The legitimacy and role of the Central Tibetan Administration[Posted on 20 June 2011]by Kelsang Gyaltsen, Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Once again
the small Tibetan world in exile seems to be torn apart by an emotional
and political dispute over the devolution of the administrative and
political powers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the democratically
elected organs of the Tibetan Administration and over the change of the
title of “Tibetan Government-in-Exile” in Tibetan language to “Central
Tibetan Administration”. The tone of the debate is often agonizing,
bitter and self-lacerative reflecting the self-pitying and
self-dramatizing psyche of some of the debating Tibetans. This way, the
discourse has so far been rather self-defeating and demoralizing than
helping to clarify and better understand the issues involved.The
primary objective of these changes is to ensure the continuity of the
Tibetan freedom struggle led by the Central Tibetan Administration. The
changes demonstrate the political will and determination of the Tibetan
leadership to continue the Tibetan freedom struggle as long as it takes
by laying the ground and positioning itself in a way that allows it to
function and operate in future in spite of any vicissitude in the
international political environment. The devolution of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama’s political powers to the democratically elected leaders of
the Central Tibetan Administration is to be seen and understood as a
demonstration of his faith in the political maturity and determination
of the Tibetan people – especially the younger generation of Tibetans
inside Tibet as well as in exile.This is, I believe, the
central message that the changes embody and the Tibetan leadership
wishes to convey to Tibetans, the Chinese leadership and the
international community.This is clearly an initiative that
demonstrates strength, self-confidence, determination and
resourcefulness on the part of the Tibetan leadership. This spirit of
steely political will and commitment to our freedom struggle is evident
from the amendments to the Charter of the Tibetans in exile. The
amendments make it clear that His Holiness will fully vest the Central
Tibetan Administration and in particular its democratic leadership
organs with the powers and responsibilities formerly held jointly by
him and the Central Tibetan Administration to represent and serve the
whole people of Tibet. The new preamble to the Charter underlines
“safeguarding the continuity of the Central Tibetan Administration as
the legitimate governing body and representative of the whole Tibetan
people, in whom sovereignty resides”. It also enshrines Tibet’s
position as a sovereign nation from the early 2nd century BC until the
invasion by the People’s Republic of China in 1951, and His Holiness
the Dalai Lama’s efforts in introducing democratic reforms after coming
into exile in India since 1959.Against this background there is
absolutely no basis to contend that the Central Tibetan Administration
has given up the mandate to represent the entire people of Tibet as a
consequence of the recent changes. On the contrary, politically and
legally the legitimacy of the Central Tibetan Administration to
represent the Tibetan people has been strengthened by completing the
process of democratization. Sovereignty resides with the people of
Tibet. Consequently, the more complete the Tibetan authority is
constituted by a free and fair democratic process the greater its
legitimacy to represent the aspirations of the Tibetan people.On
arriving in exile in India in 1959 His Holiness the Dalai Lama stated
that wherever he and his Kashag (Cabinet) are the people of Tibet will
continue to consider them as their government and true representatives.
His Holiness established the Central Tibetan Administration under the
direction of his Kashag in order to actively pursue the cause of Tibet,
to draw the attention of the world to the tragedy unfolding in Tibet
and to seek the international community’s help in protecting the
Tibetan people as well as to look after about 80’000 Tibetan refugees
arriving in India.The official name of this administration has
been “The Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama”. Our official letter-head and seal display this description. In
all our external relations we introduce ourselves as the Central
Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We did not seek legal or
political recognition as “the Tibetan Government-in-exile” as such
confident that the Tibetan people regarded His Holiness and the Central
Tibetan Administration as their government and true representatives,
this being the continued source of legitimacy.Right from the
beginning of our exile it seems that it has been of great importance to
His Holiness to make clear that he is not staking any claims to power
and rule for himself and or his administration. The primary task of our
exile has always been to seek justice for Tibet and to restore the
basic rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people.There is no
serious dispute about the fact that the people of Tibet will continue
to regard the Central Tibetan Administration as their true authority as
long as the leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration has the
blessing and full backing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama – irrespective
of the recent changes. Only the people of Tibet can decide whom they
consider and accept as their true representatives. Although Tibetans
inside Tibet cannot vote in the democratic elections of the Central
Tibetan Administration, they demonstrate their support and adherence to
it in in many ways, despite the severe risks of doing so. If an
individual Tibetan, living in freedom in exile, decides to consider the
Central Tibetan Administration from now on as a non-governmental
organisation because of the recent changes – this is his or her
personal free choice and decision alone.Every Tibetan with some
sense of political awareness and responsibility knows that one of His
Holiness’ political credos has always been: To hope for the best and to
prepare for the worst. In the past decades of our freedom struggle the
Tibetan people and the cause of Tibet have been served well by and have
benefited immensely from this wise approach of His Holiness.It
is no news to people with an interest in China that Beijing has been
demonstrating in recent time that it won’t be shy about playing
hardball to safeguard what it claims to be its “core national
interest”. China watchers attest to a reawakened resolve on the part of
the Chinese leadership to do whatever it takes to defend “core
interests” such as their claims regarding Taiwan and Tibet. The Central
Party School strategist, Gong Li, is quoted as saying “Beijing should
not yield a single inch as far as Taiwan and Tibet are concerned”. It
is an open secret that China uses coercive diplomacy on other countries
to assert its position. A good example is, among a growing number of
other cases and signs, of the use and impact of China’s coercive
diplomacy are Nepal’s recent policies towards our compatriots in that
country. It is common knowledge that the acceptance and adherence to
the principle of “One China Policy” is a precondition by China for the
resumption of diplomatic relations with any government in the world.Looking
ahead and taking precautionary measures with the aim to coping with any
political vicissitudes in the future is an act of responsible and
prudent political leadership.Far from appeasing China these
initiatives by His Holiness represent a number of new challenges to the
Chinese leadership. First of all they dismember the basic tenets of the
Chinese justification propaganda narrative of “liberation”, as well as
of their claim that the Dalai Lama is bent on the “restoration of
feudal theocracy” and they bring into question their calculations on
the issue of reincarnation. On a more practical and concrete political
level His Holiness the Dalai Lama is once again making unambiguously
clear that he has no personal demands to make to the Chinese
leadership. He is putting the rights and welfare of the Tibetan people
right in the forefront of the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. He is making clear
that the fundamental issue that needs to be resolved is the faithful
implementation of genuine autonomy that will enable the Tibetan people
to govern themselves in accordance with their own genius and needs.By
devolving his political powers His Holiness is once again emphasising
that his engagement for the cause of Tibet is not for the purpose of
claiming certain personal rights or political positions, nor in order
to stake claims for the Tibetan administration in exile. Once a
satisfactory agreement with China is reached, the Central Tibetan
Administration will be dissolved and it is the Tibetans in Tibet who
should carry the main responsibility of administering Tibet.Even
after the amendments of the Charter the political mandate of the
Central Tibetan Administration continues to be to serve the people of
Tibet by acting as the free voice of our captive nation and
representing the people’s aspirations in the wider world. In contrast
to the Chinese Communist Party, it makes clear beyond any doubt that
the Central Tibetan Administration is not seeking power to rule over
Tibet. The sole task and purpose of the Central Tibetan Administration
is no more and no less than to lead the struggle for the rights of the
Tibetan people to freely determine their own affairs and to live in
freedom and dignity in the land of snow that is our home.The
change of the title in Tibetan of our Administration only reemphasises
this basic position of the Central Tibetan Administration without
renouncing the legitimacy of representing the voice and aspiration of
the people of Tibet.