Dharamshala: After his recent US visit, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay is expected to make his second US visit in the span of a month to push the passage of Tibet Policy and Support bill in the US senate.
During a press briefing today Sikyong said his upcoming visit is hoped to spur renewed interest and support on the Tibet issue.
Congratulating the US President-elect Joe Biden once again, Sikyong said, “My congratulations to the US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and I wish them success in overcoming the challenges ahead of them, especially, with the pandemic. I would like to thank on behalf of all the Tibetans to Mr Biden for his promise that he made to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sanction China for their human rights violations. It is rare for a Presidential candidate to express it publicly during their election campaign.” He added, “Previous US Presidents have met His Holiness and I hope the new President will do the same.”
He also acknowledged the Trump government’s strong support to the Tibetan cause, counting him among the strongest of supporters and highlighted the passage of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, increased funding to exile Tibetan administration and people, Secretary Pompeo’s strong remarks against China and on the issue of Tibet, and thanked him for it.
About his historic visit to the US State Department in October, he reasserted, “Sikyong’s inclusion into the physical building of the US State Department sends an emphatic acknowledgement by the US Government of the Central Tibetan Administration and the leadership of Sikyong.”
He noted that the appointment of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Robert Destro was a significant step, a shift from previous US foreign policy on China, implying stronger US-Tibet relations, acknowledging the efforts of the new Tibet Coordinator appointee that had overseen Sikyong’s invitation to State Department.
He appealed the Tibetans in America and associations to call up their officials to push the Tibet Policy Support Act into law, “This bill must get signed before the Senate session concludes in January 2021 so we have to make every effort to push it into law this time or lose the progress that has been achieved so far”.
“The current version of the bill, recognising Tibetan autonomy and Tibetan administration is a historic step that requires all of our combined efforts to become an official law,” added Sikyong and assured that he would meet lawmakers and advocate strongly to push the bill which he said was his prime agenda for making the upcoming US visit.