Dharamshala: - Twelve young Tibetans have self-immolated in eastern Tibet since 2009, in acts of protest against Chinese repression and to demand the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and religious freedom in Tibet. The current situation still remains tense in eastern Tibet as some recent reports tell of pamphlets distributed and posted in Ngaba, eastern Tibet.
Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the newly elected Tibetan political leader is making an emergency visit to European states. In Norway and Denmark, he met with several politicians to seek a solution to the current Tibetan problem.
Mr Raymond Johansen, General Secretary of the Norwegian Labour Party, on 24 November, welcomed Dr. Sangay at the party's head office in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. Mr Johansen said he was very glad to meet with the Tibetan leader, according to a report from the official media of the Central Tibetan Administration.
During their one-hour meeting, Kalon Tripa briefed him on the Central Tibetan Administration and the current situation in Tibet. Mr Raymond Johansen, who visited China last year, informed the Kalon Tripa that he has been closely following the Tibet issue and will continue his support for the dialogue between the Tibetans and the Chinese government to find a negotiated settlement on the Tibetan issue.
Dr. Sangay also met with Mr Olemic Thommesen, the leader of the Norwegian Parliamentary Group for Tibet and Mr Ulf Erik Knudsen, a member of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee. Kalon Tripa was respectfully welcomed by the two MPs in the Parliament's meeting hall used for receiving dignitaries. Due to the ongoing Parliamentary budget session, the many other MPs who had wanted to meet the elected Tibetan leader could not attend the meeting.
Mr Thommesen and Mr Knudsen informed the Kalon Tripa of Parliament's strong support and sympathy for the Tibetan struggle and praised the non-violent path the Tibetans have taken. They assured the Kalon Tripa that they would raise the Tibetan question with parliament.
Following the meeting with the Parliamentarians, Kalon Tripa was hosted for lunch by relevant officials from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over lunch, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay briefed the MFA officials on the current situation in Tibet and the changes within the CTA. Kalon Tripa also thanked the Norwegian government for their sincere support for the Tibetans.
On the morning of 25 November, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he and his delegation were received by supporters and representatives from the Tibetan Community and The Tibet Support Committee of Denmark. Kalon Tripa's first engagement for the day was with organisations that fund educational projects of the Central Tibetan Administration. Officials from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also participated in this meeting.
At the conclusion of this meeting, Kalon Tripa and his delegation traveled the short distance to the Danish Parliament for a meeting with four Parliamentarians who are members of either the Foreign Policy Committee or the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Kalon Tripa informed the Parliamentarians about the democratic system of the Central Tibetan Administration and also briefed them about the self-immolation cases in Tibet. Kalon Tripa informed the Parliamentarians that the problem of Tibet will not disappear. Tibetans will keep standing up for their rights.
Ms Sara Olsvig, a member of Parliament from the Inuit Ataqatigiit party in Greenland, expressed concern about the news she had read about Tibet recently. Greenland has had good experiences with self-government and they always try to communicate this internationally. She said that "we want to lend our support to Tibet".
Kalon Tripa's penultimate appointment of the day was a meeting with the board and members of the Danish Tibet Support Committee. The Danish participants then discussed how they could work for government statements regarding the self-immolations in Tibet. Kalon Tripa emphasised the urgency of this question as a reason why he had decided to embark on his present tour of the US and Europe.
