PM attention drawn to accord ‘lasting’ solution to Tibet issue

NEW DELHI, Sep 18: The Tibet Support Group, Arunachal Pradesh and all political parties of the State have drawn the attention of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tibet issue, urging him to move the govt of China for bringing about upbeat atmosphere in Tibet.
A delegation of Tibet Support Group, AP and all political parties led by TSG president Tacho Kabak called on the Prime Minister at his office here yesterday and submitted a memorandum to the dignitary.
Stating that India spends astronomical amount on defending the coastal areas, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders as well borders with “pro-China Nepal and pro-China Sri Lanka” and the entire Himalayan corridor, the delegation was of the opinion, “Reaching at a permanent solution that is favourable to the Tibetan people will be most beneficial to India and the security of Asia.”
The memorandum addressed to Prime Minister of India said that traditionally, Arunachal Pradesh maintained cordial relation with the then free Tibetan state and trade took place between the two regions. “Hence, the people of Arunachal Pradesh have a sympathetic and sacred solidarity with the Tibetan people. More importantly, they understand the geo-political strategic importance of having an autonomous and friendly Tibet as a buffer Tibet between India and a so far aggressive Chinese policy,” it added.
While pressing the PM to make Tibet issue as one of his top priorities, the delegation said, “It is crucial that India take a leading role in active engagement on proceeding that could bring improvement in the situation in Tibet. India should undertake the task of promoting dialogue without precondition to advance a solution on Tibet and to press for respect for human rights and preservation of Tibetan religion, language and cultural heritage.”
It lamented saying “The policies of the Chinese govt toward the Tibetan people have only increased in their level of repression, their intrusion into all Tibetan institutions, most particularly religious and educational, and their denigration of Tibetan culture.”
Quoting the US State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2009 Human Rights Report: China (including Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau), March 11, 2010, it said, “the PRC’s security apparatus has employed torture and degrading treatment in dealing with some detainees and prisoners.”
In this regard, the delegation has welcomed the November 2nd, 2012 statement on Tibet by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay who pointed to “allegation of human rights violation in Tibet, which have led to an alarming escalation of “desperate” form of protest in the region, including self-immolation.”
Claiming that “continued crackdown by  Beijing threatens to escalate the situation”, it opined, “The Chinese govt appears to believe that by sealing off Tibet, international interest and concern will diminish.  It will not.”

The delegation expressed, “We believe Commissioner Pillay’s statement should serve as a clarion call for a new level of collaborative and coordinated pressure and engagement with the Chinese govt on the Tibetan issue, including lifting restrictions on media access to the region and renewed engagement in dialogue with His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama or his representatives without precondition.”
It went on to say, “In addition, continued attention must be paid to promoting dialogue between Chinese officials and Tibetan leaders in order to achieve a negotiated solution to the problem afflicting Tibet and the Tibetan people.”
On China’s oft-repeated claims over Arunachal Pradesh as part of PRC in general and Tawang in particular, the memorandum, having ten signatories from TSG and various political parties, said, “The irony is that by laying claims to additional Indian territories on the basis of their purported ties to Tibet, China blatantly plays the Tibet card against India, going to the extent of citing the birth in Tawang of His Holiness, the 6th Dalai Lama, a politico-religious institution it has systematically sought to destroy. Yet India remains coy to play the Tibet card against China. The net result of failing to use Tibet as a bargaining chip has been that India first lost Aksai Chin, then more territory in 1962 and now is seeking to fend off Chinese claim to Arunachal Pradesh.”
It said, “To convince China to see the wisdom of allowing the Tibetan to exercise real autonomy is also to ensure that Asia as a whole continues to prosper.”
While quoting Brahma Chellaney, a leading Indian strategic thinker and analyst, the memorandum said, “The Tibet issue has been presented more often than not in the international literature in political or cultural terms, with the Chinese govt and ethnic Tibetan supposed to be the principal players. But the Tibet issue is much larger and more fundamental: It is about Asia’s water and climate security and its ecological interests. It is also about vital resources. Fundamentally, it is about securing Asia’s future. Damming of rivers and the proposed river diversion schemes in Tibet come in the wake of the looming water crisis in Asia.” Further quoting Chellaney, it said, “Experts say water is poised to overtake oil as the world’s scarcest vital resource. China’s plan for the various uses of water of rivers originating from Tibet is intensifying the heated debate about their likely consequences for downstream nations.  Already there is the talk of water wars. The protection of the sources of water demands that no party withdraw or divert water in such a way as to affect the ecosystems … Although intrastate water-sharing disputes have become rife in several Asian countries – from India and Pakistan to Southeast Asia and China – the potential inter-country conflict over shared water resources should be of greater concern.”
“Perhaps it is time for the Govt of India to jointly pressure China for higher level of cooperation in order to secure the water and livelihood of its citizens,” the delegation said adding “The Tibetan Govt-in-Exile is not demanding full independence for Tibet from China, instead they ask for genuine autonomy for the region.”
Under such circumstances, the delegation urged the Prime Minister to express India’s solidarity with Tibet and initiate immediate dialogue with the govt of China in order to bring in ‘positive’ solution in the region.
Apart from Tacho Kabak, the signatories included MP and APCC president Mukut Mithi and vice president Thupten Tempa, State BJP president Tai Tagak, State NCP president Kahfa Bengia, PPA president Kameng Ringu and working president Nikh Kamin, TSG vice president Tanyong Tatak, secretary general Anok Wangsa and secretary Nima Sange.