MPs from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania urge China to resume dialogue with Dalai Lama

Dharamsala: A group of lawmakers from the Baltic states have urged China to resume a dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s envoys for meaningful autonomy for Tibet, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) based in Dharamsala. There has been no real improvement in the human rights situation in Tibet under Chinese rule, the CTA said on Friday, citing a statement by members of parliament (MPs) of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. [caption id=“attachment_2670058” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Dalai Lama. Reuters[/caption] The MPs said that they, together with Tibetan supporters from the three Baltic States, are deeply concerned over the wave of self-immolation protests in and outside Tibet. “Therefore, we are calling upon the Chinese government to begin an immediate and meaningful dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA, both of whom embrace meaningful autonomy for Tibet within the People’s Republic of China,” the MPs were cited as saying on Thursday by the CTA. Since 2009, they said, at least 143 Tibetans have resorted to self-immolation to express their grievances under the repressive policies of the Chinese government. The members of parliament said they are willing to assist resumption of a meaningful dialogue between the Chinese government and the Tibetan leadership-in-exile to help find a peaceful and sustainable solution. Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, they said, share a similar history and fate with Tibetans, regarding their cultural, social and political struggle. “We have the motivation and experience to facilitate the Chinese-Tibetan dialogue,” they added. The Tibetan leadership remains firmly committed to non-violence and strongly believes that the only way to resolve the issue of Tibet is through dialogue, Lobsang Sangay, the elected leader of the Tibetan people, said here on Thursday, marked as the 57th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day. The Dalai Lama’s envoys and the Chinese have held nine rounds of talks since 2002 to resolve the Tibetan issue but no major breakthrough has been achieved so far. The last talks were held in Beijing in January 2010. The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. IANS