(TibetanReview.net, May26’26) – Votaries of independence for Tibet have on May 26 concluded a four-day conference in the Blue Mountains town in the Australian state of New South Wales, near Sydney, by reiterating their call on the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to withdraw its longstanding middle way policy, and, instead, adopt the goal of independence.
The middle way policy, advocated by the Dalai Lama as a mutually beneficial and pragmatic solution, and adopted unanimously by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, envisages genuine autonomy for an undivided Tibet under Chinese sovereignty.
While some in the independence camp have called the middle way a failed policy, the Dalai Lama has made it clear that he won’t budge from it, while respecting the right of those advocating for independence to do so.
The 8th International Rangzen Conference, stated to have been attended by over 100 participants from 12 countries and various communities including Tibetans, Chinese, Taiwanese, Uyghurs, and Mongolians, has adopted a four-point resolution.
Speakers at the conference were stated to include Professor and former Representative at the Liaison Office of HH the Dalai Lama in Tokyo Gyari Pema Gyalpo; Dr Choeden Bum, a Japan-based constitutional scholar; Australian Member of Parliament Trish Doyle; Mayor Mark Greenhill of Sydney; Tashi Dhargay, Vice President of the Tibetan Youth Congress; and Umit Hamit, President of the Uyghur Freedom Forum.
The first point was stated to call for launching a campaign for strengthening unity among Tibetans as a step towards realizing the goal of independence for Tibet.
The second point was stated to call for publicizing evidences that the 17-Point Agreement, under which China annexed Tibet, is invalid and illegal.
The Dalai Lama repudiated this “agreement” on Jun 20, 1959 on these grounds and also for the reason that, in any case, China did not at all adhere to its provisions.
The third point is stated to make the point that China has continued to ignore Tibetan government and people’s concerns, is in any case trustworthiness-challenged, and so the exile government should be persuaded to withdraw its Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People and instead restore the demand for independence.
The memorandum was presented to the Chinese side by the envoys of the Dalai Lama during their latest series of meetings in 2010. China trashed it as a disguised demand for independence and stopped further contacts.
And the fourth point is stated to call for making efforts to realize the awareness and discussion of a draft constitution for the Tibetan nation written by Dr. Choeden Bum, a Japan-based constitutional scholar, as a common talking point for discussion among the Tibetan people.