After almost sixty years as the spiritual figurehead for Tibetans in exile from Chinese-occupied Tibet, the Dali Lama announced on March 17, 2011 his intention to step down as Tibet’s political leader, in a bid to politically bolster the Tibetan government in exile. Elections were held and a prime minister was chosen, something the Dalai Lama has repeatedly called for, in an attempt to lend the Tibetan government increased political credence and assertiveness in the face of Chinese pressure.

In renouncing his role as the Tibetan community's political leader, the Dalai Lama has made way for the newly appointed Kalon Tripa, or prime minister, Lobsang Sangay, but will retain his pivotal place at the centre of Tibetan Buddhism.

Born in Darjeeling in 1968, and elected on April 26, 2011 with a 55 percent majority, Sangay is a Tibetan legal scholar, an expert on international human rights law, and currently a visiting research fellow at the East Asian Legal Studies programme at Harvard Law School.

Lobsang Sangay will succeed Lobsang Tenzin as the head of the exiled Tibetan government in early August, but despite the fresh election, the political future of the government in exile is uncertain in the face of pressure on Buddhist practices in china.

Monks at Dharamsala’s Kirti Jepa monastery live in freedom to practice and study their religion, in stark contrast to those at their affiliated monastery in China’s Sichuan province that borders the eastern edge of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Reports say the monastery is surrounded by Chinese troops, who have moved to ban the monks’ religious practices by way of the gun, in a province that saw violence and revolt during the 2008 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

Whilst changes are taking place, more hard-line Tibetan activists believe that the current Dalai Lama’s leadership has not been forceful enough and believe that a more direct and aggressive stance is needed to achieve Tibetan autonomy. As it stands, the Tibetan government faces a huge task regarding China and achieving autonomy as a governing body in exile.


This feature was shot in May 2011.

Full edit of 73 images available on request.

There is also a custom-written article (4600 words) to accompany the images, including interviews, written by independent journalist Christine Toomey, which is available for license direct from the author: c.toomey@btopenworld.com