Tokyo: Office of Tibet, Japan, Representative Dr. Arya Tsewang Gyalpo, along with the other oppressed nationals under the Chinese Communist regime, met with Ms. Sanae Takaichi, a potential candidate running for the President of ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, at Japan’s Lower House Parliament building today. 

 If elected, Ms. Sanae Takaichi will take the Prime Minister’s mantle from Mr. Yoshihide Suga, whose term finishes next month. She will be the 100th and Japan’s first woman Prime Minister. She is one of the four candidates running for the party’s top post; the result will be out on the day after tomorrow, on 29. 

 Dr. Arya greeted Ms. Sanae Takaichi with a Tibetan scarf and thanked her for taking time out from her busy schedule to discuss human rights violations taking place under the Chinese communist regime. He also thanked her for issuing a strong statement recently to condemn any oppression and denial of fundamental freedom in any region. 

 Representative Arya informed the Presidential candidate and the press members about the critical and challenging situation in Tibet. He told the gathering how the Tibetan plateau has become a heavily militarised zone and how the Tibetans are denied human rights and religious freedom. He said that the very existence of Tibetan identity and culture is in grave danger in Tibet.

 Representatives of Uighur, South Mongolia and Hong kong, talked about the repressions and the cultural genocide taking place in their homelands and thanked Ms. Takaichi for her support. 

 Ms. Sanae Takaichi said that she values freedom, democracy, and human rights. She said Japan and the international community will not tolerate violation of these fundamental values in any place. Furthermore, she promised that she would continue to support their (Tibet, Uighur, South Mongolia, and Hkong) struggle for freedom irrespective of whether she wins the Prime Minister’s seat or not.

 Mr. Nagao Takashi, General Secretary of Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, and Mr. Ueno Hiroshi, Assistant Secretary of the ruling party, attended the meeting. Mr. Ishii Hidetoshi of Free-Indo Pacific Alliance moderated the discussion.

 Mr. Jigme Tsetan, acting Secretary of the Office of Tibet, accompanied Dr. Arya to the meeting.

 Filed by the Office of Tibet, Japan