(TibetanReview.net, Jun21’23) – Sikyong, or executive head, Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) believes that there is an abiding threat to the survival of the Communist Party rule in China and this makes it a persistent danger to world peace. Speaking Jun 20 at the National Press Club in Canberra, Tsering has also compared China’s current policies to coercively move Tibetan children into colonial-style Chinese boarding schools and the forced DNA harvesting there to Australia’s past disgraced policy of removing indigenous children from families.
He has accused China of keeping flashpoints burning with India, Taiwan and in the South China Sea, even as its priority was the economy, which was in a downturn with rising youth unemployment.
“China is very insecure today so we have to keep watching the dynamism and see, because right now my analysis is if there is a threat to the survival of the Communist Party then they will definitely attack one of these places,” Reuters quoted him as saying in response to reporters’ questions.
The press appearance took place after China’s embassy in Canberra had strongly urged the press club, without success, to cancel the event.
The executive head of the CTA, which is effectively the Tibetan government in exile, is currently touring Australia after visiting New Zealand.
Also on Jun 20, Mr Tsering has visited the country’s parliament where his presence was acknowledged by MP’s Sophie Scamps and Susan Templeman as they spoke on the critical situation in Tibet under Chinese rule including the forced assimilation of Tibetan children into ‘colonial-style’ boarding schools and the Chinese government’s interference in the matter of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. The MPs have also emphasized the importance of advocating for human rights in Tibet, “publicly and privately, directly with China and in multi-lateral forums”.
In the Senate, his presence was acknowledged by Senator Janet Rice who urged the Canberra to specifically put a policy in place and to “protect the succession of the Dalai Lama without any interference from the Chinese government”.
Others who spoke in the Senate included Senators Linda Reynolds, Deborah O’Neill, Lidia Thorpe, Tony Sheldon, Jordon Steele John and Nick McKim.
Mr Tsering has also met with Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham and members of the Australia Greens party.
Later, a motion on a Matter of Public Interest was presented for debate in the Senate by Senator Janet Rice, dealing mainly with the above issues.
The motion garnered support from senators across different political parties, including Linda Reynolds, Deborah O’Neill, Lidia Thorpe, Tony Sheldon, and Jordan Steele-John, said the CTA on its Tibet.net website Jun 21.
The report said that a private function was later organised by Hon. Deputy Speaker Sharyn Claydon, which brought together members and senators representing all the political parties.
A dinner function in his honour was addressed by the co-chairs of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, Susan Templemann, Sharon Claydon, and Senator Janet Rice. Other who attended the event included Hon. Michael McCormack, Peter Khalil, Adam Bandt, Dr. Sophie, Jordan Steele-John, Dr. Helen Haines, and former co-chair and old friend of Tibetans Hon. Warren Entsch, said the Tibet.net report.