Dharamshala, 16 March 2026: A delegation participating in the Australia Tibet Council’s Tibet Solidarity Tour visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and met with Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang.

The ATC delegation comprised Janet Rice (former Australian Senator and Co-Chair of the Australia Tibet Council), Dr. Zoë Bedford (Executive Director of the Australia Tibet Council), Emma Davidson (former Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly), Sarah Redshaw (Councillor for the Blue Mountains City Council), Brittney Henderson (Melbourne-based candidate for the Parliament of Victoria and an Indigenous Wiradjuri–Bunurong Australian woman), Siobhan Isherwood (Councillor for the Newcastle City Council), and Dr. Michael Osborne (former Councillor for Newcastle City Council and a climate academic at the University of Newcastle).

Welcoming the delegation, the Deputy Speaker spoke about the Parliament’s ongoing budget session and explained how the budget of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is allocated across sectors such as political advocacy, social welfare, education, and other key priorities. She also outlined the procedures through which the budget is deliberated upon and approved by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.

Providing a brief overview of the evolution of Tibetan democracy, the Deputy Speaker highlighted His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s historic decision to bestow democratic governance upon the Tibetan people in exile. She also explained the structure and functioning of the Central Tibetan Administration, noting that initiatives like the ATC’s Tibet Solidarity Tour, bringing distinguished guests and policymakers from Australia, help international supporters gain first-hand insight into the working of the Tibetan democratic system in exile.

Expressing gratitude to the Australian government for granting residency to former Tibetan political prisoners through humanitarian visa pathways, she also spoke about the geopolitical importance of the Tibetan Plateau. She highlighted ongoing concerns regarding policies of Sinicization implemented by the People’s Republic of China that target Tibetan language, culture, and religion, alongside continuing restrictions on fundamental freedoms and human rights violations inside Tibet.

Following the meeting, the visiting delegation was given a guided tour of the parliamentary hall and briefed on the composition, role, and functioning of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.

– Report filed by Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat