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Kalon Tripa Misquoted in PTI Story
Contact: Mr. Thubten Samphel
Tel: 1892-222510/224662
Fax: 1892-224957
Dharamsala, 30 December 2003: Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, the Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration, has been misquoted in a wire service story filed by the Press Trust of India from Panipat on 28 December 2003. In the news item the Press Trust of India Panipat reporter has attributed these remarks to Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, "There are no political or cultural differences between the people of Tibet and China. The United States of America has misled the world by propagating that there is a situation of struggle in Tibet."
This is to categorically clarify that these remarks attributed to Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche were not made by him. The venue where Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche supposed to have made these remarks was at a public function in Panipat where Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche spoke in Hindi. The reporter has apparently made an inaccurate translation of Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche's remarks and this has been the source of confusion over his remarks. Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche never once in the course of his public address made any reference to the United States of America. On the contrary the Tibetan people are deeply appreciative of the consistent efforts made by the US administration to highlight the appalling human rights situation in Tibet.
Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche's address was focussed on explaining the Middle Way Approach of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Middle Way Approach takes into consideration the interest of both China and the Tibetan people. This approach advocates that in return for China allowing the six million Tibetans to enjoy genuine autonomy, Tibet could exist within the overall political framework of the People's Republic of China. This is the consistent position of both His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration.
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