Lobsang Nyandak
NEW YORK CITY, US, 16 August 2020
Today, we Tibetans are at a significant crossroads in our history. While tremendous opportunities lie ahead to rebuild on the momentum of our achievements thus far, it is also time for us to collectively review and overcome some real challenges that can prove detrimental to our cause.
This moment calls on all Tibetans to rise to the occasion to address today’s challenges, promote unity, work to achieve our common goal, and build the future of our nation and people.
It is with this deep sense of calling, that I am offering my candidacy for the post of Sikyong for 2021.
I acknowledge with utmost humility that the role of Sikyong is extremely challenging. As the political leader of the Tibetan people, the role requires a balance of vision and execution, innovation and tradition, confidence and humility. With over thirty years of service to the Tibetan people, I sincerely believe that I can fulfill these expectations.
In my various capacities with the Central Tibetan Administration, I have established a stellar reputation as a fiscal reformer, a coalition builder among leaders with different political viewpoints, and an advocate of inclusiveness. My extensive administrative and diplomatic skills and training will serve me well.
Let me first share the three principles that will guide me if I am given the privilege of leading the Central Tibetan Administration: Truth, Harmony, and Inclusiveness. These tenets will not only serve as the pillars of our freedom movement, but also will provide the basis for my policymaking.
- Truth: If there is one thing that we have learned from the Coronavirus pandemic, it is that transparency, a hallmark feature of a democracy, fosters people’s trust in our government. The trust, unconditional support and loyalty of six million Tibetans strengthen our leadership and make our CTA more effective. These same qualities are also crucial in sustaining the overall international struggle for freedom. I firmly believe that trust is only gained when our government operates in a transparent and truthful manner.
- Harmony: From the current polarized political climate in many of the world’s democracies, we can see that divisiveness weakens our political system and our society, making it hard to rally support during major crises. Therefore, we Tibetans must be united and promote harmony in order for us to win our struggles. In recent years, our unity has often been put to the test. Sometimes, pettiness, ego, and untruths have gotten in our way — harming our cause, and demoralizing our brothers and sisters inside Tibet. Therefore, I want to make harmony a pillar of my leadership, and build a culture of tolerance and cooperation.
- Inclusiveness: Our Tibetan communities around the globe are more diverse than ever. Diversity will only become our strength when we build harmony and commonality among people of different ages, genders, and political viewpoints. As your Sikyong, I will commit to recognizing, respecting, and engaging the diversity of the Tibetan family — especially women and youth — and incorporate their views and interest in my decision-making.
Meanwhile, I’m also committed to three other related objectives:
- First, finding an amicable and long-lasting solution to the protracted issue of Tibet with the Chinese Government.
- Second, promoting and strengthening the institution of the Dalai Lama, which provides a continued spiritual compass, and stability for those of our faith around the world, and keep alive the hope and unity of the Tibetan people.
- Thirdly, protecting and strengthening the democratic institutions of the Tibetan people, especially at a time when democracies around the globe are facing threats.
It is my conviction that these goals will directly benefit the long-term and short-term interests of the Tibetan people.
Many of you know me from my more than three decades of service to the Tibetan community, starting as a grassroots worker for the Tibetan Youth Congress, and later as Kalon in Professor Samdhong Rinpoche’s Cabinet. When I represented and advocated for Tibet’s human rights at various international forums as director of the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, and when I actively procured funds to support projects in our community as the President of The Tibet Fund, I have always worked with the utmost dedication and honesty.
As a former Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the North Americas, I have successfully engaged the White House, the US Congress, and the Canadian government in supporting our healthcare, education, refugee resettlement, and religious and cultural preservation. I’m certain that my past experiences and my leadership skills have prepared me well to take on any challenges on a national level, and to help us thrive both politically, socially, culturally, and economically.
The next decade is critical for the Tibetan cause. While the whole world is being ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, our communities are also facing tremendous political and economic challenges. Tibet is literally burning. Our people inside Tibet are making the ultimate sacrifice to seek freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Therefore, it is urgent to bring China to the negotiating table to resolve the Tibetan issue as per the vision set by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the policy adopted democratically by the CTA. Given my past experiences in Sino-Tibetan dialogue, I feel confident about re-establishing contact with the Chinese Government and work towards a positive resolution to our cause.
As your leader, I strive to transform the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace (as envisioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama) that not only ensures happiness and freedom for our people, but also potentially brings peace and stability to the region and the world. This is our vision. Together, let us build Tibet’s future.
I welcome and need your support. If you wish to know more about me, please click this video link To learn more about my goals and policies, please visit LobsangNyandak.com and my Facebook page Kasur Lobsang Nyandak
About the author
Kasur Lobsang Nyandak is President of the Tibet Fund in New York City, and was the former Representative of the Dalai Lama in Washington DC. He has also been a kalon (minister) of the Central Tibetan Administration.
More articles by Lobsang Nyandak on Tibet Sun.
There are two types of candidates in this contest – those who put themseves forward in modern style (gyari dolma, lobsang, and acharya yeshi) and those who stay laidback in classical tibetan style (dongchung ngodup, kaydor, penpa tsering, the obscure mache dug from france).
will you vote for someone who says’ no i can’t do it. I don’t care whether you vote for me or not. ‘(but produce result), or ‘yes, i can do it, vote for me’ (and still produce the same result)?
But then you can look at the contenders from the right-wing (conservative) and left-wing (liberalists) candidates. Right-wing conservationists are Dongchung Ngodup, Penpa Tsering, Lobsang Nyendak, and Acharya Yeshi. Left-wing liberalists are gyari dolma, Kaydor aukatsang, and madhug che.
But Penpa Tsering is the most far-right of all candidates whose equivalents are Donald Trump in USA, M Penn in France, Nigel Farage in UK, Amit Shah in India.
My candidate is Kaydor Aukatsang who appears to lie at centre-left of diaspora politics, which I think is the most logical position for a university graduate trained along the leftist ideologies in the States such as I.
I have watched whole democratic convention speeches and felt that if we are normal independent country, we will also give the same speeches like all the speakers gave against Donald Trump to Lobsang Sangay. So Lobsang Sangay what you have to know is winning the election and having supporters don’t make you great. We see so many similarities between you two. I wish all the current Sikyong candidates talk about Lobsang Sangay like they do here in the US about Donald Trump.
Wow! what a perfect resume for the Sikyong’s job. I can trust Lobsang la’s character and competence because he was picked by Samdhong Rinpoche to join his cabinet. I am sure one of the three best candidates Lobsang Nyendak la, Penpa Tsering la and Dongchung Ngodup la will win and restore our faith in the CTA. For sometime CTA has become like a circus where adult kids are running the show.