Phayul
September 5, 2015
Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay speaking at the Takshashila institute in Bangalore. Sept. 3, 2015 TibetNet Photo
DHARAMSHALA, September 5: As Beijing celebrated the 50th founding anniversary of what it calls the “Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)”, the Prime Minister of the exile Tibetan government based here said there was nothing to celebrate in Tibet for the Tibetans who are still under occupation and brutal repression.
The Tibetan PM Dr. Lobsang Sangay was speaking at the Bengaluru-based Takshashila Institution, an independent think tank and public policy school. “Tibetans inside Tibet have to carry an ID card, which have second generation microchips with their biometrics. If they swipe the card, the authorities would exactly know where the particular Tibetan is from, which makes surveillance much easier for the Chinese authorities,” Sangay said.
Sangay said that these surveillance are targeted at Tibetans from traditional Tibetan regions incorporated into Chinese provinces who visit Lhasa, the capital, on pilgrimage. “They are permitted to stay in Lhasa for only two weeks and are restricted from mingling freely with local Tibetans in Lhasa. They also have to stay in their designated hotels in a bid to severely restrict their freedom of movement. Such restrictions are unthinkable for a citizen of a free country like India but in Tibet, it is considered the norm,” regretted Sangay.
The Tibetan PM rued the Chinese authorities’ clampdown on religious freedom of the Tibetans, saying that a Tibetan would be arrested and subjected to immense torture with the whole family being deprived of government jobs and subsidies if he or she is found in possession of the Dalai Lama’s photo. The family of the self-immolators also face similar consequences, added Sangay.
Taking a dig at the China’s claim that Tibetans enjoy freedom of religion, Sangay said the Jokhang temple in the capital has become a symbol of the mistrust as a result of the Chinese occupation and repression.
“The Jokhang is the holiest shrine for Tibetans and for centuries, we have worshipped the temple. However, if you visit the Jokhang now, there are surveillance cameras and sharpshooters perched on rooftops everywhere, which is making the Tibetan people apprehensive about going to the Jokhang now,” he said.
The Tibetan PM also emphasized the significance of Tibet, both geographically and politically, calling it an ‘Effective buffer zone’ between China and India.
The Tibetan PM spoke to the Tibetan public and the monastic community in Doeguling Tibetan Settlement of Mundgod on Friday about his administrations’ activities over the past four years.
