TYC’s maiden International Conference on Building Freedom, Democracy and Peace in Asia held in New Delhi
DHARAMSALA, May 14: Tibetan Youth Congress(TYC), the largest Tibetan NGO in exile has organised an International conference on Building Freedom, Democracy and Peace in Asia at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
Shri. Ashok Sajjanhar, President of the Institute of Global Studies and Former Indian Diplomat attended the conference as the Chief Guest. Namrata Hasija from the Center for China Analysis and Strategy, Dr Lobsang Yangtso from International Tibet Network and representatives from several other Asian nations also attended the event.
“This is a good first step – the concern regarding China’s expansionist policies are real and all the participants recognized the need for us to work together in order to overcome the challenges we face. The hope is to build upon the ideas and strategies laid out during the conference to ensure that rights of all people are respected,” the President of TYC, Tenzing Jigme said.
TYC’s maiden International Conference on ‘Building Freedom, Democracy and Peace in Asia’ was held from May 11- 12 in the Indian capital with an objective to bring like-minded social activists, civil society organisations, youth leaders, journalists, scholars, and stakeholders together to achieve the common goal of bringing freedom and democracy based on universal values of human rights in the Asian region.
The conference was attended by delegates from Hong Kong, India, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Southern Mongolia, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.
The conference seeks to strengthen relationships and networks among civil society organizations, media practitioners, politicians, and other champions of democracy. Conference sessions and speakers highlighted the challenges faced by groups, best practices in addressing them, and ideas for promoting change within society, the group stated in their press release.
After the conference, the delegates came to a consensus that, people and nations of Asia must play an active role in promoting and supporting the true voice of human rights and freedom across the region.
The delegates strongly condemned the destructive policies and oppressive regimes across Asia at the conference. They further called on the Chinese government to take immediate action to ensure freedom, human rights and self-determination for the people of Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and stop their aggressive policies that are expansionist and interfering in nature on neighboring countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal and India, TYC further said in the press release.
The delegates have lauded the Sunflower Movement, Umbrella Revolution and other resistance movements around the world for motivating new generation for activism and have urged the governments around the world to proactively uphold universal principles of human rights, freedom, and democracy policies and highlight the need to strengthen ties within the regional groups.
