GATPM / 5 June 2025
Reflection by Tsering Passang, Founder and Chair, Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM)
The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) warmly welcomes the successful conclusion of the 9th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet (WPCT) in Tokyo and applauds the unanimous adoption of the Tokyo Declaration, the Tokyo Action Plan, and the Resolution Honouring the 90th Birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
This landmark global gathering – bringing together over 140 parliamentarians, experts, and human rights advocates from 29 countries – marks a critical reaffirmation of the international community’s commitment to the Tibetan cause. At a time when authoritarian regimes threaten fundamental freedoms, human dignity, and cultural survival, the WPCT stands as a powerful and principled assertion of global solidarity and shared democratic values.
The Convention’s focus on coordinated legislative action, alliance-building, and countering Chinese transnational repression reflects a bold and strategic advancement in international support. GATPM especially recognises the vital contributions from fellow human rights defenders and representatives of other persecuted communities – including Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolians, and Taiwanese – who stood in unity with the Tibetan people. Their participation underscores the shared and borderless nature of our collective struggle against repression and cultural erasure.
A deeply significant moment of the convention was the heartfelt message from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, whose lifelong commitment to peace, nonviolence, and mutual understanding continues to inspire the global conscience. His call for “a mutually acceptable solution with a peaceful, non-violent path” and his unwavering support for the Middle Way Approach – seeking genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the People’s Republic of China – remains a guiding moral force. The adoption of a resolution honouring His Holiness’ enduring legacy, ahead of his 90th birthday, is both timely and profoundly meaningful.
The Tokyo Declaration reaffirms several key principles:
- Support for the Middle Way Approach as the most pragmatic and peaceful solution to the Sino-Tibetan conflict;
- A call for renewed international efforts to promote meaningful dialogue between the Tibetan leadership and the Chinese government;
- A united stand against the Chinese Communist Party’s transnational influence operations, which undermine democratic institutions and civil liberties worldwide;
- An urgent appeal to preserve Tibet’s distinct cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage, which faces systematic destruction under Beijing’s policy of enforced assimilation and surveillance.
The Tokyo Action Plan lays out clear and coordinated steps for lawmakers worldwide, including:
- The formation and strengthening of Tibet Support Groups within national parliaments;
- Introduction of parliamentary motions, public hearings, and advocacy initiatives to spotlight China’s human rights abuses in Tibet;
- Consideration of targeted sanctions, including Magnitsky-style measures, against individuals and entities complicit in the repression of the Tibetan people.
As a British-Tibetan and founder of the Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities, I extend my deepest appreciation to the Japanese Parliamentarians’ Support Group for Tibet, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, the UK delegation, and all other organisers and participants who delivered a convention of such strategic foresight and moral clarity.
Now more than ever, sustained international solidarity is vital. The Tibetan people – both inside occupied Tibet and across the diaspora – continue to resist with remarkable courage, dignity, and nonviolence in the face of relentless repression. Their peaceful struggle demands not just admiration but concrete political and diplomatic support.
Let us not settle for symbolic gestures. Let us transform these declarations into meaningful, coordinated action – actions that uphold justice, defend human rights, and realise the Tibetan people’s rightful aspiration to live in dignity, peace, and freedom.
We stand united – for Tibet, and for all persecuted peoples confronting tyranny.
Tsering Passang
Founder and Chair
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM)
5 June 2025
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) 