Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration. File
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has been holding back-channel talks with Chinese authorities “through a third country”,  Penpa Tsering, Sikyong or President of the CTA said here on Wednesday. Speaking to a select group of media, Mr. Tsering, who is set to visit the United States after the enactment of the Resolve Tibet Act in the Congress, said the CTA will counter the renaming of Tibetan territories by Chinese authorities by creating a map of Tibet that will carry the names of all the places of Tibet in Tibetan language.

“We have been having back-channel negotiation with the Chinese side. We do not have any expectation from these talks but we have to keep the engagements going as these are part of our long term plans. We met in the first week of this month and the talks are being held with the help of a third country,” said Sikyong Tsering without explaining the level of the officers who are involved in  these talks. He further explained that the back-channel talks were started with the initiative from the Chinese side.

Sikyong Tsering came to Delhi from Dharamshala before leaving for Washington DC where he will meet with all sides of the U.S. politics as the Resolve Tibet Act received bipartisan support. President Biden signed the text of the Resolve Tibet Act on July 12 that is aimed at initiating “meaningful dialogue” between the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or “his representatives” which prompted the Central Tibetan Administration to welcome the move.

Sikyong Tsering described the Tibetan issue as a “conflict” saying that terms like “Tibetan issue” or “dispute” do not convey the substance of the problem.

“Tibet continues to be an unresolved conflict and its resolution has to be based on international law,” said Mr. Tsering. The Resolve Tibet Act has used “dispute” to describe the Tibetan issue, but Mr. Tsering said, “Tibetan conflict is the term to give it a proper status as the real issue is the Chinese occupation of Tibet.” He pointed out that while countries of Europe and the West often talk about violation of human rights and religious rights in Tibet these fails to convey the real problem.

He further pointed out the new act promulgated by the U.S. Congress will help in countering Chinese official position on Tibet that he characterised as a “misinformation campaign”. Chinese official position on Tibet, said Mr. Tsering, often underplays Tibet’s own rich history as it projects Tibet as part of China since the ancient era. He also took a strong stand on the renaming of various places of Tibet saying that renaming will not erase Tibet’s unique culture and identity.

“Nowadays Beijing has started calling Tibet as Xizang but now we are researching every name in Tibet and we will have a map of Tibet that will show all the original Tibetan names of all the places in Tibet,” said Mr. Tsering. He also said that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama will be determined by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans, saying, “It is the reincarnation of His Holiness Dalai Lama and not reincarnation of Xi Jinping.”

The Resolve Tibet Act has also raised the issue of self-determination for Tibetans declaring, “All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right, they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” Sikyong Tsering interpreted the “self-determination” as the right to hold plebiscite in Tibet and added, “Self-determination means plebiscite. The question is whether China will allow plebiscite in Tibet.” Mr. Tsering expressed gratitude to all stakeholders in the U.S. for ensuring the passage of the Resolve Tibet Act and said he will likely meet all sides, including the Republican party’s leading members as the election season is heating up in the U.S.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile, in Dharamshala on June 19, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile has welcomed Presidential assent to the Resolve Tibet Act in the U.S. Welcoming President Joe Biden’s signature on the Act, Sikyong Penpa Tsering has vowed to campaign for the Tibetan issue through “non-violent means”. The approval of the Resolve Tibet Act by the U.S. President drew a strong response from Beijing, which argued that the law “grossly interfered in China’s domestic affairs”.

“Please accept heartfelt prayers of gratitude from the Tibetan people, especially those inside occupied Tibet, who will rejoice in the renewed hope and inspiration that today’s victory brings to their hearts. May the just cause of Tibet prevail. May non-violence and truth prevail,” said Sikyong Tsering, after President Biden signed the text of the Resolve Tibet Act on July 12. Welcoming the presidential assent, U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern said, the new law “helps the U.S. counter misinformation from the People’s Republic of China and support the rights of Tibetans.”

The Act, which was passed by the House in February and the Senate in May, enhances U.S. support for Tibet and promotes dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama for a peaceful solution.

Commenting on the development, the CTA observed that the U.S. law declares the officials of the Chinese government as well as the Communist Party of China are often “historically inaccurate” while arguing about China’s claims over Tibet. The CTA further said that the act will “actively combat disinformation propagated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party concerning Tibet, including falsehoods about the historical background of Tibet, its people, and its institutions, including those associated with the Dalai Lama.”

In response, Beijing has “firmly” opposed the presidential approval. Citing a spokesperson, a Xinhua report said the act “violated the U.S. government’s long-held position and commitments and the basic norms governing international relations, grossly interested in China’s domestic affairs.” The Xinhua report referred to Tibet by its Chinese name —Xizang — and said the U.S. law ‘sent a severely wrong signal to the “Tibet independence” forces.’

Sikyong Penpa Tsering expressed gratitude to the lawmakers in the U.S. Congress and described the Resolve Tibet Act as a “significant step forward in solidifying the U.S.’s stance on Tibet’s historical status and its commitment to a lasting, negotiated solution to the Tibet-China conflict through non-violent means based on international law.”

The visit by the seven-member U.S. lawmakers team led by Representative Michael McCaul had drawn a strong protest from Beijing. The delegation had started the visit by meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama ahead of his 89^th birthday which was celebrated worldwide by the Tibetan diaspora on 6 July. The adoption of the Resolve Tibet Act and the visit of the bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers to Dharamshala also coincided with the growing concern about China’s strong position on the issue of succession of the present Dalai Lama.

Beijing’s representatives have been claiming that the next Dalai Lama would be reincarnated inside the People’s Republic of China while others including former Tibetan Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay have been arguing that there are historical precedents of past Dalai Lamas being reincarnated outside contemporary China like Mongolia, and Tawang in India. During the visit, Michael McCaul, who is also the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had spoken of Chinese interference into the “succession of the Dalai Lama” and warned that the “U.S. will not let that happen.”

India had refused to get drawn into some of the strong remarks that the U.S. lawmakers had made in public during their visit to Dharamshala. However, the US lawmakers were hosted at an official dinner by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and later met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi:

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – in India as part of a bipartisan delegation of American lawmakers – met the Dalai Lama Wednesday and, hours later, launched a ferocious attack on China and dismissed President Xi Jinping. “His Holiness the Dalai Lama will live a long time and his legacy will live forever, but you, the President, will be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything.”

“The Dalai Lama would not approve my saying this… that I am criticising the Chinese government. He would say, ‘Let’s pray for Nancy to rid her of negative attitudes.’ But I hope he will indulge me today in saying change is on the way. As our colleagues have said, hope brings some faith and the faith of the Tibetan people, in the goodness of others, is going to make all the difference…” Ms Pelosi said.

She also said that bipartisan approval for the Resolve Tibet Act sends a message to China – that Washington is clear in its thinking on this issue. “This bill says to the Chinese government: things have changed now, get ready for that,” she said to cheering Tibetans at an event this afternoon.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says “…His Holiness Dalai Lama, with his message of knowledge, tradition, compassion, purity of soul and love, will live a long time and his legacy will live forever. But you, the President of China, you’ll be gone… pic.twitter.com/zf4GP5W4g6

— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2024

The act – which will put pressure on China to resume negotiations, frozen for 14 years, with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders – now only needs President Joe Biden’s signature to become law.

Mr Biden, unlike every US President since George HW Bush, has never met the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan officials, specifically the Central Tibetan Administration, or CTA, believe the Resolve Tibet Act, once signed, will stand as a powerful reaffirmation of the US’ commitment to the people of Tibet.

The US has long supported the rights of the Tibetan people to practice their religion and culture, and has accused China of human rights violations in the remote Himalayan region that borders India.

Confusingly, though, the US also considers the Tibetan Autonomous Region a part of China.

Ms Pelosi’s stunning broadside not only boosts to India’s position against China, it also comes as US President Joe Biden is set to sign a bill pressing Beijing to resolve the Tibet dispute and underlines Washington’s intention to stop Beijing from intervening in the selection of the next Dalai Lama.

Tradition dictates the Dalai Lama is reincarnated after his death and the current leader – who will turn 89 next month – has said his successor may be found in India. However, China insists officially atheist Communist leaders will name the next Dalai Lama, in line with a legacy from the past.

The US delegation – led by Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-New York) – reached India Tuesday, and was met Tibetan officials, Buddhist monks and nun, and school children at Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra airport. The visit comes before the Dalai Lama’s visit for treatment for a knee condition.

Their visit is significant because it comes as Washington and Beijing work to improve relations between two of the world’s economic and military giants. China has already expressed irritation.

Beijing considers the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace laureate, a dangerous separatist, and has said it is “seriously concerned” by the American delegation’s visit and the bill to be signed by Mr Biden.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday affairs related to Tibet were an internal matter and that Beijing would take “resolute measures” to defend its sovereignty. “We urge the US side to adhere to commitments of recognising Tibet as part of China…” a spokesperson told press in Beijing Tuesday.

It’s known by all that the 14th #DalaiLama is not a pure religious figure, but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion. We urge the US side to fully recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai group, honor the…

— Spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in India (@ChinaSpox_India) June 18, 2024

The US delegation, however, appeared unmoved. Mr Meeks said, “China can express its unhappiness (but) we are going to stand for what is right… to make sure Tibetans have freedom, (that) they can return to their native land and keep their culture and history. That is what is important…”

Who Is The Dalai Lama?

Born in 1935 as Lhamo Thondup, the Dalai Lama was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor at the age of two, and enthroned in 1940 as the 14th Dalai Lama in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

He fled Tibet in 1959, and since then lives in McLeodganj, a small town near Dharamsala.

He is said to believe in a ‘middle-way’ approach, meaning greater autonomy over independence

With input from agencies

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