On the auspicious occasion of the 45th founding anniversary of Tibetan Youth Congress, on behalf of 35,000 active members of Tibetan Youth Congress, the 15th Central Executive Committee would like to pay our deepest respects to our spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and express our solidarity with all those courageous brothers and sisters who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet and the Tibetan people for the past 65 years. On this special occasion, we would also like to extend our heartiest greetings to all our Tibetan brothers and sisters living inside Tibet and in the exile diaspora.
Tibetan Youth Congress was founded on October 7, 1970 by young Tibetans in exile as a resistance movement to challenge China’s occupation of Tibet with a pledge to regain the independence of Tibet. Under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who had thrice graced Tibetan Youth Congress meetings, including the inaugural ceremony, for the past 45 years Tibetan Youth Congress has earnestly tried to contribute towards the cause of Tibet by organizing numerous campaigns in various countries to regain the independence of Tibet, keep alive the Tibetan identity by preserving and protecting our unique language and cultural heritage, and raise awareness on the issue of Tibet on the international platform.
We have been able to achieve this with the kind guidance of His Holiness, the unflinching trust and support extended by the Tibetan people, courageous sacrifices made by our brothers and sisters, and the tireless work done by past members as well as executive members of both the regional chapters and the Central Executive Committees.
Recently, for two days beginning August 12, the propaganda arm of the Chinese government, the Information Office of the State Council and the regional government of Tibet Autonomous Region jointly organized a symposium titled ‘2014 Forum on Development of Tibet’ to discuss development strategies. Around 100 delegates from more than 30 countries were roped in to attend the forum, which was on surface meant to discuss the future development of the region including preservation of Tibetan culture and environmental protection, but it was actually a publicity stunt by the Chinese government to showcase to the international community that Tibetan people inside Tibet are living a “happy life”, by showering praise on its self-acclaimed achievements in raising economic and health condition of the Tibetan people and protecting the Tibetan environment.
In reality, for the past 55 years since China occupied the land of snow by force, there has not been any positive change in the critical condition of the Tibetan people under the oppressive Chinese regime. In order to destroy the Tibetan language, religion and cultural traditions that form the basis of the unique Tibetan identity, it has implemented destructive policies such as the migration of Han Chinese into Tibet. Its abuse of basic human rights of the Tibetan people by denying Tibetans their freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of movement and destruction of the fragile Tibetan environment through rampant mining activities and deforestation have been covered in detail in reports published by international environment and human rights groups.
Not only basic human rights are denied to the Tibetan people, even those Tibetans who appeal to the Chinese government to protect the environment are arrested, beaten and even killed under various trumped-up political charges. For instance, on August 12, 2014 Chinese paramilitary forces fired live ammunition into a crowd of Tibetans in Dege region in traditional Kham Province of Tibet, reaffirming China’s continued brutal repression in Tibet. Tibetans inside Tibet have also challenged Chinese government’s repressive rule through various forms of protest. Especially, since 2009 more than 130 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest against China’s repressive policies in Tibet. Since the root cause of these fiery protests lie in Chinese government’s repressive policies, it does not permit independent journalists and researchers to investigate the real situation inside Tibet.
For more than a year since Xi Jinping became president of China, Chinese government has carried out a so called fight against corruption; however it is not meant to advance human rights, democracy and freedom in China. In reality it is a strategy to consolidate the organization and power of the communist party of China which is at the brink of disintegration and to revitalize Chinese people’s hope and trust in the party. On the contrary, since Xi Jinping became president there has not been any improvement on human rights in China, particularly in Tibet where repression has increased since he became president of China.
Therefore, as the saying goes, “hope for the best and prepare for the worst”, we should also leave no stone unturned to prepare and struggle for the cause of Tibet rather than hope for someone else to solve the issue of Tibet. As Tibetans inside Tibet continue to show immense courage and unity in challenging Chinese rule in Tibet, time has come for exile Tibetans in various countries to take this opportunity to strengthen our efforts for the cause of Tibet.
By luring few uninformed Tibetans with wealth, Chinese government has been trying to sabotage the unity and harmony within the Tibetan community. When His Holiness visits foreign countries, a small group of Dholgyal propitiators have been trying to denigrate His Holiness by making baseless allegations. By hyphenating the Dorje Shugden cult with Tibetan Youth Congress, they have also made attempts to disgrace and dishonor the reputation of Tibetan Youth Congress, which clearly shows that the Chinese government is trying every possible way to disrupt the unity of the Tibetan people. We request all Tibetans, young and old alike, to be careful and wary of such developments that attempt to hinder the Tibetan freedom movement.
On this occasion of the 45th founding anniversary of the Tibetan Youth Congress, we would like to urge all Tibetan youth to participate in protests and campaigns to intensify the Tibetan movement and make it more effective on the global stage. Tibetan Youth Congress will continue to struggle for the independence of Tibet as per the aims and objectives of the organization.
Finally, we pray for the long and healthy life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a prompt resolution to the issue of Tibet.
The Central Executive Committee
Tibetan Youth Congress
Oct 7, 2014
* In case of any discrepancy in meaning, the original Tibetan text should be considered as the authoratative one.
Democracy in Exile: Challenges facing the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) and the Tibetan Freedom Struggle, was the topic of the speaking tour that TYC President Tenzing Jigme just concluded in Europe. Covering five nations in about two weeks, Jigme spoke to the youth and members of the Tibetan communities in London, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Spain. He also met with representatives and Parliament members of United Kingdom, France and Spain during this visit. The aim of this trip was firstly to hear thoughts, concerns and suggestions for TYC and the Tibetan movement from Tibetans living in Europe and; secondly, to meet with Tibetan Youth Congress regional chapters and their members; and thirdly, to lobby Tibet supporters and leaders of different countries for their support towards our cause.
