Follow up Message from the Kalon Tripa’s Desk

18 October, 2002

Dear fellow Tibetans and friends of Tibet,

I am writing in connection with my previous communication, in which I gave you an update on some of the recent developments concerning our efforts to resolve the Tibetan problem with the Chinese leadership. Since then I have received positive feedbacks from many of you. I have also been following the discussions on the Internet, including the concerns some of you have raised. Seeing these as healthy discussions, I chose not to hasten with my clarifications on the issues you had raised.

In all my decisions, I have endeavoured to take the greater interests of the
Tibetan people into consideration, and have, as far as possible, tried to keep the Tibetan people informed of all the developments. I am, of course, aware of my heavy responsibility as a democratically elected leader of the Tibetan people. And, I have tried to shoulder this responsibility to the best of my ability, even if it sometimes meant making decisions that might not endear me to a section of the community.

For the first time in recent years, there is now a possibility of our efforts moving forward. Taking stock of the situation, I made a commitment to the Tibetan exile parliament that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile would do everything within its means to create an atmosphere that is for early
resolution of the Tibetan problem. The parliament endorsed my decision to this effect.

We are fortunate that our movement has gained support from a vast section of
the international community.I cherish this outpouring of international
solidarity, and have, therefore, taken the first possible opportunity to update our supporters on the recent development and the follow-up action that we intend to take.I have appealed for your cooperation in our efforts to find out if the new development really holds the promise of a negotiated settlement to the Tibetan issue.

I was rather surprised and saddened to discover that some of our friends had
misunderstood my appeal and called it a “directive” or “order”, thus creating misgivings in the minds of many people, who had not read my communication carefully.

Almost all of you, international supporters, have been working for the
wellbeing of the Tibetan people. Your dedication to our cause is, of course,
voluntary. There is absolutely no way I can presume to issue directives or
orders to any of you. At the same time, as a legitimate representative of the Tibetan people, I have an obligation to explore all avenues, including appealing for your cooperation, for a peaceful resolution of our problem. If you read my communication more closely, you will realize that my appeal was only one part of the message that dealt with the significant political implication of the recent development and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s decision to make the most of the new opportunity.

I believe we should seize the opportunity presented by the recent
development.  I want to make every effort to promote His Holiness the
Dalai Lama’s Middle Way Approach; and we believe that our strategy does
contribute toward this. I want to show the international community and the
Chinese Government that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile sincerely wishes to
find a peaceful solution. As you may have noted, governments of the world have welcomed the recent development, which naturally means we can expect their support and encouragement as well.

I must point out that we are only at the initial stage of the process. It is
our hope that the process will culminate in a positive outcome for the Tibetan people. We stand to lose nothing by contributing to the creation of an atmosphere for such an outcome. More importantly, struggle per se, of which public demonstration is but one aspect, is not the goal of our movement. It is only a means to an end. We need to be clear about the roles of the medium and the message, and act accordingly. If the on-going process fails to take us towards our goal, then the Tibetan Government-in-Exile will redouble its efforts to highlight our issue publicly. In such an eventuality, I am sanguine the determination and dedication of the Tibetan people will be there, just as I know that our international supporters will continue their noble endeavours for our cause. However, if the on-going initiatives succeed in bringing dignity and respect for the Tibetan people, each one of you will have contributed significantly toward it.

Samdhong Rinpoche
Kalon Tripa