By IANS,
Dharamsala: Speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile Penpa Tsering Friday expressed concern over the atrocities on people of Tibet and ecological destruction due to extensive mineral extraction in the region.
“The Chinese government has unjust policies towards the ethnic minorities. It’s running a police state and arbitrarily arresting Tibetan writers, singers and intellectuals,” Tsering said while addressing the second session of the 15th Tibetan parliament that began here.
He also expressed concern over unprecedented mining of natural resources.
“Unprecedented mining of natural resources in Tibet and diversion of rivers from their natural course is creating ecological imbalance in the region and is a serious concern not only for China but also for many other neighbouring countries,” he said.
Welcoming new Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay, the speaker said: “It has been 51 years since we have a democratic system of polity in our administration. His Holiness Dalai Lama, keeping the long-term benefit of the Tibetan people in mind, has devolved the political authority vested in him to a democratically elected leader.”
“Therefore, we, the Kashag (cabinet) as well as the parliament, have an additional responsibility to fulfill,” he said.
Based in the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala, the government-in-exile has never won recognition from any country.
India is home to around 100,000 Tibetans.