Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 30: Sonam Sangpo Jadur, former Tibetan Chief Justice Commissioner and Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan parliament in exile, passed away at the age of 85 on September 28 at his residence in Dolanji Bon settlement after a prolonged illness.
Born on September 28, 1939, in Jadur, Western Tibet, Sonam Sangpo began his education at the age of six at Jadur Monastery, where he learned reading and writing and later served as the monastery’s treasurer. After fleeing into exile, he worked as a Hindi translator for Tibetan labourers involved in road construction projects in the Shimla and Kullu regions.
In 1966, under the guidance of His Holiness Menri Trizin, the spiritual head of the Bon tradition, Sonam Sangpo assisted in securing land to establish the Bon settlement in Dolanji. By 1979, he had become the Settlement Officer of Dolanji Bon settlement.
From September 2, 1982, to May 11, 1990, Sonam Sangpo represented the Bon tradition in the 8th and 9th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, then known as the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (ATPD). He was re-elected to the 11th, 12th, and 13th terms of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from May 29, 1991, to September 24, 2003. During his tenure, he served as Deputy Speaker in the 11th term and again briefly from June 1, 2001, to September 24, 2001, during the 13th term, before resigning to become a Justice.
On September 26, 2001, Sonam Sangpo was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Justice Commission of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, later becoming the Chief Justice on October 1, 2002, a position he held until his retirement on September 28, 2004. After his retirement, he continued to serve as Vice President of the Tibetan Bon Foundation following the instructions of the 33rd Menri Trizin.
On Monday, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) held a prayer service to honour the memory of Sonam Sangpo Jadur. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile has also sent a letter of condolence to his family and relatives.
