President Donald Trump. Photographer unknown
PTI
ON THE WEB, 26 May 2017
President Donald Trump has proposed zero aid in 2018 to the Tibetans, reversing the decades-old American policy of providing financial assistance to the community for safeguarding their distinct identity.
The Trump administration now wants other countries to jump in.
The State Department, which sent the detailed proposal to Congress as part of Trumps maiden annual budget, described it as one of the “tough choices” that it had to make as its budget itself has been slashed by more than 28 per cent.
Leaders of the Tibetan community in the US refrained from making comment on the issue, saying they are still reading the budget papers. At the same time, they observed that majority of the assistance to the Tibetan people, including for Tibet, so far has been Congressionally-driven.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has expressed concern over the move.
“Leader Pelosi is very concerned about the zeroing out of aid to the Tibetan community in the Trump budget proposal,” Drew Hammill, spokesman for Pelosi, said.
Tibet Fund removed
The State Department, in its budgetary proposal for the fiscal year 2018 beginning 1 October, has removed the decades-old Tibet Fund and has proposed zero dollars against Ngwang Choephel Fellows. Both the categories in 2017 and 2016 had accounted for more than a million dollars.
However, the State Department in its footnote of the budget, said that Special Academic Exchanges, whose budgetary allocation has been reduced from more than USD 14.7 million in 2017 to just USD 7 million for 2018, would include funding for programmes such as the Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship Program, Mobility (Disability) Exchanges, and the Tibet Fund.
“As we work to streamline efforts to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of US taxpayers dollars, we acknowledge that we have to prioritise and make some tough choices,” a State Department official said.
“Focusing our efforts will allow us to advance our most important policy goals and national security interests, while ensuring that other donor countries contribute their fair share toward meeting global challenges,” the official said requesting anonymity.
However, the official did not identify the countries that it would like to help continue funding for the Tibetan cause.
“We will continue to engage diplomatically with allies and partners to advance our US national interests and shared policy priorities,” the official said.
Concern over the development
Pelosi, who early this month led a high-powered Congressional delegation to Dharamshala to meet the Dalai Lama, has expressed concern over the development.
“As she has said many times, including during her visit this month to His Holiness The Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, if the US does not speak out for human rights in China, we lose all moral authority to talk about it elsewhere in the world,” Hammill said.
“That includes critical funding through the State Department for important efforts, like those in support of a genuinely autonomous Tibet, that advance and protect Americas interests in the world,” Hammill said in response to a question.
The move to abolish Tibet fund is expected to be widely opposed in the Congress. The US policy towards Tibet is currently driven by the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 which was signed by the last Republican President George W Bush.
Tibetan Policy Act
Enacted into law on 30 September 2002, as part of the Foreign Relations Authorisation Act, FY2003, it lists its “purpose” as being “to support the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct identity.”
The act establishes in statute the State Department position of United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and states that the Special Coordinators “central objective” is “to promote substantive dialogue between the Government of the Peoples Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives.”
The Act, among other things, includes US government assistance for non-governmental organisations to work in Tibetan communities in China; an educational and cultural exchange program with “the people of Tibet”; Voice of America and Radio Free Asia Tibetan-language broadcasting into Tibet; and assistance for Tibetan refugees in South Asia.
It also calls for a scholarship program for Tibetans living outside Tibet; and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) human rights and democracy programmes relating to Tibet.
The Special Coordinator is also required to “vigorously promote the policy of seeking to protect the distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and national identity of Tibet” and press for “improved respect for human rights,” according to a 2015 report on Tibet by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
It was in 2002 that the Congress began earmarking Economic Support Fund assistance to Tibetan communities in China. In addition to this the US Agency for International Development (USAID) manages provision of this support out of its India office.
If the “crises” of Trump’s proposal of aid cut is attributed to former CTA leadership including Samdhong Rinpoche and his so-called mismanagement of Tibetan economic policy, then the current Sikyong administration is equally culpable in this. Why did the Sikyong not revert the “crises mode” process as he has been at the helm of power for the last six years? What policy changes have been made to the economic health of the CTA if it is “ill”? All we have heard till now from Sikyong has been the near-establishment of “bank-type” institution which till now has not happened and nothing else. A real test of solid leadership is taking responsibility for any actions, good or bad. One cannot take all the credit for “23 million dollars”, even forgetting the undeniable role of His Holiness, and then brush off other negative outcomes as misdoings of others.
It is said that in 2001 Sandhong Rinpoche privatized all the CTA businesses and the crores of rupees that came from this are deposited in a bank. Where is that bank? What bank? What was the amount? Where is the annual interests? How much is the interest earned every year? So unprepared has CTA been for decades, I am not surprised it is in a crisis mode. Learn from this lesson and grow. There are so many ways to make big money.
Kunsang la,
I think you should get over your worry on CTA business and bank. Even if US stops financial help to the exile Tibetans, we have China, who is ready to extend its hand to CTA, like it did to Shugden followers. We had billions of dollars from Taiwan to CTA through Gyari Pema Gyalpo but we all had nothing concrete result out of it. All we had was bickering and back biting among CTA members and local Tibetan politicians.
President Donald Trump’s proposed zero aid in 2018 to Tibetans is disproportionate when juxtaposed with its 28% budget slash.
The key here is to reduce waste such as billions of aids given annually to some middle east states or other countries immersed in corruption. In light of such aid, the twenty million aid to Tibetans is a drop in the Potomac river or the price tag of 15 tomahawk cruise missiles.
Jack Ma and some Chinese think tanks recently commended how much the United States has wasted $billions and $billions in the past decade or two. So, the key is to reduce waste by not succumbing to the adage “Penny wise pound foolish,” instead of cutting off the tap for Tibetan survival.
May God help us.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the only person to whom we can rely and depend in time of serious crisis. I understand how helpless we become when Trump with his stroke of pen cuts all financial assistance to our people. We are vulnerable community who is struggling to survive and we should remain united under the wise leadership of His Holiness, no matter whatever our differences.
There is nobody who can perform better job and serve us selflessly than His Holiness. Many made a fortune using His Holiness’ name and we should be careful about them. It is time to test the leadership of those who are never happy with CTA. They should step forward and prove their leadership to help Tibetan people.
Hi Sonamtso from Canada,
We have Penpa Tsering in the USA. He can arrange anything and anywhere for Tibetans. He will convince and persuade President Donald Trump to expand more financial assistance to CTA. Dr Lobsang Sangay in India to run CTA and Penpa Tsering is foreign relations minister for Tibetans in exile. Do not worry and get over you stress.
Hi Nima Sangp,
Don’t bring Tsoktso Penpa la here.
Our Sikyong crisscrossed the world and used official media and Facebook to say that he and his best friend KAYDOR AUKATSANG brought in millions of dollars! As if this was the first time CTA ever got aid money. Had no decency to even credit His Holiness.
Sikyong and his “specially appointed” KAYDOR AUKATSANG were eager to take the credit then. Now let them eat the cake!
Pema Tsultrim la,
I really do feel that Dr. Lobsang Sangay and Penpa Tsering are one coin having two sides. They both are courtiers of Gandhen Phodrand, not for Tibetan people. We know how Dr. Sangay had said during his oath taking speech and how Penpa Tsering had said silly things against Lukar Jam during his campaign debate. These two are La Malinche of Mexico.
If the US is closing Tibet Fund, it would be a big loss for all the service it has given to the Tibetan community. Yet this is not the case. (The issue is BIG and Mr. Tashi Nyima’s personal vengeance to R. Darlo is insignificant)
Trump administration is not against Tibet Fund (which is based in USA), but Tibet fund (small ‘f’, meaning fund or financial assistance for Tibet or Tibetans) for all Tibetan organizations including CTA. The decision on the budget proposing to reduce fund or financial assistance for Tibetans now rests with the congress. It is still a huge concern and warning for all Tibetans.
CTA must be in a panic mode. The final solution, I think as always, is for CTA Sikyong and officials to seek audience with His Holiness and request HH to meet or write to US President Mr. Trump. Or maybe use His Holiness name.
We Tibetans, no matter how ungrateful, always used and turned to His Holiness, and we’re doing it this time too, I think!
I can’t help but feel happy. Karma is a bitch. It is all politics, and it has all to do with the starting of the resignation of Rinchen Dharlo as president of Tibet Fund. Otherwise, why is he so scared of Tibet Sun comment section, and refusing to give interview with the news portal?
NOW all staff at Tibet Fund are set to go jobless. But I have a feeling people like Dharlo have already thickened their pursues, and ready to build their companies in China.