Lobsang Sangay is concerned about respect for Tibetan culture and spirituality

[Ringo Starr]

"The leader of Tibet’s exiled administration says he is concerned Canada’s push to boost economic ties with China could lead to investments that don’t respect Tibetan culture or spirituality."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-china-ties-worry-tibetan-prime-minister-sangay/article21787772/

I'm laughing so hard my belly hurts.

[pinecone]

Mr Sangay expressed his concern on if a foreign-Sino joint-venture mining company was allowed to start mining in Tibet, the consequences of Tibetan landscape will bear an ugly scar and the local inhabitants does not benefit economically from the such joint-venture that I fully understand and agreed with him.   

It was such an irony to hear Mr. Sangay spoke about his worried concerning on the issue of “Religion freedom” while he openly sending thread mail and issue death warrant on Shugdenpa in Tibetan settlement camp in India. Maybe he is talking about his form of religion freedom!

[rossoneri]

With modernisation we a human being are destroying not only each other but the Mother Earth which so call this companies which making profit by destroying the nature. I fully understand Mr. Sangay concerned over this mining company is allowed to mine in Tibet but raising his concerned in regards of culture and spiritual? First of all the Tibetans are not being harmony amongst themselves over this issue and you are asking someone else to respect it? Funny

[Bond]

Mr. Sangay concerned about the welfare & economical benefits of the Tibetan people from the foreign investment in Tibet is understandable to everyone who is reading this post.

On the other hand, he may seems to have forgotten that his government, the CTA is also responsible in creating many incidents of disharmony, discrimination & even physical violent in the Tibetan community in exile. If he is so concerned about the wellbeing of the Tibetan people in Tibet then why is he doing the opposite here towards the Tibetan community in exile? As far as religious freedom is concerned, it is also the CTA who imposed an illegal ban on Dorje Shugden practices and acted unfairly & discriminately against the practitioners.

What are you talking about religious & political freedoms Mr. Sangay?

[grandmapele]

"The leader of Tibet’s exiled administration says he is concerned Canada’s push to boost economic ties with China could lead to investments that don’t respect Tibetan culture or spirituality."

We always have concern when a business enterprise starts something or anything for that matter in another country. There is potentially so much damage that can be done. On that note, we agree with Mr Lobsang Sangay.

“It would be really good if he can go to Tibet,” he said, “and [issue] a paper on religious freedom in Tibet, on China in general and Tibet in particular.”

But on the other hand, when he talk about religious freedom, in my opinion, that is a bit rich. He cannot deny   religious freedom to Tibetans by banning Dorje Shugden practice and yet expect others to grant/ask for religious freedom to Tibetans in Tibet. No one in their right mind will honor their word to such institution.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

It is very well that Mr. Lobsang Sangay have the well being of Tibetans in Tibet in his mind during the interview with the Canadian journalist. Any business ventures with partners from other countries should bring monetary returns and job opportunities for the locals and at the same time to not cause destruction to the environment.
Towards the end of the article, Mr.  Lobsang Sangay hinted that Canada's ambassador for religious freedom should issue a paper on religious freedom in Tibet. I understand the Tibetans in Tibet were free to practice their religion. What is the purpose of the paper? It would be more suited to be issued to the CTA in India.

[lotus1]

It is good that Mr Sangay voiced out his concern about the mining project might have negative effect in Tibet, where some of the mountains are considered sacred. In order to look into the environment, the spiritual and economy aspects, I suggest he also look into where the mining project will be located and at the same time look into ways to promote the tourism in Tibet that will boost the economy.

Most importantly, he should first look into the unity and harmony of Tibetan in order to attract more investors to Tibet. CTA is the one who has created a lot of schism, hatred, violence among the Tibetans by imposing the ban. So, what is he talking about “Religious freedom” in Tibet? I just found that he is so hypocrite.

[dondrup]

David Mulroney, former ambassador to China had said that Canadian investors do take into considerations the local Tibetans’ sentiments. And the Canadian Government Foreign Affairs Department spokeperson Amy Mills had said that extractive sector firms had to comply with a new corporate social responsibility strategy.  Mr Sangay and CTA  are lucky that the above measures are already in place and there is no need for their concern over Canada’a investment strategies with China!

What we don’t understand is that Mr Sangay is concerned about the above issues for Tibet which is already under the jurisdiction of the China instead of CTA!  Furthermore it is silly that Mr Sangay thought that China would not protect its own projects (including those in the Tibetan Autonomous Region) from being exploited the foreign companies from Canada. The reality is that Chinese companies always have the upper hand over foreign companies!

Tibetans in China have much greater religious freedom than Tibetan Dorje Shugden followers in exile. Mr Sangay should first consider about the religious freedom of Tibetan Dorje Shugden rather than the same for Tibet!

[yontenjamyang]

Insofar as religious freedom is concerned, I doubt not have any doubt that there is religious freedom in China today so as long as these freedom don not impede on the Government ideals of control over economic growth and political control. Hence, we can see churches, mosques, temples and monasteries all over China.
As far as clamp down on religious organizations is concerned, China clamped down on the Falun Gong and some churches because of perceived security threats. I do not think was because of doctrinal issues. The same can be said of many countries including the United States who outlawed cults and terrorist groups who had religion as a façade but in actual fact, threats to the US’s national security.

Hence, religious freedom is certainly on the rise is China.

On the other hand the same cannot be said of religious freedom with Mr Lobsang’s CTA controlled government in exiled, who banned the lineage of the Protector Dorje Shugden accusing that the practice will shorten the life of the Dalai Lama and will negatively affect the agenda of independence of Tibet. Both these accusations are seen to make the Protector a scapegoat for the Dalai Lama’s and the CTA’s failures in making headways with negotiations with China on their aspirations for Tibet.

As to the economic advise of Mr Lobsang for Canada and China, well he has little to no influence and to me  he is just trying to gain some political mileage. China has far too much influence in the world today. Too bad and too late for the CTA.

[eyesoftara]

I think Mr Lobsang Sangay is not and has never been a businessman and the Tibetan in Exile has never run big businesses. What he is trying to do is just being a busybody and meddle is the business the Canadian companies who are just being polite to him. These companies I am sure knows the perils of doing business around the world and certainly in China. Foremost in their minds should be that China has many huge mining companies of their own and that itself is the risk; via competition, technological, cost, environmental and political.
They have more to worry on their own already without Mr Lobsang’s meddling. Thank you very much, Mr Sangay.

[vajrastorm]

It is laughable that Mr Sangay is concerned about something over which he has no jurisdiction? Canada's push to  boost economic ties with China, may or , may not lead to investments "that don't respect Tibetan culture or spirituality". But for all its worth, his concern is hypocritical. To begin with, he should look at the way in which the ban on Shugden practice imposed by CTA, and all the subsequent actions of violence and abuse , has created a split down the center of the Tibetan community. So his concern that all these economic projects will harm the Tibetan culture and spirituality of Tibet ring hollow and false in the face of the CTA's own actions against Shugden practitioners - their imposing religious apartheid on all Shugden worshippers.

[kris]

Lobsang Sangay, is that all you and your colleagues can do? don't you have better things to do? or are you running out of ideas how to achieve tibetan independence and you need to divert your citizen and sponsors' attention? To me, it seems like CTA just want to oppose China, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE.

I feel Lobsang Sangay and CTA are the one who do not respect Tibetan culture and spirituality. You are the one to stir up the hatred of your own people based on their spiritual practice, and you are the one who tell your citizens that their Guru can be wrong about their spiritual practice. You are the one who divide your own people, instead of uniting everyone for a common goal.

If you want others to respect you, you should respect yourself first!!

[Maleficent]

Dr Lobsang Sangay, is the one who do not respect Tibetan culture and spirituality. If you he is truly concerned about Tibetan culture and spirituality he would have released the Shugden ban.  By enforcing this ban he is destroying a 400-year old tradition of a beneficial protector practice.  He is hypocritical.