Miss Tibet, a Pageant Loaded With Controversy and Drama
Choekyapy, a monk, teaches English and Web-surfing skills to Sonam Choedon, 18, who won the crown this year. By Emily Wax
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
DHARMSALA, India -- For Buddhists, the first noble truth is that all life is suffering -- and that apparently applies to beauty pageants, too.
The Miss Tibet pageants, seen by many as a showcase of feminine beauty, have been fraught with controversy and drama. Even though the contests take place in a drowsy Himalayan town in India -- home to the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan exiles -- the Chinese government and some Tibetan elders have pressured contestants to withdraw. It is probably one of the few things that the political rivals can agree on. "Heavy is the head that wears the tiara," one Tibetan TV station reported.
Unsurprisingly, there are few runners-up in the Miss Tibet pageants. This year, only two entered the contest, which is in its seventh edition.
And the winner was Sonam Choedon, a shy 18-year-old with shiny waist-length black hair and high cheekbones. At 16, she fled her homeland on the Tibetan plateau to Dharmsala, headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile.
"We can't feel too much happiness with what was going on in Tibet," Choedon said. "But winning Miss Tibet means I can contribute to the Tibetan cause. It gives me a platform to talk about Tibet."
And that infuriates China, which annexed Tibet nearly 60 years ago. In the long-standing conflict between the world's most populous country and a tiny community of Buddhists seeking a return to their homeland, the Miss Tibet pageant is a symbol of defiance against Chinese rule. China has successfully pressured organizers of international beauty pageants to bar entrants from Tibet who refuse to wear a sash that reads, "Miss Tibet-China."
The heavily made-up contestants wear elaborate gold jewelry and floor-length chubas, traditional Tibetan robes. The pageants include yoga competitions and questions about Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan history. The toughest part is the swimsuit round -- in addition to enduring the gawking men, the contestants must weather the mountain chill.
"It was very cold," said Choedon, who was crowned last month, edging out a 22-year-old receptionist. Tibetan elders have called on their leaders to suspend the pageants, saying that they are incompatible with the Buddhist philosophy of non-materialism and respect for inner beauty.
To the elders, the pageants are a sign that their culture is being watered down, especially with so much of the population in exile. Many of the 130,000 Tibetan exiles living in the shadow of northern India's snow-capped mountains have fought hard to preserve their traditions, especially here in Dharmsala, where Israeli and U.S. backpackers mingle with monks in cafes that serve Tibetan dumplings and mocha lattes. Some Internet cafes here include free head massages while surfing the Web.
But many young Tibetans praise the Miss Tibet contest and say it shows how their generation -- raised in exile -- is carving out a fresh identity.
"For Tibetan society, a beauty pageant is a very culturally shocking thing. There was immense social pressure not to participate," said Tsering Kyi, 25, a newspaper columnist, who was crowned Miss Tibet 2003 after 13 other contestants dropped out under pressure. "But the younger generation likes American hip-hop, they watch a lot of TV, they have a lot of Western influences. We don't mind mixing cultures."
Kyi, like many in her generation, has put her energy into the tools of Tibet's nonviolent struggle: writing essays and helping friends screen Tibetan documentaries at cafes around town.
"Miss Tibet is an important protest tool in a nonviolent movement," she said. "It needs to stay creative."
When the contest was first held, the prime minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile called it "un-Tibetan" and "aping Western culture." In 2005, seven women pulled out at the last moment under pressure from elders.
But in 2006, the Dalai Lama calmed nerves with his characteristic humor: "If there is Miss Tibet, why not Mister Tibet?" the Dalai Lama said. "He could be handsome. Then it would be more equal."
Crowning a Miss Tibet can be as tricky and controversial as choosing the next Dalai Lama, a process that involves searching for a child who recognizes his previous incarnation's possessions.
Some potential contestants said they kept away this year because they were worried about offending those suffering in Tibet, where Chinese troops cracked down on protesters recently. There is also a shortage of funds to cover the cost of the pageant and the prize money. Even actor Richard Gere, who has visited the Dalai Lama, thought the idea was odd. "He laughed a lot and wished me luck," said Lobsang Wangyal, founder and director of the Miss Tibet pageant, who pays the prize money out of his pocket.
"At the heart of the contest is Tibetan pride since it asserts Tibet as a nation," Wangyal said. He got the idea, he said, "by thinking how great it would be to have a Miss Tibet on stage with a Miss China. Plus, it's empowering for young Tibetan women to build confidence. It opens our society up to the world."
In Wangyal's office one recent day, Choedon was getting English and Web-surfing lessons from a monk.
The pageant winner, who is from a tiny farming village, said she is slowly adjusting to life outside Tibet. She had painted her nails pink, was chewing gum and wearing a new pair of jeans. She had recently discovered pizza.
Swinging her hair across her back, she put a Tibetan spin on the cliched beauty queen's desire for world peace.
"Like His Holiness the Dalai Lama says: 'No matter what, never give up.' So I dream of returning to a free Tibet. I hope they could move the Miss Tibet pageant home one day," she said.
Then she struck a pose, hands on her hips, head held high.
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