SYDNEY: At their invitation, Mr. Lhakpa Tshoko, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Australia, met several Chinese, including writers, democracy activists, academics etc., in Sydney on 28 December. The two Chinese liaison officers of the Office of Tibet accompanied the Representative.

During the meeting, Mr. Lhakpa Tshoko expressed his gratitude to the Chinese friends for their solidarity expressed towards the sufferings of the Tibetan people inside Tibet. He underlined the need to have more such interaction between the Chinese and Tibetan people to share information on the situation inside Tibet and garner support.

The Representative also spoke on the Middle Way Approach of the Central Tibetan Administration to resolve the issue of Tibet. He briefed them about the urgent situation prevailing inside Tibet, particularly the restrictions imposed on the Tibetan people’s right to freedom of religion and worship.

Mr. Chung Jin Tang, the organiser of the meeting, spoke about the importance of harmonious relations and called for more interaction between the two communities. “ The Chinese government has for long instigated misunderstandings between the Chinese and the Tibetan people. Therefore, the Tibetans and Chinese living outside China should interact more to pre-empt the Chinese government’s tactic to create disharmony,” he said.

A former professor of a prestigious Chinese University, Mr. Rin, said that he never believed in life after death before, and even conducted few years of research on the topic. “ However, after an opportunity to receive the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and interactions with various Tibetan people, I now have faith in reincarnations,” he said. He added that he would continue supporting the cause of Tibet and urge other Chinese to do the same to resolve the critical situation inside Tibet