Tibetan Communities

There are around 60 Tibetans living in Auckland, Wangarei, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Despite their small numbers, Tibetans have formed Tibetan communities in Auckland, Wangarei, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Most of the Tibetans in New Zealand are teachers and translators in the various Tibetan Buddhist centres.

Government position

The New Zealand Government recognizes Tibet as part of China and has very close economic and trade relations with China. It signed free trade agreement with China in 2008. New Zealand Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers have not met His Holiness the Dalai Lama since many years. However, ministers regularly continues to ask about the whereabouts of Panchen Lama and urge China to negotiate to find a peaceful solution to Tibet.

Parliament

New Zealand Parliamentary Lobby Group for Tibet has been set up since many years and works closely with the Friends of Tibet, New Zealand.

The Office of Tibet

Tibetans in New Zealand come under the jurisdiction of The Office of Tibet in Canberra, Australia
w: TibetOffice.com.au