Tibet.Net
Dharamshala: On the final part of his first tour to the United States, Sikyong Penpa Tsering spoke to Tibetans in New York and New Jersey on Sunday.
In his speech, Sikyong urged Tibetans to remain unified despite minor ideological disagreements, emphasising that they must tackle the crisis with a united spirit so as not to jeopardise His Holiness the Dalai Lama's lengthy efforts and accomplishments. He emphasised that cultivating practical gratitude to His Holiness involves aligning deeds with words and recognising precisely what his goals are and his wide legacies, rather than affirmations to fulfil his wishes.
“While we are physically and politically separated from our countrymen in Tibet, we are however bounded by an unbreakable sanctity of our shared hope and inspiration,” Sikyong remarked adding particularly the responsibility of the exiled Tibetans in delivering the much-needed hope for Tibetans back in Tibet.
"Because our fight movement is based on truth and justice, it is critical that we are well-versed in our country's history. Unlike other areas in the world, our sacred land has a deep spiritual connection with the Buddha. We have an obligation to appropriately recognise and present the historical facts, as privileged as we are to have this special relationship," Sikyong continued. He also emphasised the need of Tibetan cultural identity and language preservation, particularly among Tibetan Millenials.
In closing, Sikyong reaffirmed the 16th Kashag's core objectives and reported on his administration's accomplishments thus far, including the dissolution of the CTA's Task Force on Sino-Tibetan Negotiations, which was established in 1998, and the creation of a new Permanent Strategy Committee in its place.
Sikyong gave a key-note lecture on the theme 'Thirty Years of Tibet-China Dialogue Engagement-Current Perspectives in a Time of Global Realignment' at a conference organised by the Elliott School of International Affairs (GWU) on April 29. He emphasised His Holiness' Middle Way Approach as the invariable political policy of his administration.
Sikyong met with Chinese dissidents (Beijing Spring, China Dialogue, Sino-Tibet Friendship) after his public presentation, and later in the evening, he interacted with Tibetan adolescents and young professionals before attending a gala dinner hosted by NY&NJ Associations in his honour.
(Information Supplied by Tibet.Net)
By Team TRC