Cape Town, South Africa —with members of Parliament of various political affiliations, and interacted with academia, media and friends of Tibet.
The President of the Central Tibetan Administration Dr Lobsang Sangay met former President of South Africa F W de Klerk in his Foundation’s office on February 6, 2019. They exchanged pleasantries and discussed issues of general interests as well as current situation in Tibet under the Chinese occupation.
During the meeting, Klerk conveyed his best wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and expressed his support for the aspirations of the Tibetan people in their quest for freedom, according to the Office of Tibet, South Africa, February 6, 2019.
President Dr Lobsang Sangay stated that the current political situation in Tibet could be best gauged from the fact that since 2009, more than 153 Tibetans had self-immolated in occupied Tibet demanding freedom and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
As per Freedom House Index, after Syria, Tibet is the least free region. It is even less free than North Korea. Tibet has become the laboratory for testing monitoring and surveillance policies and technologies for the whole of China.
Huge network of railways and road are being built to exploit rich mineral and water resources of Tibet to feed the hungry industrial capacities of China.
As a result, Tibet’s fragile environment systems are damaged irrevocably and climate changed is accelerated.
In a press release ahead of his visit to South Africa, president Dr Sangay said: “I am delighted and deeply honoured to be in South Africa again, the country that inspires six million Tibetans to continue their non-violent fight for human rights, democracy and freedom.”
Besides, the President had interaction with the members of Inkatha Freedom Party. But Tibetan President's visit was heavily criticized by the Chinese embassy in Pretoria.
