Dharamshala, 14th January: Tsedrung Gyaltsen Choden, one of Tibet’s longest-serving civil employees and the only surviving government official, died in the United States on Friday at the age of 102, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). On January 12, a prayer ceremony was held in the Kashag Secretariat to mourn his death, which was attended by Sikyong Penpa Tsering.
Tsering delivered the eulogy for the dead, saying: ‘We have gathered here today to mourn the demise of Kungo Gyaltsen Choden la who was perhaps the last surviving government official of an independent Tibet before 1959.’
Sikyong stated that from a young age, he(the deceased) worked for the Tibetan government and after going into exile, he spent the rest of his life working for the exile government in various roles.
‘He was one of the longest-serving Tibetan civil servants and we offer our deepest condolences to his family members. We believe that he has lived a truly meaningful life serving the Tibetan people and fulfilling the aspirations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.’
Choden was born in Medo Gongkar, near Lhasa, in 1920, according to the CTA. He was the third of Jangchup Phuntsok’s four children, born to Kelsang Dolma and Jangchup Phuntsok. He began his education in 1930. He joined the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in 1935 to study Buddhist philosophy and theology. He was hired as an accountant in 1946. In 1959, he went into exile and retired from active duty in 1992.
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