Top Tibetan leaders say protests sign of Tibetan resentment against China’s occupation/ENG

2012. március 23./Phayul.com/TibetPress

DHARAMSHALA, March 23: The elected Tibetan leadership today called on China to address the grievances of the Tibetan people saying that the spate of self-immolations and protests inside Tibet are sign of Tibetan resentment against China’s occupation of Tibet.

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay and Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Penpa Tsering were addressing a joint press conference of the Kashag and Parliament in the exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamshala.

“The reasons are very clear,” Dr Sangay said. “The self-immolators and the peaceful Tibetan protesters are showing the resentment against the continuing occupation of Tibet and the repressive policies of the Chinese government.”

As many as 30 Tibetans have torched their bodies since 2009 in Tibet, demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

According to the Central Tibetan Administration, 22 Tibetans have died in the ongoing wave of self-immolation protests, while the condition and whereabouts of other self-immolaters remain serious or are “unknown.”

Calling the United Nation’s assurance to the three Tibetan hunger strikers in New York of sending special rapporteurs to Tibet as an “acknowledgement” of the grim situation inside Tibet, Dr Sangay said such events were indications that the truth of Tibet will prevail.

“After 30 days of major sacrifice on the part of the three hunger strikers in front the UN, officials from the UN visited the three hunger strikers,” Kalon Tripa said. “He assured, both verbally and in writing, that the United Nations will try to send a Special Rapporteur to investigate the actual situation inside Tibet, which we think is the acknowledgement of a very grim situation in Tibet.”

Speaker Penpa Tsering read out the eight-point parliamentary resolution unanimously adopted after extensive deliberations on March 14, the opening day of the ongoing third session of the 15th Tibetan Parliament.

Through the resolution, the Tibetan Parliament expressed its “wholehearted solidarity, deep respect and appreciation” to Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives and continue to suffer for their “self less sacrifice and indomitable courage.”

While blaming China’s “harsh and inhuman repressive measures” for driving Tibetans to self-immolations, the resolution called on the Chinese government to end the “repressive policies” and ensure the basic rights and genuine autonomy for the Tibetans with “immediate effect.”

The Tibetan lawmakers renewed their call for a “neutral, independent international fact-finding delegation to be allowed” inside Tibet while “strongly” appealing to the world leaders to “raise the reality” of the situation inside Tibet with Chinese leaders.

Kalon Tripa reiterated the Kashag’s firm support to the parliamentary resolution.

Coinciding with Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to India later this month, Speaker Penpa Tsering said the Tibetan Parliament will hold a separate press conference.

Yesterday, the parliament convened a daylong unofficial, closed-door meeting to discuss on campaign strategies in view of the ongoing crisis inside Tibet.