In 1959, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and around 85,000 Tibetans were forced to leave Tibet to seek refuge, primarily in India, Nepal and Bhutan. In exile, His Holiness established a Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
Although not formally recognised by the world at large, Tibetans both inside and outside occupied Tibet regard CTA as our Government-in-exile and the sole legitimate Government of Tibet.
In the immediate years following His Holiness' taking refuge in India, one of the more urgent needs was a long-term rehabilitation programme that would serve to bring all Tibetan refugees into homogenous Tibetan communities large enough to allow them to perpetrate our language, traditions and thus preserve our national identity, and of course where food, shelter, medical care, education and a means of livelihood to develop economically self-supporting communities during their period in exile could be secured.
With the assistance of the governments of India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, foreign donor agencies and the work, faith and tenacity of Tibetan refugees themselves, 54 refugee settlements have been successfully established in India, Nepal and Bhutan since 1959. These include 26 agricultural, 17 agro-industrial and 11 handicraft-based settlements.
The Tibetan Refugee Community Today: The Tibetan refugee community in South Asia today has grown to 121,143. Almost 70,000 of these live in the settlements; the remaining 50,000 live in scattered communities in India and Nepal. In addition, there are 4634 Tibetan refugees who live outside South Asia.
Almost 30 per cent of the total working population is dependent on
agriculture (including animal husbandry), a proportion that rises to nearly half of the working population in the settlements.
Thirteen per cent of the total working population is dependent on handicrafts, mostly carpet weaving, which also provide a valuable source of secondary income for many more refugees. Another 29 percent of the population are primarily engaged in sweater selling and other trading. The remaining 30 or so per cent of the population is engaged in services, including those in government service, as well as those engaged in private services such as hotels, restaurants and shops.
The total arable land of the agricultural settlements in India and Nepal is over 26,000 acres, of which three quarters is under cultivation, although only 5 per cent of the cultivable land is irrigated. Due to the increase in the population, the average land holding per household has dropped to about 2.7 acres for a household of, on average, 5.8 people.
Due to a lack of employment opportunities many in the settlements are forced to migrate regularly in search of income, derived largely from sweater selling. Nearly a third of the adult population in the settlements migrates out of the settlements every year, a proportion that rises to as much as four out of every five adults in some settlements.
Because of the lack of employment opportunities, unemployment (defined as having no work for more than six months a year) stands at 18.5 per cent among the adult population.
Of the over 50,000 refugees who live in scattered communities outside of the settlements only 10,000 are refugees who came between 1959 and 1979 but have not received any rehabilitation facilities until now. Many of those who live outside of the settlements do so because of better livelihood and employment opportunities. Private trading and services are by far the most important occupations for those in the scattered communities accounting for almost three-quarters of total employment there. Education. As a result of the foresight of H.H. the Dalai Lama and the then Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, a number of schools financed by the Government of India were established in the settlements. In addition, the CTA, as well as autonomous institutions like the Tibetan Children's Village and the Tibetan Homes Foundation run schools in many areas where the Indian sponsored schools do not yet exist. It is estimated that 80 per cent of Tibetan refugee children are enrolled in Tibetan schools, and some children
in non-Tibetan schools.
Housing and health. Houses in the settlements were designed for five member families. In some settlements overcrowding has now become a serious problem with up to 10 members in each household. Moreover, many of the houses, including those built as temporary structures, have not been renovated since they were first constructed in the 1960s.
The CTA has been able to establish Primary Health Care Centres in almost every settlement in India and Nepal with a minimum of one community health worker to look after the preventive, promotive and curative health care needs of each community. In addition traditional Tibetan medicine clinics operate in many settlements with physicians trained by the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute.
Tuberculosis was for long a major health problem. Over 35,000 cases within the refugee community have been reported since 1959. Gastro-enteric, diarrhoeal, skin and respiratory diseases account for the highest proportion of the disease incidence both inside and outside of the settlements. Much of this is a result of poor sanitation and hygiene in the settlements and camps on account of inadequate water supply and related facilities.
New refugees. Since the early eighties, there has been a steady flow of Tibetans from Tibet into India and Nepal. In the last five years 44 per cent of all new refugees coming from Tibet have been between 14 and 25 years old. A further 17 per cent have been 13 years old or younger, many left behind by their parents so that they can be educated and be near His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Forty-four per cent of all the refugees in the past five years have been monks and nuns fleeing religious persecution. The sudden and dramatic increase in the number of monks and nuns, which has more than doubled the monastic community since 1980, has made it difficult for the already overcrowded monasteries and nunneries to continue to absorb them.
Structure of the Tibetan refugee community: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has on numerous occasions emphasised his wish to further develop the Tibetan government system into a more ideal democracy for Tibet and Tibetans. In 1990, a Tibet Constitution Redrafting Committee was set up to formulate a draft democratic constitution for future Tibet and a Charter for the period in exile. On June 14, 1991, the Charter for Tibetans in exile was promulgated by the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies. The Committee is currently drawing up draft constitutions which can serve as a basis for discussion when Tibet regains its independence.
The Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies. The Assembly is the highest elected legislative organ of Tibetans in exile. The present Assembly is the eleventh since its inception and has 46 elected members representing the three provincial regions and five major religious sects of Tibet. All legislative powers and authority are vested in the Assembly, and legislation further requires the assent of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Any Tibetan who has reached the age of 25 years, without discrimination on grounds of sex, religion, and social origin, has the right to contest elections to the Assembly. Likewise, every Tibetan who has reached the age of 18 years is enfranchised without any discrimination as mentioned above.
The Kashag. The Kashag or the cabinet of the CTA is responsible for exercising executive powers subordinate to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Its members are elected by the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies. The Kashag is the highest executing organ of the CTA.
The Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission was established in 1992. It
symbolises the "judiciary" wing of CTA. It is responsible for the
settlement of cases and controversies of a purely civil nature and which are internal to the refugee community. Disputes will be settled more or less in accordance with arbitrational procedures. The Commission will establish local justice commissions in each settlement and circuit justice commissions (equivalent to high courts) in six different zones.
Statutory Commissions: The Charter has made provisions for three statutory bodies; Tibetan Election Commission, Tibetan Public Service Commission, and Office of the Auditor General. The Election Commission's task is to conduct and oversee the election to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies; local people's assemblies; the Chairman and Vice Chairman of ATPD; Assembly; members of the Kashag; the Chairman of the Kashag; referenda; and
other such elections as per the provisions of the Charter.
The main function of the Public Service Commission is to recruit, train, appoint and promote the civil servants of the CTA. Lately, the Commission has also been entrusted with the task of looking after the welfare of the civil servants. At present the Tibet civil service is 350 strong.
The Office of the Auditor General is responsible for auditing the accounts of all departments and subsidiaries of CTA, including all public Tibetan institutions like co-operatives and societies, trading concerns, educational institutes, hospitals and health centers.
Department of Religion and Culture. This Department was set up in 1959 to preserve and promote understanding of Tibetan religion and culture. It undertakes activities to preserve the lineages of both Buddhist and Bonpo traditions and to re-establish their monasteries in exile. It also organises various exchange programmes and produces religious and cultural publications.
The Department of Home came into being in 1960. It is responsible for all rehabilitation schemes for the Tibetan refugees. All settlement and welfare offices and handicraft centres are directly responsible to the Department. Cooperatives and societies also come under the responsibility of the Department.
The Department of Finance. Set up in 1969, this Department formulates the annual budget of the CTA. The business units under the Department, including handicraft exports, hotels, etc., seek to generate income for the CTA and to provide employment for Tibetans in exile.
The Department of Education. It was established in 1959 and is responsible for all educational activities in exile. It oversees all 85 Tibetan schools in India, Nepal and Bhutan serving over 27,000 children. The Department runs a major child sponsorship scheme, and also awards scholarships to bright school graduates for further and higher education.
Department of Security. Set up in 1959, the primary duty of this Department is to ensure the personal security of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Department has a Branch Office which mainly arranges public audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and helps Tibetan refugees to seek renewal of their Refugee Residential Certificates. The Department also runs a Research and Analysis Unit which keeps abreast of developments in occupied Tibet and in China.
Department of Information and International Relations. This Department came into being in 1972. It disseminates information about Tibet and oversees CTA's international relations. It publishes journals in Tibetan, Hindi, English and French as well as books in Tibetan and English on different aspects of the Tibetan issue. It also produces audio-visual materials on Tibet. It monitors human rights, environmental issues and the condition of women in Tibet. This Department co-ordinates the working of the Tibetan offices abroad. There are currently 11 offices in New York, Geneva, London, Paris, Zurich, Budapest, Moscow, Tokyo, Canberra, Washington D.C., and Kathmandu. In addition there is the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. The Department also liaises with Tibet support groups around the world, as well as other organisations which deal with Tibetan issues. The Department of Health was established in 1982. It is responsible for looking after the health needs of the Refugee Community. It runs hea
lth centres in almost all the settlements, as well as six referral hospitals.
The Planning Council. Recognising the need to improve the use of its human, physical and financial resources in the development of the Refugee Community, the CTA established the Planning Council in 1988. The PC has been instrumental in introducing planning processes into the CTA, as well as establishing various service and other units, for example for computer services and handicraft exports.
The Office of the Reception Centres. With the increasing number of new refugees from Tibet the Office of the Reception Centres was established in 1990 to provide reception facilities for these refugees. The Office has branch offices in Kathmandu, New Delhi and Dharamsala. As well as providing temporary accommodation the Reception Centers seek admission for new refugees into relevant institutions in exile.
Special Units of the CTA. There are quite a few special units which operate autonomously under the general supervision of the Kashag and the concerned departments; a few remain under the direct management of the departments.
Under the Department of Religion and Culture:
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA);
The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi;
The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA); and
Tibet House, New Delhi.
Under the Department of Finance:
His Holiness The Dalai Lama's Charitable Trust; and
The Tibetan Administration's Welfare Society (TAWS).
Under the Department of Education:
The Tibetan Children's Village (TCV);
The Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF); and
The Cultural Printing Press.
Under the Department of Health:
The Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute (TMAI);
Delek Hospital and other hospitals.
Under the Planning Council:
The Tibetan Handicraft Development Board (HDB);
The Tibetan Computer Resource Center (TCRC);
Administration of settlements. The governance of the settlements and the scattered communities is also based on democratic principles. There is a Representative of the CTA in each settlement and major scattered community who is responsible for looking after the welfare of the refugees in the settlement or area. The general structure of the settlements is based on clusters of villages. There is a camp leader for each village, elected by all adults in the village, who is the chief coordinator between the Representative's office and the public. Under the Charter the settlements and clusters of scattered communities can elect their own settlement or welfare officer. So far two scattered communities have done so.
In many settlements there is a registered cooperative or society which plays an important role for the socio-economic conditions of the settlers. While the cooperative secretary is appointed by the CTA the policies of individual cooperatives are determined by the board of directors who are democratically elected by the settlers. To further reinforce democratic grassroots participation both in decision-making and the day-to-day functioning of the settlements and scattered communities, the Charter mandates the establishment of elected local assemblies. These local assemblies make local laws, rules and regulations and pass them with due consultation with the settlement or welfare officers. The local assemblies also pass the local budget. So far 35 such local assemblies have been
established.
