Geneva: During a three-day session that concluded on Friday, 27 April, the Liechtenstein Parliament adopted a resolution on Tibet, despite the Chinese government's solemn representation.

Ms. Josy Biedermann of Progressive People’s Party
According to Article 35 of the House rules of procedure, three members representing all the three political parties viz. Ms. Josy Biedermann of Progressive People’s Party, Mr. Harry Quaderer of Patriotic Union and Ms. Andrea Matt of Free List submitted a joint motion on Tibe to the parliament on 2 April.

On 25 April, Mr. Harry Quaderer, on behalf of other two colleagues, introduced the motion in the parliament and subsequently adopted by vote with support of 18 (eighteen) members of parliament, 6 (six) against and 1 (one) abstention.

The resolution "expresses its solidarity with the European Parliament on Tibet Resolution adopted on 15 February 2007. It further urges the "Government of People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama to resume and continue the dialogue despite their differences on certain substantive issues without preconditions and in a forward-looking manner that allows for pragmatic solutions which is in accord with wishes of the People's Republic of China’s territorial integrity and takes into account the aspirations of Tibetan people."

While welcoming the laws and regulations of regional ethnic autonomy passed by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, it expresses concerns that many of these laws contain conditions that impede and interfere with their implementation."

The resolution also "instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President, Government and the Parliament of People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama through the Government of the Principality."

This is Liechtenstein Parliament’s second resolution on Tibet since June 1996.

The Liechtenstein Parliament consists of 25 members, who meet eight to ten times each year, for a duration of one to three days.

In the elections of March 2005, the Progressive People’s Party (Fortschrittliche Bürgerpartei, FBP) won 12 seats, the Patriotic Union (Vaterländische Union, VU) 10 seats, and the Free List (Freie Liste, FL) 3 seats. Mr. Klaus Wanger from Progressive People’s Party is the President of Parliament of the Principality of Liechtenstein.


(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)