This year this process will be further strengthened with the changes in the election of the chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet, the Kashag. However, I do consider it my moral obligation to the six million Tibetans to continue taking up the Tibetan issue with the Chinese leadership and act as the free spokesman of the Tibetan people until a solution is reached. The tremendous trust placed on me by the Tibetan people increases my strong sense of responsibility. Tibet had been existing as a distinct and separate entity for over two thousand years. There is no denying of this fact.
History is history and no one can change the past but accept the facts.
I believe that it is best for historians and legal experts to decide the historical status of Tibet. Irrespective of past history, I am looking towards the future. No other province or part of the People s Republic of China has any such agreement with Beijing. Despite these assurances, sadly for the most part of its rule, China s oppressive Tibet policies have been misguided by a deep sense of insecurity, distrust, suspicion and arrogance and by a glaring lack of understanding, appreciation and respect for Tibet s distinct culture, history and identity. I also have admiration for China and her people with their long history and rich culture.