Dharamsala, May 28 (IANS): Parliamentarians and members of Tibet Support Group in Switzerland, Canada, the UK, Baltic States, the EU, Chile, Germany and Norway have greeted the newly elected Tibetan leadership in exile led by Penpa Tsering, expressing their warm wishes and renewed support to the Tibetan cause.
Tsering, the political head of the Tibetan people globally known as Prime Minister-in-exile, took oath of office here on Thursday, which was virtually attended by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Extending warm wishes, the President of Italy-Tibet Inter Parliamentary Group, Luciano Nobili, wrote, "The democratic organisation that the Tibetans, under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, wanted to establish in exile is one of the main reasons for our support.
"The Italy-Tibet Inter Parliamentary Group, which now has 54 members of all political parties represented in the parliament and which I am honored to chair, has already had the opportunity to organise various initiatives related to the Tibet issue within the Italian institutions, the last of which on March 10 this year had the presence by teleconference of your predecessor, Lobsang Sangay."
MP Uldis Budrikis, Chairman of the Group for the Support of Tibet in the Parliament of Latvia, MP Andrius Navickas, Chairman of the Provisional Group for Solidarity with Tibetans in the Lithuanian Parliament, and MP Yoko Alender, Chairman of the Tibet Support Group in the Parliament of Estonia, have expressed solidarity to the non-violent struggle of Tibetans against Chinese occupation.
"We are sure that you will succeed to bring to your people the independence they aspire for. We, the Baltic States, will stand by you and you can always count on our support. We renew our heartily congratulations on your election and look forward to our cooperation for the well-being of the Tibetan people," they wrote.
Inviting Tsering to Brussels, the members of Tibet Interest Group in the EU Parliament comprising Mikulas Peksa, Chair of the European Parliament's Tibet Interest Group, Ausra Maldeikiene, Hannes Heide, Carles Puigdemont i Casamajo, Antoni Comin i Oliveres, Clara Ponsati Obiols, Ivan Stefanec, Patrick Breyer and Michael Gahler applauded the successful completion of the democratic election in Tibetan government in exile.
"We would like to use this opportunity to invite you to Brussels -- as soon as the situation allows it -- in order to exchange with us about the situation in Tibet and ways in which the European Parliament could contribute to improving the human rights situation of the Tibetan people.
"We look forward to working with you to support a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Tibet through a direct negotiation process between the CTA and the Chinese government in line with the middle-way approach," they wrote.
Similarly, on behalf of the members of All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet in the UK Parliament, MP Tim Loughton expressed their wishes to "building on the continuing friendships shared and supporting Tibet cause".
Canadian MP Arif Virani, the chair of Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, said, "I look forward to welcoming Sikyong Penpa Tsering la to Ottawa and continue working with him and advocating for cultural, linguistic and religious freedoms for the Tibetan people."
Vice-chair of the group, representing the Conservative Party of Canada, MP Garnett Genuis took to Twitter to congratulate both Tsering and the outgoing Sangay, as he extolled the "commitment of the Tibetan people to democratic institution building."
Michael Brand, member of the German Bundestag, wrote congratulating the new President that the democratic government such as the Tibetans in exile has set a precedent to world governments, especially the Chinese government in Beijing, that rule of coercion and terror is not the right way of governance but that the rule by the people conquers.
After taking charge, Tsering on Thursday pledged to carry out the responsibility of finding a lasting solution to the decades old Sino-Tibet conflict, besides taking care of the Tibetan people.