Today, successful Tibetans around the world did not succeed because of the CTA but in spite of the CTA. These are the farsighted ones, who saw long ago that they would fare better on their own outside the clutches of the CTA. The Tibetans in the settlements today are still being told that it is unpatriotic and near-treasonous to seek an Indian citizenship, which is available to many of them. And so they dare not.

For the CTA, personal profit will always trump championing a true ‘Tibetan cause’ that might see the return of the Tibetans to their homeland. Indeed, 50-over years of history show how sunk the Tibetan political system is, how inept and corrupt the politicians are, and how traitorous the leadership is. Sadly, the suffering of the people has become the CTA’s signature product.

Penpa Tsering will not be the last of the CTA’s notoriety and it is a matter of time before others are uncovered. As the CTA sinks deeper, seeing how geopolitical winds are blowing in favor of its nemesis, China, more cracks will appear and more of the CTA official’s improbity will spill. It’s just a question of time.

How to trust a government that does not allow its people to express their thoughts or question the action of the government. More Tibetans are losing confidence in the CTA. Many are leaving India and migrating to other countries. Some choose to go back to Tibet. If the CTA wants to garner the support from its own people, they have to change their way of doing things.