‘Only democracy in China will help in resolving Tibet issue’

DHARAMSALA: While the once-in-decade transition of power in China has given new hopes to Tibetan exiles that the new leaders with libertarian background will take concrete steps to resolve the half-acentury-old Tibet issue, the pro-democracy Chinese activists feel that only an overall change to democracy will help.

Settled in various countries across the world, these Chinese activists, who are carrying a struggle for democracy in their country, were in Dharamsala to attend the three-day International Tibet Support Group meet that concluded on Sunday.

One of these activists, Yang Jianli, a Harvard university fellow and president of prodemocracy group, Initiatives for China, said the Tibet issue will be resolved when there will be change in the governmental setup.

“When there will be democracy in China, it will be easy to solve the issue,” said Jianli, adding that though political reforms are on the cards of new leadership, but it seems

CHINESE ACTIVISTS IN DHARAMSALA ATTEND THE 3-DAY INTERNATIONAL TIBET SUPPORT GROUPS’ MEETING

impossible this time.

He said, “The evidences have shown that China will undertake political reforms but at present and as the report of 18th Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) suggests, the government will continue to run on old pattern.”

“Besides, the central leadership has many factional challenges ahead in the power succession. Whenever the new leader Ji Xinping will succeed, he will be busy in pleasing all the factions,” said Jianli.

“So new things will not be introduced before you are not comfortable,” added Jiangli.

Replying to a query that whether he is hopeful that new leadership will soften its stance on Tibet issue, Jiangli said usually dictators do not change themselves and need a all round pressure right from the bottom to change them.

“So I am of the view that we will have to work with people to build a movement to force the government and divide the leadership,” said Jiangli, adding that when the leadership divides, there will be at least one or two factions which will raise people’s voice.

“That is the moment when there will be a change but ultimately it is the people’s power that is the key to change,” said Jiangli.

Commenting on the spate of self-immolation protests in Tibet, Jiangli said the tragic incidents have overwhelmed him by grief and the root cause behind these protest were failed policies of China in Tibet.

“The martyrs have sacrificed their lives for the whole nation for the freedom of their people,” said Jiangli, adding that he was not in position to judge whether there should be such protests or whether they are effective or not.

“All I have to do is to spread the truth to the world, especially people inside China,” said Jiangli, adding that “let the people understand the truth and find out the reason behind what is happening in Tibet”.