Dharamshala: CTA President Dr. Lobsang Sangay’s visit to Lithuania once again triggered criticism from the Chinese Embassy in Lithuania.
In a press release issued this afternoon, the embassy of China in Lithuania strongly opposed and openly condemned the press conference organized by Andrius Navickas in the Seimas this morning where CTA President Dr. Sangay was invited to address along with Prof Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania’s first head of state after its independence declaration from the Soviet Union, and other MPs. Frustrated over President Sangay’s visit to Lithuania, the Chinese embassy declared the event as a ‘serious political incident’.
The embassy further expressed that it would berate any organization that would attempt to provide a platform to discuss the Tibet issue.
Responding to the statements, CTA spokesperson Sonam N Dagpo said, “Central Tibetan Administration is appalled by the protest of Chinese Embassy in Lithuania against President Lobsang Sangay’s visit to Lithuania.”
He said President Lobsang Sangay is the democratically elected leader of the Tibetan people who represents the voice of the six million Tibetans.
“The world knows that China occupied and invaded Tibet and Tibetans do not enjoy religious freedom, human right, right to one’s own language, etc. in Tibet,” CTA Spokesperson said.
President Sangay visited Lithuania on 6 May to call on wider international community and Lithuania in particular to extend support for Tibet where the President talked about the prevailing situation inside Tibet at the conference in Seimas which was organized by a Tibet support group headed by MP Andrius Navickas of parliament of Lithuania.
No sooner was the Press event concluded, news reports of CTA President’s visit to Lithuania and the press conference he addressed was broadcasted on Lithuanian national television on prime time for over 4 minutes.
President Sangay is scheduled to give two interviews today, one each for a popular internet and cultural media before flying to Riga, Latvia to attend the 7th World Parliamentary Convention on Tibet.
