Dharamsala, June 20 – The National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT)and other Tibetan organisations here have urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to take up the Tibet issue with China during his forthcoming visit to that country.
NDPT president Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok said last night that unless and until the issue of Tibet was resolved the chances of harmonious relations between India and China were far and distant.For the establishment of peace and tranquility in South Asia, the Prime Minister must also focus on Tibet during his talks with the Chinese leadership, he said.
While referring to the alleged Chinese supression of those staying in Tibet, he said Mr.Vajpayee must also focus on the denial of basic human rights to the Tibetans in their own country. The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest Tibetan NGO with over 30,000 members in 70 regional centres in India, also made a similar appeal to the Prime Minister.
TYC president Kalsang Phuntsok Godrukpa in a statement said India always believed in the principles of justice, humanity and freedom, so the Prime Minister must focus on the Tibetan issue.
Mr Godrukpa said China had no right to supress the non-violent freedom struggle of the Tibetans. ”We also do not endorse Beijing’s policy to restrict the freedom of our spiritual head, the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refuges living in India,”the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Bharat-Tibet Shayog Manch has threatened to stage a protest outside Parliament before Mr Vajpayee leaves for China on June 22. The national convenor of the Manch, Mr Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri, said the protest would be to remind the Prime Minister not forget the issue of Tibet during his talks in Beijing.
Mr Agnihotri said now when the world opinion was in favour of Tibet, the Prime Minister must take up the issue of Tibet with China.
