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Tibetan Youth Congress sacks vice president

By Lobsang Wangyal | Tibet Sun

Dhondup Dorjee in Mcleod Ganj, India, on 10 March 2010.File photo/Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India

The central executive committee of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) has dismissed the vice president Dhondup Dorejee as details emerged over his role in derailing the planned protest activity to commemorate the 51st Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet earlier this year.

TYC is the largest non-governmental organisation of Tibetans in exile. It has more than 30,000 members in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Europe, North America, Taiwan and Japan. The organisation, the name of which the Chinese government often invokes in its criticism of exiled Tibetans, promotes and fights for independence for Tibet, a far more radical position than the Dalai Lama’s autonomy through “Middle-Way” approach.

A three-page letter was issued notifying the regional chapters of the organisation of the dismissal of vice president Dhondup Dorjee.

TYC had planned a hunger strike in front of the UN Building in New York City from 25 February. A majority of the executive members had approved the plan for the event on 18 December last year.

The president of TYC had selected the participants. The US embassy had initially given visas to all those who had applied. However, Dhondup allegedly told the embassy that the members applying for US visa had ulterior motives.

The US Embassy reportedly nullified the visas thereafter, resulting in the failure of the proposed TYC activity in New York.

In a disciplinary action taken against the vice president, the executive members sacked Dhondup Dorjee on 8 February after a meeting. The action was taken according to Article 8, Clause 12 and Article 9, Clause 7 of the Rules and Regulations of Tibetan Youth Congress.

Seven of the ten executive members favoured the sacking of the vice president. Tsultrim Dorjee, Information Officer, and Tenzin Yangdon, Public Relations Officer, had not signed the letter.

The letter also said that Dhondup had emailed the members of the New York and New Jersey regional chapters regarding the hunger strike. The letter alleged that Dhondup had written about serious issues without elaborating.

TYC asked its members to keep the letter, which was written on 11 February, confidential until the general body meeting in August, but the letter has been leaked on the internet on various websites.

Responding to the TYC decision to dismiss him, Dhondup called the decision illegitimate, and put forward six questions saying the aforesaid rules were not applicable in his case. His three-page response, which was also sent to all the regional chapters, has also been circulated on the internet. Apart from the issue of his dismissal, Dhondup’s letter did not mention his approaching the US embassy, the letter to the New York and New Jersey members and the averting of the hunger strike in New York.

Dhondup’s letter to the New York and New Jersey members was briefly posted on the public forum of Phayul.com by an anonymous user, but was quickly taken out after a request from TYC.

In that letter Dhondup had written that the TYC hunger strike in New York in 2004 was carried out after consultation and guidance from the Dalai Lama, and that there was no such discussion with the Dalai Lama for the planned February hunger strike.

The email account of New York and New Jersey TYC Chapter president had been hacked after Dhondup’s email to them, possibly by Chinese hackers, the TYC letter said. TYC believe this has created an unnecessary complication, as China will use the information to further accuse the Dalai Lama as having connections with TYC, which he has always denied.

A TYC member, who spoke to Tibet Sun on condition of anonymity, said that connecting the name of the Dalai Lama to TYC is a serious issue as TYC had never discussed its activities with the Dalai Lama, and had always worked independently. This issue would become a tool for China to malign the Dalai Lama further, as TYC’s goal is to work for an independent Tibet while the Dalai Lama is only seeking autonomy for Tibet.

As news of the sacking spread in Dharamshala, it was suggested that Dhondup started the conflict because his name was not on the list of those who would go to New York for the proposed hunger strike. Tibetans interviewed by Tibet Sun say that Dhondup’s gimmicks has not only damaged the reputation of Tibetan Youth Congress, but may cause far bigger ramifications to TYC and could put the Dalai Lama in an inconvenient position.

Dhondup declined to give any comment on questions when contacted by Tibet Sun.

The issue of travel has been a source of controversy. Some have said that only executive members are selected when activities are organised in Western nations, but executive members are generally absent from hunger strikes when they are organised in India. In some cases, members have defected while on the overseas trips causing embarrassment to the respective organisations.

The three-year tenure of the current executive members will end in August after a general assembly of all the 81 regional chapters of TYC when new executive members will be elected. The details of the conflict are not likely to be discussed until the August meeting.

Following termination from his post, Dhondup had consulted former TYC leaders including one of the founders of TYC, Sonam Topgyal. Others were Lhasang Tsering, Lodoe Sangpo, Kelsang Phuntsok, and Karma Yeshi. It is not clear what were the stands of these former members on the issue.

Copyright © 2010 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun