Seeking international support for their struggle, Tibet's Prime Minister-in-exile Sikong Lobsang Sangay on Friday said increasing number of self immolation protests in his homeland were a result of "growing frustration" among youth.
However, he said, Tibetan government-in-exile always support a peaceful movement.
"There are cases of growing frustration amongst the Tibetan youth, who have resorted to violence, but we always support a peaceful movement for our cause," Sangay said.
His remarks came to a question raised by a student of Jamia Millia University where he delivered K.R Narayanan Memorial lecture.
Sangay said issues like economic marginalisation and political repressions are the main reasons prompting Tibetans to go for these extreme forms of protest.
Addressing the students, Sangay said they want to improve the Tibetan Government system, so that democracy can be pushed forward. "We are in a transition phase," he said.
Tibet needs the support of the world media to keep its independence movement alive, he said referring to a report which said that self-immolations in Tibet was one of the least reported issues of the world.
"The international media highlighted the Arab Spring after there was one self-immolation in Tunisia, while there are 89 such cases in Tibet as of now, which are going unnoticed, there must be one standard maintained for reporting such cases," he said.
Lobsang, who was elected as the political head of the Tibetans was voted to the Tibetan Parliament a year back by the exiled Tibetan diaspora, is an expert on Human Rights Laws and conflict resolutions.
He said Tibetans considered India to be a source of inspiration and support for the movement and referred to the situation in Tibet as equally 'grave' for India as well in respect of security and environment issues.
"The Chinese have set up military airfields and railway lines in Tibet and have also built dams across rivers flowing into India...also the extensive deforestation in the region have resulted in floods in India and Bangladesh, which is indeed a matter of concern," he said.
