By Tenzin Tsering
Dharamsala, July 15 – The Tibetan Parliament in exile yesterday congratulated the newly elected British Prime minister David Cameron and his government.
In a press release issued by the Tibetan Parliament in exile here, it expressed its “sincere thanks and supportive response” on behalf of all the Tibetans to the the new British government.
England’s newly elected Prime Minister Cameron has said in a response to the Tibetan parliament’s felicitaion, “This Government will continue to urge the Chinese to make progress towards meaningful autonomy for Tibet. We will continue to impress upon the Chinese the importance of substantive dialogue with the Tibetan representatives in good faith. This is the only way to bring about a lasting and peaceful solution to the problems in Tibet.”
Cameron stated that his government considers that underlying issues can only be
resolved through meaningful dialogue between the Dalai Lama’s representatives and the Chinese authorities. “Our interest is in long term stability, which can only achieved through respect for human rights and greater autonomy for the Tibetans.”
The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague who is currently on his maiden official visit to China had raised the Tibetan issue under UK’s “long standing human rights concerns.”
At press conference with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi today, Hague said, “We want to see long-term stability for Tibet, which in our view implies work on human rights and greater autonomy.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday asked countries not to provide stage for “Tibetan separatists, saying Tibet-related issues are purely China’s internal affairs.
Yang also called on China and Britain to properly handle their differences, and work together in tackling global and regional challenges.
China accuses the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the exile Tibetans of “seperatism” and called the Tibetan leader a “wolf in monk’s robes”. The Tibetan leader and the exile Tibetan government deny the allegations saying they are only seeking a genuine autonomy for Tibet as enshrined in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China.
Nine rounds of talks between Dalai Lama’s envoys and Beijing since 2002 failed to produce any results.
China insists doors for talks are still open but categorically rejected all the proposals in the “Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People” and the “Note on the Memorandum” submitted by the Tibetan envoys during the eighth and ninth rounds of talks respectively.
Calling the memorandum an “agenda of independence”, the Chinese side has upped its usual anti-Dalai Lama rhetoric.
Tibetan side maintains China has rejected the proposal without providing any “legal and rational explanations”, and claims that the articles of the proposed memorandum were prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the PRC and its laws on National Regional Autonomy.
