Dharamshala :- Ms Meilli Chow, the Chairperson of Taiwan Friends of Tibet (TFT) was in Dharamshala recently to take the opportunity to meet and thank members, partners and friends who have been associated with TFT in the Tibet cause. After a five year stint, Ms Chow will be stepping down from the post of the Chairperson next year.
"Taiwan Friends of Tibet is successfully addressing the Tibet issues in Taiwan today. I am very happy to say - about five years back there were only 100 to 200 people gathered in the March 10 rally, but today we have 1000 to 2000 people" - she said in her speech.
The TFT has also been successfully organizing group visits to Dharamshala including the students exchange programme for years now. Ms. Chow clarified that the TFT has no intentions to intervene in internal affairs of the Tibetans. "The future of Tibet will be decided by the Tibetans. TFT's primary objective is to make sure that the voices of the six million Tibetans inside Tibet be heard".
She feels that the difference in opinions within the Tibetan communities shouldn't spread to outsiders. Ms. Chow expressed further that she's deeply worried and saddened to see a confrontational divide among the Tibetan community on the Tibet cause in the recent past. "15 years ago when I first came here as a journalist - the whole community was united".
So she urged all to keep aside the differences on whether it's complete independence or the middle way and focus on the real issue - the oppression and suffering of the six million Tibetans in Tibet. She feared that a divided community will only help the Chinese authorities.
Ms. Chow concluded her speech by thanking all and saying - "It's the responsibility of the people living in free countries to strive to make sure voices of those in Tibet be heard to the outside world".
