Japanese MP visits Tibetan parliament-in-exile in Dharamsala

Japanese parliamentarian Wada Yuichiro visited the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in Dharamsala this week and met Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang.

During the meeting, Wada presented a message from Yamatani Eriko, Chair of the Japan Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, which he had read at the 65th Tibetan Democracy Day celebrations. He was accompanied by Tsewang Gyalpo Arya, Representative of the Dalai Lama’s Liaison Office in Tokyo.

Welcoming the Japanese MP, Speaker Tenphel expressed gratitude for his participation in the celebrations, noting their added significance as this year marks the “Year of Compassion” in honour of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birth anniversary. He also highlighted the success of the 9th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet, held earlier this year in Tokyo, as an inspiration for Asian nations.

The Speaker recalled milestones in the evolution of Tibetan democracy, including the establishment of democratic institutions in 1960, the direct election of the Kalon Tripa and the Dalai Lama’s devolution of political authority to the Central Tibetan administration.

Wada Yuichiro reaffirmed Japan’s solidarity with the Tibetan cause, noting that Japan was the first country visited by the Dalai Lama after going into exile and that its Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet remains the largest in the world. Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang praised Japan’s democratic values.