DHARAMSHALA: Mr. Tashi Phuntsok, the Secretary for Information of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), Central Tibetan Administration, today met with a group of 10 students from South Africa at DIIR hall.

The Secretary briefed the students on Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959 and the subsequent flight of His Holiness the Dalai Lama along with thousands of Tibetans in exile. He also apprised them about the need of the establishment of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA); to restore freedom for Tibetans, the welfare of the Tibetans in exile and promote the Tibet issue across the globe

In a power point presentation, he explained the structure and the policies of the Central Tibetan Administration. He further spoke about the Middle Way Approach of the CTA, which seeks genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people through dialogue with the Chinese government.

He also explained the composition of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, which is a blend of modernity and tradition. “The parliament consists of 44 members with 10 representatives each from the three traditional provinces of Tibet, 2 each from the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon religion and two each from Tibetan communities in North America and Europe he said.

Explaining in detail the seven various departments of CTA and their work, the secretary said that facilities provided by the departments reach the grassroots level of any Tibetan community around the world.

“In nutshell, CTA is able to not only provide the political impetus for Tibetan struggle, not only the preservation of Tibetan culture, but also to look after the welfare of Tibetans all over the world through democracy and modern education,” he concluded.