Tibetan government-in-exile reaffirms its commitment to engaging China through dialogue

DHARMSALA, India – The Tibetan government-in-exile on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to the "Middle Way" approach of engaging China through dialogue to achieve a meaningful autonomy for Tibetans within the country.

Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay said that a peaceful solution to the Tibetan issue would bring stability to China and create a win-win situation.

Sangay spoke after launching a website explaining in detail the "Middle Way" approach, which was proposed by the Dalai Lama and adopted as an official policy by the exiled parliament in 1997.

The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, gave up his political role as the leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile in 2011. Chinese officials, however, denounce him as a separatist responsible for instigating self-immolations inside China and have held no talks with his emissaries since 2010.

The government-in-exile plans to actively use social media to educate people about its policy of reconciliation.

"We have limited resources, but plenty of good will," said Dicki Choeyang, the exiled government's information and international relations minister.

The Dalai Lama, who also attended the function, said the government-in-exile's effort was well-timed. He's been living in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala since he fled Tibet in late 1959 when Chinese troops marched in.

China says Tibet has historically been part of its territory since the mid-13th century, and the Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since 1951. But many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of their history, and that the Chinese government wants to exploit their resource-rich region while crushing their cultural identity.