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The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile has adopted a resolution mandating leaders, officials and staff of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to use the Tibetan language in their official duties without unnecessary mixing with other languages, as reported by Phayul.
The resolution was the second Private Members Resolution presented during the ongoing second session of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. According to Phayul, it was tabled by Parliamentarian Lhakpa Tsering and supported by Parliamentarian Gyaltsen Choekye Gagya before being put to a vote and adopted by the House. Speaking in support of the resolution, Lhakpa Tsering said the three pillars of Tibetan democracy should lead by example by increasing the use of Tibetan in their official work. He said the language was not merely a means of communication but an important vessel of Tibetan identity, culture and continuity. As cited by Phayul, Lhakpa Tsering recalled that he had previously called for greater use of Tibetan during a parliamentary visit to Varanasi. He stressed that sustained efforts were required to develop the habit of speaking Tibetan in official settings, beginning with public servants before extending the practice more widely among the Tibetan public. Parliamentarian Rigzin Lhundup also supported the resolution, describing it as unfortunate that a parliamentary resolution was required simply to encourage Tibetans to speak their own language. He said the use of Tibetan by officials while communicating with the public could make government institutions more accessible and provide an example for younger generations. According to Phayul, Rigzin Lhundup also argued that preservation of the Tibetan language should not be viewed solely as a response to language policies imposed in occupied Tibet. Instead, he said speaking Tibetan was integral to affirming Tibetan identity. He encouraged Tibetans to communicate, ask questions, and conduct everyday interactions in Tibetan wherever possible. Parliamentarian Gowo Lobsang Phende similarly backed the resolution andnoted that although officials across the three pillars of the CTA generally use Tibetan, unnecessary English terms and mixed expressions have increasingly entered official communication despite the availability of suitable Tibetan equivalents. Phayul reported that Lobsang Phende cited the CTAs workforce of more than 500 people across its three pillars and said consistent use of pure Tibetan by public servants could have a wider impact across the exile community. Referring to restrictions on the Tibetan language and script in occupied Tibet, he said the exile administration had an added responsibility to safeguard and strengthen the language where it has the freedom to do so. He also welcomed recent efforts by Tibetan leadership in Dharamshala to promote the use of Tibetan in official letters and statements, while calling for such initiatives to be implemented consistently rather than remaining limited to formal announcements. The resolution was subsequently adopted by the House, marking renewed efforts to strengthen the use of the Tibetan language within the exile administration. As reported by Phayul, the development comes amid concerns over Chinas implementation of the so-called Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, which Tibetan exile leaders have criticised as a legal framework that could accelerate the assimilation of Tibetans by affecting their distinct identity, language, culture and way of life. (ANI)
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