HimVani
Shimla (April 17): Tashi Jong Youth Association (TJYA), a youth NGO of Tibetans living in asylum in India, has cited 10 arguments defending the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who was being speculated as Chinese mole and threat for Indian security after recovery of huge foreign currency from his monastery recently.
The Tibetan youth wing accepted that such speculations have emerged after recovery of allegedly unaccounted cash from the Karmapa monastery. But, terming media reports about the Karmapa as speculative and without any collaborative evidence, TJYA cited 10 arguments to prove his innocence,
It argued that Karpapa was merely 14-year-old when he escaped from Tibet to India so how could a boy without any knowledge of Indian language and experience in politics could be sent as a spy. It further stated that as soon as he had stepped into India he had been recognized by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation, which has further gained the confidence among Tibetan people living in India.
“After the Karmapa arrival to India many of his former associates had been detained by the Chinese authorities. Even after ten years since the Karmapa escaped, his parents are under the surveillance of the Chinese security forces. Their movements are monitored and restricted and they need permission even to visit neighboring villages,” the statement read.
The Association alleged that Chinese have banned photos of Karmapa displayed on altars or worn round the neck by his devotees back in Tibet. “Moreover, the Indian government and intelligence agencies have kept a watchful eye on the Karmapa for the last ten years or so and at no stage was there any mention of him being a Chinese spy. The Dalai Lama is fully convinced that he is not a Chinese mole.”
On recovery of 12 lakh Chinese Yuan from the monastery supposedly implicates him as a Chinese spy, TJYA argued that this in not logical as their is no reason why he cannot use any other currency other than the Chinese Yuan for spying activities.
Regarding recovery of several Chinese SIM cards, it stated that there is no mention of such findings in the copies of documents handed over to the monastery by the investigating agency. “Another media speculation was that the main reason behind the Karmapa being sent by China has to do with his taking charge of Tibetan affairs as Dalai Lama is in his twilight years. The Dalai Lama has been aiming to democratize Tibetan institutions and transfer his political and administrative responsibility to an elected leadership for a long time. The Tibetan community has had an elected de-facto prime minister for the last ten years and would continue to do in the future. Association concluded that these misleading comments are made out of lack of knowledge of Tibetan Current Affairs by the media.
The Association accepted that Tibetan people living in asylum in India were deeply indebted to the people and government of India for the support and hoped to contribute for better understanding between the two communities.