By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, July 30 – The Secretary of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile Mr. Phurbu Tsering passed away Thursday at 1502hrs at the Delek hospital here. Mr. Phurbu has not been keeping well since past few weeks and was on leave from office for health reasons. The last rites and cremation as per Buddhist tradition will be done tomorrow.
The Tibetan government in exile held a prayer session for the departed soul from 2PM to 3PM today. The offices of the Tibetan government in exile here remained closed after the prayer session as a mark of respect for Mr. Phurbu.
Mr. Phurbu was to leave for Bylakuppe for the first general meeting of the Tibetan people next month but had requested to be relieved from it due to sudden deterioration in his health condition.
During his career as a civil servant spanning almost four decades, Mr. Phurbu Tsering had served the Tibetan government in exile in various capacities since his joining days as a junior clerk in 1973. He worked briefly as the manager of the Tibetan Handicraft Centres at Mundgod and Dekyi Larsoe Tibetan settlements in Bylakuppe.
He served as the Joint Secretary of the department of health, and Tibetan Election Commission. He was promoted to the additional secretary’s post in 2007.
He took over as the acting secretary for Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat in May 2008 and was promoted to the secretary general’s post in June this year.
He is survived by his wife, son and three daughters. He was 57.
