Tibet’s exiled political leader has accused China of turning the region into a prison in a scathing address in Canberra.
Tibet’s exiled political leader says his nation has become a prison under Chinese rule but he would not be pushing for independence from Beijing.
In his first trip to Australia since being elected the head of the nation’s government-in-exile in 2021, Penpa Tsering called on the Albanese government to take a tougher stance and impose sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses.
He questioned why the federal government would not apply the same standards to China as it does to Iran, Russia or Myanmar.
“If it’s a foreign policy, it should be equal for everybody whether it’s a big country or a small country,” he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
“One has to be very strategic but one has to be very forthright … If you want to apply Magnitsky law, then why not all other countries?
“When it comes to big countries they get away with everything, that does not help.”
Magnitsky sanctions allow the government target individuals and businesses rather than the whole country.
Mr Tsering is one of the longest serving members of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile which is headquartered in Dharamsala in northern India.
He said his exiled government wants the freedom to practice the Tibetan language, protect its environment and preserve the culture and religion in the region.
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