Did President Sangay Misinform That Samdhong Rinpoche Visited China?

Did President Sangay Misinform That Samdhong Rinpoche Visited China?

Tibetans and Tibet supporters over the past week has been intensely discussing over a news saying that former head of the Tibetan government in exile, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche had visited China in the second half of November. However, discussions further intensified when The Tribune news reported that President Lobsang Sangay confirmed the visit to be true.

The report initially surfaced when The Wire reported in an article, The Dalai Lama Wants To Return Home, that the former head of Tibetan government in exile Prof. Samdong Rinpoche appears to have had a discreet visit to Kunming (China) where he was facilitated by You Quan – newly-appointed head of the United Front Work Department that overseas Tibetan affairs.

This was read as important step in restoring dialogue between the Tibetan administration in exile and Beijing to find a solution for the Tibet issue. Besides, Dr. Lobsang Sangay’s reply an interactive session to a question about the report of Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche’s visit to China was read as a confirmation of the news and further reported by many news agencies.

However, as Tibetan Journal reported Tuesday, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche properly clarified over an interview with the national daily Amar Ujala that the reports were nothing more than just media speculations. He also told in the interview that neither himself nor His Holiness the Dalai Lama has (or planning) visited China.

If we look into the conversation between Dr. Sangay and an audience at the 3rd Professor ML Sondhi Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on December 14, the questioner asked that it seems Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche has visited China as per the report where he is also inquired about what kind of signals they were receiving from Beijing.

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“As far as my predecessor Prof Samdhong Rinpoche’s visit to Wu Taishan Mountain in China which was reported, I asked him. Again, when you are in the government, there are constraints. We did not meet as you see he was in Dharamshala and I was going to the US. So, I called him and asked him: Samdhong Rinpoche, it’s in the news. What should I say? He responded: I have not officially reported to you. So, you don’t know. He has to brief me officially. So, I don’t know the details. But it’s out in the paper. I think we shouldn’t read too much into it. At the most, it could be a private visit. I think we should not read too much and it’s too early to say.” replied the President of Central Tibetan Administration at the event as per the transcript of the conversation published on their website.

However, the reply does not amount to any confirmation of the visit as he has clearly said that he doesn’t know the details and since its in the paper, it ‘could’ be a private visit at most! But the sense of confirmation in his reply can not be ruled out too as the president has added a possibility that the professor could have made a private visit to China. Therefore, it is of the responsibility of Dr. Lobsang Sangay and his office to issue a clarification in time.

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5 responses to “Did President Sangay Misinform That Samdhong Rinpoche Visited China?”

  1. Jigmey Avatar
    Jigmey

    i dont think we need clarification from Dr Lobsang Sengay as I and you both believe it has some confidential issues and confidentials are not made public.

    1. Lhundup Dhonten Avatar
      Lhundup Dhonten

      But, there’s nothing confidential when it comes on Lobsang Sangyay. He is a rooster.

  2. Passang Gelek Avatar
    Passang Gelek

    Lobsang Sangay could have said “no comment” or “I don’t know” on Samdhong Rinpoche. He did not do both because he wanted to divert attention from public protest against him to some other news. Between Lobsang Sangay and Samdhong Rinpoche, I would believe the words of S. Rinpoche 100 percent. We know very well that Sikyong loves to lie and manipulate information.

  3. Pema Tsultrim Avatar
    Pema Tsultrim

    We should be very very careful with how LS and Dhardon Sharling have been manipulating news to confuse the public.

    1. His Holiness Bahubali video is only made available on Dhardon’s personal Facebook and not on Youtube. Any likes and shares has to be done on her page.
    2. Both shared videos of His Holiness good comments on LS and friendly photos of LS with HH wherever possible to make the public believe HH has trust in LS.
    3. Both shared HH gifting watch to LS after PT’s termiantion.
    4. They manipulated Ngodup Tsering photo with HH and made special interviews with him.
    5. While LS was facing possible protest in South India, they shared feel good stories of exit permit.
    6. When they could not manage to get one friendly snap of HH with LS in South India, they publish this video of construction in CTA. Kungo Chime Rigzin said the construction has been going on for several years. Why Dhardon is talking in the video as she has been with CTA for only one year? Why Kungo Dagpo with 25 years service in DIIR not talking in the video?
    7. Both LS and Dhardon have no respect and sympathy for self-immolators. LS said he will not honor self-immolators and Dhardon called self-immolaters as having mental problem. When there is a gratitude dinner happening in New York today, both became unusually concerned about the self-immolation in Ngaba. All tricks to fool the public.

  4. Phurbu Tsering Avatar
    Phurbu Tsering

    When people attempt to build their credibility on the basis of lies and falsity, they are racing headlong towards failure. Sangay should not have pretended to know something, when he does not. Since Sangay showed no sense of respect or accountability to His Holiness, as indicated by his dubious firing of Penpa Tsering, His Holiness or his officials including S Rinpoche owes no explanation to Sangay. If His Holiness or S Rinpoche so desires, they can reveal things directly to the public or to Chitue Lhenkhang in the event of the current administrative failure of Sangay as well as media manipulation, misappropriation, and mishandling of official news by Dhardon Sharling in her private accounts. Most of all, Sangay must never forget that he is merely an elected leader and stop dreaming of becoming an ultimate despot like Kim Jong Un.

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