Tibet issue cannot be viewed through Beijing's narrative, says Sikyong Penpa Tsering in Germany

According to the CTA, Sikyong made the remarks while addressing the 37th Annual General Meeting of Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) in Berlin, where he reiterated the CTA'S commitment to the Middle Way Approach, which seeks genuine autonomy for Tibetans through dialogue within the framework of the People's Republic of China.

The Central Tibetan Administration reported that Sikyong stressed that lasting peace in Tibet cannot be achieved through the suppression of identity, distortion of history, or denial of fundamental rights. He said the world must understand Tibet as it is rather than through Beijing's portrayal and called for an objective examination of Tibet's history, culture, religion and political status.

According to the CTA, Sikyong cited recent academic research, including work by Chinese scholar Professor Hon-Shiang Lau, which he said challenges official Chinese narratives regarding Tibet's historical relationship with China through examination of archives from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Highlighting developments inside Tibet, the CTA reported that Sikyong expressed concern over what he described as increasingly restrictive Chinese policies, including implementation of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, tighter surveillance, restrictions on religious freedom, forced assimilation measures, transnational repression targeting Tibetans abroad and environmental degradation across the Tibetan Plateau.

During his address, Sikyong also briefed participants on recent engagements with European leaders and policymakers concerning human rights, religious freedom, environmental protection and support for the Tibetan people's exclusive right to recognise the future reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in accordance with Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Central Tibetan Administration said. (ANI)