Sikyong Engages Czech Parliamentary Leaders, Mozambican MP Ivone Soares, Czech Presidential Official Daniel Štech & Former Ambassador Eliška Žigová in Prague on Third Day of Forum 2000Prague, Czech Republic: On 13 October 2026, the third day of the 30th Forum 2000 Conference, Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration engaged in a packed series of bilateral meetings, diplomatic discussions, and high-level parliamentary engagements in Prague.The morning commenced with an interview with Daniela Kučerová from Seznam Zprávy, one of the Czech Republic’s major media houses. Following the interaction, Sikyong held a bilateral discussion at the Prague Congress Centre with Ivone Soares, Deputy Leader of the Mozambican National Resistance and Member of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique.On the margins of the conference, Sikyong held an informal sideline interaction with Daniel Štech, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department at the Office of the President of the Czech Republic. In a relaxed exchange, Sikyong briefed him on global coalition-building efforts around Tibetan religious freedom, highlighting growing international support—including from the 38-member International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance and joint European declarations—affirming the Tibetan people’s sole authority over the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and resisting Beijing’s unilateral interference. Sikyong also shared concerns over China’s assimilation policies inside Tibet under the guise of “ethnic unity” laws, particularly the coercive enrolment of children in state-run colonial-style boarding schools, restrictions on the Tibetan language, and expanding digital surveillance. Additionally, Sikyong touched upon the situation of the Tibetan diaspora in India and CTA initiatives to sustain compact communities and encourage youth participation via the Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group (V-TAG).Sikyong Penpa Tsering with H.E. Eliška Žigová, former Ambassador of the Czech Republic to IndiaAt midday, Sikyong attended a luncheon meeting with H.E. Eliška Žigová, former Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India. Their discussion centred on key developments regarding His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s good health, his daily audiences with hundreds of devotees, and recent high-level engagements in Dharamshala, including the successful visit of a U.S. Congressional delegation featuring a private audience, museum tours, and cultural exchanges. The conversation also touched upon the peaceful mobilization of Tibetan youth groups during major international summits, the mounting challenges posed by China’s transnational repression and surveillance targeting exile communities, and the importance of encouraging Czech Members of the European Parliament to actively participate in the Tibet Friendship Group. Sikyong expressed heartfelt gratitude to Ambassador Žigová for her steadfast support and cooperation throughout her diplomatic tenure in New Delhi and affirmed CTA’s keenness to remain engaged and seek her continued support as she prepares to assume her next official role.In the afternoon, Sikyong visited the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic at Wallenstein Palace (Valdštejnský palác) for a dedicated parliamentary meeting with Czech lawmakers. The delegation of parliamentarians was led by Senator Jiří Oberfalzer, Vice-President of the Senate, alongside Senator Jiří Růžička, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions; committee members Senator Přemysl Rabas and Senator Břetislav Rychlík; and Deputy Hayato Okamura, Member of the Committee on Human Rights and Petitions in the Chamber of Deputies. The meeting was also attended by Jana Navrátilová from the Senate Chancellery’s International Relations Department.During the in-depth exchange, Sikyong Penpa Tsering specifically urged Czech lawmakers to explicitly incorporate Tibet into upcoming parliamentary resolutions on forced labor, citing documented cases of coerced prison labor and state-sponsored transfer schemes. In response, Czech parliamentarians reaffirmed their cross-party support and expressed keen interest in exploring a dedicated public hearing next year featuring direct witness testimony on Beijing’s human rights violations, assimilation measures, and transnational reach. Evoking the historic bond between Václav Havel and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the dialogue also examined broader geopolitical developments—highlighting how the CTA is consistently requesting world leaders to address human rights and democratic values—while analysing Beijing’s internal economic strains, domestic military reshuffles, and the international spread of its surveillance technologies.Throughout the day’s proceedings, Sikyong was accompanied by Representative Thinlay Chukki and UN Advocacy Officer Phuntsok Topgyal of the Tibet Bureau Geneva, who assisted in coordinating the engagements.