Tibetans hail Uzra Zeya as US coordinator

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala December 21

Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) welcomed the appointment of Under Secretary Uzra Zeya as the new US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues by Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday.

During a press briefing this afternoon, Tsering extended congratulations to Uzra Zeya adding that her appointment was welcomed by the Tibetans around the world, including the Tibetans inside Tibet.

“We look forward to working with the Special Coordinator for Tibet in her new capacity,” the Sikyong said in his keynote address.

The appointment of a new US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues comes within a year after the Biden administration assumed office in January.

The Sikyong also extended gratitude to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for swiftly appointing a new Special Coordinator for Tibet. Uzra Zeya belongs to an immigrant family. Her parents immigrated from Bihar to the US decades ago.

The new US Special Coordinator for Tibet has a long record of service as a diplomat in the US Foreign Service. Between a brief period of 2019-2021, Uzra Zeya has also served as the President of the Alliance for Peace building. Apart from that, she was also involved in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour as the principal deputy assistant secretary.

“In the light of her service as an American diplomat in various capacities, we are aware of her commitments to the defence of human rights and freedom all around the world,” said the Sikyong.

“We have shared values between the Tibetans and the US and the latter has played a vital role politically to support the resolve of Sino-Tibetan conflict,” he said.

Equally extending his gratitude to the Indian government, he acknowledged the support extended by it during the initial period of exiled Tibetans and the continued support received by the Tibetans even now.

“We owe our existence and the continuity of the struggle to the government and politically more so to the US government,” Sikyong said.

In the past, Sikyong had worked with Sarah Sewall, who served as the Special Coordinator between 2014-2017 during President Obama’s administration.

Uzra Zeya is the seventh US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.