Dharamshala April 1 – A 3-member delegation of the newly formed South African Parliamentary group for Tibet is on a visit to Dharamshala. The group, according to the Voice of Tibet based here, is visiting the hilltown headquarters of the exile Tibetan government to gain a firsthand experience of the Tibetan community and its administrative system.
Addressing a press conference yesterday at the Lhakpa Tsering memorial hall, the delegation said that their visit to Dharamshala faced a strong criticism from the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria. According to the delegation, the Chinese embassy in Pretoria had expressed their objection to the visit to the speaker of the South African parliament. The delegation said that it is undemocratic saying that an embassy should not be interfering in a South African legislators visiting other countries and supporting a particular stand.
The delegation which called on His Holiness the Dalai Lama yesterday said that they support the middle way approach of resolving the issue of Tibet. It said that the South African Parliamentary group for Tibet will work towards improving human rights situation in Tibet and elimination of cultural genocide in Tibet. The delegation called its visit to Dharamshala ‘a visit of hope’.
The delegation told reporters here that it would give an update to the South African parliament of its visit to Dharamshala to create more awareness about the Tibet issue and its current developments.
The delegation toured institutions and organisations in Dharamshala. It also witnessed the inaugural day of the opera festival Shoton.
