DHARAMSHALA, June 24: In an exclusive interview with Phayul, the award-winning Tibetan writer Woeser has said that the stalled Sino-Tibet dialogue process has failed to achieve “even a single result.”
Answering three questions posed by Phayul on the recent resignation of the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Woeser said that their resignation wasn’t unexpected.
“Their resignation has not come as a surprise … Yet, talking about their legacy for the future, to be honest, the dialogue process has not achieved even a single result.”
Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay had at the beginning of this month accepted the resignations of Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lodi G. Gyari and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen.
The two envoys, who have led nine rounds of talks with the People’s Republic of China since 2002, cited the deteriorating situation inside Tibet and their “utter frustration” over the lack of positive response from the China as reasons for their decision.
“Given the deteriorating situation inside Tibet since 2008 leading to the increasing cases of self-immolations by Tibetans, we are compelled to submit our resignations,” Gyari and Gyaltsen said in their resignation letter.
Dr Sangay, while accepting the resignation had praised the “invaluable” contributions of the Envoys to the Tibetan cause and said they will both continue to serve as members of the Task Force team.
“They have worked extremely hard in challenging circumstances and made earnest efforts to move the dialogue process forward and resolve the issue of Tibet peacefully,” Dr Sangay said.
Responding to Phayul’s queries, Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile, accused China of using the dialogue process to “deflect international criticism on the issue of Tibet and to shun critics on their appalling human rights record in Tibet.”
Rigzin argued that only a reversion to the stance for Independence will “force the Chinese side to the table and truly rekindle our freedom struggle.”
“If we really want the Chinese talking, then I believe it is high time we go back to the drawing board and to sustain and strengthen our freedom struggle, TGIE should revert its political stand to Independence.”
The full transcript of the interview “The Youth, Women, and Woeser on the future of Sino-Tibet dialogue” can be read here.
Phayul invites its readers to send us your own answers to the questions.
