Dharamsala Hosts Asia Regional Meeting of ITSN

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Tibet.net
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Kalon Tripa Samdong Rinpoche (C) speaks during the inaugural session of the three-day ITSN Asia Regional Meeting in Dharamsala, India, on 26 March 2010. Also seen in the picture are Alison Reynold, Executive Director, ITSN (1st L), Kalon Kesang Yankyi Takla, Kalon for the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) (2nd L), Jamyang Dorjee, ITSN Co-chair (2nd R) and Tenzin Phuntsok Atisha, Secretary for International Relations, DIIR /Photos by: Sangey Kyab/TibetNet

Dharamshala: The International Tibet Support Network (ITSN) has convened its Asia Regional Meeting at Gangchen Kyishong, the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, from 26 -28 March.

On the opening session of the conference Kalon Tripa Samdong Rinpoche spoke on current status of relationship between the Central Tibetan Administration and the Chinese leadership and future priorities.

Describing that dialogue with Chinese government as an important and indispensable process, Kalon Tripa reiterated that the Central Tibetan Administration would sincerely and genuinely pursue the contacts. He further elaborated on the development of the relationship with China, as well as numerous Tibetan public involvement in the evolution of Tibetan dialogue process. He especially highlighted the changes noticed in the recent Fifth Tibet Forum.

While speaking on the future priorities, Kalon Tripa reiterated CTA's policy on TSG that is a voluntary entity independent of CTA with freedom to choose its own course of action. The Central Tibetan Administration and His Holiness the Dalai Lama will never interfere in the workings and chalking out programmes of the Tibetan support groups, he said.

Recalling His Holiness' statement that TSG is the Fifth refuge of the Tibetans, Kalon Tripa expressed profound gratitude to the Tibet support groups for their active work, which he said sustains the Tibet movement.

TSG members and observers participate in the ITSN Asia Regional Meeting in Dharamsala

Kalon Tripa pinpointed certain matters of concern and important issues. In the recent times many western governments have become vulnerable to give into Chinese government's more assertive attitude, bordering on arrogance, and pressures for obvious economic reasons. He urged the TSG is to resist the Chinese government bullying not only non-violently, but firmly. Otherwise, it would create difficulty to the Tibet movement and the free movement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama around the world.

Kalon Tripa said that the Tibetan supporters should not become frustrated even if the issue of Tibet has remained unresolved after almost six decades. Instead, they should find ways and means how to sustain and continue the movement, and how to hand over the support movement to the younger generation.

Concluding his update, Kalon Tripa summed that until now the support for Tibet by and large has been based on public sympathy and love for justice. This, he said, is not enough. Now efforts should be made to translate that position into a state where the Tibet issue will become a national interest of the Tibet supporters.

Fifty-two people, including TSG members and observers from 11 different countries, namely Taiwan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Japan, India, South Korea, the US, Australia, Hong Kong, the UK and France are attending the meeting.