Tibetans living in exile across the world will nominate their preferred candidates during the preliminary phase, and the top two candidates will advance to the final round for the post of Sikyong. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

After Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu has raised concern about China’s plan to construct the largest hydropower dam in eastern Tibet, warning that it could be used by Beijing as a “water bomb”.

Speaking at the inaugural function of a seminar titled ‘Environment and Security’ in the state Legislative Assembly complex on Friday, Mr Khandu drew the attention of all stakeholders towards the Chinese plan to construct the hydropower project – which can generate 60,000 MW of power – on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang river and becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam before flowing into Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters later, the chief minister said in Hindi, “60,000 MW… this is out of context. If such a big mega project is constructed there, it will have a big impact on the ecology of areas around the Siang and the Brahmaputra. This is a big threat and, if China uses this as a water bomb, the Adi tribe that we have in the Siang belt will disappear and lakhs of people will lose their lives in Assam… it will go till Bangladesh.”

Mr Khandu said that, keeping China’s activities in mind, the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project – which will involve the construction of dams to generate 11,000 MW of hydroelectric power project – as a national project.

“I am talking to stakeholders about this so that we can maintain our water security and defend against China’s dam being used as a water bomb. We can’t trust China. We promote peace and non-violence and want good relations but, given the history, can we rely on China? That is a big question mark. Look at their expansionist theory, their overexploitation of natural resources in Tibet and their recent declaration of ‘counties’ including parts of Ladakh. So we can’t rely on China,” he said.

The chief minister said the Ministry of External Affairs is discussing the dam issue with China through diplomatic channels but insisted that it is important to “be prepared”.

Impact

Mr Khandu pointed out that the dam would allow China to control the timing and volume of water flowing downstream, which could have devastating effects during periods of low flow or drought. The mighty Siang and Brahmaputra rivers could dry up during winters, disrupting life in the Siang belt and the plains of Assam, he cautioned.

Conversely, Mr Khandu said, sudden releases of water from the dam could cause severe flooding downstream, particularly during the monsoon, displacing communities, destroying crops and damaging infrastructure. The dam, he emphasised, would alter the sediment flow, affecting agricultural lands that rely on the river’s natural replenishment of nutrients.

‘Communicated Concern’

The proposed dam, whose construction was approved by the Chinese government in December, will span a gorge in the Himalayas in eastern Tibet, where the Brahmaputra River makes a U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh.

Asked about the dam’s possible impact on Assam earlier this month, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said, “As far as we are concerned, we have already communicated that if this dam comes up, the Brahmaputra ecosystem will become completely fragile, it will become dry and we will only depend on the rainwater of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.”

“The Government of India has already communicated its concern to the Chinese side. And I am sure that in the dialogue process which is presently going on between India and China, this will be definitely raised by the Indian side,” he had added.

New Delhi:

Renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh and belligerence in Ladakh — this is what reflects China’s hegemonistic ambition and now that the US law about Tibet has been passed, it has challenged China’s claim that no nation recognises Tibetan Independence, Tibetan Prime Minister-in-Exile, Sikyong Penpa Tsering told NDTV today in an exclusive interview.

Asked about the Resolve Tibet Act — which became a law in the United States four days ago — he said through the Act, the US government says they do not accept the Chinese narrative that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.

“So far, the Chinese government has been saying that there is not a single country that recognises the independence of Tibet or the government in exile… ‘But with this act, would the Chinese government be able to say that?” he said.

China has watched warily as  a bipartisan delegation led by ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Michael McCaul came to India last month and met the Dalai Lama, underscoring an acceleration in US diplomatic initiative on a long-pending human rights issue.

China had asked the US to respect its sensitivity on matters related to Tibet and suggested that the Dalai Lama “correct” his political propositions before talks can be held with him.

Asked about that, Mr McKaul said the US message to China was that “Do not destroy the culture of these people, their religion… Every people and country have a right to self-determination”.

The US message to China was also a silent criticism of Beijing’s alleged hegemonistic ambition that has led to discomfort among some.

Mr Tsering also alluded to it, saying,  “All the neighboring countries from Japan to Taiwan to Philippines, now they are having serious problems in the strategies… Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, everywhere they are escalating the situation. And then also because of their behavior, all the defense expenditures of all these countries are going on increasing every year, including New Zealand and Australia”.

”Some 8, 10 years ago, China declared an air identification [zone] and so on. At that time, I told our US friends when China can claim the air, they will claim everything under that air, sea or land or whatever,” he said.

“So these days, China’s hegemonistic ambitions are also reflected in terms of how they are renaming places, not just in Arunachal Pradesh or belligerence on Ladakh,” he added.

President Joe Biden pauses his remarks during a campaign event at Renaissance High School, on July 12, 2024, in Detroit
| Photo Credit: AP

President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill which enhances U.S. support for Tibet and promotes dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama toward a peaceful resolution of the dispute over the status and governance of the remote Himalayan region.

China had opposed the Resolve Tibet Act and described it as a destabilising Act. The Act was passed by the House of Representatives last February and it cleared the Senate in May.

Also read | It’s time for India to reclaim its voice on Tibet

“Today, I have signed into law S. 138, the “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act” (the “Act”). I share the Congress’s bipartisan commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage,” Biden said on Friday in a late-night statement.

“My Administration will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to resume direct dialogue, without preconditions, with the Dalai Lama, or his representatives, to seek a settlement that resolves differences and leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet,” Biden said.

The 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 and came to India where he set up the government-in-exile at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.

From 2002 to 2010, the Dalai Lama’s representatives and the Chinese government held nine rounds of dialogue that did not produce any concrete outcome.

China views the 89-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, who is based in India, as a “separatist” who is working to split Tibet from the rest of the country.

The Act does not change longstanding bipartisan US policy to recognise the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) –- a policy decision that Biden said falls within his authority to recognise foreign states and the territorial bounds of such states.

The Act enhances US support for Tibet— empowering State Department officials to actively and directly counter disinformation about Tibet from the Chinese government.

It rejects false claims that Tibet has been part of China since “ancient times,” pushing for negotiations without preconditions between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or the democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan community and affirming the State Department’s responsibility to coordinate with other governments in multilateral efforts toward the goal of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

In June, China had opposed the bill.

“Anyone or any force who attempts to destabilise Xizang to contain or suppress China will not succeed,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

“The US should not sign the bill. China will take resolute measures to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Department imposed visa restrictions on several Chinese officials for their involvement in the repression of marginalised religious and ethnic communities.

“The PRC has not lived up to its commitments to respect and protect human rights, as demonstrated by the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, the erosion of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, persistent human rights abuses in Tibet, and transnational repression around the world,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Friday.

“We call on the PRC to abide by the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to accept the many recommendations made this year during the Universal Periodic Review of its human rights record, including unconditionally releasing PRC nationals it has arbitrarily and unjustly detained,” he said. 

Tibet is known as the ‘roof of the world’ and along with being a spiritual hub, it is also holds a very important geopolitical importance.

“Imperial Games in Tibet” explores strategic manoeuvers and geopolitical ambitions influencing Tibet’s modern history. Ambassador Sinha draws upon historical documents, personal insights, and diplomatic experience to analyze the interactions among major powers in the region – China, Britain, and Russia – and their implications for Tibet’s sovereignty and cultural identity.

A book discussion led by Ambassador Dilip Sinha on “Imperial Games in Tibet” was held on Saturday. Chief Guest for the event was Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM GOC-in-C Central Command.

Brig SK Singh, SM, and Ambassador Sinha presented key themes from the book, accompanied by a multimedia presentation featuring historical maps to provide an overview of the book’s main points.

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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