Speaker of Tibetan Parliament Attends Parliamentary Meeting
A Tibetan boy holds a candle with others during a vigil for peace at the World Social Forum (WSF) in Bombay (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) |
Mumbai, 19 January: Mr. Pema Jungney, the speaker of the Assembly of
Tibetan People’s Deputies (Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile) this morning
attended the World Parliamentary Forum (WPF) after the Forum decided
yesterday to accept the participant of Tibetan parliamentarians. “I think
this is a great and historic day for Tibetans because our parliamentarians
have been recognised at a global meeting,” said Lobsang Galak, coordinator
of the Tibetan Delegation to the World Social Forum (WSF). Mr. Jungney is
scheduled to speak to the WPF later this afternoon.
Overjoyed Tibetans at the WSF continued their activities with the Tibetan
children performing various cultural items around the venue. The Tibetan
Delegation will this afternoon engage in more cultural activities and later
hold a candlelight vigil and prayer for world peace. Terraviva, an
independent newspaper of the WSF, today described the Tibetan activities,
this way, under an article, “Tibetans Speak Softly But Hope China Hears”:
They hand out leaflets, hold candlelight vigils, circulate petitions and
march silently through the night. Dignified and organised, the Tibetans
have come to the WSF to urge the international community to “make Tibet a
zone of peace.”
This morning Tibetans participated at the conference on the Solidarity
Network of Kurds, Palestinians and Tibet, a conference which discussed the
subject ” Peoples under Occupation and Foreign Domination.” Ngawang C.
Drakmargyapon, spokesperson of the Tibetan Delegation to the WSF, made the
Tibetan presentation highlighting how population transfer of Chinese
settlers into Tibet was posing the greatest threat to the survival of the
religious, cultural and national identity of the Tibetan people. During the
discussion, which followed after the presentations, the Kurds and
Palestinians were asked by a Tibetan on how they view the non-violent
freedom struggle of the Tibetans.
At the Intercontinental Youth Camp, Tenzin Samphel of Tibetan Youth Congress,
made a presentation on the situation Tibetan refugees, particularly the
problems faced by Tibetan refugees arriving in Nepal.
During the past few days, the issue of Tibet has been raised at several
meetings, with slogans being raised for Tibet and Palestine at two large
meetings by the panelists themselves, including during session devoted to
War Against Women and Women Against War. This afternoon, at a conference on
Human Rights for Social Change, an African speaker spoke about the grave
human rights situation in Tibet.
In today Terraviva issue, in an opinion article by Walden Bello, professor
of the University of the Philippines and executive director of Focus on
Global South, China was described in these words:
“Among the developing countries, China is, of course, in a category by
itself. Indeed, China is one of the winners of the Bush era. It has managed
to be on the side of everybody on key economic and political conflicts and
thus on the side of nobody but China.”
As the creation of the Sand Mandala continues next the photo exhibition on
Tibet by Tibet Museum, several participants have commented on the visitors
book with one Iranian writing, “I do like Tibet and its people.” On the
other hand, an Indian visitor said: “Let peace reign in Tibet. Leave people
of Tiebt alone with their freedom.”