His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Sikyong visits US Capitol Hill
March 7, 2014 9:58 am
WASHINGTON D.C: Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay visited US Capitol Hill with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to attend the US House Leadership meeting in Washington, DC on March 06, 2014. They met the US Speaker John Boehner, Leader Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Eric Cantor & Congressman Steny Hoyer for about 45 minutes. The US Speaker’s website released the quote on its website “It’s my pleasure to welcome His Holiness to the United States Capitol. His fight for religious freedom and tolerance has always brought Congress together in a bipartisan fashion. It’s our pleasure to have him today to continue those conversations and to show him our support.”
Later in the morning, Sikyong Dr. Sangay attended His Holiness’ address to about 400 US Congressional Staff from both the house. Senator John McCain and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi introduced His Holiness and the Sikyong to the Staffer. It was also attended by about 25 US Representatives.
In the afternoon, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hosted a Working Coffee meeting which was attended by its Chairman Senator Robert Menendez, Ranking member Senator Bob Corker, Senator Benjamin Cardin, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senator Christopher Coons, Senator Tom Udall, Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator John McCain, and Senator John Barrasso. In a meeting, His Holiness shared his three commitments of enriching human values, religious harmony and on the issue of Tibet’s culture, Buddhism and its Environment. The committee jointly expressed its deep concern for the current situation inside Tibet, and extends every possible support on the issue of Tibet. Senator Udall also raised the alarming consequences of the Chinese population transfer to Tibet, and offer to extend every possible action to control such action.
Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay explained to the committee about the Middle Way Policy of the Central Tibetan Administration, to resolve the issue of Tibet peacefully, within the framework of the Chinese constitution. He further elaborated that the Tibetan administration neither seek separation, nor accept the current repression inside Tibet.
Yesterday on March 05, 2014, National Endowment for Democracy hosted a reception for Sikyong, and he addressed the invited group of about 90 people on “Challenges and Opportunities for Tibetan Democracy in Exile”.
Sikyong along with his private secretary Jigmey Namgyal returned back to India, with a see-off reception from the office of Tibet, New York, and the President of the Capitol Area Tibetan Association.