New Delhi, 16 December 2025: The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile continued its advocacy efforts in New Delhi as members of its Standing Committee, led by Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, held a series of meetings with Indian Union ministers, Members of Parliament from across party lines, and other distinguished leaders. The delegation was divided into three groups to engage with key stakeholders on issues concerning Tibet.

The first group, comprising Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and parliamentarians Tenpa Yarphel and Geshe Ngawa Gangri, met with Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs, Government of India. The group also held discussions with Shri Virendra Singh, Member of Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh (Samajwadi Party); Shri Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, Member of Lok Sabha from Manipur (Indian National Congress); Shri Yusuf Khan Pathan, Member of Lok Sabha from West Bengal (Trinamool Congress); Shri Utkarsh Verma, Member of Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh (Samajwadi Party); Shri Dr. Amar Rizvi, President of the All India Minorities Forum for Democracy and former Acting Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; Rev. Dr. Fr. Norbert Herman, President of the Association of Catholic Enquiry Centres–India (ACEC-I); and Dr. (Rabbi) Ezekiel Isaac Malekar, Head Priest of Judah Hyam Synagogue.

The second group, consisting of parliamentarians Juchen Kunchok Chodon, Geshe Lharampa Atuk Tseten, and Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen, met with Shri Dileshwar Kamait, Member of Lok Sabha from Bihar (Janata Dal–United).

The third group, comprising parliamentarians Serta Tsultrim, Lopon Thupten Gyaltsen, Tsaneytsang Dhondup Tashi, and Tsering Yangchen, met with Shri Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. They also met Shri Kaushalendra Kumar, Member of Lok Sabha from Bihar (Janata Dal–United), and Shri Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, Member of Rajya Sabha from Sikkim (Bharatiya Janata Party).

During the meetings, the Tibetan parliamentary delegations advocated for the recognition of Tibet as an occupied nation with a historically sovereign past. They called upon the People’s Republic of China to engage in substantive and unconditional dialogue with representatives of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama or the democratically elected Tibetan leadership.

The delegations further appealed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to initiate scientific studies on China’s exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources and its consequential impact on global climate systems.

They urged increased international pressure on China to grant independent human rights organizations access to Tibet and to extend standing invitations to UN Special Rapporteurs, particularly those mandated to monitor freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and the protection of human rights defenders. The delegations also demanded the unconditional release of all Tibetan political prisoners, including Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, whose whereabouts have remained unknown since 1995, and called for an end to policies suppressing Tibetan culture, language, and religion.

Additionally, the Tibetan parliamentarians appealed for the establishment of a national legislative framework to counter China’s networked authoritarianism and disinformation campaigns that undermine democratic institutions and global stability. They urged Indian legislators to raise concerns over human rights violations in Tibet across all available national and international platforms.

Throughout the meetings, the delegations were accompanied by staff members of the Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat and the New Delhi–based Coordinator of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.