Dharamshala — The Democratic China and Future of Tibet Forum concluded in Dharamsala with a five-pont declaration. It states, " the declaration addressed independent Chinese perspectives on the reincarnation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Participants unanimously confirmed that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his Gaden Phodrang Trust designed by him has the final authority on the reincarnation and the Chinese authorities have no right to interfere, intervene or participate on this matter."
The three-day Democratic China and Future of Tibet Forum concluded in Dharamsala, on September 2, 2026 with five key declarations. The forum brought 29 Tibetan and journalists, translators, Chinese study scholars, experts and human rights activists from India, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and Southern Mongolia. The conferejce wa organised by the Tibetan Community Development Fund (TCDF) in collaboration with the Tibet Policy Institute (TPI), from August 31 to September 2, 2026.
The Forum was inaugurated by Sikyong Penpa Tsering of Central Tibetan Administration, on August 3, 2026 and he delivered the keynote address on issues including Sino-Tibetan relations, the Middle Way Approach, the reincarnation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the importance of cooperation between Tibetans and Chinese.
They issued a five-pont declaration and one point states," the declaration addressed independent Chinese perspectives on the reincarnation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Participants unanimously confirmed that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his Gaden Phodrang Trust designed by him has the final authority on the reincarnation and the Chinese authorities have no right to interfere, intervene or participate on this matter.
The another point states,"declaration examined China’s Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress from a legal and human rights perspective. Participants expressed serious concerns about its potential implications for the languages, cultures and identities of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians and other ethnic communities, and called for the repeal of the law."
One of the declaration reaffirmed nonviolence as a common fundamental principle. "Participants emphasised the importance of peaceful, practical and dialogical approaches to resolving the Sino-Tibetan conflict and recognised nonviolent resistance as a shared principle connecting the Tibetan and Chinese democratic movements," it stated.
The declaration also called for developing a common vision for a democratic future. "Participants highlighted the importance of exchanges between Tibetans in exile and Chinese democracy organisations and individuals, promoting the democratic experience of the Tibetan community in exile, and supporting the broader process of democratization in China," the declaration stated.
The declaration further focused on deepening understanding of Tibetan democracy, history, Tibetan-Chinese exchanges and the Middle Way Approach. "The forum provided an opportunity for Chinese participants to learn about the Tibetan democratic system and Tibetan perspectives on history, while Tibetans gained greater insight into the Chinese democracy movement. Discussions also examined the Middle Way Approach and its relevance to a peaceful resolution of the Sino-Tibetan conflict," it mentioned.
The final day of the forum, the participants attended the Tibetan Democracy Day celebration at the Tibetan Main Temple, Dharamshala, on September 2, 2026. On behalf of the Chinese participants, Wang Dan delivered a speech and the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Dolma Tsering Tekhang, launched of the book The Chinese Authorities Have No Right to Interfere on the Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, a compilation of articles written by Chinese scholars and writers.
