Replaced Washington Office of Tibet representative denies any wrongdoing, vows to clear his name

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Mr Penpa Tsering, Former Representative at the Office of Tibet, Washington, DC
Mr Penpa Tsering, Former Representative at the Office of Tibet, Washington, DC

(TibetanReview.net, Dec07, 2017) – Following his handing over of charge on Nov 30, the now former Representative at the Office of Tibet, Washington, DC, Mr Penpa Tsering addressed a press conference on Dec 5, refuting as false, and alleging as being designed to mislead the Tibetan public, all the grounds put out by the Kashag for removing him from office. He further contended that as the side that had acted against him on those 10 grounds, the responsibility to allay the turbulence resulting from that decision was fully upon the Kashag. He vowed to take further action if the Kashag failed to come clean on its allegations against him.

He shared with the Tibetan journalists attending the press conference a 97-page, point-by-point rebuttal of the Kashag’s allegations against him, complete with numerous official correspondences, which he said vindicated his position.

On the allegation of ‘trust deficit’ cited for his removal from office, Penpa Tsering maintained that the lack of trust, in fact, existed on the side of the Kashag, saying he was kept in the dark on matters related to US government funding provided through the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) despite reaching out to the CTA President on the matter. He said previous Office of Tibet Representatives had the responsibility to manage those funds. He also contended that on a few occasions, his office was not notified of the schedules of the visits to North America by the CTA President and a member of his cabinet.

On the charge of failing to schedule meetings with US congress leaders during a CTA president’s visit, he said none materialized despite his efforts due to the shortness of notice and scheduling conflicts. He wondered whether any of his predecessors had been taken to task for any such failure.

On the allegation of taking up with a bank only belatedly, and only after withdrawing funds, its notification of intention to close down the Office of Tibet’s five bank accounts, he said the bank itself showed its move to be clearly political and therefore it could not have been prevented. He denied that a huge loss in tax had occurred as a result, as alleged.

He refuted the Kashag’s allegation that he announced the appointment of Mr Kunga Tashi as the Chinese Liaison officer at his office unilaterally by saying he had made it clear that the appointment had not been finalized and was subject to Kashag’s decision.

On the issue of the amount of $1.5 million the Office of Tibet had received from the Tibet Fund during his predecessor’s tenure for the purchase of its new building in the US capital, he said he never intended to make an issue of it. Rather, he said he only pointed out that an entry recorded as a receivable amount in the books of account of the latter did not appear as a payable entry in the former’s account books, adding this accounting anomaly would definitely have led to problems later on.

The Kashag’s clarification had said the amount, though entered as a loan for legal purposes, was in fact a grant and Penpa Tsering was wrong to call it a loan. Anyhow, said Penpa Tsering, such back door way to receive fund without approval from the Tibetan parliament in exile was a violation of the Charter of Tibetans in Exile. He called it his duty to question such discrepancies and did not consider them acts of insubordination.

On other points, Penpa Tsering denied having received three letters of warnings over the period of one year and two months he had served on the post but only the last one notifying the termination of his service.

On the allegation that he did not report to the Kashag the Dholgyal followers’ welcome rally for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his US visit in early April, Penpa Tsering said this was patently untrue. He also refuted the allegation of failing to lobby for and receive funding from the US government for the CTA.

Penpa Tsering did admit that he had a long chat with the Sikyong’s female nominee for a Kalon post but denied having tried to convince her to refuse to work under him by criticizing him and the Kashag as alleged in the 10-point clarification. He said this took place at a dinner party attended by many people and in their presence.

The Kashag had, in its Nov 18 clarifications, said Penpa Tsering had been removed by its Nov 7 decision “due to growing trust deficit, underperformance and insubordination”.

During the nearly four-hour press conference held at Mcleod Ganj, Penpa Tsering felt that no cause for him to try to vindicate himself would have arisen had the Kashag removed him from office just like that or by simply suggesting that it was unable to work with him. However, the seriousness of the allegations cited for removing him from office rendered it imperative for him to explain his position on the development, he said. He maintained that the allegations were intended to tarnish his image.

Mr Penpa Tsering, a former Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, also vowed to make further moves unless the Kashag comes clean on its allegations against him.

1 COMMENT

  1. Penpa Tsering la, I must tell this to you, kashag led by Lobsang Sangay is crystal clear and clean.
    Your are the dirty one and not clean as where ever you go left trail of false accusation and misled Tibetan people to sabotage Lobsagn Sangay’s successful leading CTA.

    The proof is that during 2011 sikyong election campaign, there was not a word of accusation or controversy left among the candidate and Lobsang Sangay was one of candidate for Sikyong in that year.

    then came 2016 election campaign and finalist was between you and Lobsang Sangay. Where ever you went for campaign you left trail of false accusation and misled general public against Lobsang Sangay. During your election campaign in NY you misled tibetans in NY that under current CTA led by Lobsang Sangay, CTA was almost financially bankrupted. One of the tibetan from the audians
    asked you, in that case was there any one informed HHDL? You replied to him, are supporter of Lobsang Sangay? and ignoring to answer the question.

    In year 2011 Lobsang Sangay took over from Samdhong CTA budget was 600 crore rupees and to wards end of his first term as Sikyong, CTA’s annual budgets went up to 1200 crore rupees.
    While Lobsang Sangay was not election campaign but was on tour in the line of duties.
    Tibetan people were frustrated and demanded answer from lobsang snaggy for your false accusation left behind. Lobsang Sangay was forced to answer to clearify the truth and fact.
    For this then again you twisted the situation and accused lobsang sangay for campaigning with CTA fund while reality was LS was on tour in the line of duties.

    We must accept the fact you are jealous of Lobsang Sangay’s successful and efficient because he is highly academically acclaimed and highly qualified. This not the time to behave like that at this jucnture. Once tibet is free then you may do what ever you wanted. This is the time we remain united and any tibetan like Lobsang Sangay who is efficient and internationally well known should lead CTA and LS is the only tibetan who is fit for sikyong’s post at this time and certainly not you.

    Accept the reality of life and fact, don’t be egoistic, in reality you have nothing to be egoistic, your behaviour, your character, your qualification, your efficiencies are less than average tibetans and nobody knows you among indian politicians, academic institution in india and you rare not known internationally. So there fore, you have nothing campare to lobsang sangay.

    The reality is that you ruined by yourself your own career.

    I am not supporter of lobsang sangay, certainly I support his achievement. No kalon tripa in the past has achieved like lobsang sangay has achieved.

    I advise you remain calm and shut up until this member of parliament term is over, after this term then if you campaign you may get a seat of member of parliament.

    At moment, you just think and learn how it went wrong with your behaviour that ruined your career.

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