TWA organizes 'Question Hour' featuring the three candidates for Kalon Tripa
Watch NTDTV coverage of the event
Watch the 'Question Hour' on phayul.com here
Dharamsala, January 31, 2011: The three candidates for the post of Kalon Tripa: Kasur Tashi Wangdi, Kasur Tenzin Namgyal Tethong and Dr. Lobsang Sangay participated in the 'Question Hour: Exile Tibetans Decide' organized by the Tibetan Women's Association and held at a unique location at Dolmaling nunnery. Conceptualized by the Tibetan Women's Association and supported by phayul.com as its media partner, the event did not follow the usual 'run of the mill' debate format. The state-of-the-art event posed 16 questions to the three forerunners for Kalon Tripa's post. The questions touched myriad issues facing Tibet and the Tibetan people and the deliberations dwelled on the past reflection, present contemplation and future commitments of the three candidates who will contest the March 20 election.
The first question from Tibetan Women's Association on the shocking discrepancy of 97:3 ratio of male-female representation in the leadership position in the Tibetan Community in exile had the candidates admit to it as a pressing issue and stressed on the imperativeness in tackling it. The second question from Sarah College for higher Tibetan studies on the relevance of the 'Education Policy' of the department of Education of the Tibetan Government in exile, saw the speakers vent a common tone of acknowledgement in conforming to having Tibetan language as the medium of instruction. The third question from Tibet Times (Bod Kyi Dus Bab) on the importance of rekindling patriotism among the Tibetan people and the preservation of the threatened Tibetan race had the candidates reiterate their conviction in working for Tibet and being of worthy service to the Tibetan people.
The fourth question from Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute was groundbreaking in terms of it demanding the candidates to single out the biggest drawback in 51 years in exile. Kasur Tashi Wangdi lamented that 'the exile Tibetans tend to think for the short term and not in the longer run', while Kasur Tenzin Namgyal Tethong stressed 'that the lack of unity among the people belonging to the three provinces had taken the toll on the achieving the greater goal and has hampered the collective effort of the Tibetan people.' Dr. Lobsang Sangay said that 'the Tibetan refugees are among the most successful refugee establishments in the world.'
The fifth question from Gu Chu Sum movement for Tibet asked the candidates of their opinion on the recent raids conducted at the Karmapa Monastery. The candidates regretted the 'negligence on part of the staffs in maintaining the foreign cash' and said that 'there shouldn't be much room left to worry as the allegations remain baseless.' The sixth question from Tibetan Women's Association on Tibet's environment and the consequent forced displacement of the Tibetan nomads saw an outpour of information from the candidates on this vital issue and all three of them accentuated that 'the present advocacy work should be strengthened on the international stage and that the exile Tibetans should support sustainable development projects for the displaced nomads.'
The seventh question from Tibet Express (Bod Kyi Bangchen) inquired the candidates of their impression on the conflicting views amongst the exile Tibetans on the on-going Sino-Tibet dialogue. Kasur Tashi Wandi said that 'the Memorandum submitted to the Chinese government is the genuine representation of the true aspiration of the Middle way policy, but unfortunately that has been scrapped off and rejected by the Chinese authorities.' Kasur Tenzin Namgyal Tethong underlined the various connotations attached with the understanding of the Middle Way Policy and said that ‘his understanding of it is as a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution to the Tibet crisis that seeks genuine autonomy for all the three provinces of Tibet.' Dr. Lobsang Sangay said that 'the strongest and the most viable means to solve the Tibet issue is through international law and through legal support and that history and references to truth will not bring about tangible results.'
The eighth question from Sherabgatseling School sought the supposition of the candidates on whether the elected Kalon Tripa should embrace Tibetan Buddhism considering the fine blending of spiritual and political beliefs of the Tibetan Government since time immemorial. While all the three candidates accepted the importance of holding affinity with religious beliefs but they ruled out the assumption that the elected political leader should be a monk or a lama. The ninth question from HIV Choice asked whether the elected Kalon Tripa will invest efforts in fighting the fast spreading HIV AIDS that is threatening the exile population, to which all the three candidates affirmed the need for remedial measures to tackle the menace.
The tenth question from Radio Free Asia asked the candidates on how the Tibetans in exile can fulfill the true aspirations of the Tibetans people inside Tibet who are the true bastions of the Tibetan struggle. Kasur Tashi Wandi reiterated that 'the surveys conducted in Tibet suggests that the Tibetan people support the Middle Way Approach that advocates Genuine Autonomy for Tibet including the acclaimed writer Woeser who represent the intellectual aspirations of the Tibetan people.' Kasur Tenzin Namgyal Tethong recalled 'that the true aspiration of the Tibetan people is calling for freedom inside Tibet and making Tibet a zone of peace.' He also said that 'the perpetuating argument over the use of the word s 'independence' and 'self rule' will breed no result and is uncalled for.' Dr. Lobsang Sangay said that 'the 2008 national protests inside Tibet witnessed the true aspirations of the Tibetan people: calling for complete independence and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.' He further added that 'the return of His Holiness back into Tibet is a possible reality.'
The eleventh question from Students for Free Tibet, India, asked the candidates if and whether they should expect change in Tibet in 2012 with the change in Chinese leadership. The candidates underscored the similar notion that 'one cannot speculate a dramatic change in 2012 and that albeit there is a change in the head but there remains no change in the body.' The twelfth question from Tibet Post International asked the candidates of the criteria and qualities that a Kalon Tripa candidate should possess. The candidates stressed that 'the key quality is being of utmost service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the Tibetan people.'
The thirteenth question from the Tibetan Women's Association asked the candidates of their faith and conviction in the Middle Way approach of the Tibetan Government in Exile. Kasur Tashi Wangdi reaffirmed that 'the policy will bring about a peaceful solution to the longstanding injustice against the Tibetan people and that the Chinese side will have to eventually respond to it primarily because it is in their interests to do so.' Kasur Tenzin Namgyal Tethong emphasized that 'the new Kalon Tripa will have to follow the middle way policy but since the policy is adopted to pursue a goal and depending on whether that goal is achieved, the policy is subject to change in accordance with the public mandate.' Dr. Lobsang Sangay remarked 'if elected, he will continue to pursue the Middle way policy but that he is hopeful about a change in the international scenario as the years between 2012 to 2021 will witness some great changes in scores of countries holding bilateral ties with China.'
The 'Question Hour' also witnessed three questions from the audience. Comedian Daphe questioned if and whether the elected Kalon Tripa will nominate the candidates shortlisted from the preliminary election to Kalon's post to which all three candidates commented that 'it's too early to announce in public of this decision and that lest it might sound like a fury campaigner's dictums.'
While the exclusive event had close to 150 guests attend on the basis of invitation only, but the entire four hour session was webcast live on phayul.com. The compiled DVD version will go in for a wide circulation across the globe. The 53 regional chapters of TWA will arrange for a public viewing of same.
The in-depth discussion featuring the three forerunners for the Kalon Tripa intends to provide the candidates with a platform to affirm their candidacy and an opportunity for an intellectually stimulating discussion about the issues and concerns that confront Tibetan people and thereby encourage the Tibetan electorate to make informed choices at the time of going to the polls.
TWA's year-long project on the 2011 Election including the Kalon Tripa Mock Election not only aims to enhance and sustain democracy in the entire gamut of the Tibetan Community in exile but also to bring the Tibetan democracy into the fold of successful democratic nations in the world and thereby bolster its scope as an efficacious and lucrative model for future Tibet.