Prague: Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile attended the third Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) Prague Summit 2023 from 1st to 2nd September 2023. The summit was hosted at the Czech Chamber of Deputies and Senate buildings in Prague, Czech Republic, and was attended by 50 legislatures from 30 countries.
Deputy speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile Dolma Tsering Teykhang left Dharamsala on 29th to attend the third Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) Summit at Prague, Czech Republic on the invitation from the organizing committee of IPAC, from 31st August-2nd September, 2023. During this IPAC Summit three new countries joined IPAC network; representation from three legislative bodies of Philippines, Kenya and Paraguay.
On 1st and 2nd September,2023, 50 legislatures from 30 countries gathered at the Czech Chamber of Deputies and Senate in Prague and discussed on the accomplishments, challenges and suggestions while working on the last years communique and also discussed democratic strategies in response to the multiple challenges posed by the expansionist Chinese Communist Party to the rule based order, global peace and stability and freedom and democracy. The focus of the summit was on six themes related to China: Taiwan, renewable dependency, transnational repression, Hong Kong, Belt and Road and Human Rights.
The third IPAC Annual Summit was hosted by Czech co-chair Rep. Eva Decroix and Sen. Pavel Fischer. The gathering was welcomed by address by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky who highlighted the relationship of Czech’s first President Vaclav Havel and Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Soon after the opening remarks the participants were formed into three groups to deliberate on the first three themes and after the lunch the participants grouped in three discussed on the later themes.
On 2nd September, before the formal adoption of Prague IPAC communique by Sen. Pavel Fischer, IPAC Co chair, Czech Republic, the legislatures also heard the representatives from Hong Kong liberty, World Uyghur Congress and Tibetan Parliament in Exile. Virtual message from President of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China, You Si-Kun was heard by the participants at the end of the summit.
Deputy Speaker Dolma Teykhang represented the Tibet Parliament in Exile and gave her presentation on the most pressing issue faced by Tibetans inside Tibet. She urged that “complying with the dictates of PRC without understanding the history of Tibet by many governments emboldens PRC to press territorial claims elsewhere, mostly using false or misleading historical narratives similar to those it uses to justify its claim to Tibet. Thus, the world must know that PRC is the biggest threat to democracy in the modern world and Tibet is the frontier to contain China that must be dealt multilaterally. Therefore, I urge you to place the human rights situation in Tibet in the context of the nature of the Tibet- China conflict as international and unresolved”.
On the environmental challenges she stated that this blue planet is our only home and for a holistic understanding of Global warming and environmental challenges that the humanity is facing, the world leadership needs to recognize the global significance of the Tibetan plateau. She appealed to them to launch a scientific research on understanding both the impact and critical role of Tibetan plateau on global climate change under United Nation.
She reiterated that “Making the leadership of PRC a responsible stakeholder in the world order is not only in the interest of all those who are suffering under the communist regime but it is also in the interest of PRC and the Chinese people”. She called upon all to join hands to make this world a better place for all to live in peace and harmony.
She further emphasised, “In nutshell, CCP is targeting the fundamentals of the Tibetans identity- our language and religion, which is also the bedrock of our civilization. Beijing’s effort to control the highest and most revered person of Tibet prove that CCP has no legitimacy to rule Tibet legally, politically and morally”. She concluded by thanking the legislatures, their governments and the people for standing for Tibet, for standing for truth and for keeping alive our faith in peace and justice.
In between the summit Ms Teykhang also met with three Czech Parliamentary Tibet Interest group Senator Premysl Rabas, the chair of Czech Parliament Tibet Group, Hayato Josef Okamura, member of Chamber of deputies, Senator Katerina Jacques, the secretary of Czech Parliamentary Tibet Support Group. She also met great supporter of Tibet Mr. Martin Bursik. Coordinated by Andrea Svobodova, she also had meeting with two Tibet Support Groups; Director of Lungta Edita Kleckerova and Most ProTibet Gabriela Gazdikova. She apprised them of the new developments in Tibet and thanked them for their unwavering support for Tibet.
She thanked the organizing chairs and IPAC executive body for giving her this opportunity to represent Tibet and urged them to give such opportunities later also. Her presence was highly appreciated by both by the IPAC members and the IPAC Executive members. She is back to Dharamshala on 5th September, 2023 after a successful IPAC Summit participation.
