CTA: A stunted democracy

[DharmaSpace]

As they queue to vote, these women proudly brandish their green tax receipt books which identify them as being eligible to vote in the elections. But with so few choices of candidates who are always the same year after year, and are always plucked from the establishment, are they really participating in any kind of real democratic process?

It has been a turbulent few years for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; Tibetan leadership), fraught which many exposes about their behavior and lack of concern for their own population. It is a view that is rapidly picking up steam amongst the Tibetan community

These are the facts:

    There are never any new viable candidates in the elections. It is always the same names who sit in the positions of donjo (His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representative), chithue (parliamentarian), kalon (cabinet minister) or Sikyong (Prime Minister). What is more shocking is that even though they serve the people, their appointment into many of these positions is never put to a vote nor does it ever require the approval of the populace.
    What is more sad is that they rotate amongst themselves. When Penpa Tsering, an alleged murderer, was done being Speaker of the Parliament and lost in the Sikyong campaign to Lobsang Sangay, he was assigned to become the donjo of North America (His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representative of North America)

Penpa Tsering (left) and Lobsang Sangay (right).Both were forced to apologize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a ‘decline in morality’ after they engaged in mud-slinging and dirty tactics during the 2016 Sikyong elections. If these are the two only viable candidates for the leader of the Tibetan people, what does it say for the community’s future?

    How come there is such a dearth of leaders within the Tibetan community? Is it because the population is not capable of producing or nurturing more leaders? Or is it because the leadership stifles growth and does not want to allow new people to rise as leaders, because it will hamper the lucrative potential to line their own pockets as a result of holding their positions? In the case of the 2016 Sikyong race, there was a new candidate, the popular Lukar Jam Atsock. He was however, quickly dispatched by a mid-election manipulation of the rules
    Whatever the real reason, it is sad that even when incumbents run in the competition, they have to mud-sling to win. It got so bad that even the Dalai Lama showed his displeasure by ignoring the candidates at the airport when he arrived back from his travels, and the gods chastized them in public
    You never see people rushing to work in the CTA. With the exception of perhaps Dhardon Sharling, the Tibetan leadership is populated by the establishment who have been in politics for decades. You never hear kids saying they grow up dreaming to work in their government in the same way American kids say “when I grow up, I want to be President of the United States”

Kaydor Aukatsang

    Is it because the CTA is essentially an old boys’ club with only aristocratic families allowed to join? Kaydor Aukatsang, for example, the former North American representative of the Dalai Lama, comes from a prominent family which has spawned many other politicians in the Tibetan leadership
    Or perhaps it is because no one actually wants to work in the CTA. While you often see young Tibetans rushing to the West or trying to establish some sort of hip hop career for themselves, you will not see people within the Tibetan community saying they want to work for the Tibetan leadership. Again, while you will see young Tibetans joining international NGOs fighting for the so-called Tibetan cause, you will not see young Tibetans flocking to join the CTA itself. But if they were really passionate about the Tibetan community and their people, would it not be logical for them to want to work at the center of it all i.e. at Gangchen Kyishong in Dharamsala where the Parliament and government is based? Why join an outside group to work for Tibet when the CTA should be the one applying sufficient pressure on foreign governments to support them?
    Maybe subconsciously Tibetan youth realize there is not much there in Dharamsala for them so why waste their time?

In which case, if even the youth of Tibet do not clamor to work for the CTA, it does not say much for the future of Tibetan democracy. If no one says they want to be a leader, and the establishment does not encourage leadership qualities, what will happen when the Tibetans no longer have His Holiness the Dalai Lama to rely on? When Lobsang Sangay completes his term, what lies in store for the Tibetan people? Will Lobsang Sangay be the leader in perpetuity, or will a new face be allowed to rise? Or will the Tibetans have Penpa Tsering to fall back on?

The fact choices and options for leaders are so limited within the Tibetan community is the antithesis of what it means to be a democracy. But is it any surprise when everyone knows that the CTA has never really been a democracy? What we now know for sure is that it will never be a democracy and whatever they say about being one is a pipe dream they have and will never come to realize. Scariest still is the uncertain future that lies ahead for the community which at the end of the day, is being left to the whims and fancies of a leadership who never has (and never will) care about them.

The title for this article is so very apt to describe the situation that is facing the The Tibetans in exile, they are obviously not in a democracy, stuck in India that is growing increasingly hostile to them by the day. No good development in India, not much progress amongst the Tibetans in exile, lack of opportunity except the from certain elites.

Tick tock, time is running out for the CTA and Tibetans in exile. With time they are having less and less moves or opportunities to make things better for themselves.

[Brian Little]

I always wonder what is there to do in CTA. CTA did nothing for 60 years and now Lobsang Sangay just woke up one morning and decided to demand China to come forth for a negotiation?? CTA is not democratic, where else they are of corrupted officials and of course young people will shy away working for a lost cause. They would rather be working for their own flagging future in another country. Just like Lobsang Sangay having an American Passport waiting to flee just in case CTA dissolved too soon for him.

[grandmapele]

It is very difficult to ask young people to join a government of a non-existent land. They are on leased land in India, the government is a government in exile who has done nothing much in 60 years, not even to get China to the negotiation table.

Plus, as questioned by the article, is the current government in exile more of an old boys' club who will stoop low enough to keep it that way till they all kick the bucket. By then, their family will be in good places with money to not only survive but do well. That only leaves the poor Tibetans in the settlements in a lurch.

[Celia]

Isn’t it clear by now that CTA was never a democratic governing body? For decades, CTA has been blatantly ignoring or stomping past democratic principles which are not to their advantage. To name but a few obvious ones, CTA has had no qualms disregarding religious freedom by illegally implementing Dorje Shugden ban, misuse of state instruments to rig elections and even get rid of competition, abuse of power to bend the situation to CTA’s favour notably in the refusal to issue the necessary letters for Indian citizenship applications, direct and indirect suppression of freedom of speech including via violence means etc etc

All that CTA has successfully achieved “democratically” throughout these years is to deepen their pockets by commercialising the pain and suffering of Tibetans to garner more donations and also capitalising on the people’s reverence to Dalai Lama to get off scot-free.

[Dondrup Shugden]

A member of the young generation will never join CTA, as they have lived in exile all their lives and nothing much had been done for them.

Ambitious and bright young people will not want their lives in stagnation for the next 60 years.  So what is CTA doing about recruiting newer and broader thinking individuals.

It may also be CTA and their leader Lobsang Sangay do not care for competition nor sharing of the "bounty" they collect from unknowing sponsors and donors.

Not hard to see from the results of CTA's work and the conduct of its members.  How about a conference party in some exotic venue to discuss this issue.

[vajrastorm]

In the first place,CTA is not running a democracy despite having a democratic constitution. It's practicing autocracy in governing the Tibetans in exile. It does not welcome diversity of views. Take for instance, it decides to use the ban on Shugden practice to segregate the Shugden practitioners and persecute them. Everyone in CTA has to support this as well as the violence against Shugden practitioners. When a member of parliament like Lukar Jam opposes this, even though they present very logical and reasonable views, they are violently persecuted!
 
With no 'eligible'  candidates to run for election, except the CTAs and their cronies, how will any election ever be democratic?

[Pema8]

What a shame on this "government". They have received so much support to better the lives of the Tibetans but instead, their own life has improved and not the ones of the Tibetans....

They don't want to know what it means to be democratic because everyone knows that they are just looking for their own benefit. 

What are their plans for the Dalai Lama's wish of autonomy?
When will they make the connections to improve the situation with the Chinese Government?
Will this ever happen?

[dsnowlion]

In the first place,CTA is not running a democracy despite having a democratic constitution. It's practicing autocracy in governing the Tibetans in exile. It does not welcome diversity of views. Take for instance, it decides to use the ban on Shugden practice to segregate the Shugden practitioners and persecute them. Everyone in CTA has to support this as well as the violence against Shugden practitioners. When a member of parliament like Lukar Jam opposes this, even though they present very logical and reasonable views, they are violently persecuted!
 
With no 'eligible'  candidates to run for election, except the CTAs and their cronies, how will any election ever be democratic?

I so agree with you Vajrastorm. There is no democracy... it is all fake just to show the media/western world so that they will get some sympathy funding. Imagine how much they get each year and it is unaccounted for and when you look at their golden temples, schools, houses and tell me do they look like refugees? C'mon which refugee live in such luxurious state? Refugees are supposed to be in tents and poor. Not like these exile Tibetans. Just look take a look at Dalai Lama's home/monastery... does this look like poor refugees?