Tuesday, April 30, 2013

"There is stalemate in dialogue with China"

Clad in an starched white Indian kurta-pyjama, speaking fluent Hindi, Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile Dr. Lobsang Sangay breaks his silence for the first time on several key issues. In an exclusive interview with B&E’s Aditya Raj Kaul, the Tibetan leader says that with likely changes in China’s top political leadership, the struggle for Free Tibet will reach a decisive stage next year.

B&E: Almost 40 Tibetans including monks have attempted self-immolation since 2009. Why this sudden increase in such desperate acts of protest? Have they lost hope for a free Tibet?
LS: [Brief silence] Yes, it has been really unfortunate. Question is why? The Chinese Government doesn’t allow any form of free speech like we see in India, here we can have dharnas, hunger strikes, and we can protest, and organise rallies. But in China, especially in Tibet, it is not so. You simply cannot participate in protests, even if it’s a gathering of three people, they get arrested and tortured. Tragically, Tibetans are taking to this rather drastic political act of self-immolation. But all the 40 self-immolators have only hurt themselves and not harmed others. Their demands are pretty clear – the return of His Holiness Dalai Lama and Free Tibet.

B&E: The 27-year-old Tibetan activist Jamphel Yeshi also self-immolated himself hours before Hu Jintao’s arrival in March this year. Is self-immolation the only way of being heard?
LS: We have told people not to indulge in self-immolation. A few days after Jamphel Yeshi’s self- immolation we in fact issued a very strongly worded letter asking Tibetans-in-exile particularly not to resort to self- immolations because we have freedom of speech in India. We can resort to and engage in many other forms of protests. Unfortunately, Tibetans inside Tibet don’t have any other option, but to commit self- immolations.

B&E: Have the concerns over Dalai Lama’s security intensified of late? The Dalai Lama himself recently said that a Tibetan may attack him?
LS: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s security is of major concern to us. Threat perception always remains. The report (about a Tibetan attacking Dalai Lama) is reliable but not verified. Reports are that the Chinese Government at one time was training people like that, so we have to take all this under consideration.

B&E: Your views on Indo-Tibetan relations in the near future?
LS: Before 1959, India and Tibet had close relations. The 1914 Simla agreement makes it very clear. Tibet is of major interest for India from geo-political, environmental and cultural point-of-view. Culturally, because we follow Buddhism, which we adapted from India. Environmentally because Tibet’s Himalayan geography directly affects the region. And geo-politically because China is building a railway line all the way to India. The Indian government spends billions of dollars for border security. Before 1959, it was not necessary. Resolving the Tibet issue is in India’s interest.

B&E: Is there any ongoing back-channel dialogue with China or does a stalemate persist considering recent resignations of your two appointed emissaries?
LS: At the moment it is a stalemate, mainly because of the Chinese government. The relevant Chinese officials have not reciprocated positively to the memorandum that we submitted. That is why our two appointed envoys resigned. The environment is not conducive for dialogue. The situation inside Tibet is also getting worse. Having said that, we are ready to engage in dialogue with the Chinese government anytime. We seek autonomy within China and within the framework of the Chinese constitution. Most likely with the changes in leadership, by early next year there might be slight changes in the trend.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
 
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