By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 14: The Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan Exile government here today released a short documentary film and a book, attempting to counter the allegations of discrimination against Shugden followers and denial of rights. Tibetan PM Lobsang Sangay said that his government must win the “war of truth” against the followers of Dholgyal deity whose propitiators have levied allegations of discrimination and denial of religious freedom by the Dalai Lama and the CTA.
“Although there is a decline in protests and outright public condemnation of the Dalai Lama ever since the International media exposed the Shugden organization’s links with the Chinese government, there are lingering doubts from people around the world if there is religious freedom for Dholgyal followers and discrimination against them. Hence the documentary and the book will serve to dispel such uncertainties and create awareness that such allegations are baseless,” Sangay said at a launch event.
The Sikyong said that followers of Dholgyal continue to live in Tibetan settlements in India, their children educated in CTA facilitated schools and get endorsed by the CTA when it comes to acquiring legal and travel documents.
Information Secretary Dhardon Sharling said that although more visible measures such as public protests against Dalai Lama by Dholgyal followers have subsided, efforts are made through “soft power” by the group which reportedly enjoys China’s support . The volume of campaign by the group in the internet and social media sites have increased dramatically and the focus has shifted towards alleging conflicts and crisis within the exile government, according to Sharling.
“It is clearly evident that the protestors are fringe group of extremists and fundamentalists using the Shugden and the religious right rhetoric as a framing strategy to actually serve their parochial interests that is to undermine the global accomplishments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And this ties in perfectly into advancing Chinese government’s agenda of damaging the image of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, delegitimizing the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan cause,” Sharling says in the short documentary titled ‘Shugden Protestors; Allegations vs. facts’.
Following the Reuters report in 2015 that exposed Shugden organizations receiving clandestine support from the Chinese government, organizations such as the ‘International Shugden Community (ISC) disbanded and public protests, particularly in the west against the Dalai Lama, have gone down.
