Tibetan Exiles Swear in New Prime Minister

By Helena Zhu
August 8, 2011

A 43-year-old, Harvard-trained legal scholar was sworn in on Monday as the new head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, taking over all political duties of the Dalai Lama.

Lobsang Sangay took the oath of office at a ceremony presided over by the Dalai Lama in India’s Tsuglagkhang Temple, where the exiled government is based.

The Dalai Lama, 76, has been slowly shedding his official duties since 2001 when the Tibetan prime minister, or Kalon Tripa, was directly elected for the first time, instead of being appointed by the Dala Lama. With the inauguration ceremony on Monday, his retirement is complete.

"The results of this election should send a clear message to the hard-liners in the Chinese regime, that Tibetan leadership is far from fizzling out—we are democracy that will only grow stronger in [the] years ahead. And we are here to stay," Sangay said in his inaugural speech.

The new leader promised the gathering of several thousands Tibetans that he will fight against Chinese "colonialism," citing the Chinese Communist Party’s control over Tibet for the last six decades. The struggle itself, however, is "not against the Chinese people or China as a country."

"Our struggle is against the hard-line policies of the Chinese regime in Tibet, … against those who would deny freedom, justice, dignity, and the very identity of the Tibetan people," he said.

Recently, many Chinese leaders have visited the Tibetan capital of Lhasa to mark 60 years since the "peaceful liberation" of Tibet. The anniversary celebrations were accompanied by an undeclared martial law in Tibet and a ban on foreign tourists.

"Beijing’s rule in Tibet is clearly unjust and untenable," the new leader said, adding that he is willing to negotiate with the Chinese regime "anytime, anywhere."

The Chinese Communist Party has rejected Sangay’s legitimacy and refuses any negotiations with him. Sangay, who was born in the eastern Indian town of Darjeeling, has never been to Tibet.

In the elections held last March, almost 50,000 Tibetans residing in more than 30 countries took part in the voting. There are an estimated 150,000 Tibetan refugees and exiles—the majority reside in India and Nepal.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/tibetan-exiles-swear-in-new-prime-minister-60121.html.