According to a November 20 report by Voice of Tibet in Norway, in order to have a comprehensive and extensive discussion on Tibet’s future in the special meeting, the Tibetan parliament-in-exile had been collecting feedback from 17,000 Tibetans since mid October to November 13 and over 8,000 indicated that they were willing to follow the lead of Tibet’s political and religious leader, the Dalai Lama.
A Proposal with Five Suggestions
The proposal was posted on the website of the famous Tibetan author, Woeser, www.woeser.middle-way.net.
The proposal stated that as Tibetans in China, after serious and careful deliberation and discussion, they had proposed five suggestions to the special meeting, and hoped that the special meeting will take their suggestions into consideration.
The five suggestions include the followings:
1.) Strongly urge China’s central government to stop demonizing or slandering Dali Lama. Dali Lama is the spiritual leader and vajra master whom all Tibetans revere. Any insult to or demonization of Dali Lama’s character or spirit is an insult to all Tibetan’s character and spiritual belief.
2.) Strongly oppose China’s currently launching a widespread propaganda campaign in Tibet aiming to criticize Dali Lama’s team.
3.) Strongly call for China’s central government to release those who were implicated in the March 14 incident, to make an open apology and give them compensation, to make the truth available to the public, and to grand media’s interview.
4.) Strongly demand freedom of speech in Tibet.
5.) Call on all Tibetans to continue to persist in supporting the Dalai Lama’s proposal of maintain “peace and nonviolence” when negotiating with the central government.
The ultimate goal is to realize Tibetan’s right to self-government in the area of politic, economy, culture and language, which have been stipulated in the Chinese law and regulations.
Tibet’s Future Should Be Decided by Tibetans
After many fruitless negotiations with the communist regime, over 500 Tibetan exile activists held the special meeting according to the suggestion of the Dalai Lama. In the meeting, younger generations believe Tibet should declare its independence, while older generation think it is more appropriate to follow the Dalai Lama’s neutral strategy.
Before this, the Dalai Lama has emphasized in many occasions that what he want is not the independence of Tibet, but the real self-governing of Tibet under current China’s political framework, in order to protect the unique language, religion and culture of Tibet.
The Dalai Lama admitted that his neutral strategy had failed, in late October, that he had lost faith in negotiations with Beijing, and that he hoped Tibet’s future could be decided by Tibetans.
