Tibetan govt suggests ‘middle way approach’

New Delhi: A report published by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) — popularly known as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile — states that Tibet was never part of China, but advocated a Middle Way Approach (MWA) that involves “self-governance” for Tibetans in Tibet “but does not challenge the unity and stability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)”.

The report was unveiled by the CTA president Lobsang Sangay. The CTA is based in India. “The MWA is a win-win proposition and a pragmatic position that safeguards the vital interests of all the parties concerned. For Tibetans, it offers the protection and preservation of their identity and dignity; for China, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the motherland.”

“The MWA is grounded in Buddhist principles of avoiding extremes and instead, finding a middle ground. Thus, it is an approach that straddles the middle path between the status quo and independence. It categorically rejects the repressive and colonial policies of the Chinese government towards the Tibetan people but also does not seek independence from China,” the report states.

Depicting a bleak picture of the situation in Tibet, the report said, “For the last six decades, China has carried out systematic annihilation of the cultural heritage of Tibet with the destruction of Tibetan Buddhism and traditional way of life,” the report said.  

“It is not possible to cover all aspects of the human rights violations in Tibet in one chapter or even one book. The human rights issues and cases covered  ... (in the report) are just a small part of the repressive situation inside Tibet under Chinese rule. The situation in Tibet remains tense. The already limited space for Tibetans to live as Tibetans, to preserve their identity, culture and tradition is shrinking further,” the report says.

“The report is organised into nine chapters that cover self-immolations, historical status of Tibet, human rights, cultural genocide, environment, economic development, urbanisation, reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Middle Way Policy,” the CTA said.