DHARAMSHALA: A four-member French Senate delegation led by Senator Jean-Francois Humbert, President of the Tibet Group, is currently on a week-long visit to Dharamshala. The senators include Mr Michel Berson, Mr Bernard Fournier and Mr Andre Gattolin.

The visit is being co-ordinated by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile of the Central Tibetan Administration.

Addressing a press conference today at the Department of information and International Relations, the delegation pledged their continued support to the Tibet issue and expressed hopes to invite representatives from Dharamshala to visit the French senate. Earlier Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay and Speaker Penpa Tsering of the Tibetan Parliament have visited the French Senate.

The senators unanimously affirmed that the suffering of the Tibetan people inside Tibet is real and said “ we condemn the cultural genocide that is going on inside Tibet.”

They also urged that the international community should recognise the non-violent struggle of the Tibetan people and indicated personal desires to visit Tibet and ascertain the situation themselves.

Earlier, the delegation had an audience with His Eminence the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorji. They also met CTA’s Secretary for Information and International Relations, Mr Tashi Phuntsok and visited the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (Mentseekhang). The delegation will visit the Tibetan Children’s village school and various other Tibetan NGOs based in Dharamsala tomorrow.