From Theocracy to Democracy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

From theocracy to democracy: Empowerment of the Tibetan people through public participation CONTEXT • Theocracy - 5TH to 14th Dalai Lama) (17th-21st century) • 1959 -- Chinese invasion • 80,000 flee to India • Democratization begins Tibetan democracy Central Tibetan Administration Established in 1959 3 BRANCHES: • Legislative (Parliament-in-exile) • Executive (Kashag) • Judiciary RESPONSABILITIES (CTA) • Political (Tibetans in Tibet) • Livelihood (India, Nepal, Bhutan) • Community cohesion, synergy (Diaspora outside India, Nepal, Bhutan) Some particularities… • Nation with no territorial boundaries (3 continents) • Tibetans in Tibet cannot vote (98%) • Party-less system • 2011 – Devolution of political power by H.H. the Dalai Lama ELECTIONS • Every 5 years (20 march 2016) • Political leader (since 2001)– Head of Executive branch (Sikyong) • 45 members-of-parliament - 10 per province (3 provinces) - 2 per school of Buddhism & Bon (5 schools) - North America (2), Europe (2), Asia (1) Tibetan parliament-in-exile Executive (14th Kashag) 7 Departments: Health Home Religion & Culture Finance Education Security Information & Inter. Relations WHO CAN VOTE? • Tibetans living in the free world • Age 18 and over WHO CAN VOTE? Greenbook holder (voluntary tax to CTA) HOW DOES IT WORK? • Election Commission (India-based) • Vote by ballot • India, Nepal, Bhutan – vote via settlements • Others – Local Tibetan Associations CHALLENGES • Participation • Responsible engagement • Effective communication (Election Commission) CHALLENGES (Cont’d) • Regionalism • Resonance with Tibetans in Tibet • Chinese interference • Post-Dalai Lama scenario LESSONS LEARNED • Be agile and a have an iterative learning culture (Election Commission); • Adapt communications to different cultural context and changing demographics; LESSONS LEARNED (Cont’d) • Make rules you can consistently enforce; • Hold candidates accountable; • Have civil society organizations play an active role in public capacity building. Some parting thoughts… Thank you.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Charter of the Tibetans-In-Exile
CHARTER OF THE TIBETANS-IN-EXILE 1991 I Preface His Holiness the Dalai Lama has guided us towards a democratic system of government, in order that the Tibetan people in exile be able to preserve their ancient traditions of spiritual and temporal life, unique to the Tibetans, based on the principles of peace and non-violence, aimed at providing politi- cal, social and economic rights as well as the attainment of justice and equal- ity for all Tibetan people, Efforts shall be made to transform a future Tibet into a Federal Democratic Self-Governing Republic and a zone of peace throughout her three regions, Whereas in particular, efforts shall be made in promoting the achievement of Tibet’s common goal as well as to strengthen the solidarity of Tibetans, both within and outside of Tibet, and to firmly establish a democratic system suit- able to the temporary ideals of the Tibetan people. The Eleventh Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies do hereby promulgate and legalize this Charter of the Tibetans-in-Exile as their fundamental guide. Adopted on June 14, 1991; Second Day of the Fifth Tibetan Month, 2118 Ti- betan Royal Year. II Contents CHAPTER - I FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES Article 1 - Commencement 6 Article 2 - Jurisdiction 6 Article 3 - Nature of the Tibetan Polity 6 Article 4 - Principles of the Tibetan Administration 6 Article 5 - Validity of the Charter 6 Article 6 - Recognition of International and Local Law 6 Article 7 - Renunciation of Violence and the Use of Force 6 Article 8 - Citizen of Tibet 6 CHAPTER - II FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND
[Show full text]
Introduction: Theorizing the Secular in Tibetan Cultural Worlds Holly Gayley
Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Philosophy Faculty Publications Philosophy & Religious Studies 5-2016 Introduction: Theorizing the Secular in Tibetan Cultural Worlds Holly Gayley Nicole Willock Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/philosophy_fac_pubs Part of the Asian Studies Commons, and the Religion Commons Repository Citation Gayley, Holly and Willock, Nicole, "Introduction: Theorizing the Secular in Tibetan Cultural Worlds" (2016). Philosophy Faculty Publications. 33. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/philosophy_fac_pubs/33 Original Publication Citation Gayley, H., & Willock, N. (2016). Introduction | Theorizing the secular in tibetan cultural worlds. Himalaya, The Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, 36(1), 12-21. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Philosophy & Religious Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Introduction | Theorizing the Secular in Tibetan Cultural Worlds Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the contributors to this volume—Tsering Gonkatsang, Matthew King, Leigh Miller, Emmi Okada, Annabella Pitkin, Françoise Robin, Dominique Townsend—as well as the other original panelists—Janet Gyatso, Nancy Lin, and Tsering Shakya—on the panel, ‘The Secular in Tibet and Mongolia,’ at the Thirteenth Seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies in 2013. The presentations, questions, and comments by panelists and audience offered new perspectives, provided the fodder for further investigations into the secular in Tibetan cultural worlds, and paved the way for this special issue of HIMALAYA.
[Show full text]
17-Point Agreement of 1951 by Song Liming
FACTS ABOUT THE 17-POINT “Agreement’’ Between Tibet and China Dharamsala, 22 May 22 DIIR PUBLICATIONS The signed articles in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Central Tibetan Administration. This report is compiled and published by the Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala 176 215, H. P., INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.tibet.net and ww.tibet.com CONTENTS Part One—Historical Facts 17-point “Agreement”: The full story as revealed by the Tibetans and Chinese who were involved Part Two—Scholars’ Viewpoint Reflections on the 17-point Agreement of 1951 by Song Liming The “17-point Agreement”: Context and Consequences by Claude Arpi The Relevance of the 17-point Agreement Today by Michael van Walt van Praag Tibetan Tragedy Began with a Farce by Cao Changqing Appendix The Text of the 17-point Agreement along with the reproduction of the original Tibetan document as released by the Chinese government His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Press Statements on the “Agreement” FORWARD 23 May 2001 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 17-point Agreement between Tibet and China. This controversial document, forced upon an unwilling but helpless Tibetan government, compelled Tibet to co-exist with a resurgent communist China. The People’s Republic of China will once again flaunt this dubious legal instrument, the only one China signed with a “minority” people, to continue to legitimise its claim on the vast, resource-rich Tibetan tableland. China will use the anniversary to showcase its achievements in Tibet to justify its continued occupation of the Tibetan Plateau.
[Show full text]
Constructing the Secular: the Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community
HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 36 Number 1 Article 12 May 2016 Constructing the Secular: The Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community Emmi Okada University of Tokyo, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Okada, Emmi. 2016. Constructing the Secular: The Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community. HIMALAYA 36(1). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol36/iss1/12 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Constructing the Secular: The Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the innumerable Tibetans in Dharamsala, India, without whose assistance the present research could not have been completed. She also wishes to acknowledge Professor David Gellner who supervised her MPhil thesis which formed the basis of this article, and the Tibetan Studies staff at the Oriental Institute at the University of Oxford,
[Show full text]
The Tibetan Nonviolent Struggle: a Strategic and Historical Analysis
ICNC MONOGRAPH SERIES The Tibetan Nonviolent Struggle: A Strategic and Historical Analysis Tenzin Dorjee ICNC MONOGRAPH SERIES Cover photos: (l) John Ackerly, 1987, (r) Invisible Tibet Blog SERIES EDITOR: Maciej Bartkowski John Ackerly’s photo of the first major demonstration in Lhasa in 1987 CONTACT: [email protected] became an emblem for the Tibet movement. The monk Jampa Tenzin, who is being lifted by fellow protesters, had just rushed into a burning VOLUME EDITORS: Hardy Merriman, Amber French, police station to rescue Tibetan detainees. With his arms charred by the Cassandra Balfour flames, he falls in and out of consciousness even as he leads the crowd CONTACT: [email protected] in chanting pro-independence slogans. The photographer John Ackerly Other volumes in this series: became a Tibet advocate and eventually President of the International Campaign for Tibet (1999 to 2009). To read more about John Ackerly’s The Power of Staying Put: Nonviolent Resistance experience in Tibet, see his book co-authored by Blake Kerr, Sky Burial: against Armed Groups in Colombia, Juan Masullo An Eyewitness Account of China’s Brutal Crackdown in Tibet. (2015) Invisible Tibet Blog’s photo was taken during the 2008 Tibetan uprising, The Maldives Democracy Experience (2008-13): when Tibetans across the three historical provinces of Tibet rose up From Authoritarianism to Democracy and Back, to protest Chinese rule. The protests began on March 10, 2008, a few Velezinee Aishath (2015) months ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games, and quickly became the largest, most sustained nonviolent movement Tibet has witnessed. Published by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict The designations used and material presented in this publication do P.O.
[Show full text]
Tibetan Diaspora
TIBETAN DIASPORA Population: Approximately 127,935 [Approximate world-wide distribution: India 94,203; Nepal 13,514; Bhutan 1,298; the rest of the world 18,920] Constitution: The Charter of the Tibetans-in-Exile Judiciary: Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission: The Chief Justice Commis- sioner and two Justice Commissioners are elected by the Tibetan Par- liament-in-Exile out of a list of nominated candidates submitted by a selection committee of three to five members constituted by Chief Justice Commissioner, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Sikyong (Presi- dent). Legislature: Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile with 45 members is directly elected by the exile population. The term of office is five years. Executive: The Kashag (Cabinet) is the apex executive body. The President is directly elected by the exile population for a term of five years. The President nominates other members of the Kashag to the Tibetan Par- liament-in-Exile to give its approval for their appointment. Major NGOs: Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), Gu-chu-sum Movement, National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT) Foreign Missions: Based in New Delhi, Kathmandu, Washington D.C., Geneva, Tokyo, London, Brussels, Canberra, Moscow, Pretoria, Taipei and São Paulo. Livelihood: Agriculture, agro-industries, handicraft exports, woollen garment- selling enterprise and service sector. 1 tibetan national flag During the reign of the seventh-century king, Songsten Gampo, Tibet was one of the mightiest empires in Central Asia. Tibet, then, had an army of about 2,860,000 men. Each regiment of the army had its own banner. The banner of Yö-Ru Tö regiment had a pair of snow lions facing each other; that of Yä-Ru Mä a snow lion with a bright upper border; that of Tsang-Ru-Lag a snow lion standing upright, leaping towards the sky; and that of Ü-Ru Tö a white flame against a red background.
[Show full text]
Human Rights and Tibet: Leading a Government-In- Exile
Human Rights and Tibet: Leading a Government-in- Exile CAMILO SANCHEZ: Good morning. Thank you all for being here. And welcome to a new year of human rights programming at UVA. And now, I know what you're thinking. February is almost over. Spring break is around the corner. And there is this guy still throwing out Happy New Year's wishes. Fair point, but you might not know that this weekend, this very weekend, the Tibetan community is celebrating Losar, a festival that marks the first day of the lunisolar Tibetan calendar. So in spirit of embracing multiculturalism, the UVA human rights program is kicking off its year ignoring the Gregorian calendar and partially the academic calendar. So Dr. Sangay, I apologize for the last minute request, but you will have to tell us more about the Losar celebrations. Our human rights program at the University of Virginia School of Law is proud of its mission to intentionally bridge the worlds of research, policy, and human rights practice, while maintaining a focus on rigorous and scholarly inquiry. At the top of our interests is to increase our knowledge on how scholars, activists, governments, movements, and other actors understand, conceptualize, advocate for, critique, or even reject or ignore human rights. We want to expose our community to the tensions, contradictions, contingencies, roads not taken, and dilemmas that lie at the heart of the human rights enterprise. That's why we seek to bring to campus people that from different perspectives and backgrounds reflect not only on philosophical questions, such as what are human rights? What should they be? But also on other questions shaped by human rights practice, such as what do human rights do? Why do people use human rights? Why do communities use them instead of using other political or moral frameworks? And what are the effects, implications, and drawbacks of relying on human rights in political struggles? And we couldn't think of a better person to speak to these questions than our distinguished keynote speaker, Dr.
[Show full text]
Cultural Genocide in Tibet a Report
Cultural Genocide in Tibet A Report The Tibet Policy Institute The Department of Information and International Relations Central Tibetan Administration Published by the Tibet Policy Institute Printed at Narthang Press, Department of Information and International Relations of the Central Tibet Administration, 2017 Drafting Committee: Thubten Samphel, Bhuchung D. Sonam, Dr. Rinzin Dorjee and Dr. Tenzin Desal Contents Abbreviation Foreword .............................................................................................i Executive Summary ...........................................................................iv Introduction ........................................................................................vi PART ONE A CULTURE OF COMPASSION The Land .............................................................................................4 Language and Literature....................................................................4 Bonism .................................................................................................6 Buddhism ............................................................................................6 Sciences ................................................................................................8 Environmental Protection ................................................................9 The Origin and Evolution of Tibetan Culture ..............................10 The Emergence of the Yarlung Dynasty .......................................11 Songtsen Gampo and the Unification
[Show full text]
The Case Concerning Tibet
THE CASE CONCERNING TIBET TIBET’S SOVEREIGNTY AND THE TIBETAN PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION by Tibet Justice Center (Andrew G. Dulaney and Dennis M. Cusack) and Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag) for The Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre June 1, 1998 Update added by Tibet Justice Center February 13, 2013 09292\5RTP01!.DOC:269341 In 1994 and 1996, the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre organized and held two conferences on Tibetan self-determination. Summaries of these proceedings are available from the TPPRC. The concrete action plan that emerged from the the 1996 conference included a recommendation to request that Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag, then General Secretary of Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, assist in the preparation of a report on the legal aspects of the Tibetan people's right to self-determination. At Dr. van Walt's request, this report was prepared by Tibet Justice Center with Dr. van Walt. In February 2013, to mark the centenary of the 1913 Proclamation of Tibetan Independence, Tibet Justice Center prepared a short update to the original report, highlighting the 1913 Proclamation, and new evidence regarding Tibet’s sovereignty and the Tibetan people’s right to self-determination. 09292\5RTP01!.DOC:269341 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. UPDATE TO THE CASE CONCERNING TIBET: 1913 INDEPENDENCE PROCLAMATION CENTENARY AND NEW INFORMATION ……………………...1 A. The 1913 Proclamation……………………………………………………………1 B. New information since 1998……………………………………………………....2 1. Original Tibetan text of Tibet-Mongolia treaty discovered…………………….2 2. Tibetan Passport rediscovered………………………………………………….3 3. UK Government Changes Position on Tibet…………………………………...4 4.
[Show full text]
Why Am I Running for Sikyong?
Why am I running for Sikyong? Today, we Tibetans are at a significant crossroad in our history. While tremendous opportunities lie ahead to rebuild on the momentum of our achievements thus far, it is also time for us to collectively review and overcome some real challenges that can prove detrimental to our cause. This moment calls on all Tibetans to rise to the occasion to address today’s challenges, promote unity, work to achieve our common goal, and build the future of our nation and people. It is with this deep sense of calling, I am offering my candidacy for the post of Sikyong for 2021. I acknowledge with utmost humility that the role of Sikyong is extremely challenging. As the political leader of the Tibetan people, the role requires a balance of vision and execution, innovation and tradition, confidence and humility. With over thirty years of service to the Tibetan people, I sincerely believe that I can fulfill these expectations. In my various capacities with the Central Tibetan Administration, I have established a stellar reputation as a fiscal reformer, a coalition builder among leaders with different political viewpoints, and an advocate of inclusiveness. My extensive administrative and diplomatic skills and training will serve me well. Let me first share the three principles that will guide me if I am given the privilege of leading the Central Tibetan Administration: Truth, Harmony, and Inclusiveness. These tenets will not only serve as the pillars of our freedom movement, but also will provide the basis for my policymaking. Truth: If there is one thing that we have learned from the Coronavirus pandemic, it is that transparency, a hallmark feature of a democracy, fosters people’s trust in our government.
[Show full text]
An Interview with Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria an Interview with Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria
An Interview with Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria An Interview with Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria Illustration 1: Sikyong Dr.Lobsang Sangay, (Photo Credit: The Tibet Post International, www.thetibetpost.com) An Interview with Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria Front Page Photo Courtesy: Tibet Post International www.thetibetpost.com/ An Interview with Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria This is an exclusive interview of Dr.Lobsang Sangay by Arnav Anjaria. Dr. Lobsang Sangay is the democratically elected Sikyong (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan Government in Exile, officially known as the Central Tibetan Administration. Elections received massive support of the large Tibetan Diaspora spread across South Asia, North America, South East Asia and Europe. Tibetan Government in Exile was established in 1959 by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Thus with the announcement of the Dalai lama to appoint his political successor, Dr.Lobsang Sangay was democratically elected as the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration. He is the Sixth Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration, earlier Sikyong was known as the Kalon Tripa. The interview was conducted in his office in Dharamsala in June 2011 by Arnav Anjaria. Q.) How do you see the Tibetan issue? Dr.Sangay.) There is one country two system in China and in Hong Kong. Then Why not Tibet? That’s the question. Because Hong Kong and Macau people are Han Chinese. But then the Chinese argument has been that Hong Kong has had a different business or commercial system under the British hence you recognize the difference. And gave them a different system.
[Show full text]
Brief Biography of Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF SIKYONG DR LOBSANG SANGAY Dr Lobsang Sangay was born and grew up in a Tibetan settlement near Darjeeling, where he attended the Central School for Tibetans. He completed his B.A. (Honors) and LLB degrees from Delhi University. In 1992, he was elected as the youngest executive member of the Tibetan Youth Congress. In 1996, as a Fulbright Scholar, he obtained a Master’s Degree and in 2004, Doctor of Juridical Science from Harvard Law School and his dissertation, Democracy in Distress: Is Exile Polity a Remedy? A Case Study of Tibet's Government-in-exile was awarded the Yong K. Kim’ 95 Prize. In 2005, he was appointed as a research fellow and promoted to senior fellow until early 2011. Dr Sangay is an expert on International Human Rights Law, Democratic Constitutionalism, and Conflict Resolution. He has spoken in hundreds of seminars around the world. He organised seven major conferences among Chinese, Tibetan, Indian and Western scholars including two unprecedented meeting between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Chinese scholars in 2003 and 2009 at Harvard University. In 2007, he was selected as one of the twenty-four “Young Leaders of Asia” by the Asia Society and a delegate to the World Justice Forum in Vienna, Austria, where top legal experts and judges from around the world congregated. Since 2011, Dr Sangay has served as the Sikyong or the political leader of the Tibetan people. Academic publications: Tibet: Exiles' Journey, Journal of Democracy – Volume 14, Number 3, July 2003, pp. 119– 130 Lobsang Sangay, China in Tibet: Forty Years of Liberation or Occupation?, Harvard Asia Quarterly, Volume III, No.
[Show full text]