During the period following the Second World War, when many countries that had long been under imperial domination regained their independence, the government of the People’s Republic of China exploited the prevailing political situation and other circumstances of the time to launch an armed invasion of Tibet. The ever-worsening situation in Tibet eventually compelled His Holiness the Dalai Lama and more than eighty thousand Tibetans to flee their homeland in 1959 to seek refuge in the holy land of India. During the period of 77 years thus far, throughout which the People’s Republic of China has remained in armed occupation of Tibet, a total of more than two million Tibetan people have met with untimely death under various circumstances engendered by it. And along also with the total destruction of thousands of places of religious study and worship, the government of China has unleashed unimaginably horrifying degree and scale of devastation, plunder, and looting on Tibet’s territorial riches and its living beings. In addition, the government of China has remained relentless in its pursuit of a series of egregious policies directed at destroying the religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage and other characteristic features of the Tibetan people that define Tibetan national identity. It is in a continuation of the implementation of this policy that the Chinese Communist Party has forced countless number of Tibetan children to be removed from their parents and communities to be enrolled in boarding schools with a diabolical strategy to transform the Tibetan identity of Tibet into a Chinese one. This agenda remains an ongoing danger and has today become a matter of utmost urgency. Far from being open to entertaining any idea for the resolution of the Sino-Tibetan conflict, the leaders of China continue to subterfuge with an outpouring of misinformation designed to deceive not only the people of China but also the international community by shelving or burying the reality. Nevertheless, this ongoing malpractice of the government of China is all too well-known to everyone.

Throughout the period that Tibet has remained under the illegal occupation of China since its armed invasion, the government of China has kept distorting the country’s historical sovereignty with fabricated narratives, sought to corrupt the unique culture of the Tibetan people by adulterating it, used coercion to deprive the people of Tibet of their freedom of religious belief, set out to devastate the territorial and natural environment of Tibet, kept trampling on the human rights of the Tibetan people, shut them up from exercising their freedom of speech, colonized Tibet in the name of economic development and progress, made active efforts to prevent any expression of the oneness of the nationality of the Tibetan people, and disregarded the wishes of the Tibetan people. Apart from these, the ground reality remains that the government of China has thus far never implemented any genuinely intended policy measure which is suited to the needs of the Tibetan people. Rather, it has relied solely on policies of violent reprisal and brutal repression against the people of Tibet. As a result, the Tibetan people, both the old and new generations, have carried out a succession of protest demonstrations in a campaign that began in 1987. In particular, the great Earth-Mouse Year uprising protests carried out simultaneously by the people of all the three traditional provinces of Tibet in 2008, still remain fresh in our minds. Along with that, it is worth noting that since the year 2009, there have been a total of at least 157 incidents in which individual Tibetans in occupied Tibet have carried out protest self-immolations in acts of a non-violent campaign against the government of China. These various types of protests continue to be carried out by the Tibetan people to this day. It is important that the government of China appreciate the enormity of the sacrifices the Tibetan people have been making through those protest campaigns.

Since 1979, the Central Tibetan Administration has taken a series of steps by which it made efforts to seek a solution to the Sino-Tibetan conflict by means of adopting a middle way policy. However, the leaders of the People’s Republic of China have refused to budge from their existing hardline policy, with the result that there have been no positive developments in the situation. The situation in Tibet today is such that the Tibetan people continue to remain prohibited from engaging in any public activity that highlights their linguistic, religious, cultural, and artistic heritage as well as the protection of the ecological environment, on the pain of being subjected to arbitrary arrest. It is also a matter of an all too common knowledge that within their own country, the Tibetan people continue to be hindered from fully exercising their freedoms and rights in all aspects of their behaviour – their movement, stay, or activities. This is borne out by the fact that in its annual Freedom in the World report in 2025, which rated people’s access to political rights and civil liberties in countries and territories across the world, the human rights organization Freedom House described the situation in Tibet as one which continued to remain extremely repressive. Likewise, the State Department of the United Sates government detailed the lack of human rights in Tibet in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released on the 13th of August 2025, as well as in other reports. The annual report, in particular, highlighted the fact that China had carried out arbitrary arrests and imprisonments, restricted religious freedom, and perpetrated transnational repression against Tibetan people living in other countries. The report described these as continuing and ongoing violations of the human rights of the Tibetan people. These reports make it clear that the government of China had continued to degrade and weaken the political freedom, civil liberties, and ethnic freedom of the Tibetan people in an ongoing basis; that it has been undermining the linguistic, religious and customary traditions that define the Tibetan identity; that it has been destroying the moral fabric of the Tibetan society; and that it has also been devastating the ecological environment of Tibet. Given such findings, which continue to constitute ongoing atrocities in Tibet – with reports thereon continuing to be most alarming – we reiterate our call on the government of China to bring an immediate end to these violations and atrocities.

It is thanks entirely to the kindness and grace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama that during the past more than six decades of living in exile, we have been able to maintain the momentum of an unwavering struggle for the fundamental cause of Tibet and in making efforts for the preservation of our religious, cultural, linguistic, and other aspects of Tibetan heritage and identity. We have achieved substantial amounts of success in these endeavours and can justly be proud of these achievements. Nevertheless, we are now in a critical moment when the world has entered a new era. It is an era in which the Tibetan people are faced with an existential threat and in order to save ourselves from this abyss, we all need to unite and work together in a cooperative manner. This is the biggest responsibility of the current generation of the Tibetan people. Hence, we strongly urge everyone to strengthen their sense of commitment towards the preservation of the ethnic identity of the Tibetan people as well as the Tibetan language and culture, and towards the struggle for the fundamental cause of Tibet.

During the winter session of the Indian parliament in New Delhi in December 2025, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile carried out a week-long lobbying campaign among its members. Members of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, divided into three working groups, met with a total of 42 prominent Indian leaders during the campaign, which included four Union Ministers and other members of the upper and lower houses of the parliament belonging to 14 different political parties. The working groups briefed the Indian leaders about the urgency of the situation facing Tibet today and on other important related matters. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile also organized a series of events to mark the 90th birthday of His Holiness Dalai Lama which is being commemorated year-long as a Year of Compassion. These have included the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile jointly convening a commemorative meeting in New Delhi on the 18th of December 2025 as previously planned. The event concluded with the member of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet unanimously adopting a five-point resolution.

Taking the opportunity provided by this occasion, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to express its gratitude to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio of the United States of America for his offering of greetings on the Tibetan New Year day on 17th of February 2026 and for announcing the appointment of Mr. Riley M Barnes, the State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, as the new US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. Likewise, on behalf of all Tibetans, both in and outside Tibet, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile also wishes to express deepest gratitude to the government and people of India, who have been particularly gracious to the Tibetan people in exile, as well as to all countries, organizations, and individuals who have shown concern and support for the Tibetan cause.

In conclusion, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to fervently pray that the beloved treasure of all Tibetans, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the ultimate refuge and protector as well as the bulwark of support for all beings in the three realms, but especially for us of the Snowland of Tibet, may be steadfast in remaining in our midst for a hundred aeons, with all his wishes being seen fulfilled with spontaneity and the just cause of Tibet being realized in all speediness.

By the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile

10 March 2026

* In case of any discrepancy between this English translation and its Tibetan original, the latter should be considered as authoritative and final for all purposes.

Thirty-four years ago to this day – on the 10^th of December in 1989 – the Nobel Peace Prize, which is renowned across all the ten directional spheres of this world, was conferred on His Holiness the Great 14^th Dalai Lama, the master of the entire corpus of teachings of the Buddha, the apex ornamental pride of all spheres of existence including the heavenly realms, the most exalted noble one who manifests as a lotus-holding being, who exudes great motherly affection for all sentient beings despite the absence of any prior intimacy, who is the very embodiment of compassion, a champion of world peace, the destined patron deity of the Snowland of Tibet, the unsurpassable protector and guide of all beings in all lifetimes, an edifying guiding light, and whose full name is Jetsun Jampal Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso Sisum Wanggyur Tsungpa Mepey-de Pel-Sangpo. And so, on this momentous occasion of the 34^th anniversary of that great event, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to pay solemn homage to His Holiness for His kindness with joy, faith and sense of gratification on behalf of all Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, greeting Him with infinite utterances of words of auspiciousness and wellbeing.

In this connection, it is worth recalling what Tertön Nyima Drakpa’s catalogue of prophets, the Great Compassionate One, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, says: “Through the powerful force of the aspirations of this Dharma King, a son of a courageous bodhisattva, a refuge and protector of beings, a sole ally of the teachings, will appear from the centre and will uphold the teachings of sūtra and mantra. And the deeds of one named Gyatso will spread in all ten directions.” It is thus seen that His Holiness the Great 14^th Dalai Lama was clearly prophesied by name long ago as a reincarnation of the Dharma King Trisong De’u-tsan and as someone whose deeds for the sake of sentient beings will spread far and wide across all the ten directional spheres of this world. From a tender age, His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Central Tibet. He assumed temporal and spiritual leadership of Tibet of great weightiness at a time when the situation in the country was such that it was teetering on a critically endangered interregnum which threatened its very survival. Ever since that moment, His Holiness has devoted himself entirely for the wellbeing of others in general, but particularly after coming into exile when He committed himself to helping and benefiting people across the world by means of promoting and reviving, as the case may be, the culture of the Tibetan people with its great potential to serve humanity. For this purpose, He relied solely on the method of non-violence based on the profound Buddhist religious teachings and Mahatma Gandhi’s principles while directing His efforts towards realizing the just cause of Tibet. Furthermore, acting on the basis of mutual respect, friendship, fairness, and kindness, His Holiness has made fruitful positive contributions while making efforts directed at helping to resolve international conflicts, promote human rights, and protect the natural environment with the aim to achieve meaningful peace and wellbeing across the world. His marvellous efforts in these endeavours have earned him admiration from people all across the world, and it led to Him being honoured with the global renown of the Nobel Peace Prize.

His Holiness has travelled to countries and regions across the world in order to carry out deeds of unsurpassable merits. That is why even to this day, prominent people as well as others from everywhere across the world – East as well as West – irrespective of the question of whether or not they are believers in the Buddhist religion, keep coming to Dharamshala to meet with Him and seek His guidance whenever they can find the opportunity. He treats them all without any attitude of favouritism or partiality while interacting with them with compassionate concern and providing them with the nectar of His words of advice. These have had great transformative effects on the mental attitude of many people, leading to positive developments in their day-to-day lives and enabling them to adopt an approach to helping other living beings. His engagements in activities directed at helping others in these and numerous other ways in efforts directed at ensuring the wellbeing of all sentient beings have proceeded like the continued waxing of the moon to attain a level of fullness where He has come to be recognized as a champion of world peace. Not only that, His Holiness has also become an eminent leader who is greatly admired and held in high esteem by people and organizations in countries across the world, both in the East and West. His Holiness the Dalai Lama frequently reiterates that He has dedicated His life to carrying out four principal commitments: The first is to make efforts to realize the commonality of the happiness of all human beings by means of promoting human values; the second is to promote harmony among the different religions; the third is to uphold, preserve and impart Tibetan culture and spirituality; and the fourth is to restore classical Indian culture and secular ethics in conjunction with modern education. We all should engage in studying these four commitments with the objective of internalizing and adopting them in our day-to-day conduct on the basis of the ideas and guidance provided by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This is the best grand offering of gratitude we can make to please Him.

The Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2023 has been awarded to Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi. She has been awarded the prize for her indefatigable courage in fighting against the oppression of women in Iran and for her resolute adherence to her vow to fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. Therefore on behalf of the Tibetan people in Tibet and in exile, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile wishes to express its admiration for her remarkable accomplishments while extending its congratulations to her. Likewise, the Parliament-in-Exile also wishes to express its admiration and offer congratulations to the other distinguished winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes in the fields of literature, economics, physics, chemistry, medicine and so forth.

Today is also observed as the World Human Rights Day. Sadly, to the people inside Tibet, even the most fundamental of human rights exist only in absolute denial. What is more, far from making any move to relax the hard-line policy it has continued to pursue so far, the government of China keeps adhering to its routine, single-minded practice of distorting the truth and lying about the real situation in its relentless efforts to delude people inside the country as well as governments and peoples across the world.

On the 10^th of November this year, the State Council Information Office of the government of China publicized in Tibetan and English languages a white paper titled “CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements.” Since 1992, the government of China has already released a total of 16 white papers on Tibet alone. The essence of the contents of these so-called white papers is to try to establish as existent what does not exist in Tibet and that which is not true as true about the situation there. Even more than that, to whitewash the hidden reality of its policies and so forth in Tibet has been the sole objective behind the issuance of those white papers.

The content of the latest white paper on Tibet is seen to be filled mainly with nothing but brazen lies about the achievements of the government of China since its takeover of the country. It is obvious that the survival or extinction of the Tibetan people rests on the lifeblood of their culture and religion. But on these matters, there has not been any meaningful achievement. Rather, China has politicised issues concerning them under slogans and rhetorics such as “Suffering turned into happiness with the arrival of the Communist Party!” “Motherland, Welcome!” “The hearts of the Tibetan children are with the Communist Party!” and so forth, to cite just a few examples. From the point of view of “achievements” in the field of religion, the Chinese government slogans and rhetorics included one which said that “As of the end of 2022, 164 monks had been accredited as Geshe Lharampas … ranking”, to cite just one example taken from the white paper itself. This figure is seen to be cited as the number of Geshe Lharampa degrees awarded thus far since the revival of this religious academic award system in Tibet. Continuing its distortion of reality, the white paper has continued that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Rinpoches “must be looked for within the country, decided through the practice of lot-drawing from the golden urn, and receive approval from the central government.” Such a method can never be acceptable to the Tibetan people or followers of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Not only does it not accord with the established Tibetan Buddhist traditions, but it is also nothing more than a reiteration of China’s old and distorted narration of the history of Tibet. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to again remind the government of China that the discovery and recognition of the reincarnation of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama should be based on respect for the wishes of the Tibetan people, on whatever decision His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama himself may make, and the decision of the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama’s Gaden Phodrang Trust. No country or group has any power whatsoever to interfere in it. In particular, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to make it absolutely clear that any such politicization of this reincarnation issue will not lead to any reposing of faith in or recognition of any candidate chosen in such a manner.

It bears pointing out that organs of the United Nations Organization, the United States of America, as well as countries in Europe, Asia and so forth, have been continuously criticizing the government of China for its record on the human rights situation in Tibet and in calling for the immediate release of the 11^th Panchen Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshe Thinley Pal-Sangpo (Gedhun Choekyi Nyima) as well as other Tibetan people who have been imprisoned for political reasons and who therefore continue to be subjected to all manners of cruelty. Likewise, they have also criticized and called for an end to the government of China’s ongoing programme of using coercive means to put Tibetan children in colonial-style boarding schools for the ulterior purpose of assimilating them. And they continue to extend support to the Tibetan people by means of calling on the government of China that it must grant those in Tibet their right to learn and use or practice their own language and script, religion, and culture. Additionally, during their meeting on the sidelines of the recently concluded summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders, held in the United States city of San Francisco, US President Joe Biden raised concerns regarding the People’s Republic of China’s human rights abuses, including in Tibet, with President Xi Jinping of China. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to express its appreciation for this gesture. Besides, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to take the opportunity provided by this occasion to again remind the government of China that it has become a matter of utmost importance for it to make efficient use of the current moment as regards the issue between the peoples of Tibet and China. In view of this fact, the government of China must review its stand on the issue of Tibet on the basis of the ground reality, bear accountability in the international community, pay heed to the actual feelings of the Tibetan people in Tibet, and make efforts to resolve the Sino-Tibetan dispute through a negotiated settlement based on the proposal made by His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama.

In addition, governments, peoples, parliaments, and leading figures and officials of groups and associations in countries that included the United States of America and those in Europe have provided solid support on the issue of Tibet on the international stage. To all of them, and especially to the most gracious people and government of India, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude.

In conclusion, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to pray that the supreme leader of the Tibetan people, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, may remain as the protector of all sentient beings throughout the three realms of the universe, and especially those of our Land of Snows, for a hundred aeons; that all His wishes may be fulfilled with spontaneity, unhindered by obstacles; that all the violent conflicts in this world may subside so that all beings find peace; and that on this basis the truth of the Tibetan cause may come to see its daylight in all speediness.

By the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile

10 December 2023

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

* In case of any discrepancy between this English translation and its Tibetan original, the latter should be considered as authoritative and final for all purposes.

On this special occasion of the 34th anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Kashag offer its deepest gratitude and reverence to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Kashag also wish to extend its warm welcome to the dignitaries and guests who are present with us on this momentous occasion. We would also like to convey our hearty greetings to all the diaspora Tibetan communities and in particular the Tibetans inside Tibet.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his extraordinary leadership in advocating world peace and promoting universal values for a happy life. His Holiness accumulated all these qualities based on his consistent and exemplary practice of compassion and altruism from a very young age. The Award was also in recognition of the Tibetan people’s steadfast commitment to the non-violent freedom struggle under the guidance and visionary leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize and renowned scientist, was credited with inventing dynamite during the advent of the Industrial Revolution. He was deeply regretful and saddened at the misuse of his scientific invention for destructive ammunition and war. Therefore, he established the Nobel Prize foundation with a major part of his wealth to honour men and women from around the world for their outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and for work in peace. The conferment of Nobel Prizes in these fields began in 1901.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has emphasised that the practice of compassion and wisdom is useful to all of humanity, especially to those responsible for running national affairs, in whose hands lie the power and opportunity to create the structure for a peaceful world. His Holiness has also emphatically stated over and over again that every human being wishes to live peacefully without conflict and hatred. His Holiness has also reiterated that problems can be successfully resolved with a clear and calm mind; whereas hatred, jealousy, and anger cloud our sense of judgment.

The previous century is said to be a century of war and bloodshed. More than 200 million people were killed in conflicts including the First and Second World Wars. It is the common aspiration of humanity to make the present century a Century of Dialogue and Peace. The simultaneous celebration of the Nobel Peace Prize Day and International Human Rights Day on 10th December reflect humanity’s common aspiration for the realisation of peace and human rights across the world. However, this aspiration is becoming more distant from us. There is no end in sight to the ongoing devastation in the Middle East conflict and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, among other violent conflicts are matter of grave global concern. Moreover, nations are increasing their military budget in the name of national security, forming blocs and boosting military strength. The communist and authoritarian states are perpetrating and propagating genocidal governing policies by blatant violations of humanity’s fundamental freedom and human rights.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said the conflict between Palestine and Israel in Gaza is unimaginable and expressed deep concern over why such sort of violence takes place among those people who claim to hold religious principles. Just four days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, His Holiness said our world has become so interdependent that violent conflict between two countries inevitably impacts the rest of the world, and emphasising that war is outdated and non-violence is the only way, His Holiness has stressed the need to develop a sense of the oneness of humanity by considering other human beings as brothers and sisters.

Last month, the People’s Republic of China’s government released its white paper titled “CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements”. It claims that “the social and economic progress of Xizang epitomizes the nation’s outstanding achievements in development, created on the roof of the world through the Chinese path to modernization”.

 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is now vigorously carrying out the extermination of the Tibetan identity in the name of “forging a strong sense of the Chinese national as one single community, promotion of the Chinese language, Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism and developing socialist values”. Such infliction of suffering and oppression on the Tibetan people by the CCP authorities is unparalleled and unprecedented.

In 1935 and 1936, the Communist Red Army defeated by the government of Republic of China led by Chiang Kai-shek fled for their lives by retreating from Chaksam and Karze in Kham to northward along Ngaba, Barkham, Kakhog, Trochu, Sungchu, Dzoege and Thewo in Amdo. The hunger-stricken Chinese army looted food and properties from the Tibetans and plundered religious artefacts from the monasteries. Mao Zedong later admitted to journalist Edgar Snow that this is our only “foreign debt” referring to Tibet. Moreover, many Tibetans were killed when they revolted against the marauding Chinese army. For instance, 118 Tibetans from 27 families in Muto Village in Sungchu were massacred when they protested against the Chinese army for looting their grains. The Tibetan areas falling in the way of the three invading Red Army suffered calamitous famine unheard of in their history.

PRC’s invasion and occupation of Tibet resulted in the death of an estimated 1.2 million Tibetans and the destruction of over 6,000 monasteries until 1980. This is more devastating than the Armenian genocide of the early 20th century.

The white paper talks only about the “Tibet Autonomous Region” “(TAR)” and nothing about the situation in the Tibetan areas incorporated into the Chinese provinces. However, the policy of exterminating the Tibetan race is being enforced all across Tibet. The ploy applied in the name of inter-ethnic exchanges, communication and integration, is firmly to Sinicise Tibetans extensively in every section of the community, including rural and pastoral communities, schools and monasteries.

There has been a sharp increase in the appointment of Chinese cadres in the Tibetan areas. Although the white paper mentions a mere figure of “over 10,000 officials dispatched to assist Tibet”, it has not made public the number of appointments made in specific areas or in other forms. The Chinese government has highlighted its efforts in establishing job placement centres in 17 provinces in mainland China to employ around 95% of college graduates from the “TAR”, to integrate the younger generation of Tibetans into Han Chinese.

Likewise, the white paper touched upon measures to encourage inter-ethnic marriage in the name of ethnic unity as a legal obligation under the Five-Year Plan. But they have failed to mention the large-scale forced resettlement of Tibetans carried out under the pretext of environmental protection, infrastructure development and poverty alleviation. It claims that more than 200,000 people were lifted out of poverty and are supposed to have found jobs outside their hometowns. Reports of a considerable number of young Tibetans taken away to China in groups continue to emerge. For example, as part of a project to assist 40,000 workers in agricultural and pastoral areas in Tsochang Tibet Autonomous Prefecture to find employment, the Chinese government itself reported that a loan of 1 million yuan was doled out to help 640 workers open noodle restaurants in different parts of mainland China.

The Chinese government is vigorously accelerating the Sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism. It forces Tibetan clergy to strictly adhere to socialist values and enhance the five identifications to represent the great motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the Chinese Communist Party and Socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is targeted at eroding the foundation of the study of Tibetan Buddhism based on Nalanda tradition to enable the promotion of the study of the Chinese language and ingrain communist ideology among Tibetan monks and nuns. The publication of “books on the interpretation of Tibetan Buddhist sutras” over a decade under the direction of the United Front Work Department is, in fact, a distortion of the Buddhist canons to fulfil the communist’s political objectives.

The “Democratic Management Committees” have established Communist Party Branches in Tibetan monasteries and nunneries in Tibet to regulate and surveil every aspect of the management of monasteries and religious activities. The monks are being indoctrinated with national consciousness, citizenship consciousness and rule of law consciousness in Tibetan society to “forge the consciousness of the Chinese nation community. Tibetans are coerced into hoisting the Chinese flag on the rooftops of monasteries and houses. Likewise, the photos of the five Chinese leaders from Mao to Xi are forced to be displayed in monasteries, public halls and houses.

The white paper says that “the reincarnated Tibetan living Buddhas, including Dalai Lamas and Panchen Rinpoches must be looked for within the country, decided through the practice of lot-drawing from the golden urn, and receive approval from the central government”. The official propaganda by the PRC is nothing but the absurdity of the Chinese leaders under the delusion of political paranoia. It is also a brazen rejection of the Buddhist doctrine of reincarnation, trampling of objectives of Trulku reincarnating to serve the Dharma, and ignorance of the present state of Tibetan Buddhism flourishing worldwide.

The Chinese government claims that the promotion of the common spoken and written Chinese language is aimed at protecting the “fine traditional Chinese culture and developing the spirit of communism, which has helped build a solid foundation for a sense of community for the Chinese nation”. However, behind this façade of propaganda, the Tibetan language is being systematically erased. The mass transfer of Tibetan students has accelerated from Kham and Amdo regions to schools in mainland China. Alarmingly, around one million primary Tibetan school children in Tibet are forcibly taken into boarding schools away from their families and their religion, their culture, their language, and their way of life.

Similarly, Tibetan language test in the recruitment exam for government posts in Tibet has been abolished and the medium of official communication among the administrative departments has been changed from Tibetan to Chinese. Moreover, those involved in initiatives to safeguard the Tibetan language are labelled political criminals and punished with imprisonment. Reports also indicate “Karze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” has issued a notice to ban the Tibetan language classes in primary to secondary schools in the region from next year. Since the teaching of the Tibetan language in schools is forbidden and staff recruitment exams in the Tibetan language are abrogated, there is no space for using the Tibetan language. The intent, therefore, is to erase Tibet as a race from the face of this earth.

The white paper talks about so-called achievements in literary and artistic works such as forging ahead in the New Era, radio, TV, exhibitions and museums as educational bases for patriotism, and protection of Chinese culture in the name of cultural and ethical development, that has nothing to do with the preservation and promotion of Tibetan religion, culture and tradition. Rather it clearly shows how Tibetans are forced to praise and imbibe communist ideology. Despite the CCP’s claims about economic investments in a plethora of projects and results achieved, these are not intended for the well-being of the Tibetans, but to facilitate the Chinese government to easily control Tibet, exploit Tibet’s natural resources and surveil Tibetans.  The building of the so-called nature reserves and national parks, which cover over one-third of the Tibetan area, is akin to colonial powers seizing land from the natives.

As part of its broader Sinicisation policy, the term Tibet is being replaced with “Xizang” in pinyin in the white paper. Moreover, the names of places between cities such as Lhasa to villages are being changed from Tibetan to Chinese. The sole objective of the PRC in replacing Tibet with the term “Xizang” is to wipe out Tibet from the world map and subsequently hope that Tibet will fade away from the memories of people in the world to assert its unfounded legitimacy.

China’s Tibet policies are aimed at obliterating the nearly 1,400 years rich Tibetan language; Sinicise Tibetan Buddhism founded on Buddha’s teaching on equality without discrimination based on caste, power and territory; eradicating Tibetan culture ingrained with compassion and non-violence; and assimilating the distinct Tibetan race into the majority Han. Such miscalculated strategies and misguided policies are untenable and bound to fail. When the Tibetans were faced with choosing the Nalanda tradition of Indian Buddhism and Chinese Hoshang’s meditative practice that has penetrated the upper echelons of King Trisong Detsen’s court that infringes on the regulation and practice at Samye Monastery, the decision of the emperor to follow the Indian tradition has helped Tibet to preserve the Buddhist faith in its pristine form and quality.

The extermination of Tibetan identity under Mao’s repressive policies marks the darkest period in our history. Notwithstanding utter destruction, under His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s extraordinary leadership and with the perseverance of Tibetans in exile and the unshakable determination of our brethren in Tibet, not only the Tibetan culture and religion been preserved and promoted within a short time but also continues to remain alive and flourish worldwide including in the Himalayan regions.

We call upon the Chinese Communist Party to immediately end its blatant violation of the Law on Regional National Autonomy guaranteed in the Chinese Constitution and cease policies and programs aimed at extermination of the Tibetan identity. If the Chinese government does not put an end to these policies, it will cause irreparable wounds in the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people that will impact the harmonious relationship between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples as neighbours since ancient times. Being a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted by the United Nations 75 years ago on 9 October 1948, the CCP should be held accountable for violating the terms of this international law.

Finally, we hope and pray that peace prevails around the world and everyone enjoys ​freedom and human rights across humanity. We pray for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama so that He can spend the rest of his life for the promotion of world peace and moral values. May truth and the non-violent cause of Tibet prevail.

The Kashag,

10 December 2023

His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama is unsurpassed in His implementation of the view of dependent origination and the practice of nonviolence, which He carries out in scrupulous compliance with the terms in which they were taught by the fourth of the perfect guide Buddhas. And this is the basis on which He leads the entire world on the path of nonviolence. In addition, His Holiness has directed the totality of the movement and campaign actions for the realization of the fundamental cause of the Tibetan people towards the means solely of nonviolence. He is therefore a leader whose practice as well as guidance is directed at making efforts to resolve all disputes and conflicts across this world by nonviolent means. This was the reason why His Holiness the Dalai Lama was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. The award recognized as well as ushered Him in as a great champion of world peace. At the same time, the award brought a tide of new boost to the Tibetan cause with a great increase in international understanding of and attention to it. Hence the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama has served to convince people to have faith in the method of nonviolence. And it also became an admirable symbol of the recognition of the justness of the struggle of the Tibetan people. Hence the purpose of marking this anniversary will be well served if all Tibetans – those in Tibet and the others living in exile – could reaffirm their faith in and pledge accordingly their commitment to the path of nonviolence in their bodily, speech, and mental conducts on the basis of being fully convinced of its value and effectiveness.

The natural inclination of a human being is such that he is filled with the spirit of competition towards achieving progress by means of acquiring material wealth, undertaking ventures and projects of all kinds for this purpose, and so forth. And in such an utterly degenerate period as today, when people seek to outcompete each other in a constant game of victory for oneself and defeat for others, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the unsurpassed leader of the Tibetan people, has embarked on a mission to develop peace and harmony in this great family of humanity. For this purpose, He has kept emphasizing the point that all human beings in this world are alike in desiring to live a happy life and in having aversion to pain and suffering. On successive occasions, His Holiness has sought to drive home the point that developing harmony and peace in human society should begin, first of all, within one’s family; that it should then be gradually extended to the community in which one lives; and then further on, across one’s country, with the aim to eventually encompass the entire world. People in countries across the world have taken his advice to heart and in gratitude showered him with honorary citizenships, awards, recognitions, and so forth in numbers too numerous to mention. It was in continuation of the conferment of such an endless stream of honours that His Holiness was, on the 19th of November this year, presented with the Gandhi Mandela Award by the Gandhi Mandela Foundation, New Delhi, in recognition of His enormous contributions in such fields as promoting peace, compassion, and kindness. The Governor, Mr. Rajendra Arlekar, of the state of Himachal Pradesh, as well as officials of the foundation especially travelled to the Tsuglakhang, the main Buddhist temple at McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala, o present the inaugural, 2019 Gandhi Mandela Award gold medal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the award presentation ceremony, His Holiness spoke about the importance and advantages of non-violence and compassion in a message to people across the world as well as to those who had gathered at the event. Apart from that, His Holiness preoccupied himself at all times with great concern for the wellbeing of all sentient beings and continuously devotes all his activities to them, for which the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to extend unqualified solemn gratitude to Him. 

The aims of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize are to promote fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, the holding and promotion of peace congresses, and for this purpose, to award the prize to those who have made the most outstanding contributions towards achieving them so that it will serve to inspire and thereby influence other people. It was with this end in view that the Nobel Peace Prize for this year has been awarded jointly to the human rights advocate Mr. Ales Bialiatski from the European country of Belarus, the Russian human rights organization Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile offers them congratulations as well as compliments. 

Today is also observed internationally as Human Rights Day. It is therefore an occasion marked as such with joyousness and fondness by people in free countries across the world. Unfortunately, however, in Tibet, the government of China continues to exert such severe repression that even people from outside the country are prevented from visiting it freely. This is underlined by the fact that there is a total disregard for human rights there, with the result that the Tibetan people are subjected to grossly unfair judicial trials. They are arrested, jailed, or disappeared after being falsely accused as criminal offenders. They are also ill-treated and tortured. The Tibetan language, religious traditions, culture, and other aspects of Tibetan heritage are being sought to be destroyed, including with obliteration. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, therefore, wishes to appeal to the leaders of this world to take responsibility to bear upon the government of China to bring these practices to an end.

The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile also sees it as incumbent to reiterate our concern that even in this twenty-first century, the totalitarian system of government continues to exist and flourish. Apart from that, it bears pointing out that as regards the communist Chinese government, it is also the most serious source of danger to order and stability not only in Tibet but also to the entire world. Additionally, for a period starting from some months ago, the government of China, by making use of the pretext of the spread of the Covid-19 global pandemic – which initially broke out from the central Chinese city of Wuhan – imposed an additional regime of immense hardship on the Tibetan people in their everyday activities, whether they are standing, sitting or walking, so to speak. The Tibetan Parliament in Exile wishes to call on the government of China to forthwith end the measures under which the Tibetan people continue to suffer enormous additional hardships.

Recently, after the conclusion of the 20th five-yearly National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese public, and especially students, teachers, and others in universities in provinces and cities across the People’s Republic of China came out to assemble and hold protests. It is noteworthy that one set of slogans they raised during those protest events included those such as “we do not need autocracy, we need democracy!”  “Down with the Communist Party of China! Step down Xi Jinping!” “We want freedom of speech!” “We want uncensored news!” “We do not wish to be slaves!” and so forth. The large-scale peaceful protests which took place recently were therefore also expressions of dissent against the current policies of the government of China. With regard to these developments, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile wishes to call on the government of China to reflect on its past history and ensure that the situation does not end with a repetition of the horrors of the brutal crackdown on the 4th of June 1989 protests. The Tibetan Parliament in Exile also calls on the international community to refrain from adopting a short-sighted view of only seeking opportunities for economic gains and instead pay proper attention to the ongoing developments in China so as to strive to achieve a noteworthy improvement in the human rights situation there. 

After the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet held this year in the United States Capital Washington, DC, a Tibet Support Group called Friends of Tibet was launched in the Parliament of Mexico under the leadership of Mr. Salvador Caro Cabrera, a member of the Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, on the 8th of November. The Tibetan Parliament in Exile wishes to extend its greetings on the success of the launch of this group. In order to achieve even more such high level of support for the issue of Tibet, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile will continue its efforts towards even more success in establishing Tibet Support Groups in the parliaments of more countries across the world. Over the past several months, two delegations of members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile have toured parts of the countries in Europe to lobby support for the issue of Tibet and they have achieved notably successful outcomes.

The communist Chinese government has used armed aggression to keep Tibet under its occupation rule since 1959. As regards the question of how serious the situation in Tibet has continued to remain ever since the facts are a matter of common knowledge. Even today, the situation of the Tibetan people in Tibet continues to remain severely grim under the egregious design and repression of the Chinese government, as a result of which they continue to suffer such ill-treatment and torture as to render it excruciating to them to get on with their daily lives through day as well as night. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to express its heartfelt fellow feeling and sense of empathy with them. We have nothing but wholehearted admiration and praise for the Tibetan men and women in Tibet, whether they are alive or deceased, for their utter selflessness, patriotism and determination, and for the peerless actions they have carried out thus far for the Tibetan cause. Accordingly, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to reiterate its appeal to the Tibetan people living in free countries of the world to prize the opportunity they thus have, to act with united solidarity towards publicizing and lobbying international support directed at ensuring a just resolution of the issue of Tibet.

Likewise, it bears emphasizing as of utmost importance that the Tibetan people should time and again bring to mind the purposes underlying the speech delivered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in His acceptance at the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo, the capital of Norway, and, likewise, the illuminating addresses for the sake of the religious, political, and ethnic interests of the Tibetan people given by Him on successive occasions, and, in particular, the four sacred commitments to which His Holiness has dedicated his life.

On this joyous occasion when we are celebrating the conferment of the Noble Peace Prize on His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama, we are elated to have among us today three MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, also among us we have Shri Tashi Gyalson, Chairman/Chief Executive Council of LAHDC Leh, and distinguished delegates from the Union Territory of Ladakh. India and Tibet have always shared a deep and intimate relationship in the field of history, religion and culture from ancient times. Not only that, but Tibet also holds a tremendous significance for the security of India. Therefore, we appeal to India and the people of India to extend their support for the Tibetan Cause more than ever. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all our supporters including governments, organizations, individuals, and especially to India and the people of India.

In conclusion, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to offer solemn prayers that His Holiness the Dalai Lama may continue to remain with us in perpetuity; that all His wishes may be seen fulfilled with spontaneity; and that the just cause of Tibet may be seen fulfilled with utmost certainty.

The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile

10 December 2022

* In case of any discrepancy between this English translation and its Tibetan original, the latter should be considered authoritative and final for all purposes.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his consistent advocacy of non-violence to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict. This award symbolizes recognition by the Nobel Committee for His Holiness’s constructive effort and commitment towards addressing international conflict resolution, human rights violations and global environmental challenges.

The endeavour to transform the 21st century into a century of dialogue and peace by learning lessons from the devastation of war and conflict of the previous century has not yet materialized. Therefore, it is evident that the broad vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama continues to remain relevant and indispensable for the entire humanity.

Peace can be achieved when there is no war and when there is harmony without enmity. In order to realize the common aspiration of the humanity for a peaceful world, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consistently encouraged Oneness of the Humanity without discrimination based on race, religion and nation and to cultivate the universal values of love, compassion and altruism. In his teachings, His Holiness the Dalai Lama often emphasizes compassion as the source of peaceful mind in healthy body; and happiness in this and future lives. His Holiness from a young age has been practicing Bodhicita and emptiness as method and wisdom. It is rare to find such a spiritual leader in this world.

If every individual takes the initiative in putting into practice the message of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the well-being of humanity, it can greatly contribute to the elimination of war, exploitation, aggression and repression, which are obstacles to peace in the family, society and the world at large. For us Tibetans, the best way to celebrate this occasion is to seek resolution of the Sino-Tibet conflict, based on the teachings and messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which is the true source of our inspiration.

Today we are observing the 74th anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also the International Human Rights Day. However, the violations of basic human rights remain unabated across the world.  We stand in solidarity with those who are suffering under repressive regimes and authorities. We also express our deep admiration for those individuals and groups who are striving for human rights and fundamental rights.

The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasises on freedom and equality of all human beings. Similarly, Lord Buddha asserted that “freedom is happiness, falling under other’s control is suffering. Your own self is your own master; who else could it be? If you become your own master, you gain success, dignity, happiness and freedom from suffering”. The great Indian saint Shantideva prayed for the absence of conflict and violence, thereby leading to the attainment of absolute freedom. On the contrary, if one’s thoughts and actions come under the influence of others, then freedom will be lost.

In Buddhism, not just humans but all the sentient beings have equal potential to attain Buddhahood. In Buddhist prayer of refuge, all the sentient beings are considered equal and they pray through four immeasurable virtues of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic-joy and equanimity for all the sentient beings. Lord Buddha emphasized that his teachings do not discriminate between caste and creed. Based on this far-reaching idea of equality, he embraced those considered as low caste such as butchers, fishermen and cobblers into the Sangha.

Today, even though numerous countries have signed the International Bill of Human Rights, cases of suppression and marginalization of minority nationalities and communities around the world still persist.

Across Tibet, unrelenting gross violations of human rights are taking place. In recent years, under a broad policy objective of the Chinese government, it has enforced forging of uniform Chinese national identity, Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism and discriminatory language policies. This has resulted in coerced enrolment of Tibetan children in colonial-style boarding schools. These coercive policies are causing an unprecedented threat to the survival of distinctive Tibetan identity. Unless the Chinese government is eager to follow Mao Zedong who was seeking an opportune moment by waiting for Tibetans to resist and then suppress them, it is pertinent to seek methods which conforms to the international laws and norms. This is in the long-term interest of the country’s harmony and national stability.

With an already entrenched and pervasive Chinese Communist Party and state control all over Tibet, the Communist Party system is being strengthened by increasing the party membership. Likewise, village leaders are being recruited into CCP and they are tasked with the responsibility to “crack down on separatism and maintain stability”. In large villages, the permanent “work teams” are systematically implementing measures to “reform village system, eradicate old systems and transform habits, customs and traditions”. Through the Gridlock Management System, PRC authorities continue to conscript local Tibetans. For instance, among the 48,000 personnel of the grid management system sent to Qinghai province from 2011 to 2018, 34,000 were deployed in the Tibetan areas. This year, 23 towns in Pekar, which are currently administered under Driru County with a population of 10,400 people are divided into 50 grids and are being tightly controlled and closely monitored by 57 grid leaders, 280 grid examiners and 140 volunteers.

Besides this, to make the grid system more intrusive in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), “Double-Linked Household Management System” has been set up. Under this system, neighbourhoods have been divided into small groups of 5 to 15 households, each with lay people, monks and nuns and government officials who are tasked with maintaining “social stability and security control”. Every year, a model “Double-Linked Households” at the village, township, county, prefecture and region levels are selected and awarded monetary prizes. Their children are also given bonus points in the university entrance and staff recruitment exams.

Last month, the Chinese government announced that it has built and started operating a big cloud computing data centre in Lhasa to monitor data of 300 million people in Asia. The centre will be used for compiling data through the ongoing surveillance systems such as CCTV camera, facial recognition, Global Positioning System (GPS) and large-scale collection of DNA. It will also enable digital dictatorship with unprecedented power of surveillance and control.

Although there is no system of appointing government officials in areas below village and township levels in China, over 20,000 permanent government or party officials were sent to the “TAR”. Moreover, six office buildings and staff quarters were built for every village administrative district in the “TAR”.

The Chinese government is claiming that these measures are aimed at maintaining stability and falsely accuses Tibetans of “separatism and disturbing social security”. To maintain stability, every movement of Tibetans are watched round-the-clock through enforcement of communist ideology and policy of one nation, one culture, one religion and one language. Moreover, the Tibetans are forced to express gratitude to the Chinese government and coerced to follow the so-called advanced Chinese culture and way of life. This system of all-encompassing control of society is unheard of in the world. No one other than the Chinese government in this world can think of such policies which violate people’s inherent human rights and dignity.

The Preamble of the forty-year-old PRC Constitution opposes Han chauvinism. However, the Chinese government continues to ruthlessly pursue policies of discrimination, suppression and extermination of other nationalities.

The Central Tibetan Administration is making consistent efforts to seek a mutually-beneficial and a lasting solution to the Sino-Tibet conflict through the Middle-Way Approach based on non-violence and negotiation. It is because we consider the sustenance of the Tibetan people’s cultural, religious, linguistic identity and natural environment as crucial to our existence. Despite all odds, we stand firm in our efforts and commitments to reach out to and engage with the Chinese leadership to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict.

The visionary leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has resulted in the establishment of separate Tibetan settlements, schools, monastic and cultural institutions in exile. These have empowered the Tibetans to preserve our distinct national identity and strengthen the freedom movement. Today, the dispersal of compact communities through relocation to cities in India and other foreign countries, alongside the plummeting Tibetan birth rates in exile and decline in new arrivals from Tibet, have become a significant challenge. Therefore, the last parliamentary session amended the rules and regulations to enable the settlement people to favourably contribute land and house to the Central Tibetan Relief Committee for redistribution to those who came from Tibet in the last four decades and do not own anything to call their home.

This is the first step towards rebuilding compact communities. The Kashag will undertake the majority of the needs of the Tibetan community in the next fiscal year. In the next few months we will be embarking on acquiring land sufficient to provide to those who don’t own any homes. Therefore, we urge generous Tibetans to contribute to this noble project.

Recognising the drastic decrease in the number of students in the Tibetan schools, in the interest of students, we shall make long-term effort to consolidate the schools to make best use of the existing scarce resources.

We would like to commend the participation of a good number of Tibetans in the Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group, some of whom have already launched their advocacy campaigns in their respective countries. It is of paramount importance to harness their potential, ability and skills to strengthen our movement in the dynamic global political situation. Therefore, we urge everyone to join this campaign.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has time and again reassured us to live a long life. To realize this it is of utmost importance for the Tibetans and followers alike to keep our spiritual commitment and act in accordance with the visions of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Finally, we pray for the long life and good health of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for the Tibetan people. May freedom and human rights prevail throughout the world!

The Kashag

10 December 2022

Among all the communities of people living as refugees in exile, the Tibetan community stands out as one that is run under a democratic system. This is the basis on which the Tibetan people are able to carry out the struggle for our just cause and to preserve our traditional religious, cultural and linguistic heritage, with the ultimate aim being to achieve our national aspiration. The governance system of the Central Tibetan Administration is one that is fully democratic in all facets of its functioning. It is one that has all the characteristics of being able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any other genuine democratic system in this world. Our debts of gratitude for this wondrous achievement are owed to the long-term vision set out by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the guidance He has provided us from time to time whenever that was required. This is, indeed, a matter of joy as well as pride to the Tibetan people. Hence, in being mindful of the immense debts of gratitude impossible to repay that we owe to Him for all His acts of kindness and generosity, we on behalf of the entire people of Tibet offer our solemn, immeasurable depth of gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Over the last more than six decades, manifest and highly appreciable progress has been seen in the framework of the democratic system of the Tibetan people in exile in keeping with the evolving developments and circumstances. And it all began on the 2nd day of September in 1960, when the members of the first Tibetan Parliament in Exile took their oath of office with the establishment, for the first time, of the democratic governance system of the Tibetan people in exile. At that time, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with great concern for the current as well as future long-term wellbeing of the Tibetan people, provided profound guidance of invaluable importance, by which He made it clear that the political character of the Tibetan government in exile should be based on the ideology of non-violence. And this was the premise on which our noble democratic path defined by the ideas of freedom, justice, and equality, has emerged. Then in 1961, a document outlining the salient features of a constitution for a future free Tibet was brought out. This was followed, in 1963, by the promulgation of a democratic constitution for the governance of the Central Tibetan Administration. Later, on the 21st of November in 1974, rules for the election of members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile were adopted and announced for implementation. And, in 1991, His Holiness the Dalai Lama took another major step towards democratising the Central Tibetan Administration by turning the Tibetan Parliament in Exile into a full-fledged lawmaking body to become the legislative branch of the Tibetan democratic setup. Pursuant to this measure, His Holiness, on the 28th of June in 1991, gave his assent to the Charter of Tibetans in Exile after it was duly adopted by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. He thereby ensured that the Tibetan democracy became a fully modern system based on the foundation of a written constitution. In yet another major steep, the Kalon Tripa, the executive head of the Central Tibetan Administration, began to be directly elected by the Tibetan people in the year 2001. This was followed, in the year 2011, by the adoption of the 25th amendment of the Charter of Tibetans in Exile, whereby His Holiness the Dalai Lama relinquished all his political and administrative powers in favour of the leadership elected by the Tibetan people. Since then, the Central Tibetan Administration has continued to function and move forward in a democratic manner, with the leadership elected by the Tibetan people assuming full responsibility in their designated fields.

The democratic system of governance is based on the postulation that there be no discriminatory distinctions made on the basis of a person’s social status defined by the question of whether he or she is powerful or weak, or rich or poor; whether that person is male or female; or on the basis of his or her ancestry. Rather, it is a system which views society in totality or in a general way, envisaging everyone as equal, with the primary consideration being given to acting on the basis of the will of the general public. For the purpose of realizing the institutionalization of such a great system, countries across the world have undergone immense tribulations that have included wars, uprisings, and struggles. The outcomes have been determined by victory or defeat in such turbulences. The realization of a governance system by the assertion of the power of popular will through such various means is a continuing trend even today. But that was not the case with the development of our democracy. Rather, it took place without the occurrence of any such turbulence, for it was gifted to us by His Holiness the Dalai Lama with delight and on account of His great affection for the Tibetan people. This is all too evident from the courses of the development of the democratic system of the Tibetan people in exile.

Of the list of 195 independent countries in this world today, around 167 are characterized as democratic. However, they differ in various ways on how fully democratic they all are, or how in different ways they fail to meet the criteria of being truly democratic. Essentially, this depends on the question of to what extent the ideology of popular democracy could be implemented in the functioning of the governance system and the ways in which the leaders assume their responsibility. Likewise, while it is only to be expected that in a democratic society there is tolerance for a plurality of ideologies and diversity of points of view, the important consideration to bear in mind is that the fundamental basis of the existence of the Central Tibetan Administration is the cause underlying our freedom struggle. To ensure its effectiveness and success, we should ensure that there is no weakening of the unity of the Tibetan people. This is one of the most important considerations for the success of the Central Tibetan Administration, for it is something like the very existential essence of our democratic system.

Such then is the democratic system of the Central Tibetan Administration which has become an object of praise by a great many democratic governments and their peoples, governmental and non-governmental bodies, their prominent leaders, as well as private individuals. And these various entities have been continuously extending strong support to the issue of Tibet at all times and in every possible manner. This is the basis on which they have introduced a good number of legislative bills as well as motions and resolutions in their respective national parliaments. These include, for example, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 and the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, passed into law by the United States Congress. Likewise, on the 13th of July this year, two members of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, namely, Rep. Jim McGovern and Rep. Michael McCaul, were able to introduce a bill titled “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act”. Most recently, on the 3rd of August this year, members of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet raised and held discussions on a number of Tibet-related issues in the Indian parliament with great success.

Likewise, over two days – on the 22nd and 23rd of June this year – the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet was held in the United States Capital Washington, DC. Its inauguration was graced by the presence of the United States House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi who addressed the gathering. Those who personally attended the meeting this time included members of parliament from 28 countries, while a section of others took part in the meeting by means of an online presence. Besides, at a hearing on the historical status of Tibet under the theme of “Tibet: Barriers to Settling an Unresolved Conflict” held by the United States Congressional-Executive Commission on China in Capitol Hill, scholars with expertise in history presented testimonies by which it was proved that the country was historically never a part of China. Likewise, the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet saw the revival of the International Network of Parliamentarians for Tibet (INPaT) and the adoption by unanimous decisions of the meeting’s “Washington Declaration” and “Washington Action Plan”. There is no doubt that these actions conveyed a clear and unambiguous message to the government of China. And it would have become clear to the government of China that the issue of Tibet is undoubtedly international, not just a matter of China’s internal affairs.

It does not bear mentioning that we the Tibetan people living in exile have been fortunate to be enjoying freedom and democracy under the leadership and guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Nevertheless, we remain intensely mindful of the fact that to our fellow Tibetans living in Tibet, life under the rule of the Communist Party of China is still defined by continuous deprivation of basic human rights and freedoms, and total absence of democracy and so forth. As a result, they continue to remain subject to arbitrary arrest, detention, persecution and imprisonment, violent repression and torture, and so forth. And this is compounded today by new clampdowns being carried out by the government of China in the name of implementing a “zero Covid” policy for eliminating the Covid-19 pandemic, which first broke out in late 2019 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. In the name of the implementation of this policy, the Tibetan people are being subjected to immense hardship in terms of their freedom of movement, their ability to ensure their daily food and other essential supplies, and so forth. But in substantive terms, there was no real prevention and security against the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Tibet. Rather, as if to deliberately cause the spread of the pandemic disease, the Chinese government forces the Tibetan people to attend public gatherings for the purpose of subjecting them to political propaganda and education. Thus, the government of China has been abusing its opportunities and powers without showing any concern for the life of the Tibetan people, which is, of course, an utterly wrong thing to do. 

Apart from that, the government of China has issued coercive orders by which it has imposed a ban on Tibetans from making any sort of contact with people outside the People’s Republic of China. Apart from that, irrespective of the question of whether or not it was actually implementing the law, there still exists what is called the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Regional National Autonomy” and other related legal provisions available for everyone to see with utmost clarity.  Nevertheless, the government of China has gradually been undermining this law over the years, with the result that today its aim is to obliterate the relevance of these legal provisions. In fact, its policy has now shifted to emphasize a campaign to assimilate the different ethnic groups in the People’s Republic of China for the purpose of developing a common national identity with the claim that the Chinese nation is a community of all ethnic groups. Under it, China is vigorously enforcing campaigns to promote what it calls the common national language and comprehensive implementation of its policy to Sinicize all religions existing in the country, for which purposes it has been issuing orders and directions on successive occasions. A new policy is especially being implemented for ethnic minorities in an attempted move to create the impression that China is now an ethnically homogenous country. With moves such as these, the government of China has, to put it in a nutshell, embarked on implementing a diabolical policy to obliterate the very ethnic and cultural identity of the Tibetan people.  Fraternal Tibetans who have been enduring the Chinese occupation rule in Tibet have made clear their total rejection of these policies by carrying out endless series of peaceful protests, which continues to this day. And we the Tibetan people living in exile should never forget that it is our primary duty to publicize the issue of Tibet and to strive to win support for it from the international community.

The Tibetan Parliament in Exile has been continuous in establishing rapports with members of parliaments in countries across the world from time to time and as and when opportunities arose and this remains an ongoing programme. Also, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile has ongoing scheduled programmes to maintain the standards of democratic processes in the Tibetan community in exile. For this purpose, it has been imparting workshop training on the conduct of the proceedings of the Local Tibetan Assemblies and the discharge of their functions to the Settlement Representatives and Welfare Officers, members of the Local Tibetan Assemblies, and members of the regional Tibetan Freedom Movement offices in the different Tibetan settlements and cluster communities. And so, this year, such training was conducted for the Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Odisha state, the Phendeling Tibetan Settlement in Mainpat, and the Norgyeling Tibetan Settlement in Bhandara. For all these settlements, the training was held in the month of July in the Odisha Tibetan settlement.  Likewise, for the settlements in Ladakh, including the Jangthang region, the training for the members of the Local Tibetan Assemblies and the members of the regional Tibetan Freedom Movement offices was held at the Ladakh Sonamling Tibetan Settlement in the month of August. In the near future, the plan is to hold such training for the members of the Local Tibetan Assemblies and the members of the regional Tibetan Freedom Movement offices in the Tibetan settlements in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Sonada, and Rawangla in the month of October this year. Meanwhile, it has been decided that after the conclusion of the session of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile this September, the members will travel to New Delhi to hold a five-day strategy meeting. Likewise, the programme for members of the current Tibetan Parliament in Exile for the first two and half years of its term to undertake visits to meet with the members of the Tibetan public in the settlements assigned to them has already been underway. And it is important that the members of the Tibetan public take a keen interest and participate actively in meetings with the members during the visits. Besides, a fair number of programmes have already been finalized for members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile to undertake visits to countries in Europe for the purpose of lobbying support for the issue of Tibet.

Over the last more than six decades, governments and people across the world, including especially of India, have routinely provided support, guidance and facilities, and extended the hand of friendship to the Tibetan people with regard to our exile situation, our political cause, for the preservation of our religious and cultural heritage, and for our just cause. To all of them, we take the opportunity provided by this occasion to express our heartfelt gratitude.

Finally, we pray that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the irreplaceable leader of the Tibetan people and the ultimate reservoir of protective power and refuge to the sentient beings in the Three World Realms, but especially to our people of the Snowland of Tibet, may live for a hundred aeons and on this basis see all his plans and wishes seen fulfilled without any obstacle and with spontaneity, and that the just cause of Tibet may prevail on the basis of the sustenance and progress of the Tibetan democratic system.

The Tibetan Parliament in Exile

2 September 2022

* In case of any discrepancy between this English translation and its Tibetan original, the latter should be considered authoritative and final for all purposes.

]]> https://tibet.net/statement-of-the-kashag-on-the-sixty-second-anniversary-of-the-tibetan-democracy-day/ Fri, 02 Sep 2022 04:40:02 +0000 https://tibet.net/?p=195550 On this momentous occasion of the sixty-second anniversary of the Tibetan democracy day,  the Kashag extends its greetings to Tibetan brethren in and outside Tibet and friends who support the just cause of Tibet. 

Over the past sixty years, our commitment and ability to follow and make sound development  of the democratic system has been the cornerstone of our remarkable achievement in  furthering the cause of Tibet and developing a successful Tibetan community in exile. The democratic system, while in exile, is the strength and the driving force of our movement. It will also be the most precious gift to our Tibetan brethren when we are reunited. 

In our statement on Tibetan Democracy Day last year, the Kashag spoke about how His Holiness the Dalai Lama initiated and steered the Tibetan people on the path of democracy.  On this occasion, the Kashag will speak on the evolution of the Kashag and the Judiciary during the democratic process. 

The Kashag was established by His Holiness the Seventh Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso when he assumed  spiritual and political leadership of Tibet in 1751. The Kashag at that time constituted of three  lay and one monk ministers, the composition of which has since undergone gradual changes.  However, the uninterrupted continuation of Tibetan government’s legitimacy from the first  king Nyatri Tsenpo to Gaden Phodrang has been symbolized by the handover of official seal,  Katham Sishi Dikyi, by His Holiness the Seventh Dalai Lama to then Kashag. The tradition of handing over of the seal during the change of Kashag has continued until now.  

After coming into exile in India, His Holiness the Dalai Lama once again announced the  repudiation of the Seventeen-Point Agreement in Tezpur on 18 April 1959. On his arrival in  Mussoorie on 25 April 1959, His Holiness the Dalai Lama told a gathering of Kalons and  government officials to deliberate on the re-establishment of the Tibetan government in line  with the modern system and assign responsibilities to work on it. On 29 April 1959, His  Holiness the Dalai Lama was apprised of the minutes of the deliberation and accordingly, an  interim first Kashag was constituted with the appointment of an Acting Prime Minister, four  ministries and their ministers and staff. On 20 June 1959, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said  in his first meeting with the press that “wherever I am, accompanied by my cabinet, the  Tibetan people recognize us as the Government of Tibet”. 

On 2 September 1960, the system of appointing Kalons and secretaries by His Holiness the  Dalai Lama from the nominations presented by the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies was established. Further, the existing system whereby Kalons deliberated and decide on all  matters was reformed. The Cabinet Council was constituted to decide important matters and Kalons were assigned responsibility to administer Religion, Home, Foreign Relations,  Finance and Education through their respective offices. 

Since the re-establishment of the Kashag until dissolution of the seventh Kashag and the tenth Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies on 11 May 1990, the term of the Kashag varied with  the first Kashag administering for a few months; second, third and fifth Kashag for 3 years and the fourth, sixth and seventh Kashag for 6 years. The number of Kalons appointed  remained five to seven. Although the Charter of the Tibetans-in-exile stipulated a five-year  term for the Kashag, the tenures of the eighth, ninth and tenth Kashag remained 11 months,  17 months, and 3 years and 3 months, respectively. The five-year tenure was implemented from the eleventh Kashag. 

When the Charter of Tibetans-in-exile was promulgated, there was a provision of passing on  the executive powers and authority of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to a Council of Regency.  However, direct election of Kalon Tripa was introduced in 2001 and with the past ten years’  experience, in 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama devolved his political and administrative  powers to the popularly elected leadership and the Council of Regency was also withdrawn.  More than 11 years have passed since these reforms were initiated. The Kashag, since 2001,  has become an executive office headed by Sikyong, previously called Kalon Tripa. 

Before the promulgation of the Charter, the Kalons were appointed through the system of  selection of the nominees. When the Charter was adopted, the power to select nominees for  Kalons and their appointment both were vested with the Assembly of Tibetan People’s  Deputies. Since a candidate needed to win at least 70% of the votes to become a Kalon, the  Assembly was only able to elect two Kalons out of the required seven. This provision was  amended in 1993 whereby His Holiness the Dalai Lama was to present a list of nominees not  less than double the number of Kalons to be elected by the Assembly and seven candidates  securing the highest number of votes would be declared elected as Kalons. In 1996, the  number of Kalons was increased to eight. The 11th Charter Amendment in 2000 provisioned  the Assembly to elect Kalon Tripa from a list of two nominees provided by His Holiness the  Dalai Lama and the Kalon Tripa to nominate a maximum of seven Kalons, subject to approval  and rejection by the Assembly through a simple majority vote. Addressing the 11th session of  the 12th Tibetan Parliament, His Holiness suggested that Kalon Tripa be directly elected by  the Tibetan people in exile. Accordingly, the direct election of Kalon Tripa by the Tibetan  people was introduced at the 13th amendment of the Charter in 2001 and has been  implemented since then.  

Even though it is difficult to implement in an exile community, the Supreme Justice  Commission is the highest Judicial Authority for the Tibetan individuals, public institutions  in exile and the Tibetan Administration as stipulated in the Charter of Tibetans-in-exile. The  Supreme Justice Commission, aside from criminal and property disputes handled by the host  government, is empowered to interpret the Charter and invalidate any laws, executive orders  and regulations that violate any of the provisions of the Charter to safeguard democracy and  to create a fair and equal society by protecting the fundamental rights of the people. According to the particular needs of the Tibetan Administration and people in exile, the  Justice Commissions have been established to resolve disputes concerning service matters  and benefits concerned with officials of the Central Tibetan Administration and to address  the Tibetan people’s appeal for their rights and duties. After the 25th amendment of the Charter, the Supreme Justice Commissioner is vested with the power to administer the oath  of office to the heads of the Three Pillars of Democracy and Three Autonomous Bodies. 

Although today is a moment for us to celebrate, some areas of Tibet have been facing  problems of COVID-19 outbreak and natural calamities. The Chinese government’s extreme  disease preventive measures have affected the normal life and livelihood of Tibetans. We  appeal to our Tibetan brothers and sisters in Tibet to exercise social distancing and preventive  measures, and also recite mantra of Tara as per divination. As announced earlier, the Kashag  re-appeals to Tibetans in exile to recite mantra of Tara. 

On 23 June 2022, the U.S. Congress organized for the first time a hearing of experts on the  historical status of Tibet. The experts – based on Chinese documents and international law – pointed out that the Chinese government’s claim that “Tibet has been part of China since  antiquity” is not true. 

We would like to thank Representative Jim McGovern and Representative Michael McCaul  of the U.S. Congress for introducing “the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act on 13 July 2022”. It not only conforms to the Central Tibetan Administration’s  Middle-Way policy, but also helps to give leverage to our efforts to resolve the Sino-Tibet  conflict through dialogue. We will continue to make efforts to encourage like-minded  countries in Europe to do the same. 

The demographic survey of Tibetans in exile was started on 18 July 2022. The collection of  census in India, Nepal and Bhutan is completed. Once we receive the survey forms from the  overseas countries, the status of Tibetan population will become clear. We hope that the  population census will serve as the scientific database for the Central Tibetan Administration  to implement its projects. 

Since the last more than one year, the Sikyong, Kalons and concerned officials of the  departments visited Tibetan settlements to assess the needs of the general public. It has  enabled the Kashag to formulate projects for the next four years such as rehabilitation of those  who don’t have home, needy ones in the settlements and plantation of medicinal plants in the  agricultural settlements. It helps to form a clear objective, structure and implementation of  projects as per the needs of the people. 

Although the Charter of the Tibetans-in-exile has undergone series of amendments during the  thirty years since its promulgation, it still requires necessary reforms in accordance with the  reality and democratic principles in view of the apparent issues. Thus, we hope a Charter  Amendment Committee will be formed in the upcoming Parliament Session. 

Lastly, we pray for the immediate end to conflicts and pandemic in the world. May His  Holiness the Dalai Lama’s meritorious deeds continue to flourish and all his wishes  spontaneously fulfilled. 

The Kashag 

02 September 2022 

Note: This is a translation of the Tibetan statement. Should any discrepancies arise, please  treat the Tibetan version as final and authoritative.

Today, the 7th day of the 5th month in the Water-Tiger Tibetan Royal Year 2149, which falls in the 17th Tibetan Royal Sexantry, and which corresponds to the 6th day of July 2022, is a momentous day of utmost auspiciousness. This day marks the birth in 1935 of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama; the ultimate refuge without equal of all sentient beings that include the beings in the heavenly realms; the master of the entire corpus of Buddhist teachings extant on this earth; the destined deity of all sentient beings of the Snow land of Tibet in whichever part of the plateau region they may have scattered to flower; the miracle emanation of the lotus-holding, most exalted bodhisattva in the form of a Buddhist monk who is in full perseverance to observe His sacred vows as such; the spiritual lord of the three world realms; a great champion of peace in this world; and the unsurpassable leader and guiding light of the entire people of Tibet. With a prior offering of prostrations to His Holiness on this most auspicious occasion of His birthday, I on behalf of the collective of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile offer Him my congratulatory greetings with heartfelt feelings of devotion, reverence, and gratification.

It was for the sake of all sentient beings in general, but especially on account of the connections of karma and aspiration with the devotees in the Snow land of Tibet that His Holiness turned His focus on this world to make His appearance in it. It was thus that His Holiness was born on the 6th day of July 1935 in the Royal Wood-Hog Year at Taktser as a son to His father Choekyong Tsering and mother Dekyi Tsering in the Domey region of Tibet. And as it was prophesied in divine forecasts of unmistakable clarity, wondrous miracle appearances of irrefutable proofs which were devoid of any room for any doubt as to their authenticity led to the recognition of His appearance on this earth. Since He thus made His visually liberating high appearance with sun-like qualities of radiance at that time, His Holiness has now reached the age of 88 by the traditional Tibetan calendar system, and 87 years of age by the universal calendar system. It is therefore a birthday of exceptional auspiciousness of a hundred-thousand-fold magnitude joyousness that we are marking today. And it is a day on which people across all corners of the world busy themselves by engaging in merit-accumulating activities. Such then is the day on which I on behalf of all Tibetans in Tibet and in exile offer most ardent prayers of supplication as well as express the wish that His Holiness may stay on forever in His unchanging state of the ever-excellent one abiding in the mode of reality and thereby offer refuge and protection to the sentient beings whose numbers defy estimation, extending to them comrade at arms support and being a great source of illumination to them, with the reach of the benefits of His noble deeds encompassing the entire globe.

It was owing to the instructions and prophesies of the deities and lamas born of the power of the kindness of the preceding Dalai Lama that the current reincarnation could be discovered and recognised with unmistakable certainty. Following it, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was escorted from His birthplace of Domey Taktser to Tibet’s capital Lhasa in 1939. On the 14th of January 1940, in the Iron-Dragon Year, the coronation of His Holiness was carried out, which saw Him ushered to the high golden throne that symbolically rested on the support of the fearless snow lion image. The sway of the banner of auspiciousness of that event fluttered in all the ten directions. And His Holiness devoted Himself wholeheartedly to the study of the Buddhist texts and the life stories of its great masters. It was thus that in 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama earned His Geshe Lharampa degree. Meanwhile, from the year 1949 onwards, the armed forces of the communist Chinese government began its campaign of the invasion of Tibet from the east, and the pursuant situation posed an ever worsening, dire political threat to the territorial vessel and the human and natural contents of the Tibetan nationhood. The development compelled the deities and humans alike of the Snow land of Tibet to jointly plead with Him to assume His role as the temporal and spiritual leader of Tibet, which He very graciously acceded to on the 17th of November in 1950 even though He was only 16 years old at that time. And He devoted Himself to the task of making efforts to achieve a state of friendly coexistence between the two countries of Tibet and China. Along with it, His Holiness especially set up a reform commission for the purpose of transforming the political system of the Tibetan nation. Under this programme, a number of reform measures were carried out for the progress and wellbeing of the Tibetan society, including by means of exempting the poorest of the Tibetan subjects from having to repay their old debts. However, while His Holiness busied Himself in this noble endeavour, the occupying Chinese forces side raised objections and created obstacles of every kind to the success of His efforts. And this was not all. In particular, the government of China also ignored and trampled on the provisions of the so-called 17-Point Agreement signed between the two sides even though it was imposed by the China itself on the Tibetan side under duress. Because of these and other worsening developments, His Holiness found Himself to be left with no options but to leave for exile in the holy land of India in the year 1959.

Immediately after His success in reaching Indian soil, His Holiness plunged Himself into the task of regaining the freedom of His homeland. For this purpose, He established a new mode of the functioning of Tibetan government in exile and, along with it, newly set up Tibetan schools, settlements, religious centres and so forth with the immediate noble objective of rehabilitating the Tibetan people living in exile in a programme of great source of gratitude. He also undertook efforts to achieve a settlement of friendly coexistence between Tibet and China by means of a non-violent, mutually beneficial middle way approach. His Holiness especially initiated the development of a Tibetan political system which would be fully democratic in nature. For this purpose, He newly established a Tibetan parliament in exile in the year 1960. This was followed, in 1961, by His launch of the outline of a democratic constitution of Tibet. Later in 1963, His Holiness proclaimed a detailed democratic constitution of a future, free Tibet. Then in the year 1991, He made the Tibetan parliament in exile a functioning law making body. And this was the basis on which the 11th Tibetan parliament in exile passed the Charter of Tibetans in Exile which His Holiness the Dalai Lama duly assented to on the 28th of June in 1991. It was thus that His Holiness the Dalai Lama transformed the Tibetan government in exile at that time and the Central Tibetan administration of today into a fully democratic set up governed by the rule of law. In the year 2001, in keeping with the directive issued by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration was directly elected by the Tibetan people. This was a major, defining development in the trend towards full democratisation of the exile Tibetan political system. But even more than that, showing an utmost concern for the immediate as well as long-term interests of the Tibetan people and on the basis of His keen awareness of the situation in the three time-realms, His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2011 brought an end to the nearly four hundred years old government system of Tibet in a historic move by making an irrevocable transfer to the leaders elected by the Tibetan people the entirety of the political and administrative powers of the great Gaden Phodrang government. As a result, the political and administrative set up of the Tibetans in exile has been functioning in full mode of the excellence of the democratic system since then.

The results of the unexcelled noble deeds in fields both spiritual and temporal of His Holiness the Dalai Lama over the past several decades has been bursting from their depths all across the world. This has made Him a truly meaningful source of worldly benefits and wellbeing to this world. It won Him the hearts and minds of many unbiased peoples across the globe and flowers of accolades continue to be showered on him. In particular, government bodies and non-governmental entities from countries across the world, especially in Europe and the United States of America, honoured Him with great many awards that included the highest-level recognitions such as the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the Congressional Gold medal of the United States of America in 2007, and the John Templeton Prize of the United Kingdom in 2012.

Just recently, the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet, organised by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, was held in the United States capital Washington, DC on June 22 and 23, 2022. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations of the upper chamber of the United Sates Congress helped to facilitate the holding of the event’s inaugural program in the Dirkesen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. And it was presided over by Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress. And in her remarks on numerous aspects of the issues on the agenda, Pelosi made clear how the government of the United States of America would continue to extend support on the issue of Tibet. Likewise, the occasion saw His Holiness the Dalai Lama address the inaugural event in an online video address. These remarks and addresses remain outstandingly admirable as well as invaluable in their highlighting of and expressions of support for the issue of Tibet. Apart from those from the United States itself, people who personally travelled to participate in the event included members of the parliament of 28 countries, as well as experts both Tibetans and others, activists from various ethnic groups across the world, and so forth, with the total number of such participants exceeding 100. Besides, there were other members of parliaments who took part in the event by means of online video presence. All the participants in the convention itself were fervent in their display of support for the issue of Tibet. The convention was able to reach consensus on two vital documents: a Washington Declaration and a Washington Action Plan on the issue of Tibet. Also, the convention saw a revival of the International Network of Parliamentarians for Tibet (INPaT). As is clear to all of us, whatever success we achieve in any endeavour, the final outcome always bears the radiance of the blessing of the kindness of and gratitude owed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And so it was with the recent holding of the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet and its successful conclusion. It was undoubtedly the result of many years of hard work carried out by His Holiness that support for holding the convention was received from the ever trustworthy and well known supporter of Tibet and the Tibetan people such as the United States House of Representatives Speaker Ms. Nancy Pelosi, as well as from many members of the United States Congress. These were the reasons why the historically significant 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet could be held with outstanding success in the United States capital Washington, DC.

In Tibet, the communist Chinese government has been relentless in pursuing the objective of obliterating the traditional religions, culture, language and so forth since these are what define the civilisational identity of the homeland of the Tibetan people.The brutal implications of the implementation of policies designed to carry out this heinous objective has been that the Tibetan people remain deprived not only of any freedom in carrying out their day to day routines, including when it comes to the freedom of movement within their own homeland, but also the most fundamental of their human rights and freedoms. Such is the state of affair in which the Tibetan people still continue to remain subjected to unimaginably brutal degrees of persecution and torture, so that their situation only keeps deteriorating. In particular, the situation in Tibet today is such that Tibetan writers, intellectuals, and others who exercise their rights to preserve their people’s ethnic identity and fundamental human rights in the course of carrying out initiatives for the teaching, use and promotion of the Tibetan religious and cultural knowledge are being persecuted by the Chinese government on trumped-up charges of trying to split the country. The spate of arrests, detentions, and judicial persecutions of such Tibetan intellectuals and activists remain relentless to this day. The extent to which the tyranny of the communist Chinese government remains unbearable to the Tibetan people could be gauged from the fact that since the year 2009 till today, more than hundred and fifty men and women, lay and monastic, young and old Tibetans have been driven to carry out self-immolations in protest against the Communist China’s brutality. I call upon the Chinese leaders that it is high time that they must bring positive changes to their hard line policies on Tibet, by carefully studying and understanding the civilised practices by the peace and justice loving countries and the prevailing ethos of the 21st century that we live in today. 

Today, people across the world, especially fraternal Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet and peace loving peoples of the other parts of the globe are observing the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with a feeling of joy, faith, and gratification as a means to remember with gratitude and a feeling of indebtedness.  His Holiness’s proclaimed four commitments of universal concern rooted in compassion and His globally signification everyday deeds. It is only to be expected that to reinforce our vows to engage in practices designed to mould ourselves into a Tibetan people immersed in the values of ethical integrity and compassion would be our core purpose of observing the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I accordingly make an emphatic appeal to allTibetans to keep this in mind at all times in their daily routines and conducts.

Speaking about the culture of Tibet and Tibetan people, we owe immense debts of gratitude to both the people and government of India. Likewise, to all the governments and the government leaders and the peoples of the world, particularly the United States of America and the European Countries, and other organisations and individuals across the globe who have been extending support on the issue of Tibet, I take the opportunity provided by this very auspicious occasion to covey our great feeling of gratitude and indebtedness on behalf of the entire Tibetan people.

In conclusion, I express heartfelt prayers of wishes that His Holiness the Dalai Lama may continue to live on this earth with us for a hundred eons, that all His wishes may be seen fulfilled with spontaneity, and that the just cause of Tibet may be seen fulfilled so that the sunshine of the joyous occasion of the reunion of the Tibetan people in Tibet and those living in exile may be realised with all speediness and certainty. 

By the Tibetan Parliament in Exile

6 July 2022

* In case of any discrepancy between this English translation and its Tibetan original, the latter should be considered as authoritative and final for all purposes.

On this auspicious occasion of the eighty-seventh birthday celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Kashag – on behalf of the Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet – would like to pay our deep respect by offering warm greetings to His Holiness, and pray that His Holiness remain as the epitome of the well-being of all sentient beings for aeons to come.  

For the Tibetans and the people of the world, today is a very special day. Because on this very day, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a great Bodhisattva and magnanimous giver of love and compassion, was born in this world beset by greed and struggle. Therefore, we would like to extend our warmest greetings to all humanity, including the Tibetans living inside and outside Tibet.

As we celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday, it is important for us Tibetans to deeply reflect on and understand the enormous services that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has rendered for the cause of Tibet. The best way to repay the gratitude is to maintain good moral conduct and lead a meaningful life by following the counsel of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama assumed Tibet’s spiritual and political leadership, the occupying Chinese communist forces had already defeated the Tibetan army at Chamdo. Despite the tender age of 16, His Holiness tried all possible means to peacefully co-exist with the Chinese forces for eight long years and carried out timely religious and political reforms in Tibet.

Around the same time, His Holiness received monastic education from his tutors and was awarded the Geshe Lharampa degree, equivalent to the highest doctorate in Buddhist philosophy, during the Great Annual Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo) in 1959. During the festival, the Chinese government offered an unusual invitation to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to attend a theatrical show at the Chinese military headquarters. The root cause of Tibetans preventing His Holiness from attending the theatrical show lies in the words of Mao Zedong when he, on 24 June 1958, said, “We must make all-round preparation to counter the rebellions in the Tibetan areas. It is extremely good that the counter-revolutionaries of Tibet are rebelling. This will create an opportunity for the labouring masses to be liberated.” The Tibetan’s distrust of the Chinese government’s true intention behind the invite was also fanned by the events already taking place in Kham and Amdo regions, where most of the monasteries were destroyed before 1959. Several Tibetan lamas and leaders were forcibly arrested and killed after being called on the pretext of meetings. As thousands of Tibetans gathered at the Norbulingka Palace to protect His Holiness, the Chinese forces attacked the palace with mortars. Two days later, on 17 March 1959, His Holiness was forced to escape into exile. 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his entourage arrived at Chudangmo at 2 p.m. on 31 March 1959 and later moved to Mussoorie on 20 April as arranged by the Indian government. On the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Chudangmo, India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru expressed respect for His Holiness in the Indian parliament. Even though Prime Minister Nehru, during his meeting with His Holiness at Mussoorie on 24th April, expressed his disinclination for the establishment of the Tibetan government in exile, His Holiness on 24th April advised a gathering of Tibetan government officials who came to Mussoorie from Kalimpong to “discuss assignment of works related with the re-establishment of the Tibetan government in accordance with the modern times.” Accordingly, four major departments namely Religion, International Affairs, Home and Finance, and Office of Tibet in Delhi were established. Thus, an administrative foundation was built to carry on the Tibetan struggle and look after the welfare of the Tibetans in exile.

In the initial years, His Holiness the Dalai Lama directed his efforts in compiling documents to let the world know the truth about the destruction of Tibet’s culture, religion and national identity by the Chinese government. Consistent efforts were made to answer questions from the International Commission of Jurists and journalists taking an interest in the Sino-Tibet conflict. Similarly, arrangements were made to rehabilitate the never ending flow of Tibetan refugees into exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan, employing them in road construction to earn a livelihood.

In his address to the first batch of 50 students at the inaugural function of the first Tibetan school in Mussoorie on 3rd March 1960, His Holiness said: “From now on, we can never remain isolated from the world. We must learn the language of India and English, which is the most widely-used world language and study all the modern subjects like world politics, economics and science. At the same time, we should also study our Tibetan language and Buddhism and diverse aspects of our culture. In essence, we should endeavour to make the new younger generation of Tibetans educated in both the spiritual and political fields.” In this way, His Holiness laid out a policy with a blend of traditional and modern education. Moreover, separate schools for Tibetan children under the Central Tibetan Schools Administration were established upon His Holiness’ request to the Indian government so they would not dissipate into the larger Indian fabric. Likewise, Tibetan Children’s Village, Tibetan Homes Foundation, Snow Lion Foundation Schools in Nepal and Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society were established and developed. As a result, a large number of educated Tibetans, who could shoulder the prime responsibilities of looking after the affairs of administration, education and society, were raised.

After moving the Tibetan administration to Dharamshala on 1 May 1960, the plans to educate Tibetan children, preserve and promote Tibetan Buddhism, and rehabilitate old and infirm people came to fruition. Of the new arrivals from Tibet, monks were able to preserve and promote the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Similarly, Children below the age of 16 were sent to schools, adults were given vocational training and employed in diverse fields like handicrafts, and those of the working age group were facilitated to work in production enterprises, mainly agriculture in the settlements. Moreover, the old and infirm were provided care in old age homes.  

On 16 December 1960, the first batch of 666 Tibetan settlers from Chamba, Dalhousie and Kullu Manali were moved to Lugsung Samdupling Settlement in Bylakuppe, the first Tibetan settlement. By 1967, the land was made habitable for 3,000 settlers. By the 1970s, the work related to establishing around 54 Tibetan settlements was complete. With this, His Holiness’ vision of a separate Tibetan settlement, to not only provide a stable living environment for the Tibetans but also to serve as the most important foundation to preserve the Tibetan identity and struggle, materialised. 

Meanwhile, efforts were made for the preservation and continuation of the Tibetan religion. The government of India initially agreed to provide for a scholastic community of 300 to be established at Buxa Duar. After a repeated appeal from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Indian government consented to provide funding for 1,500 monks of all traditions. Likewise, monastic institutions like Gyuto and Gyumed monasteries were newly established at Dalhousie. Unfortunately, monks at Buxa Duar endured harsh conditions with hot and humid climate and rampant diseases. After a series of discussions about the problem with the Indian government and concerned people, the monks at Buxa were moved to various settlements. These monks would become seeds of monastic institutions representing all the Tibetan religious traditions. These monastic institutions not only preserved and promoted Tibetan Buddhism and linguistic traditions of Tibet and Himalayan regions but also made remarkable contributions by sharing the invaluable Tibetan cultural heritage with the world.

In 2011, His Holiness approved the amendments to the Charter of Tibetans in exile to devolve his political and administrative responsibilities to the democratically-elected Tibetan leadership. It is the culmination of the gradual process of long cherished aspiration to democratise the Tibetan polity carried for the past 50 years. Since the direct election of Kalon Tripa in 2001, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has held a semi-retired position. The setting up of the complete administration comprising of the three pillars of democracy, including the Supreme Justice Commission and three autonomous bodies of Election Commission, Public Service Commission and Audit Commission, with the promulgation of the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile in 1991, is also a decision based upon the 30 years of experience gained since the founding of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in 1960. In essence, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has led the entire process of the evolution of the Tibetan democratic process through top-down persuasion and leadership.

With the adoption of the Middle-Way Policy to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict in 1973, the Sino-Tibetan contact began in 1979. Subsequently, Tibetans living in and outside Tibet were allowed to visit their parents and relatives. From 1980 to 2011, 86,225 Tibetans visited India from Tibet to meet their relatives or for pilgrimage. Out of these, 20,668 went to schools, 17,489 joined monasteries and 1,435 settled in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Today, many of them and their children are serving in various sections of the Central Tibetan Administration and other educational, monastic and social institutions.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama made consistent appeals to the United Nations on Sino-Tibet conflict, and as a result, three resolutions on Tibet were passed from 1959 to 1965. In spite of living as refugees amidst the conflicting environment of the cold war era, His Holiness maintained friendly relations with countries in both the east and the west. The widespread solidarity for the Tibetan cause in every nook and corner across the world bears testimony to it. 

Taking into consideration the long-term interest of Tibet, His Holiness initiated programmes to educate and resettle Tibetan refugees in western countries. In 1960 hundreds of Tibetan children were sent to Switzerland, followed by the gradual resettlement of about 1,000 Tibetans until 1981. In Canada, 228 Tibetans were resettled as part of the first official resettlement project since 1971. In 1992, the United States government accepted 1,000 Tibetans for resettlement in the country. Similarly, 1,000 Tibetans were sent to Canada for resettlement in 2013. The Australian government began accepting former Tibetan political prisoners and their relatives for resettlement in the country in 1996. Today, the Tibetan Diaspora communities are based in about 30 countries, contributing greatly to Tibet’s political and social cause. 

In retrospect, we can say that during the entire course of building the foundation, construction and development of the Tibetan settlements, educational and monastic institutions in exile, there is not a single point where His Holiness the Dalai Lama has not offered his service and personally made his presence. We Tibetans clearly know in our hearts how His Holiness guided and equipped us with education to survive in the new challenging environment and contribute to our cause by leading a meaningful life.  

Looking back at the past sixty-three years of exile, His Holiness has established the Tibetan government in exile to sustain the sovereignty of Tibet from the first Tibetan King, Nyatri Tsenpo, to the Gaden Phodrang government and to strengthen and develop in line with changing times and aspirations of the Tibetan people. In order to build a strong sense of a single unified identity among Tibetans of all the three provinces of Tibet and to enable the Tibetans to live together and not dissipate in the host country, Tibet settlements with sustainable means of livelihood like agriculture, handicraft and business, were established. Similarly, Tibetan-administered schools, colleges, monastic institutions, and traditional Tibetan and Allopathic medical institutions facilitating the Tibetan community is unseen in any other refugee community. All this has materialised due to the singular effort of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. On this occasion, the Kashag would also like to extend its deep appreciation to the older generation of Tibetan civil servants who worked under His Holiness’s leadership. 

According to mysterious predictions and as per his own wishes, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has repeatedly assured us that he could live to the age of 113. To realise this, we appeal to all the Tibetans to follow the wise counsel of His Holiness, especially the four principal commitments and accumulate our collective merit through engaging in virtuous activities. Furthermore, we must pool our united effort towards our common cause and shun deeds that would cause concern and nuisance to His Holiness. On our part, the Kashag is carrying out its responsibilities in accordance with the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and remains committed to fulfilling his aspirations.

The 16th Kashag, since its beginning, has been making efforts to bring necessary changes to the administrative structure alongside ensuring a sound system of governance, executing well-thought projects and adopting means to achieve ends as per the changing times. Similarly, visits to assess the situation in the Tibetan settlements and to reach out to and build awareness on the Sino-Tibet conflict in the international community are very much underway. Last month the administration extended all cooperation and support to the World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet organised by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in Washington DC. At that time, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Committee on China conducted a meaningful hearing on the historical status of Tibet.  

The Central Tibetan Administration will soon conduct a demographic survey of Tibetans in exile. Accurate data on the Tibetan population in the diaspora is crucial for the effective implementation of programmes, e-governance, distribution of schemes and the electoral process. Therefore, the Kashag appeals to all the Tibetans in exile to participate and extend their cooperation in this important exercise.

Finally, I pray for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the protector of the sentient beings in general and the Tibetans in particular, and for the spontaneous fulfilment of all his wishes. May the truth of the cause of Tibet prevail soon!

The Kashag

6 July 2022

*Note: This is a translation of the Tibetan statement. Should any discrepancies arise, please treat the Tibetan version as final and authoritative.

]]>