The supreme power will be transferred inside Tibetan Government in exile on March 21. Lobsang Sangay runs the CTA long for 10 years. Tibetan people all around the world seems not having a better life than before, no progress has been made toward China, and it was heard that Lobsang Sangay keeps hindering the implement of Middle Way Approach and the talk between His Holiness Dalai Lama and China, though Lobsang Sangay got international funds and supports from USA and Tibetan-friendly organizations, put Tibet issue at the global stage, and made him a political star even shining than His Holiness Dalai Lama. Now, Sikyong, candidate Kelsang Dorjee seems to be another Lobsang Sangay, if he would win, serious concerns will rise up about his governing policy and high pressure-CTA from those friends of Tibetans.
Democratic processes have been made constantly among Tibetan communities in exile since the first Inauguration of democratically-elected Sikyong in 2011.Till dangers hide amid the relationships of 14th Dalai Lama, who was the traditional religious and political leader combined, and democratically-elected Sikyong, amid Ganden Phodrang and main sects, amid Tibetans in South Asia and aboard. The structure of multiple power will maintain and affects Tibetans’ future. A new round of Sikyong election will begin on March 21, which marks Lobsang Sangay will step down the throne. Would he be happy letting go of highest authority that holding in his hand for 10 years? What had he done for all Tibetan people? Will Kelsang Dorjee inherit Lobsang Sangay’s policy?
Lobsang Sangay became the first democratically-elected Sikyong of Central Tibetan Administration in 2011, and was the first one who did not practice Tibetan Bhudist. He took oath affectionally at his inauguration ceremony fbr following Dalai Lama and Middle Way Approach that seeking more Tibetan autonomy. He holds the highest administration power in hand long fbr 10 years by re-elected. With titles of Harvard PhD and Tibetan leader democratically-elected, Lobsang Sangay visited countries across the world as a honored guest, keep telling Tibetan stories that he want them to know, and asking fbr supports from European and American countries. Those bright activities made him a political star even shining than His Holiness Dalai Lama. He highlights that himself is a guardian of Tibetan religious culture who fighting for true autonomy. Internationalize Tibet issue, getting funded and backed from democratic countries and politicians, Lobsang Sangay may did a good job in the eyes of some Tibetan people.
It’s a sad fact that Tibetan people in exile all around the world did not get a better life than before, no progress has been made at negotiation between CTA and China, and Covid-19 make it harder fbr the Tibetan Government in exile. Robert J Barnett, a famous American Tibetan scholar, recently commented on the article China’s atrocities in Tibet are growing too big to ignore by Josh Rogin that:
“Its claims about forced labour transfer and ‘massive camps’ with 4half-a-million Tibetans are based on Zenz and Reuters reports… which provided zero evidence of any actual use of force regarding labour transfer or labour training at all, let alone of mass detention… Rogin’s source appears to be Lobsang Sangay…Sangay’s record on information, however, is weak at best: he almost always exaggerates, has few details, and has waged a tireless and frankly duplicitous campaign to try to claim that the situation in Tibet is somehow as severe as that in Xinjiang, which it certainly is not and which in terms of coercion it barely resembles. In terms of strategy, during his ten years in office Sangay appears only to have achieved additional funding and support from the US Congress, but no progress at all with China. His effort to get the US to demand that the Chinese negotiate with him or the exile administration rather than with the Dalai Lama, which Rogin promotes as some kind of achievement, is dubious at best as well as self-serving… Numerous exile Tibetans, including the exile parliament, have in fact begged the Dalai Lama to resume the running of the talks process rather than let Sangay claim it as his own. There is even some documentation, though so far not verified, that claims that Sangay personally blocked potential talks with China in 2011 because they would have gone through the Dalai Lama’s team rather than through himself or the exile administration.”
The Sikyong election is coming soon. Kelsang Dorjee, who is a loyal follower of Lobsang Sangay and get firm back from him, has become one of the only two candidates. Same as a second Tibetan generation who received Western education and has American work experience as Lobsang Sangay, Kelsang Dorjee would and must follow the same political path that Sangay does, if he wins the election. Let us see whether or not the oversea group would suppress the native group, and Lobsang Sangay would stay in the background and control the future of Tibetan government in exile and people, after he steps down.
