Vote of thanks by Hon. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Deputy Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile

every day we are closer to the freedom of Tibet. Today we are closer to Tibet’s freedom than yesterday”. Thank you.

Ven.Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok

Firstly, my sincere gratitude to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for blessing the last six WPCTs with his presence and for the video message for this 7th WPCT. We are also privileged to have the messages of Honourable US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Honourable Representative Jim McGovern for this convention. On behalf of Tibetan Parliament-in–Exile, our co-host Latvian Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, International Network of Parliamentarians for Tibet (INPAT) and all the delegates present here, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude for their blessings with profound messages.

Secondly, I would like to thank Cross-Party group for Tibet-Latvian Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet for co-hosting the 7th WPCT in Riga, Latvia. Although Latvian Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet consented in principle to organize the 7th WPCT in Riga in May last year, it was only after their elections in December that, they were �inally ready to organize the 7th WPCT. Mr. Janis, Coordinator and Chief of Society “Latvia for Tibet, Mr. Sonam Frasi, Representative of London Of�ice of Tibet and our Former Speaker Venerable Khenpo Sonam Tenphel paid a visit to all the venues in Latvia, got in contact with our co-organizer and then we �inalized to organize the 7th WPCT in Riga, Latvia. Thereafter, we took this matter to the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. In December 2018, we sent invitations through the Of�ices of Tibet and we were able to organize the 7th WPCT here in Riga, Latvia. Thus, on behalf of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and

Tibetans in and outside of Tibet and the delegates, I would like to thank Coorganizer of the 7th WPCT-Latvian Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet.

My sincere thanks to Honorable Members from the cross-political parties of the cross countries. Without your presence in this Convention, we would not be able to hold the 7th WPCT. Many of Honourable Members of the Parliaments have attended WPCTs from the beginning till the 7th WPCT. I am really grateful to you all for your presence, sharing views and experiences, giving suggestions for the adoption of the Riga Declaration and Action Plan. Once again, I would like to thank you all.

Besides that, I would like to thank the Panelists, Intellectuals, and Scholars who enlightened us on various policies such as US-China Policy, EU- China policy, China and Tibet Relation, Tibet’s Current Environment Situation with lot of experiences and inputs. These are very much helpful and useful for the parliamentarians. The ideas and suggestions of intellectuals and the think tanks are useful for adopting the resolutions and declarations not only in the convention but even in the parliaments. Thus, on behalf of the organizers, my sincere gratitude to all the Panelists, Speakers and Chairs of this convention. May I also thank the governments and parliamentarians for adopting numbers of resolutions after the 2012 convention of the Ottawa declaration. Unfortunately, it has been a long gap of 6 years until we were able to organize the 7th WPCT. But anyhow, we have got all the documents, the resolutions and the statements of the dignitaries for the cause of Tibet. And also through the help of Of�ices of Tibet, we were able to bring out the background paper of the 7th WPCT with the updated issues.

I also want to thank Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the Kashag, and DIIR Secretary and staff particularly the two staff for showing live telecast on the global level- the 7th WPCT. On behalf of the organizers, Latvian Tibet Support Group and Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Speaker and myself and the parliamentarians, we would also like to thank particularly Of�ices of Tibet, with their support and coordination, we were able to resume the 7th WPCT. Unfortunately, a number of our Representatives of Of�ices of Tibet were unable to attend this convention. Some got the problem of visa and two of our Of�ices of Tibet had their own pre-engagements. Even though Mr. Tsewang Phuntsok was not able to come here because he had prior engagement but the Chile parliamentarian is with us. Even with pressures from the Chinese government and Chinese embassies and ongoing elections, we were able to resume and select parliamentarians who show us sympathy and support.

May I also thank our Tibetan Parliamentarians. Since the last 4th WPCT, we tried to attend and in this 7th WPCT, we have 11 parliamentarians from Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile who contributed in receiving our dignitaries

and the registration, decoration and the drafting committee. On behalf of the Speaker and myself and all our delegates, thanks to the members of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.

May I also thank the ICT particularly Europe based ICT. Ms. Tsering Jampa has initiated with their members for not only this 7th WPCT but also for the visitation program of the members of our Tibetan Parliamentary delegation to various nations in terms of �inancial support along with the CTA.

We are indeed honoured to receive a numbers of parliamentary delegation from various countries in Dharamsala and our Members are privileged to visit many countries, thereby meeting many other parliamentarians, think tanks, of�icials, intellectuals, media and Tibet supporters. As I mentioned yesterday, I was able to meet Mr. Carl Gershman in 1999 and also met Mr. Richard Gere when I was working with Tibet’s movement in 1990.

Since 1994 WPCT till the 7th WPCT, we are privileged to get the support and help from Professor Michael Van Walt Praag in the drafting of Declaration & Action Plan and the background material book, which we brought out before the convention. During the last 5/50 meeting of CTA in Dharamsala, we met and requested him to help with this background papers in the compilation and editing. We got connected on daily basis through emails and �inally, we were able to bring out this background materials. And of course Ms. Christa Meindersma-Advocacy and Communications Director of ICT Europe, who speaks Tibetan �luently and has a long experience. I met Ms. Christa for the �irst time in this convention but really her Tibetan language is very �luent and doing the drafting very fast. Therefore, on behalf of the organizers and Tibetan communities, I would like to sincerely thank both of them. Especially, Prof. Michael Van Walt, thank you so much for helping us for the last 60 years.

I also want to thank the manager and the staff of the Hotel Bellevue for their support and help and sincerity. Even in the convention hall, the Director and our interpreters, I saw they are very simple, very dedicated and very sincere. Thanks to our volunteers who helped and supported us from the day we reached here on May 3 till today.

Since there is no Of�ice of Tibet and no Tibetan community but few members of Tibet supporters in Latvia, therefore, we brought our of�ice staff of Dharamsala – Ms. Kalsang Youdon, Ms. Tenzin Choeying and Ms. Tseten Kalsang with two staff from the of�ices of Tibet of London and Brussels through the Kashag – Mr. Tenzin Lekshey and Mr. Sonam Tharchin. The number is not necessary but the teamwork is very important. With their help and support, we were able to timely resume the meeting and gathering. On behalf of Honourable Speaker and myself, thank you all for making this convention a success.

Finally, I have a request, now we have already adopted the Declaration and the Action Plan; I want to tell that this Convention as compared to the last 6 conventions is little different. The motive of this convention is to include very few lectures & talks and introduce more on how to raise Tibet’s issue, how to adopt Tibet’s issue in their respective Parliaments, how to mobilize the issue of Tibet on different platforms. Recently I was in London initiated by the Of�ice of Tibet. We met with the Scottish Parliamentarians and the UK parliamentarians and of�icials. So, therefore, we need more sharing of ideas and suggestions from the parliamentarians for the adoption of the Declaration and the Action Plan.

Now after this convention, everyone will be going back and the copy of Declaration & Action Plan will be sent to your respective emails. We want to request you to please do carry on and Of�ices of Tibet and Tibet Societies also need to be more active. I always keep on saying for the last 60 years, out of 190 countries but we have more than 30 or 40 countries’ Parliamentary Tibet Support Groups. We need to increase. We need more support and constructive support to resume the dialogue and to resolve Tibet’s issue. Tibet issue is the most important matter. I always say that Tibet issue is not underline with human rights and environment, so, my humble request, on behalf of the Tibetan community, kindly do carry on your support and do visit Dharamsala once again to get more interaction with Tibetan leaders and Tibetan organizations. We hope, we will resume the dialogue after this convention, if we actively mobilized our strategies and thus we will be able to get back to Tibet with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. This is our third generations who are leading the Tibetan community in and outside of Tibet’s movement. The �irst generations are those who came into exile in 1959, who are mostly no more alive. The second generations are those, who are becoming 60 years in and outside of Tibet. The third generations are like us who are born in India and who have never seen our native land but because of His Holiness’s blessing, your support, we are able to carry on our Tibet’s movement. Therefore, my utmost gratitude to you all for making our Tibetan issue still alive after 60 years.

My special thanks to Honourable Chief Guest and Master of Ceremony for giving us your precious time despite your hectic schedules. And once again thanks to Mr. Janis and his team who worked so hard day and night – arranging cars, taxis, booking of hotel rooms, informing media and everything. I sincerely apologize if there were any inconveniences in the last 3 days. Lastly, once again, on behalf of the Tibetan Parliament- in -Exile and Tibetan people, thanks to all the delegates for your presence in this important convention and making it successful. Thank You.

Adoption of Riga Declaration 2019

Chairpersons:

Hon. Elisabeth Toutut Picard Member of French National Assembly and President of Tibet Study Group at French National Assembly

Prof. Michael Van Walt Praag President of Kreddha and Professor of International Relations and International Law

Ms. Christa Meindersma Advocacy and Communications Director, ICT Europe