DHARAMSHALA, March 22: The 15th Tibetan Parliament in Exile today concluded its seventh session during which the budget of Tibetan government in exile for the fiscal year of 2014-2015 was discussed.
Tibetan lawmakers, on the last day of the current session, passed a budget of INR 189,26,55,572 (One hundred and eighty nine crore twenty six lakh fifty five thousand five hundred and seventy two).
In his closing address, Speaker Penpa Tsering expressed hope in the Tibetan cabinet headed by Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay to to resume stalled dialogue with China.
Nine rounds of talks took place between the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and People’s Republic of China since 2002. However, in 2012 the two special envoys resigned citing the deteriorating situation inside Tibet and their “utter frustration” over the lack of positive response from China.
Speaker Tsering also emphasized the need to follow Dalai Lama’s advice to work for the well being of Tibetan people inside Tibet and those in exile. “As per His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advice to work for Tibetan people’s cause, we have unanimously passed resolutions and it is important to work to serve the people in the future.”
The lawmakers also thanked the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of all the Tibetan Parliament for inaugurating and performing the consecration rituals for the newly constructed Tibetan Parliament building.
A minute’s silence was also observed in the Parliament to pay respect to Lobsang Palden, a Tibetan monk of Kirti Monastery who died after setting himself ablaze in Ngaba on March 16.
Since 2009, 129 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet to protest against China’s occupation of Tibet and its hard-line policies and calling for the return of the exiled Tibetan leader to Tibet.
“When Tibetans inside Tibet can sacrifice their lives for Tibet’s cause, it is Tibetans living in exile’s responsibility to inform the world of their messages and aspirations and garner support,” said the speaker.
