Tibet Post International
Molly Lortie
September 21, 2015
Over 40 MSPs have signed a Tibet petition on September 15, to be presented to the various bodies of the EU and its member states. Photo: David Lloyd Hudson
Edinburgh, Scottland — The Cross Party Group has just concluded an extremely successful week of exhibiting in the Scottish Parliament, in an effort to raise awareness of Tibet and the human rights abuses taking place.
Over 40 MSPs took the time to show their support and to sign the “Paris Declaration on the Freedom Struggle of the Tibetan People“, a petition to be presented to the various bodies of the EU and its member states.
During the exhibition, the group was honoured to host Ven. Thubten Wangchen, a member of the Tibetan Central Administration who travelled to Edinburgh in order to attend the exhibition and meet in person the MSPs who came to show their support for Tibet.
The Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Tibet (CPG on Tibet) also held an exhibit on Tibet in the Scottish Parliament– sponsored by Linda Fabiani in the Scottish Parliament.
Last week saw the Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Tibet (CPG on Tibet) form an exhibit in the Scottish Parliament. The Exhibition Coordinator David Lloyd Hudson and fellow organizer and member of the CPG on Tibet Iain Thom were joined by special guest Ven Thubten Wangchen, who is currently a European Member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and a Director of the Tibet House Trust based in Barcelona, Spain.
The exhibit’s focus was primarily on the impact of human rights abuses in Tibet and China and to raise this with Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), bringing also to their attention the reports on the varied human rights issues in Tibet written by Dr. Martin Mills, Professor of Tibetan Anthropology at Aberdeen University.
The Cross Party Group on Tibet was most honoured to receive Ven. Wangchen, who brought with him an official petition by Tibet groups in Europe on human rights policies, being presented to the European Parliament and other bodies in November this year by Wangchen la and his European counterpart. These issues were well received by MSPs available during the week and it was pleasing to see their support by signing the ‘I Stand With Tibet’ petition.
The petition forms part of the official campaign of Tibet groups in Europe, supporting the Paris Declaration which calls on all EU member ‘…governments to be true to the fundamental values and principles that Europe prides itself on’ and to undertake three key actions.
Alex Salmond MSP when speaking with David Lloyd Hudson, and replying to questions raised to colleagues about the former then First Minister not meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2012, said he would be happy to meet with His Holiness on a future pastoral visit to Scotland and happily signed the petition in this context.
Members of the Scottish Parliament who signed to support the ‘I stand with Tibet’ petition along with Mr Salmond were (in alphabetical order): Clare Adamson, Claire Baker, Richard Baker, Neil Bibby, Cameron Buchannan, Roderick Campbell, James Dornan, Linda Fabiani (Convener of the CPG on Tibet), Mary Fee, Alex Fergusson, John Finnie, Christine Grahame, Rhoda Grant, Iain Gray, Hugh Henry, Cara Hilton, Jim Hume, Alison Johnstone, James Kelly, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Angus MacDonald, Gordon MacDonald, Ken Mackintosh, Mike Mackenzie, John Mason, Joan McAlpine, Liam McArthur, Jamie McGrigor, Stuart McMillan, Anne McTaggart, Margaret Mitchell, Elaine Murray, Dennis Robertson, Alec Rowley, Mike Russell, Tavish Scott, Kevin Stewart, Jean Urquhart, Sandra White and John Wilson.
Mr Alex Salmond, former First minister of Scotland, also expressed that he would be happy to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the future while responding to David Lloyd Hudson and other colleagues on the question of the former First Minister’s inability to meet His Holiness in 2012.
