Taipei: The Director of Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center paid a courtesy call to the Office of Tibet, Taipei, along with the former Director and staff, earlier today. After welcoming the visitors, Representative Bawa Kelsang Gyaltsen apprised the team improving relations between the two sides after establishing the cultural center under the administration of the Ministry of Culture. He also recollected the dissolution of its predecessor Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, and the transfer of its staff to other departments. Because of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission’s role in the past, the Representative stressed the necessity of cooperation in reducing the suspicions and elucidated to the visitors on Office of Tibet’s effort in clarifying to the sceptical Tibetans.
The Representative further informed the visitors about the resolution adopted by the former minister of the Cultural Ministry, who decided to invite members from TIPA, Men-tsee-khang and Norbulingka Institute to Taiwan for introducing Tibet’s tradition to the residents. However, the emergence of the pandemic obstructed the implementation except for the purchase of some arts from the Norbulingka Institute. Representative Bawa, therefore, appealed to continue similar campaigns, especially in cooperation with the Office of Tibet, to avoid misrepresentation of Tibetan culture.
Chien Te Yuan, former colleague of the Director briefed the successful visitation made on behalf of the Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center to Dharamshala. He further recalled meeting with former Sikyong of CTA, Dr Lobsang Sangay to whom the delegates elucidated transparently about their objectives. Finally, admiring the conservation of Tibetan cultures in the exile community of India, Chien Te Yuan acknowledged working tirelessly to fulfil the resolution after reaching back to Taiwan, which ultimately was hindered by the Covid pandemic.
Emphasizing the essentiality of familiarization with various issues upon her appointment as the new Director of Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center, Gao Yu Chen is determined to carry forward with the resolutions proposed by the former Director of the Centre. She also agreed to work closely with the Office of Tibet. Apart from that, the two sides discussed maintaining a cordial relationship in the future, followed by the Office of Tibet’s Buddhist philosophy class tour before concluding the visit.
Moreover, Representative Bawa Kelsang Gyaltsen and secretary of the Office of Tibet recently kicked off a campaign of advocating the Tibet issue to the parliamentarians of Taiwan. On January 12, the two called on parliamentarian and Tibet’s supporter, Freddy Lim, with whom they conveyed the dire situation inside Tibet and the need to strengthen the relationship between the parliament of Taiwan and CTA.
Representative and the secretary also visited the speaker of the presidential palace, Kolas Yotaka, on January 17 and former Vice Premier Chiou I-jen on 26 of the same month, followed by visiting parliamentarian Liu Shyh Fang on February 10 to whom the situations inside Tibet and residential permit for Tibetans students and monks were apprised. Also, the continuation for approval of Tibetan’s IC proposed during the first conference held by LO Ping-cheng, Minister without Portfolio and Spokesperson, with concerned heads of seven ministries on December 10 of the last year was addressed. Furthermore, the Office of Tibet thanked the abovementioned officials of Taiwan for playing a crucial role in dissolving the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission and were presented with a book published by Gang-jong.
Apart from this, Representative Bawa Kelsang Gyaltsen earlier attended the 73rd Republic Day of India organized by the Indian Embassy in Taiwan, during which he had met several other delegates from foreign including the Americans.
-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Taiwan