TOKYO: Washington DC-based Citizen Power for China organized the 12th Interethnic and Interfaith Leadership Conference in Tokyo, Japan, from 14-17 November.
Around 70 participants, mostly Chinese youth, from different parts of the world attended the conference. The Chinese youth are from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, China, Japan, Australia and Geneva. There are two participants from the mainland China. The members of the Tibetan delegation comprised of Ms. Kyinzom Dhongdue and Mr. Lobsang Dakpa, Members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Mr. Kunga Tashi, Chinese Liaison Officer at the Office of Tibet, Washington, Mr. Tenzin Deden and Mr. Jayang Tsering from the China Desk of the Department of Information & International Relations of the Central Tibetan Administration, Mr. Kunsang Topden, Secretary of the Tibetan Legal Association, and Mr. Tenzin Shenphen and Mr. Tsewang Thupten from Australia.
During the conference, the Tibetan delegates addressed the gathering on a wide-range of issues concerning Tibet. The Tibetan Parliamentary delegation spoke on status of Tibet before 1949, causes which led His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan people to come to exile in 1959, historically Tibet not being part of China, the evolution of Middle-Way Approach, why Tibetans are burning themselves to death in recent years. They said the leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration and support from the international community will remain till the issue of Tibet is resolved.
Mr. Lungtok, the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the two members of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, addressed the gathering.
As requested by Dr. Yang Jianli, the President of Citizen Power for China, a video message by His Holiness the Dalai Lama was shown on the first day of the conference.
On the final day of the conference, Mr. Tenzin Deden, Head of China Desk of the Department of Information & International Relations of the Central Tibetan Administration, spoke on the suffering being faced by Tibetans inside Tibet and appealed for continued support for the issue of Tibet..
Dr. Yang Jianli presented a souvenir to Mrs. Kyinzom Dhongdue, member of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The 13th conference will be organized in Australia.
– Report filed by OOT Japan –