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In a concerted effort to challenge China's policies in Tibet and strengthen international Tibetan advocacy, a three-day Tibetan Youth Empowerment Programme was held at the Eurac Research Centre in South Tyrol from January 16 to 18. According to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the programme brought together approximately 25 young Tibetans from eight countries, providing them with political, legal, and advocacy training to advance the Tibetan freedom movement.
The programme was jointly organised by the Tibet Bureau Geneva and the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the CTA, in collaboration with the Eurac Research Centre, underscoring the CTA's leadership in empowering Tibetan youth to counter China's repression in Tibet. The CTA stated that during the inaugural session, Professor Roland Psenner, President of the Eurac Research Centre, drew strong parallels between South Tyrol's historical struggle under fascist rule and Tibet's current situation under Chinese control. He recalled a period when local languages and cultural identity were suppressed in South Tyrol, noting similarities with China's ongoing policies of forced assimilation in Tibet. Professor Psenner also reaffirmed Eurac's long-term commitment to supporting the Tibetan cause. According to the CTA, Thinlay Chukki, Representative of Dalai Lama at the Tibet Bureau Geneva, emphasised that youth empowerment remains a central priority for the CTA. Referring to the programme as "the passing of the baton to the next generation," she highlighted the grave situation inside Tibet, where more than one million Tibetan children have reportedly been compelled to attend Chinese colonial-style boarding schools, an approach widely criticised for undermining Tibetan language, culture, and identity. Tenzin Lekshay, Spokesperson and Additional Secretary of DIIR, CTA, outlined the CTA's Middle Way Policy, describing it as a non-violent and pragmatic framework that seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet within China. He contrasted this approach with Beijing's authoritarian, zero-sum political outlook, stressing that Tibetans are advocating not only for their own rights but also for global peace, environmental protection, and human rights. In a focused advocacy session, Thinlay Chukki addressed China's interference in Tibetan religious traditions, particularly regarding the issue of reincarnation. She underscored that international discourse should centre on Tibetans' fundamental right to religious freedom, rather than China's politically driven claims over the succession of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. According to CTA, Sessions on autonomy featured experts Sergei Constantin and Marc Roggla, who presented South Tyrol's successful autonomy model as a practical example that challenges China's assertion that meaningful autonomy threatens national sovereignty. The programme concluded with an interaction with Arno Kompatscher, President of South Tyrol, who expressed solidarity with the Tibetan people and shared insights from South Tyrol's long journey toward self-governance. (ANI)
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