
Sikyong Penpa Tsering Visits Miao Choepheling Settlement, Calls for Unity with Locals and within Tibetans
Miao, Arunachal Pradesh: Following successful engagements in Itanagar, Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration arrived at the Miao Choepheling Tibetan Settlement on the evening of 25 January 2025 to a warm and enthusiastic reception from the Tibetan residents and local officials.
Upon arrival, Sikyong began his official visit by touring the settlement’s offices and institutions to compress his programs for the following day. Sikyong continued with his remaining visitation programs the next day, after attending the Miao sub-division’s 76th Republic Day celebrations as the Guest of Honour, alongside Shri R.D. Thungon, the Additional Deputy Commissioner.
To mark the successful completion of the 16th Kashag’s community hall constructions, which included halls for the settlement’s five camps and a common hall, the residents invited Sikyong to inaugurate all six halls one after another as he continued the settlement tour.
Before convening the general public at the newly built community’s common hall, Sikyong briefly attended a gathering at Sambhota Tibetan School in Miao, where he addressed the students. He introduced them to the significance of the Tibetan Plateau, using a PowerPoint presentation to simplify complex topics for the younger audience. Sikyong also encouraged the students to preserve the distinct Pemako dialect, which has seen a gradual decline as many community members have integrated with other societies in search of better opportunities outside the settlement.
Afterwards, Sikyong proceeded to the community hall to address the public. In his keynote address, Sikyong briefed the audience about the recently held day-long seminar on “Environment and Security” in Itanagar and acknowledged the steadfast support of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu, for the well-being of exiled Tibetans and the Tibet cause. “The seminar was a great success, with participation from a majority of high-level state government officials as well as representatives from local indigenous tribal communities. Most importantly, it helped resolve misunderstandings between the local communities and Tibetan refugees in the region,” remarked Sikyong, also revealing that a leader from the opposing group personally approached him to express regrets. However, Sikyong urged Tibetans to remain humble and always appreciate the support from both the people and the government of the state, emphasising the importance of maintaining close relations with the local populace.
Furthermore, Sikyong highlighted that the 16th Kashag’s work is shaped by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s vision, especially in political, social welfare, and administrative matters, with any achievements credited to His Holiness’ guidance and blessings.
In addition, Sikyong’s address focused on the need to understand the demographics of the Tibetan exile population to better preserve Tibetan culture and language, urging the community to prioritise learning Tibetan and studying their history to resist the Chinese government’s efforts to erase Tibetan identity. Sikyong also highlighted key achievements in Tibetan advocacy, such as the recent U.S. legislation on Tibet, and emphasised the need to build a stronger administration with enhanced staff capacity to support ongoing initiatives like digitising CTA documents and developing a Buddhist digital library.
During the visits, Sikyong was accompanied by Choepheling Tibetan Settlement Officer Tenzin Tsangpa, along with Deputy Secretary Sonam Topgyal and Under Secretary Thinley Umawa from the Department of Home.