Dharamshala, India — Speaking about Sino-India relations vis-à-vis Tibet, through research and internal discussion, it is necessary to "strengthen the relationship with India" and to "ponder on how to communicate with China," Gyalo Thondup, elder brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama told the Kashag, during a meeting with President Dr Lobsang Sangay.
Gyalo Thondup, former Kalon Tripa and the elder brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the Kashag secretariat where he met with President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Dr Lobsang Sangay and other members of the 15th Kashag on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. "President Dr Sangay expressed his joy over the audience with Gyalo Thondup," said a report by the CTA official media.
Acknowledging his unfaltering effort and service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the Tibet cause, Dr Sangay conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to Gyalo Thondup and added that his contributions will echo throughout the history of Tibet.
Gyalo Thondup has played a crucial role as a liaison to China and also is a key scholarly figure in the Tibetan diaspora particularly in relations to understanding China and its policies on Tibet.
Addressing the members of the Kashag, Gyalo Thondup iterated the untiring efforts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and voiced the significance of the CTA to work in accordance with the aspirations of the spiritual leader of Tibet, who handed over all his formal traditional political power to Dr Lobsang Sangay, a Harvard-trained legal scholar — democratically elected President in April 2011.
"It is crucial to work towards sustaining the Tibet cause amidst the mounting discords in the world taking the center stage," the 89-year-old, elder brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, told the ministers during their meeting.
Speaking about Sino-India relations vis-à-vis Tibet, Gyalo Thondup highlighted the importance and the need to strengthen the relationship with India and to strive towards gaining India's understanding and trust.
He further added that through a thorough research and internal discussion, it is necessary to consider the global changes taking place in relation to China and to ponder on how to communicate with China. Citing his 36 years of effort to study China, he humbly explained he still continue to do so.
With an unwavering determination to contribute to the Tibet cause, Former Kalon Tripa also asked the Kashag how could he be of service to the Kashag, the Tibet cause and to his people.
Tibet was invaded by the Communist regime in China, starting in 1949. Since that time, over 1.2 million out of 6 Tibetans died as a direct result of China's invasion and continued occupation of Tibet, over 6000 monasteries have been looted and destroyed— Crimes against Humanity and Genocide include murder, massacres, torture, rape, starvation, extreme deprivation, forced marches, enslavement, brutal violence, and systematic extermination. The communist regime continues to call this a 'peaceful liberation', that the "Tibetans are living in a Maoist socialist paradise."
