Tibet is not a part of China but Middle Way remains a viable solution: CTA

NationalDefence Bureau,

New Delhi, 17 December 2016

The Central Tibetan Administration Saturday launched a report titled 'Tibet is Not a Part of China but Middle Way Remains a Viable Solution.' The flagship report which is CTA's comprehensive report on the situation inside Tibet under Chinese occupation was published Saturday in three languages- Tibetan, English and Chinese.

Along with Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, former diplomat and MP, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar attended the release of the report held at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, on December 17, 2016, according to the Tibetan administration media.

Chinese colonialism on Tibet referred to as roof of the world, has been the biggest disaster the Tibetan people had to confront in thousands of years of its history. The occupation caused not only widespread dismay and disappointment for the Tibetan people but also led to a massive destruction of its culture, religion and language as a result of the failed policies adopted by the government.

However, despite more than fifty years of Chinese brutality and repression, the fact remains that China has failed in its attempt at capturing the heart and soul of Tibet. This is evidenced through the peaceful protests that the Tibetan people have continued to stage over the years particularly the wave of self-immolation protests that have rocked Tibet since 2009.

These evidences point to the fact that contrary to what the Chinese government claims, Tibet is far from the socialist paradise that they have promised and remains one of the most repressed places in the world plagued by a series of unjust policies.

Piqued by these protests and the violent reactions reciprocated by the Chinese government, Tibet has once again began to capture the imagination of the world with its non-violent movement and its realistic Middle Way Approach to resolve the issue.

To buttress its point and to quench the increasing international demand for concise information on the key points of the Tibet issue, the Central Tibetan Administration today released a comprehensive report titled 'Tibet is Not a Part of China but Middle Way Remains a Viable Solution'.

book launch at constitution club of india

The 107-page report directly addresses the many areas of concern, in particular the fundamental question on the historical status of Tibet, the reincarnation issue with regard to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the deteriorating environmental situation of the Tibetan plateau and repression masquerading as urbanisation and economic development inside Tibet.

The report also profoundly illustrates the Central Tibetan Administration's flagship policy—the Middle Way Approach (MWA) to resolve the issue of Tibet amicably with China.

The report, described as readable, and brutally informative and poignant at the same time, is CTA's latest attempt to correctly inform the real situation inside Tibet to the world after a gap of at least 7 years. The last comprehensive report on Tibet 'Proving Truth from Facts' was published in 2009 by DIIR.

a tibetan audience

"As far as the Chinese government is concerned, truth has always been a malleable entity, subverting and twisting at will to suit its agenda. However, this report promises to stick to the truth in its most authentic form and tear China's pathological obsession with control of information," Ms Dhardon Sharling, Information Secretary of DIIR said.

"The report vividly documents the unfolding disastrous consequences of China's atrocities in Tibet and the Central Tibetan Administration's repeated attempts to ameliorate the situation through dialogue," she added.

The report also features some bold proclamations and expose the jarring contrast between the Tibet of Chinese propaganda and the Tibet which continues to remain – at least in the popular imagination – a separate entity distinct from what the Chinese government attempts to portray.

claude arpi

Lauding the CTA for its earnest efforts, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar said, "The Tibetan proposal to resolve the Tibet issue conforms closely with India's own efforts to resolve its border disputes with China. Nehru's vision was in complete harmony with the current approaches proposed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama," he said.

He also encouraged the Tibetans to continue their efforts and said that he remains hopeful and optimistic for a quick resolution of the Tibet issue.

"It is easier to be a pessimist than an optimist but the fact that there is dialogue, it gives the Tibetan movement a measure of stability and progress," he remarked.

He further added that India and Tibet know China is not easy to deal with. "However, our efforts also lets China know that Tibet and India are also not easy foes either. Empty military threats doesn't work anymore," he said.

To emphasise this particular strain of truth, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, said at the release of the report on Saturday: "China has time and again made every effort to create a pristine image of Tibet that is out of touch with reality. Soon after its formation in 1949, the People's Republic of China occupied Tibet under the guise of 'liberation.' Since then, people inside Tibet have expressed their deep resistance against China's Tibet policies through numerous peaceful protests."

"It is quite clear that issues such as the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the degradation of Tibet's ecosystem, the rapid urbanization of Tibetan rural areas have a direct impact on the world at large. Therefore we are releasing this publication in three languages to present the current situation inside Tibet under the Chinese rule and share our position on these issues in order to draw international attention and generate public discourse on the best way forward to resolving the issue of Tibet, that is through the Middle Way Approach," he added.

Ms Jaya Jaitly, recalled the time when George Fernandes, former defense minister of India and a staunch Tibet supporter, organised the first international conference on Tibet in August 1989. "Though I would like India to open its door to Tibetans, I hope your own country will open its door for you first," she said.

The comprehensive report on Tibet received enthusiastic reception from the audience present, which included Tibetologists, researchers, politicians, scholars and journalists.

"The report, particularly the spirit in which it is compiled, is startlingly relevant today and is bound to draw the attention of the world towards the occupation of Tibet and the Tibetan administration's repeated efforts to resolve the issue," Lobsang Yangtso, PHD, JNU, said at the release.

"The non-violent and peaceful approach of reconciliation with Tibet's invaders by the Tibetan people based on the middle way approach is exemplary and illuminating." she added.