Dharamsala, March 19 (IANS) Expressing concern over continuing self-immolations in Tibet, the chairman of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China has urged Beijing to end its “repressive policies”, the Central Tibetan Administration said here Tuesday.
“We hope for an end to these tragic self-immolations soon. The Chinese government can reduce tension, but not through its current policy of harsher regulations and heavier security,” a post on the the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) website quoting Sherrod Brown said.
Brown favoured resumption of a dialogue with Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama by the Chinese to ease tension.
“Ending policies that deny Tibetans their freedoms of expression, association, and religion, while showing greater tolerance for cultural diversity, and resuming a dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives without preconditions would go a long way toward easing tensions,” Brown said in a statement Monday.
Commission’s co-chairman Chris Smith said Chinese officials in recent years have tightened controls on Tibetan Buddhism and monastic institutions.
“Reversing these policies and allowing international observers into the region would do much to alleviate the situation,” he said.
The CTA said 108 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since February 2009 and 90 out of them have died.
The common cry of all self-immolators is the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.
China has blamed the Dalai Lama-led group of Tibetans of making “false charges” against the Chinese government and instigating its people to get global attention.
The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan government-in-exile is based in this Himachal Pradesh hill town.
