Click to enlarge. (Source: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Defendant+seeks+extension+at+the+first+hearing+of+Case+No.+20&id=41495)

Click to enlarge. (Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2019/06/05/penpa-tserings-case-against-cta-president-defendant-asks-more-time)

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Penpa Tsering Vs Lobsang Sangay Case in Tibetan Court (Breaking News)

Click to enlarge. (Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/sunday-edition/dalai-vs-sangay–case-hearing-from-june-5.html)

31 July 2018

Wherever Lobsang Sangay has turned up for public engagements, he has been greeted with protestors who are unhappy with the corruption exhibited by the Tibetan leadership.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.  

By Solaray Kusco

It has been a trying few months for the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Sikyong Lobsang Sangay. Since he trounced political rival Penpa Tsering in the 2016 Sikyong elections, nothing has gone right for him. Post-election tensions ran high between the former candidates so to pacify him, Penpa Tsering was given the consolation post of North America’ donjo (the Dalai Lama’s representative). This position is highly coveted amongst the upper echelons of the Tibetan leadership because it comes with wealth and privilege, thanks to plentiful opportunities to meet liberal American sponsors and donors.

However, in November 2017, after Sangay’s sudden and unexplained dismissal of Penpa Tsering from the donjo post, his ratings took a real nosedive and have not recovered since. Things continued to go from bad to worse as nearly one hundred Tibetans, calling themselves the “Truth Seeking Volunteers”, have been protesting Sangay wherever in the world he has travelled to.

Most recently, they camped outside the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile for ten days (March 14^th to 24^th), protesting against Sangay while the Parliament inside debated about the Penpa Tsering issue, although they were supposed to be discussing budgetary concerns. The protestors’ demands include greater clarification regarding Penpa Tsering’s dismissal, as well as an explanation for the US$1.5mil which went missing from the Tibet Fund and appears to have been mis-accounted for at best, and embezzled at worst.

It was not until the tenth day that 14 members of parliament met with representatives of the protestors, appearing in their personal capacity to listen to the concerns of their constituents. The fact that the target of the protests, Sangay himself, refused to meet with anyone is a clear indication that he would rather attend to more financially lucrative endeavors, and he has no interest in resolving issues that actually concern those who voted him into power. Not only did Sangay snub his constituents but he added salt to the wound when he haughtily challenged them to take him to court if they were unsatisfied with the Cabinet’s decisions.

Sangay’s behavior confirms the opposition’s claims that he does not behave like a democratically-elected leader of the people, but is more akin to an arrogant, self-serving dictator who sees no need to be answerable to the electorate. Hence, due to Sangay’s ego, he is willing to waste even more Tibetan taxpayers’ money and time in fighting his own Tibetan people in court. Has he not done enough damage already with his other divisive policies like the ban on Dorje Shugden, and his refusal to given equal parliamentary representation to the Jonangpas?

One of the nine hunger strikers of the followers of the Jonang sect. They are outside the CTA’s (Tibetan Parliament) office in Dharamsala demanding for the discrimination against their sect to end. The CTA or Central Tibetan Administration are well known for their corrupt and unjust ways of handling their people. The Jonang sect was banned in Tibet by the 5th Dalai Lama for over 400 years until recently. Now they want representatives in the Tibetan Parliament which is not allowed to them. The same discrimination and much more is also targeted against Dorje Shugden followers.

Would it not just cost less for Sangay to answer his people’s questions face-to-face, or is honesty really that difficult for him? This kind of typical behavior from the Tibetan leadership shows Sangay’s lack of foresight and care for the CTA’s image as a whole. As it is, the Tibetans in exile are facing more challenges than ever before, with their main sponsor and host country India dumping them in favor of relations with China. Yet, instead of uniting the Tibetan people, Sangay chooses to divide them further by challenging his own people to sue him. Does he not think something like this will reflect badly on the Tibetans, not to mention the Dalai Lama, when everyone sees Tibetans fighting one another so publicly, forever airing their dirty laundry?

Now we see the truth about the Tibetan leadership’s undemocratic ways. Real democracy allows the people’s voices to be heard and good leadership means facing these voices and answering them. Unfortunately, the Tibetan leadership has no experience at being held accountable for anything since no one has ever dared to speak up against the injustices they commit. But that was in the past, at a time when it was unthinkable for Tibetans to protest against their leaders.

The world nowadays is a very different place and protests have become commonplace. If the once-unthinkable protests show no signs of abating, then Sangay would do well to realize it is only a matter of time before he will be forced to make good on his fighting words. There are plenty of Tibetans who are angry with him, and who possess the resources to take him up on his challenge. And let’s not forget the ever-watchful eye of the Dalai Lama, who may just step in and oust Sangay if the protests grow too large, and the protestors grow too vocal.

It is time for Sangay to step up to the plate and start making real amends or step down as leader, because his behavior is, to put it simply, bad for business. Yes, the world and the Dalai Lama are watching so Sangay, it is your move.

Tibet Sun: What if the protesters bring Lobsang Sangay to court?

Click to enlarge. (Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2018/04/02/what-if-the-protesters-bring-lobsang-sangay-to-court)

Phayul: Protestors demand impeachment of President Sangay, MP Yarphel

Click to enlarge. (Source: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=40270)

The Siasat Daily: Tibetans protests against government amidst strained relations with India

Click to enlarge. (Source: https://www.siasat.com/news/tibetans-protests-against-cta-president-amidst-strained-relations-india-1330963/)

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Jangchup Wangmo

DEHRADUN, INDIA - Of late, Phayul, TibetSun.com and TibetanJournal.com have been awash with news about Penpa Tsering’s recent dismissal from the post of dhonchoe (Dalai Lama’s representative) of North America. It is the latest scandal to infiltrate every teashop conversation throughout the Tibetan refugee settlements.

Yet amidst the petty bickering about who is right, who is wrong, who said what, which supporters are more violent and where did the money go – what everyone has forgotten is the welfare of the Tibetans in Tibet.

The Tibetan leadership are more interested in fulfilling their political vendettas and concerned about maintaining their access to easy money, than about accomplishing something that will benefit the Tibetan population as a whole. There is bountiful proof of this.

• The Tibetan leadership are always talking about how harsh life is under the Chinese leadership, and how the Tibetan people are supposedly oppressed. If that were true, where is the urgency to do something about it? 60 years after going into exile, and decades after the last fact-finding trip to Tibet, there has been no change in the situation. Since Sikyong Lobsang Sangay came into power, he has not held one single talk with any member of the Chinese leadership. That alone is proof that Lobsang Sangay is ineffective as a leader because he has made scant, if any, progress in accomplishing what all Tibetans want, which is to be reunited inside Tibet.
• The Tibetan media is filled with news about their scandals and segregation, and blame games. There is hardly ever news about their advocacy work any more, which these days appears to be predominantly funded and carried out by internationally-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These NGOs tend to be operated and maintained by non-Tibetans, with minimal involvement and input from the CTA.
• The fact the Tibetan monasteries still have to beg for money is proof that the Tibetan leadership have no interest in protecting Tibetan culture. In pre-1959, the monasteries were supported by the laity as well as the government, who extended assistance to struggling monasteries. In a post-exile Tibet, the monasteries have to send their monks on demeaning exhibition tours around the world. On these tours, they proffer holy rituals, intricate mandala exhibitions and sacred dances for people to gawk at, all in exchange for a fee, like some sort of spiritual freak show. It seems that under the Tibetan leadership, also known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA based in Dharamsala), everything is for sale at a price, even their precious religion.

The problem is that life in exile has become too easy, to the point the Tibetan leadership have forgotten about the supposed “sufferings” of their people inside Tibet. In exile, they have all the freedoms afforded to them which they fully exploit:

• They can buy houses using money from dubious sources, and maintain multiple bank accounts
• They can take out loans then repurpose them as gifts or contributions
• They can beg for donations on the pretext of helping earthquake victims, but never actually disburse the money, keeping it instead in their own bank accounts
• They can travel at will on one of their many international passports while they sabotage their own people’s chances at different passports
• They can send their children to the best schools and universities around the world
• They can relocate their families to Western countries

But how come you never hear of members of the Tibetan leadership relocating their families back to Tibet, when the doors are wide open (as has been demonstrated by many people like Amchok Rinpoche)? If they wish so badly to return to Tibet, and if people like Amchok Rinpoche have demonstrated that a safe and successful return is possible, how come they have not moved in that direction?

So the question that is left to be asked is, if life in Tibet is not so bad as the CTA claim (as demonstrated by Amchok Rinpoche), and if there are no legal limitations to their return to Tibet, do they actually want to go back to Tibet? What if they do not actually want to return to their homeland but are just keeping up their charade of being suppressed refugees, in order to keep the easy money rolling in?

One of their golden temples with huge altars bedecked in jewels

Compared to the Tibetans, whose settlements are filled with golden temples and huge altars bedecked in jewels, no other refugee community in the world has been so successful in raising money from the international community. The so-called Tibetan cause has attracted celebrity supporters from all over the globe, whose advocacy has generated billions in donations and aid for the Tibetan community since 1959.

Meanwhile, while the Tibetan leaders live this cushy life in exile, the Tibetans who chose to remain in (or returned to) Tibet watch in disgust as their government misbehaves in this way. Through channels like WeChat, they hear about Sikyong Lobsang Sangay and Penpa Tsering fanning the flames of regionalism, caught in a never-ending catfight over ‘who said what to who’ and ‘who did what to who and when’. These are the same people in Tibet that the CTA claims are “suffering” under the so-called “yoke” of Chinese oppression. The CTA likes to claim that life in Tibet is so bad that hundreds of people have had to self-immolate in protest. Yet, despite the fact that hundreds of Tibetans have committed suicide, the leaders of the CTA continue to be caught up in their personal issues rather than focus on the loss of Tibetan lives.

If the CTA had any compassion for their people in Tibet, they would get their act together, stop fighting and start thinking about the welfare of their people, both in India and in Tibet too.

MP Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar seen here publicly accosting Ms. Zhu, who was protesting an exhibition about Tibetan history. Ms. Zhu is a student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and had just come from an audience with His Holiness.

• Will Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar stop with her street brawls and hooliganism, and think about the people in Tibet for just one second?
• Will Lobsang Sangay keep his sticky fingers out of the Tibetan refugee honeypot, and stop reassigning money based on his whims and fancies?
• Will Dhardon Sharling use her wits and intelligence in favor of political advancements, instead of her feminine wiles?
• Will Lodi Gyari and his son-in-law give the money that people donated to suffering Tibetans, to the Tibetans who are actually suffering?
• Will Junchen Konchok stop organizing rangzen conferences which are specifically against the Dalai Lama’s Middle Way Approach?
• Will the Tibetan leaders fund projects that benefit the Tibetan community, instead of websites and videos that aim to segregate a portion of their population like Dorje Shugden practitioners?
• Will the Tibetan leaders allow a fair and transparent election to be run, instead of changing the rules mid-way through?
• Will the Tibetan leaders allow newspapers to operate and report on issues without the threat of violent censorship?

Sadly, the Tibetan leadership seem to be entirely incapable of this, as potshot after potshot is fired from one camp to another.

All Tibet observers should really take note that if conditions in Tibet were really so bad, nothing else would occupy the minds of the CTA leaders. More column inches would be dedicated to those issues, rather than the political and financial scandals that the CTA is constantly embroiled in. The truth is, Tibetans in Tibet may have more of a chance at a better life under Chinese leadership than under the incompetent, inward-looking and self-absorbed Tibetan leaders.

As it is, the NGOs talk so much more about the conditions in Tibet, while Lobsang Sangay himself speaks comparatively little of it. It also seems now that it is every single month where he is on some kind of tour of America or Europe, and spending less and less time in Dharamsala. Of late, Lobsang Sangay has also been appointed one of the Dalai Lama’s two special emissaries, authorized to represent the Dalai Lama. We can therefore all be sure that Tibetans in Dharamsala will be seeing much less of their Prime Minister, who will now be acting as the Dalai Lama’s representative too.

Which job will take precedence in Lobsang Sangay’s mind, the one where he is an elected official representing the exiled Tibetan people, or the one where he was specially appointed by the Dalai Lama himself to represent him? It will clearly be the more lucrative position and well, which position garners more glamor, respect and funding? The one where he is the Dalai Lama’s representative or where he is an elected representative of the Tibetan people? We all know what Lobsang Sangay’s choice is going to be, and whose name he is going to use and abuse.

Only time will tell what the CTA’s real intentions are but based on their track record since 1959, it is clearly not a motivation that is of the people, for the people, and nor will it ever be.

Dalai Lama Appointed Two Official Emissaries Recently

Source: http://www.tibetanjournal.com/index.php/2017/11/17/dalai-lama-appointed-two-official-emissaries-recently/. Click to read the full report.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

If anyone wonders why after more than half a century in exile, some Tibetan refugees are saying that they are not even close to a whiff of returning to their homeland, the escalating infighting amongst the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) top officials provides a clue.

The CTA, or the exiled Tibetan leadership which is based in Dharamsala, claims to be a democracy. However, its policies, actions and behaviors reflect nothing of a democracy. In fact, the leadership has always been run on strong-man politics more akin to totalitarian regimes. Since they entered exile in 1959, the CTA have demonstrated a strangely comfortable stance on policies that are nothing short of breaches of its own constitution. As the decades rolled on, it became clearer to observers that the Dalai Lama and his proxies could, at their whims and fancies, override even the highest law governing the Tibetans in diaspora.

Yet, one of the strongest indicators that the CTA is not a real democracy is the stark absence of a viable, functioning opposition party. In the recent 2016 Sikyong (Prime Minister) elections, it seemed as though a contender had been found in the form of Penpa Tsering, the former Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile. Though he was in fact already part of the Tibetan political establishment, his candidacy in the race represented the first real challenger for the incumbent Sikyong Lobsang Sangay’s position.

In truth, the Tibetan people’s most dangerous and formidable enemy is their own government, now headed by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay.

The race for Sikyong was a dirty one, characterized by mud-slinging and personal attacks between the two candidates. After Penpa Tsering lost and was transferred to a diplomatic post outside of Dharamsala, it appeared as though the tensions were over and everyone had moved on. Penpa Tsering was appointed the Dalai Lama’s donjo (representative) of North America, a lucrative position that connected him with many wealthy sponsors, and Lobsang Sangay retained his cushy Sikyong position. All appeared well and no one had any inkling of the issues to come.

On November 15, 2017 the website TibetSun.com reported rising tensions in Dharamsala as Penpa Tsering loyalists gear up to protest against Sikyong Lobsang Sangay’s CTA on November 27th. Their main reason for protesting is the lack of sound reasons for the recent dismissal of Penpa Tsering as the North American donjo.

This is not the first time that the Tibetan people have watched the CTA act without reason, logic or accountability. Having witnessed the CTA rob Dorje Shugden worshippers of their constitutional right to practice their belief, Tibetans therefore should not be surprised when their choice political candidate is removed from power without any natural justice being accorded him.

The Tibetan people in diaspora have every reason to be concerned. They simply cannot afford another cause for division especially given their desperate need to unite in the face of China’s stature. As it is, the Tibetans are already fractured on a multitude of fronts, for example:

• The direction of the Tibetan cause (rangzen or full independence versus umaylam or meaningful autonomy)
• Unresolved historic regional quarrels, for example between Khampas like Lobsang Sangay supporters and Amdo/U-Tsangpas like Penpa Tsering supporters
• Enmity in the Karma Kagyu sect over the rightful Karmapa candidate
• Conflicts amongst the Gelugpas due to the Dorje Shugden controversy, not to mention pre-existing, albeit soft, competition amongst the different Tibetan Buddhist schools.

All this strife can be traced to the decisions of the CTA and therefore could have been solved by a united CTA. But now the CTA looks to be rupturing, soon falling apart to the point of no return. This power struggle could not come at a more inconvenient time, as yet another generation of Tibetans are born into statelessness and hopelessness. Meanwhile, the CTA contends with the reality that the people of the host nation, India, are getting impatient and increasingly vocal as they wise up to the simple fact that so much is done for Tibetan refugees by their Indian government, when millions of Indians still live far below the poverty line.

Whilst this is precisely where the Tibetan refugees need the CTA to step in to protect them, little has been heard from the CTA over this issue and now we know why. Those who strut the corridors of CTA power are readying to go to war with each other. It is more important for Lobsang Sangay to consolidate his position and be rid of his opponents, than to work on policies and projects that benefit the ordinary Tibetan in exile. Indeed, things have degenerated to the point where the Sikyong can summarily dismiss and silence critics without any opposition, within a supposedly democratic government. 

Not only is it shocking that he can do so without being held accountable, but now we see how easily he can dispose of the Dalai Lama’s representative in a key ally-nation, the USA, whilst the Dalai Lama is still alive. Imagine a wildly ambitious Sikyong when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is no longer with us. At that point:

• He will be the supreme head of a ‘nation’ that is instrumental to many Western powers seeking to curb China’s rise
• As the head of state for this non-nation, his actions cannot be sanctioned by anyone, including the United Nations, and within the Tibetan government there are no political measures to ensure he remains accountable
• He will have unfettered access to the countless millions that pour into the CTA’s coffers annually, without a need to be accountable or be audited
• He will sit at the apex of a government that has no responsibility whatsoever to build any industry or economy for its people, because it suffices that its people remain poor refugees for the money to keep flowing in

It is clear now why the Sikyong position is such a coveted seat for so many including Penpa Tsering, and understandable why he now rallies his supporters to challenge Lobsang Sangay. The Tibetan people it seems, is acceptable attrition in this war for power, position and money. After all, what can the community do when they have no culture of holding their government accountable?

On November 15, 2017 the website TibetSun.com reported rising tensions in Dharamsala as Penpa Tsering loyalists gear up to protest against Sikyong Lobsang Sangay’s CTA on November 27th. Pictured here are Sikyong Lobsang Sangay (left) and Penpa Tsering (right)

But questions must now be asked of the Tibetan leaders, failing which the people must brace for disintegration along the many fault lines that their government has constructed in what is a perfect example of the ‘divide and conquer’ doctrine. Yet, perhaps not all needs to be lost if Tibetans are ready to muster support amongst themselves, and hold their leaders accountable and to demand serious and swift changes. A decade ago, this would have been unthinkable but in the past few years, we have seen a more vocal Tibetan populace in exile as more of them, especially the younger generation, are exposed to what fair, responsible and transparent governments produce and how the citizens of such governments benefit.

It would serve the Tibetan people well to recognise now that all the strife they face today have their origins in one CTA policy after another. And if they do come together, then the CTA cannot so easily use the people’s misfortune as a means to achieve their personal political and financial objectives. It will not be easy for the community to come together after decades of factionalism and intense training in following their leadership unquestioningly. But the fact remains that the future of their community is at stake.

Sikyong Lobsang Sangay recently said that Tibetans face an external enemy consisting of their nemesis, China, and Dorje Shugden people, and an internal enemy, which are rangzen (full independence) advocates. These groups have been labelled anti-Tibet ‘Chinese-paid agents’ and it will only be a matter of time before the CTA proclaims the same of those who protest against Lobsang Sangay. It is a cunning approach that worked like a charm when the Tibetan leadership wanted to turn their people against Dorje Shugden practitioners and those wishing for Tibetan independence.

In truth, the Tibetan people’s most dangerous and formidable enemy is their own government, now headed by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay. Given the slew of problems that the Tibetan leadership has created, the hopelessness of its cause, the miserable state Tibetan refugees are in, the countless false promises to return Tibetans to their homeland, and the chronic lack of progress, any true leader would resign. But this will not happen in the CTA. This is a government that has quietly sliced up the Tibetan nation of people into bite-sized pieces, each one too insignificant to be a problem or challenge for their power. Meanwhile, the leaders trade away their people’s future, culture and religion for pieces of silver, as the Tibetan dream of returning to their homeland is increasingly swept away.

Articles

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/11/14/dharamshala-tibetan-settlement-officer-appeals-for-peace. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/11/14/dharamshala-tibetan-settlement-officer-appeals-for-peace. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/11/14/dharamshala-tibetan-settlement-officer-appeals-for-peace. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala. Click to read the full report.

Pakistan has expressed their outright support for China on all matters, including Tibet, and there is very little chance of them changing their minds.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Kay Beswick

There is more disappointing news for the Sikyong Lobsang Sangye as he embarks on yet another tour of America to curry favor with the West and raise funds supposedly for the Tibetan community, but in actuality for his own financial gain. In recent times, there has been a growing body of criticism about the Sikyong’s frequent travels, and how little time he spends in Dharamsala dealing with the issues of his people.

A comment left by a former Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) employee explaining that Sikyong Lobsang Sangye’s reasons for traveling are not benign and altruistic, but self-serving and nefarious. Click to enlarge.

One also cannot help but wonder if this trip is some form of damage control as the Tibetan leadership’s reputation is increasingly left in tatters. As the Sikyong departs for the United States, he leaves behind an exiled community in India who are more isolated than ever as yet another country with a potential border claim to Tibet has rejected the Tibetans.

Pakistan, whose disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir borders with historical Tibet, recently announced that China has their full support on many critical issues, including the Tibetan one. President Mamnoon Hussain, the leader of the Pakistan nation, was full of praise for the Chinese leadership for their role in peacekeeping and stability efforts in countries like Afghanistan.

Thus it would seem that in the region, the number of allies that Tibet can count on is rapidly declining, as the people and governments who support them dwindle both in number and in financial contributions. There is in all likelihood no hope for the Tibetans on Pakistan reversing their decision since they are a staunchly Muslim state who are not going to be charmed by an association with the Dalai Lama or swayed by the romanticized concept of Shangri-la.

The salient points to consider are these:

• People are clearer in their rejection of the Tibetans, than they are in support of. A nuclear power has openly declared that they will have nothing to do with the Tibetan issue, and they will support China in it. What other country of such power has so clearly voiced their support for Tibet? In the last 60 years, even Tibet’s biggest supporter, the US (another nuclear power), has not been as clear about their support for Tibet as compared to Pakistan’s outright rejection.
• Within the region, Pakistan’s role in anti-terror activities is crucial. What country will risk Pakistan’s lack of cooperation on anti-terrorism, a topic that creates universal concern, by pressing for the Tibetan agenda which is minor in comparison? For the rest of the world, China is their economic darling, for their potential as a trading partner and cash cow. And for Pakistan, governments are far more invested in keeping peace and stability in Pakistan than in pushing for them to support the Tibetan cause.
• For Pakistan, having China on their side helps strengthen their claims against a common objective i.e. India who themselves are fast realizing that they have very little to gain from Tibetan presence in their country. It has even reached a stage where Tibetan citizens hoping to becoming India are being told to give up their Tibetan refugee papers. To compound this, a recent article penned by an Indian Member of Parliament questioned why the Dalai Lama does nothing to help with the many domestic conflicts and upheavals that are troubling the country.
• And for Pakistan, they are not making this decision based on religion or human rights, but purely based on politics and economics. For that reason, there is very little the Tibetans will be able to do to persuade Pakistan not to support an emboldened China on the Tibetan issue, because talk of Buddhism and the Dalai Lama as an international man of peace will not appeal to them. For Pakistan, it is purely about maximizing their economic and political gain in the region, to provide for their population, and there is nothing the Tibetans can offer to replace whatever benefits Pakistan might experience from a positive relationship with China.

As the Tibetan leadership’s pool of international supporters dwindles, internally they continue to perpetuate schism and divisions amongst their own people, for example by interfering in the recognition process of the Karmapas or by directing violence and vulgarities towards Dorje Shugden practitioners. Other leaderships who are logical and facing so much external opposition would ordinarily regroup, and discuss how to encourage harmony and unity amongst their people since there is strength in numbers. But it seems Lobsang Sangye has a bigger preoccupation with raising funds than with the welfare of his people, starting with the senseless loss of lives through self-immolations.

So is there any surprise that the Tibetan leadership is finding less support for themselves, when they do not even support their own people?

This article is not to comment on Indo-Pakistani politics but to highlight that yet another country, regardless of their political leanings, has rejected the Tibetans. As predicted, more and more nations are making plain their lack of support for the Tibetans. If things continue on its current downward spiral, it looks like Sikyong Lobsang Sangye will have to travel more often to placate and charm new sponsors, since fewer people and nations are willing to open their wallets and borders to the Tibetan exiled community. And upon analysis of the greater picture, maybe it is about time too, because 60 years of exploiting their sponsors as well as their host India is really 60 years too much.

Pakistan supports China’s stance on Tibet: President Mamnoon

Click to enlarge. Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1351540

Related articles:

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• Switzerland rejects the Tibetans again
• It’s Bad to Be Seen With Tibetan Leaders
• Tibetans rejected by Bhutan
• Tibetans rejected by Nepal
• Tibetans rejected by Sweden
• Tibetans rejected by Italy
• Switzerland is on China’s side
• Mongolia Bans the Dalai Lama
• Give up the Tibetan cause, get an Indian passport
• Pope Francis snubs the Dalai Lama – 2014
• Switzerland insists Tibetans are Chinese
• Dalai Lama Rejected from Taiwan
• No South African visa for the Dalai Lama

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Steve Lee

A comment from an ex-CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) insider on a TibetSun.com article reveals a rather insidious agenda brewing right in the heart of the Tibetan leadership. To date, the CTA has failed to make statements that discourage or denounce the growing trend of self-immolations occurring in India and Tibet, within the Tibetan community. Since the Tibetan leadership has failed to denounce the self-immolations, it is clear through their silence that they condone this practice. Hence they are allowing and encouraging Tibetans to kill themselves in the name of the Tibetan cause. They even glorify Tibetans who self-immolate by holding memorial services, lighting candles, calling them martyrs of the Tibetan cause and erecting statues to commemorate past self-immolations. And beyond this, the Tibetan leaders have even used self-immolation stories and statistics as garnishing for their fundraising campaigns in the West. There is blood smeared all over the donations that they have received into their fat pockets.

Comment left on the ‘Is Indian citizenship for Tibetans a threat to the Tibetan cause?’ article on Tibetsun.com. Click on image to read the comment.

How can the Tibetan leaders allow their own people to kill themselves for the Tibetan cause when the leaders are not doing nearly enough to make a breakthrough for the Tibetan cause? All negotiations with the Chinese have reached a stalemate and there are no fresh attempts or even a change of strategy in dealing with the Chinese. In other words, the Tibetan leadership have been ineffective with their policies and dealings with the Chinese leaders and the self-immolations, a manifestation of the people’s frustrations, are actually proof of this.

Tibetan activist Jamphel Yeshi, 27, runs through the Delhi streets on fire in protest of Chinese policies in Tibet.

At the end of the day, the Tibetan leaders could do much more to engage with the Chinese leaders. What government or leadership in the world celebrates the self-immolation of its own citizens instead of taking steps to prevent it? It is not as though the Tibetan leadership lacks the mechanisms to discourage people from self-immolations. For example, the Tibetan leaders have proven themselves to be extremely adept at browbeating and segregating Dorje Shugden practitioners into giving up the practice. The same methods could be applied in a positive manner towards families and friends of those who self-immolate because that would help to prevent other cases of self-immolation from occurring in the future.

In the case of Dorje Shugden practitioners, they are denied basic services such as medical care in Tibetan hospitals, access to shops and facilities, and they are ostracized by the general Tibetan populace. These behaviors by ordinary Tibetans are instigated and perpetrated by the CTA who repeatedly talk about the so-called harmful nature of Shugden practitioners. But while these actions obviously have a negative impact on the lives of Shugden practitioners, the CTA could also use the very same methods for more positive impact on their community.

By warning Tibetans that these restrictions will be imposed on the families of those who self-immolate, the CTA could potentially end self-immolations in their community altogether. Families and friends of those considering taking their own life would have a greater impetus to pressure them out of this deadly act, thereby saving everyone from the pain, suffering, and death caused by such an action. And the self-immolators might think twice about engaging in an act that brings difficulties and limitations on their loved ones. After all, since the CTA are already known for imposing such restrictions on their people, why not use the methods for something positive and worthwhile instead of negative? This way they would be protecting their people for once, instead of harming them.

A memorial for Thupten Ngodrup was erected by the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) on the circumambulation path around the residence of the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. He was the first man in modern times who self-immolated for the Tibetan cause in 1998.

Furthermore, self-immolations in Buddhism is considered an act of killing. The act of killing is widely considered to be grave negative karma for the individual committing the act. Unless the individual has a bodhisattva motivation like that of the Buddha in a previous life who offered himself up to a hungry tigress, the act of killing has the very serious repercussion of taking rebirth in the hell realms. Now, since the Tibetan leadership consider themselves to be Buddhist (or at least led by Buddhist principles), should they not abide by this very fundamental aspect of the teachings? Why would they condone and encourage others to take their own lives? Therefore, even though they call themselves Buddhist, ultimately this is merely an attractive label used to encourage foreigners to donate to the cause. In fact, after every case of self-immolation, the CTA are said to benefit financially through donations given by foreign countries and organizations who take pity on them, as expressed in Chokyi’s comment. This is not something to be taken lightly since Chokyi claims to have worked for the CTA for over 15 years, experiencing the blatant greed of the leadership as a firsthand witness.

A list of those who have self-immolated for the Tibetan cause since 1998. The CTA could have stopped this loss of life, but instead use their deaths to line their own pockets. Click to enlarge.

At the end of the day, the Tibetan leadership should apply the necessary means to end all self-immolations and that is to make headway with their negotiations with China. So far, the Tibetan leaders have only issued statements to put down China’s actions and this has got to stop. Just like a salesperson trying to sell its products to a potential customer, a sensible salesperson would not say things to criticize or insult the customer. They would instead praise or say things to make the customer feel happy in order to make a sale. Likewise, the Tibetan leadership should stop highlighting self-immolations and instead find common ground to talk about and encourage China to reopen negotiations. After all, China’s powerful influence is growing day by day, while the effectiveness and appeal of the CTA and the Tibetan leadership is waning fast.

And so the Tibetan leadership really have to do much more and quickly before it becomes too late. When His Holiness the Dalai Lama is no longer around, the Chinese leadership at that time will no longer need or want to negotiate because they will no longer find the Tibetan leadership to be a threat. As it is, the Chinese leadership already refuse dialogue with the Tibetans despite the Dalai Lama’s international standing, so what chance will the Tibetan leadership have to reopen dialogue once they no longer have the Dalai Lama’s reputation to rely on? So rather than using self-immolation as fodder against China, if the CTA had the real motive of benefiting their people, they would actually take measures to curb self-immolations within their own community rather than using them to line their own pockets with blood-stained money. But until that day comes, on the topic of self-immolations, sadly it is not a question of if the next one will happen but when, and this constant loss of life is certainly a most tragic situation for the already-dwindling community.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Solaray Kusco

Below are two articles received reviewing the Tibetan leadership’s stance towards applying for Indian citizenship.

In a scathing review of the Tibetan leadership’s latest actions, Mila Rangzen has recounted the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) recent policies towards the news that Tibetans born between 1959 to 1987 will be able to gain Indian citizenship. Of particular concern for him were the struggles ordinary Tibetans will face to get citizenship, and the double standards that exist.

For many people who do not have intimate knowledge of life in the Tibetan settlements under the Tibetan leadership, Mila Rangzen’s account will indeed be an eye-opener. His writings come from the point-of-view of a Tibetan who does not appear to have any allegiances to any religion that he can be accused of bias, who does not have any associations that risk him being accused of being Chinese, and who appears only to be interested in the welfare of his people.

In addition to the points that Mila Rangzen has raised, it is important for people to remember this:

1. When ordinary Tibetans have gained Indian citizenship, they will no longer rely on the CTA for anything, just like Tibetan-Americans, Tibetan-Canadians, etc.

• So if the Tibetan-Indians have legal disputes, they will deal with the Indian authorities. If they need to renew their passports, they can liaise directly with the Indian leadership. If they need to buy land, it will be done under Indian law. Everything will be done according to Indian law. Tibetan-Indians will deal with Indian authorities, not with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA, based in Dharamsala).
• It is the same as Tibetans who become Americans, Canadians, Swiss, etc. who no longer rely on the CTA for anything, and are thus no longer beholden to any of their diktats and policies.
• Thus when Tibetans gain Indian citizenship, there will be an end to the current procedure of Tibetans going to their leadership first to get approvals for anything they wish to do. As a result, the Tibetan leadership will no longer function as the gatekeeper between ordinary Tibetans and the Indian authorities. And because Dharamsala no longer functions as a gatekeeper, the major reason for their existence will be gone.
• Obviously this is an eventuality that frightens the Tibetan leadership because their method of governance has been one based on control. Controlling their people’s access to services and their movements has been a financially lucrative operation for a corrupt leadership occupied by people open to bribes and embezzling. Once the CTA no longer controls these Tibetans, it will be a loss of revenue because Tibetans do not have to bribe them to get anything done anymore. The Tibetans will not have to pay their Tibetan taxes, or for fast-tracking their visa applications to travel to the West.

2. Mila Rangzen raised the issue of the CTA being invested in keeping their people poor

• This aspect of control and subjugation is important, because with the settlements full of poor people, the Tibetan leadership can parade their situation to the West to garner sympathy and money for the ‘poor’ and ‘suffering’ Tibetans. But actually, it is for the CTA to keep the money and use as they like.
• So instead of encouraging their citizens’ upward mobility, they find it in their interests to keep them suppressed.
• This explains why the millions of dollars that has been pumped into the Tibetan settlements over the last 60 years has not borne much results. In fact, it was only recently they opened their first public library, and even then it was through the efforts of a private citizen to establish it. And the betterment, big buildings, golden temples, schools, halls and restaurants in the Tibetan settlements were not built with the help of the CTA but from overseas Tibetans and foreign friends donating privately. The CTA did not contribute to those.

3. The CTA has a “divide and conquer” mentality even with their own people

• It should be illegal that the CTA are kicking people out of Tibetan settlements just because they want to better their lives by becoming Indian citizens.
• That is saying “if you want to be Indian, there will be consequences” but what is so bad about becoming Indian that you need to be punished for it?
• What they are enforcing on Tibetans who wish to become Indian citizens is the same as what they did to Dorje Shugden people, by forcing them to split apart. If they are separated, they will have less ability and resources to assemble and protest (it takes more effort to gather people).
• The real question is, are Tibetans who just want to make a better life for themselves the real enemy here? Do they deserve to be vilified?

4. Another issue that Mila Rangzen’s article raised was that of double standards.

• Why did Lobsang Wangyal have to fight for citizenship, while others like Gyari Dolma were able to buy 20 years ago? Because they have money and Lobsang Wangyal does not.
• Why did Tibetan leadership stay silent when one of their citizens went to court to fight for his rights? It is because the leaders do not want to draw attention to themselves as having another citizenship / being in a privileged position. They have to appear humble and in service to the Tibetan people, although this is not the case. Another leadership that does this is in North Korea where leaders present an image of humble living to their people so the community does not suspect inequality, hypocrisy and double standards, and rally to rise up against them.
• Why did Lobsang Wangyal have to use his own personal funds for fight for the rights of the whole community, when the Tibetan leadership should have stepped in and said or done something to help him? One private citizen fought to set a precedence for his whole community, but it should have been the leadership’s responsibility to do this.

5. Racism and double standards. Anything Western and European is acceptable because of money, and the Tibetan leadership are deathly afraid of doing anything to upset the West because they are a source of money. Simultaneously, anything Indian is trampled upon.

• That is why US, Australian, Canadian, Swiss citizenships are coveted. There are no consequences to getting passports from the West. You will not get kicked out of the settlements if you have a Western passport, but you will be if you have an Indian one. You will not be stigmatized if you have a Western passport, but you will be if you have an Indian one.
• That is why Tibetan leaders continue to reap CTA benefits despite being Canadians, Australians, Americans, etc. And Tibetan-Americans, Tibetan Canadians, etc. will never have anything said against them because:
  • They can complain to their respective Western governments who will question the CTA about what is going on, and possibly withhold funding
  • If they push these Tibetan-American, Tibetan-Australian, etc. people too far, they will just throw up their hands and devolve themselves of all connections with the CTA (and the CTA thus has even less control)
• But the only reason you can get those types of coveted citizenships is because you have money to get there. If you do not, you will have to “settle” for an Indian citizenship.
• Even still, the Tibetans will face problems getting an Indian citizenship, thanks to their own Tibetan exile government setting up so many obstacles.
• So the question is – why is it Tibetan leaders can have it easy, but the common Tibetan has to suffer?
• On top of that, Tibetans are rude to class/treat their hosts as a second rate option in terms of citizenship and even marriage.

Conclusion

1. Ultimately, the CTA’s motivation is very clear: money, control and power. When will they ever learn their lesson to put their citizens first, and self-interests second? Their self-serving ways have not brought them much success over the last 60 years, so is it not time to try a new and different method?
2. Despite being elected officials, their behaviour is clearly motivated by spite, both for their own people and their host country. They wish to spite their people by ensuring they remain poor, defenceless and stateless refugees, and they wish to spite India for being kind to their people by blocking any Indian government attempts to help the Tibetans in India. So in reality, the Tibetan people should be upset about the CTA using their people, keeping them down to get free money that they then use to hurt their own community.
3. The CTA are also creating many obstacles to the high lamas and good lamas who suffer as a result of the Tibetan leadership creating obstacles for them to disseminate the Dharma. The Tibetan leadership will be the death of the Dharma every time they stop Tibetan lamas from getting out of the country to teach and turn the wheel of Dharma.

Is Indian citizenship for Tibetans a threat to the Tibetan cause?

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Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/08/07/is-indian-citizenship-for-tibetans-a-threat-to-the-tibetan-cause

Tibetan leadership refuses to allow Tibetans to get Indian passport

In a bold and daring move, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) also known as the Kashag, have effectively blocked Tibetans in exile from becoming Indian citizens. A memo issued on July 5, 2017, which was circulated to CTA offices in Tibetan settlements in India, saw the Kashag ordering that Tibetans seeking Indian citizenship are not to be issued No Objection Certificates (NOC), a document necessary in the naturalization process. This move however creates two huge political fall-outs:

1. The Kashag violated its own charter, which states a Tibetan can seek the citizenship of any other country while at the same time retaining their Tibetan nationality.
2. It is a slap in the face of India’s hospitality, host country to the Tibetans, who made it legal for Tibetans in India to become Indian citizens if they wish.

At this point, one could ask who actually gives the Tibetan leadership the authority to impose these rules on Tibetans living in India? It is quite simple, it is the Indian government. Without the Indian government, the Identity Certification (Yellow Book) issued to all Tibetan refugees has no power. So it is especially galling that when the Indian leadership says it is okay to give Tibetans citizenship, the Tibetan leadership steps in to say it is not even though they have no power to do so. Why does the mouse try and tell the lion what is acceptable and not acceptable?

So it is important to realize that the CTA’s authority is dependent on the Indian government and on their own, they have no power or influence, just like how paper money is worthless without gold reserves to back it up. It is this same Indian government who is now offering Tibetans citizenship and are in effect threatening the CTA’s hold on their people. As people begin recognizing the benefits of being Indian, they will want to take up citizenship, come under Indian governance (instead of Tibetan) and thus effectively end the CTA who will no longer have anyone to govern.

And of course, as per Tibetan government modus operandi, there has been no further response from the leadership about this when questioned. Instead they have blamed the media for creating problems and refused to be interviewed to clarify matters for the public. And while the media are asking questions in their pursuit of the truth, if they are not careful, they will be shut down just like the Mangtso newspaper was for publishing views that contradicted the Tibetan leadership’s.

What the Kashag have said is that that Tibetan youth should not just think of the short-term benefits of becoming Indian citizens, but of their Tibetan identity. It is their way of discouraging the Tibetan youth from becoming Indian citizens, by emotionally blackmailing them from not taking up an Indian passport. For the most part, the Kashag have been successful and some young Tibetans are insisting that you cannot be Tibetan if you hold an Indian passport. But this is extremely hypocritical since top CTA officials like Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, Dhardon Sharling, and Gyari Dolma are themselves citizens of other countries. What is more, they have lived at least 20-30 years this way; the Tibetan youth have lived as Tibetan refugees THEIR WHOLE LIVES so who is more Tibetan now? So if Tibetanness is measured by the passport one carries, and Tibetanness is the basis of someone being qualified to have an opinion or to lead the community, then by that logic the Tibetan leadership are the least qualified to do anything. Why are they not forced to think about their Tibetan identity and give up their foreign citizenship, unlike other people who want to get an Indian citizenship? These questions raise some interesting and noteworthy points to remember:

• India gives Tibetans the opportunity to become Indian citizens because they have realized giving Tibetans refugee status is worthless. As refugees, they do not help India but as citizens, they will be forced to contribute as members of Indian society. At the same time India needs to retain her humanitarian image and will not be able to revoke their refugee status or kick them out of the country without some kind of public relations nightmare.
• If India allows Tibetans to become Indians, the CTA are silenced because they cannot be seen denying their people the citizenship and rights accorded to Indian nationals.
• The Tibetans will no longer be an issue of contention between China and India if they become Indian nationals. When Tibetans become Indians, they are no longer ruled by the CTA but by the Indian government. This means China cannot criticize them because they are now Indian citizens. India can simply inform China not to interfere in the affairs of another country. Previously China would have felt they had basis to comment because China classed the Tibetans as Chinese citizens.
• Western powers will no longer give the Tibetans money and funding as they will no longer be refugees but citizens of a democratic country. Why do citizens need financial support from external parties, when they have a legitimate government to petition for assistance? As a result, the CTA will lose their source of funding from sympathetic Western governments and private donors.
• India cannot expel the Tibetans from their country because the Dalai Lama is extremely respected both in India and around the world. But the Indian government can encourage Tibetans to become Indian citizens instead, thereby removing their basis to complain about their refugee status or use their status as an excuse to cause trouble. This will mean that when His Holiness the Dalai Lama passes away and Tibetans want to riot, they can be easily controlled because they are Indians now and not Tibetans, and thus beholden to Indian law. India granting Tibetans this opportunity to become its citizens can therefore be seen as preparation for the passing of the Dalai Lama and for preventing any ensuing violence that may arise as a result of his passing.

All in all, India has been extremely benevolent and patient towards Tibetans for 60 years. Still, it is no surprise that they are doing this because they need to look out for their own country as well, and it is simply not pragmatic to risk the welfare of over 1 billion people for the complaints of 150,000 exiled Tibetans. So if the CTA keeps moving to block the Tibetans from gaining what is rightfully theirs, the Tibetan leadership might just very well find themselves under more pressure. Growing frustration on India’s part may mean that when it comes to the Tibetans, if the leadership complains too much or make things too difficult, the Indian leadership may just respond by making it even easier for Tibetans to become Indians, and thus drastically speeding up the inevitable – the demise of the CTA.

In violation of Charter, Kashag impedes issuing of passports to Tibetans

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Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/08/03/in-violation-of-charter-kashag-impedes-issuing-of-passports-to-tibetans

Sweden no longer accepts the Tibetan Identity Certificate, also known as the Yellow Book, as a valid travel document.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Ashok Rao

In a move that is beginning to be mirrored by many others, Sweden announced in June 2016 that it no longer accepts the Tibetan Yellow Book as a valid travel document. This document, officially known as an Identity Certificate (IC), issued by the government of India, classifies its holder as both a Tibetan refugee and a protectorate of India. It is this document that Tibetans travelling abroad use to entreat foreign countries to allow them to enter. This move by Sweden has sent reverberations throughout the Tibetan community in exile and indicates a global shift within international politics.

With a population of over 100 Tibetan refugees living in the country, Sweden has become weary of refugees, especially due to the situation in Europe and the Middle East which has seen a marked increase in the number of those seeking refuge in more developed countries. For this reason Sweden issued an official announcement that it would no longer accept the IC travel document in its processes allowing Tibetans to enter its borders. Tibetans wishing to enter Sweden will have to bear the identity documentation of an actual nation, like India or China. This means that Sweden no longer wants Tibetans to enter their country as Tibetans and as refugees; in effect, Sweden no longer recognizes the existence of a status such as “Tibetan refugee”.

An infographic used to announce that Sweden no longer accepts the Yellow Book as a valid form of identification that can be used during the visa application process.

One would assume that Sweden somehow would not have the right to turn down the Tibetan IC as a valid travel document, but in actuality this is not the case. Legally speaking, the Yellow Book has little weight outside of India’s borders and it is the discretion of any country whether they wish to accept it as a valid form of identification. The fact that Sweden can reject the Yellow Book harks back to the fact that India itself does not have a clear policy when it comes to refugees. India is not a signatory of the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, or the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, all of which are international programmes that protect the rights of refugees, including their freedom to travel.

Since India does not belong to any of the above, the IC granted to Tibetans in exile does not have weight outside of its own borders, and legally does not need to be recognized as refugee travel documents. In this case, Sweden has simply exercised its legal rights to stop accepting the Tibetan IC as a valid travel document. Hence, no other nation state has challenged Sweden over its actions because they have no legal basis to do so. Certainly, aside from protesting Sweden’s actions, the Tibetan leadership can do very little to protect their people’s ability to visit Sweden.

The fact is that Sweden and other countries that have so far allowed Tibetans to enter their borders have done so out of kindness, and not legal obligation. Now, however, it seems the tide is turning, and many countries no longer want someone who identifies as ‘Tibetan’ within their borders. Tibetans can still enter their countries, just not as Tibetan ‘citizens’ or refugees. But this begs the question, why is it that they have implemented this change now?

One could argue that Sweden is simply reacting to events in Europe, with an increased number of those seeking refuge coming from all over the world. The number of refugees means resources allocated to the refugees are being stretched thin, and there is a strain on relationships between the host countries’ citizens and their newly-arrived guests. When Sweden’s actions are examined on a global scale however, it is quite clear that there is a political shift away from supporting Tibetans. This is evident by the number of countries who are surely but steadily distancing themselves from the Tibetans and their leadership, in favor of aligning themselves with China. It is a global trend that looks bleak for the Tibetan leadership indeed.

On the one hand there is this political distancing from the Tibetans and their leadership and on the other hand, many ordinary Tibetans, Tibetan Buddhists or Tibet enthusiasts from all around the world are waking up to the fact that the Tibetan leadership have done nothing but take advantage of their position and mismanaged their people. From the ban on Dorje Shugden, the unequal treatment of the Jonangpas, or their silence over forced conversions in the Kagyu school, the leadership have magnificently displayed their inability to govern and their blunderous mistakes. As their true colours are laid bare, they can do nothing but hide behind the skirts of their previous saviour, India.

However, India as the government who issues the Tibetan IC remains strangely silent on these issues. They have also done nothing to strengthen or legitimize the status of the Tibetans as legal refugees in the eyes of other nation states. Instead, India has offered them the choice to become full citizens of India if they give up their Tibetan identity. With so much apathy towards the Tibetans’ ability to travel, and even growing hostility towards their presence, one can only wonder as to the fate Tibetans will face in the years to come.

Sweden Does Not Accept India’s Tibetan Travel Document ‘IC’

Article describing Sweden no longer accepting the Tibetan IC on Tibetan Journal. Click to enlarge.

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• It’s Bad to Be Seen With Tibetan Leaders
• Tibetans rejected by Bhutan
• Tibetans rejected by Nepal
• Tibetans rejected by Pakistan
• Tibetans rejected by Italy
• Switzerland is on China’s side
• Mongolia Bans the Dalai Lama
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• Pope Francis snubs the Dalai Lama – 2014
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• Dalai Lama Rejected from Taiwan
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Both Italy (top flag) and Switzerland (bottom flag) have rejected the Tibetans, as well as Sweden in a much earlier ruling in June 2016. Which country will the Tibetans next face rejection from? As the years pass by, it becomes increasingly harder for the Tibetans to travel, with fewer and fewer countries willing to risk their economic relationships with China for the sake of the Tibetan community.

By: Kay Beswick

One by one, the world’s nations are dissociating with the Tibetan leadership. On June 28, 2016 Swedish authorities announced a change in regulations, saying that they no longer accepted the Tibetan Identity Certificate as a valid identification document. The Identity Certificate, popularly known as the Yellow Book thanks to its cover, is issued by the Indian government. It identifies the bearer as a Tibetan refugee and protectorate of India, and requests immigration at the traveler’s destination to allow the bearer to enter the country.

This news came as a shock to the Tibetan community because without the Identity Certificate, and without any other identification documentation, they would not be allowed to apply for a visa to enter Sweden. This was swiftly followed by Switzerland’s announcement in July 2016 that they had revised their immigration policy, and that Switzerland no longer recognized “Tibetan” as a valid nationality. The ruling specifically concerned the Yellow Book, which Switzerland also announced would no longer be accepted as a valid identification document. Tibetans in Switzerland were also asked to change their nationality to “Chinese”. With more than 4,000 Tibetans living in Switzerland, they are the largest exile community in Europe so Switzerland’s change in policy was a real blow.

The infographic used by the Voice of America to announce that Sweden no longer accepted the Yellow Book as a valid form of identification that can be used during the visa application process.

Later in the same year, in December 2016, news came that Mongolia had banned the Dalai Lama, after a highly publicized but unpopular visit to the Buddhist nation. And now the latest news is that on May 18, 2017, Italy has followed in Sweden and Switzerland’s footsteps. After the Italian Consulate in Mumbai, India stopped accepting applications from Tibetans for an Italian visa, it was swiftly followed by the consulate in Delhi stopping too. Both consulates had done so upon orders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, Italy. Just like Sweden and Switzerland, Italy has stopped accepting the Yellow Book as a valid identity document.

Even India themselves, do not appear to be interested in applying effort to maintain the refugee privileges of carrying a Yellow Book. This is hardly surprising considering India does not benefit in any way for sticking up for the Tibetan Yellow Book. Given the current climate, it seems logical that in order for Tibetans to have unrestricted freedom to travel, the best would be for them to get an Indian passport. Yet, a recent court ruling decreed that any Tibetan who wants an Indian passport, must give up their Yellow Book (i.e. their Tibetan citizenship) because it is illegal in Indian law to have dual citizenship. Tibetans wishing to get an Indian passport must also move out of the Tibetan settlements since they will no longer be considered a refugee.

Lobsang Wangyal, a Tibetan journalist and social entrepreneur, was the first Tibetan to get an Indian passport, having met the requirements set by the Indian government.

If the Yellow Book were that precious, and if the Indian government was that interested in maintaining the Yellow Book, they could have made some sort of exception for the Tibetan refugees to carry both. Yet the Indian government have created a situation whereby, over time and frustrated by their lack of ability to travel, Tibetans will be forced to give up their Tibetan citizenship, carry an Indian passport and assimilate into the general population in India.

And so now we come to this point on the road – Sweden, Switzerland and Italy have stopped recognizing the Yellow Book as valid identification, and India is pressing for Tibetans to give it up.

It is indeed strange that after 30 years, Switzerland and Italy have both suddenly stopped recognizing the Yellow Book’s validity. Both countries have traditionally had a good relationship with Tibetan refugees; as noted, Switzerland has the largest exile community in Europe, while Italy is home to many lamas and masters who have their Buddhist organizations and centres headquartered there. So what changed in the last 30 years that led to this outcome?

The only logical answer is the rise of China, and its ongoing dominance as a global economic and political powerhouse. As an increasing number of countries come to this realization, only time will tell what Tibetans will decide to do. History has shown that nations have not erred on the side of Tibet, preferring instead to work with China for the benefit of their own economies. Indeed the news of Italy rejecting the Yellow Book could not come at a worse time for the Tibetan leadership who now not only have to deal with a fallout with the US, but now with Europe too.

Over in the US, President Donald Trump has slashed the amount of financial aid to the Tibetan leadership to zero. While Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and various other media personalities campaign to reverse this, over in Europe the European Central Bank (ECB) has converted a part of their US dollar reserves to the Chinese yuan. It is a move that economic analysts have said indicates the ECB’s faith in the Chinese economy as well as their dependency on it.

Then at a grassroots level, Chinese citizens continue to gain visa-free travel to an increasing list of countries. Visa-free travel suggests that these nations are very keen to attract Chinese tourists and foreign currency, and they want to make it as easy as possible for the Chinese to visit their countries. In the meantime, Tibetans find that their freedom to travel on the Yellow Book is slowly being eroded, even by India herself. Unlike the Chinese passport which is gaining in value, the Tibetan passport (a.k.a. the Yellow Book) is rapidly declining in value.

After years and years of corruption, money laundering, visa-for-money schemes, double standards, embezzlement, financial mismanagement, wasted foreign aid, suppression of free speech, prejudice against the Jonangpas, silence over the troubles faced by the Kagyus (like the Karmapa issue and the associated violence), abuse of donors’ funds, unethical elections, intimidation of political opponents, as well as rejecting Dorje Shugden practitioners, ostracizing them and violently discriminating against them, it unfortunately appears that the Tibetan leadership’s karma is swiftly catching up. Which country is next? Who will next step up and say they no longer accept “Tibetan” as a valid nationality, and the Yellow Book as a valid identification document? If this trend continues, and if the Tibetan leadership do not wake up soon, it will not be long before they find that they are banging on closed doors which will never open for them ever again.

The Petition Calling for the Italian Government to Accept Tibetan Applicants for Italian Visas

The petition that has been started to pressure the Italian Embassy in Mumbai to reverse their decision. Click to enlarge.

Related articles:

• Australian PM has no plans to meet Dalai Lama 2017
• Switzerland rejects the Tibetans again
• It’s Bad to Be Seen With Tibetan Leaders
• Tibetans rejected by Bhutan
• Tibetans rejected by Nepal
• Tibetans rejected by Pakistan
• Switzerland is on China’s side
• Mongolia Bans the Dalai Lama
• Give up the Tibetan cause, get an Indian passport
• Pope Francis snubs the Dalai Lama – 2014
• Switzerland insists Tibetans are Chinese
• Dalai Lama Rejected from Taiwan
• Tibetans rejected by Sweden
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The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Jangchup Wangmo

On July 14, 2017, the Tibetan Prime Minister Sikyong Lobsang Sangay visited the Central University of Tibetan Studies (CUTS) in Varanasi, India. Varanasi is known throughout the world to be an intellectual powerhouse; many of India’s political and philosophical greats spent time there studying or teaching.

For many students, this visit has become memorable and regardless of who you ask, it is mostly for the wrong reasons. The Sikyong’s visit to the university was marked by two incidents. The first was news that a 20-year-old CUTS student, Tenzin Choeying, had attempted to self-immolate. Saying that it was for the Tibetan cause, he also made it a point to state it was not the Prime Minister’s fault and that he was doing a good job. This statement however, has drawn doubt and ire from many quarters of the Tibetan community, who question why he even felt the need to utter a statement like that. If someone is doing a good job, if there is no possibility of them being blamed for it, then there would be no reason to bring it up at all. Sadly, the Tibetan community lost another brother when Choeyingla finally succumbed to his injuries six days later, with 90% burns all over his body.

This young man asked three questions of the Sikyong. It was a very brave move considering students at the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) School in Dharamsala had previously suffered an interrogation session after they questioned their Prime Minister too. Or perhaps being young and not an adult protects him to a certain degree, since Tibetan adults who have spoken their minds have frequently found themselves on the receiving end of violent repercussions for doing so.

The second incident that has been said to have marred Sikyongla’s visit is when students had an opportunity to question their Prime Minister. One young man in particular, stepped up to the podium and asked the Prime Minister some tough but fair questions. This is not the first time the Sikyong has had to field such questions from the youth. In 2014, while visiting the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) in Dharamsala, teenagers questioned the Sikyong’s policies and actions towards Dorje Shugden worship.

Instead of being rewarded for fair and open-minded thinking, the TCV students were hauled up in front of the authorities and interrogated as to why they had questioned the Sikyong in such a manner. Imagine if the leader of any other democratic nation did that to their children, and the kind of uproar that would ensue. Imagine the uproar that would ensue if former US President Barack Obama arranged for students to be interrogated each time they asked him difficult questions at town hall meetings. In a real democratic country, bullying and intimidating the youth would never be accepted. Yet, under the Tibetan regime, this is commonplace to the point it takes place without question.

How the Tibetan leadership trains their people to treat freedom of speech. Instead of respecting the rights of Dorje Shugden protesters to campaign against the ban, the Tibetan leadership tries to keep them out of sight with large black banners. Whether or not you agree with the practice is not the point. The point here is that if the Tibetan leadership was really a democratic government, they would encourage all forms of free speech, regardless of whether the content is flattering for them or if the views do not match theirs.

This latest incident at CUTS however, proves that when exposed to more and different sources of information, Tibetan youths are just as capable as any other nation’s youths in arriving at logical conclusions and asking the right questions. They just need to be given a chance to learn about everything and anything without repercussions, and not be penalized each time they want to explore other avenues of thought or viewpoints, as their elders so often experience. For Tibetan adults like Lukar Jam and Jamyang Norbu, they know all too well the price a Tibetan pays for speaking their mind, and for speaking the truth, especially if that truth has not been sanctioned by the leadership. Vandalized property, being run out of the settlements, being dangerously labelled as anti-Dalai Lama and anti-Tibet, and having a smear campaign launched against you is just a start.

Translation

That student says that “I have many questions but I am going to ask my three main questions to Sikyong. With great respect, my first question is to Sikyong that a few years ago, I think I heard from Radio Free Asia that you said, “I went to all the [Tibetan] settlements, to all the universities but I’ve never been to Varanasi [University].” So, today you are here. Are you complete now?

My second question is that it seems like you [Sikyong] are interested in external territories more than internal territories. You go abroad to many places for Tibet’s projects and therefore you are like Samdhong Rinpoche, and that is affecting and harming our internal territory. So what I wanted to tell you is, a few months ago, there was a meeting between the Parliament and the Sikyong and many other members about the serious topic of Tibet. All the members and you yourself are chosen by the public.

The public has hopes in and believes all of you to be good members of parliament. That is why the public voted for you and put you all in this position. So the public were watching that meeting but in the meeting, members of Parliament were so disrespectful to each other. Some were sleeping while others were speaking. Some people just walked away. Even you walked away during meeting and I saw that in the video. That’s what I found is very disrespectful to others as well as to the public, who support you to be their leader.

Third, in brief, you previously said that you will invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Potala Palace. Now you have four years left [to the end of your term]. When will you invite His Holiness to the Potala Palace? Do you have any plans for this?”

For those who are familiar with the Tibetan language, they will immediately recognize the humor present in the young man’s style of questioning the Sikyong. While he is using very honorific words and phrases to address the Prime Minister, his questions themselves are very direct and tough, to the point of almost being rude. But because the young man makes light of his three questions in order to lift the mood, he is able to continue asking them although viewers can see clearly that the man behind him is uncomfortable. So while the boy’s words are polite, his questions are quite tough and embarrassing for the Tibetan Prime Minister.

The fact that the Sikyong may be embarrassed by such questions from a young man points to an issue which is endemic within Tibetan society – the leaders in this so-called democracy are not used to being questioned or held accountable for their actions.

But the fact that the Sikyong might be embarrassed by these questions is reflective of a much larger problem in Tibetan society. It is almost as though he is embarrassed because he is not used to being asked such difficult questions, and he does not know quite what to make of it. In actuality, as the leader of a so-called democracy, he should be embarrassed that he is not used to being held accountable! It means that he has not been leading his people well, because the culture of speaking up and being engaged in the political process has not yet filtered through the community after 60 years in exile. That being said, as the leader of a so-called democracy, his people do have every right to hold him accountable and ask him to explain the government’s behavior. Why should members of the public like this young man not be allowed to hold their leaders accountable? As the boy himself says, it was the public who voted the Sikyong and his cohorts into power, and so the public should be able to hold them accountable for their actions too.

The future of the Tibetan people, and the welfare of the community depends on open-thinking individuals like this brave young gentleman. When the stalwarts of the Tibetan political establishment are gone, who will stand at the helm of the community, to lead and guide everybody? It is time that the Tibetan leadership start nurturing people like this man, and harness his clearly analytical thinking towards the benefit of the Tibetan people. So instead of penalizing the youth for their curiosity and open minds, adults like the Prime Minister should actually nurture and foster this curiosity. Curiosity leads to innovation; innovation leads to initiative, and initiative leads to activities which will help to preserve, protect and promote Tibetan culture, religion and history long after the Prime Minister is no longer in power.

As more Tibetans in Tibet take their lives in an attempt to pressure dialogue between the Tibetan exiled leadership and the Chinese, leaders like Sikyong Lobsang Sangay continue to be relaxed and refuse to do whatever it takes to get these discussions started. In the meantime, more Tibetans will continue to die, thanks to the Sikyong’s lack of creativity and innovation when it comes to initiating the dialogue. (Credit: www.tibettruth.com)

And if the Prime Minister does not find this logic appealing, then consider this – what kind of older, supposedly Harvard educated man, is intimidated by the questions of teenagers? What kind of adult needs to bully a child? From where we stand, to be intimidated by children does not speak well of one’s own qualities and intellectual abilities. It in fact suggests a huge amount of hidden insecurities when a person can be so easily unsettled by the questions of teenagers. Why does the Tibetan Prime Minister want to be surrounded by Yes Men who do not challenge him to improve the welfare of the people? It is sad indeed when the Tibetan Prime Minister so deathly afraid of questions, that he has to intimidate his own people into not asking anything. So instead of learning, instead of forcing oneself to think about the welfare of the community, the Sikyong would rather suppress all forms of free speech and thought, so he can experience the final years of office in comfort, ease and complacency, as he has been doing.

Sikyong Lobsang Sangayla, it is time to start being accountable to your people and letting them get involved in the democratic process without backbites, harassment and violent repercussions. It is time you started respecting your people’s intellect and stop stamping down on their ability to form incisive, analytical questions about your leadership and works. Just because many of them do not ask it, does not mean that many of them are not thinking it. After some time, when they cannot say what they truly feel, the pressure inside will build up until people start to think that they have no choice but to resort to drastic, extreme actions. Just like Choeyingla, the 20-year old who felt that no one was hearing his voice and his suffering, and he needed to do the biggest thing he can – give up his life – to get your attention. In his last moments, this young man did not think about his mother or father; he chose to dedicate his last words to talking about you. Sikyongla, it really is time to get your head out of the sand and realize Tibetans are not going to stay silent about you and your lackeys anymore.

Addendum

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s autobiography ‘A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada’, published in 2016, provides historical evidence and irrefutable proof that the Central Tibetan Administration is falsifying the facts when it comes to the practice of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.

The autobiography of Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a high lama of the Gelug lineage, provides accurate historical accounts of the Dorje Shugden practice. Click to enlarge.

The back cover of the book, click to enlarge.

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Historical accounts show that prior to the politicization of the Dorje Shugden practice by the Central Tibetan Administration, this popular deity was relied upon by Dharma practitioners to help in their spiritual practice. Contrary to detractors’ claims about Dorje Shugden being ‘anti-Dharma’, this Dharma Protector practice was traditionally deemed to be suitable to be practiced alongside the Highest Yoga Tantras.

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Zasep Rinpoche and his family were able to escape to safety prior to the events of 1959 through the clairvoyance and prophetic advice of Dorje Shugden through one of his oracles, Lama Gelong Chojor Gyamtso.

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Oracles of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden were known for the accuracy of their prophecies due to Dorje Shugden being a fully enlightened deity with perfect clairvoyance. As stated clearly by Zasep Rinpoche in his autobiography ‘A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada’, Dorje Shugden warned the Tibetans of the impending loss of their homeland but his advice was mostly ignored by the Tibetan government.

The Tibetan government chose to consult the worldly state protector Nechung, and Nechung advised that the Dalai Lama should remain in Tibet where he would be safe. This was mistaken advice, as historical events would later show. Fortunately for Tibetan Buddhists all around the world, Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang had great faith in Dorje Shugden and consulted the protector for advice on the Dalai Lama’s safety. Dorje Shugden via the Panglung Oracle urgently adviced the Dalai Lama to leave for India immediately and gave the exact escape route. In saving the Dalai Lama from certain harm, Dorje Shugden prevented the destruction of Tibetan Buddhism and preserved the future of the Tibetan culture and people.

Zasep Rinpoche’s account of events concur with monastic records that it was indeed Dorje Shugden who saved the Dalai Lama instead of Nechung, contrary to the claims of the Tibetan leadership.

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Dorje Shugden’s practice was first established within the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya Throneholders regarded this Dharma Protector as an enlightened being and Dorje Shugden, together with Dorje Setrab and Tsiu Marpo formed the triune of Sakya Protectors known as Gyalpo Sum. Today, Sakya practitioners claim that Dorje Shugden was never widely practiced by their lineage but history proves otherwise. The undeniable fact is that before the CTA’s religious ban, Dorje Shugden was practiced first by the Sakyas and was later transmitted to the Gelug school where it was practiced by the majority of the Gelugpas.

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Contrary to the CTA’s claims that Dorje Shugden’s practice is sectarian, Zasep Rinpoche’s autobiography shows how practitioners of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism lived and practiced together in harmony, especially during the early years of exile in India. It was only when the CTA launched a virulent smear campaign against Dorje Shugden that the general public began to label Dorje Shugden a sectarian practice. In truth, Dorje Shugden’s practice is no more sectarian than the practices of other Dharma Protectors such as Mahakala Bernagchen, Achi Chokyi Drolma or Dorje Legpa, who protect the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu and Nyingma schools respectively.

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By the 1980s, the Tibetan government had failed to fulfil multiple promises to return the Tibetan people to their homeland. A scapegoat was needed and they made one out of an ancient Buddhist practice, pinning the loss of Tibet and the failure of the Tibetan cause on Dorje Shugden. In his autobiography, Zasep Rinpoche is of the same opinion, stating that “…the [Dorje Shugden] controversy was orchestrated by the Tibetan Central Administration…”

The Tibetan leadership effectively sanctioned witch-hunts on Dorje Shugden practitioners and persecuted them using government instruments, declaring that simply by being a Shugden worshipper, one was effectively an enemy of the Tibetan nation.

As a result of the hatred against Dorje Shugden practitioners instigated by the Tibetan leadership, virtually all Shugden Buddhists had to fear for their lives, or at least for their safety.

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Dorje Shugden’s beneficial practice has continued to thrive due to the courage and commitment of high lamas such as Zasep Tulku Rinpoche.

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For centuries, Dorje Shugden has been practiced alongside the highest practices of the Gelug and Sakya lineages. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s list of transmission is an indication that the highest scholars viewed the Protector as an enlightened being compatible with their yidam practices.