Dharamshala: “By solving the issue of Tibet, China can send a loud and clear message to the international community that they are for peace. Moreover, the Tibet issue has been going on for 60 years, repression is not working which is evident from the number of self-immolations and it is only earning China a bad image for itself” said CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay during an open forum with the participants of the 8th International TSG conference yesterday.
The hour-long brainstorming open discussion had Sikyong talking about wide-ranging topics including the reincarnation issue, Tibetan-Chinese negotiations, and the Tibet factor in India-China bilateral relationships, etc.
A participant from Australia asked Sikyong about Buddhist theology implying particularly to the issue of reincarnation. He asked if it was possible as per the tradition of Buddhist reincarnation to have His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation recognised while His Holiness is still alive.
In his reply, Sikyong explained three possible ways of reincarnation in the context of the Tibetan Buddhist system as per the proclamation marked by Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in September 2011 whereby it stated one can get reincarnated through the process of immediate reincarnation after the demise of the present lama. The second form of reincarnation is through the process of selection where high Buddhist lamas jointly select the reincarnated person. And, third is an emanation in which one could designate his own successor while he is alive as it has happened in several cases of reincarnation of lamas.
“What is to be noted here is that the reincarnation of His Holiness will be born in exile if Tibet issue remains unresolved. The idea of reincarnation is to continue the mission and vision where it was left. Incase His Holiness leaves the Tibetan movement in exile, he has to be born in exile. His Holiness himself has declared he would be born in a free country and not in occupied Tibet,” said Sikyong.
A professor from Hong Kong questioned Tibet’s negotiations with the Chinese authorities as he asserted that the past negotiations with the PRC were unsuccessful. He questioned Sikyong about Tibet wanting to seek negotiation with China when China has not yet responded to their proposal enthusiastically and positively.
Sikyong said, “why we still insist on negotiations is because we follow non-violence as our path. If your path is non-violence then dialogue is the answer to resolve the issue. If dialogue is the process then there are many things to take into considerations including the interests of both sides. As China repeatedly claims the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China cannot be compromised hence the negotiations for genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people. Non-violence resonates with dialogue thus our goal is to reach the middle ground with China”.
Another participant chimed in and asked what will make the adamant Chinese government want to hold a dialogue with Tibet. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay in his reply laid down two possible theories pertaining to the issue of negotiations with China. Explaining the first, he said that when China is strong and confident they might handle issues of Tibet through dialogue. Secondly, when China is weak and vulnerable they might want to address one or two issues which include Tibet.
“Why China must talk to us is because China wants to be a global power and want to be respected. By solving the issue of Tibet China can send a loud and clear message to the international community they are for peace. Moreover, the Tibet issue has been going on for 60 years, repression is not working which is evident from the number of self-immolations which is only earning China a bad image for itself. But the resistance in Tibet will continue so it is best to come down to a mutually agreeable solution” added Sikyong.
In continuation, Sikyong was then asked why China should be interested to engage in a dialogue with Tibet considering that China has in the past used the opportunity of dialogue to fulfil its various economic and political goals to get a tighter grip on Tibet.
In his reply, Sikyong confirmed that there is no one reason to answer that question given the study of any conflict resolutions.
“We can say the Chinese government under the pressure of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang, and all the neighbouring countries is likely to decline China from gaining favour from other countries. As per the Pew Research study, the favourability rate of China has fallen to 30%-40% from 50%-60% five years ago. One can never really know in its pursuit to regain its image and change the trend of the backlash, China might pick Tibet or Hong kong into consideration for compromises for that matter. There can be many theories as to why they would enter into dialogue with Tibet” asserted Sikyong.
As for India’s stand for Tibet, Sikyong assured that the government of India’s treatment of Tibet issue and Tibetan people remains the same.
“No government and no country has done for Tibetans like India. Given India and China’s complex relationship, there are some areas they can cooperate with and some areas they can compete. As long as this cooperation and competition remain, Tibet issue will be part of the discourse” said the President of the Tibetan government in exile.