Sikyong and DIIR Secretaries at the launch of the book on Dolgyal
Photo: tibet.net
Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the head of Tibetan Government-in-exile, has launched a short documentary film and a book to counter the false allegations made by the Dolgyal or Shugden followers against the Tibetan government-in-exile and Tibet’s spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The 13-minute long documentary Shugden Protesters: Allegations v Facts clarifies the false accusations of discrimination and denial of religious rights to Shugden followers by explaining the Tibetan government’s stand and policies. The 365-page book is an updated compilation of factual explanations on worship of the controversial deity, Dolgyal.
Dr Sangay said that there has been a decline in protests by Shugden followers during His Holiness’s visits to western countries following the Reuters – the international news agency – exposure of the Shugden group’s link with Chinese government last year. However, he continued, “There are still some instances of such protests by a few misinformed foreigners on social media and elsewhere. Even among the Tibetan youth, there are some rare cases where they seem to question the logic behind this controversy, stemming from their belief in the right to freedom of speech and religion. Therefore, we felt it necessary to compile this book and produce this short documentary film to provide a fresh narrative on the issue” said Sikyong Lobsang Sangay during the launch, which took place on November 14 in Dharamshala.
Sikyong called on the Chinese government to amend their failed policies in Tibet and to stop using misinformation to instigate division within the Tibetan community.
“These groups began protesting against His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the name of religious freedom and human rights. Now they have resorted to disrupting Tibetan social harmony at the instigation of the Chinese government, even using the same narratives employed by the Chinese propaganda machinery,” said Ms Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Tibetan government-in-exile, who was also present at the launch.
“It is clear now that Dolgyal activities have become a tool for the Chinese government to slander His Holiness the Dalai Lama, demean the Tibetan people’s faith in His Holiness and disrupt Tibetan harmony”, added Dhardon Sharling.
The new documentary and the updated version of the book were produced by DIIR to provide more information and raise awareness about Dolgyal, and to counteract the inaccurate information being spread among the younger generation of Tibetans and misinformed westerners.
Shugden protestors had become a feature of His Holiness’s visits to the west, always having a presence at his appearances, waving banners, shouting slogans, singing songs and giving out leaflets. They also, when the opportunity arose, tried to disrupt question and answer sessions during His Holiness’s public talks. In 2015, Reuters exposed the Shugden or Dolygyal community as being backed by Chinese government to discredit Tibet’s spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, following which the Shugden community made a public announcement that they were closing operations.
The documentary, which is in English, can be found at tibetonline tv
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