Tibetan parliament to discuss Xi's visit to India

The session of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile began in this Himachal Pradesh hill town Friday and will hold special deliberations on the proposed visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India next week, an official said.

A special session to discuss the proposed visit will be held Sep 16, Speaker Penpa Tsering announced on the first day of the session.

The session will also discuss the current grim situation in Tibet and will see presentation of annual reports by the seven departments of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), said the official.

Some 130 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 within and outside Tibet. The common cry of all self-immolators is the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

The session, which can also be viewed online, will conclude Sep 24.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan administration in exile is based in this northern Indian hill town.