Central Tibetan Administration
Encyclopedia
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) (in Tibetan language
- Tsenjol Bod Mi Zhung gi Drigtsug), is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan
refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet
". It was established by the 14th Dalai Lama
in 1959 shortly after his exile from Tibet
. It is commonly referred to as the "Tibetan Government in Exile
", but while its internal structure is government-like, it has stated that it is "not designed to take power in Tibet"; rather, it will be dissolved "as soon as freedom is restored in Tibet" and a government formed by Tibetans inside Tibet. In addition to political advocacy, it administers a network of schools and other cultural activities for Tibetans in India. On 11 February 1991, the CTA became a founding member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
(UNPO) at a ceremony held at the Peace Palace
in The Hague
, Netherlands
.
The territory of Tibet
is currently under the administration of the People's Republic of China
, a situation that the Central Tibetan Administration considers an illegitimate military occupation
. The position of the CTA is that Tibet is a distinct nation with a long history of independence. The position of the People's Republic of China, however, is that the central government of China has continuously exercised sovereignty over Tibet for over 700 years, that Tibet has never been an independent state, and that Tibet's de-facto independence between 1912 and 1951 was "nothing but a fiction of the imperialists who committed aggression against China in modern history". The current policy of the Dalai Lama
is that he does not seek full independence for Tibet, but would accept Tibet as a genuine autonomous region within the People's Republic of China.
, Dharamsala
, India
, where the Dalai Lama settled after fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. It claims to represent the people of the entire Tibet Autonomous Region
and Qinghai province
, as well as two Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures and one Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan
Province, one Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and one Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu
Province and one Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan
Province — all of which is termed "Historic Tibet" by the CTA.
The CTA attends to the welfare of the Tibetan exile community in India, who number around 100,000. It runs schools, health services, cultural activities and economic development projects for the Tibetan community. More than 1,000 refugees still arrive each year from China, usually via Nepal
. The government of India allows the CTA to exercise effective jurisdiction in these matters over the Tibetan communities in northern India.
," which serves as a receipt book for the person's "voluntary contributions" to the CTA and the evidence of his claims for "Tibetan citizenship."
For this purpose, CTA defines a Tibetan as "any person born in Tibet, or any person with one parent who was born in Tibet." As Tibetan refugees often lack documents attesting to their place of birth, the eligibility is usually established by an interview.
The CTA operates under the "Charter of the Tibetans In-Exile", adopted in 1991. Executive authority is vested in the Kalon Tripa (chairman of the cabinet, often translated as prime minister
), an office currently held by Lobsang Sangay
, who was elected in 2011. The Kalon Tripa is supported by a cabinet of ministers responsible for specific portfolios. Legislative authority is vested in the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration
.
The Central Tibetan Administration's Department of Finance is made of seven departments and several special offices. Until 2003, it operated 24 businesses, including publishing, hotels, and handicraft
s distribution companies. Officially, its annual revenue is US$22 million, with the biggest shares going to political activity ($7 million), and administration ($4.5 million). However, according to Michael Backman, these sums are "remarkably low" for what the organization claims to do, and it probably receives millions more in donations. The CTA does not acknowledge such donations or their sources.
At the time of its founding, the Dalai Lama was the head of government and head of state of the Central Tibetan Administration. Over the ensuing decades, a gradual transition to democratic governance was effected. The first elections for an exile parliament
took place on September 2, 1960. The position of kalon tripa
was later empowered to share executive authority with the Dalai Lama. The kalon tripa was initially appointed by the Dalai Lama, but, beginning in 2001, this position was democratically elected by the Tibetan exile voters. The first elected Kalon Tripa was a 62-year-old Buddhist monk, Lobsang Tenzin
(better known as Samdhong Rinpoche), to the position of Prime Minister of the CTA
. On 10 March 2011, the Dalai Lama proposed changes to the exile charter which would remove his position of authority within the organisation. These changes were ratified on 29 May 2011, resulting in the Kalon Tripa becoming the highest-ranking office holder.
, argues that the broad goals of the CTA are to develop an intense cultural and political nationalism
among Tibetans, to expand the charisma and structure of the Dalai Lama, and to establish and maintain "social, political, and economic boundaries" between the Tibetan diaspora
and their host countries. To increase nationalism, the CTA has created the Tibetan Uprising Day
holiday, and a Tibetan National Anthem which is sung daily in CTA-run schools. The CTA controls much of the Tibetan-language media which, according to Pulman, promote the idea that the Chinese are endeavouring to "eradicate the Tibetan race" and how it is the duty of the refugees to "maintain the greatness and vitality of Tibetan race and national culture
." However, Lynn Pulman's findings are not the product of systematic research, for which Lynn had insufficient time, but of information gained from informal conversations with Tibetans, observations Lynn made, supplemented with the little published material available at the time.
, and had also trained a guerrilla force at Camp Hale
in Colorado. On 11 February 1991, the CTA became a founding member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
at a ceremony held at the Peace Palace
in The Hague
, Netherlands.
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
- Tsenjol Bod Mi Zhung gi Drigtsug), is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
". It was established by the 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
in 1959 shortly after his exile from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. It is commonly referred to as the "Tibetan Government in Exile
Government in exile
A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...
", but while its internal structure is government-like, it has stated that it is "not designed to take power in Tibet"; rather, it will be dissolved "as soon as freedom is restored in Tibet" and a government formed by Tibetans inside Tibet. In addition to political advocacy, it administers a network of schools and other cultural activities for Tibetans in India. On 11 February 1991, the CTA became a founding member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization , formed in 11 February 1991, in The Hague, is an international organization of political organisations and governments representing self-proclaimed "indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories". The organization...
(UNPO) at a ceremony held at the Peace Palace
Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Position on Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
is currently under the administration of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, a situation that the Central Tibetan Administration considers an illegitimate military occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
. The position of the CTA is that Tibet is a distinct nation with a long history of independence. The position of the People's Republic of China, however, is that the central government of China has continuously exercised sovereignty over Tibet for over 700 years, that Tibet has never been an independent state, and that Tibet's de-facto independence between 1912 and 1951 was "nothing but a fiction of the imperialists who committed aggression against China in modern history". The current policy of the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
is that he does not seek full independence for Tibet, but would accept Tibet as a genuine autonomous region within the People's Republic of China.
Headquarters
The CTA is headquartered in McLeod GanjMcLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj, McLeodGanj, or Mcleodganj, is a suburb of Dharamshala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has an average elevation of 2,082 metres ....
, Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where the Dalai Lama settled after fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. It claims to represent the people of the entire Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
and Qinghai province
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
, as well as two Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures and one Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
Province, one Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and one Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Province and one Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
Province — all of which is termed "Historic Tibet" by the CTA.
The CTA attends to the welfare of the Tibetan exile community in India, who number around 100,000. It runs schools, health services, cultural activities and economic development projects for the Tibetan community. More than 1,000 refugees still arrive each year from China, usually via Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The government of India allows the CTA to exercise effective jurisdiction in these matters over the Tibetan communities in northern India.
Green Book
Tibetans living outside Tibet can apply at the CTA office in their country of residence for a so-called "Green BookGreen Book (Tibetan document)
Green Book is a document issued since 1971 by the Central Tibetan Administration to Tibetans living outside Tibet, and described by the issuing organization as "the most official document issued by the Tibetan Government in Exile." They are owned by more than 90 per cent of the Tibetan refugees...
," which serves as a receipt book for the person's "voluntary contributions" to the CTA and the evidence of his claims for "Tibetan citizenship."
For this purpose, CTA defines a Tibetan as "any person born in Tibet, or any person with one parent who was born in Tibet." As Tibetan refugees often lack documents attesting to their place of birth, the eligibility is usually established by an interview.
Internal structure
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
), an office currently held by Lobsang Sangay
Lobsang Sangay
Lobsang Sangay is a Tibetan refugee, legal scholar and political activist. He was elected as the next Kalon Tripa of the Tibetan Government in Exile on 26 April 2011, succeeding the 5th Samdhong Rinpoche.-Education and academic career:After graduating from the Tibetan Refugee school in...
, who was elected in 2011. The Kalon Tripa is supported by a cabinet of ministers responsible for specific portfolios. Legislative authority is vested in the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration
Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration
The Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, also known as the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, is the unicameral legislative organ of the Central Tibetan Administration. Established and based in India, it was founded in 1960, and was most recently elected to a 14th 5-year term from 2006-2011...
.
The Central Tibetan Administration's Department of Finance is made of seven departments and several special offices. Until 2003, it operated 24 businesses, including publishing, hotels, and handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s distribution companies. Officially, its annual revenue is US$22 million, with the biggest shares going to political activity ($7 million), and administration ($4.5 million). However, according to Michael Backman, these sums are "remarkably low" for what the organization claims to do, and it probably receives millions more in donations. The CTA does not acknowledge such donations or their sources.
At the time of its founding, the Dalai Lama was the head of government and head of state of the Central Tibetan Administration. Over the ensuing decades, a gradual transition to democratic governance was effected. The first elections for an exile parliament
Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration
The Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, also known as the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, is the unicameral legislative organ of the Central Tibetan Administration. Established and based in India, it was founded in 1960, and was most recently elected to a 14th 5-year term from 2006-2011...
took place on September 2, 1960. The position of kalon tripa
Kalon Tripa
The Kalon Tripa, also Tibetan Prime Minister or "Chief Kalon", is the leader of the Kashag or Cabinet, part of the executive branch of the Central Tibetan Administration, a government in exile that claims the territory of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China...
was later empowered to share executive authority with the Dalai Lama. The kalon tripa was initially appointed by the Dalai Lama, but, beginning in 2001, this position was democratically elected by the Tibetan exile voters. The first elected Kalon Tripa was a 62-year-old Buddhist monk, Lobsang Tenzin
Lobsang Tenzin
Lobsang Tenzin, better known by the titles Professor Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche and to Tibetans as the 5th Samdhong Rinpoche , was the previous Prime Minister , of the Central Tibetan Administration, or Tibetan government-in-exile, which is based in Dharamshala, India; Lobsang...
(better known as Samdhong Rinpoche), to the position of Prime Minister of the CTA
Kalon Tripa
The Kalon Tripa, also Tibetan Prime Minister or "Chief Kalon", is the leader of the Kashag or Cabinet, part of the executive branch of the Central Tibetan Administration, a government in exile that claims the territory of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China...
. On 10 March 2011, the Dalai Lama proposed changes to the exile charter which would remove his position of authority within the organisation. These changes were ratified on 29 May 2011, resulting in the Kalon Tripa becoming the highest-ranking office holder.
Cabinet
Notable past members of the Cabinet include Gyalo Thondup, the Dalai Lama's eldest brother, who served as Chairman of the Cabinet and as Minister of Security, and Jetsun Pema, the Dalai Lama's younger sister, who served variously as Minister of Health and of Education.- Lobsang SangayLobsang SangayLobsang Sangay is a Tibetan refugee, legal scholar and political activist. He was elected as the next Kalon Tripa of the Tibetan Government in Exile on 26 April 2011, succeeding the 5th Samdhong Rinpoche.-Education and academic career:After graduating from the Tibetan Refugee school in...
- Prime Minister, Kalon Tripa - Minister for Education - Dolma Gyari - Minister for Home
- Dickyi Choeyang - Minister for Information & International Relations
- Pema Chinnjor - Minister for Religion & Culture
- Ngodup Drongchung - Minister for Security
- Tsering Dhondup - Minister for Finance
- Tsering Wangchuk - Minister for Health
Politics
Lynn Pulman, in her 1983 text on Tibetans living in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, argues that the broad goals of the CTA are to develop an intense cultural and political nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
among Tibetans, to expand the charisma and structure of the Dalai Lama, and to establish and maintain "social, political, and economic boundaries" between the Tibetan diaspora
Tibetan diaspora
The Tibetan diaspora is a term used to refer to the communities of Tibetan people living outside Tibet. Tibetan emigration happened in two waves: one in 1959 following the 14th Dalai Lama's self-exile in India, and the other in the 1980s when Tibet was opened to trade and tourism. The third wave...
and their host countries. To increase nationalism, the CTA has created the Tibetan Uprising Day
Tibetan Uprising Day
Tibetan Uprising Day, observed on March 10, commemorates the 1959 Tibetan uprising against the presence of the People's Republic of China in Tibet...
holiday, and a Tibetan National Anthem which is sung daily in CTA-run schools. The CTA controls much of the Tibetan-language media which, according to Pulman, promote the idea that the Chinese are endeavouring to "eradicate the Tibetan race" and how it is the duty of the refugees to "maintain the greatness and vitality of Tibetan race and national culture
Tibetan culture
Tibetan culture developed under the influence of a number of factors. Contact with neighboring countries and cultures- including Nepal, India and China - have influenced the development of Tibetan culture, but the Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinctive local...
." However, Lynn Pulman's findings are not the product of systematic research, for which Lynn had insufficient time, but of information gained from informal conversations with Tibetans, observations Lynn made, supplemented with the little published material available at the time.
Activities with other organisations
The CTA is not recognised as a sovereign government by any country, but it receives financial aid from governments and international organizations for its welfare work among the Tibetan exile community in India. In October 1998, the Dalai Lama's administration acknowledged that it received US$1.7 million a year in the 1960s from the US Government through the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, and had also trained a guerrilla force at Camp Hale
Camp Hale
Camp Hale, between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River valley in Colorado, was a U.S. Army training facility constructed in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division. It was named for General Irving Hale....
in Colorado. On 11 February 1991, the CTA became a founding member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization , formed in 11 February 1991, in The Hague, is an international organization of political organisations and governments representing self-proclaimed "indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories". The organization...
at a ceremony held at the Peace Palace
Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands.