Tibetan Parlimentary & Policy Research Centre

 

Photos of the Governing Council members taken during the 37^th G.C. Meeting of TPPRC held in New Delhi on 13 January, 2012.

New Delhi, 7 January, 2012: The Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre successfully organised the 8^th School Student Workshop: Introducing the Tibetan Democracy and Situation of Tibet in two phases. The first phase was held at the Lower Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala from 26 December 2011 to 1 January 2012 and the second in Delhi from 1 to 4 January, 2012. The workshop is organised every year to impart a practical education to the class XI students enrolled in Tibetan schools across India and Nepal. This time there were 88 participants in total comprising of 74 students and 14 teachers from 16 different schools.

In the first phase, the students were introduced about the functioning of the Tibetan democracy in Exile and situation of Tibet. The students were made thoroughly understand the structure and workings of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan NGOs; the achievements, challenges and future prospects of the three pillars of the Tibetan democracy; and informed them about the current Tibetan political situation and human rights situation inside Tibet.

New Delhi, 23 November, 2011: “There is a new movement for the freedom of basic rights world over, particularly in the Arab countries. Tibetan people are struggling for the similar rights in Tibet too and the increasing number of self immolation by young Tibetans in Tibet is a response to the Chinese repression in Tibet. No other movement has ever matched the upsurge of the Tibetan people. People of the world and especially India need to come up against the gross violations of human rights in Tibet,” said Shri Yashwant Sinha, Convener of the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT). He was speaking at the meeting of APIPFT members and members of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) at Hotel Claridges in New Delhi on 22 November.

Besides contingent of 21 TPiE members headed by the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, Shri Mohan Singh (SP), Shri Jayant Chaudhary (RLD), Mr. Thokchom Meinya (Congress), Mr. Joseph Toppo (AGP), Mr. Hassan Khan (INDP Alliance with NC), Mr. P.D. Rai (SDF), Mr. Thomas A. Sangma (NCP) along with Delhi based Representative of H.H the Dalai Lama and Indian and foreign scholars were present in the meeting.

Shri Sinha in his speech said, under the ever tightening repressive policy of China in Tibet, Tibetans are left with no option but to protest Chinese Government in a desperate act of self immolation. The world community must stand up to the facts of what is going on there in Tibet.

“We Indians have not lived up to the expectation of the Tibetan people” he acknowledged and said “it is still not late to act now.”

New Delhi, 22 November, 2011: TPPRC organised a three day orientation and brain storming conclave of the Tibetan parliamentarians at Rajhans hotel, Suraj Kund, Haryana, India from 18 to 21 November. The conclave was an informal meeting of the Tibetan parliamentarians to identify the areas to be focused and chart out the action plan accordingly.

In order to make it a meaningful conclave, it had been ensured that at least five members from each Cholkas and one from each religious constituent present in the meet. Total 21 members of TPiE participated in the conclave this time and majority of them were first time elected.

TPPRC Executive Director Mr. Choekyong Wangchuk initiated the proceeding of the conclave by welcoming all the participants and introduced the program in detail. In the opening remarks, Speaker Mr. Penpa Tsering briefed the gathering about previous conclaves held in year 2008 and 2009. He further made the TPiE members clear about the topics on which they were going to discuss.

FNF South Asia Regional Director Mr. Siegfried Herzog, who was especially invited to the opening function, spoke about the complexity of existing political system where system of democratic governance had been proven to be the best in the last 2500 years. “Such meet is an important step in strengthening democracy in exile Tibetan community and therefore the members should look forward in formulating practicable steps to uplift the community as a whole”, he said. On behalf of FNF, Mr. Herzog assured continuous support and cooperation in future.

New Delhi, 22 October, 2011: In solidarity with the recent incidents of self-immolations in and around Kirti Monastery, Ngaba County, Sichuan Province, Tibet; Tibetan Parliament in exile launched Tibetan Solidarity Movement on 12 October.

On 13 October, a delegation of TPiE members led by Speaker, Mr. Penpa Tsering and Deputy Speaker, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel lobbied Indian Government officials, political party leaders and 17 foreign embassies based in New Delhi, India.

Tibetan Solidarity Movement’s Call for Action:

1. Strongly urge the People’s Republic of China to respect the fundamental right of the Tibetans to freely practice their religion. 2. Strongly urge People’s Republic of China to review its existing policies in Tibet in order to have a truly harmonious society. 3. Appeal to International governments and the United Nations to call on China to genuinely uphold the international human rights standards. 4. Call on China to allow international independent fact-finding delegations and media to visit Tibet and in particular Kirti Monastery. 5. Call on China to completely withdraw Chinese military presence from the Kirti Monastery. Call on China to clarify the condition and whereabouts of Lobsang Kalsang(age18), Lobsang Konchok (19), Kelsang Wangchuk(17) and Norbu Damdul (19).

TPiE led a four day mass solidarity movement on 18^th October with a 24 hr fast by 35 members of Tibetan Parliament in exile. More than 1000 monks and nuns joined the fast and led a prayer sessions throughout the day. Several Indian supporters also joined the fast and expressed their solidarity with the movement. Former MP and Tibet supporter Kiran Rijiju reiterated his commitment in working for Tibet and said that it was in India’s interest to resolve the Tibet issue.

At 3.00 pm, TPIE Speaker, Mr. Penpa Tsering held a press conference attended by scores of media persons. News reporters of the following media were present at the conference: AFP, Reuters, German Radio Network, Spanish News Agency, Wall Street Journal, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, The Asian Age, Tribune, UCA news, Amar Ujala. In addition reporters from Tibetan media were also present there.

19 October, 9.00 am, the Tibetans who came to participate in the movements from the different corners of India and Nepal gathered at Rajghat and took part in the inter-faith prayer for Tibet wherein religious leaders from seven different faiths: Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism, Islam, Hindu and Bahai were present. More than 1500 Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns led the mass rally of above 3000 Tibetans from Rajghat to Jantar Mantar.