By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, April 27: Some of the most loved and widely respected world leaders attending the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Chicago have pledged their continued support to the elected Tibetan leadership and the Tibetan cause.

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay participated in the summit along with His Holiness the Dalai Lama earlier this week and privately met with former laureates Lech Walesa, F. W. De Klerk, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jody Williams, and Shirin Ebadi on the sidelines of the meeting.

The Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration in a report on its official website said the Nobel Laureates expressed their “admiration for the historic political transfer” from the Dalai Lama to the democratically elected political leadership.

“They ensured every support to the new leadership and the Tibetan cause, including the possibility of visiting Tibet for fact-finding mission,” the report said.

The Nobel Laureates also expressed their desire to visit the exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamsala to show support for the new Tibetan leadership and the Tibetan struggle.

According to reports, the 43-year old de facto Tibetan Prime Minister in his parleys with the Peace Laureates raised the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet and the critical human rights situation on the plateau.

36 Tibetans have set their bodies on fire since 2009, demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

The Laureates reiterated their pledge to support the Tibetan people and the peaceful resolution of Tibetan struggle, as per reports.

During the summit, the Dalai Lama joined his colleagues in discussing a wide range of topics including human rights, poverty, and environment.

The Nobel Peace Laureates also joined hands in leading a united effort for the release of fellow laureate Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese human rights and democracy activists who is currently serving a 11-year jail term on charges of “subversion.”