Press Release by Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies

Lies, Rumour-mongering and Intimidation

Tactics of Shugden Activists

On 19 July 2002 a disguised spokesman of the Chinese government- the self-proclaimed Kundeling Tagtsa Jetrung, better known as Nga Lama-issued a press statement in Kathmandu, making a number of baseless allegations against His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people. It is, therefore, necessary to set the record straight for the international community.

1. Nga Lama’s press statement talked about the event of “11 September 2000”. We don’t know what event he was referring to unless he and his friends had pulled off some covert operation on that day. We, of course, do know about the series of terror campaigns that Shugden society, to which Nga Lama and his followers belong, have carried out in the Tibetan community.

   Nga Lama probably meant the terrorist attack on the United States on 11 September 2001. If that is the case, he should know that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all the Tibetan followers have strongly condemned it. Nga Lama’s press statement reads like a wish list, a wish list of someone who has no scruples about discrediting his nation and people for personal financial gains.

   The Tibetan people are, by and large, followers of the Buddhist teaching of peace and non-violence. It is only a small section, the followers of a spirit known as Shugden, who terrorize the innocents in the Tibetan community with murder and other acts of violence. Obviously, they are unhappy with the international respect that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has gained for his advocacy of non-violence and world peace

   In contrast to the well-known fact, Nga Lama alleges that divine rule and terrorism are gaining currency among the Tibetans and Buddhist followers worldwide. The truth is that terrorism is foreign to Buddhist followers. Similarly, Buddhism does not teach the centrality of divinity. It is Nga Lama himself and his friends, who claim to be Buddhists, but insist on taking refuge in the wordly spirit, Shugden. It seems only natural they should imbibe the jealous nature of the spirit in whom they have taken refuge. It also seems to explain their acts of murder, arson and intimidation against the followers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What is surprising is that Nga Lama, in his press statement, has gone to the extent of projecting his image on others.

2. Nga Lama accuses Hollywood of “immortalizing Tibetans and their leadership or portraying them as the survivors of the lost Atlantis civilization”. This shows his hatred and jealousy against His Holiness the Dalai Lama for winning the Nobel peace prize. Needless to say that the Chinese government’s money has deluded him.

   His Holiness the Dalai Lama has a responsibility to preserve the Buddhist teaching. It is in the spirit of this responsibility that on 7 March 1996 he spoke against Shugden practice as he had found through his investigation and research that this was corrupting the Buddhist teaching with the cult of spirit worship.

   Nga Lama and a handful of Shugden followers have managed only to harm the Buddhist teaching. They have also started creating disharmony in the Tibetan community. The Chinese government exploited the situation by offering them financial resources. Strengthened by the Chinese money, they have unleashed a campaign of murder and intimidation in the Tibetan community.

   With the exception of a handful of Shugden followers, the Tibetan people have complete faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is widely respected by the international community, including open-minded Chinese people. It is quite clear that there is absolutely no need for anyone to coerce the Tibetan people to show him loyalty.

3. The statement of Shugden followers presumes that His Holiness should age suddenly just because he suffered from illness. Even a child knows that this needs not be so. When His Holiness became ill last year, all of us who cared for the cause of Tibet and world peace were overwhelmed with unspeakable sorrow; we could neither enjoy our sleep, nor relish our food. Not so the Shugden followers, who wish ill for the cause of Tibet and Buddhism. Their press statement betrays their disappointment at His Holiness’ recovery from the illness.

   Nga Lama’s press statement gives a grossly exaggerated account of the event that took place on 8 June 2002 at Sera Je College. To give a complete and accurate account of that event would take too much space. Suffice to say that whatever happened there on that day was the independent decision of the abbots, administration and monks of the college. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile has nothing to do with it. Documents issued by the monastery clearly mention this. As a matter of fact, murder, coercion and intimidation are the ways of Shugden followers. The followers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama would never indulge in such acts.

4. Nga Lama has evidently not read the “Constitution of Tibet” and “Guidelines for Future Tibet’s Polity and Basic Features of its Constitution”, which His Holiness promulgated to the world. Nga Lama has drawn his conclusion from hearsay without even bothering to confirm the authenticity of his source. That is why he alleges that His Holiness is “hell-bent on being assured of loyalty”.

5. India and Nepal have been extremely generous to the Tibetan people in our hour of need. Nga Lama’s rumour-mongering is aimed at creating misunderstanding between the people of Tibet on the one hand and the peoples of Nepal and India on the other. This attempt will never succeed. We have absolutely no desire to make baseless allegations against the people and leaders of our host countries. Nga Lama seems to think that the peoples of India and Nepal are stupid. He probably does not know that India and Nepal, like any other self-respecting country, have their own secret services to look after national security. If the Shugden followers test the limit of their host countries’ tolerance too hard, they may one day find themselves unwelcome in these countries.

   His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile has never looked upon the Chinese as enemies . And, will never be so in the future. We are only asking for the legitimate rights of our people in our own homeland. We have no racial quarrel with the Chinese people. People like Nga Lama will never understand this.

   The Tibetan people and Government-in-Exile have consistently followed the path of non-violence in our freedom struggle. Our commitment to non-violence will remain undiminished even after we succeed in restoring freedom in Tibet. Contrary to Nga Lama’s wishful thinking, we will never resort to acts of terrorism. There is absolutely no basis to his claim that “the agents of the Dalai Lama use the Nepalese and Indian soil for anti-Chinese and terrorist activities”.

   It is ridiculous to equate His Holiness the Dalai with Osama Bin Laden, as Nga Lama did in his press statement. This very contention confirms the fact that Nga Lama is merely conducting a smear campaign against His Holiness.

   The activities of Nga Lama and Shugden followers show the depth of the Chinese government’s infiltration. It is also an indicator of how close the Chinese government is to bringing its insidious campaigns inside India. We request the governments and peoples of India and Nepal to remain vigilant against this threat.

   Standing Committee of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies, Dharamsala.

6. 8 August, 2002