The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a special audience to the participants of the eighth Tibet Support Groups (TSG) Conference being held in Dharamshala. His Holiness on Monday thanked everyone voicing their concerns over the cause of Tibet while speaking to 180 representatives of TSGs from 42 countries.
A packed audience comprising of 180 representatives of Tibet Support Groups from 42 countries were greeted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamshala, India. He told that the Tibetan spirit has been undaunted for the last 70 years and their determination will continue. His Holiness thanked all the supporters from every part of the world for their kindness.
“For more than 70 years the spirit of the people in Tibet has been undaunted. Their determination will continue because of their pride in the value of our rich culture. I have been told that, in the face of such determination, some members of the Chinese leadership have begun to admit that their policy has been misplaced and that there is a need for a more realistic approach. Voices of concern from other parts of the world are helpful at such a juncture. On behalf of the six million Tibetans I’d like to thank you for your kindness and support.” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama according to the official report of his office.
The Tibetan spiritual leader has also explained during the meet that he has been told that Chinese documents from the Tang dynasty refer to Tibet, China and Mongolia as independent states. He added that there are no historical references in such documents to Tibet being part of China.
The report added that he remarked how impressed has been by the spirit of the European Union and can envisage Tibet’s being part of a such a union with China. He said that to insist on Tibetan independence would entail only what’s called Outer Tibet, which would involve just two million Tibetans. If, on the other hand, all the various Tibetan regions could be brought together, since the Chinese constitution recognises the autonomy of such regions and their right to preserve their Tibetan culture, 6-7 million Tibetans would be involved.
The 8th International Tibet Support Groups Conference is being held between November 3 – 5, 2019 at the seat of Central Tibetan Administration. The conference will be deliberating on galvanising global Tibet advocacy according to the official report by CTA.