Oslo, Norway: The President of Central Tibetan Administration, Dr Lobsang Sangay called on Member of the Norwegian Parliament Ola Elvestuen, from the Liberal Party and Petter Eide from the Socialist Left Party and former Secretary General of Amnesty Norway at the Norwegian parliament and advocated the cause of Tibet and lobbied for stronger political support for Tibet.
The parliamentarians voiced their clear support for human rights and environmental issues in Tibet and expressed their commitment to re-establishing a Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet in the Parliament. Dr Sangay expressed his gratitude for their support and welcomed their statement on setting up a Parliamentary Support Group.
President Dr Sangay began his final day in Oslo by addressing a breakfast meeting at CIVITA, a leading Norwegian liberal think tank on the topic “Economic interests or human rights: How should liberal democracies interact with China?” along with fellow panellists John Peder Egenæs, Secretary General of Amnesty International Norway and Stein Ringen, Visiting Professor, Department of Political Economy, King’s College London.
Dr. Sangay stated that the question is not about how the liberal democracies should interact with China, but rather the question is of choice, a choice that the liberal democracy can either choose their way of liberal democratic culture or that of China’s. He urged the Norwegians to speak for Tibet not just for the sake of Tibetans, but more so for freedom, human rights and environmental rights and human values that the Norwegians strongly believes in.
Dr. Sangay also met with Mr Bjorn Engesland, Secretary general of Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a non-governmental human rights organisation, over a working lunch.
President Dr Sangay concluded his two-day visit to Oslo with an interview with Aftenposten, Norway’s largest circulated newspaper, yesterday afternoon.