CTA President Lobbies for Stronger Congressional Support for Tibet in D.C

Washington DC: President Dr Lobsang Sangay of the Central Tibetan Administration arrived at Washington DC on 6 December and was warmly received at the Dulles airport by Representative Ngodup Tsering, the staff of the office of Tibet, representatives from the Tibetan community and International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).

On the first day of his visit, President Dr Lobsang Sangay, along with Chairman of ICT board Richard Gere, Representative Ngodup Tsering and Matteo Mecacci, President of ICT, had an hour-long meeting with Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham on the Capitol Hill. Senator Lindsey Graham is the Chair of Senate Appropriation Committee who agreed to continue support funding for Tibetan communities. Senator Rubio is the Chair of Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women’s Issues. They are both high profile former Republican presidential candidates and two of the most outspoken senators in Washington DC.

In the meeting, various issues related to Tibet were discussed including the growing Chinese influence in the world, US funding for Tibet related programmes, need for the speedy appointment of the special coordinator for Tibetan issues in the State Department, and the Reciprocal Access to Tibet bill which was recently introduced in the House. Both the Senators actively engaged in the deliberation and provided useful guidance and reiterated their support for the Tibet cause.

President Dr Sangay also met with various leaders and policymakers during the day and will continue to advocate the Tibet issue in Washington DC over the next two days. He will leave Washington DC for New York City on Friday to address over five thousand people who will take part in the Tibetan Solidarity Campaign on World Human Rights Day which is also the 28th anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

 – Report filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC –