By Wasfia Nazreen
Dharamsala, March 12 – On a Press conference held on March 10th, the visiting members of All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum on Tibet (APIPFT) delegation extended solidarity and ultimate support for the cause and rights of Tibetans. They expressed that it is a well-established stand that India must support the movement and approach initiated and led by His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama under any circumstances.
Tibet being a ‘buffer-state,’ it is both to the interest of India and China that a peaceful resolution is reached at the earliest. APIPFT strongly supports the dialogue between the Chinese Government and the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the hope that both parties will be willing to address in good faith substantive issues in order to find pragmatic solutions. This can contribute to a peaceful and sustainable settlement for Tibet that both sides agree upon. Dalai Lama’s consistent statement that he is not seeking independence but a genuine devolved autonomy for Tibet was highlighted. Also stressing on the fact that autonomy should be genuine autonomy where full rights are given, the following were stated by APIPFT:
- Urges the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama to continue and resume, not withstanding their differences on certain substantive issues, the dialogue without preconditions and in a forward-looking manner that allows for pragmatic solutions that respect the territorial integrity of China and fulfils the aspirations of the Tibetan people for a unified and genuinely devolved autonomous Tibet;
- Welcomes the laws and regulations on regional ethnic autonomy adopted by the government of the People’s Republic of China, but is concerned that many of these laws contain conditions that impede or undermine their implementation;
- Calls on the Government of India to actively support the strengthening of the dialogue and, in the absence of tangible results on substantive issues and in consultation with both parties, assess what further role the Indian Government can play to facilitate a negotiated solution for Tibet;
- Calls on the Government of India to raise the question of Tibet and the resumption of talks between the two sides during bilateral and multilateral meetings between India and China;
- Calls on the Government of India to adopt a Declaration elaborating the manner by which the government of India could facilitate progress towards a peaceful and negotiated solution for Tibet;
- Calls on the Government of India to collaborate with other governments to further the dialogue between the government of the People’s Republic of China and His Holiness the Dalai Lama;
- Calls on the members of the APIPFT to launch a signature in the Indian Parliament in support of this resolution;
- Instructs the Convenor of the APIPFT to forward this resolution to the Government of India, the President and Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The conference was concluded by giving sincere thanks to H.H. the Dalai Lama, the Prime Minister and other Members of the Parliament for giving APIPFT an opportunity to gain awareness since most of the members of the Indian Parliament has very little knowledge on the real issue of Tibet. This visit by APIPFT to Dharamsala, headquarter of the Tibetan Government in Exile, consisted of a twelve member delegation, representing eight different political parties. Effort is currently being made so more member of the Indian Parliament joins the forum in the future for India’s own interest. As much as India’s relationship with China is peaceful, they can be truly called ‘trusted friends’ only once Tibet issue is resolved. It was also reassured that currently negotiations are being made so that H.H. the Dalai Lama may be welcomed to address both the houses of the Indian Parliament in the coming future.
