By IANS,
Dharamsala: The Tibetan parliament-in-exile Thursday described late Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu as a “faithful friend and supporter of the Dalai Lama and Tibet’s struggle for justice”.
Khandu and four others – two pilots, a personal security officer, and the sister of the Tawang legislator – were killed in the chopper crash April 30. The bodies were retrieved from the crash site at Lobotang near the 13,700 feet Sela Pass in Tawang district May 5 after intense search operations.
“Khandu was a faithful friend who supported and took interest in the Tibetan people’s quest for justice and their democratic polity. Moreover, he was a person of great merit owing to his utmost devotion and respect to His Holiness,” the parliament said in a resolution.
“On behalf of the Tibetan people both in and outside Tibet, the parliament-in-exile admire his achievements… we offer our prayers for his noble rebirth,” it noted.
The Nobel laureate had visited Tawang at the invitation of Khandu in November 2009. He inaugurated a hospital there, for which he contributed Rs.2 million.
The three-day special session of parliament began Thursday in this Himachal Pradesh town, where the Tibetan government-in-exile headed by the Dalai Lama is based.
The session was convened to discuss and amend the Tibetan Charter that would allow the smooth transition of political powers from the Dalai Lama to the elected leadership.