DALAI LAMA URGES TIBET PROVINCES TO UNITE

 ALISON LESLEY

June 2, 2016

THE RE-ELECTED PRIME MINISTER OF THE TIBETAN GOVERNMENT-IN-EXILE HOPES FOR A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION ON THE ISSUE OF TIBET DURING DALAI LAMA’S LIFETIME. Lobsang Sangay is a Tibetan legal scholar and politician. He became the Prime Minister or Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan Government in Exile, in 2011. He was re-elected last month, amidst criticisms from his opposition candidates of him leading a negative campaigning in order to win the post of Prime Minister. Dalai Lama Urges Tibet Provinces to Unite

Sangay was sworn in last Friday, May 27, at a colorful ceremony that took place in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, India, where the headquarters of the CTA is located. Thousands of people attended the ceremony. During the ceremony, Sangay vowed that he would try to resolve the half-a-century old issue of Tibet during the lifetime of the current Dalai Lama itself. Traditional Tibetan artists sang Tibet’s national anthem during the ceremony. In his speech, Sangay said that he would continue the policy that advocates a peaceful campaign for greater autonomy for the people of Tibet, rather than an all-out independence from China. His administration is committed in their efforts to holding talks between the representatives of the Chinese government and the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Sangay also offered sympathy for the actions of those Tibetans who self-immolated to protest against the Chinese rule. He said that their deaths would not go in vain. He expressed his solidarity and appreciation for the patriotic fervor that still burns in the hearts of the Tibetan people.

The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in his speech during the swearing-in ceremony of Lobsang Sangay, expressed his concern and anxiety over the growing division that is happening among the exiled Tibetans. He said that moral values are degenerating in the community. Pointing towards the negative campaigning that some candidates reported of happening during the race for the political office, His Holiness said that the campaigning on the sectarian and the provincial lines are not healthy. Tibet and the people of Tibet have been together for centuries. What is of primary importance is the unity of the three traditional provinces of Tibet. Dalai Lama further said that the major aspect of the Tibetan movement should continue to remain solely on the principle of non-violence and should focus on fulfilling the aspirations of Tibetans who continue to stay in the country. With their hard work and with the assistance of the Indian and other foreign governments and organizations, they have already reached a stage where they are unique among equals. His Holiness also told the crowd that their main focus should be on the holistic education of their children. The 2016 CTA Prime Minister election saw around 90,000 Tibetans in 13 countries, from Australia to America, voting for their candidates. CTA is currently not recognized by any foreign state.