Tibetan government-in-exile hails India as a good choice for refuge

Dharamsala, June 20 (ANI): On the occasion of World Refugee Day, the Tibetan government-in-exile's spokesperson, Thubten Samphel, on Sunday said they have been lucky to choose India as a country of refuge.

Samphel also said that Tibetan children are getting a good quality of education, which is very important to enhance the future of Tibetan society.

"The Central Tibetan administration is manned by children or the products of Tibetan schools. So, in this way, we feel that we have been lucky in the choice of our country of refuge, which is India," Samphel said.

He further said Tibetan citizens have enjoyed equal rights as Indian citizens.

"Though, we are registered refugees, we enjoy all the rights enjoyed by any other citizen except to, of course, the right to vote in the Indian general elections," Samphel said.

Samphel also said the Indian Government and the people have been very kind and helpful to Tibetan society.

Tibetans came to India in 1959 after Chinese troops occupied the country in the 1950's.

An estimated 134,000 Tibetans live in exile, a majority of them in India and Nepal. (ANI)