Standing in front of an oversized picture of the Dalai Lama, the 23- year-old Tibetan beauty queen from India clasped her palms together and bowed her head before pulling up a chair.
"I respect His Holiness and I follow his teachings," she said, saying the phrase "role model" was grossly insufficient to describe the impact that the Tibetan spiritual leader has had on her and on the world, "because he is everything."
Tsering Chungtak, a sociology major from the University of New Delhi, made headlines last December when she was expelled from the 2007 Miss Tourism competition in Malaysia for standing up against the Chinese government and refusing to wear a sash that read "Miss Tibet-China."
It had been reported that the Chinese government pressured the organizers to bar Chungtak from participating in the event unless she took off the "Miss Tibet" sash.
"I refused to wear the sash because the title [Miss Tibet-China] is unacceptable to me and it will remain unacceptable until the Tibet issue is resolved," she said.
In an interview with the BBC, Chungtak said she was shocked when she was asked to leave for her refusal to wear the sash because "this is a beauty pageant, it's not at all related to politics."
"I did not call my parents when it happened. I made the decision myself on the spot," she said.
The aspiring actress and singer who repeatedly referred to herself as a "simple, humble" person, was crowned Miss Tibet in 2006 in the northern Indian hilltop town of Dharamsala, home of the Tibetan government-in-exile and residence of 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate the Dalai Lama.
This marked the second time that a Tibetan beauty pageant entrant has claimed Chinese influence on the competition.
In 2005, Tashi Yangchen also left the contest after the Chinese authorities said she would have to enter as Miss Tibet-China.
In spite of China's human-rights abuses in Tibet, Chungtak told the Taipei Times in an exclusive interview that she believes Beijing should still host the upcoming Olympic Games.
"I think Beijing should get the opportunity to host the Olympics because the games celebrate the spirit of sports. Moreover, it gives Beijing a chance to prove its claims about the human rights conditions in Tibet and China," she said, adding the international event will also give the world the opportunity to judge the truthfulness of Beijing's claims.
Chungtak arrived in Taiwan last Tuesday at the invitation of the Miss Taiwan organizers. She also took part in the 2008 Tibetan Olympic Torch relay, which made its stop in Taiwan yesterday.
"As a Tibetan, I cannot speak for Taiwan. But I believe the future of Taiwan is in the hands of the Taiwanese people and no one else should be allowed to make any decisions regarding Taiwan," she said.
When asked about her experience over the last five days, Chungtak said Taiwan was a beautiful country. However she declined to comment further on Taiwan's democracy, saying she did not wish to say anything that could be construed as influencing mext month's presidential race.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS