Revealing the real ways of Tibetan govt in exile through an anonymous friend

By Rajiv Shah

Recently, I received an email from from a person who introduced himself as Ronny Krier, claiming to be an American cultural researcher. He said, he visits Counterview in a regular basis to read news about India, and thinks, “It's a great platform to break the information filter bubbles and hear different voice.” Then Kreir, who is on Twitter and Facebook, and calls himself “independent investigator, religion-politics researcher,” refers to a friend whom he does not name to point out how the Tibetan government in exile is failing to take care of refugees.

Says Krier, “Under the pandemic, my friend, a Tibetan refugee who lived in Dharmsāla, had something to talk about the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) in dealing with Covid-19 and current issues in the Tibetan community. I met him when I was travelling India, and recently he reached me and talked about it. He really wants to be heard by the Indian public and the global audience. However, he's still a bit cautious about his personal info(Tibetan community is not big), so he would like to talk anonymously at this stage(I will try to convince him to be brave and speak out loud).”
He adds, “I think his story really needs to be heard in the Indian public, for it's about refugees ' human rights and the actual functions of the Tibetan exile government. And I think Counterview is a great platform to publish his opinion. So if you are interested in his story, please email me back and I will give you his whole story.”
I asked Krier to send a story, and this is what he sent to me along with a couple of photographs, revealing the ways of CTA:

***

Thanks for your reply. Then I directly sent his words to you...
"It is clear that the coronavirus in Dharmsāla has not been effectively controlled, as any Tibetan can see. Being a Buddhist, I practice every day. But in this situation, I always want to look back to see what led to such a bad situation. CTA is the elected government of Tibetans. Lobsang Sangay was the Sikyong that we voted for. But under his leadership, the pandemic was out of control and he seems to know himself as a local mayor under the Indian bureaucracy rather than our Sikyong. Looking through the news of the CTA, Lobsang Sangay seems to be busy soliciting international support on behalf of the Tibetan community. He has made a historic visit to the White House, he has met with some high-rank Indian officials, and he has written a letter to some important person... But I think he should have led the CTA to take stronger actions in dealing with coronavirus and focus on our Tibetan.
By contrast, I really appreciate the dedication of community health workers. Even though they are not scientifically trained, they are still doing something realistic. As for vaccines, they have been available in India for a long time and even have been exported to other countries, but how many people in Dharmsāla have been vaccinated? I read the news that hundreds of thousands of Indians vaccinated, but only 10 Tibetan health workers have been vaccinated. Isn't it what we CTA should have worked on harder?

Not to mention the economy under the pandemic, I know that if we want to build a strong settlement, we also need to develop our economy, at least to meet the basic living standard of our Tibetan. But the truth is that many people around me have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus, and we would rather see the CTA as a democratically elected government to give the Tibetans more tangible benefits than stay at home in despair and watch Dr. Lobsang socialize everywhere.
What's worse, His Holiness Dalai Lama is also facing the threat of coronavirus, he is over 80 years old, one of the high-risk groups to get this horrible virus. If the vaccine is really effective, why don't they give His Holiness Dalai Lama the vaccine first?
I am very worried about the safety of HH Dalai Lama, especially near where he lives. I heard that there are some new cases in the nursing home around there, and the number of deaths.
What most depressed me with the CTA government right now, like the @Tibetans said, is Lobsang Sangay. He did not respect the promise of Tibetan democracy. He broke the rules and did the campaign for Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang, trying to interfere in our democratic elections, Sikyong 2021. I really don't want our democratic election to fall into party politics, since it's been a tough time getting here. I can only hope that the next government will improve our living standards and really focus on our benefits."
... And he still wants to speak anonymously, thanks for your understanding.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

Is U.S. fast losing its financial and technological edge under Trump’s second tenure?

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

On Teachers’ Day, remembering Mother Teresa as the teacher of compassion

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ It is Teachers’ Day once again! Significantly, the day also marks the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta (still lovingly called Mother Teresa). In 2012, the United Nations, as a fitting tribute to her, declared this day the International Day of Charity. A day pregnant with meaning—one that we must celebrate as meaningfully as possible.

Gujarat minority rights group seeks suspension of Botad police officials for brutal assault on minor

By A Representative A human rights group, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat, has written to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, demanding the immediate suspension and criminal action against police personnel of Botad police station for allegedly brutally assaulting a minor boy from the Muslim community.

Counterview

Search This Blog