Dharamshala — The political leader of Tibetan people, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay Friday congratulated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, who has been unanimously selected in a straw poll by the UN Security Council as the next UN Secretary-General.
In his letter, Sikyong said: " I, on behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration, heartily congratulate you for being elected as the next UN Secretary-General."
"The UN is the leader of universal peace and the promotion of international cooperation for a better future. Being elected as its Secretary-General is a huge responsibility, especially in the face of the crisis that is currently prevalent in the world."
"As the former head of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we admired your persistent appeal to the international community to uplift the prospects of the downtrodden. Your leadership, particularly over the refugee crisis as a fallout of the conflict in Syria, has touched the conscience of the entire humanity."
"I wish you all the best in your new responsibility and hope that you will carry forward your reputation as a spokesperson of the oppressed and downtrodden. In this regard, I trust you will raise your voice on the issue of Tibet and steer the United Nations towards a peaceful resolution of Tibet issue," Sikyong wrote.
Mr Guterres, 67, was a former head of UNHCR. He was elected to the UN top job following a straw poll held on 5 October in the UN Security Council.
Guterres, who served Portugal as prime minister from 1995 to 2002, is also know as a 'tireless champion' of migrants: A fervent Catholic, he is known to have fought unflaggingly for migrants' rights over a decade as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.
He had repeatedly warned that millions of refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere would turn to Europe if nations like Turkey and Jordan did not receive more help to cope with their refugee populations. Wealthy countries had to take in more, he exhorted.
Guterres, has emerged from six rounds of secret voting and is expected to win in the final formal vote set to take place on Thursday morning by acclamation. UN's current Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's term expires on Dec. 31 this year. Mr Ban has served two terms as UN Secretary General following his election in 2007.
The United Nations has passed three resolutions on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and 1965, voicing "grave concern at the continued violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Tibetans" and calling for "respect of the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people and for their distinctive cultural and religious life."
On October 6, 2016, the UN Security Council approved the resolution with recommendation for the UN General Assembly to appoint candidate from Portugal Antonio Guterres to the post of UN Secretary General.
Tibet was invaded by Communist China, starting in 1949, Beijing calls a "peaceful liberation". Since that time, over 1.2 million out of 6 Tibetans have been killed, over 6000 monasteries have been destroyed— the acts of murder, rape and arbitrary imprisonment, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment were inflicted on the Tibetans inside Tibet. There are now more than 150,000 Tibetan refugees all over the world.
