DHARAMSHALA: A motion expressing concern over the forced settlement and relocation of Tibetan nomads in Tibet by the Chinese government was tabled in Britain’s House of Commons coinciding with the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 14 June.

Fabian Hamilton sponsored the motion with the support of Peter Bottomley, Jeremy Corbyn, Mark Durkan, Jonathan Edwards and Bob Russell. The motion was endorsed by parliamentarians from all spectrum of political parties.

The motion shares the Dalai Lama’s concerns over Chinese government policy of forcible settlement of Tibetan nomads from Tibetan land into walled compounds which is leading to the cessation of the traditional Tibetan nomadic way of life that for centuries has managed and husbanded Tibet’s fragile grasslands and habitat.

It supports the view of scientists, rangelands experts and the Dalai Lama that it would be more constructive and beneficial to the long-term survival of Tibet’s environment and continuation of Tibetan nomads’ unique way of life for the Chinese government to develop and invest in infrastructure such as hospitals and schools for nomads in the local environs of traditional grazing areas.

It calls on the British Government to take this opportunity publicly to reinforce both the Dalai Lama’s concerns and those of the EU as set out at the European parliament on 12 June 2012 about the impact of the resettlement policy of Tibetan nomads.

It further calls on the Government to actively develop practical initiatives that seek to safeguard the survival of Tibetan nomads’ unique way of life, traditional Tibetan lands and its fragile eco-system that is the world’s `third pole’.