Sikyong Opens International Conference on China’s Leadership Transition

[Big Uncle]

I read this on tibet.net and I find it interesting that the Tibetan government are hosting such dialogues. It is good but what would they want by doing this? However, I think they should start to be more active with their dialogue with the Chinese. Just a simple policy change wouldn't change much when there's no actual discussion or dialogue with the Chinese leaders themselves.

If you ask me, I think that the Tibetans should seize the opportunity to reassure the Chinese regarding the self-immolation issue. What is it that the Tibetans want from the Chinese? At this point, total independence is not possible and already the Dalai Lama had mentioned self-autonomy but nobody has really built on that. Therefore, these issues are something that can be discussed and the CTA should issue official statements to denounce self-immolation and to request Tibetans to seek other ways towards building a bridge between the Chinese and the Tibetans so both can live in harmony or at the very least to start a dialogue aimed in that direction.

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Sikyong Opens International Conference on China’s Leadership Transition
( http://tibet.net/2012/12/28/sikyong-opens-international-conference-on-chinas-leadership-transition/ )
December 28, 2012 5:57 pm


Dr Gordon Chang, noted lawyer, author and television analyst with Prof. Madhu Bhalla, member of Executive Council of the Institute of Defence studies, at the conference.

DHARAMSHALA: Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay today opened an international conference of China experts entitled, ‘Leadership Transition in China: Implications for the Chinese, Tibetans and Others’ at Gangchen Kyishong.

In his inaugural address, Sikyong Dr Sangay said that the experts’ perspectives and their substantive analysis on China’s political, social and economic point of views would help CTA’s approach.

“The recent change in the Chinese leadership will have global implications, regional as well as on India and the Tibetan people. And your much sought after expertise will help us prepare and think through as to how we should move forward in the comings months and years,” he said.


Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay and Kalon Dicki Chhoyang at the opening of the conference on 28 December 2012.

Kalon Dicki Chhoyang of Department of Information and International Relations spoke about the genesis of the Tibet Policy Institute. She said the Tibet Policy Institute is a new initiative by the administration to conduct research and advise the Central Tibetan leadership on policy making.

“The Tibet Policy Institute was initiated because we had a strong need for a think-tank. We want this institute to reach international standards in terms of intellectual vigor and objectivity. What we don’t want is an equivalent of Chinese propaganda machinery on the Tibetan side,” she said.

Prof Chong Pin-Lin, Taiwan’s former deputy minister of national defense, expressed optimism about new Chinese president Xi Jinping’s future approach towards the issue of Tibet in view of his father’s liberal stand, and his wife as a follower of Tibetan Buddhism.  He said Mr Xi may approach His Holiness the Dalai Lama for dialogue on Tibet problem and he also faces grave challenges to tackle issues of minority nationalities.

Other speakers at the conference include Dr Gordon Chang, noted lawyer, author and television analyst, Prof Micheal van Walt van Praag,visiting professor at Princeton, Prof Madhu Bhalla, Dr Abanti Bhattacharya, Zhu Rui and Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, former special envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The conference is organised by the Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and will be held from 28-30 December.

[Ensapa]

If you ask me, I think that the Tibetans should seize the opportunity to reassure the Chinese regarding the self-immolation issue. What is it that the Tibetans want from the Chinese? At this point, total independence is not possible and already the Dalai Lama had mentioned self-autonomy but nobody has really built on that. Therefore, these issues are something that can be discussed and the CTA should issue official statements to denounce self-immolation and to request Tibetans to seek other ways towards building a bridge between the Chinese and the Tibetans so both can live in harmony or at the very least to start a dialogue aimed in that direction.

Conferences and whatnot can be considered a good sign because it shows that the Tibetans are opening up to new ideas and cultures that they may learn something new and that they learn the ways of the world now such as how to be a proper government. They should really learn to be a proper government first before they even start talks with China because if they cannot even rule their own people then how would China be confident in allowing them to return to Tibet? And oh, they should also learn that there is no reason for them to be involved with spiritual matters such as the Dorje Shugden ban. Period.

[vajratruth]

I read this on tibet.net and I find it interesting that the Tibetan government are hosting such dialogues. It is good but what would they want by doing this? However, I think they should start to be more active with their dialogue with the Chinese. Just a simple policy change wouldn't change much when there's no actual discussion or dialogue with the Chinese leaders themselves.

If you ask me, I think that the Tibetans should seize the opportunity to reassure the Chinese regarding the self-immolation issue. What is it that the Tibetans want from the Chinese? At this point, total independence is not possible and already the Dalai Lama had mentioned self-autonomy but nobody has really built on that.

To me such conferences offer no real value other than academic ones, to the Tibetan problem. I would even go as far to as say that it is designed to reinforce a wrong perception amongst the Tibetan people that their only problem is China. This is far from true.

The real problem is that the Tibetan government has completely failed to manage its duties and responsibilities to the people. Instead of focussing on what China is doing, and issuing endless statements that irk China ever more (and this has not proven to work) the CTA should first work on itself.

It needs to define clearly what is the Tibetan Cause. As it is, nobody really knows. Some powerful factions such as the Tibetan Youth Congress seem to be calling for outright independence. This we now is no longer possible unless the Dalai Lama goes back on his word. What the CTA needs to do is to address its own people and factions and engage them to come up with one clear objective. (Note: What is very interesting here is, why listen to the Dalai Lama blindly on the Shugden issue and impose a ban, and yet not follow His Holiness's decision to seek greater autonomy instead of independence. It says to me that the Tibetan political apparatus have a will and objective of their own and are quite prepared to go against the Dalai Lama's direction. So, who is really keeping the ban alive? Looks like it is the government and not His Holiness).

The real problem to me is the internal politicking within the Tibetan government that distracts it from addressing important issues. It is not as if China just invaded Tibet in the last decade. It was over half a century ago and during that time, Tibet did not organize and manage itself and missed many opportunities especially in the 80's when China needed assistance from the West and the Dalai Lama and Tibet was enjoying Hollywood kind of attention then. Instead of using its energy to engage China with the support of the world, Tibet depended on the west to do its job and meanwhile it turned on its people instead. Nothing seems to have changed.

[dsiluvu]

Well I think CTA should really read this again and start implementing this on themselves first... perhaps then there can be some kind of hope for dialogue. How come the H.H. the Dalai Lama can talk so much about Equality but there is none for Dorje Shugden practitioners until there is split, hence Shar Gaden arose. Is kicking monks and High Lama's out considered equality??? Not in logical humanitarian books. 

Closing Address by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Global Buddhist Congregation 2011

The Importance of Emphasizing the Equality of Everyone as Part of Humanity

My concern or feeling is that of course I’m a Buddhist; but on a further, deeper level, I’m a human being, one of the now nearly seven billion human beings. I’m one of them. Humanity is a social animal, so each individual’s future entirely depends on the rest of humanity. So for my own self-interest, I have to think seriously about humanity.

On the fundamental level, on the human level, according to my own experience, I know there are about seven billion human beings. Each one wants a happy life, none of them wants suffering; and each one has every right to achieve that. There’s no difference. Whatever religious faith we may be, or as a nonbeliever, or whatever social background we may come from—rich or poor, educated or uneducated, from a royal family or a beggar—we’re the same human being on that level. We are the same. We all have the same right.  SO WHY IS IT DIFFERENT FOR SHUGDEN PRACTITIONERS?

I think, with many problems that we, humanity as a whole, are facing, we place too much emphasis on the secondary level, the secondary level differences. If we think on a fundamental level that we are all the same human brothers and sisters, then there’s no basis to quarrel, no basis to cheat each other, or to look down on each other. We are the same. So we really need to clearly realize that we are the same.
ARE WE??? REALLY? SO WHY IS IT DIFFERENT FOR SHUGDEN PRACTITIONERS?

A future happier humanity is everybody’s interest, everybody’s responsibility. But we Buddhists—I think maybe nearly a thousand million Buddhists—we also have a responsibility to serve humanity. I think Buddha Shakyamuni’s motivation for gaining enlightenment was meant for all sentient beings. His whole life and his whole teaching were meant for sentient beings, not only for Buddhists.
YEAH - AGREE... I THINK SO TOO... SO WHY IS IT DIFFERENT FOR SHUGDEN PRACTITIONERS? AND WHY ARE THESE KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENTS/TEACHINGS/ADVICE NOT FOLLOWED BY THE CTA? ARE THEY A 2 FACE GOVERNMENT - A FAKE DEMOCRATIC GOVT??? OPPS
http://dalailama.com/messages/buddhism/buddhist-congregation-2011-address

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Really CTA must think.. What does China gain from having dialogue with the Tibetan Govt?. Thus far they have caused nothing but more trouble which erupts peace in China, Tibet, India and within themselves and others.

[dsiluvu]

China is warning the world to not get involve in their internal affairs... and I think many international leaders like Britain and US have done so not to spoil economic relations... so if I was CTA I'd better stop rocking the boat... I mean people are allowed to chant and do Dharma in China, that is to me progress... so what else do they want? If CTA could manage Tibets.. they would have put a stop to the self-immolation and not have lost so many lives by causing 90 over people to burn themselves!

17 Dec, 2012, 11.01PM IST, PTI
Stay away from Tibet, China tells international community

BEIJING: Riled by calls from UN Human Rights body and some Western countries to address the recurring self immolations in Tibet protesting Chinese rule, Beijing today slammed them saying foreign nations should stop interfering in its "domestic affairs".

"Tibetan affairs are totally China's domestic affairs," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a media briefing here.

Recently, politicians in the US, the European Union and Canada had disregarded facts, confused right and wrong and groundlessly accused China on Tibet-related issues, Hua said.

In a statement recently, the US had accused China of responding to Tibetan immolations with tightened controls over their freedom of religion, expression and assembly.

UN Human Rights Commission chief Navi Pillay too had expressed concern over the continued self immolations, which crossed 90 and urged Chinese government address the issue.

The comments calling on Beijing to address tensions in Tibet were rude interferences in China's internal affairs and the country was strongly dissatisfied with them and resolutely opposed those acts, she said.

Last month alone about 23 self immolations have taken place coinciding with the leadership change of the ruling Communist Party of China.

Hua said that Tibet has made great progress in politics, economy, culture and other fields since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, which is widely recognised by the international community.

She urged foreign officials to immediately correct "erroneous words and deeds", earnestly respect China's sovereignty and no longer do anything to interfere in the country's internal affairs.

According to activists, over 90 people, most of them in their late teens and 20s, have set themselves afire in Tibet since February 2009.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/stay-away-from-tibet-china-tells-international-community/articleshow/17655780.cms

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[Ensapa]

To me such conferences offer no real value other than academic ones, to the Tibetan problem. I would even go as far to as say that it is designed to reinforce a wrong perception amongst the Tibetan people that their only problem is China. This is far from true.

The real problem is that the Tibetan government has completely failed to manage its duties and responsibilities to the people. Instead of focussing on what China is doing, and issuing endless statements that irk China ever more (and this has not proven to work) the CTA should first work on itself.

It needs to define clearly what is the Tibetan Cause. As it is, nobody really knows. Some powerful factions such as the Tibetan Youth Congress seem to be calling for outright independence. This we now is no longer possible unless the Dalai Lama goes back on his word. What the CTA needs to do is to address its own people and factions and engage them to come up with one clear objective. (Note: What is very interesting here is, why listen to the Dalai Lama blindly on the Shugden issue and impose a ban, and yet not follow His Holiness's decision to seek greater autonomy instead of independence. It says to me that the Tibetan political apparatus have a will and objective of their own and are quite prepared to go against the Dalai Lama's direction. So, who is really keeping the ban alive? Looks like it is the government and not His Holiness).

The real problem to me is the internal politicking within the Tibetan government that distracts it from addressing important issues. It is not as if China just invaded Tibet in the last decade. It was over half a century ago and during that time, Tibet did not organize and manage itself and missed many opportunities especially in the 80's when China needed assistance from the West and the Dalai Lama and Tibet was enjoying Hollywood kind of attention then. Instead of using its energy to engage China with the support of the world, Tibet depended on the west to do its job and meanwhile it turned on its people instead. Nothing seems to have changed.

The conference to me is just the CTA being in denial and refusing to accept the fact that they need to make peace with China in order to have progress. Since 1959, the Tibetans have an undying hatred against the the Chinese for taking their homeland and they completely forgot what they learn from Buddhism. They choose to return to their barbaric roots by solving things with violence and looking for easy shortcuts to achieving what they want. This hatred has been burning for more than half a decade and no one has attempted to cool down the flames. On top of that, they have a ban against Dorje Shugden that encourages their hatred and anger...perhaps its a distraction that the Dalai Lama gave them so that they wont think about going against China so much and an attempt to pacify them.