Tibetan PM-in-exile Lobsang Sangay hoisting the Tibetan National Flag at a function organisation to celebrate 26th anniversary of conferment of Nobel Peace Prize to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, at Tsuglakhang Temple in McleodGanj on Thursday. Shyam Sharma/HT (Shyam Sharma/HT)
By Naresh K Thakur, Hindustan Times, 10 December 2015
In the wake of ‘radical groups and members, more and often’ taking to social media to express their disagreement with the Dalai Lama, the exile Tibetan leadership, on the 26th anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize to 80-year-old spiritual leader, urged fellow Tibetans to “use social media for unity not disintegration”.
In run up to the Tibetan General Elections, prelims for which were held in October, few individuals had openly criticised the 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate and his policies on social networking sites.
“Freedom of speech and social media should be utilised responsibly for the unity of Tibetan movement,” said Sikyong (Exiled PM) Lobsang Sangay in a programme organised at McleodGanj to celebrate the occasion of conferment of coveted prize on the Dalai Lama.
Sangay said that Tibetan people are, by and large, exercising their democratic rights in mature way.
“However, regardless of the immense contribution His Holiness has made and the reverence with which the Tibetan people hold him, few individuals have made baseless allegations. These individuals are wrong,” he said.
Sangay, the political heir of the Dalai Lama, said: “Tibetan democracy was gift by the spiritual leader to his people and Tibetan exiles have participated in the democratic process with increased numbers, demonstrating their maturity.
“Today as we celebrate this auspicious occasion, the Kashag (cabinet of exile government) pays humble respect and bows down in gratitude to our most revered leader, the Great 14th Dalai Lama,” said Sangay, who also extending greetings to the Tibetan people, friends and well-wishers around the world.
Contribution which the Dalai Lama made to the political cause of Tibet and the revival of Tibetan culture outside Tibet will forever be etched in the memories of the people and in the course of history,” added the exile leader.
On the occasion, which coincided with the World Human Rights Day, the exile leader urged the international community for their support and demanded release of thousands of Tibetan political prisoners, including the 11th Panchen Lama and Chinese Nobel Peace prize winner Liu Xiaobo, from the Chinese government.
Reiterating the exile government’s commitment to the Middle Way Approach (MWA) -the policy proposed by the Dalai Lama in 1970s for peaceful resolution of Tibet issue- Sangay said it remains official policy of exile government and has support of various governments.
Sangay welcomed the visits of US Congressional and European delegations and expressed gratitude towards them for standing up for the Tibetan people and supporting dialogue to resolve the issue of Tibet.
China has no role in Dalai Lama’s reincarnation
Refuting China’s claim that it had the right to approve reincarnation, Sangay said the final authority based on both history and religious traditions in selecting the next reincarnation rests solely on the present Dalai Lama.
“Neither the muscle nor money of the Chinese government will change the belief of the Tibetan people in His Holiness to appoint his successor,” asserted Sangay.
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