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TIBETAN Volume 15, Issue 2 May - september 2011 FOCUS FEATURE DOCUMENTATION CONTENTS FOCUS 4 5 8 FEATU RE 10 15 16 INTERVIEW 18 25 DOCUMENTATION 28 30 OBITUARY 32 FOCUS Today we have gathered here — the participated in the democratic elections. democracy. general public, the new Kalon Tripa, I think that our brothers and sisters in For over a millennium, Tibetans Lobsang Sangay, the outgoing Kalon Tibet, who are not even allowed to have been practicing Buddhism in our Tripa, and friends of Tibet from various express their views and opinions freely, day-to-day lives and have been able to countries, who genuinely support the let alone participate in a democratic maintain, study and promote the just cause of Tibet — to show our election, would also be proud when they complete teaching of Buddha. Today, the support and stand in solidarity with the hear about these democratic steps we entire corpus of the Buddha’s teaching can only be found in Tibetan. For a practitioner of such a deep spiritual tradition, he should be realistic and move with changing tunes of time. There is no room for old and outdated practices. Buddha taught a spiritual practice in accordance with the level of intelligence and needs of the people. Moreover, many political changes are taking place in the world. I often say that the world belongs to its nearly seven billion people and not to the kings, religious heads or rulers. Same is the case with individual countries, where the citizens should have power and not the rulers. Likewise, the Tibetan people are the masters of Tibet and not the religious heads or their heirs. Therefore, I always state that it is wrong for the religious new political leader. I want to tell you are taking in tune with changing times. leaders to hold political positions. Since that today is a very special day in over When Tibet was confronted I, myself, am a religious leader with 2000-year-long history of Tibet. During with imminent external threats, I was a political authority, this contradicts my the time of great dharma kings, naughty sixteen-year-old boy, who was own words which makes me feel uneasy. comparing with other neighbouring lazy in religious studies. However, like Now that I have implemented countries Tibet stood in equal stature the thirteenth Dalai Lama who took the what I preach, I feel proud and will tell with them in every field. This shows that political leadership at the age of others to put into practice this principle the leadership provided then was eighteen, I too had to take the political that the countries belong to the people dynamic and in tune with existing responsibility at sixteen because Tibet and the time to hold on to power through circumstances. was undergoing a very difficult time. At force is over. Similarly, I will continue to After witnessing the dramatic the time Tagdra Rinpoche was the strongly speak about the importance of events and changes in the twentieth Sikyong from whom I inherited the the separation of religion and politics. century, we are now in the twenty-first political leadership. Since then it has Personally, I feel that today my century. This is a new time and a new been sixty very difficult years, and yet most cherished aspiration has been era. For over half a century, I have as the spiritual and temporal leader of fulfilled. The Tibetans in exile who have viewed it important that we should build Tibet, I have been able to keep the issue taken great initiative and interest in the a complete and a functioning democratic of Tibet alive in the world. I consider election is the most important part of this system in our society. As a result, today this as my small achievement. development. As a result of your active though we are in exile, Sikyong is the Today, sixty years after I took participation, we have been able to elect highest democratically-elected political the political responsibility from Regent a leader with high standard of modern leader of our administration. As stated Tagdra Rinpoche under a different education. So, I would like to thank the in the Kashag’s statement the term circumstance in Tibet, I am completely general public for their hard work. Sikyong means ‘political leader’. This devolving my political responsibility to Lobsang Sangay has become the first term has been in our political parlance Lobsang Sangay, who is the new democratically-elected Sikyong or the for a long time. popularly-elected Kalon Tripa. This is Tibetan political leader, who is vested Today is a very proud day for in keeping with the trend everywhere with full political authority and all the Tibetan people who directly around the world to move towards responsibility. He will lead the 4 TIBETAN BULLETIN MAY - SEPTEMBER 2011 FOCUS administration with sincerity and to one’s political party should be I want to urge the Tibetan people to dedication. If there are positive criticisms secondary and that the primary concern work in unity to realize our common from the members of legislature, should be the nation’s economic aspiration. administrative staff, members of NGOs stability. Likewise, when Tibet is and the general public, it is right to undergoing a life-and-death struggle, Thank You. criticise. Otherwise it is of utmost personal fame and fortune should not Note: This is English translation. importance to consider our common be considered more important than our Should discrepancy arise, please treat cause more important than personal or common cause. the original Tibetan final and group’s interests. During my recent visit I would again thank Tibetan authoritative. to the US, I said that the issue relating people for their hard work. In future too, My fellow Tibetans: Lama as he departed Lhasa on the fateful Our democratic election reveals that Today on this auspicious day night of March 17, 1959. Tibetan unity is built upon and sustained when Guru Rinpoche, the great Indian Today, the responsibility to help by universal democratic principles that yogi who spread Buddhism in Tibet, was ensure the return of His Holiness is with transcend region, sect, gender, and born, and in the presence of His Holiness our generation of Tibetans who have generations. the Dalai Lama, our most revered leader, I accept, with deep humility, the post of the Kalon Tripa. We invoke the spirit and call on the Gods and Goddesses of Tibet to watch over and guide us. My profound gratitude goes out to the overwhelming support of brave men and women in exile, and the enduring solidarity and support of our brave brothers and sisters in occupied Tibet. We are motivated by their support and sustained by their prayers. Blessed spiritually by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and authorized politically to continue the extended historical legitimacy of the great institution of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I am here not as a result of my personal achievement but as a result of the hard work and sacrifices made by elder generations in Tibet and in exile. Today, I pledge to carry on and build upon this great legacy of modern education and sophistication. The results of this election our elders. I pledge to you, my fellow But do we have dedication, unity and should send a clear message to the Tibetans, to strengthen and sustain our commitment to make tireless effort like our hardliners in the Chinese government that movement until freedom is restored in ancestors? If we do, we will prevail. If we Tibetan leadership is far from fizzling out Tibet, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama don’t, we fail. – we are democracy that will only grow returns to our homeland. No doubt, our task is of stronger in years ahead. And we are here Over one century ago, in 1910, Himalayan proportion. But we take to stay. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama, took one inspiration from thousands of other brave Let me be very clear: our last glance at the Potala Palace before Tibetans who, throughout our history, struggle is not against the Chinese leaving his homeland and promised to his have given up their lives and devoted their people, nor is it against China as a country. people: “I shall return.” Our ancestors at hearts to Tibet. We have been tragically Our struggle is against hard-line policies the time did not have modern education separated by force, not by choice, and, of the Chinese regime in Tibet. Our and sophistication, but with dedication we will reach the mountaintop of freedom struggle is against those who would deny and unity they work tirelessly to make the to reunite Tibetans on both sides of freedom, justice, dignity, and the very return of His Holiness the 13 th Dalai Lama Himalayas. identity of Tibetan people. Chinese possible. His Holiness returned to Lhasa I promise to work to fulfill the authorities and our Chinese friends alike in early 1913 and reaffirmed Tibet’s vision of His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama must realize that grievances of Tibetan independence from China. to create a truly secular democratic people are many and genuine. Almost half a century later, the society. This year’s dynamic Tibetan Today, my fellow Tibetans, I same pledge to return was poignantly election demonstrated to the world our reaffirm in the oath and aspiration forged repeated by His Holiness the 14th Dalai commitment to genuine democracy and by our forefathers – a treaty signed more the universal principle of human freedom. then a millennia ago by Tibet and China MAY - SEPTEMBER 2011 TIBETAN BULLETIN 5 FOCUS that pledged a great epoch when protest in part because we cannot forget reaching out to hundreds of Chinese “Tibetans shall be happy in the land of the harsh response Chinese authorities students and have organized conferences Tibet and Chinese in the land of China”.