Autonomous arrangement can be achieved: Sikyong Lobsang Sangay and Governor of South Tyrol
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA, March 9: Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, the political head of the Tibetan people and Dr Arno Kompatscher, the Governor of South Tyrol Autonomous Province said in unison that autonomous arrangement can be achieved.
Sikyong Sangay, under whose administration, the Tibetan people seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet through the middle way approach from China and Dr Arno Kompatscher, President of South Tyroll, an autonomous region in northern Italy, held a joint press conference earlier today at Gagchen Kyishong, the headquarter of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
“It’s a great privilege and an honor to have our Chief Guest for the 58th National Uprising Day, Dr Arno Kompatscher, the President of the South Tyrol Autonomous province along with his delegations,” Sikyong Sangay said and thanked Dr Arno Kompatscher for graciously accepting the invitation to visit Dharamsala.
The political head of the Tibetan People passionately described South Tyrol as an all weather ally of CTA with more than two decades’ association from whom CTA sought help to study how autonomous regions are practiced and how autonomy is implemented.
“Our groups and delegations have visited South Tyrol and studied autonomous arrangements and administration and the primary support and facilities provided by the South Tyrol were immensely helpful for CTA,” Sikyong Sangay said and further thanked South Tyrol Autonomous government for its financial aids for various projects.
“As South Tyrol is the living example of genuine autonomy, your presence here will send a strong message of hope to the Tibetans in Tibet under Chinese repression,” Sikyong Sangay concluded.
In his address, Dr Arno thanked Sikyong Sangay for inviting him to Dharamsala for the official function of the CTA to commemorate the 58th Tibetan National Uprising day and said, “We are not here to give any advice to anybody, we can’t. We are here to tell you our story, about how things were in Italy, South Tyrol once and how they are now, our situation could be a model, not an example because things are always different. But its an example of how a thing could go in a positive way.”
The political head of the Tibetan people and the Governor of South Tyrol agreed in unison that autonomous arrangement can be achieved citing South Tyrol as an example as the press conference concluded.