Tibetan PM asks China to end hardline policy

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Dharamsala, March 10: Concerned over self-immolations, Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay Sunday said the only way to end the grave situation in Tibet was for China to change its hardline policy.

“The Tibetan cabinet is fully committed to the middle-way approach, which seeks genuine autonomy for Tibetans, to solve the issue of Tibet,” Sangay said in his address here.

The democratically-elected Tibetan political leader reiterated that “we are ready to engage in meaningful dialogue (with China) anywhere, at any time”.

Tibetans in exile worldwide observe March 10 every year as the Tibetan national uprising anniversary.

According to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), self-immolations in Tibet started in 2009 and there was only one case that year.

In 2011, there were 13 self-immolations. The majority of self-immolations took place in 2012, including 28 in November alone, when the Chinese Communist Party had its 18th party congress.

So far, 107 Tibetans have self-immolated and 90 of them have died, the CTA claimed.

The common cry of all the self-immolators is that spiritual leader the Dalai Lama be allowed to return to Tibet, which must be given autonomy and freedom of worship.

But Sangay said: “At this time, the cabinet hopes that the new Chinese leadership will view this pragmatic political approach, which bridges both Tibetan and Chinese interests, as a win-win solution.”

He called on the international community to press China to allow the UN high commissioner for human rights entry into Tibet.

The Dalai Lama along with his followers fled to India in 1959 as China crushed an abortive uprising in Tibet.

IANS