Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon
Phayul Special Correspondent
Zurich, 12 April – The First European Tibetan Youth Parliament (ETYP) supported the continuation of Sino-Tibetan Dialogue on the preconditions that a third party be involved as an observer, that the talks be held outside the People’s Republic of China and that the Chinese authorities “acknowledge that there is a Tibetan Issue.”
The ETYP which concluded yesterday presented a three-page resolution to the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. The ETYP resolution called for “the introduction of an upper and lower house” with election to the lower house being based on “political parties, population and residency”
The resolution also called for the abolition of “dual voting right” for the clergy and “removal of reserved seats” for the religious traditions of Tibet.
The resolution highlighting the specific topics discussed by the participants said on secularization: “The First ETYP … supports the secularisation process in the Tibetan society but with regard to the political situation in Tibet, we
Tibetans have to retain the importance of religion in our society in order to preserve our cultural identity.”
Urging the Tibetan Government in Exile to avoid “nepotism” in the recruitment of employees, the ETYP requested Dharamsala to establish “youth internship program for office of Tibet in Europe” so as to improve the cooperation with Tibetan youths.
More than 160 participants from 11 countries in Europe also supported the plan of organising the Second European Tibetan Youth Parliament in two years time for which planning will begin next month.
Visit www.we-are-tibet.org to read the full text of the ETYP resolution.
The First European Tibetan Youth Parliament was an initiative of Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE) to mark its 40th Anniversary.
