Published by: World Tibet Network News Wednesday, December 17, 1997
[Following is a clarification from Mr. Lhasang Tsering, former President of the Tibetan Youth Congress re. recent article in the WTN Issue of December 6, 1997, item 2 titled " Idealised, trivialised, distorted Hollywood celebrates the Dalai Lama". TS]
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From: Lhasang Tsering , Dharamsala16 December 1997
I came across today on WTN the translated text of the transcript of the German television news programme 'Panorama' entitled: Idealised, trivialised, distorted Hollywood celebrates the Dalai Lama.
Since I have been quoted on this programme I would like to make the following clarifications:
1. When German Television telephoned me to ask if I would give them an interview I inquired what their focus was and I was told that the focus was on the human rights in Tibet. I was asked about the reason for stopping the publication of Mangtso (Democracy) and my views about the Tibetan government's decision not to seek independence. I agreed to an interview but said it was more important for the world to know about the larger problem of China's oppression inside Tibet than about the problems among Tibetans in exile.
I find the programme had nothing to do with human rights in Tibet. This amounts to the German Television having lied to me to obtain an interview. I would never have given an interview if I knew that the purpose of the programme was to tarnish the image of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
2. In the 'Commentary' introducing me, I have been described as "the leader of the Tibetan democratic movement". This is absolutely inaccurate. The 'Commentary' goes on to mention that 'pressure from the exile government' was the reason for the closure of Mangtso.
In my interview I mentioned that an official spokesman of the Department of Information and International Relations, while talking to a writer from the London based New Internationalist magazine, had accused Mangtso of 'playing into the hands of the Chinese'. In my view this amounted to a charge of treason and that, therefore, this was one of the reasons for the decision to stop publishing Mangtso.
I never mentioned any pressure from the exile government to stop publishing Mangtso. Again I find my words to have been distorted.
3. I never used the words "embarrassingly so". But perhaps this is due to the translation.
I demand an apology from German Television and an appropriate clarification on the same programme.
Lhasang Tsering
