The Tibetan government-in-exile : politics at large / Stephanie Roemer.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [197]-214) and index.

Introduction -- Modern Tibet : a historical account -- Definition of the area of Tibet -- Society and economy -- Central and local administration -- Lama state : the union of politics and religion -- Tibetan politics : 1900-59 -- An approach towards a theory of governments-in-exile -- The struggle from abroad to free the homeland -- Governments-in-exile and national loyalty -- Governments-in-exile and international support and recognition -- Additions to Shains theory -- Tibetans in exile : a portrait of the CTA -- Flight : reasons and numbers -- First years in exile : the role of the newly founded CTA -- The exile struggle : changing politics -- The structure of the CTA -- Exile Tibetan NGOS : their role in exile politics -- The annual budget of the CTA -- Theoretical characterizations of CTA politics -- Membership in the exile Tibetan community -- Educational opportunities -- Tibetan buddhist nationalism -- Universal rights approach -- Exile Tibetan democracy -- Summary and conclusions -- Appendices -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

This book provides a detailed account of the structure and political strategies of the Tibetan government-in exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), in northern India. Since its founding in 1959, it has been led by the 14th Dalai Lama who struggles to regain the Tibetan homeland. Based on a theoretical approach on exile organizations {u2013} and extensive empirical studies in Asia {u2013} this book discusses CTA{u2019}s political strategies to gain national loyalty, and international support, in order to secure its own organizational survival and the ultimate goal: the return to Tibet. The book is organized around the two fundamental questions: firstly, how the CTA fosters its claims to be the sole representative of all Tibetans over the last decades in exile; and, secondly, which policies have been carried out in order to regain the homeland. The book is divided into four substantial chapters: {u2022}the historical background, providing a review of pre-1959 political Tibet {u2022}a theoretical section which covers the critical position of exile organizations {u2022}an examination of the exile Tibetan community and government from the early years {u2022}an analysis of crucial CTA policies. Innovative and unique, this book combines a political science approach with Tibetan studies to analyse exile-Tibetan politics in particular, and exile governments in general.