Skip to main content

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

TRENDING

Advocacy group decries 'hyper-centralization' as States’ share of health funds plummets

By A Representative   In a major pre-budget mobilization, the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), India’s leading public health advocacy network, has issued a sharp critique of the Union government’s health spending and demanded a doubling of the health budget for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year. 

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative   A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital. 

Zhou Enlai: The enigmatic premier who stabilized chaos—at what cost?

By Harsh Thakor*  Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 until his death and as Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1958. He played a central role in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over five decades, contributing to its organization, military efforts, diplomacy, and governance. His tenure spanned key events including the Long March, World War II alliances, the founding of the PRC, the Korean War, and the Cultural Revolution. 

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar’s views on religion as Tagore’s saw them

By Harasankar Adhikari   Religion has become a visible subject in India’s public discourse, particularly where it intersects with political debate. Recent events, including a mass Gita chanting programme in Kolkata and other incidents involving public expressions of faith, have drawn attention to how religion features in everyday life. These developments have raised questions about the relationship between modern technological progress and traditional religious practice.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

'Threat to farmers’ rights': New seeds Bill sparks fears of rising corporate control

By Bharat Dogra  As debate intensifies over a new seeds bill, groups working on farmers’ seed rights, seed sovereignty and rural self-reliance have raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation. To understand these anxieties, it is important to recognise a global trend: growing control of the seed sector by a handful of multinational companies. This trend risks extending corporate dominance across food and farming systems, jeopardising the livelihoods and rights of small farmers and raising serious ecological and health concerns. The pending bill must be assessed within this broader context.

Climate advocates face scrutiny as India expands coal dependence

By A Representative   The National Alliance for Climate and Environmental Justice (NACEJ) has strongly criticized what it described as coercive actions against climate activists Harjeet Singh and Sanjay Vashisht, following enforcement raids reportedly carried out on the basis of alleged violations of foreign exchange regulations and intelligence inputs.