About Gyalo Thondup, Dalai Lama’s brother, who died on 97

Gyalo Thondup, the elder brother of the Dalai Lama and former president of the exiles exile in India, died on Saturday at the age of 97. He died at his house in Kalimpong, West Bengal.

Mr. Thondup played an important role in major diplomatic efforts for Tibetan cause, to engage in several rounds of conversations with China and to work with foreign governments, including the United States, to get support for Tibet.

Who was Gyalo Thondup?

1. Gyalo Thondup was born in 1928 in a farming family in Amodo Province, Tibet. He was the first brother of the Dalai Lama and one of the six siblings. Unlike his brothers, he was not designed for religious life and instead was sent abroad for education.
2. During this time, the People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet, marking the onset of Chinese control over the region. In view of these incidents, Mr. Thondup joined Tibet deeply in advocating against Chinese rule.
3. After the fall of Tibet, he settled in India in 1952 and became an important contact between the Tibetan exile community and the Government of India. He played an important role in developing contacts with Indian leaders, in which Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and US officials received support for Tibet.
4. In the coordination of his brother, Dalai Lama, Mr. Thondup played an important role in escaping in India in 1959. He helped establish relations with Indian and Western governments for Tibetan cause.
5. Between 1956 and 1974, Mr. Thondup was an important person in organizing American support for Tibetan resistance fighters. He facilitated CIA -backed training programs for Tibetan guerrilla fighters, despite the opposition to the Dalai Lama’s armed struggle. During this period, he represented Tibet in the United Nations in 1959, 1960 and 1961. His efforts inspired three resolutions (1959, 1961 and 1965) to condemn Chinese works in Tibet and advocate Tibetan autonomy.
6. In 1979, Mr. Thondup began dialogue with Chinese leaders, which changed their view from supporting armed resistance to seek dialogue for the future of Tibet. He met Chinese politician Deng Ziaoping, who said “everything is negotiable, except independence.” This led to a conversation between Tibetan representatives and China, which continued until the 2010 conversation stopped.
7. Mr. Thondup served as the Prime Minister from 1991 to 1993 as the Tibetan Government and later in the Tibetan Government as the Minister of Security from 1993 to 1996.
8. In an 2003 interview with RFA, he admitted that neither India nor the US could solve the Tibetan issue and argued that direct conversation with Beijing was only one way.
9. Their memoir, Kalimpong’s noodle manufacturer, Published in 2015, expanded his participation in Tibetan resistance and his complex relations with the US. He said that he regrets relying on American promises for Tibetan independence.
10. In his last known media interview in November 2024, he urged Tibetans to remain united and promote Tibetan culture globally.

On Sunday, the Dalai Lama led a prayer session for Thondup in a monastery in Baylakuppe, Karnataka, where he is living for winter. He prayed to his brother’s “fast rebirth” in line with Buddhist traditions and accepted his contribution.