Lobsang Wangyal
ON THE WEB, 3 June 2020
In the midst of the ongoing India-China military standoff at the border, Tibet has become more relevant to India. China has mobilised military and machinery to Galwan Valley on the Tibet/India border after India started to build infrastructure there, enraging China. India says the Chinese army is making incursions into Indian territory.
Airtime covering the Coronavirus pandemic has lessened as focus has shifted to the border conflict. During a TV programme, P Stobdan from Ladakh, who is a former diplomat and “security expert”, unexpectedly blamed the Dalai Lama for keeping silent about the conflict.
Stobdan’s use of vulgar language and contradictory statements casts doubt on his credentials as a “geopolitical expert” — he rather seemed to be spreading smear and misinformation. An apology has since been offered, albeit halfheartedly, seen more as asserting himself as an “expert” than having any feeling of sincerity.
His coarse language, insensitive tone, and baseless remarks have earned him significant backlash even within his own community, with Ladakhis from both Buddhist and Muslim faiths condemning him, and demanding that he tender an apology to the Dalai Lama. On Monday the whole of Ladakh was under a shutdown to protest against Stobdan’s remarks, clearly demonstrating their love and devotion to the Dalai Lama.
Stobdan says that the land China has intruded upon belonged to Tibet, but then wants the Dalai Lama to say that land belongs to India, and even said that the Dalai Lama’s silence was as good as being complicit with the Chinese government.
Irrespective of the vulgarity and the confusing remarks, the heart of the matter is that Stobdan now wants the Dalai Lama to say that all the disputed lands claimed by China along the Himalayan region are part of India. But India regards Tibet as a part of China, and is now back in the game of “Tibet cards”.
Stobdan’s act was clearly a desperate blackmail tactic attempting to corner the Dalai Lama to speak. The Dalai Lama may well be a guest, but that doesn’t mean he should be used to say something that’s beyond his power and authority. Firstly, he has abdicated all political powers to an elected leader to make political comments about things such as boundary issues, and second, what else could he say apart from what’s historically established as the boundary demarcations in various treaties.
Tibet lost its sovereignty after the Chinese occupation of the country in 1959. Since then China became India’s new neighbour, overtaxing India in terms of peace-keeping and military burden. Despite India’s stand on Tibet as being a part of China, and survival mode approach, exiled Tibetans have stood with India, with even its small army unit, which is an open secret force called Establishment No 22 under the Indian military, having fought several winning wars for India.
The Tibetan slogan: “Tibet’s independence, security of India”, has fallen on deaf ears for the last 70 years, and considered irrelevant. Keeping the centre of the exile Tibetans at arm’s length in McLeod Ganj near Dharamshala in northern India, New Delhi has kept the Tibetans in a survival mode, only occasionally giving a pat on the back for their meritorious deeds such as fighting winning wars or keeping quiet even when India declares Tibet to be part of China when making deals with China.
Stobdan now feels that it befits India to play the Tibet card again, and wants the Dalai Lama or the exile Tibetan administration to say that the Chinese soldiers are entering deep into Ladakh illegally, and that those territories belong to India. Thanks to Stobdan the neglected exile Tibetan administration got suddenly put into the limelight, and gained some relevance as the elected leader of the Tibetans Lobsang Sangay is interviewed by national TV channels. It is obvious that he will be speaking out of compulsion, and the best possible thing Sangay could do is repeat what history says, as he cannot change history.
On another front, China wants the Dalai Lama to say Taiwan is a part of China. What has the Dalai Lama got to do with that and how is he relevant in this matter? Likewise, what authority will he have, or, how would it be proper for him to say anything, when Tibet is already a part of China? If India wants the Dalai Lama to say anything about the disputed lands China has invaded, shouldn’t India first rectify its stand on Tibet to make it legitimate for him to say so?
About the author
Lobsang Wangyal lives in McLeod Ganj, India, and edits the Tibet Sun website.
More articles by Lobsang Wangyal on Tibet Sun.
For people who have no idea how the “17-point agreement” was forced on Tibet, here is an excerpt from Rinchen Sandutsang’s Memoir of Service to Tibet.
Rinchen Samdutsang was a true patriot in every sense of the word and devoted his entire life to Tibet and HH The Dalai Lama. He was part of the Tibetan delegation to China in 1951 as an English translator. Since there were very few Tibetans who knew any English in the 1950s, he served the Tibetan Government well both in the Tibetan Foreign Office and as translator for the delegation.
Rinchen Sandutsang’s account is a first-hand factual account of how the infamous “17-point agreement” was forced upon Tibet by Communist China with the threat of military force. His words speak for themselves. I hope it helps to dispel lingering misconceptions.
Tibet never lost its sovereignty because the so called “17 point agreement” was forced on the Tibetans. The Chinese had been threatening ever since communist China came into existence. The tactic was exactly the same like they are using against Taiwan today.
The Chinese had already arrived in Chamdo, ready to march to Lhasa. Tibet was forced to sent a delegation headed by Ngapo Ngawang Jigme. The letters to the UN and appeals to Nehru went on deaf ears. The Chinese drafted and the Tibetans had to sign on the dotted line.
Those who claim that Tibet lost sovereignty owing to the signing of the “17 point” forget that the Dalai Lama “formerly re-established The Tibetan Government in Lhuntse Dzong and REPUDIATED the “17 point agreement” in March 1959. It is important that we are honest with history.
There has been one official who has distorted this part to suit his own ideology. Any treaty with unequal partners are invalid because they were signed under duress. HH The Dalai Lama makes this very clear in his autobiography, “My Land and My people”. He says that the delegation was forced to sign it with the threat of personal violence and the Dalai Lama’s seal was forged. These are hard facts. In journalistic jargon, facts are sacred while commentary is free.
The people of Taiwan and Hong Kong are getting further and further away from the CCP dictators. The dictators in Beijing are unapologetic in committing genocide in occupied TIbet. Is it really possible for Tibetans to survive under the yoke of communist China? Tibetans have to think hard whether it’s wise to rush into the arms of the CCP when ethnic Chinese people (Hong Konger and Taiwanese) fear to tread? They are saying, WE CAN’T BREATH under the unrelenting oppression of the CCP.
You have stated that Tibet lost its sovereignty after the Chinese occupation of the country in 1959.
China thinks Tibet lost its sovereignty on May 23rd, 1951, when the 17-Point Agreement was signed by our delegation in Beijing. Needless to say, it was signed by Tibet’s delegation under intense duress by the Chinese.
In retrospect, the agreement was never formally ratified by the Tibetan government, the Kashag and the Tsondu–in order to legitimize the agreement retroactively binding to the date it was signed, in accordance to international law. A classic case of might is right.
Good article. India is no friend of the Tibetans. India is using the Tibetans to advance its imperialist mindset of land grabbing: Kashmir (1947), Manipur (1951), South Tibet (1951), Sikkim (1975) because the country sees itself as the rightful successor to the expansionist British Raj and behave as such. India is particular sensitive to the Karmapa because the traditional seat of the black hat is the monastery in Gangtok, Sikkim, which India invaded and annexed in 1975.
Lobsang Wangyal is right that due to P Stobden’s ill-informed remarks on the border issue with China & dragging HH name in the game despite retirement from political authority almost a decade ago, Tibetan President Lobsang Sangay got surprising exposure in the Indian media especially the Television during this unusual time when the world is gripped by the coronavirus. His appearances in the media no doubt amplified the issue of Tibet & Tibetan voices. After LW’s article appeared on his site, a couple more Indian TV interviewed the Tibetan President, which is great.
I read Stobdan’s articles a few times in the past. It felt like he had some grudge against Tibetans. There were many factual errors, and his analysis were biased, have only tried to portray the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans in a bad light. He surely doesn’t sound like an expert, but trying to settle some old scores.
Like someone has mentioned that Sikyong Sangay and Stobdan are friends, and that Sangay confided the information about Samdhong Rinpoche’s secret visit to Tibet/China. I heard the same, and that it was because of that Stobdan wrote about that in one Indian newspaper (Hindustan Times, I think).
It was a grave mistake by Sikyong to share such confidential information with others, and in this case a person like Stobdan, who only has ill-feelings towards Tibetans. Sharing that piece of information, and publishing that in media surely must have hampered in the backdoor dealings. It was too much for Sangay’s ego as any deals wouldn’t get him any credit, and he felt he would rather mess up anything that’s happening between Ganden Phodrang and the Chinese government.
His latest remarks lacked substance, and attempted once again to smear the Tibetan image. Thanks Lobsang Wangyal for pointing that out.
Only 2 percent live in exile. But this little cluster of people are filled with hate, envy and a sense of superiority over others. That’s why, every time there is a group gathering in New York Hall, a fight or micro-aggression happens between groups. They insult each other, and try to assert superiority. This results in a constant state of struggle for supremacy in status over the other where invariably, the cause of Tibet get relegated to the background.
Cases of murder and gang fights have sprung up in New York and Toronto after group gatherings. They often happen between Tibetans from Tibet vs Tibetans from India; between Khampas and Utsangs; between Penpa Tsering supporters and Lobsang Sangay supporters; between Bir shichak people and Dehradhun Shichak people. Everybody seems to think: ‘I have USA passport. who the hell is he to assert superiority over me?’ And for ego, they sacrifice their lives.
I think lamas have to come forward to address this issue of status struggle. Otherwise, the great game in the Himalayas or Rangzen is just a joke. Ordinary people’s mind is obcessed with power struggle between various groups.
I remember one of my friend from Utsang who confided to me before we went to a Losar party in New York. He said, ‘I am gonna insult this guy from Khampa real bad. My dialogue is ready. I will break his ego.’
A lot of Tibetan people are not aware of what is really happening secretly. This is a serious issue. I think CTA and Lobsang Sangay and Lamas should come forward to calm down our egos so that we can be united, and see each other as brothers and sisters. Otherwise, our political struggle is just a joke.
Because of the controversial remark by Phuntsok Topden, an unexpected silver lining in the dark cloud presented itself.
Lobsang Sangay got the chance to appear on Indian national TV, and make the case for Tibet. So in a way, Topden has helped our case. Maybe he did it deliberately, who knows. he’s a sophisticated man. While pretending to hate us Tibetans, he might in secret be trying to help us get attention in India. That’s something to think about. In fact, big things have been happening in our society, but Indian media is not reporting on them, which is an insult to us. Now our case, our controversies, will get more attention. And it is always better than being ignored totally. Nothing hurts more than being ignored!
The thing about publicity is this. Bad publicity can help a cause, counter-intuitive as it may seem. eg. when China criticized HH Dalai Lama as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it backfired, caught media attention, and ended up making Dalai Lama even more famous.
The way P Stobdan bad-mouthed HH The Dalai Lama on TV, there is no trace of any stature as a diplomat. But that is not surprising because P Stobdan is not a real foreign office diplomat. Most governments post non-foreign office staffs at their foreign missions (Embassies, consulates) from time to time to meet specific needs of that particular time. He got one of those ticket to be ambassador in Kyrgyzstan for 2 years (2010-2012) just before retirement. People who work at embassies/consulates on such short tickets go back to their respective organizations after the short stint and don’t continue calling themselves “diplomats”
But ever since the one-time post as an ambassador, P Stobdan permanently labelled himself a “diplomat”.
My husband and I noticed P Stobdan’s hatred towards Tibetans when he was studying in Mongolia at State University of Mongolia from 1987 to 1989. He doesn’t like making his study in Mongolia public. He maybe afraid that his clout as “expert” will fall apart if the world knows that his academic roots are from a university in a Soviet bloc country during the communist era.
The article “Opinion: Phunchok Stobdan is a Fake Expert on Himalayan Geopolitics“ by PhD scholar at Oxford University- Darig Thokmey helps shed light on Stobdan’s hatred of Tibetans, namely that P Stobdan is still living in the 18th century and has immense hatred towards Gelukpa. The article also shows that P.Stobdan’s articles and books are full of factual errors.
The way he bad-mouthed Kundun on TV, and all the factual errors in his writings show that he is neither a diplomat nor an “expert” in anything.
A person who claims to be an expert on geopolitical issues should not let his obsession cloud his analysis if he wants to be taken as a serious academic.
The coming decade and after will see a big shift in world geopolitics. It will also be a period of much upheaval and destruction as the old energies are being cleansed to make way for the coming of the new golden era. More and more people will wake up resulting in raising of consciousness. By 2030 Tibet will be independent. China will break up into few countries. The US will also lose its power. India will rise up and become the global power but not in the way China and US is. But a benevolent global leader. People will be more spiritual instead of religious.
The virus is going to be around for a long time but except for the vulnerable population – the older people, people with underlying health issues, most people will remain unaffected. So, the best thing you can do for yourself for now is build up your immune system and do the inner work of healing your traumas, cleansing and purging your impurities – physical, mental and emotional. and you will be ready for the new earth and new way of living with high vibrational frequency (lungta). Telepathy will be the norm and no need for endless talking of the dense frequency. Saying things you don’t mean or thinking something but saying something else will not be possible.
Much of this information is from astrology.
India’s trouble in the North begin with the forcible occupation of Tibet by Communist China, and will not end until China is out of Tibet. I am sure more and more Indians would be waking up to the unforgivable blunder Indian leaders made in the 1950s. Most Indians have resigned themselves to the fate of Tibet as “part of China” and never questioned such an inexcusable oversight. Except for people like Vijay Kranti, most Indian commentators have accepted China’s occupation of Tibet as a fait accompli. They were under the illusion, like their forefathers, that if they accept Chinese occupation of Tibet, India will be left alone. This is their eternal delusion that was responsible for Nehru’s blunder and all of his followers of all political persuasions. A professional thief doesn’t steal once and give up the trade. It steals whenever the opportunity arises. Communist China is a broad daylight thief and it will not stop until it is stopped. India must align itself with the US, Australia, and Japan to muscle up against China and work with the US and its allies to find a way to gradually withdraw its recognition of Tibet as “part of China” unless Tibet is demilitarised and fully autonomous. This is in the spirit of India’s recognition of Tibet as “part of China”, but maintaining the status quo as a historical buffer State. Tibet had a closer relationship with India than China. The relationship with the Buddhist Qing and Manchus were entirely religious and had no political connotations. It’s entirely a fabrication of the CCP, who re-wrote history and gave it a political spin. Such a proposition is possible because by 2050 India is going to be the second largest economy in the world and India will be calling the shots much more than it is today. In the end India must avoid two enemies.
Tibetan Buddhist sects have always been at each others throat since the start of theocratic rule. My extensive research on our history from Shang Shung civilization to the start of rule by various sects till Gelug rule by Mongol help by defeating Kagyu rule in 1642 to 2011 when a secular exile govt took power is riddled with conspiracies. Our history is pretty similar to Horrible Histories of England where kings and queens have been murdering each other for dominance.
If you look at how each ruling dynasty of Tibet gained ascendency, there’s always a third party involved which came in form of Mongolia, Nepal, Chinese dynasties and lately UK during Takra-Reting power struggle which resulted in Reting Rinpoche murdered in prison by starvation and squeezing of his testis.
Defence analyst Phunchok Stopdan appears to conclude that Tibetan elites sacrifice national interests by colliding with enemy forces to retain power when internecine rivalries occur. This thesis is no without credence. In the early histories of TGIE [Tibetan Government-in-exile], lamas of various sects engaged in a bloody battle for romance on Indian soil, accusing each other of working for China while at the same time currying favours from China via back channels. The Indian government is well too aware of this phenomena of internecine power struggle.
Powerful lamas in India secure themselves via various means that would often include paying million-dollar bribes to Chief Ministers of the respective states they are based in, and bribing foreign journalists to write positive reviews for them, and seeking rich sponsors to fund building new monasteries.
This complex system, which is often hidden from the gaze of credulous devotees, is bound to collapse slowly as the host country India loses patience.
Excellent piece from Lobsang Wangyal la. You have hit the nail on the head. I have also watched the rebuttals from Jigme Urgen of Tibetan National Congress. Both are well-reasoned and matured responses.
This is true patriotic act in time of need. I hate to see those stupid guys dividing our small exile population in the pretext of salvaging the Dalai Lama’s name by digging up dirt on other.
Free thinking should be allowed in exile. Tibetans in exile live in a fear of what others will say, if they say something.
Lobsang la . What a great piece you produced here. I think it is time people of this great India should be more educated on the issue of Tibet. P. Stobdan unwittingly provided this room to voice our concern, poor guy looked a little hassled though.
Does anyone have a PDF copy of P Stopdan’s book The Great Games in the Buddhist Himalayas? I would love a copy.
I have heard about this book from an insider who said Stopdan had in-depth conversations with many lamas from Eastern Tibet, and have looked at the Indian government’s intelligence files from the 1960s. I have heard of many assassinations amongst Tibetan lamas of various sects in the early days. This book must be a bombshell.
I have learnt that Stopdan’s view on the Tibetan refugees is cynical and harsh. Moreover, his DV as a spy or intelligence officer for the Indian government makes him very interesting, though somewhat disturbing considering the Machiavellian angle he looks at the situation from.
The primary game he talks about is the war of influence between the Kagyu and Gelugpa sects in Ladakh, Spiti, and Arunachal Pradesh. He sees Tibetan refugees as a group which has absolutely given up any hope with China, and who instead wants to better themselves in india and abroad by hook or crook. Wow. What a view. From that point of view, all Tibetans from Dalai Lama, Karmapa Lama, Sakya Trizin to politician and sweater-sellers and political prisoners are all ultra-realist deceivers taking lessons from Machiavelli’s masterpiece The Prince.