Editorial by Mr. Pema Thinley - Democratise Or Be Damned (August 1997)
Democratise Or Be Damned
Editorial by Mr. Pema Thinley (released August 1997)
Editorial by Mr. Pema Thinley (released August 1997)
In April the Tibetans in exile will be going to the polls to elect the 12th Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies. This will be an excellent opportunity for them to improve the quality of people deciding their affairs at the national level. Since the outgoing ATDP took office five years ago, the Tibetan parliament has assumed far-reaching powers. Its members not only represent the people, they get to elect the ministers in the cabinet too. This effectively means that if the people don’t make their choices wisely they’ll end up getting the kind of government they deserve.
Last month we reported that only about half the adult population in exile have registered themselves with the Election Commissions. But we’ll still be lucky if only half of that number actually exercises their franchise. Very lucky, indeed, judging from what has been happening so far. The place where Tibetan Review is located is a hostel for about 200 college-going Tibetan students. But I’ve never heard of any of them going to the Tibetan camp to cast their ballots. Perhaps a few of them go on their own initiatives, but there never has been an organized voting day, anticipated and talked about in advance. For that matter, I also don’t remember people who work in the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala ever casting their ballots. There is no reason for believing that other places are any different.
So which Tibetan elect the memebers of their parliament? One can’t be certain, of course, but the pressure groups indulging in odious regionalism and sectarianism would be a safe bet. Plus those who go to the polls simply because they’ve heard the Dalai Lama say everybody should vote and hence the action has taken on an almost religious connotation. But once they get to the polling booth they have no idea who they should vote for. They would seek the help of someone there to guide them, which means that that someone can put the stamp on the name of anyone he chooses. The candidates have symbols but those symbols are not printed on the ballot papers, only their names; so Tibetans who can’t read are totally in the hands of others.
It is no secret that Tibetans in general, at least those in Dharamsala, think that except for the chairman, Samdhong Rinpoche, nobody in the 11th ATPD is worth getting excited about. Tibetans in Dharamsala, and in all other places, should do something about it if they don’t want to see the same, or similar, faces in the 12th ATPD. They should excercise their democratic right, a right many other people risk death to acquire. Perhaps the problem with Tibetan exiles is that they’ve had it too easy in this respect. They didn’t have to fight or undergo any suffering to get democracy: it was given to them - almost forced on them - by their leader. Of course it is not yet a democracy in the full sense of the word, but it is a beginning. The spirit is there. Instead of wasting this spirit, instead of misusing or not using this spirit, they should go out there and cast their votes.
They should try to elect people who will be good for the future of Tibet, which means good for themselves and all other Tibetans. They should try to elect people who have proven track records of commendable deeds. If they don’t know any such person, they should ask around. They should avoid being taken in by fiery orators who have no matching actions to their credit to support their words. Word is no substitute for deed; often it is an excuse for the lack of deed. And they should stay clear of anyone who is known to promote regionalism and sectarianism. Our society has enough problems as it is, thank you very much.
Last month we reported that only about half the adult population in exile have registered themselves with the Election Commissions. But we’ll still be lucky if only half of that number actually exercises their franchise. Very lucky, indeed, judging from what has been happening so far. The place where Tibetan Review is located is a hostel for about 200 college-going Tibetan students. But I’ve never heard of any of them going to the Tibetan camp to cast their ballots. Perhaps a few of them go on their own initiatives, but there never has been an organized voting day, anticipated and talked about in advance. For that matter, I also don’t remember people who work in the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala ever casting their ballots. There is no reason for believing that other places are any different.
So which Tibetan elect the memebers of their parliament? One can’t be certain, of course, but the pressure groups indulging in odious regionalism and sectarianism would be a safe bet. Plus those who go to the polls simply because they’ve heard the Dalai Lama say everybody should vote and hence the action has taken on an almost religious connotation. But once they get to the polling booth they have no idea who they should vote for. They would seek the help of someone there to guide them, which means that that someone can put the stamp on the name of anyone he chooses. The candidates have symbols but those symbols are not printed on the ballot papers, only their names; so Tibetans who can’t read are totally in the hands of others.
It is no secret that Tibetans in general, at least those in Dharamsala, think that except for the chairman, Samdhong Rinpoche, nobody in the 11th ATPD is worth getting excited about. Tibetans in Dharamsala, and in all other places, should do something about it if they don’t want to see the same, or similar, faces in the 12th ATPD. They should excercise their democratic right, a right many other people risk death to acquire. Perhaps the problem with Tibetan exiles is that they’ve had it too easy in this respect. They didn’t have to fight or undergo any suffering to get democracy: it was given to them - almost forced on them - by their leader. Of course it is not yet a democracy in the full sense of the word, but it is a beginning. The spirit is there. Instead of wasting this spirit, instead of misusing or not using this spirit, they should go out there and cast their votes.
They should try to elect people who will be good for the future of Tibet, which means good for themselves and all other Tibetans. They should try to elect people who have proven track records of commendable deeds. If they don’t know any such person, they should ask around. They should avoid being taken in by fiery orators who have no matching actions to their credit to support their words. Word is no substitute for deed; often it is an excuse for the lack of deed. And they should stay clear of anyone who is known to promote regionalism and sectarianism. Our society has enough problems as it is, thank you very much.
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