Independence for Tibet is not a realistic proposition, Middle Way is the best way: CTA President 

DHARAMSALA, 29 Nov:  Declaring that independence for Tibet may not be a realistic proposition, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) has stated that that “the Middle Way is the best way.”

“If we ask for independence, will the world stand by us, will India do so, will the U.S.? That is why I say the Middle Way is the best way (between full integration with China and how Tibet was before the Chinese occupation),” the CTA President Penpa Tsering has said at the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents at India International Centre, New Delhi, reports the Start News Global.

President Tsering has further said that he can’t expect both New Delhi and Washington to overlook its interests vis-a-vis China and added that “that will not happen. Often I bow down to the wishes of the Indian government. Without India, our community could not be where it is now. I can only convey my concerns to both countries.”

Additionally, he has also stated that it is imperative for Tibetans to follow the “middle path” so that they can protect their culture, language, environment and follow their religious beliefs.

Describing the situation under China as grave, he remarked that “We are dying a slow death,” and announced his administration’s plan to have a “direct and official channel” of communication with Beijing. 

“Since we have been taken for a ride for too long, we want to ensure as to who we are dealing with (in the Chinese government) and preferably we would like an official channel to communicate what the Chinese government wants to tell us and what we need to tell them,” The Print quoted him as saying at the press meet in the Indian capital on Friday.

He further said that the new nine-member Permanent Strategy Committee formed under his administration will work on determining “what positions” they would need to take while dealing with Beijing if and when they reach out or if they don’t reach out to the Tibetan community at all.

Taking a gibe on China’s keen interest in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, President Tsering has remarked that “If China is keen on reincarnation they should first learn Buddhism and focus on reincarnating Chairman Mao.”

The Middle Way Approach (Umaylam in Tibetan), conceived by the Dalai Lama and adopted unanimously as a policy by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, is the official policy of the Central Tibetan Administration. The Tibetan government in exile has been seeking a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibetan issue with China through the Umaylam since 1974.

The Middle Way Approach does not seek independence, but genuine autonomy within the framework of the People’s Republic of China to ensure the survival of the Tibetan people with its distinct Buddhist cultural heritage and language and the natural environment of the Tibetan plateau.