China`s claim over Arunachal to counter India on Dalai: Jungney

Kolkata: China`s claim over Arunachal Pradesh is a tool to counter India`s support to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause, former speaker of Tibetan parliament-in-exile, Pema Jungney, has said. "It is the strategic policy of China to stop India from supporting our cause. They use their unethical claim over Aksai Chin, Pakistan`s claim over Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as a tool to counter India`s support to the cause of free Tibet and the Dalai Lama," he said here.

"The issues of J and K, Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet are totally different. J and K and Arunachal are integral parts of India. But Tibet was a free country till the late 1950s," he said. Claiming that 95 Tibetans have immolated themselves in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet, Jungney said protests against Chinese rule would continue as long as autonomous status was not obtained. He said only an independent investigation by the UN could bring out the condition of human rights in Tibet. "In Tibet the condition of human rights is very bad. We have been making appeals in the international forum for the last several decades. We want an independent investigation into the condition of human rights in Tibet by the UN. Only then the real picture will come out," said Jungney, who is the longest serving MP of Tibetan parliament-in-exile since 1988. "We want to talk to the new Chinese regime. But they are not at all interested in talking to us. We want an autonomous status, where education, health, industry will be controlled by Tibetans and defence, international affairs will be controlled by China," he said. Thanking India for its continuous support to the cause of Tibet, Jungney sought India`s help to the Tibetan parliament-in-exile to formulate world opinion on Tibet. "In Tibet no foreign press is allowed. They have blocked all satellite and communication systems so that no news reaches the outside world," he said. The members of Tibetan parliament-in-exile are on a tour to meet Indian political leaders to sensitise them about Tibet. PTI