The official results of the 2011 Kalon Tripa and Parliamentary elections of the Tibetan government were declared late last night by the Election commission in Dharmsala, India.  Since early this morning I had to be available for the VOA Kunleng interview which was followed by many e-mails and calls.  Hence this delay in communicating with all of you.  My apologies.

I want to start by congratulating Lobsang Sangay la on his successful election to the office of the Kalon Tripa.  I have already wished him success in carrying out the heavy responsibilities of the Tibetan government in exile.  On a personal level, I cannot but say the results were a disappointment.  However, when I look at the larger Tibetan picture, it is nowhere as critical as the suffering of the Tibetan people for over fifty years.  The opportunity to offer my services and to participate in the election process was a rich and rewarding experience.  I stand proud with all those who supported and campaigned for me.  I believe that our efforts were a positive and meaningful contribution to this important democratic exercise.

 

Once more, I thank all those who supported and encouraged me to run for this office in the first place, and I especially want to thank all those who went out of their way to campaign on my behalf, offer donations, and to travel with me to many of the Tibetan communities and settlements.  Your concerns for the future of Tibet and your deep involvement in our affairs is a source of great strength and encouragement to all. I also want to thank all those who came to meet me and to listen to what I had to say about the role and responsibilities of a Kalon Tripa and the daunting future we all face.

Tashi Delek and my very best wishes to all who have been elected on this important day.

 

 

 

In the history of the Dalai Lamas, it's the first time that there is transition from a traditional role to a modern process . Secondly, he really wants to invest in democratic institutions of the Tibetan government in exile , so that the movement can be sustained till freedom is restored in Tibet. Thirdly, he is devolving his power not only to an elected prime minister, but to the people. It's a reversal of the classic democratic process where the movement is bottom-up . In our case, it's coming down from the top. It's a karmic evolution of democracy.

Is he trying to ensure the Chinese aren't able to manipulate a post-Dalai scenario?

He is definitely challenging the Chinese government upfront. They have always criticized him as a religious leader who plays politics. Now he is saying 'I am giving political power to the people and you —the communist party —are holding all the power even though you may not enjoy the mandate of the people' .

But reports from Dharamshala suggest the community is not accepting his resignation.

Who can replace the Dalai Lama? It's a daunting task. Our government is in the name of His Holiness ; the dialogue with China is in his name; many supporters are with us because of him. It's very difficult for the parliament to find a solution to all this in one sitting. The Dalai Lama will always remain our leader.

As per the proposal, the new prime minister will be the political leader of Tibetans. Your plans if you become prime minister?

It's too presumptuous to assume that you will be elected. Anyway, whoever gets elected must take political decisions. He has to be at the front and reflect and represent the political aspirations of the Tibetan people. The next kalon tripa will also have to deal with China.

All three candidates for prime minister are based outside India, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile . Why?

If you look at the preliminary results, I got an overwhelming number of votes. If you look at the list of candidates, you'll see that the people want the next kalon tripa to be someone who is away from Dharamshala because we had top six or seven candidates having close links with Dharamshala . Now, people are aspiring for change. I got the highest number of votes not because I live in the US but because I am least connected with Dharamshala . On the other hand, the people want to see someone who is rooted in Tibetan tradition, who understands Dharamshala pretty well and, at the same time, has exposure to the West.

Barack Obama ran his presidential campaign as a Washington outsider. Are you running your campaign on similar lines?

Consciously, it's important to run my campaign as a Tibetan who wants to dedicate himself to the Tibetan cause. But, while campaigning, the question I was often asked and sometimes criticized for was not having the experience of working in Dharamshala. I have always replied, 'I am an outsider who understands Dharamshala' . This line seems to have been accepted by the people.

You have been involved in Track II diplomacy with Chinese scholars. Any positive results?

The Chinese are a complex set of people with diverse views. There are hardliners who don't recognize the tragedy of Tibet. There are some liberalminded scholars who understand, yet they are least influential back home because their chances of going to jail are higher than of influencing the Chinese government. There are some serious scholars who want to resolve the issue. At the moment, the hardliners reflect the views of the Chinese government . I have been doing Track II for the past 15 years. I have organized seven major conferences. In 2009, I arranged the Dalai Lama's meeting with 100 scholars from China. That's a breakthrough. The fact that people are talking is itself a positive result.

There is some confusion about what the movement wants. Some people talk of independence , the Dalai Lama wants autonomy...

The confusion is made out to be more than it actually is. Tibet was an independent country and it's entitled to independence and self-determination . But what the Dalai Lama says is that given the reality of China's might, we can negotiate genuine autonomy , which is pragmatic. We have sent nine delegations to Beijing; now some conclude that there is a stalemate. Hence, the younger generation is saying we should go back to our original demand of independence.

Recently the Dalai Lama called himself a son of India. How do describe yourself ?

I have never seen Tibet because China doesn't allow me to go there. Still, I am a proud Tibetan and I will die a proud Tibetan. While I live, I will work for the Tibetan people. But I was born in India. I drank Indian water. I have no hesitation in saying that the Indian government and people have been very generous . For the past 15 years, I have been at Harvard . The exposure that I have now is because of th e university and I am grateful to the US. Once you are born a refugee, it's difficult to say where your home is and our home always will be Tibet, but our second home is India.

You could have become a rich lawyer...

I was born a Tibetan. If I turn my back on Tibet and the Tibetan people, what example am I going to set for the younger generation? I have already decided to dedicate myself to the Tibetan cause.

But many Tibetans want to go abroad. Isn't that an issue within the community?

It's an issue. That's why I stood for this election so that I could set a trend whereby people in the west and even here could say that we all have to return and take ownership of the government. In the present election, the participation of the younger generation is huge. It's a very positive development.

 

 

Following the Dalai Lama’s recent announcement that he will leave politics, the Prime Minister’s leadership will likely be more important in the near future. Tethong’s opponents are Harvard scholar Lobsang Sangay and government-in-exile official Tashi Wangdi.

According to Tethong, the Tibetan exile population numbers approximately 150,000 people, and 80,000 to 90,000 of them registered to vote. To be eligible, voters needed to show proof of financial contribution to the India-based government-in-exile. The ultimate turnout was about 70 percent.

Tethong, who previously held the role of prime minister from 1990 to 1995, said he would work to promote greater awareness among the Chinese about the status of the six million Tibetans living in China if elected.

Tethong said he sees it as his duty to speak out on behalf of Tibetans living in China.

“We want the Chinese people to understand the true history of what’s happened in Tibet,” Tethong said. “We want the world to know that this is not just a complicated political problem, but that this is basically an issue about right and wrong, an issue about justice.”

In 1950, the People’s Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet. Dissatisfaction with Chinese rule led to unrest, culminating in a 1959 uprising in Lhasa during which tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed.

Tethong argued that Chinese leaders must acknowledge this past and allow Tibetans the right to self-determination.

“Tibetan society should be an open, free and democratic society,” he said. “That’s a good beginning point so we don’t have to argue about history, but we move ahead and see how best to help the Tibetan community.”

He asserted that although the Chinese government views social and political liberalization in Tibetan areas as a source of instability, greater freedom would actually lead to peace.

Born in Lhasa and raised in India, Tethong has been a life-long activist for Tibet. In 1967 he joined the government-in-exile as a translator, and in 1968 he helped start a magazine in India. From 1973 to 1990, he was the Dalai Lama’s representative in the United States.

Finally, he came to Stanford in 1995 after the history department invited him to teach a course on Tibetan history. Since then, he has instructed a number of courses on Tibet.

Tethong’s other duties at Stanford have included work with the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies. He has also been involved in fundraising for a chair in Tibetan Studies.

CCARE Director and School of Medicine professor James Doty praised Tethong as an experienced and committed leader.

“The next several years will be profound in regard to Tibetans and the Tibetan Diaspora community as His Holiness steps away from active participation in politics,” Doty wrote in an email to The Daily. “In this regard, it would seem that an individual who has demonstrated his commitment to the Tibetan people over decades, has the deep respect of His Holiness the Dalai Lama [and has] worked in a leadership position in essentially every major Tibet organization would be an ideal prime minister at such a time of uncertainty and change.”

Paul Harrison, professor of religious studies and co-Director of the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies concurred.

“One of the things he has on his side is experience because he served in that capacity before and he has the trust of the Dalai Lama and of many people in the Tibetan establishment,” Harrison said.

Tethong said his desire to improve the world keeps him motivated.

“I’m one of those who believes that the world can and should be a better place for all, and that’s part of what keeps me involved doing what one might call ‘community work,’” he said. “I choose to do most of that within the Tibetan community because I’m most familiar with that community. I understand its strengths and weaknesses, and it’s an area in which maybe I can make my best contribution.”

International Parliamentarians Praise Tibetan Elections:
Calls upon the International Community to support Tibetan democratic institutions at this historic moment

Press Statement


21 March, 2011, Dharamsala – The International Network of Parliamentarians for Tibet (INPaT), as part of a worldwide initiative, deployed a team of experts to conduct a Tibetan Election Observation Mission (TEOM) where Tibetans yesterday voted to elect the Kalon Tripa (Chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet) and the 44 members of the 15th Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE). TEOM delegations composed of parliamentarians observed polling stations in northern and southern India in addition to nations in Europe and North America.

INPaT was formally invited by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) "to initiate a process of observing the final elections on the 20th of March 2011 in different parts of the world where Tibetan exiles vote for their leaders in the Cabinet and the Parliament."

By Pema Norbu, Earlham College, U.S.A. 


Over the last few months, the issue of the Kalon Trip election has captured the attention of all Tibetan people scattered around different parts of the globe and has generated some intense debates. The public discussions and debates on the Kalon Tripa election were further intensified by the campaigning groups and supporters of each candidate, dedicated to promote their own candidate. I have been following the events and processes of the Kalon Tripa election since the beginning of its campaign. I was bit concerned about how the public would react to this event given the relatively short history of Kalon Tripa directly elected by people through the ballot system. The primary election result speaks more in depth about how well we are prepared and educated on politics of democracy. However, I was overwhelmed by the number of Tibetans who took the initiative in the process of the election campaign through news media, social networks and public gatherings. If we choose to live by democratic principles, this marks the begging of our movement towards democracy and what we do today will define the course of our political future. 

Therefore, understanding the implications of this election is helpful in choosing a right person. I urge Tibetans of all walks of life to choose the right candidate who has the courage to take responsibility as well as the wisdom to guide our struggle for freedom, justice and human dignity. In this critical juncture of our history, we cannot afford to deceive ourselves by short sighted views of regionalism, emotional attachments and power struggle. Every single Tibetan shares this responsibility and must execute the duty of democracy by faithfully caste one’s vote to a person who deserves it.

If we give a thoughtful look at His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s historic statement on the 10th of March and his message to the Fourteenth Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies, His Holiness’s vision is clear; the modernization of Tibetan political system must reach its full bloom. His Holiness’s vision to modernize the Tibetan political system is not unknown to our history but unfortunately, it is becoming a stranger to many Tibetans today. The modernization reform was first introduced by 13th Dalai Lama in 1913 to preserve Tibet’s sovereignty and put Tibet into the global orbit of modern civilization. However, much needed reform failed to occur due to internal resistances from both monastic and civilian bureaucrats and looming external occupying pressures from outsiders, particularly the British and the Chinese. 

This unfinished task has been the main concern of the His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama since he assumed Tibetan spiritual and temporal role at the tender age of sixteen.  When Dalai Lama escaped Tibet in 1959, he sought guidance from the then Indian Prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and was allowed to establish the Tibetan community in India. With Dalai Lama’s unflinching determination and the Indian government’s supports, the Tibetan community in exile has become a fully functioning society with a democratic government at its heart and schools to impart modern education to young Tibetans. I am one of those young Tibetans who grew up in India and received a modern education in Tibetan schools in India. Like me every year, thousands of Tibetans receive education comparable to the 21st century global educational standards. According to the Tibetan Government in exile’s second demographic survey conducted by its Planning Commission in 2009, the literacy rate of Tibetans in exile above age 6 is 82.4 percent higher than many countries around the world. This is a millstone achievement in education comparing to pre-1959 Tibet.

Given the rapidly shifting global political climate and current situation of Tibet, the time has come to put the His Holiness’s reform into practice. The careful reading of our exile history clearly suggests that His Holiness has been preparing for this critical political transition since the reestablishment of Ganden Phodrang Government on the charter of modern democracy in 1960s. His Holiness clearly asserted in his message to the Tibetan People’s Deputies, “Since I was young, I have been aware of an urgent need to modernize the Tibetan political system. However, I had a strong wish to introduce appropriate reforms in accordance with the changing times and was able to effect some fundamental changes. Unfortunately, I was unable to carry these reforms any further due to circumstances beyond my control”. His Holiness expressed his vision for political transition in many occasions and both Tibetan government officials and people remained deft or unwilling to answer his calls. 

Over the years, His Holiness’s statements on this issue have been growing more and more assertive and on his speech given on the 10th of March 2011, His Holiness finally set a time line for this transition. However, government officials are still living in self-doubt and seem unwilling to take the political responsibility their offices demand of them. We should seriously consider His Holiness’s proposal and need to take necessary reform measures while the Dalai Lama is with us. Dissolving the political role does not mean that His Holiness evades his responsibility of a respected spiritual leader and simply as a Tibetan citizen. Therefore, His Holiness’s guidance and advices on important political matters will always be available to Tibetans regardless of His Holiness political power such as signing bills to pass legislation. In reality, this change in roles does not affect His Holiness’s guidance role to Tibetans, but it alters Tibetan people’s degree of commitment and responsibility. We have been regretting our failure to pursue His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama’s much anticipated modernization reforms in Tibet. The time will come when we are blaming ourselves again if we choose to walk away from this critical responsibility.

The implications of this political transition are something many people don’t take adequately into consideration. Firstly, the smooth political transition will slowly make our government self-reliant and less dependent on one man. Sooner or later, we have to face this political vacuum and we must prepare to face such a circumstance without losing hope. 

Secondly, a successful political transition will force Beijing to rethink its ad-hoc policy on Tibet; reducing issue of six million Tibetans as a private matter of the Dalai Lam. It further weakens Beijing’s much politicized campaign to intervene in Tibetan spiritual matters, particularly the disputed matter of reincarnation of Tibetan Lamas. 

Thirdly, it helps us to create a more secular society, where the flower of Dharma will blossom with its full fragrance of love and compassion without being tainted by cynicism politics. The purity of the Dharma teaching will be preserved when doctrine of faith does not dilute with affair of politics.  Moving towards secularism is a trend where contemporary world is aggressively heading with chaos and violence. We have to transform ourselves with the constantly shifting global order and continuous evolution of human civilization. Our inability to adapt to such changes in the past resulted in my opinion in the loss of our sovereignty and we became victims of modern politics. 

Fourthly, it reduces the burden on His Holiness and will help him to realize his vision to promote religious harmony and world peace which are also foundational interests of Tibetan people. Given His Holiness’s role as a global spiritual leader, his popularity and message of peace and harmony will continue to reach further across this shadowed world. Unlike other countries, dispute between politics and religion is not an issue in our community, however the current condition of global political climate induces grave misunderstandings of the role of the Dalai Lama in Tibetan politics. China’s aggressive campaigns on old Tibet as a “fiefdom state” under the leadership of the Dalai Lama further cloud people’s vision to see His Holiness clearly. 

Finally, if we are true follower of Buddha; we need willingness to serve in the realm of politics in order to give His Holiness a break from worldly issues so tainted with grime of politics. His Holiness is about to cross the age of seventy five and on the occasion of his seventy sixth birthday, we have to offer our best prayer (Chopha) by fulfilling his wish; a smooth transition of political power. Our centuries of old Lama- follower sacred relation with His Holiness will never cease to be end until the day when we lose our faith. 

   

This is why we need to cast an educated vote; it is crucial that we research and examine where each candidate stands on major topics concerning the Tibet issue. It is not only important to recognize each candidate’s policy, but also to explore how they seek/attempt to accomplish these policies.

We need someone who has not only dedicated their time towards the Tibetan Community, but also someone who can take the initiative to establish innovative programs to expand and further the Tibetan people.   Most importantly, we need someone who has leadership qualities that is evident not only during their campaign run for Kalon Tripa, but also in their past accomplishments. 

The educated choice is to vote for Tenzin Namgyal Tethong la (TNT) for Kalon Tripa.  It is when we cast our votes based on societal and regional prejudices that we stray from casting an educated vote.  But as HHDL has stated, our decisions should be based only on the qualifications of the candidates.

If we truly want what is best for Tibet and the rest of the Tibetan community, Tenzin Namgyal Tethong la is the right choice for Kalon Tripa. 

Please Vote for TNT on March 20, 2011.

By Dhondup Phunkhang, Boston 


Recently, a topic of discussion within Boston and in some online forums has been around the fact that Lobsang Sangay la hasn’t held a talk in his hometown of Boston. Some of his supporters, and other individuals in Boston including me, have asked him to speak but now, with the election just a few days away, it appears that Lobsang la will not be holding any campaign event here. Given that he's visited just about every other Tibetan community in the world, this begs the question as to why?

I have known Lobsang Sangay la for over ten years. We served on the first Tibetan Association of Boston (TAB) Board of Directors for three years, worked together on His Holiness’s trip to Boston in 2009 for a year with sixteen other Tibetans and on various other community and Chinese outreach programs. I have always found him to be a personable, confident go-getter, and a captivating speaker.

Early last year, Lobsang la and I spoke at length about organizing a “proper debate” with rebuttals, and half of it to be in English for our younger members here in Boston and worldwide. TAB tried to organize this but sadly, this debate never panned out due to conflicting schedules. The next best thing was to have the final three Kalon Tripa candidates speak directly to the public. I am grateful to the various Boston supporters of Katri Surpa Tenzin Namgyal Tethong la and Kasur Tashi Wangdu la who invited their candidates for events on Dec 19th and Feb 20th, respectivel,y and for which I had the honor of being the MC.

As a follow-up to the visits of the other two candidates, I asked Lobsang la about any plans to hold a talk in Boston when I saw him at the VOA debate in Washington DC. He said, “I’ll be talking in Boston on March 18th.” I offered to help and his reply was, “let’s talk in Boston”. Just a few days later, when I saw him at Losar he said, “I don’t see the need to talk here but maybe I will”. Naturally, I was a little taken aback by this considering what he had said in DC.

In the back and forth over why Lobsang la has not once talked to the Boston public since the announcement of his candidacy, people have speculated on various possible reasons that I would like to discuss and respond to here. They include:

-He doesn’t feel the need to talk here because he has public support.

At the debate in New York City, Lobsang la indicated that he knew he had won Boston in the primaries. Aside from the fact that I found it outrageous that a Kalon Tripa candidate would reveal leaked information in such a way - information that we cannot verify - I think it shouldn't matter whether or not Lobsang la thought he had won Boston. Even the most seasoned politicians hold events in their home ridings, especially if they enjoy huge public support. Holding such an event is important not just for the sake of the campaign, but it's a sign of respect to the community that indicates the candidate cares for the people with whom he has lived and worked over many years.

-He doesn’t have enough time.

That may be the case right now at this late date, but it wasn’t for the last year. Lobsang la has found time to visit the smallest of settlements in India, some several times over, and at the end of all of these trips he has been returning to Boston, even if only for a few days at a time.

-Even Tashi Wangdu la didn’t speak in Europe (his last home).

Tashi Wangdu la didn't start campaigning until the very last minute and he hasn’t spoken in many places.  Lobsang la, on the other hand, has been campaigning for more than a year and has spoken everywhere but Boston.

-There is not a lot of support for him here or he may face tough questions as the Boston public knows him best.

Even if there were tough questions to be answered in Boston, as someone seeking public office, Lobsang la has a responsibility to meet the people and address their concerns head on. Clearly, he has the ability to do this as he has addressed many tough questions on the campaign trail.

I believe we need to hold all our candidates to high standards of accountability, especially those applying for the highest office.  I feel we Tibetans have achieved a lot in the last 52 years, largely due to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s leadership. The overwhelming international public support and Tibet’s continued relevancy in today’s world has much to do with His Holiness’s tireless work, his moral authority, integrity and credibility; these are values I feel we need to look for in our new Kalon Tripa especially as he will be taking over much of His Holiness’s political role.

I believe we need change but change with values and meaning. Given that we don’t have a country, we have limited funds, no legal judicial system, very little media and certainly no formal independent regulators doing fact checks, we are left only with ourselves and our personal and collective character. The public has a right to ask questions regardless of which way they sway, after all the Kalon Tripa will be representing ALL of us. 

Considering these important facts, I am quite disappointed in Lobsang Sangay la for his decision not to speak here in Boston. A good leader must show the highest level of integrity in order to win the trust and faith of the people. It is essential that we have trust and faith in the man who will represent Tibet in this crucial time in our history.

With this said, I fully believe all three candidates are patriots who have served our cause in many different ways. I respect them immensely for running in this very difficult campaign and know that they will all continue to use their talents to serve our country. Once the elections are over, regardless of who wins, that’s when the real work begins and then we will all be behind him.