DHARAMSHALA, April 9: With an escalating crisis in Tibet, the members of the European Parliament from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) will host a seminar ‘Tears of Tibet’ at the European Parliament in Brussels on 10 April.
According to the ALDE, the conference aims to review EP’s action for a peaceful solution and to discuss how to change the approach and strategy in order to help the Tibetan people. It expressed its belief that the EU should have a stronger role in trying to solve the growing tension in Tibet.
“Tensions between the local Tibetans and the Chinese state have increased since the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese rule in 2008. Up to now we have unfortunately not seen any significant signs that the Chinese state is looking to achieve a genuine peace settlement,” ALDE said.
The seminar will also assess the impacts of Chinese policies on human rights and the environment in Tibet, and the role of Europe Union.
“From the feedback that we have received from different NGOs that represent Tibetan interest, this conference has had an enormous effect and upheld hope for a better future for the Tibetan communities,” ALDE added.
Since 2009, as many as 114 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet calling for freedom in Tibet and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. Ninety-six have died.
Some of the speakers on the event will be MEP Mristiina Ojuland, Kate Saunders, Director of Communications, International Campaign for Tibet; Katia Buffetrille, an ethnologist and Tibetologist; Roy Strider, Estonian writer, human rights and social justice activist and Ngodup Dorjee, the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The group will discuss on various issues such as ‘Storm in the Grasslands: Self-immolations in Tibet and Chinese policy’, ‘Focus on self-immolations and freedom of religion from a human rights perspective’ and ‘Tibet’s environmental issues’ among others.
