Vienna, Austria, 7 November 2025: Representative Thinlay Chukki, accompanied by  Phuntsok Topgyal, UN Advocacy Officer, from the Tibet Bureau in Geneva conducted a series of official meetings in Vienna aimed at strengthening relations with diplomatic missions, Tibet Support Groups, and the Tibetan community in Austria.

Representative Thinlay Chukki began her engagements with a meeting with two senior officials from the United Kingdom Mission in Vienna. Discussions focused on a range of internal matters and explored avenues to further enhance cooperation between the UK Mission in Austria and the Tibet Bureau.

Later, Representative Thinlay Chukki met with Karl, President of Friends of Tibet, and Gabi, Vice President of Save Tibet, along with their treasurer. The meeting centred on reinforcing future collaboration between the Tibet Support Groups (TSGs) and the Tibet Bureau. They also discussed preparations for the upcoming visit of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) to Austria next year and exchanged updates on the current situation inside Tibet.

Subsequently, Representative Thinlay Chukki held a meeting with the V-Tag Coordinator and its members, during which she exchanged ideas on enhancing advocacy efforts in Austria. She shared insights into the current geopolitical landscape in Europe and key developments related to Tibet, encouraging members to intensify their advocacy work and adopt more strategic and effective approaches to promote the Tibetan cause.

The following day, Representative Thinlay Chukki met with teachers, parents, and students of the Tibetan weekend School in Vienna. In her address, she emphasised the importance of preserving the Tibetan language and culture, highlighting the alarming situation inside Tibet-where over one million children are reportedly being forced into state-run residential schools from as young as four years old. She stressed that, as Tibetans living in a free country, it is our collective responsibility to preserve our language and culture.

Representative Thinlay Chukki also outlined the aims and objectives of the Tibet Bureau, explaining how the Tibet Bureau advocates for the Tibetan cause within its jurisdictional countries, including through engagement with the United Nations. Additionally, she briefed the gathering on the teachers’ training programme organised earlier this year, aimed at enhancing the skills of Tibetan teachers to better educate Tibetan children across Europe.

Following her engagements in Vienna, Thinlay traveled to Linz, where she visited the Peace Stupa. There, she met with the owner of the stupa, Thai, and Austrian citizens, discussing the significance of the site in promoting peace, compassion, and intercultural understanding.

On the final day of her visit to Austria, Thinlay met with leaders of the Tibetan Communities of Vienna, Linz, and Tyrol. During the meeting, she discussed several community-related issues and later addressed the Tibetan community in Linz. In her public talk, she briefed attendees on the current situation inside Tibet and the ongoing efforts of the Tibet Bureau She emphasised the importance of unity among Tibetans, the preservation of Tibetan culture and language, and the continued improvement of the weekend schools to strengthen Tibetan education in exile.

This series of meetings provided valuable opportunities to reinforce cooperation with Tibet Support Groups and the Tibetan community in Austria. They also served to inspire young Tibetans and their families to preserve and promote their Tibetan identity, language, and cultural heritage for future generations.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Geneva