President of the Central Tibetan Administration Lobsang Sangay speaks during the 59th Tibetan Uprising Day at Tsuglakhang temple in McLeod Ganj, India, on 10 March 2018. Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal
By Lobsang Wangyal
MCLEOD GANJ, India, 10 March 2018
President of the Central Tibetan Administration Lobsang Sangay on Saturday urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue.
“As President Xi Jinping sets out to begin his second term, I urge him to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue between the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the representatives of the Chinese government,” Sangay said in during the commemoration of the 59th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day.
He said that the the Middle-Way Approach is a win-win proposition for both the people of Tibet and China.
He also demanded a UNESCO fact-finding mission to visit the Jokhang, Tibet’s holiest shrine in Lhasa, and investigate a fire incident there last month that destroyed hundreds of Tibetan artefacts.
“The tragic news of fire on February 17 at the Jokhang, Tsuklagkhang, a UNESCO world heritage site, is of great sadness. There are reports of extensive damage and loss owing to the burning of dozens of precious statues, hundreds of artefacts and thangkas and murals.”.
Jokhang is still closed to the public. “I, therefore, urge UNESCO to send a mission to investigate into the matter and send journalists to Tibet for an independent investigation,” Sangay said.
In a apparent reference to the discord within the Tibetan community following the dismissal of former Washington DC Representative Penpa Tsering, he said: “Some elements of regionalism in exile are not only a hurdle in the course of the Tibetan freedom struggle, but it also disappoints and dampens the hopes of Tibetans who have strived towards realizing the common cause.”
He pointed out that the Cabinet has the prerogative, and it can take any decision.
“In a democracy anybody could criticise, but if they are not satisfied with the decisions of the Cabinet, they can go to court.”
There are speculations that some supporters of Penpa Tsering are planning a few days of protest beginning the 17th of this month when the exile Tibetan parliament will be in session, to challenge Sangay’s leadership.
The chief guest for the occasion, Member of the Indian Parliament George Baker, expressed his strong support for the Tibetan cause.
A few thousand Tibetans and supporters marched down the hill from Tsuglakhang after the official function, carrying Tibetan flags and banners, and shouting “Free Tibet” slogans.
Penpa Tsering has used Utsang and Amdo regionalists to raise the dust inter-communal tensions with the Khampa lot.
Penpa Tsering never urged his followers to refrain from cholka mess. Lobsang Sangay clearly stated on 10- March that division between khampa, utsang, Amdo is outdated, and a poison of the mind that will destroy our society.
There is nothing to do with Mr. Penpa Tsering for current division among Tibetans. This is a minor a case. The very alienation of Shugden followers and unfair change in Tibetan Freedom Movement contribution book and MWP have contributed the division among us. Dr. Lobsang Sangay may work hard to bring us together but the wound gab is too big to heal. We may have to wait for wider horizon thinker leader or leaders to come.
Disharmony between Cholkhas was started by Lobsang Sangay, by firing Penpa Tsering from his post and stoked by his Khampa supporters. Unless, Lobsang Sangay and his supporters stop their tribal instincts and do a deep soul searching and also do a remedial act, no amount of unity mantras would heal the present Tibetan disharmony. Instead of pleading the public ceaselessly, CTA must look into what caused the disunity and take actions accordingly. Until then, this poison wouldn’t be healed for a long time to come.
LS has to weigh in because of Mila Rangzen and Thinley Kelsang, both based in USA, have started this cholka thing with the termination of penpa tsering. they started the protests, and started the flame of Khampa – Utsang tensions in our community
now, this man called mila rangzen is calling for an indpendent country of Utsang. ridiculous