Japan lawmakers pledge continuous support for Tibet

DHARAMSALA: The All Party Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, comprising former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has felicitated Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay as he is completing his two-term tenure and assured continuous support for the Tibetan cause.

In his virtual address from here, Sangay thanked the people and government of Japan for their unwavering support for the truth and justice of the Tibetan cause.

Recalling his first meeting with Shimomura Hakubun and Sakurai Yoshiko, president of an influential think tank in Japan, during their visit to Dharamsala under the leadership of former PM Abe, Sangay said since then he regularly visited Japan.

"Today's meeting sends a right and strong message to the world that Japan stands for human rights and democracy. You are also sending a strong message to six million Tibetans suffering China's repression in Tibet that Japan stands for justice," he said, adding support for Tibet does not mean one is anti-China.

Praising Japan for playing a major role in supporting Tibet, Uyghur, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, he said "doing so in Japan is sending a message that human rights are fundamental and democracy is universal. These values are in contrast with what China says is socialism with Chinese characteristics".

Sangay expressed fear that the choice before the whole world is that "either you transform China or China will transform you".

"Either you transform China to make it more democratic where they respect human rights of the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, people of Hong Kong and Taiwan or China will dictate and impose their socialism with Chinese characteristics all over the world, including Japan."

Sangay said according to Freedom House report the situation in Tibet is as bad as in Syria and all sorts of human rights violations are taking place in Tibet.

"Monasteries are being demolished, Tibetan language is discouraged and more than half a million Tibetans are uprooted from the nomadic areas and put them in labour camp-like situations to assimilate Tibet into China. This assimilation drive is threatening the very identity and civilization of Tibetan," a post on the CTA site quoting Sangay said.

In his address, Shimomura Hakubun, former education minister of Japan and the chairman of the Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, expressed his happiness of having the opportunity to hold online event to felicitate Sangay and thank him for his leadership of the Tibetan government in exile based in Dharamsala.

Shimomura recalled that the inspiration for the creation of the Japanese Parliamentary Support Group started 10 years ago when he got the opportunity to accompany former Prime Minister Abe, Japanese lawmakers and Sakurai Yoshiko visited India for a meeting organised by Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (JINF), to strengthen ties with India. (IANS)

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