Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday, May 29 1996

Source: Canada Tibet Committee, Montreal

Contact: Carole Samdup, 514-487-0665.

Ottawa, May 28, 1996: Venerable Palden Gyatso yesterday met representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) as well as Canadian Members of Parliament and Senators, including the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet.

At the department of Foreign Affairs, Venerable Palden Gyatso described his experiences inside the Chinese Laogai and exhibited the instruments of torture which he had smuggled out of Tibet. "The Foreign Affairs officials were clearly moved" said Thubten Samdup, President of the Canada Tibet Committee (CTC). "This was obviously the first time they had heard such detailed accounts of the torture which occurs on a regular basis in the Chinese prisons inside Tibet".

Officials from both the Political and Human Rights sections of DFAIT asked Gyatso if he considered official fact-finding missions to be useful in the Tibetan context. "The Chinese clean everything up before high profile delegations visit" replied Gyatso. "The people are unable to speak or meet freely with the foreign delegates". Gyatso added that tourism is the best means of bringing information outside of Tibet.

Later Gyatso was a guest at a reception organized by the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet. Representatives from Canada's Liberal, New Democratic and Progressive Conservative parties attended. "Some of the MPs had tears in their eyes", said Tenzin Jimpa, CTC parliamentary liaison. "We were able to explain the current crisis in Tibet, and appeal for support for the activities and campaigns we are coordinating. Many MPs and especially the staff people, showed a re-newed interested in our cause".

Gyatso's visit to Canada included public events in Toronto and Montreal as well as meetings with the local Tibetan communities. The Canadian tour was sponsored by the Canadian Human Rights Foundation, Amnesty International and the Canada Tibet Committee.