Tibet’s Political Leader to Visit Ottawa

 Number of self-immolations inside Tibet rises to 104 as Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay addresses Canadian Parliamentarians

 Montreal, February 20, 2013 - Tibet’s political leader, Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, will visit Ottawa next week when he will address the parliamentary Subcommittee on International Human Rights on Tuesday, February 26, in Room 237C (Centre Block) at 13:00. 

The parliamentary subcommittee is in the midst of a study entitled “The Human Rights Situation in Tibetan Areas of China.”  The study results from meetings between Canadian Members of Parliament and Tibetan officials during the World Parliamentarian Convention on Tibet which took place in Ottawa in April 2012.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Dr. Sangay is an expert on international human rights law, democratic constitutionalism, and conflict resolution.  He was elected as political leader of the Tibetan people following the Dalai Lama’s devolution of political power in 2011.

The crisis of self-immolation in Tibet continues as the number of protests climbs steadily, reaching 104 this week.  In a December 6, 2012 letter, the Canada Tibet Committee asked Prime Minister Harper to convene an internal task force to consider a series of recommendations for Canadian action in response to the crisis.(1)

Dr. Sangay’s testimony in parliament will be followed by a media scrum at 14:10 outside the hearing room.

Information:

Eva Cirnu (Montreal), 514-632-6635

Herb Davis, (Ottawa), 613-406-1414

 (1)  CTC letter to Prime Minister Harper on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

http://www.tibet.ca/en/newsroom/news_releases/317