Sangay asks China to review its "hard-line" Tibet policy

Lalit K Jha and Yoshita Singh
Washington/Boston, Apr 28 (PTI) Newly-elected Prime
Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Lobsang Sangay
has said his top priority is to restore freedom in Tibet and
asked China to review its "hard-line" Tibet policy.
Sangay said that the 76-year-old Dalai Lama would
return during his lifetime to the Potala Palace he fled nearly
50 years ago.
The 43-year-old Harvard law researcher won 55 per cent
votes in the March 20 election held around the world,
defeating two candidates, Tenzin Namgyal Tethong and Trash
Waged.
"We are already facing immense challenges including
a critical situation in Nags and Andi with Tibetans being
killed and arrested by the Chinese government. I urge every
Tibetan and friends of Tibet to join me in our common cause to
alleviate the suffering of Tibetans in occupied Tibet and to
return His Holiness to his rightful place in the Potable
Palace," Sangay said in a statement after the election results
were announced.
Asking Beijing to review its "hard-line" Tibet
policy and take a "more moderate and liberal approach", he
said if China wanted to become a new world superpower, it
could not do so through economic or military might, but would
need to exercise moral authority in how it treats people.
He said that the decision of the Dalai Lama to
transfer political powers needs to be respected.
"The Dalai Lama has decided to transfer political
power to the Tibetan people by entrusting whom they have
magnanimously chosen as the head of their exile government,"
Sangay said in an interview to the Tibetan service of Radio
Free Asia.
"We must respect the wishes and wisdom of His Holiness
and find ways to implement his decision," he said in his first
ever interview after he was declared elected the Prime
Minister of the Tibetan Government in exile.
Sangay had addressed an audience at Harvard two days
before his election result and said his "number one priority
is always and will always remain to restore freedom in
Tibet...Domestically, improving education will be my number
one priority."
On the tense political issue of Chinese rule of
Tibet, Sangay said he advocates a "middle way," or autonomy
for Tibet within Chinese sovereignty.
"That is the Tibetan government's policy, and if I
get elected, I must abide by the policy, and I will do so,"
Sangay said in a Harvard release.
Sangay believes the election will give him legitimacy
on the world stage as a Tibetan leader in a now-secular
government, but China is unlikely to recognise his authority
with some Chinese newspapers even labelling him as a
"terrorist."
He said he knew many Chinese scholars personally,
and "I believe in dialogue."
Sangay said he expects the Dalai Lama, who will
"always be my spiritual leader and source of inspiration," to
play the role of an "elder statesman."
"It's not so much to replace him, but rather to live
up to his expectation and fulfill his vision which is that
when elected, I should be the head of the government and
become the political face and spokesman for the Tibetan
people."
Sangay would relocate in May to Dharamsala, the seat
of the Tibetan government-in-exile, to establish his cabinet
before the current office holder; Samdhong Rinpoche steps down
on August 14.
Many expect Sangay would play a more visible role, as
the Dalai Lama this year announced his intention of stepping
down as political leader of the Tibetan exile community.