On 1 July 2009 a group of six Federal Parliamentarians will travel to Dharamsala, the Indian base of the Dalai Lama and the heart of the Tibetan community in exile. This is the first such visit by an Australian Parliamentary delegation.

Over the course of a six-day official visit the group, comprised of members of all major parties and representing the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, will have meetings with the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Parliament, Prime Minister and the Kashag (Tibetan Cabinet). They will also meet with newly arrived refugees and former political prisoners, visit the Tibetan Children’s Village and tour a number of cultural institutes and Tibetan non-government organizations.

On 6th July, the final day of the visit, the group will take part in the public celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 74th birthday.

Michael Danby, Chair of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, will lead the delegation.

“This is a significant step in Australia’s support for a peaceful resolution of the Tibetan situation. It is also a unique opportunity for Australian Parliamentarians to learn first hand about the challenges facing the Tibetan people and Tibetan culture. My fellow delegates and I hope to return with a greater understanding of the Tibetan issue and with new ideas for providing constructive support for Tibet’s future,” said Michael Danby.

Ngodup Gyaltsen of the Canberra-based Tibet Information Office and Dr. Simon Bradshaw of the Australia Tibet Council will accompany the group. Please assist ATC by making a donation to help cover Ngodup and Simon’s travel expenses. DONATE NOW

The visit follows the collapse last year of the ailing Tibet-China dialogue after Chinese Government rejected the Tibetans’ “Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People” - a detailed plan for addressing the needs of the Tibetan people within existing provisions in the PRC constitution. Leading human rights monitors including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported a marked deterioration in the human rights situation in Tibet as Chinese authorities struggle to contain rising resentment at years of cultural repression and failed socio-economic reforms.

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