Tibetan leader says government-in-exile will wind up after settlement with China - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Member and former Speaker of Tibetan parliament-in-exile, Karma Choephel confirmed that their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has said that after reaching a peaceful settlement with China, the government-in-exile will be dissolved. Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Choephel said: "The Dalai Lama has said that the Tibetan government-in-exile will be wound up, closed down and we will all move to Tibet and work as equal Tibetans in Tibet. So, what His Holiness is saying is that only because someone has worked in the Tibetan government-in-exile, only by that qualification, he or she won't have any special privilege," said Choephel. He further said that it would be an odd issue if people elect them just by the virtue of having been the Tibetan government-in-exile and noted that they cannot claim to have a place in such a future Tibet . "Middle way approach is itself a compromise, as without claiming total independence for Tibet, we are trying to have a compromised settlement with China. So, it is a compromise only," added Choephel. His reaction came after China lashed out at the Dalai Lama over his reported speech in which he said Buddhists were living in prison-like conditions. The speech, delivered to mark the 51st anniversary of his flight from Tibet to India, drew official Chinese ire at a regular Foreign Ministry news briefing in Beijing. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the Dalai Lama has distorted the true situation in Tibet and insulted the central government's policies in Tibet, to trumpet his separatist claims of independence or semi-independence; and the there are no countries in the world which recognise the so-called Tibetan government-in-exile.