By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, March 17: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday has denied any negligence on the part of the Doeguling Mundgod Local Election Commission in the suicide of a Tibetan camp leader Yeshi Jungney in January.
The Election Commission’s reaction to the case comes after more than two months following the death of Jungney on January 14, allegedly due to his dissatisfaction with the local Tibetan administration’s support towards him.
“It is not true that lack of support from the local electoral authorities to enforce the punishment had led to his unfortunate step. He had mentioned that he was disheartened to personally see the punishments were not carried out properly,” Sonam Choephel Shosur, Chief Election Commissioner told RFA.
Yeshi, a former solider in the Special Frontier Force, allegedly committed suicide after a monk from Rungpo Khangtsen of Losel Ling Monastery manhandled him during the Preliminary Elections on October 18, 2015, when he was on duty as a staff under the LEC.
Choephel said that the deceased village leader of camp 1 of Doeguling Tibetan settlement had mentioned that the either the monastery or the concern supervisor’s negligence in enforcing the punishment agreed upon by all parties had led to the extreme step.
The CEC also urged the Tibetan public to fully comprehend an issue before blotting EC’s name.
However, a local resident told Phayul in January that the deceased in his suicide note had written about his disappointment towards the lack of support by the local Tibetan authority as well as fellow Tibetans following an incident of scuffle between him and a monk on October 18, 2015.
The Representative of the Tibetan Settlement, Phuntsok Tsering, then told Phayul that the monk was asked to write an apology letter, which was signed by the monastery’s treasurer (changzoe), the disciplinary master (gekoe) and himself. The monk was also made to work in the monastery kitchen.
“After the incident, he (deceased) was never himself, he seemed to have lost his vigor in some ways. He was a man dedicated to the community,” Phuntsok Tsering said, explaining the immediate impact on him due to the incident and other circumstances.
During the preliminary round, the deceased intervened when a monk approached a ballot box with fifteen ballot papers. A video of the scuffle was widely circulated on social media and messaging apps.
