Phayul
November 07, 2010

Dharamsala, Nov. 7 -- The largest
pro-independence group of the Tibetan diaspora
have said "a just and stable solution" for the
Tibet issue will come about only with the
restoration of Tibet's full independence.

In an open letter to the visiting US President
Barack Obama who arrived in India's financial
capital Mumbai on Saturday, the TYC said the US
government and President Obama in particular can
play a role in bringing about a just and stable
solution. "Such solution rests only with the full
restoration of Tibet’s full independence," reads
the letter signed by the organisation's Vice President Dhondup Lhadar.

TYC expressed doubt over Obama's visit being
successful without the Tibet issue being included
in dealing with issues concerning India, China or
South East Asia. The visit could be "a great
opportunity to resist China’s highhandedness and
opposition to the basic values of democracy," the letter reads.

"The US has a significant stake and role in
maintaining stability in Asia, especially when
China’s rapid rise as a superpower is proving to
be the most pressing challenge for the US. The
heavy militarization of Tibet gravely affects the
security of this region, which in turns gravely
impacts security in the world. We are hopeful
that the US Government will not lose sight of the
strategic significance of Tibet’s territorial integrity."

While "firmly supporting" the efforts of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama in fighting peacefully
for a just cause, the letter says, "the genuine
efforts of the Tibetan government in exile to
reach a solution for the on-going Tibetan tragedy
have yielded no fruitful result to date."

"It is a fact that Tibet has been and retains,
the right to be, a sovereign independent country," the TYC said.