I convey my best wishes to the newly elected members of the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies, its Chairperson and Vice-chairperson. This Assembly is comprised of both seasoned members, who have had years of prior experience as deputies, and fresh young members, who have received modern education. It is my hope and belief that this blend of tradition and innovation will bring about meaningful initiatives that would help the fundamental cause of people of the Land of Snows.
The main objective behind the democratization of the exile Tibetan polity is to create a competent public–a public that can realize its own aspirations by exercising its powers and responsibilities–so that, there is no let up or dereliction in the struggle for the Tibetan cause, until its resolution. Even after the resolution of Tibetan cause, our experience with democracy would be a great gift for Tibet. With (the introduction of) a genuine, democratic system of governance based on the charter, the Assembly has been the highest body of the exile Tibetan polity, constituted in a manner representative of the whole of the Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. Each and every member of the Assembly should therefore, at all times be mindful of their bounden duty. They should fulfill the expectations of voters by becoming a competent public representative, able enough to convey people’s voice to the Assembly, as well as in educating the public on the policies decided by the Assembly.
The evolution of exile democracy in about half a century has engendered rich experiences and results, especially given the status of being in exile. However, occasionally, the collective cause continues to suffer as a result of views based on partisanship or that that are not related to work and are personal in nature. I therefore urge the members of the Assembly to be aware of this, and in light of the dire Tibetan situation, to esteem the collective cause as paramount and promote integrity of the Tibetan people without fail. It is also my hope that the members of the Assembly would continue to facilitate the ongoing Sino-Tibetan dialogue process to resolve the Tibetan issue in accordance with the policy of Middle-Way.
N.B. This is an un-official translation from the original Tibetan. In case of any discrepancy, please consider the original Tibetan version as authoritative and final.