(TibetanReview.net, Jun21’22) – Parliament members from across the democratic world who support a negotiated solution to the issue of Tibet and show active concern for the human rights situation and other pressing issues there are holding their eighth meeting since 1994 in the US capital Washington, DC, from Jun 22 to 23, 2022.
Participating in the Eighth World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet (WPCT) – including virtually – are more than 100 people from 26 countries, including from the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE), Dharamsala, India.
“As regards events to be featured or held during the meeting, a statement from the organizers said Jun 21: “This WPCT will have panel discussions and briefing sessions on various issues facing Tibet by the honourable members of parliament of different countries, experts and activists. The highlights of the 8th WPCT will be a video message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and greetings from Speaker of the US House of Representatives honourable Nancy Pelosi.”
Organized by the TPiE, the meeting’s main aim is to “strengthen and coordinate support by parliamentarians from different countries to resolve the Tibet issue,” the statement said.”
By holding this event, the organizers hope for the participating parliamentarians to take a leading role in garnering international support for the survival of Tibetan identity and its rich cultural heritage, to express concern over human rights violation and religious repression in occupied Tibet, and to initiate support in their respective countries for an early resumption of a Sino-Tibetan dialogue for a negotiated solution to the issue of Tibet.
The statement further said: “By holding the 8th WPCT in the United States, a country with fundamental values of democracy and equality, we honor the important role played by the United States Congress in formulating policy initiatives on Tibet, including institutionalising support through several legislations.”
The meeting is also stated to be meant to “draw attention to our exile government’s commitment to democratic norms and values.”
The first WPCT was held in New Delhi, India (1994), with the subsequent events being held in Vilnius, Lithuania (1995); Washington DC, USA (1997); Edinburgh, Scotland (UK) (2005); Rome, Italy (2009); Ottawa, Canada (2012); and Riga, Latvia (2019).