Hague, Netherlands: On the morning of 9 October 2024, Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration landed at the Schiphol Airport in Hague to kick off his official engagements in the Netherlands.
Sikyong commenced his day with a productive interaction with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Dutch Parliament Building. The meeting was graced by the presence of His Excellency Jesse Klaver, the Chairman of the committee, along with other members.
Following this meeting, Sikyong called on His Excellency Wim Geerts, the Dutch Ambassador for Human Rights, who has previously expressed serious concerns regarding the violent arrest of Tibetans in Derge and advocated for their release.
Later that day, at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, Sikyong engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with the centre’s Political Director, Han ten Broek and Senior Project Manager, Berend Kwak. Ten young scholars of the centre also participated in the meeting, during which the gathering discoursed the global significance of the Tibetan plateau, particularly its vital water resources and their implications for riparian communities, as well as the prospects for Sino-India and India-Tibet relations.
Before heading towards Luxembourg for his scheduled programmes, Sikyong concluded the engagements in Hague with an informal meeting with coalitions of key NGOs, including representatives of Uyghur, Southern Mongolia, Hong Kong, International Campaign for Tibet, Student’s for Free Tibet, and the members of the Tibetan community. This meeting underscored a shared commitment to Human Rights and humanitarian cooperation.
Throughout these formal interactions, Sikyong was accompanied by Representative Rigzin Choedon Genkhang of the Bureau du Tibet, Brussels.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Representative Rigzin Choedon Genkhang with His Excellency Wim Geerts, Dutch Ambassador for Human Rights.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering during the discussion with scholars at Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Representative Rigzin Choedon Genkhang during an informal meeting with representatives of NGOs of Tibet and Tibet’s alliances.
