Crucial meeting of Tibetans on Tibet issue begins

Dharamsala, Nov 17 (UNI) The crucial meeting of gross root level Tibetan leaders began here today to discuss the future course of action to advance the Tibetan cause in view of China's unchanging policy towards Tibet.

More than 600 delegates from all over the world, attending the six-day long meeting, described the meeting as a step in right direction for resolution of the vexed Tibetan issue.

The meeting started with singing of Tibetan national anthem followed by paying of tributes to the Tibetans who were killed by the Chinese forces in Tibet this year .

Prof Samdong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister in Tibetan Government-in exile, who presided the first session of the meeting, told UNI that the basic agenda of the meeting was to review the situation of Tibet in view this year's uprising inside Tibet, the international support to Tibet cause and also the attitude of the People's Republic of China towards Tibet.

"We shall have to review the whole situation and then the people would find some specific agenda to pursue in the future", he said.

He said that Tibetan Temporal head, the Dalai Lama would not be attending the meeting as he had already put his point of view before Tibetans three days before. The Dalai Lama will not personally participate.

Prof Rinpoche said, " Whatever be the outcome (in the meeting), may be, that will be the peoples mandate and I have full confidence on the wisdom of the gross root level people, and they will find some amicable ways to pursue our ways".

Regarding the luke warm attitude of the PRC towards the demand of autonomy of Tibet, he said that it would not be directly discussed in the meeting as it was not the part of the agenda of the meeting.

However, this would come up as a current topic the community was facing.

Switzerland-based Tendon Dahortsang, President of Tibetan Youth Association in Europe, said that the TYAE stood for independent Tibet and described the meeting as the first step in right direction.

She said the Tibetan youth supported free and independent Tibet and were fighting for the same.

UNI XC VKJ VN2015