JOIN USIn Dharmsala, India, the Tibetan spiritual leader's exile headquarters, Harvard legal scholar Lobsang Sangay was declared yesterday the winner of a vote cast by tens of thousands of Tibetans around the world, after the Buddhist leader said he wanted to devolve political authority to an elected leader.
Sangay grew up as a refugee and his father, a former monk, fought as a guerrilla against China's occupation of Tibet. Sangay told reporters in Washington he would seek to restore the freedom, dignity and identity of Tibetans.
He also vowed to reach out to China and pursue the Dalai Lama's stated desire for greater autonomy for Tibetans within China.
"Tibet is under occupation. There is political repression, ethnic assimilation, economic marginalisation and environmental destruction," said the 43-year-old yesterday, dressed in a smart business suit.
He said that if China wanted to become a new world superpower, it could not do so through economic or military might, but would need to exercise moral authority in how it treats people.
He urged Beijing to review its "hard-line" Tibet policy and take a "more moderate and liberal approach." He said the government-in-exile remained ready for negotiations. Nine previous rounds of talks have made no headway.
While the Tibetan government-in-exile has existed for decades, it has long been seen as a powerless reflection of the wishes of the Dalai Lama, who is worshipped as a near-deity by many followers.
Ceding his political powers is widely seen as a way to prepare for the spiritual leader's death and to show Beijing that exile leaders will continue to wield influence.
Sangay said the Dalai Lama remains healthy and strong and maintains a punishing schedule.
"He will live very long. I believe we will see he will return to Tibet in his lifetime," Sangay said.
China occupied Tibet in 1950 and claims the region has been part of its territory for centuries. Many Tibetans, who are linguistically and ethnically distinct, say they were effectively independent. While China has made strides to develop the remote region, Tibetans fear they are being marginalised economically and that their religion is under threat from restrictions imposed by the authoritarian government in Beijing.