Lobsang Wangyal
McLEOD GANJ, India, 23 November 2020
A recent announcement by Lobsang Sangay saying he is the first Tibetan leader to enter the White House seems to have created confusion amongst Tibetan people. It deserves to be analysed in depth, if not outright debunked.
Lobsang Sangay was just a student, probably running around Delhi trying to get things done for his university degree, when the Dalai Lama was meeting the United States President George HW Bush at the White House, creating history and headlines around the world. That was in 1991, and was the first time that a US president had met the Dalai Lama.
That historic meeting paved the way for successive US Presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and Barack Obama to meet with the Dalai Lama at the White House, and in so doing show their support for the Tibetan cause. All of them told the Chinese leaders to meet with the Dalai Lama, and to have a dialogue with him to resolve the Tibetan demand for autonomy.
Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama four times at the White House during his eight-year term, although meetings took place in the White House residence or Map room, not in the Oval Office where the president normally meets world leaders.
These meetings raised the Tibetan issue to the global level. With constant pressure from different governments at various venues, China was compelled to enter into dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama. While these dialogues, the last one held in January 2010, did not produce any breakthrough, the positions of the two sides were made clear. The Tibetans are sticking to their position of gaining autonomy for the whole of Tibet within the Chinese constitution, rather than of independence. The Chinese refused to yield to the Tibetan proposal, but instead insisted that the Tibetan proposal was tantamount to covertly seeking semi-independence or even full independence. This position by China was really a stalling tactic while waiting for the Dalai Lama to pass away, at which point China expects that the Tibetan issue will fade away also.
So nothing actually moved on with regards to the dialogue. But in the meantime the Dalai Lama relinquished his political powers to an elected leader. Of course, there is nobody who could step into the Dalai Lama’s shoes. He is always the supreme religious leader of Tibetan Buddhism. As such, in 2011 the Tibetans in exile elected their political leader, known as Sikyong in Tibetan. Lobsang Sangay was then overwhelmingly elected as political leader for his Harvard University education, political activism and dialogues with the Chinese scholars, and his presentable personality. People expected a change and new approach in the administration and dealings to meet the needs of modern times.
But alas, nothing of that sort happened. Sangay failed miserably in all fronts: There has been no dialogue with Chinese leaders, welfare of the people remained as it was, and the worst was the division of the little Tibetan community of around 150,000 Tibetans in exile into two main factions after the 2016 elections. Confronting China is the real deal, and it may not be something that’s within Sangay or Tibetan people’s scope, but the unity of this little community is. Sangay never attempted to reconcile the divide, but rather dismissed the issue as the creation of just a small group of dissenters, who were to be blamed for the divide.
Since there’s nothing to call his legacy except for some buildings, Sangay, nearing the end of his term as Sikyong, is now desperate to grab any event to call as part of his record. The visit by Sangay, with Representative of the Dalai Lama to US Ngodup Tsering, to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (next door to the White House) was advertised as visiting the White House. Both the official information portal of the Central Tibetan Administration, and Sangay’s Facebook page which has close to 60k followers, flashed the visit as a “historic feat”. This wording is not even a faux pas — it’s a downright lie. What this “historic feat” could mean is a different subject, but to spread such a lie is nothing but a sign of desperation on Sangay’s part, to take undue credit. Even to say that “I have paved the way for the future Tibetan leaders to work with the US government” is a brazenly shameful assertion.
Todd Stein, a former US State Department official who served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights and Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues, quickly busted Sangay’s claim of visiting the White House in a post on Twitter.
Either Sangay didn’t know, or was willfully undermining, all that had been done by the Dalai Lama, as well as the contributions of his colleagues like the late Lodi Gyari and Tenzin Namgyal Tethong, in terms of paving the way with the US government to get US interest and support for the Tibetan cause. It is shocking that Sangay has the audacity to discredit them all in one go. He should know that he’s actually riding on the hard work of the Dalai Lama and the likes of Gyari and Tethong.
“It is a great honor to be the first political head of the Central Tibetan Administration to formally enter the White House,” said Sangay’s Facebook post. Now, what about all the visits by the Dalai Lama to meet the presidents at the White House, and to the State Department to meet with the secretaries, when he was the head of the CTA? The Dalai Lama was the head of state of Tibet and both the political and religious leader of the Tibetan people, until he gave up his political authority in 2011.
The Dalai Lama met with Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State in 2010, and with past secretaries of state (in their outer offices) going back to Warren Christopher during Bill Clinton’s first term as President. Yet the recent meeting of Sangay with the Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues at his office in the Truman Building was the highlight of the CTA’s websites for a month with another flowery title “History Made: Sikyong invited formally to the US State Department”
Let alone anything good coming for the Tibetan cause by telling such lies, desperate acts like these will hamper and trivialize the Tibetan cause and bring mockery upon the Tibetan people. We have had enough of “me, myself, and I”. This time around, Sangay owes clarification and an apology to the Tibetan people for telling such blatant lies.
About the author
Lobsang Wangyal lives in McLeod Ganj, India, and edits the Tibet Sun website.
More articles by Lobsang Wangyal on Tibet Sun.
What legacy LS has built over nine years? Legacy of power misuse, corruption and disunity like no other. Still trying to further his corrupt rule 100% through Kaydor as sikyong which is not gonna happen and which should not happen at all.
Absolutely no to Kaydor and now becoming little skeptical about Gyari Dolma. Was initially excited about her being the first woman candidate but more and more disenchanted with her wishy-washy stands, principles and policies that are frequently being changed for election purpose. Still giving her benefit of doubt one more time before I change my mind about her to vote for somebody else.
The only connection khampas couldn’t deny with rest of tibet was cultural. It’s the residue of old rotten mindset carried by Khampas parents and passed down to likes of Lobsang Sangay, Kaydor and their khampa supporters that we see smoldering hatred towards Lhasa based Tibetan govt and His Holiness and His institution.
So you say and expose your mindset. Millions of Khampas but you think we have no individuality.
My tribes were on either side of Drichu and a temporary ceasefire treaty that the Chinese and English and Tibetans stated did not reflect Tibet border…now you would honor in your dishonor.
If I am forced to pay extortion or vig or ransom I hope my children will never suffer from Stockholm Syndrome and become traitors to their family and aid and abet our enemies. But maybe I misunderstood Tseten Dorjee la of nyc.
I cannot say that all the Khampas are bad. I have many good Khampa friends who are honest, loyal and kind. But I must say Lobsang Sangay and Kaydor Aukatsang are disgrace to khampa people. They have no manners, no integrity and very jealous and revengeful.
There is no competition amongst Tibetans on who went to White House and in what capacity. It is almost like claiming credits for climbing Mt Everest. All major newspapers like Guardian have said Sangay is the first ‘ELECTED’ Tibetan political leader to be invited to WH.
There is no power struggle nor contest for who leaves a bigger legacy between Dr Sangay and HH Dalai Lama. Dalai lama is like palm of a hand, and the thumb is Lobsang Sangay, and other four fingers are heads of the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism. That’s my two cents.
Years back, Lobsang Sangay claimed credit for being the First Tibetan to get PhD from Harvard University. Nobody slammed Lobsang that time saying others have already got PhD before him.
I think Nyima Lhamo should be the ‘ First Tibetan Woman’ to visit White House, just as there is the title for ‘ First Woman to Climb Mt Everest.’ Similarly, Gyari can claim to be the first ‘Khampa Tibetan’ to visit WH, and Tethong can claim ‘First Utsang Tibetan’ to visit WH. But the most coveted title of the ‘First Tibetan’ to visit WH is reserved for HH Dalai Lama. Others can claim a ‘First’ by narrowing down the class.
As much as I have full admiration and respect for this news site and it’s proprietor as a small-town impresario, I am utterly disgusted beyond repair to see LW acting in haste and out of desperation for the sheer pleasure of self-aggrandizement. I am not surprised if nytimes picks up the story like the bygone election controversy and make a spectacle of us yet again.
Who is saying Sangay is a progressive leftwing? He has been a right wing through and through, working and thinking exactly like Trump. Go to Gangkyi and see for yourself, where all the ‘yes boss’ are posted. Other’s are just too scared to speak up, lest they would be transferred to remote areas.
He has been trying to silence the critics by saying watch out for Chinese stooge, same tactic right wing dictators like Trump use. Unless you are blind, everybody could see these .
Umaylam is based on liberal thinking. So Penpa Tsering cannot be a right wing. PT’s already talking about press freedom in his campaign talks, which speaks of his liberal and progressive approach.
Sangay has only a few more months, but within that he will make more trips to Trump’s lalaland on all kinds of pretexts; nobody even go to Delhi that often. What could We expect to achieve when Trump is in a big mess. Whole world is laughing at him. We do not want our leader (running a refugee set-up) to be laughed at, but want to be honest, accountable and have sense to ethics to lead us, not to take us on rides and make us a laughing stock of the world.
Wangyal la’s observation of I, me and myself trait of Sikyong is so spot on. It is also so right about Sangay’s poor performance in all fronts. I fully agree about the division in our small community as Sangay’s biggest fiasco. His unnecessary act of vengeance against Penpa Tsering stoked the communal divide in the otherwise thawed crack since the 2016 elections. Sangay will be remembered for creating this unfortunate messy rift.
Sangay is now trying to patch up over his recent shameful statements, that he went to the White House, that he was the first head of CTA to visit there, and future Sikyongs can go to White House because of his hard work. It’s amazing that he doesn’t have any sense of shame to utter such lies and take undue credits.
A State Department staff busted about the WH visit, that Sangay didn’t go to the WH, but to an adjacent building. What an embarrassment! So when Sangay has not visited the WH, there’s no argument of he being the first Tibetan leader to go there.
Second, even if he went, he’s definitely not the first Tibetan leader to go there. Trying to patch up with words like “first elected leader” to go there, doesn’t make sense. By this it will sound like the Dalai Lama was imposed on us by himself. In fact, when the Dalai Lama wanted to make changes and spoke about giving up his political authorities, it’s the Tibetan people who requested him to stay.
Besides, there were other Tibetans who actually went to the WH and met with the Presidents. Gyari, Tethong and Taklha had been to WH accompanying the Dalai Lama. Nyima Lhamo went to the WH and met with the President. Should we call her the “first lay Tibetan” to go to WH and meet with the President? All these show how desperate Sangay is for credits and trying…
lobsang wangyal has written truthfully with enough evidence ….
Tashi Delek –
it is not my intention to interfere in the inner-tibetan discussions with my contribution. maybe this contribution will help you very minimally in your discussions – you should know – I support with my somehow limited possibilities in your just struggle for freedom, democracy and self-determination in Tibet.
should someone call me a chinese lover .. – well, sometimes Tibetans are very quick with this damning judgment .. too quick – fortunately
all the best for you all
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/ChanakyaCode/president-of-central-tibetan-administration-visits-state-department-elevation-of-diplomatic-level/
– quote –
Since there is substantial bipartisan support for the changed policy for Tibet, this would continue with the changed administration in the US. In January this year, the Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020 was approved overwhelmingly that included both Republicans and Democrats. With the above US policy, the Tibetan government-in-exile’s stature has been enhanced to the level of a separate country in diplomatic sphere. Given the increased concern witnessed globally for the Tibetans and growing anti-Chinese sentiments, this may have a snowballing impact and other nations could also follow the US approach towards Tibet.
It is our collective bad karma that Lobsang Sengay ran for Sikyong and our majority innocent ignorant voted for him. It’s not about cholka or Congress or Janata party. It’s about right and wrong. Everyone who is speaking against him are all right. If you think he is great, you are also one [on the wrong side].
continued….
Kham was not a tax-paying part of Tibet under Ganden Phodrang. Khampas revolted resisted and trashed whenever Ganden Phodrang send officials to collect tax. They claimed independence from Ganden phodrang and happily paid tax to local chinese warlords. When China started invading Tibet from east and Kham was the first province to fall under China, Khampas came fleeing towards ustang and Lhsasa and started fighting together with people from lhasa and Utsang in general. The only connection khampas couldn’t deny with rest of tibet was cultural. It’s the residue of old rotten mindset carried by Khampas parents and passed down to likes of Lobsang Sangay, Kaydor and their khampa supporters that we see smoldering hatred towards Lhasa based Tibetan govt and His Holiness and His institution. No wonder read their comments here. They seem to have had a big relief when His Holiness fully up his role in governance and democratized our govt fully and people elected one of their own Khampa Lobsang Sangay. Disgusting people. And they are the ones who talk about “Doktsa Chikdril”. my foot. Stop playing your games and grow up. And next time look yourself in the mirror before you even think showing your contempt to His Holiness, His institution and Tibetan govt, even covertly, or implicitly. Ask your lobsang Sangay had he have won the last two elections by “landslide” without exploiting the name of His Holiness at every opportunity to his advantage and not publicly showing the theatrics of his “outmost” devotion to His Holiness. You know the answer. watch ppl, stop being disgusting and the real destroyer of Tibetan unity.
Rather usual for Chinese but obscene if from a Tibetan: tax, toll, fee, usage, licensing, bribe and ransom are translations for Tibetan word khral.
I am surprised this hasn’t been discussed.
Khral is also synonymous with extortion.
Tsering Dorjee is not a Khampa and knows shamefullly little about Tibetan lands. But in 21 st century tax is a two way transaction: called transactional fee for service:
People pay tax and in return they get protection from harm and benefits similar to what we now call social security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Of course, the Chinese government was evil, selfish and I enlightened so I don’t think you have thought that tax is an obligation on both sides. Please think so and post.
I think we should stop pretending there is a competition for power between HH Dalai Lama & Dr Lobsang Sangay. This is the narrative pushed by our enemies such as China’s Global Times and Rajeev Sharma. Tibetans respect them both as spiritual and political leader after separation of Church and the State formally in 2011.
And I don’t think it is right to be so harsh on Lobsang Sangay’s advisor kaydor Aukatsang. And it is horrible on Penpa Tsering supporter’s part to spread malicious rumour that K replaced HHDL portrait with LS’s. This kind of rumour is a momo on the plate of the Chinese, and they must be very happy to see us in-fighting like puppies.
What is the effect of such rumours? Well, the chinese govt takes cue, and implements policies to divide Tibetan exiles, even further. We have a small seed of a conflict. Chinese come, and nurture it, giving it sunlight and warmth.
When people said religious sects are fighting, and the Tibetan vajyarana sect leaders themselves accused rival sects of being sectarian, Chinese allowed Tibetan singers to sing for Sakya Trizin, Karmapa, etc, except Dalai Lama.
When people said there’s Khampa vs Utsang-Amdo rivalry, camps lead by Lobsang Sangay and Penpa Tsering, the Chinese allowed Tibetan singers to sing praise for Lobsang Sangay, and even gave him [invitation] to visit Beijing. Penpa Tsering was listed as a separatist, Tibetan independence seeker (rangzen walla), and a namesake of his was deported from Kathmandu airport.
Let’s be clear. China doesn’t hate Tibetans or Vajyarana Buddhism or Culture. They have problem with Tibetans saying they are not part of China, and Dalai Lama is the most well-known person who says Tibet is an independent country.
Sikyong bashing serves no purpose, no matter who does it.
awesome lobsang wangyal la. Every thing you said about is true. Thank you.
Our media’ VOA and RFA are like america’s CNN and Fox News. VOA is more left-wing and inclusive like CNN. It is odd Tethong Namgyal who isn’t very rightwing and conservative Ian heading VOA.
In 2016, rfa supported rightwing Penpa Tsering while VOA supported leftwing progessive Lobsang sangay. Tethong should go back to RFA to lead this obnoxious Utsang-Gelug sect empowerment agenda living in constant fear of Dalai Lama’s declining power in exile society.
LS supporters should write to Joe Biden that VOA be protected from rightwing ideologies as RFA already doesn’t it. VOA is for the common people, proletariats.
Thank you Lobsang Wangyal la.
Lobsang Sangay and Kaydor are the two worst version of fully corrupt Tibetans that we can ever see in Tibetan history. From these two shameless persons, we can only expect lies, exaggeration, pettiness, super egos, insecurity and jealousy against everybody from senior to junior, and revenge against any critics either in the form of character assassination or expulsion from posts. Taking full credit for himself and denying the role of His Holiness, Gyari Rinpoche, Tethong la etc in one sweeping statement is the height of arrogance and shamelessness.
Many in Dharamshala and everywhere are waiting for the day we bid goodbye to this despotic ruler and his chamcha and equally corrupt Kaydor who has no proper credential to even be a kalon first, let alone a Sikyong. Hope people wake from their deep slumber and make the right choice by not voting for Kaydor.
I agree with Tashi la, LS should give credit to ICT staff who has worked very hard and tremendous to get support from US representative. LS only take credit and show off. LS has no respect to our Charter and our norms of ‘YARAB CHOESANG”. He only got his law degree as academy but he has no license to practice. If he is a good Lawyer then why he lost the Case No 20. He is very selfish and self centered.
I hope new Sikyong should respect our Charter, the three pillars of democracy and offer more independence to our press.
There is truth in what Lobsang Wangyal wrote – turning an event into a media opportunity opens the door to failure. There is truth (! Ouch) in what Migmey Dorje wrote.
How about taking what is true from both perspectives and remaining together as a group. Your ‘enemy’ is China and they love it when you argue. please don’t get divided like the Americans, look at the results.
Tenzin Tethong without even knowing how to read and write in Tibetan somehow heads the Tibetan language service of VOA with an annual salary of $125000. See this website
https://www.fedsdatacenter.com/federal-pay-rates/index.php?y=2019&n=tethong&l=&a=&o=
Our common man’s elected Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay sacrifed his personal gains by working for our cause and makes a mere $5000 annually.
Wake up my people!
go to the point. its not about 5000 dollar as a salary n 125000…lobsang wangyal written about his failure as a sikyong…..do u know how much TA/DA Sikyong gets for each trip abroad? current sikyong is cunning fox…not more than that….giving post to his nears and knowns…..just count how many women staff he has given visa benefit and these days already resigned from cta and enjoying life abroad? There are many in the count…..
It’s high time we evaluate the words and works of NGO like International Campaign for Tibet. I am witnessing political and cultural appropriations because they are supposedly advocating for us and our Tibetan struggle. They receive millions of dollars donation in our name. Are they hurting Tibetans and our plight when they constantly negate and dispute our Central Tibetan Administration and our elected political leader? Wake up my people!
Lobsang Wangyal, let’s first start being proud of our people, and our people’s choice of Sikyong. Leave jealousy aside, yes, he’s popular and for all the right reasons! Sikyong Lobsang Sangay is by no means discrediting achievements of His Holiness and other politicians of yesteryear.
Let’s be clear that for the first time in our history, we have a commoner who has won the votes of the people to be our Sikyong. Yes, all thanks only to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for paving the way to democracy. If it was up to the Lhasa aristocrats, we still would have autocracy reigning us. You talk about crediting Gyari and Tethong. Ask why His Holiness never issued a letter of condolence when Gyari died. So much misuse of power and money. Also, has it ever dawned on you that the likes of those people never allowed any commoner to be their circle unless they worked as their puppets? Take Tethong for example: his 2010 Sikyong campaign manager Lobsang Sither is now employed at Lhadon Tethong’s NGO Tibet Action Institute and Lobsang Sither’s wife is conveniently posted by Tethong as the head of the VOA Dharamshala branch. On top of that, you should know that Tethong does not even know how to read and write Tibetan and yet he has taken the post of VOA Tibetan Service Director. You’re talking about nepotism to the highest level, even at US federal agencies like VOA.
So many centuries of manipulation by the aristocrats is finally ending. Let the magnanimity of that shift in power not go in vain! People are rising, let them rise!
Migmey Dorje, you are right. LS is very infamously popular. The only leader in the history of Tibet who got convicted by court of law and had to offer a public apology saying what he and his cabinet did was wrong and regret of. It became the biggest joke in the Tibetan history where he has become nothing more than a laughing stock to the world. What more shame and embarrassment than this could be ever to a leader? History has been recorded in Tibetan history and all the coming generations will read about it in the school texts.
Thank you for speaking up. I cannot stress how important it is to do so. When LS first arrived on the scene he bragged about how much his Harvard education and his diplomatic skills were going to bring guaranteed success in redressing the stalemate in sino-Tibetan dialogue; a part of debate this video is available online. As someone with zero experience in CTA, he then continues: “people who have 20, 30 or 300 years of experience in CTA has nothing on me,” leading to the hall erupting in thunderous applause. The people seemed to enjoy more the veiled humiliation he threw at others on the stage, all of them senior civil servants now vying as candidates for Sikyong post. People needed spectacle; and a performer, in his heart of hearts that Lobsang Sangye is, he gave it to them – a tamasha.
It is all apparent that we have not made one movement forward in his 10 years of being Sikyong. These recent misrepresentations and lies are just desperate last minute acts as Lobsang Wangyal has rightly said. In a robust democracy, we should do performance reviews of our elected leaders, and measure the results of their years in the office against the promises they had made. Now similar big talks are being made by Kaydor, someone with far less credentials. If you look at these claims, many of them are actually work that had been initiated by CTA from the time of Samdhong Rinpoche – but will he give credit, no.
It all ties to what LS said in that debate 10 years ago and the meaning it held – absolute contempt for people with 20, 30, or 300 years of experience. Who is to say he did not mean His Holiness the Dalai Lama among those people?
He surely did act it out by denying His Holiness’ role in the last 60 years as the head of state. It is so very important to speak up.
Well written opinioin Lobsang la. Good to see that our journalist are doing their part in dissecting the information in public domain.
In academic world, what Lobsang Sangay has done is pure plagiarism, that you need to credit for work done by others, and coming from someone who holds a Phd degree is nothing short of theft.
I consider your Op-Ed an eye opener for other media outlets in our society about how journalism should work to inform the general public.
Thank you again and bhoe gyalo!!
👌🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
LS went to Dwight Eisenhower building. This location sends a secret message to Beijing. It was president Eisenhower who supported Chushi Gangdruk resistance against China in 1960s, which was continued by JF Kennedy, but evaporated out when Nixon met Mao.
LS visiting Eisenhower building says the 1959-level support might be rejuvenated again in 2020.
Some say Eisenhower building isn’t White House. Then is Oval Office white house? Is Map Room white house? All building complex attached to president’s residence is collectively called White House.
It is just like saying to someone who visited Dharamshala, ‘You didn’t go to Dharamshala. No. you visited your small home in McLeod Ganj.’ as if McLeod Ganj is not part of Dharamshala, as if Eisenhower Building is not part of White House.
All the comments about the Eisenhower Office Building have stimulated my old memory synapses. While it would be a stretch of the imagination to call him a Tibetan official then (it was a different time under a different system) but I vaguely recall that in the 1950s Gyalo Thondup met briefly with US President Dwight Eisenhower. Given the way things worked in those days, it would have had to have been in the White House complex . . . or on a golf course somewhere. If correct, this pushes back White House interactions yet another decade.
Dear Lobsang Wangyal,
You have missed out one important word in LS’ statement – ‘ELECTED’ ( leader).
Look below:
He’s the first ELECTED Tibetan leader ever.
But he isn’t the first Tibetan leader.
Did any publicly voted Tibetan leader go to White House? No. Gyari, Tethong, etc were not elected.
Others such as Dalai Lama visited the White House. But Dalai Lama isn’t elected by Tibetan public. He is residue of the old theocratic system, which was changed to 50% democracy in 1959 in exile, which then improved to 75% democracy with political leader and Dalai Lama sharing power in 2001, and in 2011, it become full democracy with an elected leader.
Ya, article also states “This is the first time in the last 6 decades the head of the Central Tibetan Administration has been invited into the White House.” We did not have elected leadership in the last 6 decades. Go figure. White House is that White building where the President resides, not another building next door. Google White House.
Dorjee Tsering
He represents Tibetans and those who wish well for all Tibetans cherish and appreciate any achievement that CTA achieves. Surely His Holiness is pleased to have it achieved for Tibetans. Why you do the job that is meant for Chinese agent to do … Why the line is so blur and easily jumping of whose nod?? to stir for causing the disturbance where there is nothing to argue. Surely His Holiness would not appreciate anybody cloaking an issue by dragging his name into it. He is our unquestionable leader and has been working hard for us which even Lobsang Sangay often refers in his speeches. After all, as a Buddhist, what is in the name??
Continued….
There is no contradiction to claim that it’s the first time a CTA Leader has been invited to the White House. When the Dalai Lama visited the White House from the time of George Bush senior, he was visiting as the Leader of the Ganden Phodrang Administration and not CTA.
When the Dalai Lama devolved power to the elected leader in 2011, Ganden Phodrang relinquished all its political power and invested it to the democratically elected leader and with it the traditional Coat of Arms known as བོད་གཞུང་དགའ་ལྡན་ཕོ་བྲང་ and it became CTA. CTA came into existence officially only after བོད་གཞུང་དགའ་ལྡན་ཕོ་བྲང་ insignia was removed.
It was very controversial and many patriotic Tibetans protested but to no avail. The Dalai Lama was in pains to explained to the Tibetan public that it didn’t mean he had lost hope. The slogan དགའ་ལྡན་ཕོ་བྲང་ཕྱོགས་ལས་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་ became བདེན་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་གྱུར་ཅིག
The Dalai Lama bestowed the name སྲིད་སྐྱོང་་ to the newly elected leader and he became the first CTA Leader. Therefore, the present Sikyong is indeed is the FIRST CTA LEADER to visit the White House.
It has paved the way for future Sikyongs to be given due respect as was shown by the US Government to the present Sikyong. Other democratic countries will take notice of the US gesture and will be mindful of their own consideration for all Tibetan Sikyongs in future.
Before this, the Sikyong was a non-entity in the corridors of world power.
Are these people having a Trumpian delusion? The International Media including Times of India and even the CCP mouth piece Global Times is reporting that the Tibetan Sikyong visited the White House yet the deranged few are acting like Trump who is in denial at his loss even as world leaders are Congratulating Joe Biden as the President elect.
Are you prepared to say that the international media has no journalistic integrity because it doesn’t print what you want to hear? It also reminds me of another era when the Dalai Lama was trotting the globe.
In a corner, near the pavilion where the Dalai Lama taught thousands of people, a motley group of people would sing, “Dalai Lama, don’t lie”!!!!!
The people here have the same message as those Shugden protestors against the Dalai Lama, saying, LS Don’t lie”. I wonder if these are the same people with the same agenda?
Shugden protestors wanted to discredit the Dalai Lama, saying, “Don’t lie”. These people are saying the same thing to LS to discredit him. Their agenda is to undermine the Tibetan leadership whether it’s the Dalai Lama or LS. It’s to destroy the Tibetan Movement.
Both of them didn’t lie. Shugden is a malevolent spirit as the Dalai Lama proclaimed and LS visited the White House as reported by the International Press.
The most important thing here is this: It’s NOT about LS. It’s ABOUT TIBET. When the leader of the Tibetans is accepted to the haloed ground of the White House as a gesture of US support, even if you don’t rejoice, you can feel a sense of comfort.
Instead, these people are trying to undo and totally discredit the event as a non-event. Does this act look like true Tibetans who cares for the six million Tibetans and their plight or are these hired…
In the first paragraph you trashed President Trump as some deranged man. Idiot, before you opened your mouth didn’t it occur in your peanut brain that what you’re gloating as “historic visit to White House by Lobsang Sangay” wouldn’t have happened with the blessing or “go-ahead” sign by President Trump??? Talk is cheap. One can come with infinite rubbish theories and analysis. But what sets them apart with others is “brain”, which you just proved zero in you.
Your rest of the paragraphs reeks of your approval and hatred towards His Holiness, His over 500 yrs old institution and Tibetan govt His Holiness institution led for over 500 yrs. If you take a referendum in Tibetan world, overwhelmingly to vote to retain our old Bhod Shung Ganden Phodrang system headed by successive Dalai lamas. This democracy, which Lobsang Sangay to his gains with all lies and pseudoism and which you tout as some kind of big achievement, was actually given down by His Holiness despite people resisting it. If you want to brag about Lobsang Sangay as being “first democratically elected leader”, at least thank His Holiness for making that happen. Again where is your brain?
There’s no doubt that, given your hatred toward His Holiness institution and Bhod Shung Ganden Phodrang Chokley Namgyal” the official seal and nomenclature of govt of Tibet for centuries, you belonged to Kham (and likely Lithang). This is same kind of hatred Lobsang Sangay, Kaydor Aukatsang share deep within but outwardly portray as having big reverence and devotion to His Holiness for political gains. And shared by most of Lobsang Sangay, Kaydor’s supporters. You can go back to history of Tibet to trace the origins of most Khampas hatred to “bhod shung ganden phodrang’ led by His Holiness and Lhasa aristocrats.
Indian media by and large, print and digital, are known for their wishy-washy coverage without much credibility. If you look carefully none of the international media paid attention to this “first ever–historic–epic White House visit” until our own Sikyong’s mouthpiece Tibettv carried the story with the exaggerated and over the top title. There’s a difference between visiting THE WHITE HOUSE vs visiting a building in the White House complex. And to sell this as a visit to THE WHITE HOUSE is a blatant, outright lie coming from someone holding the highest office (also in a state of Trumpian delusion) in exile. Since, we are all exposed to this con man and his trickery—anything coming from this man is hard to digest not only for the Tibetans but also for many Tibet supporters (including Todd Stein). And to compare this common citizen’s confrontation of a series of lies by LS to the smear campaign run by Shugster cult backed by the CCP is two disparate things. ་As we say in Tibetan: ཉ་དང་ཉུང་མ་མ་བསྲེས།
Well done, Lobsang la. Lobsang Sangay, our outgoing Sikong is shameless publicity and self-promoting. He posted a photo of himself and Ngodup Tsering, without telling that the picture is not inside the White House. He falsely misleads the Tibetan people that he is inside the White House. This is deceitful and shameful. Lobsang Sangay is an empty vessel, all show no substance.
I thought our democracy was dying before it starts crawling. A person who has no leadership qualities at all and also has no character has been elected. Many smart Tibetans and HH know his incompetence but His Holiness’s disappointment is his character-lying to us and acting like US president. Today Lobsang Wangyal has shown that we too have the fourth pillar of democracy which gives voice to all the smart and responsible citizens of Tibet. Hopefully our other media follow your lead. You are our Arnab Goswami.
Lobsang Sangay has failed miserably in all his maiden election manifesto promises of returning His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Potala Palace, unity in the Tibetan community, community sustenance, and innovation. His Harvard PhD degree in law has proved to be a sham by not able to defend himself at the Supreme Justice Commission, a case which he himself initiated. Instead of bringing small Tibetan community together he was instrumental in bringing disunity. That would be his indelible legacy and it is a shame that it is not forced thru violence by CCP but it happened under his nose and most avoidable. No wonder large number of Tibetans are already disgusted in voting for his pal Kaldor Aukatsang, who would continue in this disastrous path.
The only plus point I find in his character is he seems to be working very hard but I don’t find any positive results apart from tearing down and build some office and staff quarters at Gangchen Kyishong. In sum, as soon as he leaves CTA a large number of people would have a big sigh of relief and joyfulness.
Lobsang Wangyal la lost his mind. He got it all wrong for what Sikyong is doing. Far from being desperate to leave a legacy, Sikyong is making every moment of his Presidency for CTA counts.
It is a disgrace to not notice his hardworking and travelling even at his own risk in this Covid-19 pandemic. As an elected political leader, he is working very hard to promote the cause of Tibet on international stage and he is successful with his persona and gravitas and resourcefulness. The majority of Tibetan people are very grateful for Sikyong for such a stellar performance in his political role and mandate.
His latest rendezvous at the power house of US State Department and White House is a huge leap with great political significance. This is no small thing, given our exile stature. Instead of celebrating such achievement for Sikyong and for CTA, which write such a trash piece Lobsang Wangyal la.
There is nothing substantive in this article that warrant any rebuttable. Looks like you had a fallout with Sikyong, and hence become so cynical. There is nothing that one can compare anyone to HH the Dalai Lama. His Holiness is the undisputed Tibetan icon and his meeting with US Presidents is known worldwide. So bringing His Holiness the Dalai Lama to try to discredit Sikyong’s legacy is very distasteful. History will bear witness, that CTA is lucky to be lead by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay. His biggest legacy is that the smooth functioning of CTA with a clear set of goals during the tenure of his administration. His legacy is that he let His Holiness the Dalai Lama to have a peaceful political retirement, by shouldering and continuing the work of His Holiness to full satisfaction. Lobsang Wangyal la chose a different topic to write.
its not time to be bais …instead be truth
Lobsang Wangyal and Tibet Sun, great work on calling out Lobsang Sangay’s misrepresentation, with regards to White House, and the explicit effort to deny the involvement of His Holiness and Gyari Rinpoche in our freedom struggle, most importantly the truth of their having had many meetings in the White House, many of them with the US Presidents. Lobsang Sangay’s habit to turn everything into about himself is a trait known to all who have watched him at work as Sikyong in the last 10 years. Everyone would agree that his contribution in advancing the freedom movement has been zero. Yes, he would unduly take credit for settlement welfare and education, for a lot of which the groundwork had already been laid by previous leaderships, and which had happened because of the proven administration system in CTA. You will not find one CTA civil servant who is not repulsed by Lobsang Sangay’s hunger for attention and to discredit others’ involvements. Only this time, this “other” is His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
We have many news outlets but almost none embody true jounrnalistic duty as you have done with this opinion piece. Calling out the lies and describing a failure a failure, nothing more, nothing less, to sum up a legacy of an outgoing president. It must not have been an easy task but for taking that bold step you are to be congratulated.
Sangay has started to defend himself and justify himself. Expect him to offer more explanations. Which only proves he had really spoken untruth the first time around.
LS is a shameless and immoral person who has created doubts and mistrust only. He has damaged our society in many ways due to his deception and misuse of power. Disgusting 🤬
Both Tibetans and Chinese are fond of criticizing our leader Lobsang Sangay. Global Times has this to say about Sangay https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1207675.shtml
If you know how China works, they will express outrage on any and everything our leadership will do. This is not to be taken as any credit for us. Does not mean they are worried about US granting us legitimacy, it is just an exercise almost out of muscle memory. They are not afraid of US siding with Tibet. Consider ourselves lucky that China has not caught on the duplicity of White House and non White House. That will be an embarrassing statement from them if it came out, showing how desperate LS is.
L. Wangyal la,
I admire your sense of journalistic integrity by showing the courage to point out where the public personalities that people look up to for inspiration falter and fail to live up to people’s expectations. Last night at dinner, my son was asking me whether our Sikyong claiming to be first head of CTA to walk into the White House was true and he wondered whether our Sikyong was not knowing about the Dalai Lama’s visit to the White House number of times. A lot of confusion has been caused by our Sikyong’s tall claim. Thank you for making this effort at clearing the air with regard to the confusion surrounding the claim: First in 60 years for a Tibetan leader getting an invite to the White House. Disregarding His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s achievements in Tibet keeping alive is, indeed, highly objectionable and regrettable.