Canberra: With the Australian Parliament’s autumn session in process, the Office of Tibet-Canberra and the Australia Tibet Council jointly advocated on Tibet by reaching out to the members of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign affairs, Defence and Trade and Human Rights Subcommittee on 14 and 15 February at the Parliament House.
Representative Karma Singey and Dr. Zoe Bedford, the Executive Officer of Australia Tibet Council, had meetings with Maria Vamvakinou MP, Senator Linda Reynolds, Peter Khalil MP, and Janice McShane, a staffer of Senator David Fawcett. They also met the Co-Chairs of the All Australian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, Hon Warren Entsch MP, Susan Templeman MP, and Senator Janet Rice.
During the meetings with the Australian lawmakers and officials, they apprised them about the critical situation inside of Tibet, particularly on how the Chinese government policies are forcefully separating over 1 million Tibetan children from families and assimilating Tibetan culture at China’s colonial-style boarding schools in Tibet.
They also briefed about the Chinese government’s intention to interfere in the reincarnation system of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, force migration of rural Tibetans to cities and towns, and recent US Sanctions on two senior Chinese officials over serious human rights abuse in Tibet. They urged the lawmakers to have Chinese officials who are key abusers of Tibetan human rights sanctioned under the Australian Magnitsky Act.
They appealed to the aforementioned members of the Joint Standing committee on Foreign affairs, Defence and Trade, and Human Rights subcommittee to call a hearing on the Human Rights situation in Tibet, particularly on China’s colonial boarding schools in Tibet.
Representative Karma and Dr. Zoe were accompanied by Secretary Lhawang Gyalpo and digital Campaigner of Australia Tibet Council Sonam Gyeltshen.
During their meetings, they presented the Australian parliamentarians with books on His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibet Brief 20/20 books by Michael Van Walt Van Praag.
Representative Karma and Dr Zoe with Senator Linda Reynolds, Deputy Chair, Human Rights Sub-Committee.
Rep. Karma with Peter Khalil MP, committee member of Joint Standing committee of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and Human Rights Subcommittee.