WATCH IT HERE : https://youtu.be/I6zdsKHx6Q0
Conversation with Tenzin Wangchuck
Hosted by Tenzing Dhamdul, FNVA
The Unsilenced: Voices of Young Tibetans podcast session saw FNVA engage with Tenzin Wangchuck, the Delhi Executive and Coordinator of the Global Tibetan’s People Movement for a Middle Way Approach (GTPMMWA) and also the host of popular Tibetan YouTube Channel ‘The International Commentator’. He is one of the rising Tibetan youths when it comes to dissemination of International Political Developments to the larger Tibetan speaking audience. The podcast session with Tenzin Wangchuck engages upon, Tibet, The Middle Way Approach – Which is the official policy of the Central Tibetan Administration also popularly known as the Tibetan Government in Exile, The Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) and his experiences hosting a Tibetan YouTube Channel. The Tibetan Uprising Day, The Exile Tibetan Democracy and the Tibetan Youths. When it came to Tibetans sentiments over the illegal occupation by the PRC he stated ‘The Political Structures set-up by the PRC since 1959, we are not Happy with it.’
Tenzin Wangchuck narrates to us how he studied both in a Tibetan and Chinese school in occupied Tibet and how he eventually escaped to India and completed his education from TCV Suja. He still continues his academic journey and is currently doing his post-graduation from Delhi University.
He then elaborated what the Global Tibetan’s People Movement for Middle Way Approach (GTPMMWA) and how since its establishment in 2008 it has branched out to several regional chapters. ‘The main purpose and objective of our organisation is to educate those Tibetans who do not have concrete knowledge and awareness about the Middle Way Approach’ said Tenzin Wangchuck.
TCV Suja, which formerly consisted the largest number of Tibetan students escaping Tibet was where Tenzin Wangchuck completed his schooling from in India. It was here that he found how open discussion, sharing of thoughts without strings attached and debates took place. This clearly illustrated to him the stark differences between Tibet, currently occupied by China and India, where Tibetans can enjoy these form of freedom. It was this very space and freedom of expression that motivated, inspired and made him ready to be the host of his own YouTube Channel, which has more than 10,000 followers. His channel focuses on International Politics and in particular the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia, where Russian invasion of sovereign Ukrainian territory much like how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) invaded sovereign Tibetan territory is being discussed.
‘The Middle Way Approach is both a policy and philosophy. It is a political, strategic and moral approach in resolving the conflict between Tibet and China’ says Tenzin Wangchuk, he further dwelled into the knit and grit of this concept and how and why the Central Tibetan Administration adopted and continues to follow on this policy in resolving the Tibet-China Conflict. He stated ‘Rangzen (Complete Independence) is a mindset already rooted in us Tibetans. Our grandfathers and forefathers remind us that we lost our independence due to illegal Chinese Occupation and that the CCP is our enemy.’ And with the Middle Way Approach being a new policy introduced to Tibetans after coming into exile from the 1970’s onwards, it has been a hard process for the Tibetans in grasping this new process. That is where the GTPMMWA comes in and they are filling this vacuum by going to various Tibetan Settlements and institutions in raising awareness on this policy.
On Tibet, he pointed out that we must know the reality of the situation inside Tibet and not be fooled by the Chinese narrative and its censoring of Tibet and Tibetans. Here he pointed out the case of how Tibetans in occupied Tibet when using Tik Tok – Douyin (Chinese version) they are automatically removed from their live streams and sessions if they speak in Tibetan. Indicating the level of censorship even on social media platforms that Tibetans have to endure and suffer from.
He concluded by highlighting the evident polarisation of the Tibetan Diasporic Community and speculated how some of them might be funded by foreign entities. ‘We need to be educated about politics as it has been more than 60 years in exile, we have the necessary faculties to get educated unlike our fellow Tibetans in occupied Tibet. If we still continue this path, we will be killed by ourselves and not the Chinese’ was passionately uttered by Tenzin Wangchuk.
