By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, June 12: The Dharamshala based Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile has set July 31 as the last date for voluntary participants to apply for the upcoming Second Special Meeting of Tibetans to be held in September.

In a release yesterday, the Tibetan Parliament notified that applications for voluntary participants will be received by the Parliamentary Secretariat from June 15 through July 31.

“After the deadline, the selection of the participants will be based on a draw system, and those selected will be informed,” TPiE said.

Voluntary applicants are also required to submit proof of their updated Green Book Voluntary Contribution along with their applications.

The second Special Meeting of Tibetans will be held in the exile headquarters of Dharamshala from September 25-28. The meeting is scheduled to hold extensive discussions and brainstorming on campaign ideas and plans for activities by exile Tibetans in light of the ongoing critical situation inside Tibet.

“The meeting is aimed to bring in suggestions regarding the exile movement in support and solidarity with the plight of the people inside Tibet,” Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay had earlier told reporters.

Delegates to the meeting will include incumbent and former Kalons (ministers), present and former members of the parliament, representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, representatives of the NGOs and Tibet support groups. Additional reserved seats for Lodrik Welfare Association in Pokhara, Nepal and Jonang school have also been provided.

50 seats have been reserved for voluntary participants from outside the Indian subcontinent, while 35 seats have been made available for voluntary participants from India, Nepal, and Bhutan.

The first Special Meeting was held in 2008 to discuss the future course of action following the lack of any signs of progress in the dialogue process with China and the worsening situation inside Tibet after the widespread anti-China protests earlier that year.

The exile Tibetan administration hopes to draw around 500 participants from different countries across the world.

Live webcast of the meeting will be available and online queries from the public via the internet will also be welcomed during the meeting.