Tibet
Charter of the Tibetans-In-Exile
CHAPTER - I
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
Commencement - Article 1. This Charter having been adopted by the Assembly of the Tibetan People's Deputies1 and assented to by His Holiness the Dalai Lama shall come into force on the day appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Jurisdiction - Article 2. This Charter shall be binding and enforceable on all Tibetans under the jurisdiction of the Tibetan Administration-in-Exile.
Nature of the Tibetan Polity - Article 3. The future Tibetan polity shall uphold the principle of non-violence and shall endeavour to promote the freedom of the individual and the welfare of the society through the dual system of government based on a Federal Democratic Republic. The polity of the Tibetan Administration-in-Exile shall conform to the provisions herein after specified. No amendments to this Charter shall be made except as specified in the Articles of Chapter XI of this Charter.
Principles of the Tibetan Administration - Article 4. It shall be the duty of the Tibetan Administration to adhere to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as specified by the United Nations, and to also urge and encourage all other countries of the world to respect and comply with such Declarations, and shall emphasize the promotion of the moral and material well-being of the Tibetan people, the safeguarding of their social, cultural, religious and political rights, and in particular, the ultimate achievement of their common goal.
Validity of the Charter - Article 5.
(1) Any existing law, ordinance, regulation, administrative or executive order which is deemed repugnant to any particular provision of this Charter shall be declared null and void to the extent of its repugnancy.
(2) In the event of disputes arising from the above provision, the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission shall adjudicate all such disputes.
Recognition of International and Local Law - Article 6. All laws, ordinances, regulations, administrative and executive orders of the Tibetan Administration-in-Exile shall conform to the generally accepted principles of international law and in particular comply with the local laws of the host countries.
Renunciation of Violence and the Use of Force - Article 7. The future Tibet shall be a zone of peace and shall strive to disengage itself from the production of all destructive weapons, including Nuclear and Chemical; and, currently, the Tibetans-in-Exile shall refrain from all warfare as a means to achieve the common goal of Tibet, or for any other purpose.
Citizen of Tibet - Article 8.
(1) All Tibetans born within the territory of Tibet and those born in other countries shall be eligible to be citizens of Tibet. Any person whose biological mother or biological father is of Tibetan descent has the right to become a citizen of Tibet; or
(2) any Tibetan refugee who has had to adopt citizenship of another country under compelling circumstances may retain Tibetan citizenship provided he or she fulfills the provisions prescribed in Article 13 of this Charter; or
(3) any person, although formally a citizen of another country, who has been legally married to a Tibetan national for more than three years, who desires to become a citizen of Tibet, may do so in accordance with the laws passed by the Tibetan Assembly.
(4) The Tibetan Assembly shall formulate laws of citizenship in order to enforce the above Articles.
Charter of the Tibetans-In-Exile