Tibetan Youth meet in Europe concludes, calls for 'promoting and strengthening closer cooperation'/ENG

2012. április 8./Phayul.com/TibetPress

By Tenam
Phayul Contributor

Einsiedeln, April 8: The Second European Tibetan Youth Parliament (ETYP) under the slogan 'We take Action' brought together more than 120 youth activists from nine European countries for a two-day intensive discussion "to promote and strengthen closer cooperation among young Tibetans in Europe and to work out concrete measures focused on crucial topics to ensure the continuity of these endeavours."

The ETYP which concluded today called on to highlight the centenary of the Declaration of Independence by the XIIIth Dalai Lama. "To emphasize this historic event a mass rally will be held centrally and locally at the same time on the 13th February 2013 to kick off a campaign on this issue.

The resolution while emphasising the opportunity that the leadership change in China later this year presents to the Tibetan activists emphasised "the importance to create an impact on their future policy by both creating external pressure & working towards an internal change".

The Parliament also underlined the importance of Chinese outreach programmes as a long-term goal of the Tibetan movement.

"The event took place during a period of extraordinary hardship for the Tibetan people. Recent reports of Tibetans setting themselves on fire inside as well as outside of Tibet had greatly moved all participants of the ETYP. These inconceivable acts of protest made it evident how unbearable and inhumane life under Chinese rule must be for Tibetans inside Tibet. At the same time, news of continued protests in various Tibetan regions encouraged the participants to continue their struggle for the betterment of the situation in Tibet," added the final declaration of the Parliament.

The second edition of the Youth Parliament, an initiative of Tibetan Youth Association of Europe promised to change the venue of next youth meet, probably in Brussels.