Tokyo: The Save Tibet Network organised the online annual meeting of Tibet Support Group members in Japan on February , with some participants attending in person at the Tibet House Japan office.

Makino Seishu, a former lawmaker and Chairman of the Save Tibet Network, welcomed the guests and members, briefing them on the meeting’s purpose and the importance of collaboration in achieving a peaceful and compassionate world, as envisioned by H.H. the Dalai Lama. He clarified that His Holiness’ vision is not limited to saving Tibet, but to saving humanity and the planet Earth. He appreciated that the International Support Group’s Conference is going to be held in Dharamshala, India, soon, and six members from Japan and two from South Korea are attending the same.

Yamada Hiroshi, General Secretary of the Japan Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, greeted the members and thanked everyone for their help and cooperation extended during the 9th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet (WPCT) in June last year. He congratulated H.H. the Dalai Lama for the Grammy award and said that this will help greatly in bringing His Holiness message of peace and a compassionate global community to a wider audience around the world.

The Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA)’s Secretary, Karma Choeying, thanked Makino Seishu, Yamada Hiroshi, Nagao Takashi, and the members for their unwavering support for the Tibet issue and for making the 9th WPCT in Tokyo a success. He expressed pleasure and said he looks forward to meeting the Japanese and South Korean TSG members participating in the forthcoming conference in Dharamshala.

Nagao Takshi, former lawmaker and former Secretary of the Japan Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, expressed the need to come up with a strong appeal to urge the Japanese parliamentarians to come up with a stronger and meaningful statement condemning the CCP’s human rights violations in Tibet and other occupied nations. He called for the fact-finding committee to monitor religious and human rights violations taking place around the world.

Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya briefed the participants on the annual activities of the Office and the results achieved. He thanked the Chairperson Yamatani Eriko, Secretary Yamada Hiroshi, and the members of the Japan Parliamentary Support Group of Tibet for their strong help and guidance accorded during the year, especially during the 9th WPCT in Tokyo.  He expressed gratitude to the Tibet Support Group Representatives and the members for their continued interest and support for the Tibet issue and their activities in their respective regions. He expressed appreciation and thanked the eight-member team from Japan and South Korea visiting India to attend the forthcoming International Tibet Support Group conference in Dharamshala.

Representative Arya informed the members of the Sakura planting project, publication of a booklet containing His Holiness’ poems on the importance of trees, and Rima Fujita’s illustrated book on His Holiness and His mission. He announced the publication of the Japanese version of the Tibet Action Institute’s second report on the Chinese colonial boarding schools in Tibet. He thanked Kameda Hirofumi, Shimoyama Akiko, and Anri Kitazawa for their help in the translation of the books, and Rev. Kawahara Eisho of the Rengeiin and Kawabata of Shukosha, Kuncho la and Potala College members, SFT Japan, and others for their contribution in making the publications possible.

The Representatives of the support groups: Makino Seishu of the Save Tibet Network; Rev. Ryushin Onishi of the Super Samgha; Chizuru Kanrui of the Japan Tibet Friendship Association; Shojiro Nomura of the Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Association; Kunchok Sithar of the Potala College; Tsering Dorjee of the Students for Free Tibet; Naomi Nodera, a Tibet Supporter; Noriko Miyao of the Pufest committee, and others introduced themselves and updated their activity report at the meeting. They suggested increased awareness programs through talk events, movie screenings, photo exhibitions, book launch, etc. and discussed passing of resolution to support Tibet and condemning the CCP’s interference in the reincarnation issue of H.H. the Dalai Lama. A Long-life, tenshug, prayer offering to H.H. the Dalai Lama from Japan was also proposed. Some members from Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and others could not attend because of their preoccupation.

Following discussion on the future plan, a three-point appeal to the CCP regime and a three-point appeal to the Japan parliament and government was proposed and approved unanimously. A rough translation of the resolution is as follows:

To urge the CCP regime: 1) To withdraw the forced indoctrination of Tibetan children in the colonial boarding schools and let the Tibetans have the right to Tibetan education. 2) To stop religious and human rights violations in Tibet and to let the Tibetans exercise their fundamental rights. 3) To refrain from interfering in Tibetan religious matters and stop claiming authority in the selection of the Dalai Lama`s reincarnation. We, the representatives and members of Japan Tibet Support Group, will protest and never accept any Lamas or Dalai Lama appointed by the CCP leadership.

To request the Japanese parliament and government as follows: 1) To issue a strong statement urging the CCP leadership to implement the above three points. 2) To appoint a Human Rights Coordinator Desk to monitor the CCP’s violation of religious and human rights in Tibet and other occupied regions. 3) To issue a strong statement condemning the CCP’s interference in the selection of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

The members were requested to bring the above resolutions to the notice of the Japanese government, Central and Local Parliamentarians, lawyers and human rights advocates, and so on.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Japan