinese policy measures that greatly heighten threats to the survival of the ethnic and cultural identity of the territory amid other severe human rights violations, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel has appealed to the Speaker of the House of Commons to consider adopting a policy similar to the US Resolve Tibet Act.
That act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Jul 12, rejects China’s claim that Tibet has been part of it since ancient times, that its armed occupation and annexation of the territory in the middle of the last century was illegal under international law, and recognizes the Tibetan people’s right to self-determination. The act requires the US to help counter China’s official position on Tibet based on its “misinformation campaign” which underplays the territory’s own rich culture and history of independence, and promote substantive dialogue without preconditions between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives.
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Also, another delegation of TPiE members, made up of Geshe Monlam Tharchin, Kunga Sotop, and Choedak Gyatso, has concluded its Tibet advocacy effort in Luxembourg.
The trio met with Gusty Graas, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Luxembourg Parliament and a member of the ruling party, on Nov 19 morning. They asked Graas to raise awareness and advocate for Tibet within the Luxembourgish Parliament. They emphasised that Tibet is an occupied nation, not a part of China, and called for action to counter ongoing Chinese propaganda, according to another Tibet.net report Nov 20.
They have also appealed for the adoption of a resolution on Tibet in the European Parliament and the appointment of a special coordinator for Tibetans within the European Parliament.
Graas has expressed concerns on the situation in Tibet and assured the Tibetan visitors that he would bring the issue to the attention of Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The TPiE members have also visited the European Court of Justice as well as met with David Perreira, Executive Director, and Morgane Gury, Communications and Digital Marketing Manager, at Amnesty International, and briefed them about the gravity of the current situation in Tibet under Chinese rule.