Three Core Commitments
Advancing Tibet. Strengthening Unity. Building a Resilient CTA
1. Advancing Tibet
When Tibetans came into exile in 1959, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) faced the dual challenge of sustaining the Tibetan freedom struggle while caring for an impoverished and displaced refugee population. The Tibetan people under the leadership of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama met both challenges with remarkable success.
More than sixty years later, the Tibetan community – and the world around it – has transformed. Conditions inside Tibet have deteriorated, yet a disproportionate share of the CTA’s time, attention, and resources remains tied to administration, routine bureaucracy, and delivering benefits to a steadily shrinking population.
As Sikyong, my administration will refocus the CTA’s priorities toward active advocacy and strengthening the Tibetan freedom movement. This will include increasing resources currently allocated to advocacy (now less than 20% of the annual budget); launching a Look North Policy to reinforce strategic settlements along the India–Tibet and Nepal–Tibet borders and deepen engagement with Himalayan communities; and forging stronger alliances both across South Asia and around the world.
2. Strengthening Unity
The Tibetan exile and diaspora community — spread across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and nearly 25 countries worldwide — numbers fewer than 200,000 people, roughly 1 percent of Tibet’s total population. Yet in recent years, this small but vital community has grown less cohesive and more fragmented. Shifting demographics, geographic dispersion, decreasing reliance on the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) for daily services, and the aging of His Holiness the Dalai Lama — the unifying force and leader — have all contributed to this drift.
Tibetan leaders often speak of the need for unity, but the rhetoric has rarely been matched by specific and sustained action.
As Sikyong, my administration will work to unite all Tibetans. I will strengthen the CTA’s presence and relevance in people’s lives, foster greater trust and communication, and serve as a bridge between generations and between Tibetans in South Asia and the wider global diaspora. Unity is not an abstract aspiration — the future of the Tibetan community in exile and the outcome of our freedom struggle depend on it.
3. Building a Resilient CTA
Self-reliance is often spoken of, but real progress has been slow because we lack a concrete, long-term strategy. The funding cuts of 2025 have made the stakes clear: U.S. assistance to the CTA has dropped from US$14 million to US$7 million, and even this reduced amount has not yet been released. Several other governments have also reduced or ended their support, placing additional pressure on the CTA’s already limited reserves.
As Sikyong, my administration will work to recover lost aid and cultivate new sources of support. But long-term resilience cannot rely on external funding alone. We must foster a stronger culture of shared responsibility and encourage capable Tibetans to play a greater role in sustaining the CTA. Strengthening our financial base – and rebuilding CTA reserves – is essential for achieving our broader goals: unifying our community and revitalizing advocacy and the Tibetan freedom struggle.