Exiles ask BRICS to raise Tibet with Hu

Dharamsala, March 28 (IANS) Ahead of the 4th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the Tibetan government-in-exile Wednesday urged BRICS leaders to raise the issue of Tibet with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

It also reiterated that the exiles believe in a 'middle-way approach' to find a negotiated solution on the Tibet issue.

'The parliament-in-exile urges BRICS leaders (of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to raise the issue of Tibet with President Hu along with Syria and Iran,' Speaker Penpa Tsering told reporters here.

He said the 'situation in Tibet continues to deteriorate and China continues to implement inhuman brutal methods to suppress the peaceful Tibetans inside Tibet'.

According to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), 30 people have self immolated in Tibet out of which 22 have succumbed to their injuries.

Tsering said: 'Neither does the Chinese leadership engage in constructive dialogue nor do they try to understand and fulfill the wishes and aspiration of the Tibetan people.

'The reality of the situation is that the Chinese leadership neither has the political will nor the courage to resolve the Tibetan issue.'

The Tibetan administration also demanded resumption of talks between the Dalai Lama's envoys and China.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet along with many of his supporters and took refuge in India when Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959. India is home to around 100,000 Tibetans.