The delegation members address the news conference in Guwahati on Thursday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, May 16: A delegation of Dharamsala-based Tibetan Parliament-in-exile has moved all the 126 MLAs in Assam besides other leaders seeking their support for the All-India Parliamentary Lobby Campaign which was launched to put diplomatic pressure on China to improve human rights in Tibet.

A three-member delegation from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, comprising Pema Jungney, Yangchem Dilkar and Dhardon Sharling had met Assam governor J.B. Patnaik recently before discussing the issue with leaders of the ruling Congress and the Opposition parties, including the AGP, BJP and the AIUDF seeking support for the lobby.

“We have requested all leaders in Assam and met some of the ministers. We have also sent mails to all the MLAs whom we could not meet. After Assam, we will visit Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya to garner support of the leaders there,” Sharling said here at a news conference today.

She said the campaign was launched to urge the government of India to join the growing international sentiment for restoration of basic human rights for Tibetans. “We are urging the Chinese government to talk to the Tibetans and resolve the Tibet issue through dialogue and enable the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet,” Sharling said.

The delegation said Tibet was an independent nation till 1951 when China occupied it and forced the Dalai Lama and his followers to leave the country and take refuge in India. Since then the Tibetans, who have now turned into a minority, have been protesting Chinese “oppression”. According to the delegation, at least 179 people resorted to self-immolation since 2009 of whom 100 were confirmed dead and the rest missing.