Dharamshala: On 26 February 2026, a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation comprising Wu Pei-yi, Member of the Legislative Yuan and President of the Taiwan Parliamentary Group for Tibet; Fa Hui Shen, Member of the Legislative Yuan; Chen Chang Lee, Taipei City Councilor; Miao Po-ya, Taipei City Councilor; and Tsuni Cheng, Vice President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.

During their visit, the delegation held a meeting with Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, where they discussed a wide range of topics of mutual interest. The delegation was accompanied by Mingyur Youdon, Secretary of the Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Lai Yu Shen, who served as translator.

Welcoming the delegates, the Speaker spoke about the establishment of the Taiwanese Parliamentary Group for Tibet. He highlighted the contributions of its founding member, legislator Freddy Lim, as well as legislator Hung Sun-han, now serving as Taiwan’s Minister of Labor, both of whom visited Dharamshala and met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He also noted their participation in the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet held in Washington, DC, USA, which further strengthened the inter-parliamentary alliance on Tibet.

Highlighting the shared Buddhist heritage of the Taiwanese and Tibetan peoples, the Speaker recalled His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s first visit to Taiwan in 1997. Since then, he noted, Tibetan religion and culture have flourished in Taiwan, marked in particular by the establishment of numerous Tibetan Dharma centers across the island. He emphasized that Taiwan is an important partner for Tibet, with deep religious, political, and cultural ties binding the two sides.

The Deputy Speaker, in her address, said she was honored to receive the delegates in Dharamshala, describing their visit as a reaffirmation of a shared commitment to democratic values, principles, human dignity, and respect for human rights worldwide. She emphasized that the gathering sends a strong message to the global community about their collective resolve and shared interests. She further noted that the visit coincides with the 90th birth anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, observed as the Year of Compassion-a yearlong celebration of his lifelong dedication to fostering one humanity rooted in compassion, brotherhood, and universal responsibility.

Shedding light on the current critical situation in Tibet, the Deputy Speaker highlighted ongoing human rights violations, transnational repression, environmental exploitation, and religious persecution. She also detailed the forced enrollment of Tibetan children in colonial-style boarding schools, a politically driven policy aimed at Sinicizing Tibetans by depriving children of their right to study their language, culture, and religion, ultimately seeking to erase Tibetan identity.