President of Dhotoe Cholkha Welfare Society Thupten Lekshey (left) speaks as Advisor Phurpa Pon looks on during a press conference in McLeod Ganj, India, on 19 September 2018. Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal
By Lobsang Wangyal
McLEOD GANJ, India, 19 September 2018
The president of the Dhotoe Cholkha Welfare Society expressed sadness and frustration over the lack of any response to their petition to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) asking whether their organisation or the Chushi Gangdruk in Delhi is the legitimate one to represent the Kham people.
Speaking during a press conference, Thupten Lekshey, the President of the McLeod Ganj-based organisation which claims to be the legitimate representative of the Khampa people, said that their petition was submitted to the Secretariat of the CTA on 11 June, with a follow-up on 7 September, but they still have not received any reply.
He lamented that when the Delhi-based rival claimant complained about their participation in a workshop on the Middle-Way Policy which was organised by the Department of Information and International Relations of the CTA, that organisation received a reply within days.
Lekshey said that the reply to the rival organisation by the CTA has implications: That CTA, by apologising to the Delhi-based Chushi Gangdruk for inviting McLeod-based Dhotoe Cholkha, and by giving more importance to Chushi Gangdruk by responding to their complaint, amounts to derecognising Dhotoe Cholkha Welfare Society as a legitimate organisation.
Claiming as the legitimate Chushi Gangdruk, Lekshey’s group also use the two crossed swords, one of them in flames, logo.
The original Khampa organisation was founded by Andruk Gonpo Tashi, a businessman of Lithang, in 1958. It was called Chushi Gangdruk, or the “Four Rivers, Six Ranges”, and consisted mainly of Tibetan guerrilla fighters who had attempted to stop the invasion by the People’s Republic of China. It is the members of this organisation that brought the Dalai Lama out of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, to safety in India in 1959.
After coming into exile, Chushi Gangdruk established its headquarters in Majnu ka Tilla in Delhi, with the majority of the Khampas in exile supporting the organisation.
In 1994, some of the leaders of this group signed a three-point pact with the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission of the Republic of China (Kuomintang in Taiwan), agreeing to the Commissions’ One-China Principle.
Angered by the signing, the Dalai Lama referred the issue to the Cabinet and exile Parliament, after he was informed by the Khampas who had signed the pact. It was felt that the signing challenged the authority of the exile Tibetan administration.
CTA then suggested a referendum among the people of Kham to decide whether they agreed to the pact. A whopping 99% of the Khampas rejected the pact, and new executive members of the Chushi Gangdruk were elected. CTA then issued an acceptance letter on 25 October 1994 to these newly-elected members as the legitimate Chushi Gangdruk.
Lekshey said that the group he is leading, the Dhotoe Cholka Welfare Society, is the one that was accepted by the CTA at that time to be the legitimate representative of the Khampas.
He said that the Delhi group is opposed to CTA, and that some of the members defame Ganden Phodrang, the Office of the Dalai Lama, as bringing discord within the Tibetan community.
Explaining that the issue is not about a fight between two Khampa groups, or about power, Lekshey said, “Ours is a fight for the Tibetan cause. We support and have full allegiance to the Central Tibetan Administration.”
Now that CTA has replied to the complaint from Delhi group, Lekshey is hopeful that CTA will reply to their petition as well.
“We have been seeing that some ministers of CTA are openly saying that we have no recognition by CTA. The time has come for the CTA to declare which according to them is the legitimate Chushi Gangdruk.”
I saw some bylakuppe camp#4 thugs beating chief Tibetan settlement Officer when i was in bykpe school. Traitors names were put up on walls during TYC meet. I didnt forget that event…
can anyone privide specific names of Khampa folks who took Taiwan money, please?
This is all about evil money from Taiwan or Communist China and one of the party is obviously fighting to continue to receive this money. Whoever earns this ill-gotten money would directly go to either of the three realms of hell and would not be able to enjoy it and would bring misery to their future lives. This illegal money tickles from those who are supposed to be Khampa leaders in CTA and Chitue. The fish rots from the head and this has been going on since the 1960s till now.
They, can’t say they represent Khampa. Khampa people didn’t voted ? for you. Just say we are zuma Chushi Gangdruk. Plain and simple. If you really want to Join Chushi Gangdruk, join with the one that’s already exists and be the nominee in next election and the whole world and CTA and specially Tibetan public will see who wins.
If they want to claim to represent all khampas there is a simple test. That is to participate next Chushigandurk election than all khampa will speak. They should already knew that 99% of khampa voted Delhi Chushigandurk and accept as legitimate organization for khampa. Still few old think that they are the legitimate one then, I personally suggestion them to participate next General Chushigandurk election. Otherwise there is no use of digging old bowel.
I hope D’shala based so-called chooshee ghangdruk is real and patriot… punish the traitors..
This man Thupten want a gift of a CAR from Gaden Phodrang as a reward for fighting on their side against khampas. He’s heard somewhere powerful entities reward underlings for acts of patriotism.
In one chushi gangdruk press conference, they talk in front of a giant picture of a car. since he didn’t get his CAR, he is rattling his feathers to get attention from Dalai lama.
He feels ignored or disadvantaged because dawa tsering got a big house called ‘Yongling’ worth crores while he got nothing.
Tibetan politics always worked on patronage and gift politics since pre-invasion days.
You’re right. I do feel sorry for these oldies. Its time to move on. Time for Om Mani Padme Hung.
These are authentic small organizations. If they want to claim to represent all khampas there is a simple test: get all khampas to vote on their claims. Otherwise they should represent themselves and let their deeds speak. Saying that cta is the way khampas voice their vote is very retro
This issue is not as simple as many believe. It has origins in the Delhi Chushi Gangdruk led by Khampas like Lithang Athar and Drawu Pon signing an agreement with the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission of the Taiwanese government bypassing the power and authority of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the leader of the Tibetan people. I have personally witnessed Delhi Chushi Gandruk members and their children getting money for many years from Taiwan. When Delhi Chushi Gangdruk members backstabbed His Holiness the Dalai Lama, people like Thupten Lekshey and Phurpa Pon stood tall defending the honour and reputation of the Khampa people. The Dharamsala Chushi Gangdruk members said resolutely, “Not in our name! Not in our name you can sell the Khampa people and our cause!” But the Private Office of His Holiness and the CTA didn’t want to fuel additional problems among Tibetans because they knew well the habitual hooliganism and thug behaviour of Delhi Chushi Gandruk members. Therefore, the shameful misdeeds of Delhi Chushi Gandruk were pardoned and His Holiness accepted the apology offered by traitors like Lithang Athar and Company. Unfortunately public memory is short and on top of that, the lies and propaganda unleashed by Delhi Chushi Gangdruk have distorted history and truth of what actually happened that led to the formation of Dharamsala Chudshi Gangdruk. Today almost all Khampa chithues (parliament members) are controlled by Delhi Chushi Gangdruk. Without paying due obeisance or kowtowing to Delhi Chushi Gangdruk leaders, no Khampa chithue can hope to save their seat in the next election.
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. What this duo is doing will have no consequence in changing lives of the time stand people.
Those old fossil fuels like thupten lekshey love love gossip and drama. They create one when there’s no drama out of nowhere , like now.
thupten lekshey is a disgrace to khampas. Cheap khampas have sold their soul for personal wealth and power.
Khampas were ostracized as either sarjors or shugden believers back then. So they got a try and singned that in 1994. And then civil war broke out in BIR Suja school.