By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Nov 9: The Cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration held its 5th strategy committee meeting on Wednesday in Dharamshala. This three-day bi-annual meeting serves as a follow-up to the measures outlined in previous meetings and includes discussions on the progress of ongoing strategic programs and future advocacy initiatives in line with the committee’s objectives.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering chaired the meeting, the participants of the meeting include former Kalon Tempa Tsering, former Kalon Dongchung Ngodup, and former envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen. Also present were Kalon Dolma Gyari (Department of Security), Kalon Norzin Dolma (Department of Information and International Relations), Secretary Karma Rinchen (Department of Security), Secretary Karma Choeying (Department of Information and International Relations), Secretary Dawa Tsering of the Tibet Policy Institute (TPI), political secretary Tashi Gyatso of Kashag Secretariat, and Secretary Ngaba Tsegyam of Gaden Phodrang office.
Secretary Choeying of the Information and International Relations wing of CTA addressed reporters, “In addition to reviewing and discussing the strategic programs, this meeting will deliberate on the prevailing situation in Tibet concerning China’s colonial boarding school and the mass DNA collection, the changing political landscape of China vis-a-vis its influence in the global community.” He also noted that the committee would discuss official meetings held between Sikyong and global leaders, lawmakers, and intellectuals this year.
The Permanent Strategy Committee was established by the Kashag in August 2021 after the dissolution of the previous Task Force on Sino-Tibetan Negotiations. After the establishment, the Committee held its first meeting in November 2021, followed by the second meeting in July 2022, the third meeting in November 2022, and the fourth meeting in April 2023.
The previous task force on Sino-Tibet dialogue was formed in 1999 to gauge and devise strategies to bring Beijing to the discussion table to resolve the Tibetan issue. The previous task force has been convened 32 times with the last one held in December 2019 during the tenure of the former Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay.
Despite nine rounds of talks between the representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and representatives of Beijing since 2002, China has rejected the Middle Way Approach, the official stance of the exiled Tibetan government, that seeks genuine autonomy under the framework of the Chinese constitution.
