Dharamshala — The 16th Tibetan Parliament concluded its third session on March 25th, following eleven days of deliberation and discussion on CTA’s budget for the financial year 2017 – 18 and the situation inside Tibet.
During the proceedings, the parliament approved a consolidated budget of 2,43,98,02,997 INR proposed by the Kashag for the activities and functions of the various departments and offices of the Central Tibetan Administration.
In his concluding remarks, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel expressed his satisfaction at the wholehearted participation of the parliamentarians and emphasized that the budget passed should be implemented effectively to fulfill the stated objectives.
“The mudslinging that happens during the long campaign period is painful and detrimental to the image of the Tibetan people. However, it would be even more catastrophic if the election produces an incompetent and divisive figure due to lack of proper screening. Therefore, I urge everyone to respect the recommendations of the committee,” he pleaded.
“While the overall conduct of the parliament is noteworthy, isolated incidents where parliamentarians resort to personal remarks and, naming and shaming of individuals do happen. Therefore, I strongly suggest them to respect the formalities of the parliament and serve with the interest of six million Tibetan people in mind,” he said.
The Speaker also highlighted the deteriorating political and human rights situation inside Tibet particularly the latest self immolation protest of Pema Gyaltsen. He promised that the Tibetan parliament will exert extra efforts to galvanize the global Tibet movement and alleviate the sufferings of the Tibetans inside Tibet. In that regard, he called on the Chinese government to reform their failed policies in Tibet and address the genuine aspirations of the Tibetan people.
The Speaker expressed the parliament’s commitment towards dialogue and urged China to resume the stalled Sino-Tibetan dialogue to resolve the Tibet issue peacefully.
The 16th session began on March 14th.
