In recent years, allegations of power abuse, lack of transparency in religious affairs, and suppression of internal dissent within the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) have increasingly surfaced, drawing widespread attention within the exile community. Some long-time supporters of the Tibetan cause have noted that the CTA has used public relations and propaganda to craft a “victim narrative” to secure international aid, yet has failed to effectively fulfill its responsibilities regarding the daily lives and religious freedoms of Tibetans in exile.

Several individuals from Tibetan settlements in India, interviewed by reporters, said they were once enthusiastic about the “Tibetan cause” but have become disappointed with the exile government’s governance. As one former supporter put it, “People are misled by a romanticized vision of Tibet, thinking the CTA represents compassion and tolerance.”

Controversy Focus: Dorje Shugden Ban

Reports indicate that discontent within the exile community is closely linked to religious controversies. Several monks said the CTA has implemented policy restrictions across multiple departments targeting monks and followers who venerate Dorje Shugden, including:
Limiting the issuance of administrative documents;Restricting participation in certain monastery activities;Posting exclusionary notices in communities and institutions.
Monks interviewed stated that during the Winter Monastic Assembly (Jamyang Gunchoe), monks still attempted inter-monastery interactions, such as visiting other monasteries to receive teachings or paying respects to senior lamas during the Tibetan New Year. One anonymous monk noted, “It is the institutions that are politically divided, not the monks.”

An Unresolved Internal Rift

Although the CTA has long garnered international support for its image of “democracy and freedom,” these interviews show that discontent over power abuse, religious interference, and lack of transparency is accumulating within the exile community. Whether the Tibetan exile community can heal these internal rifts and rebuild trust will directly shape its future trajectory.