SHILLONG, Feb 28: Fifty-two-year-old Lobsang Sangay, a Harvard scholar who has served as Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration of the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGiE) for two tenures beginning 2011, is set to relinquish his post by May this year. Sangay is currently travelling to different parts of the world to meet with Tibetan communities. He arrived at Shillong from Arunachal Pradesh, on Sunday evening and after visiting the monastery at Lumparing on Monday morning will leave for Guwahati.
When asked what his major contributions to the CTA have been during his two tenures, Sangay says, “I have delivered more than I promised. When I assumed office I had prepared a booklet with ten questions and promises which revolved around the welfare of the Tibetan people across the globe. Education has improved markedly and the financial situation of the CTA improved by 175%, thereby allowing for more welfare activities.”
The most significant achievement of Lobsang Sangay’s tenure is his ability to push through the Tibetan Policy and Support Act, 2020 (TPSA, 2020) which was passed by the Trump Administration in December 2020. The TPSA would make it official United States policy that the succession of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the succession of the Dalai Lama, be left solely to Tibetan Buddhists to decide, without interference from the Chinese government. Chinese officials that interfere in the process of selecting Tibetan Buddhist leaders would be subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, including denial of entry into the United States.
The amended TPSA has also introduced provisions for protecting the environment of the Tibetan plateau, calling for greater international cooperation and greater involvement by Tibetans. Alleging that China is diverting water resources from Tibet, the TPSA also calls for “a regional framework on water security, or use existing frameworks to facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations that would promote arrangements on impounding and diversion of waters that originate on the Tibetan Plateau”.
While the 2002 Act said the US should establish a “branch office” in Lhasa, the TSPA has gone a step further in upgrading that to a “consulate,” besides recognising the Central Tibetan Administration.
Sangay said this is a great achievement for the CTA although he had to lobby hard both with the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“While the House was dominated by Democrats, the Senate had more Republican members but both sides of the divide converged on TPSA.
“Some crucial Bills such as the Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act, which would have allowed Hong Kong citizens to reside and work in the US as part of a federal programme reserved for individuals from war-torn countries or those who are seeking refuge from natural disaster or other difficult circumstances could not be passed due to objections by Republican Senator Ted Cruz. I was keeping my fingers crossed and also lobbying hard that the TPSA would not meet the fate of the omnibus of Bills that were rejected.”
Sangay informed that even an important Bill that Ivanka Trump had been working to advance the cause of women’s economic empowerment, with cooperation from lawmakers in both parties failed at the eleventh-hour due to politics and other reasons, thereby jettisoning an important piece of legislation in the process. Such is the difficulty to get a Bill passed by both Houses in the US, he said, thereby underlining how both the Senate and the House viewed the Tibetan issue.
When asked if the Biden Administration would continue to support the TPSA, Sangay said that President Biden had already spoken to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and assured that the Policy would be pursued in letter and spirit.
Talking about the recent Indo-China clashes at Galwan, Sangay said that India’s problem is that it has not invested in Tibetan Studies Centres. “If India wishes to understand China it has to first understand Tibet. India’s borders in the north are with Tibet, not China hence it is a misnomer to call it Indo-China border. The correct term is Indo-Tibet border. For instance the word Doklam, Doklan and Dhoklam are Tibetan words with different meanings. To fight an enemy it is important to understand his language,” Sangay said, adding that while for the Chinese betrayal of international agreements is in national interest, countries like India take every agreement including the Panch Sheel as a sacred trust only to be betrayed in 1962.
Certain sections of ministers in the CTA have alleged that Sangay had failed to engage in diplomatic relations with the Chinese Government. To this the Sikyong responded saying, “It is the express wish of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama that we should not engage in diplomacy with the Chinese. I am only following his advice.”
On India’s Policy towards the Tibetans, Sangay observed, “From the humanitarian aspect no country has done as much as India has.”
On his future plans now that he has completed his political tenure and whether he would be back after a hiatus of five years, Sangay said, “I will now dedicate my time to my 14-year-old teenager, a daughter. This is a good time to assist her and just be there for her. Most often we politicians tend to neglect our children and family. We succeed as politicians but fail where our families are concerned. I connect with my daughter from wherever I am. As for the future, let’s see what it holds.”
The first phase of election for electing a new Sikyong and Members of Parliament to the CTA was held on January 3, 2021. Results of the election for Sikyong were declared on February 8. Penpa Tshering the former Speaker of the Tibetan Government in exile emerged as the frontrunner. Kalsang Dorjee a former bureaucrat in the CTA was next in line. The final round of election will be held on April 11 to decide who of the two would be the Sikyong. The results will be announced on May 21. The new Sikyong should be in place by May end.