TIBETAN Bulleti n - Central Tibetan Administration · 05/11/2014 · Central Tibetan...

TibeTan bulleTin november - december 2013 1

Volume 17, Issue 6 november - december 2013

www.tibet.net/en/tibbul

BulletinThe official Journal of The cenTral TibeTan adminisTraTion

TIBETAN

Focus

Current Human Rights Situation in Tibet•

Tibet Issue Raised in Australian Senate on Rights Day•

Feature

DIIRKalonDickiChhoyangTestifiesBeforeItalianSenate•

Documentation

StatementoftheKashagandTibetanParliament-in-Exileonthe24thAnniversaryof•theConfermentofNobelPeacePrizetoHisHolinesstheXIVDalaiLamaofTibet

CTA response to Chinese allegations

PartyBossinTibetPlanstoSeparateThe14thDalaiLamaFromTibetanBuddhism•

TibeTan bulleTin november - december 20132

Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay met with US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at the Senator’s office in the U.S. Capitol Building on 14 November 2013

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Vasant Valley School and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in New Del-hi, India on December 6, 2013.

View of the stage during the dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and scientists in Tokyo, Japan on November 17, 2013. Photo/Office of Tibet Japan

Kalons of CTA with Mr. Roberto Pinto, President Ugo Ros-si of President of the Autonomous Province of Trento

“Yesterday, I noticed two girls on crutches begging on the street, their forlorn faces reflecting their deso-lation. The traffic flows past such people, and it seems no one pays any attention. It’s very sad. We really should make efforts to support such people. For example, here in the city I’ve seen the extravagance with which weddings are celebrated these days. Instead of such lavish displays of wealth, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to provide a meal for the poor?” His Holiness said on Care Home for Street Children in Delhi


Tibetan Bulletin is an official bi-monthly journal of the Central Tibetan Admin-istration.

Signed articles or quotations do not neces-sarily reflect the views of the Central Tibet-an Administration. Contributions are wel-come and may be addressed to the editor, Tibetan Bulletin. However the publisher regrets its inability to return unused articles unless they are accompanied by a self-ad-dressed envelope with adequate postage.

Tibetan Bulletin is distributed free of charge. To subscribe please email the circu-lation manager or see page 2.

EditorLobsang ChoedakEmail: [email protected]

Asst. EditorJamphel Shonu

Intern/ReporterTenzin Passang

Layout & DesignTenzin Passang

Circulation ManagerTenzin ChoephelEmail: [email protected] Bulletin is published by:Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharam-shala- 176 215 H.P. India Tel: +91-1892-222510 / 222457

Vol. 17, Issue 6 november - december 2013

TIBETAN BulletiN

regulars

Focus

TestimonyofKalonDickiChhoyangoftheCentralTibetanAdministrationbeforetheItalianSenate’sExtraordinaryCommissionfortheProtectionand

PromotionofHumanRights

Feature

documentation

brief news

c o n t e n t swww.tibet.net/en/tibbul

4.SikyongMeetswithUSSenateMajorityLeaderHarryReid

5.TibetansmournpassingawayofNelsonMandela

6.BrazilianParliamentaryDelegationvisitsTibetanParliament-in-Exile

7.CurrentHumanrightssituationinTibet

10.TibetIssueRaisedinAustralianSenateonRightsDay

UNmustholdChina’shumanrightsrecordtohighestlevelofscrutiny

ThreeCanadianMPs raised the issueofTibet in theparliament aftertheymetHisHolinesstheDalaiLama’snewrepresentative

StatementoftheKashagonthe24thAnniversaryoftheConfermentofNobelPeacePrizetoHisHolinesstheXIVDalaiLamaofTibet

StatementoftheTibetanParliament-in-Exileonthe24thAnniversaryoftheConfermentofNobelPeacePrize toHisHoliness theXIVDalaiLamaof

Tibet

world press

21.DesperationinTibet[TheNewYorkTimes]BytheEditorialBoard

22.AnexclusiveinterviewwiththeDalaiLamabyAmyKazmin

PartyBossinTibetPlanstoSeparateThe14thDalaiLamaFromTibetanBuddhism

cta response to chinese allegation

13.

11.

14.

17.

19.

27.

TibeTan bulleTin november-december 20134

news from TibeT & exile

TheSikyongalsomettwosenioredito-rialboardmembersofTheWallStreetJournal,formerSenatorJoeLiebermanandNicholasKristoff,thePulitzerPrizewinner columnist for The New YorkTimes.“GreatchattodaywithLobsangSangay, Tibetan leader, about escalat-ing repression inTibet.Sad to see theoppression there,”Kristoff tweetedaf-terthemeetingtohiscloseto1.5mil-lionfollowers.

He alsomet with theWashington bu-reauchiefforTheHuffingtonPost,Ma-riaOtero and PaulaDobriansky – thetwo former US under Secretaries andSpecialCoordinatorsforTibetanIssues,keystaffersoftheSenateForeignRela-tionsCommittee,andCongresswomanZoeLofgrenwithwhom he discussedimmigration-relatedissues.

In all his meetings, the Sikyong has beenspeakingofCAN,hisAdministra-tion’s commitment to theMiddleWayApproach, and requesting more sup-portforTibetandTibetans.CANisthethree-phased integrated approach ofConsolidation,ActionandNegotiations(ordialogue)thatservesasabroadstra-tegicpolicyroadmapforthecurrentTi-betanAdministrationinDharamsala.

SikyongMeetsUSSenateMajorityLeaderHarryReid

WASHINGTON, DC – Sikyong Dr.Lobsang Sangay met with US Sen-ate Majority Leader Harry Reid attheSenator’sofficeintheUSCapitolBuilding on 14 November. The twoleaders discussed the current situation inTibetandthenextvisitofHisHoli-nesstheDalaiLamatoWashington.“IhavemetHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaseveraltimes.Heisaremarkablefig-ure.WhatishappeninginTibetisverysad,”saidSenatorReid.TheSikyongspokeabouthis assumptionofpoliti-cal leadership of the Tibetan peopleand the efforts of hisAdministrationtodrawattentionandresolvetheTibetissue. Representative Kaydor Aukat-sangandtheSenator’sSeniorForeignPolicyAdvisorwerealsopresentatthemeeting.

With this important meeting and anearliermeetingwithCongressmanEdRoyce–Chairmanof theHouseFor-eign Relations Committee, the Sikyong hasnowmetwithmostofthetopUSCongressional leaders. In his ear-liervisitstoWashington,hemetwithHouseSpeakerJohnBoehner,LeaderNancyPelosi,andSenatorJohnKerrythenChairmanof theSenateForeignRelationsCommittee.

Denouncing the atrocities perpetratedagainst Tibetans in Tibet, a group ofMPs from all Icelandic political par-ties exceptPrimeMinisterSigmundurDavíð Gunnlaugsson’s ProgressiveParty have submitted a parliamentaryresolution encouraging the Chinese governmenttoresumepeacetalkswithHis Holiness the Dalai Lama’s repre-sentatives, ruv.is and Iceland ReviewOnlinereportedon29November.

TheresolutionurgestheIcelandicpar-liamenttohighlightconcernsovergrow-ingviolenceagainstandoppressionofTibetansbytheChinesegovernment.ItcallsontheparliamenttocondemnthecrackdownonpeacefulprotestsinTibetandinsistthattheChinesegovernmentnot stand inwayof theUNsendingadelegation to investigatehuman rightsabuses inTibet.Encouraging theChi-nesegovernmenttoinitiatepeacetalkswiththerepresentativesofHisHolinesstheDalaiLama, theMPs suggest thattalkscouldtakeplaceinIceland.

Astatementaccompanying the resolu-tionsaidthatmanyparliamentsaroundthe world have passed resolutions re-garding the critical situation in Tibet.TwelveNobelPeacewinnershavesentletters to the Chinese government en-couragingpeacetalkswiththeTibetanpeople.TheMPs believe that the Ice-landicparliamentshouldtakeastance,particularly given that senior officialsoftheChinesegovernmenthavevisitedIcelandonaregularbasis.“WeIceland-ers have amoral obligationunderourfreetradeagreementwithChina,whichtakeseffectinearly2014,tohighlightthat we will not accept human rightsviolations of the kind outlined in thestatement.”

SikyongDr.LobsangSangay,thedem-ocratically-elected leader and politicalsuccessor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, reiterated commitment to dia-loguetofindasolutiontotheissueofTibetwithintheframeworkoftheChi-neseconstitution.

BeautifulcultureofTibetshowcasedatHimalayanFestivalTibetans showcased their beautifulcultureand traditionataday-longHi-malayanfestivalatShimla, thecapitalof northern Indian state of HimachalPradesh,on23November.

The festival, jointly organised byDe-partment of Tourism, Himachal StateGovernmentandDepartmentofHomeof theCentralTibetanAdministration,wasaimedatpromotingfriendshipandcultural understanding among peoplesespecially those living in the Himala-yanregions.

Dignitariespresentontheoccasionin-cludeDeputySpeakerKhenpoSonamTenphel, Health Kalon Dr. Tsering-Wangchuk and Director of TourismMohanChauhan.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said:“Tibetisalandofreligion,andisare-positoryofuniqueandbeautifulculture,languageandreligion.Itisourrespon-sibilitytotakecareofTibetanslivinginexileandespeciallyensurethatTibetanchildren get good education.We hopeand pray to god thatTibetans in exilewillreturntotheirhomelandwithdig-nitywithinmylifetime,”hesaid.

Sikyongsaid:“Weexpressoursincereand heartfelt gratitude to the govern-mentandpeopleofHimachalPradeshfor their long-standing support to theTibetanpeople.”

Songs and dances of Tibet, Bhutan,Ladakh, Sikkim, Kinnaur and Nepalwereshowcasedontheoccasion.

Sino-Tibetan talks could take place in Iceland

TibeTan bulleTin november december 2013 5


Tibetans mourn passing away of Nelson Mandela

DescribingNelsonMandelaasaniconofpeace,SikyongDrLobsangSangaysaidhis struggle for justicegavehopetohumanityingeneralandparticularlytoTibetans,thatjusticedoprevailintheend.“The history of the anti-apartheidmovement and the personal story ofMandelagavehopetohumanityingen-eralandparticularlytoTibetansthatjus-ticedoprevailintheend,”heremarked.CallingMandelaaniconofpeaceintheworld, Dr. Sangay said “the Tibetanmovement, as a whole, is inspired bytheanti-apartheidmovement forbeingnon-violent and peaceful, adding thatMandela’s legacy and his struggle forjusticewillcontinue.”

InalettertothefamilyofNelsonMan-dela,HisHoliness theDalaiLamaex-pressedhisdeepsadnessonlearningofthepassingawayofNelsonMandela.His Holiness wrote: “In his death theworld has lost a great leader, whosesteadfastandunflinchingdeterminationplayedakeyroleinsecuringpeaceandreconciliation during South Africa’stransition from apartheid rule. Underhis leadershipSouthAfricawas trans-formedthroughpeacefulmeans,inthespiritofreconciliation.”

HisHolinesssaidthathewillpersonallymissadearfriend,whohehadhopedtomeetagainandforwhomhehadgreatadmirationandrespect.Inhisletter,HisHolinesscontinued,“Hewasamanofcourage, principle and unquestionableintegrity, a great human being, someone ofwhomwecantrulysay,“Helivedameaningfullife.”Iprayforhimandof-fermyheartfeltcondolencestoyou,themembersofyourfamilyandtheentirepeopleofSouthAfrica.”

Finally,HisHolinesssaidthatalthoughNelsonMandelahadphysicallydepart-ed,hisspiritwillgoon.Heexpressedthatthebesttributewecanpaytohimistodowhateverwecantocontributetohonoring theonenessofhumanityandworkingforpeaceandreconciliationashedid.

We aspire for your autonomy status

SikyongDr.LobsangSangay,thepolit-icalleaderoftheTibetanpeopleonhisarrival in Bolzanomet with Dr.ArnoKompatscher, the President designateofSouthTyrolon18November.

Hesaidhewasvisitinglongtimefriendsin theautonomousprovincesofSouthTyrolandTrentoinnorthernItaly.Thetwoprovincesenjoylegalautonomousstatus within the political structure oftheItalianRepublic.

Dr.Kompatscherpledgedhiscontinuedsupport.He said he firstmetHisHo-liness theDalai Lama as a student in1997andmorerecentlyduringHisHo-liness’visittoBolzanoinApril2013.

SikyongDrLobsangSangayalsovis-itedTrento,thecapitalofTrentinoau-tonomousprovince.HemetwithMrs.SaraFerrari,newlyappointedCommis-sioner for International Solidarity oftheProvinceofTrentoandMr.BrunoDoringatti,Presidentof theProvincialCouncilofTrento.

Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay briefedMrs.SaraFerrariabouttheTelemedicineanddrinkingwaterprojectsfinancedbythe Trento provincial government. Hesaid that hehadvisitedboth theproj-ect areas in India. The telemedicineconnection was inaugurated between

theTibetan settlement inMainpat andTelerad RXDX in Whitefield, Banga-lore in lateMay2013.Tibetans livinginLadakharebenefitingfromthedrink-ingwaterproject.

During his meetings in Bolzano andTrento,Dr.Sangay said, “Weare ad-vocating to resolve the Tibetan issuethrough non-violence and dialoguebasedontheMiddleWayApproach.”

Sikyong said that the Tibetans are seek-inggenuineautonomy.Thefreedomen-joyedbythepeopleoftheautonomousregion of Bolzano and Trento showsthatautonomousstatusfortheTibetanswithin the framework of the People’sRepublicofChinaispossible.

Inrespondingtoquestionsaboutthesit-uationinTibet,Dr.SangaysaidthatthesituationonthegroundinTibetwasn’tgettingbetter.Hesaid122Tibetanshadself-immolatedinTibet,demonstrationsagainst mining and dam construction continueinTibet. “IamveryconcernedaboutthepresentsituationinTibet,aswecontinuetohearvery sad news from Tibet,” said Mr.BrunoDoringatti, the President of theProvincial Council of Trento. “I wishto strengthenour relationshipbetweenTrentoandtheTibetanpeople.”

“ItisnowurgentthatFranceintervenewiththeChinesegovernmenttoendtherepressive policy towards the Tibetanminority and reaffirm its support forTibetans in the name respect for hu-man rights and freedom of expressionthat are the foundation of its foreignpolicy,’’ said Deputies Jean-PatrickGilleandNoelMameresaidinamotionpresentedintheNationalAssemblyon7December.The twodeputiesareco-chairsoftheStudyGroupintheFrenchNationalAssembly.

Themotioncalledfortheresumptionofdialogue between theChinese govern-

mentandenvoysoftheDalaiLamatopromoteautonomyforTibetwithinthePeople’sRepublicofChina.

Themotionwaspresentedonthesameday when the National Assembly re-ceivedaChineseparliamentarydelega-tionledbyMrWuYingjie,ViceGov-ernor and Deputy Party Secretary oftheStandingCommitteeoftheChineseCommunistPartyoftheso-calledTibetAutonomousRegion.

FrenchdeputiesurgeChinatoendrepressioninTibet

Fordetailednewsvisit:

www.tibet.net

TibeTan bulleTin november-december 20136


Brazilian Parliamentary Del-egation visits Tibetan Parlia-

ment-in-ExileA two-member Brazilian Parliamen-tary delegation visited the TibetanParliament-in-Exileon4Dec.andmetthe Deputy Speaker Khenpo SonamTenphelandothermembersofthePar-liament.MPsWalterFeldmanandPas-tor Euricoare the president and Vice-president of the BrazilTibet SupportGrouprespectively.Duringtheirmeet-ing,DeputySpeakerappraisedthevis-itingMPsabouttheevolutionofTibet-an democracy and the critical situation prevailinginsideTibet,particularlythemassiveinfluxofHanChinesepopula-tionintoTibet.HealsotalkedabouttheChinesegovernment’s repressivepoli-ciesagainstTibetanpeople.

The Deputy Speaker urged that dia-logue is theonlysolution to solve theTibetissue,referringtoanarticlepub-lished by a Hong Kong daily earlier this year,where a topChinese intellectualhascalledforanopenandmeaningfuldialoguebetweenHisHolinessandtheChinesegovernmenttosolvetheTibet-anproblem.

DIIR Secretary Speaks to Chinese Students at Warwick University

Mr.Tashi Phuntsok, the Secretary forthe Department of Information & In-ternational Relations of the CentralTibetan Administration, delivered alectureattheUniversityofWarwickinEngland.Hewasinvitedasaguestlec-turer for “China in Focus”, a seminarorganised by the student union of theuniversity.

SecretaryTashiPhuntsokspokeon“TheMiddle-WayApproachandTibet’s fu-ture”.HesaidtheTibetanleadershipinexileisfirmlycommittedtofindaso-lutiontotheissueofTibetthroughtheMiddle-WayApproach in the interestofbothChineseandTibetanpeople.HesaidtheMiddle-WayApproach,whichseeks genuine autonomy for Tibet, issupportedbyan increasingnumberofgovernments, international bodies andgeneralpublic,includingChinesepeo-ple,acrosstheworld.

ArecordnumberofTibetanshavebeendisplacedintheirownhomelandamidrampantminingandriverdamminginvacatedareas,according to reports.Ti-betan leaders and researchers claim that this displacement has been going onover the last few years underChina’snatureconservationpolicy.Theallega-tion comes at a time when the figureforTibetansreachingothercountriesasrefugeeshasbeenfalling.Chineseau-thoritiesdidnotrespondtorequestsforcommentbytheBBC.

However, China’s government haspreviously issued strong denials thatforcedevictionsareusedinthereloca-tionofTibetanpastoralists.

‘Land grab’“Tibetanswhohavecomefrom[theregion]asrefugeeshavetoldus that they have seen for themselveshow their pasture land is illegallygrabbed and then mined for mineralresources,” said Tenzin Norbu, whoheads the environmental desk at theCentral Tibetan Administration officeinDharamashala.

“They toldus thatChineseauthoritieswarned [via loudspeaker from a vehi-cle]thatanyonewhoprotestedagainstmining would be seen as protestingagainst the state because China needs naturalresourcestodevelop.

“ThesepeoplewhomanagedtofleeTi-betalsosaidthatChineseofficialswenttoeachhouseandmadethemsignpa-persthattheywouldnotprotestiftherewere mining activities.” ResearcherJigmeNorbu,whostudiesTibetanno-madswiththeCentralTibetanAdmin-istration,saidofthenearly40Tibetanrefugeeswhohadarrivedat theDalaiLama’sofficeatDharamashalain2012,mostofthemwerepastoralists.Tibet’sspiritualleader,theDalaiLama,hasbeeninexilesince1959

Pollution threat According to cables releasedbyWikileaks,theDalaiLamatoldtheUSambassadortoIndiain2009thatthefocusofinternationalcommu-

nityshouldbeonenvironmentalissuesinTibetforthenext5-10years,ratherthanthepoliticalsituation.

“Meltingglaciers,deforestationandin-creasinglypollutedwater fromminingwereproblemsthatcannotwait,buttheTibetanscouldwaitfiveto10yearsforapoliticalsolution,”hewasreportedassaying.

AndinSeptember,areportintheTibetPost International,whichwas foundedby exiles, suggested theChinesemili-taryhadstagedacrackdownonTibet-ans who were protesting against goldmining in Yulshul County in easternTibet.Althoughnoofficial recordsareavailable, researcherswith theCentralTibetan Administration office say thenumber of mining sites has reachednearly240andthatmostofthemareinthepastoralareasthatwereoncehometonomads.Theyalsosaymanyof theminesareneartheheadwatersofAsia’sbigriverslikeYangtze,YellowandMe-kong which means their waters couldruntheriskofbeingpolluted.

Long traditions Some Chinese aca-demics have also expressed reserva-tionontheremovalofpastoralistsfromtheirnativelands.“Thereisaneedforthere-recognitionoftheuniquenessoftraditional pastoralism and its institu-tionalarrangements,”wroteWenjunLiof Peking University’s department ofenvironmentalmanagement in apapersheco-authored.

“Thecultureof traditionalpastoralismhas resulted from a long-term interac-tionwithlocaldynamicecosystemsandsocialorganisations.Areportonthere-locationofTibetanpastoralistsbyHu-manRightsWatch(HRW)publishedinJune this year said: “Tibetans comingfromboth farming and nomadic herd-ingcommunitieswhowereinterviewedsaidthatlargenumbersofpeoplerelo-catedorre-houseddidnotdosovolun-tarilyandthattheywereneverconsult-edorofferedalternatives.

BBC Report: Tibetans displaced within region ‘amid rampant mining’


focus

CURRENT HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN TIBET

Introduction

Humanrightshavebecomeamajoris-sueinTibetsincetheChineseinvasion.Political repression, cultural assimila-tion, economic marginalization andenvironmentaldestructionarerampant;while arbitrary detention, sentencing,disappearances, interrogation and tor-tureofTibetanswhodare to speakupfor their rightshavebecomecommon.Today,TibetansinsideTibetarenotfreetopractice their religion.Furthermore,due to strict government measuresaimed at annihilating distinct Tibetan cultural identity, the Tibetan language isgraduallybeingphasedoutasalan-guageofinstruction.

Although the Chinese constitution providesfor freedomofspeech,press,assembly, association, demonstration (Article35) and religiousbelief (Arti-cle36),theChineseauthoritieshavede-niedtheserightstoTibetan.Theresultofwhich isapervasiveatmosphereofundeclaredmartiallawinTibettoday.

Theworsening human rights situationinTibetisdocumentedinvariousglobalreports,includingtheannualUSReportonHumanRight2012.Thereportstatesthat under the banner of maintaining‘socialstability’theChineseauthoritieshaveemployedvariouspolicieswhichrepressedandviolatedfundamentalhu-manrightsofTibetans.Thereportalsohighlighted the denial of 10 officialrequests for diplomatic access to theTibetansAutonomousRegionbetweenMay2011andDecember2012.

Spate of Self-Immolation Protests

Intheabsenceoffreedomforconven-tional forms of protest, Tibetans haveresortedtoself-immolation.Since2009,123 Tibetans have self-immolated.105ofthemhavediedonthesceneorshortly thereafter, whereas the where-aboutsandconditionof16of the sur-viving self-immolators are unknown.Alltheself-immolatorshavecalledfor“freedom inTibet” and “returnofHis

HolinesstheDalaiLamatoTibet”.TheChinese authorities have responded tothese self-immolation protests withfurther repressive policies; includingheightened restrictions in Tibetan in-habited areas, detention and sentencing offriendsandrelativesofselfimmola-torsanddismissingtheself-immolationas an “act of terrorism incited by the‘DalaiClique’”.

Till date over 30 Tibetans have beensentencedtovaryingprisontermsovertheself-immolationprotests.

A 32 year-old Dolma Kyab, husbandoffatalself-immolationprotestorKun-chokWangmo,wassentencedtodeathon15August2013forallegedlykillinghiswife. Expressinghisconcernovertheseriesofself-immolationprotestsinTibet,WilliamHague,British ForeignSecretary,appealedtheBeijinggovern-menttocommuteDolmaKyab’sdeathsentence and conduct “free and fairtrial”.

In January 2013, Lobsang Kunchok,40,amonkofKirtimonasterywassen-tencedtodeathwithtwoyearsreprieveandhisnephewLobsangTseringto10years for alleged involvement in selfimmolationprotestinNgaba.Inapressstatementreleasedon1February2013,

Human RightsWatch said “the ongo-ing prosecution of people linked withself-immolationappearstobeaboutsti-flingdissent and layingblameonoth-ers for this tragedy” and urged Chinato respond to the grievances and hu-man rights violations that bring tragicform of protest. “Sentencing someonetodeathforallegedlyincitingsomeoneelse to commit suicide is neither justnorrespectfulof theright to life”saidSophie Richardson, China director atHumanRightsWatch.

The UN High Commissioner for Hu-manRights,NaviPillayalsourgedtheChineseauthoritiestopromptlyaddressthe longstanding grievances that haveledTibetans to takedesperate formofself-immolationprotest, inastatementreleasedon2November2012.Shesaidshe was disturbed by “continuing al-legations of violence against Tibetansseeking to exercise their fundamentalhuman rights of freedom of expres-sion, association and religion,” andemphasized the “reports of detentionsanddisappearances,ofexcessiveuseofforces against peaceful demonstration,and curbs on cultural rights of Tibet-ans.”ShealsourgedChinatoconsider12outstandingrequestsbyvariousUNSpecialRapporteursandallowindepen-dentandimpartialmonitorstovisitand

A view of some of the many Chinese military convoys arriving in Driru county in Nagchu Prefecture (incorporated into Tibet Autonomous Region) to crackdown on Tibetans.


focus

assesstheactualsituationinTibet.

Amnesty International and Human RightsWatchhavecalledupontheChi-nese authorities to address the underly-inggrievancesofTibetansbycarryingoutacomprehensivereviewofthehu-man rights situation across the Tibetan plateau.Suchaninitiativewouldbeun-dertakenwithanaim toend legalandpolicy restrictions that breach humanrightsintheregion.

Freedom of Religious Belief and Practice

For centuries, Tibetan Buddhism hasbeenacoreelementofTibetanculture.TheChinesegovernmenthasinstitutedconsistent repressive policies againstthepracticeofTibetanBuddhismwithintenseregulationandcontrolover re-ligiousinstitutions.Thishasbeendem-onstratedthrough“patrioticeducation”,state propaganda and other politicalcampaigns that are fundamentally op-posed to basic tenets of Tibetan Bud-dhism, including rhetorical attacks on Tibetanreligiousleaders.

Monks are forced to pledge their al-legiance to the Chinese governmentand denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Possessing photo of His Holi-nesstheDalaiLamaisillegal.Tibetanmonasteriesandnunneriesarerequired

tohangportraitsofChinesecommunistleaders and the Chinese national flagundertheninemeasuresorNineMust-Havescampaign.

PanchenLama,oneofTibet’smostre-veredreligiousleaders,hasbeenmiss-ingsinceMay1995.ThreedaysaftertheDalaiLamanamedsixyearsoldGedunChoekyiNyimaas the11th reincarna-tionofthePanchenLama,theChineseauthorities abducted Gedun Choekyiand his family, and instead, appointedGyaltsenNorbuastheirPanchenLamain November 1995. He was not seensincethen.

Additionally, to tighten control overthe religious practice in monasteries,thegovernmentcontrolledDemocraticManagement Committee (DMCs) hastaken over the administrative role ofabbots, traditionalheadsofmonastery.Reportedly, the Chinese governmenthassofarestablishedMonasteryMan-agement Committees in 1,787monas-teriessinceNovember2011.

InMarch 2012, HumanRightsWatchreportedthatinashiftfromthepolicyofmonasticself-rule,“everymonasteryinTibet[willbe]underthedirectruleofgovernment officialswhowill be per-manently stationed in each religious in-stitution,”indicatingtheextenttowhichtheChinesegovernmentaimstocontrol

thepracticeofTibetanBuddhism.

Freedom of Opinion, Expression and Information

Atpresent,Tibetisvirtuallyclosedandforeignjournalistsarebarredfromvisit-ingrestiveregions.Allcommunicationchannels,includinginternetandphonelines are inaccessible or being strictly monitored in regions where protestshaveoccurred.Arecentnewssegmentfeaturedon9October2012,bytheAus-tralianBroadcastingCorporation,dem-onstratesthiswhentheirfilmcrewwasexpelled from aTibetan regionwhereself-immolationtookplace.

Anyindependentinformationorexpres-sionotherthantheChinesegovernmentviewpointsarerestrictedandconsidered“subversive”. Tibetans who speak toforeignreporters,shareinformationre-gardingproteststhroughmobilephonesore-mailarechargedwith“leakingstatesecrets” and are given lengthy prisonsentences. An article published on 3October2012inTheNewYorkTimesconfirmsthisbyreportingthesentenc-ingoftwoTibetanteenagerstolengthyprison terms.Theywere chargedwithleaking news of self-immolation pro-teststo“outsidecontacts”.

The London-based freedom group In-dex on Censorship has reported a pe-culiar instanceof restrictionononlinefreedom of expression. On 6th July2012,onthebirthanniversaryofTibet-anspiritualleaderHisHolinesstheDa-laiLama,theauthoritiesinKarze(Ch:Ganzi) prefecture reportedly disabledtextmessaging and internet access fortwodays.

Tibetan writers, bloggers, singers,teachers, documentaryfilmmakers andenvironmentalists are especially tar-getedsincethe2008BeijingOlympicsGames, a year duringwhich over 342protests took place across the Tibetanplateau.WebsitesofexileTibetanmediaorganizationscannotbeaccessedfromTibet. Discussion forums and blogs,such as Sangdhor.com and Rangdrol.nethavebeenblockedsince3February2012.

Smoke billowing in the background due to teargas shells fired by armed police on local Tibetans in Garchung Village.


focus

Besides official state media, informa-tionreceivedfromsourcesoutsideTibetare considered offensive and violatorsaresubjecttoimprisonment.Inamovetoclampdownonaccesstoinformationthroughvariousforeignradiosandtele-vision,theChineseauthoritieslaunchedamassivecrackdownbyeradicatingsat-ellitedishesandotherequipmentsusedbyTibetans inMalho (Ch:Huangnan),Kanlho(Ch:Gannan)Karze(Ch:Gan-zi) and other Tibetan inhabited areasineasternTibet.AsreportedbyRadioFree Asia, the Chinese authorities inMalho (Ch:Huangnan)prefecturehaveseizedandburnedhundredsofsatelliteequipmentsusedbyTibetanstolistentoRadioFreeAsiaandVoiceofAmericaprograms.

A 22 year- old monk Lobsang Tashifrom Kirti monastery, and a 25 yearold laymanThubdor,whodisappearedfor over nine months were sentencedtosevenyearsimprisonmentbytheIn-termediate People’sCourt inBarkham(Ch:Ma’erkang)on18September2012forallegedly“leakingnewsfrominsideTibettooutsidecontacts”.BothofthemareservingtheirsentencesinaprisoninMianyangcity,Sichuanprovince.

Reporters Without Borders has urgedChina to respect the rights of the Ti-betanpeopleasguaranteedin theChi-neseconstitution;includingfreedomofreligion, expression and assembly; toallowunfetteredaccesstointernationalmedia,foreigndiplomatsandUNinde-pendent experts to all Tibetan restiveregions; and to provide detailed infor-mationonthoseTibetanprotestersandintellectualswho have been sentencedtoimprisonment.

Freedom to Use and Develop the Tibetan Language

Tibetan language plays a crucial rolein the preservation of Tibetan cultureand distinct Tibetan identity. Schoolsrun privately by Tibetan individualsto teach Tibetans language and culture face severe restrictions. The Chineseauthorities often present their conceptof bilingual education as a progres-

sive education policy that confirmstheir commitment to protect minoritycultures and languages. However, inTibet Autonomous Region, bilingual education has generated ‘subtractive’bilingualism where Tibetan childrenare taught only Chinese language, ne-glectingTibetanlanguage.Asreportedby Human Rights in China, an interna-tionalChineseNGO,minoritychildrenhave limited opportunity to becomefluent in their own language. Tibetanlanguage is increasingly restricted to homes,reducingscopeinpublicsphere(schools, universities and job market)to master one’s native (Tibetan) lan-guage. Former Special Rapporteur onEducation, Ms Katarina TomasevskiinamissionreportonChinaurgedthat“aneducationthatwouldaffirmminor-ity rights necessitates full recognitionbythemajority,oftheworthofminor-itylanguagesandreligionsinallfacetsoflife.Otherwise,educationisseenasassimilationist”.

Violation of Rights of Tibetan No-mads

For centuries, Tibetan nomads andherders have lived successfully withtheirherdsfollowingtheircenturies-oldtraditionsandkeepingmobilelifestyle.However,thecurrentforced‘villagiza-tion’policyinthenameofdevelopmentundermines the inherent skills of no-mads, restricts their mobility, and raises serious concerns about the long-termsocio-economic impact of removingnomads from their traditional form oflivelihoodwithoutadequateplanning.

Theimplementationof‘RestoreGrass-landPolicy’hasadverselyaffectedthelives of millions of Tibetan nomads.The forced resettlement of nomadicherdersunderdifferentnametagssuchas ‘ecological migration’ and ‘com-fortablehousingprojects’are inviola-tion of the International Covenant onEconomic, Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR) and the 1992 ConventiononBiodiversity, documents ratifiedbyPeople’sRepublicofChina.

ProfessorOlivierDeSchutter, theUNSpecial Rapporteur on the Right to

Food, had visited China in December2010. He raised strong concern abouttheresettlementpolicyafterphysicallywitnessing theconditionofnewlyset-tleddrogpas(Tib:nomads)andherdersinconcretecamps.On6March2012,hereiterateddeepconcernaboutdisplacednomadslivinginthe“newsocialistvil-lages”attheUNHumanRightsCoun-cilinGeneva.

Mr.Schuttersaidthat“theresettlementpolicies were failing because sinceMarch2011,25Tibetanshaveself-im-molated in protest against the policiesthatareimplementedinthisregion.Hesaid18ofthe25whoburnedthemselveswereactuallyherdersforciblyresettledinthenewsocialistvillages.ThisIhaveto say is not compatiblewith the ideathatthesewouldbeIquote‘verypopu-larpolices’”.

Moreover,Tibetanpeoplehavenosayagainst the government hydropowerprojects that aredisplacing them fromtheir ancestral lands. Those who areworst affected by such displacementsareeitherilliterateorliveundera“cli-mateof fear”.Peopledon’t raise theirvoiceoutoffear;thosewhodoareof-tenconvictedofpoliticalmotivation.

ConclusionHuman rights situation in Tibet is de-teriorating and requires urgent inter-national intervention. The series ofself-immolation in Tibet sends an un-equivocalmessagetoChinatore-assessitsTibetpolicyandfulfillTibetanaspi-rationandcallforgreaterfreedom.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) based in Dharamshala (India) callsupontheinternationalcommunitytourgethePeople’sRepublicofChinato immediately stop the ongoing “pa-triotic re-education” and “strike hard”campaigns inmonasteriesandnunner-ies; allow free and unrestricted accessto Tibet by international media, jour-nalists,observers,UNmandateholdersandrespecttherightsofTibetanstolivein dignity, and address their underlying grievances through dialogue-the onlyviablepathtowardsalong-termsustain-ablesolutiontothecurrentsituation.


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Raising the issue ofTibet in the Sen-ate on World Human Rights Day on10 December, Australian lawmakerfromTasmania, Lisa Singh, urged theinternational community to commit to actonbehalfofTibetanssufferinghu-manrightsviolationsundertheChineserule.

Below are excerpts fromSenatorLisaSingh’sstatement:

Mycommitmentandsupportforhumanrights fromwork and activities beforebecoming a senator and my time in this place have continued my resolve tostand up for a just and humaneworldfreeofdiscriminationandforequality.One example of that comes from myinvolvement with the Australia TibetCouncil.

I had the privilege last year of travel-lingtoDharamshalainIndia,whichistheexiledcapitalofTibet.Thisexperi-encegavemeanundeniableinsightintothedesperateplightofTibetansandtounderstandmorefullythehumanrightsabusestakingplaceinourglobalcom-munity.Ihadthepleasurethiseveningof joining some of the Tibetan com-munityhere inAustralia inParliamentHouse to recognise the struggles that continue for their families and friendslivinginTibet.

Itwason22October2013thattheUNHumanRights Council reviewedChi-na’shumanrightsrecordaspartoftheiruniversalperiodicreview.ThiswasthesecondreviewforChinaanditallowedfor a review of the recommendationsandpledgesmadebyChinaduringthe2009sessionaswellasencompassingareviewof theoverallhumanrights re-cordofChina.Sadly,fromallreportstheoverallhumanrightssituationinChina,particularlyinTibetandalsoagainsttheUygurpeople,hascontinuedtodeterio-rateoverthelastfouryears.Itakethisopportunity to highlight the importantregionofXinjiang inChinawhere thenative Uygurs continue to fight reli-gious intolerance and discrimination.

Labelled as terrorists, their plight hasbecomeincreasinglydifficult.Repressive policies and the continu-oussuppressionoffundamentalhumanrights are causing immense suffering.Tibetanshavepeacefullystruggledandheldhopeofobtainingfreedomfreedomof religion, freedom to celebrate theirculture and language, and freedom ofexpression.SinceChina’sfirstUPRinFebruary2009,Tibetwitnesseditsveryfirst self-immolation by a young 20-year-oldmonkbythenameofTapey.

ThisactofdesperationwasTibet’sfirstinits60-yearcontinuoussuppressionofhumanrights.Tapeyshouldneverhavelosthislife.Heshouldneverhavehadtoresorttosuchanact.In2009thelossof his lifewas already one toomany,and since that time there have beenmany more.I wish I could report thathislifewastheonlyonetakenbyself-immolation,buttheyhavecontinuedtoincreasesince2009andaconfounding122caseshavebeenconfirmedtodate.This is no small number and it clearly showsthedesperationandrepressionofthoseinTibet.Inwhat isanothercon-straint to human rights, recent reportsconfirmfriendsandrelativesofself-im-molatorsarenowbeingsubjecttosen-

tencing by Chinese authorities forallegedassociationwiththeself-immolators.

Tibet’s spiritual leader, HisHolinessthe14thDalaiLama,hastravelledtheglobeseekingcompassionandpeacefulsolu-tions for his country in exile.This year I once again had the privilegetomeetHisHolinesshere inAustralia.Hisstrugglefor liberation of Tibet has al-waysstronglyopposedtheuseof violence. His Holiness un-derstandsthepowerofuniver-salresponsibilityforallthingsandthroughhis leadershiphehas actively pursued peace-ful solutions to human rightsabuses.

Today is the 24th anniversary of theconfermentoftheNobelPeacePrizeonHis Holiness. In 1989 the NorwegianNobel Committee declared His Holi-nessworthyofthisprestigiousprize.Ibelieve,andIamsuremanywillagree,thathisleadershipthroughnon-violentactionandspiritualguidancetotheTi-betanpeopleismostcommendableandworthyofglobalrecognition.

DuringhisacceptancespeechtheDalaiLama spoke of cultivating a universalresponsibilityandsaid:Ibelieveallsuf-fering is caused by ignorance. Peopleinflictpainonothersintheselfishpur-suit of their happiness or satisfaction.Yettruehappinesscomesfromasenseofbrotherhoodandsisterhood.Weneedtocultivateauniversalresponsibilityforoneanotherandtheplanetweshare.

These words are valuable and worthreflecting on, particularly today aswemark Human Rights Day and celebrate the anniversary of the establishmentof theHighCommissioner forHumanRights.TodayasweacknowledgeHu-manRightsDayweshouldacknowledgetheongoingstruggleofthoselivinginTibet.Weshouldnotonlyacknowledgebutalsocommittoactontheirbehalf.

Tibet Issue Raised in Australian Senate on Rights Day

Lisa Singh (R) joined with the local Tibetan community and sup-porters for Tibetan people on 10 March 2013 to mark the an-niversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising.


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AsChina has been elected to theUNHuman Rights Council (UNHRC) on12November, theUNmember StatesmustholdChina’shumanrightsrecordtothehighestlevelofscrutiny.

China accepted the principle of ‘Uni-versality of Human Rights’ initiallyin its National Human Rights ActionPlan2009-2010andsubsequentlyinitsnational report for theUniversalPeri-odicReview2013whichwasheldlastmonth.

However, China has failed in imple-menting the past commitments withregardstohumanrights,withthepoliti-cal,economicandculturalrepressionofTibetans becoming more conspicuousthan ever. With the latest self-immo-lation by a 20-year-old Tibetanmonkhaving takenplace inPemacounty inGolog prefecture in northeastern Ti-bet(incorporatedintoChina’sQinghaiProvince) yesterday, the Tibetans in-sideTibet are sending anunequivocalmessage to theworld about the situa-tionongroundinTibet.Thenumberofself-immolationsasaformofpoliticalprotesthasrisento122.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is deeply concerned by thealarming ongoing human rights viola-tions perpetrated byChina.China haspersistentlyfailedtomeetitsownself-imposedinternationalpledges.

As referred to by UNHigh Commis-sionerforHumanRightsNaviPillayinNovember 2012, human rights trans-gressionsinclude:

>Economic exploitation of Tibetanland, including population transfer ofChineseworkersintoTibetanterritory.

>‘PatrioticRe-education’ campaign inTibetanmonasteries, forcingmembersofthemonasticcommunitytoespouseunwavering loyalty to theCommunistPartyanddenouncetheirspirituallead-erHisHolinesstheDalaiLama.

UNmustholdChina’shumanrightsrecordtohighestlevelofscrutiny

>ForcedresettlementofTibetanherderswithouteconomic,educationandhealthprospects.

China also claimed to have “earnestlyfulfilleditsobligationsunderthehumanrights conventions it has acceded to,”whilepledgingitsco-operationwiththeHuman Rights Council. Again, theseassurances are in sharp contrast withthe State’s persistent history of non-cooperationwithhumanrightsmecha-nisms,including:

>Arbitrary detention, ill treatment and tortureofTibetandetainees;actswhichviolateboththeInternationalCovenanton Civil and Political Rights and theConvention againstTorture.There are988knownpoliticalprisoners inTibettoday.

>Failure to facilitate a visit to ChinabyUNHighCommissionerforHumanRightsNaviPillay.

>Refusal to respond to12outstandingrequests for official visits toChinabyUNSpecialRapporteursonvarioushu-manrightsissues.

>Refusal to implement recommenda-tions made by the Committee against Torture, the Committee on the Elimi-nationofAllFormsofRacism,andtheUNSpecialRapporteurontheRighttoFood.

Inviewoftheaboveconcerns,theCen-tral Tibetan Administration strongly urgesUNmemberStates toholdChi-na accountable for its ongoing humanrightsabusesandpriorcommitments.ItcallsforthehighestlevelofChina’shu-manrightsperformancenowthatithasbecome a member of the UNHumanRightsCouncil.


www.tibet.net

Commemorating the World HumanRights Day on 10 December, at theTibetSquarePark inLithuania’scapi-talVilniuswas turnedintoasymboliccemetery to rememberTibetans’ pain-fulstruggleforfreedomandkeepalivetheircultureandidentity.Rowsofplac-ards were placed in the park bearingthename,ageofallthoseTibetanswhohave sacrificed their lives by settingthemselvesonfire.

Oneof the initiators of the campaign,RobertMažeika,aspokesmanforTibetSupportGroupunderscoredtheimpor-tanceofconstantlyputtingthespotlighton the issueofTibet.He said the lastfew years in Tibet, which witnessedself-immolationsprotestsby124TibetfromFebruary2009–December2013,wasoneof themost tragic in thehis-toryofTibet.“AswecommemoratetheInternational Human Rights Day today, we want to honour the Tibetans whohavesacrificedtheirlivesforabrighterfutureofTibetandfreedom,”hesaid.

Speaking on the occasion, DaliaKuodytė,presidentoftheParliamentaryRelationswithTibetGroup,notedthattheTibetan freedom struggle and his-toryofLithuaniahasalotincommon.”In 1953, the last Lithuanian partisanwaskilledandthearmedresistanceforLithuanianfreedomhasfinished.Somepeople in today’s independent Lithu-ania bold to say that they died need-lessly… Today, we are gathered hereto testify that sacrifice of The GreatHeroesofLithuanianhistoryisimpor-tanttous,andthattheirvictimswasnotmeaningless, as it is not meaningless very painful today’sTibetan victims,”saidD.Kuodyte.

Vytis Vidūnas, a lecturer of VilniusUniversity andmember ofTibet Sup-portGroup,notedthatoverthepastfewyears, the situation in Tibet has deterio-rated very sharply and getting worseeveryday,itwitnessedunremittingactsof self-immolation by youngTibetansonTibetfuture.

Lithuanians remember Ti-betan freedom struggle


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Canada’s Ambassador toChina raised concerns on the situation in Tibet dur-inghisvisit toTibet,for-eign minister John Bairdsaid, underscoring that Canada has consistently called for an end to theprosecution and perse-cution of people for thepracticeof their religiousbeliefs.

Ambassador Guy Saint-Jacques’ visit to Tibetfrom 24-29 Septembercame against the back-dropof awaveof tragicself-immolationsbyover121Tibetanstoprotestagainst theChinesegovern-ment’spoliciesofpoliticalrepression,economic marginalization, environ-mental destruction, cultural assimila-tionanddenialofreligiousfreedominTibet.

In February this year, Tibetan politi-cal leader Dr Lobsang Sangay urgedtheCanadianambassadortovisitTibetto investigate religious repressionandcauseswhich are pushingTibetans toresort to drastic forms of protest, in-cludingself-immolations.TheTibetanpoliticalleaderalsotestifiedbeforetheSubcommittee on International Human Rightsof theCanadianParliamentonthe deteriorating situation in Tibet on 26February.

Ambassador Saint-Jacques met withprovincialandlocalofficialstodiscussdevelopments in Tibet, including thehuman and religious rights situation, duringhisvisit toLhasaandShigatseprefecture in the Tibet AutonomousRegion.

“Canada’sAmbassadortoChinarecent-lyhadtheopportunitytovisitTibetandraiseconcernsdirectlywithofficials,”foreignministerJohnBairdsaidduringthethirdAnnualJohnDiefenbakerDe-fenderofHumanRightsandFreedom

Award ceremony in Vancouver on 31Oct. “I certainly know that Canada’s22nd prime minister, Stephen Harper,is absolutely committed to protectingand promoting human rights at homeand abroad. Human rights, freedom,democracyandtheruleoflawarecoreCanadian values that this governmentis proud to uphold and celebrate,”MrBairdsaid.

Amid tragic self-immolations by Ti-betans to protest against the Chinesegovernment’s continued occupation ofTibet,Canadajoinedtheworldgovern-mentsandparliamentsurgingtheChi-nesegovernmenttofindalastingsolu-tion to the problems in Tibet throughdialogue.

“CanadaencouragesChinatogivefullconsideration to the traditions and cul-tureoftheTibetanpopulationinaman-nerthatwillhelpeasetensions.We call on China to lift restrictionson access to the affected areas for thediplomats,media and other observers.We urge China to engage in substan-tive andmeaningfuldialoguewith theDalai Lama or his representatives inworking toward a peaceful resolutionofoutstandingissuesthatisacceptabletobothsides,”

Foreign Minister John Baird said lastDecember2012.

CanadaurgesChinatoresumedialoguewithTibetans

John Baird, foreign minister of Canada/File photo/Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

US Ambassador Urges China to Engage in Constructive Dialogue

with His Holiness

DHARAMSHALA: In his 2013 Inter-national Human Rights Day statement on 10 December, the USAmbassadorto China, Mr Gary Locke, urged theChinese leadership to engage in con-structivedialoguewithHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaorhisrepresentativestore-solvetensionsinTibet.

“As Ambassador, I have witnessedChina’srichdiversityfirsthand.Ihavealso seen cases where heavy-handedpoliciesdenybasic freedoms to ethnicand religious minorities, including eth-nicUighurs,TibetansandMongolians,underminingthetrustthatbindsdiversesocieties,”hesaid ina statementpost-ed on thewebsite of theUSEmbassyinBeijing.“TheUnitedStatescallsontheChinese government to protect thefundamentalfreedomsofallitscitizens

without discrimination. We also urgeChina’s leaders to engage in construc-tivedialoguewiththeDalaiLamaorhisrepresentatives, as a means to reducethetensions,”hesaid.

TheambassadorwelcomedChina’sre-cent decisions to end the re-educationthrough labour system and to strengthen theruleoflaw.HeexpressedhopesthatChina’s leaders will soon bring sub-stance to the notion that certain inalien-ablerightspertaintoallcitizens.

US Ambassador to China Gary Locke addresses the membership of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the US-China Business Council at the Westin Chaoyang Hotel on 20 September 2011 in

Beijing, China


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Three Canadian MPs raised the issue of Tibet in the parliament after they met His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s new representative

Mr.IrwinCotler,MP(LiberalPartyofCanada), said: “I am pleased to joinwithotherparliamentariansinwelcom-ingMr. KaydorAukatsang to Ottawatoday, thenewrepresentativetoNorthAmerica of His Holiness the DalaiLama,ourdistinguishedhonoraryciti-zen.

The painful plight of Tibetans, wheremorethan120fromallsectorsofsoci-etyhaveself-immolated,istheultimatecry of protest andwitness against theongoing persecution and repression.Political repression, cultural assimila-tion, social discrimination, economic marginalisation, environmental de-structionandlackofreligiousfreedomaretheprimaryfactorsdrivingTibetanstoself-immolation.

Tibetans value democracy, freedom,religious liberty, and the rule of law,while adhering to non-violence in thepursuitofgenuineautonomy,pursuantto the Chinese constitution. Regretta-bly,whileChinesePresidentXiJinping

speaksoftransparencyandtheruleoflaw,therepressionofpoliticaldissent,the silencing of independent media,andthecriminalizationofinnocentTi-betansintensifies.

TheseactionsshameasuperpowerthatisatrusteeofagreatChineseciviliza-tionandheritage.WeurgetheChineseauthoritiestorespectthatgreatheritage,respecttheruleoflaw,andseetheDalaiLamaasasolutionforajustandlastingpeaceforChinaandallTibetans.

Ms.PeggyNash,MP(NewDemocraticParty),said:“Mr.Speaker,TashiDelek.I rise todaytowelcometoOttawathenewrepresentativeofHisHolinesstheDalai Lama for NorthAmerica, Kay-dor Aukatsang. I would also like towelcome the 17Tibetanswho arrivedover theweekend through theTibetanresettlementproject.Theyare thefirstof1,000TibetanswhowillrelocatetoCanadathroughthisprogram.Tibetansface religious and cultural oppressionintheirhomeland.InCanadatheyalso

faceunacceptabledelaysinfam-ily reunification. In my ridingofParkdale—HighPark,Ihaveseenpeoplewaitaslongasnineyearstoreunitewithlovedones.

This resettlement programshowsgreatpromise,butclearly,wedoneeda fairandmoreef-ficient immigration system.To-day I hope all members of theHousewilljoinmeinwishingaheartfeltwelcometoMr.Aukat-sangand theparticipantsof theresettlementprogram.Mr.DavidSweet,MP (Conservative PartyofCanada), said:“Mr.Speaker,the human rights tragedy in Ti-betcontinuesunderthewatchfuleye of the Chinese authorities.ReportsoutofTibetarethatyetanothermonksethimselfablazeinNovember.Thissadlybringsthe total to 122 in Tibet whohaveself-immolated.

Imaginewhatitmusttaketosetoneselfonfireasameansofprotest.Thecir-cumstances are clearly getting worse,butwedonothearmuchaboutit,be-cause journalists are prevented fromreporting from the Tibetan areas inChina.

WeintheParliamentaryFriendsofTi-bet continue to shine the international spotlight on the worsening situation.That is why some members of theHouse heard directly from Mr. Kay-dorAukatsanghereonParliamentHillearlierthisafternoon.

Mr.AukatsangisHisHolinesstheDalaiLama’srepresentativeinNorthAmeri-ca and is part of the Central TibetanAdministration,thegovernmentinex-ile.HeupdatedusonthedevelopmentsandreiteratedtheDalaiLama’scallforpeaceandfortheChineseleadershiptoengageinmeaningfuldialoguewiththeTibetanpeople.Timeisoftheessence.Theworldiswatching.

Conservative MP David Sweet sits with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s new representative for North America, Kaydor Aukatsang, before a meeting about Tibet on Parliament Hill Dec. 4, 2013. (Matthew Little/Epoch Times)

TibeTan bulleTin november- december 201314

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Testimony of Kalon Dicki Chhoyang of the Central Tibetan Administration before the Italian Senate’s Extraordinary Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

Rome - 5 December 2013President Senator Luigi Manconi,Commissionmembers,Ithankyouforthis opportunity to testify before theSenate’sCommitteefortheProtectionofHumanRightsonbehalfof theTi-betanpeople. Tibet’sassociationwithItalydatesbackto 1716, when Tuscan Jesuit Ippoli-toDesideriarrivedinLhasa,thecapitalofTibet.HewasthefirstEuropeantohavesuccessfullystudiedTibetanlan-guageandculture.Thisconnectionen-dures to thisdaywith Italyprovidinga second home toTibetanswho havesought political refuge. Many Italiancities and towns including the greatCity of Rome have also honoredHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaasanhonor-arycitizen. In expression of support, the ItalianChamberofDeputiesunanimouslyad-optedaresolutionon8February2009calling on the People’s Republic ofChina toengage indialoguewithHisHoliness theDalaiLama’sEnvoys toresolve the Tibet issue. It also calledforan immediateend torepression inTibet and on the Italian Governmentto promote amonitoring initiative onhumanrightsviolationsinTibetattheUnited Nations. Similarly, the ItalianChamber ofDeputies’ Committee forForeignAffairspassedaresolutionon8February2012,reiteratingtheaboverecommendationstotheItaliangovern-ment.Wethankyouforthesegesturesofsolidarity.

Today,Icometoyoutoreportonthestate ofTibet – the daily struggles ofTibetans inside Tibet trying to main-taintheirdignityundertheironfistofrepression, and the continuing effortsofthoseofuslivinginfreedom,work-ingtopreserveTibetancultureinexileuntilwecanreturnhome.IamproudtosaythattheTibetanspiritisstrong.Through the visionary leadership ofHis Holiness the Dalai Lama for all

these years, our issue remains alive,ourhopesremainbuoyant.Theruleim-posedonusbyBeijingmaybe tough,buttheTibetanpeoplearetougherstill. As you know, in 2011, His HolinesstheDalaiLama tookahistoricaldeci-sionanddevolvedhispoliticalrespon-sibilitiestotheelectedleadershipoftheCentral Tibetan Administration. Thisdecision was the critical final step intherealizationofhisvisionofademo-craticgovernanceinstitutionfortheTi-betanpeople.Further,thisachievementsends a clear message to Beijing thatleadershipoftheTibetfreedommove-ment has been entrusted to a younger generation.ChinaiscalculatingthattheTibetan causewill fadewhen the cur-rentDalaiLamapassesaway.Thiswillnot happen.We remain determined tofindingapeacefulresolutiontothesitu-ationinTibetthroughtheMiddleWayApproachwhich seeks genuine auton-omywithin the framework ofChina’sconstitution.In1950,whentheChinesePeople’sLiberationArmy came toTi-bet,theypromisedTibetansa‘socialist

paradise.’Aftermore than60yearsofmisrule in Tibet, there is no socialism, just colonialism; there is no paradise,only tragedy. News from our home-landisrepletewithtalesofdestructionincluding Tibetan language and envi-ronment, disappearances, discrimina-tion, detention, imprisonment, tortureand extrajudicial killing. The currentnumberofknownpoliticalprisonersinTibet today is estimated to be as high 1,204.Thisyearaloneover254Tibet-answereimprisoned.22Tibetanshavebeen sentenced to life imprisonmentsince2008.

Political repression, cultural assimila-tion, economic marginalization andenvironmental destruction continue inoccupied Tibet. The new railway linefromBeijingtoLhasaisexportingournatural resources and importing moreChinese migrants. Today, around 70percentofprivate-sectorfirmsinTibetareownedorrunbyChinese,andmorethan50percentofgovernmentofficialsareChinese.Yet,approximately40per-cent of Tibetans with university and

Kalon Dicki Chhoyang of the Central Tibetan Administration before the Italian Senate’s Extraordi-nary Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in Rome on 5 December 2013.


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highschooldegreesareunemployed.

Education -- Inmatters of education,we are extremely concerned about thesubstitution of TibetanwithMandarinas a medium of instruction in Tibet.Language is the most important attri-bute of a people’s identity. Tibetan isthe primarymeans of communication,the language in which our literature,ourspiritualtextsandhistoricalaswellas scientific works are written. Theimplementationof thisneweducation-al policy has resulted in largeTibetanstudentprotestscallingfortheChinesegovernmenttolivebyitsmotto“equal-ityofnationalities”throughequalityoflanguage.

Religious freedom - Buddhism isa way of life for the Tibetans and iscloselylinkedtoouridentity.Thesup-pressionoffreedomofreligiousbeliefand practice takes several forms in-cluding theChineseCommunist Partyrunningmonasteries through so-called“management committees”. “Patrioticre-education” sessions during whichmonks/nunsareforcedtodenounceHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaandpledgeal-legiance to thePartyhavebecome thedailyroutine-thishasbeenoneofthekeytriggersforthewaveofself-immo-lations.

The Tibetan plateau has some of thelargest deposits of freshwater outsidethetwopoles.ItisthesourceofmanyoftheAsia’smajorrivers,includingtheBrahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, Salween,Mekong, Yangtse and Yellow River,theseriversflowintoChina,India,Pak-istan,Nepal,Bhutan,Bangladesh,Bur-ma,Thailand,Vietnam,LaosandCam-bodia. These river systems and theirtributariessustain the livesofmillionsof people in the Asiancontinent.For millennia,theTibetanpeoplehaveserved as the guardiansof the plateau, its riv-ers andenvironment.China’spolicies,however, are creating potential disas-ters.Forone,theyareforciblyremovingTibetan nomads, the land’s traditionalstewards,fromthegrasslands,whileatthe same time promoting mining and

deforesting.According to UN SpecialRapporteur on theRight to Food,Mr.Olivier De Schutter’s report dated 20January2012,statingChinesesources,that in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Chinese government has provided“comfortablehousing”for1.43millionpeople(300,000families),astargetedinits2006-2010Five-YearPlan, andan-nounced thatanother185,500 families(about880,000people)areexpectedtomoveintonewhomesby2013aspartof the continuation of its sedentariza-tionandrehousingoftheTibetanruralpopulation.

TheauthoritiesinQinghaiprovincere-portedinMarch2011thattheyhadbuilt46,000 settlements between 2009 and2010,andplannedtobuild25,000morefor134,000families.Achiefaspectofthe policy regarding herder communi-ties,andonethatupsetsmanyTibetansisitsimpactonTibetanculture.Anotherconcern is thatwithoutadequate long-termplanningastohowtheywillsub-sist after beingmade to abandon theirtraditionalwayoflife,thenegativeso-cialimpactinthesecommunitiesisbe-ginningtobefeltwithrisingincidenceofcrimeandalcoholism.

Once vacated by nomads, Tibetanland is open for exploitation by Chi-nese companies.Tibet is rich in natu-ral resources, including gold, copperand water (for hydro-electric power).Mining companies and damming op-erationshavereplacedfarmersinmanyareas. Tibetans are protesting againsttheconsequencesoftheseenvironmen-tally damaging projectswhich are be-ing implemented without proper localconsultation and environmental/socialimpactassessment.Changes inTibet’secology could have negative effects

farbeyond theplateau.Temperatures are ris-ingfasterontheplateauthantheglobalaverage.Glaciers are melting.

Waterflowsandmonsoonpatternsaremorevariable.Atthesametime,Chinais undertaking massive dam construc-tion on these major rivers.Additionalprojects to divert waters to China’sdrought-riddenareascouldhavemajor

consequences for downstream nationslike India,Bangladesh,Cambodia andLaoswhoselivelihooddependsonriv-ersthatflowfromTibet. Another important threat is the mas-siveinfluxofHanChineseintotheTi-betan areas.The demographic transferhas marginalized and assimilated theTibetanpeopleintheirownhomeland.Thishasnotonlyadverselyaffectedthesocio-economic conditions of Tibetanpeople, but it has also disrupted thefragileecologicalbalanceontheroofoftheworld. Self-Immolations - Just2daysago,on 3 December, another self-immo-lation took place in Meruma town inNgaba, Eastern Tibet. Since February2009, 123 Tibetans have committedself-immolation in Tibet. Sadly, 105havedied.Such formofpoliticalpro-testisunprecedentedinTibetanhistory.ThisnumberincludesTibetansfromallwalks of life - men, women, monks,nuns, nomads, farmers and students.TheyincludeTibetansfromallregionsofTibetU-Tsang,KhamandAmdoin-cludingthecapitalcityofLhasa.Theiruniversal aspirations are His Holinessthe Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet andfreedom forTibetanpeople.HisHoli-ness the Dalai Lama has visited Italyover25timessince1973.Duringthesevisits, thousands of Italians have metandheardHisHolinesstheDalaiLama.But,thatrightisdeniedtoTibetansin-sideTibet. The Central Tibetan Administration does not support or encourage self-immolations. His Holiness the DalaiLama’spositionhasalsobeenclearandconsistentonanyformofdrasticaction.HehasalwaysappealedtotheTibetansnottoresorttosuchdesperateacts.AsBuddhists,weconsiderlifesacred,yetintheabsenceofconventionalspaceforprotest,Tibetans are leftwith fewop-tionstosendanunequivocalmessagetotheworldthatChinesepoliciesinTibetareclearlyfailing.TheTibetanAdmin-istrationfeelsamoralresponsibilitytospeakontheirbehalfsothattheworldmay understand their actions. Ratherthan looking into the root causes be-

The rule imposed on us by Beijing may be tough, but the Tibetan people are

tougher still.

TibeTan bulleTin november- december 201316

feaTure

hindtheself-immolations,theChineseauthorities have criminalized the self-immolators and resorted to the blame game by accusing His Holiness the DalaiLamaandtheTibetanexilecom-munityasinstigators.Thishasgoneasfar as preventing families of the self-immolators fromholdingproper tradi-tionalfuneralritesforthelatter.

The Tibetan Administration has in-vitedtheChinesegovernmenttocometoDharamsalaandvisitourofficesforanyevidencesupporting theirbaselessallegations. In reality, both the blameandsolutionlieswithBeijing.Theself-immolations areTibetan people’s pro-testagainstmisguidedpolicies.BeijinghasthepowertochangethesituationonthegroundbyreviewingitspoliciesinTibettoreflectthewishesofthepeopleand responding peacefully to civil ex-pressionofdiscontent.Herearea fewexamplestoillustratethecurrentsitua-tion:Inthepastyear,theNgabaCourtsentencedtodeath,withoutdueprocess,two Tibetans accused of involvementwithaself-immolationincident-Lob-sangKunchokon31January2013andDolmaKyabon15August2013.

On 24 June 2012, a 17-year-old girl,JigmeDolmaprotestedinKardzecoun-ty center in Eastern Tibet. She calledout for the return ofHisHoliness theDalaiLama,freedomforTibetans,andTibetanpoliticalprisonersrelease.TheChinese security forces beat her. Shewashospitalizedfortwomonths.Then,she was sentenced to three years im-prisonment. On6July2013,theindiscriminatefir-inguponTibetansbyChinesesecurityforceswith11Tibetansbeingshotuponand16beatenforcelebratingHisHoli-nesstheDalaiLama’sbirthdayinTawu,EasternTibet.

On 3 September 2013, Dayang a 68-year-old Tibetan man was sentencedtotwoyearsandfivemonthsimprison-ment. He had called for His HolinesstheDalaiLama’sreturnandfreedomforTibetansduringaculturalshowinTsa-chuTownshipinDriruCounty,Nagchuin Central Tibet. On 28 September

2013, in the run up to the UniversalPeriodic Review of China at the UNHuman Rights Council, the Chinese se-curity forcescrackeddownheavilyonlocalTibetansinMowaVillageinDriruCounty(CentralTibet)refusingtoraisetheChinesenationalflagsontheirroof-tops.TheChineseauthoritiesdetainedatotalof17Tibetans.

A few days later, on 6October 2013,again in Driru County, the Chinese se-curityforcesaresaid tohaveshotandwoundedatleast60TibetanswhoweredemandingthereleaseofavillagerwhohadledprotestsagainstChineseordersto hoist the flag. Two days later, theChinesesecurity forcesshotdeadfourTibetans.At least 50 were injured onOctober 8. The stand-off continues tothisday.

Middle Way Approach - I wouldlike to conclude today’s statement byre-iteratingTibetanpeople’sfirmcom-mitmenttonon-violenceanddialogue.WedonotviewtheChinesenationandpeople with malice, but with respect.Tibetanswiththeirdistinctculturehavelived alongside our Chinese brothersandsistersforthousandsofyears.TheCentral TibetanAdministration strivesfor a resolution to the situation insideTibetthroughtheMiddleWayApproachwhich seeksgenuineautonomywithinthe framework of the Chinese consti-tution.Wehaveformulated thisvisionthrough two documents: the “Memo-randumonGenuineAutonomyFortheTibetanPeople”and“NoteontheMem-orandumonGenuineAutonomyfortheTibetanPeople.”BothdocumentswerepresentedtotheChinesegovernmentin2008and2010respectively.T

hedocumentsoutlines“11basicneeds”for which Tibetans wish genuine au-tonomy: 1) Language, 2) Culture, 3)Religion,4)Education,5)EnvironmentProtection, 6) Utilisation of NaturalResources, 7) EconomicDevelopmentandTrade,8)PublicHealth,9)PublicSecurity,10)Regulationonpopulationmigrationand11)Cultural,education-al and religious exchanges with othercountries.We see in the new Chineseleadership of PresidentXi Jinping, an

opportunityforcountrieslikeItaly,withextensiveexperiencewithregionalau-tonomy,toengagewithChinaandshareitssuccessfulexperience. Tibetans have subscribed to non-vio-lenceanddemocracyforthesemanyde-cadesasareflectionofourdeeply-heldbeliefs and value system. As govern-ments and the international community constantly speak of peaceful conflictresolution,thestrengthofthoseconvic-tionsisbeingtestedwhenthemomentcomes to publicly support steadfastnon-violent political movements suchasTibet. Weseek the support from friends likeyouwho believe in freedom,who be-lieve in democracy, that the ChinesegovernmentoughttoenterintodialoguetosolvetheissueofTibetpeacefully. Finally,werequesttheItalianSenatetorecommend to the ItalianGovernmenttorequestthefollowingtotheChinesegovernmentto •Engage in dialogue with His Holi-nesstheDalaiLama’sEnvoystoresolvetheTibetissueontheMiddleWayAp-proach,whichseeksgenuineautonomywithin the framework of the ChineseConstitution.•ImmediateendtorepressioninTibet•Guarantee the use of Tibetan as amediumofinstructioninTibetanareas•Suspend the forceful settlement ofTibetan nomads

AndrequesttheItalianGovernmentto•EngagewiththeChinesegovernmentontheissueofregionalautonomy

IexpressonceagainourappreciationtothemembersoftheItalianSenatewhoareheretodayandwhohavebeenlong-term friends ofTibet and its people. Iurgeyouatthiscriticaltimetohelpusrealize the aspirations of the Tibetanpeople.Asweseejusticeprevailindif-ferentpartsoftheworld,soitshouldbeforTibetwithyoursupport. Thank you

5December2013


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StatementoftheKashagonthe24thAnniversaryoftheConfermentofNobelPeacePrizetoHisHolinesstheXIVDalaiLamaofTibet

On behalf of the 6 million Tibetans,theKashagpaysitsdeepreverenceandhumble respects to His Holiness theGreatXIVDalaiLamaofTibetonthisspecialoccasionofthe24thAnniversa-ryoftheconfermentoftheNobelPeacePrizetoHisHolinesstheDalaiLama. The Kashag also extends its warmestgreetings to fellow Tibetans, friendsandwell-wishersallovertheworld.Onthisday in1989,HisHoliness theDalai Lama was awarded the NobelPeacePrizeforhisconsistentresistanceto the use of violence in his people’sstruggleforbasicfreedoms.TheNobelPeacePrize toHisHoliness theDalaiLamacatapultedtheTibetanstruggletogreaterinternationalvisibility.HisHo-liness theDalaiLama’s global staturedirectlyandpositivelyimpactedontheimage of theTibetan people and fun-damentally strengthened the Tibetan cause.Tibetbecamesynonymouswithnon-violenceandjustice. ThisdayisalsoobservedasWorldHu-manRightsDay,tocelebratetheproc-lamationandadoptionoftheUniversalDeclaration of Human Rights by theUnitedNationsin1948asthecommonstandard to measure the freedoms towhich all peoples and nations shouldlive.Unfortunately,evenafter65yearsof proclamation there is notmuch forTibetanstocelebrategiventhedeterio-ratinghumanrightsconditioninTibet. Chinacontinuestonegatetheprincipleof theuniversalityofhumanrightsbyviolatingtheprovisionsoftheUniver-salDeclarationofHumanRights.Tibetis still under occupation. It continuestosufferfrompoliticalrepression,eco-nomicmarginalization,socialdiscrimi-nation, environmental destruction andculturalassimilation.WorstisthemassChinesemigration toTibetwhich hasturnedTibetans into second-class citi-zensintheirownhomeland.Livingun-dersucharepressiveenvironment,withnospaceforconventionalmethodsof-protest,Tibetansfromallwalksoflifeare forced to take drasticmeasures to

express their outrage anddespair. Justaweekago,Mr.KunchokTsetan,only30yearsold,self-immolatedanddied.Despiteourrepeatedappealsnottodoso,123Tibetanshaveself-immolatedinTibetsince2009.123isneithersimplyanumbernoralistofnames.Theyarehuman beings just like any one of uswhowillwishtoliveacompletelife,ifgivenachoice.Chinacannotdenytheblatant human rights violations whicharethecausesfortheself-immolations. Recently in Driru, Nagchu, Tibetansrefused to hoist the Chinese nationalflag.Theywere shotat and4of themwerekilled.Manyweredetained.Thesituation in the area continues to remain tense. Instead of seeing His Holinessthe Dalai Lama as the solution, he islabeledanarchenemy.ChenQuanguo,thePartySecretaryoftheso-calledTi-bet Autonomous Region (TAR) threat-ened to silence His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s voice andbanhis ownpeopleinsideTibetfromhearinghismessage.Similarly,thevoiceoftheirownNobelPeacePrizewinner,LiuXiaobo, is si-lencedasheiscurrentlyimprisonedinChina.

The deteriorating human rights situa-tioninsideTibetisbeingcriticizedandcastigated in theUSStateDepartmentHuman Rights Report, Amnesty In-

ternational Report and Human RightsWatch Report. The Freedom HouserankedTibet among the ‘worst of theworst’ in civil rights and political lib-erty in its Freedom in the World Report 2013

In the recent United Nation HumanRights Council’s Universal PeriodicReviewofChina,12nationsincludingJapan, Australia, Iceland and Canadaexpressed their concern over China’shumanrightsviolations.Amongothers,NewZealandcalledonChinatoresumetwo-way dialogue to resolve theTibetissue. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA)remainscommitted to theMid-dle-Way Approach and reiterates thatdialogueis themostrealisticapproachand the only way to find a mutuallybeneficial solution to the Tibet issue.The Middle-Way Approach neitherseeksseparationfromthePeople’sRe-publicofChinanor“highdegreeofau-tonomy”,butGenuineAutonomyforallTibetanpeopleunderasingleadminis-tration.ThisisconsistentwithboththeNationalRegionalAutonomyLawandtheConstitutionofthePeople’sRepub-licofChina.TheCTAdoesnotusetheterm “Greater Tibet.” The three tradi-tionalprovincesofU-Tsang,KhamandAmdohavealwaysbeenessentialparts


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ofTibet that covers the entireTibetanplateau. They share not just the samegeographyandtopographybutalsocul-ture,languageandreligion.DivisionofTibetintoseveralprovincesofChinaisa clear violation of Chinese laws andofArticle 4 of theConstitutionwhichrecognizestherightofminoritynation-alities to practice regional autonomy“intheareaswheretheyliveinconcen-tratedcommunities”andto“setupor-ganofselfgovernmentfortheexerciseofpowerofautonomy.”99%Uyghurslive in Xinjiang UyghurAutonomousRegion and 95% of Zhuangs live inGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegion.Tibetans living in one concentratedcommunity are divided into differentprovinces with less than 50% in theTARwhilethemajorityisincorporatedintoneighboringChineseprovincesasTibetan autonomous prefectures andcounties.

Tibet constituting one-fourth ofChinais not a recent political creation but anatural outcome of Tibetans inhabit-ing the Tibetan plateau for thousandsofyears.ThefactthatTibetconstitutesone-fourth of China should not be aconcern for the Chinese governmentbecause one-fifth of China is alreadyestablishedasXinjiangUyghurAuton-omousRegionandone-eighthasInnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion.More-over,GenuineAutonomyforallTibet-ans is not geographically specific, butadministratively specific, aiming foractualimplementationofChineselawsintheareastoempowerTibetanstobe-comemastersoftheirownaffairs.

For all these reasons, the moderationand pragmatism of the Middle-WayApproach has attracted support andrecognition among intellectuals, par-liamentarians, leaders and individuals,includingChinesescholars,writersandChinese Buddhists. Since 2011, morethan 6 different countries have passedresolutions and motions in support ofresumption of dialogue between theenvoysofHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaandthenewChinese leadership.Morethan 16 foreignministries, spokesper-sons and individual parliamentarianshave urgedChina to resolve theTibet

issue. On this occasion, the Kashagwould like to thankall thesecountriesandothersforsupportingourcause.Wetake this opportunity to thank, aboveall,theGovernmentandpeopleofIndiafor their generosity and hospitality alltheseyears.Ourwordsofthankfulnesscannotfullyexpressourprofoundfeel-ings of gratitude towards India for itsgenerosity. WealsothanktheTibetSupportGroupsand individual supporters all over theworldfortheirvoluntaryandsteadfastsupportforallourendeavors.InhisNo-belPeacePrizeacceptancespeech,HisHoliness the Dalai Lama stated, “Theprizereaffirmsourconvictionthatwithtruth, courage and determination as our weapons,Tibetwillbeliberated.”Fur-thermore,HisHolinesstheDalaiLamaon September 22, 2013 reassured allTibetans by categorically stating that hewould liveavery long lifeandseethedaywhentheTibetissueisresolvedthroughtheMiddle-WayApproach. WemustallremainunitedanddedicateourselvestofulfilltheauspiciouswordsofHisHolinesstheDalaiLama.Tibet’scauseanditsstruggleforhumanrightswill triumph. The strength and perse-veranceoftheTibetanpeoplewillnev-er diminish. Non-violence and peaceare a universal aspiration not only forus,butforallhumanity.ThesuccessoftheTibetanstrugglewillbeasuccessofnon-violenceandpeace. So,ourbelovedbrothersandsistersinTibet,thoughyoursufferingisunbear-able and seems endless, the only cer-tainty in life is change. Things neverstay the same forever. Thoughwe re-main separated by political force, wewillneverstopworkingtobereunitedwithbasicfreedomsandwithHisHoli-nesstheDalaiLamainTibet.

Finally, the Kashag and Tibetans ev-erywherewishHisHoliness theDalaiLamacontinuedgoodhealth.Myallhiswishesbefulfilled.

ThankYou!The KashagDecember10,2013

FiveKalonsoftheCentralTibetanAd-ministration attended the celebrations withmembers of theTibetan commu-nities and supporters indifferentpartsofEurope.ReligionandCultureKalonPema Chhinjor, Home Kalon DolmaGyari,FinanceKalonTseringDhondup,DIIR Kalon Dicki Chhoyang and Heath KalonDrTseringWangchukjoinedtheTibetancommunitiesandsupportersinBelgium, Italy, Paris, the NetherlandsandGermanyrespectively. On the International Human Rights Day on 10 December, Kalon DolmaGyari met with Mr Valerio Cattaneo,the president of the Regional CouncilofPiedmontRegionandMrGianpieroLeo,thepresidentoftheRegionalAs-sociation forHumanRights andTibetandother councillorsof the assembly.Mr BrunoMellano and Mrs RosannaDegiovanniofRadicalPartyaccompa-niedKalonDolmaGyari.Duringtheirmeeting,PresidentValerioCattaneoex-pressedthesolidaritywithHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaandtheTibetanpeople. Kalon Gyari also met withMr SilvioMagliano, the Vice-President of theMunicipality Council of Torino city.ShemetPresidentMrsGiannaGanciaof the Province andMayor of CuneoMunicipalityMrFedericoBorgna.TheybothexpressedsupportforHisHolinesstheDalaiLamaandtheTibetanpeople.

In France, Kalon Tsering DhondupmetPatrickBlocheandAndreGattolin,membersofFrenchParliament.Heun-derlinedtheneedforaco-ordinatedandunified approach among the variousFrench Tibet support groups towardsraisingtheissueofTibetatnationalandinternationalforums.

He underscored the importance of thepreservationofTibetancultureandlan-guageduringhismeetingswithmem-bersoftheTibetancommunitybasedinFrance.

Kalons meet leaders in Europe on World Hu-

man Rights Day


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Todayisthe24thanniversaryofanout-standingly momentous occasion whenHis Holiness the Dalai Lama, the su-premeprotectorandguide toallTibet-ansinTibetandinexile;andachampionofpeaceinthisworld,receivedtheuni-versally acclaimed Nobel Peace Prize.On thisuniqueday, I, onbehalfof theTibetan Parliament in Exile, offer mygreetings and congratulations with thedeepest obeisance of body, speech andmind to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.His continuing deeds of unreservedgenerosityforthebenefitofallsentientbeingseverywhereremainbeyondany-one’scapacitytorepay.

OntheWorldHumanRightsDayof10December1989,whenHisHolinesstheDalaiLamawaspresentedtheespecial-lyrenownedNobelPeacePrize,all theTibetan people in general, and, in par-ticular,allpeopleacrosstheworldwhocovet democracy, freedom, and peaceexaltedhimandexpressedelation,rever-enceandadmirationforHisoutstandingdeeds.Itwasthereforeauniquedayofperfect,joyousoccasionaptforsuchcel-ebrations.HisHolinesstheDalaiLama

StatementoftheTibetanParliament-in-Exileonthe24thAnniversaryoftheConfermentofNobelPeacePrizetoHisHolinesstheXIVDalaiLamaofTibet

hasensured thesurvivalandpreserva-tionofthefinecultureofthereligiouslyinculcated landofTibetwhich in turnhas its source in the pristine ideals oftheunrivalledBuddhaShakyamuni.

Bythismeans,HisHolinesshasguidedtheTibetanpeopleonthepathofpeaceand non-violence in this highly de-generationafflictedworldwithagreatcommitment to turn the land of Tibetintoazoneofpeace.Healsoembarkedonthegreatandnobledeedofstrivingto resolve the dispute between TibetandChinaonthebasisofanoblycon-ceived,mutuallybeneficialmiddlewayproposal.Andonthebasisofenhancingthemoralethics,whichconstitutes thefoundation on which rests the aspira-tionof all livingbeingswhodesire toachievehappinessand toavoidsuffer-ing,HisHolinesshasstriventopromoteenvironmentalprotectionandreligiousharmony,toresolvewarsanddisputes,and so on. For these enormous deedsofunfathomableimportancewhichHehas carried out, and continues to carry out,with a sense of universal respon-sibility for the purposes of helping to

bring peace in this world, His Holi-ness theDalai Lama has been greatlypraised by all the discerning peopleeverywhereandwashonouredwiththeNobelPeacePrize.Hehasundertakenthese taskswitha senseof joy for thepurposesofensuringbenefitstoallsen-tientbeings.Hence,asrightlyhonouredwith recognition as a great championofworldpeace,HisHolinesscontinueswithuntiringeffortsacrossthebarriersoftimeandgeographytocarryouthissecretbody,speech,andminddeedsofunfathomablebenefitstomankind.

IthereforetakethisopportunitytooffercountlessthanksofenormousgratitudetoHim.Todayisalsoanimportantdayobserved as theWorld Human RightsDay. Recently, on 22nd October, thehumanrightssituationinChinawasthesubject of the 17thUniversal PeriodicReview session of the Human RightsCounciloftheUnitedNations,whichislocatedintheSwisscityofGeneva.Atthat time, representatives of a sectionofthemembercountriesofthecouncilurged China to take meaningful stepstobe implementedfor thepurposesofimproving the human rights situationin Tibet. In particular, the representa-tives of Canada, the Czech Republic,France,Germany,NewZealand,Swit-zerland, theUnitedStates,TheUnitedKingdom, Iceland, Japan, Poland, andAustralia made it clear that the human rightssituationinTibetwascontinuingto worsen considerably and expressedseriousconcernsoverthedevelopment.

TheymadeemphaticcriticismsovertheChinese government’s ongoing disre-gardforthereligiousandculturalrightsand freedom of speech of the peopleofTibet.Besides,theyofferedspecificrecommendationsonthewaysinwhichthegovernmentofChinashouldensuretheprotectionoftherightsoftheethnicminorities, including the Tibetan peo-ple,andurgedthatthesebeactedupon.

ThegovernmentofChinahas thus farnothingpositivetoshowintermsofac-


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complishments in the area of humanrights. Besides, it is common knowl-edge everywhere that the governmentofChinacontinuestoimplementapol-icyof anextremelybrutal andmerci-lessrepressionthatgrosslyviolatesthehumanrightsofthepeoplenotonlyinChinaitselfbutalso,especially,intheethnicminorityareassuchasTibet.

Nevertheless,ineffortsitmaderecent-lytorejointheHumanRightsCounciloftheUnitedNations,thegovernmentofChina gave undertakings to imple-ment, all the international human rights instruments and to respect the rightsof the ethnic minorities within thePeople’sRepublicofChina.Itwasforthese assurances that China again be-cameamemberoftheUnitedNationsHuman Rights Council. It is only tobeexpected,therefore,thatChinawillremaintruetoitspromises.Ithereforetake this opportunity to ask China toimplement its promises and also urgethe international community to closely scrutinizeChinaonthisissue.

The government of China routinelyspeaksabouttheimportanceofharmo-ny,stability,andsoon.Nevertheless,inanarticletitled“EnsuringtheSecurityofTibet’s IdeologicalRealmwith theSpiritofDaring toShow theSword,”which was published recently on 1stNovember in an official party journalas well as carried by other Chinesegovernmentpublicitychannels,whichwas inkeepingwithhis official com-ments,Mr.ChenQuanguo,theChineseCommunistPartyGeneralSecretaryofTibetAutonomousRegion, said: “WeshouldthoroughlyexposeandcriticisetheDalaiClique’sreactionaryschemeoftheso-called‘MiddleWay’,‘GreaterTibet’and‘highdegreeofautonomy’.

We should educate and guide cadresandordinarypeopleofvarious ethnicgroups to separate Tibetan Buddhismfrom the fourteenth Dalai Lama, andseparate the fourteenth Dalai lamafrom the title of the Dalai Lama sothat they will consciously make aclear break from the fourteenthDalaiLama’s clique. Their standpoint on

the important political principles likethe anti-separatist struggle should betherebyrenderedfirmandmadehighlyconsistentwithstandpointsoftheCen-tralPartyCommittee.WeshouldtryourbesttoenablethevoicesandimagesoftheCentralPartyCommitteetobeheardandseeninthevastterritoryofover1.2millionsquarekilometres,andpreventvoicesandimagesofhostileforcesandthefourteenthDalaiLama’scliquefrombeingheardandseen.”

However,whathehassaidinthatarticleandhiscommentsinithaveabsolutelynohistoricalorfactualbasis.Itisafu-tile attempt on his part tomislead theordinary Tibetan people and to widensenseofresentmentbetweentheTibet-anandChinesepeoples.Suchtalksareeasilyvanquishedbythepoweroftruthandarenotatallbelievedorsupportedbyanyone.There is thereforenoneedforustomakeapoint-by-pointrebuttalofhisclaims.

AsregardstherelationshipbetweenHisHoliness the Dalai Lama and TibetanBuddhism,theconnectionbetweenhimandhisDalaiLamareincarnations,andsoon,anatheistgovernmentwhichdoesnotevenbelieveinrebirthhasnopowerto make comments and in any case can-notknowhowtocomment. ev-eryrespectandnotinkeepingwiththetransformationsthathavetakenplaceinmodernhumansociety.

There is no trace of themoral ethics,nor a slightest whiff of the virtuoustraditions and culture of the great an-cient Han Chinese people remainingin thisgovernment.This representsanenormouslosstothepeopleacrosstheworldand,especially, to theentire1.3billionpeopleofChinatoday.Wehavetaken toheart thewishes, thewellbe-ing,andtheurgencyofthesituationinTibet highlighted by the indomitable courage shown by the people there inprotesting against the government ofChina,displayingselflessnessinstrug-glingforthegreaterTibetancause.

Given this urgency, the Tibetan Par-liament in Exile has, for the purposes

of ensuring a speedy resolutionof theTibetan issueand, inparticular, to ad-dress the serious hardship and criticalsituation being faced by the TibetansinTibet,initiatedacampaignlastyear.Keepinginviewthelocalcircumstancesfromplacetoplace,theTibetanparlia-mentinExilehascarriedoutthatcam-paign to lobbysupport for theTibetancause through meetings with govern-ment leaders and parliaments, as wellas with important public figures andwiththegeneralpublic,includinginIn-dia.Thisremainsacontinuingseriesofcampaignactions.

Recently,adelegationofmemberoftheTibetanParliamentinExile,ledbytheSpeaker, toured five countries of Eu-ropefrom3to25November.

ThedelegationvisitedBelgium,France,Holland, Germany and the UnitedKingdomtoespeciallylobbyfortheTi-betancause.Andweplan tocarryoutmore such activities for the remainingtermofthe15thTibetanParliamentinExile.Including the government andpeopleofIndia,ourappealsforsupportfor our just cause from governments,parliaments, and likewise, from thegeneralpublichavereceivedattention,sympathy,solidarityandhighlevelsofsupport.

And I take thisopportunity toexpressheartfelt thanks and gratitude to themall.Atthesametime,Ialsostronglyap-pealtothemtocontinuetorenderevengreatersupporttousinfuture.

Finally,IpraythatHisHolinesstheDa-laiLamacontinueliveforahundredae-ons,thatallHiswishesbefulfilledwithspontaneity,thatthejustcauseofTibetprevailswithutmosturgencysothattheTibetansinTibetandinexilebehappilyreunited. TheTibetanParliamentinExile

10December2013


www.tibet.net


DesperationinTibet

OnNov.11,TseringGyal,a20-year-oldTibetanBuddhistmonk,sethimselfonfire in China’s Qinghai Province. Mr.Gyal’s death brings the number ofTi-betanswho have self-immolated since2009to123.Letterssomehaveleftandeyewitness accounts of dying wordsleavenodoubtaboutthecauseofthesehorrible deaths: anguish over Chineserepression.

TibethassufferedspasmsofviolenceatdifferentpointsinitshistorysinceChinatookoverin1950andtheDalaiLama,thespiritualleaderofTibetanBuddhists,fledtheregionin1959.Butthecurrentwaveofself-immolationsisanewandtragictrend.ManyTibetansfeelforciblyestranged from their language, cultureandreligionbyrepressiveChinesepoli-cies thathave intensifiedsinceawaveofprotestsengulfedtheregionin2008.ThesepoliciesincludereplacingtheTi-betanlanguagewithChineseasthelan-guageofinstructioninschools;sendingsome 21,000 Chinese party officialsintoTibetanmonasteriestokeepaneyeonmonks;forcingmonkstodenouncetheDalaiLama;banningthedisplayoftheDalaiLama’sphotograph;havingaheavyarmedpolicepresenceinTibetantowns, villages and around monaster-ies;closingmonasteries;andclampingdownondemonstratorswitharrestsandshootingsbypoliceofficers.

China blames the Dalai Lama for theself-immolations. But the Dalai Lamahas condemned them. In fact, manyfear that unless preparations begin toeaseTibetans’feelingsofestrangementwhile the 78-year-old Dalai Lama isstillalive,Tibetansmayresorttomoreviolentformsofprotestwhenhistem-peringpresenceisgone.

After President Xi Jinping assumedpower last year, there was hope thatChinamight retreat from its hardenedstance toward Tibet. The sweepingreforms pledged recently during theCommunist Party’s plenum meeting

Don’t Forget TibetByMaryKissel[TheWallStreetJournal]

[TheNewYorkTimes]BytheEditorialBoard29November2013

China’s Communist Party leadershipannounceda60-point reformplan lastweekwhichmovesthecountrytowardamore open and liberalized economy.But if Beijing’s treatment of Tibet isany indication, constraints on politicalfreedoms won’t be loosened anytimesoon.

ExiledPrimeMinisterLobsangSangayvisitedTheJournal’sofficesrecentlytodiscuss the situation,which haswors-ened sinceTibetans rose up to protestthe Beijing Olympics in 2008. Sincethen,BeijinghassentwavesofHanChi-nesetoeffectivelycolonizetheregion,crackeddownon religious expression,detainedsupportersoftheDalaiLama,andeven“installedCCTVcameras”insmallvillages,Mr.Sangaysays.

Moreominously,Chinahasalso tight-enedsecurityalongitsborderwithNe-pal,amountainousareawhichhaslongservedas theprimaryescape route forTibetans to Nepal, and ultimately, toDharmsala, India, the homeof theTi-betangovernment-in-exile.

“Before 2008, 3,000 to 5,000 peoplefled via Nepal annually,” Mr. Sangaysays, but now it’s “less than 1,000.”Chinese security officials even pursueTibetans Nepal and are training thatcountry’ssecurityofficials,Mr.Sangaynotes. Repatriated Tibetans face inter-rogation,imprisonmentortortureupon

showhiswillingness to tackledomes-ticchallenges.Heshouldmovenowtoeasesomeof themostdamagingpoli-ciesonTibet.

China also should resume negotiations with theDalaiLama,whichbrokeoffin2010.Withoutthesesteps,theTibetAutonomous Region and the neighbor-ingprovincesofSichuan,QinghaiandGansu,wheremanyTibetanslive,willremaintroubledterritory,unabletopar-ticipate fully inChina’s economic de-velopment.

theirreturn.

Tibetanshavereactedtothecrackdownbyself-immolating,apracticeMr.San-gay calls “horrific.” Since February2009,123peoplehavediedinthisman-ner,withthelatestvictima20-year-oldmonknamedTseringGyal,whopassedearlier thismonth.Onhisdeathbedheexpressedsupportfor“theunityofTi-betansinsideandoutsideofTibet,andsaid itwas his hope thatTibetans canremain united and protect and upholdtheTibetanlanguage,”RadioFreeAsiareports.

“In 2008, the majority of the protes-tors were monks,” Mr. Sangay says,butnowprotestsare“region-wide”andinclude “lay people” and “students.”He emphasizes thatTibetanswant au-tonomy, not secession, and he remains opentodialoguewithChina’sleaders,aprocessthat’sbeenfrozensinceJanuary2010.MeanwhiletheDalaiLamacon-tinuestocallforpeacefulprotest.Giventhecircumstances,it’sunclearhowlongTibetanswillheedthatadvice.

Nelson Mandela’s memorial was at-tended by world leaders representingdemocratic, socialist and communist values includinga coupleofdictators.All were welcomed to South Africawithtimelyvisas.

However,DalaiLama,theonlypersonintheworldwhobestrepresentsMan-dela’s values of peace and reconcilia-tion,evidentlywasnotextendedanin-vitationforpoliticalreasons.

How outrageously shameful! Duringthe memorial service, we heard froma selected few world leaders spewingthe samehollowrhetoric. Inmyopin-ion,DalaiLamawouldhaveofferedthemostmeaningfuleulogytoMandela.

DidtheworldalreadyforgetMandela’smessage?

Letter: Dalai Lama’s inability to attend Mandela’s memorial was

shameful

MontrealGazette


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ByAmyKazmin[FinancialTimes]‘I always pray the Chinese leader-ship should develop more common sense’

I arrive in Dharamsala, the IndianhomeofTibet’sexiledspiritualleadertheDalaiLama,groggyafteranover-night train journey from New Delhiand a two-hour drive into the Hima-layas.Theweatherisgreyanddrizzlybutthemoodisfestiveascrowdsflockto Tsuglagkhang Temple, where theDalaiLamaisgivingathree-daypub-licteachingona14th-centuryBuddhisttextaboutthepathtoenlightenment.Stoppingbrieflyatmyhotel,Ihearthevoiceoftheworld’smostfamousBud-dhistmonkechoingoverloudspeakersfromthetemplenearby.TypicallywhenhespeakstoaudiencesinEnglish,theDalaiLamaislight-hearted,chucklinginthemidstofsentences.Buttodaythe78-year-old,whofledtoIndiain1959,nineyearsafterChina’sPeople’sLib-erationArmy occupied his homeland,is speaking inhismother tongue.Histones are hushed and serious, though gentle.

Soon, I am among Tibetan refugees,Indians andwesterners – the devotedand the curious – thronging towardsthe temple through an alley strewnwith reminders of Tibet’s discontentunder Chinese rule.A huge banner –emblazoned “Sacrifice of Life forTi-bet”–honoursmorethan100Tibetanswhohaveimmolatedthemselvesinthepast two years in despairing, solitaryprotests in their repressed homeland,manyusingtheirfinalmomentstocallfortheDalaiLama’sreturn.

Photosofeach–withtheirnames,agesand dates when they set themselvesablaze–aresurroundedwithimagesofflames.Anotherbannerhasgrislypho-tosofTibetansallegedlyshotbypoliceinChina’sSichuanprovincewhilecel-ebratingtheDalaiLama’sbirthdayonJuly 6.Ablackmarble triangle is en-

gravedwiththewords“TibetanNation-al Martyrs Memorial” and a museumdetailsChinesehumanrightsabuses.

Butpoliticsisnotthesoleoffering.ATi-betanmaninaBrazilianfootballjacketis selling theDalai Lama’s books, in-cludinghisBeyondReligion:EthicsforaWholeWorld(2011).AmonkfromtheLibraryofTibetanWorksandArchivesappeals for donations to translate andpreserve sacredBuddhist texts.Afliertouts “Tibet Power Healing”, promis-ingto“freeyourmindfromstressandworry”in30minutesof“ChakraHeal-ing”.Atableisladenwithlemontarts,browniesandcarrotcake.

Insidethetemple,the14thDalaiLama,revered by many Tibetans as a livinggodandamanifestationoftheBodhisat-

tvaofCompassion,sitsatopanelevatedthrone, a large goldenBuddha behindhimandaseaofhumanityaroundhim.Maroon-robed monks, shaven-headednuns,weatheredeldersfingeringprayerbeadsandfamilieswithchildrenintra-ditionaldress,asifforaschoolpageant,sit cross-legged on the floor. Thosewithoutadirectviewwatchtheirspiri-tualleaderonflat-screenTVs.

Foreigners,includingAmericans,Euro-peans,KoreansandJapanese,roundoutthecrowdof thousands,a reminderofhow theDalaiLama –whowent intoexile as the virtually unknown leaderofan isolatedcountry–hasbecomeaglobalhouseholdname,withmorethaneightmillionTwitterfollowersandce-lebrity acolytes such as the actor Rich-ardGere.Analysing the “Song on the

AnexclusiveinterviewwiththeDalaiLama


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Stages of the Path to Enlightenment,”theTibetanspiritualleaderoffersatasteof theuniversalismthathasmadehima popular prophet for a secular age.HeurgesavoidanceofBuddhism’s10specifiednon-virtuousacts–killing,ly-ing,stealing,divisivetalkamongthem–butthenobservesthatshunningsuchactionsisnotexclusivelyBuddhist.

“If people are Christian, it can be aChristianpractice; if theyareMuslim,itcanbeaMuslimpractice,andiftheyareBuddhist,itcanbeaBuddhistprac-tice,”hesays.“Irespectothertraditionsforthehelptheybringtheirfollowers.”Atnoon,heendstheday’ssession,apol-ogising,“IfeelexhaustedifIteachtoolong.”Leaningontwoaides,theDalaiLamafollowsamonk–whocarriesabrassbowlofbillowingincense–downaflightofstairstothetemplecourtyard,where a car waits to ferry him to hisadjoining residence. He blesses a fewdevotees and eases into the car.Then,the vehicle pulls away, and His Holi-nessisgone....A fewdays later, I amwalkingacrossthe temple courtyard, nowpeopledbyvigorously debating monks and chil-dren playing under parents’ watchfuleyes.IamboundfortheDalaiLama’shome,hopingtotalktotheNobelPeacePrize-winner not about spirituality butsomethingmore temporal – the plightof China’s restive Tibetan population,and its prospects for greater religiousandpoliticalfreedomunderXiJinping,China’snewleader.

AsecurityclampdownacrossTibethaspreventedareplayofthemassproteststhatswepttheTibetanplateauinMarch2008. But the recent wave of self-immolation hints at despair below thesurfaceofapparentTibetanquiescence.Communist authorities swiftly removealltracesofthesesuicides–andthosedisseminating information about themfaceharshpunishment.But the immo-lationshavecaughtglobalattentionandappeartoberattlingBeijing’sleaders.

In June, JinWei, an ethnicminoritiesscholarattheeliteCentralPartySchool,urgedBeijingtotakea“creative”new

approachtoTibet,andtalkwiththeDa-laiLama,normallyreviledbyCommu-nist authorities as a “jackal inmonk’sclothing”.

Her groundbreaking appeal was pub-lished in a Hong Kong magazine,suggesting high-level backing. But aleading Politburo member has subse-quently sought to squelch speculationofachangeintack,vowingtodeepenthe crackdown on what he calls “theDalaiclique”.Morerecently,agovern-ment white paper endorsed Beijing’s“correct”policiesinTibet,sayingBei-jing’s approachhadbrought economicdevelopmentandpoliticalprogresstoa“backward,primitivestate”.

IhavebeenwarnedtheBuddhistclericmay not be keen to answer politicalquestions.InMarch2011,thethen75-year-olddeclaredhewasretiringfromactive politics. Within months, Lob-sangSangay,a43-year-oldHarvard le-gal scholar, was installed as the headofTibet’sexileadministration,afteranelectionwithinthe150,000-strongrefu-geecommunity.

ButTenzinGyatsocannotsoeasilycastoffhispoliticalrole.Afarmer’sson,hewasrecognisedasthe14thincarnationoftheDalaiLamaatjusttwoyearsold,sweptofftostudyBuddhistphilosophyand enthroned as Tibet’s spiritual andtemporalleaderattheageof15.Today,he remains the living embodiment ofTibetanaspirationsfordignity,andcul-turalandreligiousfreedom–arolenoelectedofficialcaneasilyfill.Beijing’sblustering rhetoric against him only re-inforcesthatsenseofwheretruepowerlies....In theflower-lineddriveofhishilltophome,theDalaiLama,lookingspright-ly and fresh, is welcoming about 20visitors in a receiving line, held regu-larlywhenheisinDharamsala.Amongthe Tibetans are a wheelchair-boundmonasterycook;a family immigratingtoAmerica;anepilepticteenager;andacouplewhose12-year-olddaughterdiedin an accident.After he goes inside, Iam taken to a receiving room, wheretheDalaiLamastandsat thedoor.He

warmlytakesmyhandand,holdingit,guidesmeinsidetoasofa,settlingintoachairnexttome.Histwoprivatesec-retaries–both secularly educated lay-men–andatranslatorarealsoinatten-dance.UnsurehowtostartaninterviewwithaBodhisattva–apersonbelievedtohaveattainedenlightenmentbutwhopostpones nirvana to help others – IbeginasIdowithmostinterviews,bypresentingmybusinesscard.

Tibet’sspiritualleaderstudiesmyname,repeatsitseveraltimesandturnstohisaides to ask where I am from. “Cali-fornia,”Isay.“ButthenameiseasternEuropean. Polish. Jewish.” He chuck-les.“Chosenpeople,”hesays.“Wearechosenpeopletoo–byAvalokiteshvara(theBuddhaofCompassion)–butwesufferalot.”

TheDalaiLamahasanabidinginterestinhowJewsmaintainedtheirfaithandculture over 2,000 years in exile. Butmy interest iswhether the sixmillionethnicTibetanson theTibetanplateau–whoarefacingintensepressuretoas-similateintoChinesesociety–willseetheirsufferingease,orend,soon.Iaskhow he interprets China’s conflictingsignals–callsforchangeandsimulta-neouscrackdowns.

“Likemanyotherpeople–confused,”he says, laughing. Then he offers histakeonthe“eras”ofCommunistChina:Mao’s era of excessive, “unrealistic”ideology; Deng Xiaoping’s introduc-tionof“capitalismtoasocialistcoun-try”, Jiang Zemin’s shift to allow theCommunistparty to representwealthybusinessmen and intellectuals, along withtheworkingclass;andfinallyHuJintao’spursuitofa“harmonioussoci-ety”amidwideningsocialandeconom-icfissures.

“Judging these events, [we see] thesameparty– totalitarian system–hasthe ability to act according tonew re-alities,” he concludes. Yet Hu’s questforaharmonioussociety“moreorlessfailed”, he says. “Themethod to pro-moteharmony[was]throughtightcon-trolandrelyingonuseofforce.Thatisthe mistake. Logically, harmony must


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comefromtheheart…Harmonyverymuch based on trust.As soon as useforce,createsfear.Fearandtrustcannotgotogether.”

“Whatdoyouthink?”HisHolinesssud-denlyaskstheFTphotographerclickingaway. “You are listening; therefore, Iamasking.Thisiscommonsense,isn’tit?Evenananimal,ifyoushowgenuineaffection,graduallytrustdevelops…Ifyoualwaysshowingbadfaceandbeat-ing,howcanyoudevelopfriendship?”SodoestheDalaiLamabelieveChina’sleadersmay bemorewilling to nego-tiatewithhimoverconditionsinTibetthaninthepast?

Beijinghaslongaccusedhimofcovert-lyseekingindependenceforaboutone-quarter of China’s land mass, despitehisinsistencethatheonlywantsauton-omy for ethnicTibetanswithinChina.Hardliners believe Tibetan religiosity,identity and resistance to Beijing willfade once the ageingmonk leaves thescene.

“I am optimistic,” he says. “Whethertheylovemeornot, theTibetanprob-lemisthere.”Helaughs.“It’snotonlytheTibetanproblem,but it’s theprob-lemofthePeople’sRepublicofChina.They have to solve this. Using forcefailed. So they must now carry out apolicytorespectTibetancultureandTi-betanpeople.” It’s a far cry from the Dalai Lama’sbleakmood when the FT interviewedhim in 2008, after protests had sweptTibet.Then,theNobellaureatemourn-edhiswaninginfluenceoverayounger,angrier generation. Today, he seemsrelaxedandconfident, insistinghecanconvince most Tibetans – even inde-pendenceadvocates–toacceptChineseruleifgenuineautonomyisgranted.

“IhavesomemoralauthorityamongTi-betans.IcanuseittopersuadethoseTi-betanswhowanttoseparate,”hesays.He suggests China’s leaders have fargreaterneedofhimthanheofthem.“Talk with Chinese government formy interest? No,” he says. “I am justa monk. Major portion of my life is

already gone. Remaining 10, perhaps15years,Icanmanage.Ihavealotoffriends in Europe,America, Canada.”Again,helaughs.“Iconsidermyselfacitizenoftheworld.”Inreality,theDa-laiLama’sworldisshrinking,asChinauses itseconomicclout to isolatehim.EastAsiancountries–even those thatonce received him, such as BuddhistThailand–arenowtooterrifiedofup-settingBeijing to permit him on theirsoil. Japan is the lone exception. Theyear-longdeepfreezeofBeijing’sdip-lomaticrelationswiththeUKafterDa-vidCameron’s 2012meetingwith theTibetan leaderwas awarning tootherwesterngovernments.

IaskiftheinternationalfailuretotakeastrongerstandonTibetreflectsgloballeaders’moralbankruptcy.“It’sareal-ity,” he says. Later he explains, “mymain interest is not meeting leaders.If I have some political agenda, thenitisimportanttomeetleaders.Inmostcases,myvisitstothewestareforpro-motion of humanvalues and religiousharmony.”...TheDalai Lama has another constitu-ency he increasingly wants to reach,one which some critics say is longoverdue: China’s opinion-makers andtheChinesepublic.Everyweek,10or20Chinese citizensmake the arduousjourneytoDharamsalatoseetheBud-dhistmonktheirgovernmentsodeeplydespises. Others snap up his books –many of which have been translatedintoChinese–onoverseastrips.

“Thesedays,wearemeetingwithmanyChinese–intellectuals,writers,studentsand retiredofficials,” he says. “I havemet thousands in the last few years. Iam trying for closer understanding ofwhat we want, what we are thinking.It’sveryhelpful.”

IfhecouldreturntoTibet,Iask,whatwouldbehisprioritiesthere?Ihopeforahintofpersonalnostalgia–orperhapsthefirstoutlinesofapolicyagenda.Theanswer reflectshismasteryof theBuddhistphilosophyofnon-attachment.“Nothingspecial,”hesays.“Restofmylife, twothings–promotionofhuman

values,andpromotionofreligioushar-mony–untilmydeath,Iamcommitted.RegardingTibet, political side, I havealreadyretired.PreservationofTibetanculture, I am fully committed. I con-siderTibetancultureacultureofpeace,non-violence, compassion. It’s reallyworthwhiletopreserve.”

ComingfromaJewishtradition,Iwon-der whether the essence of TibetanBuddhismcanbepreservedoutsideTi-bet.TheDalaiLamahasoverseen there-establishmentofmajorTibetanmon-asteriesinIndia,andTibetanBuddhismhasevermorewesternadherents.Can’ttheessenceofthefaithflourishinexile?He is sceptical. “Difficult. For preser-vationofTibetanBuddhism–TibetanBuddhist culture – themain responsi-bilityisontheshouldersofsixmillionTibetanpeople.”

Most youngmonks in India’s Tibetanmonasteries were born in Tibet, notexile.Butsincethe2008unrest,ChinahasclampeddownontheTibetborder,and just a few hundred Tibetan refu-geesreachIndiaeachyearnow.Tibetanmonasteriesarestrugglingtofindnov-ices, and increasingly looking to other Tibetan-influencedHimalayanregions,such as Bhutan and Ladakh. But theDalaiLamadoesnotseenon-Tibetansasfillingthevoid.“Differentlanguage.Completelydifferentculture.Noteasy,”hechuckles.

I turn toTibet’swaveof self-immola-tions. Beijing has accused the DalaiLama of instigating the suicides, andhisstatementswalkafineline:neitherencouraging, nor condemning them. IaskifhisrefusaltoappealtoTibetanstostoptheimmolationscanbeconstrued– as Beijing claims –as tacit endorse-ment?...TheDalaiLamaseemsupset.“IfIcre-ated this, then I have the right to say,‘No, don’t do,’” he says forcefully.“This is their own creation: Tibetanpeople – insideTibet.These people, Iconsidermy boss. I am carrying theirwish.Iamnotdemanding,‘Youshoulddothis,youshouldnotdothis’…Thecauses of these things are created by


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hard-line officials. Theyhave the responsibility.Theyhavetofindwaystostopthis.”Iwonderifheeverruesgo-ingintoexile,andwhetherTibet’s story might haveplayed out differently ifhehadstayedwithhisbe-leagueredpeople?“Thereis one clear example: thePanchenLama,”heshootsback.“ThePanchenLamaremainedthere.Whathap-pened?”

Born in 1938, the 10thPanchen Lama, the sec-ond -h i ghe s t - r ank inglama in Tibet’s spiritualhierarchy, originally sup-ported Chinese rule butgrewhighlycriticalofitsdestructionofTibet’s religious institu-tions, economy and social fabric. In1962, aged 24, he presented China’stopleadersapetitiondetailingCommu-nistmistakesinTibet.Initiallyhewonconcessions but was later purged asan“enemyof theTibetanpeople”andspent14years inprisonandhousear-rest.Afterhisrelease,hekeptpushingChina’s leaders for cultural relaxationandmoderatepoliciesinTibet,untilhisdeathin1989.

“Many messages from Tibet – verbalmessages,writtenmessages, some oldpeople, ask me, ‘Please come back,thesoonerthebetter,’”theDalaiLamasays. “But sensible people – writers,students, some retired officials – ex-pressthattheypreferIshouldliveinafree country.They feel, ‘Wehave onerepresentativeinafreecountry.’Thatistheirmessage.

“Many Chinese, particularly ChineseBuddhists,everyweekarenowcominghere.Manyask,‘Pleasedon’tforgetusandpleasecomeback.’Itellthem,‘Uptonow,Chinesegovernmentconsidersmeasademon.Soifademonreturnsat airport, demon may well be put inhandcuffsandbringtodemon’spalace–prison.’”Myallottedtimeisrunningout,soIturntothequestionofhisspiri-

tualsuccessor.In2011,theDalaiLamawarnedofpotentialpoliticalmeddlinginthesearchforhisreincarnationafterhisdeath.Buthesaidhecouldinsteadmanifesthimselfas“anemanation”inanotherbodywhilestillalive,andsuchan emanation would be recognisablethough “karma and prayers” or eventhrough his direct blessing.Complexmetaphysically, this suggests the Da-laiLamacouldpickaspiritualsucces-sor–almostcertainlyanadult–inhislifetime, rather than reincarnating inachild born after his death. The monksayshewillmakeafinaldecisionattheageofabout90,atimeframeoneUS-based scholar has likened to “playingpokerwithdeath”.

Heseesnourgency.“Judgingmybody,next 10 years are OK. I think, mostprobably, in that time there will besome change in theChinese thinking.I always pray the Chinese leadershipshould develop more common sense.Widerperspective.Holisticthinking.”

If conditionsdonot improve,doesheexpect more serious unrest in Tibet?“In my lifetime, I don’t think. I metoneTibetanworkingforaChineseof-fice.Veryemotionally,hetoldme,their

generation–age30or40–oftensay,‘UntiltheDalaiLamaremainswehavetofollowhispath.Onceheisnolongerthere, we have to find various meth-ods.’ I toldhim, ‘Don’t think that.WeareBuddhist.Wemust follownon-vi-olence.’Inourcase,violenceisalmostlike suicide… In these self-burnings,suchpeoplecouldeasilyharmothers.”HetellsofabrawlinwhichoneTibetanstabbedanotherbut thewoundedmanrefused to retaliate – or even take hisassailant’smoneyforhismedicalbills.“These are Tibetans – once they aredetermined, they can truly implementnon-violence,”hesays.“Clear?”

. .With that,mytimeisup. Iampre-sentedwith awhiteprayer shawl, andsentbackintothestreetsofDharamsala.Butthenextmorning,theDalaiLama’sprivate secretary calls. His Holinessfeelshewasnotclearabouthispositionontheself-immolations,Iamtold,andwants tobetterexplainhimself.Hourslater, I am back in the residence, and the maroon-robedmonkstridesin.

“One word,” he says, firmly. “Thoseself-burnings: thesepeople,notdrunk.Notfamilyproblems…Theoverallsit-uationissotense,sodesperate,sothey

His Holiness visit to Shizuoka, Japan - November 21, 2013


ScheduleofHisHolinesstheDalaiLama

Note: Below is the public schedule of His Holiness the Dalai Lama both in India as well as abroad. Please note that for many of these events, tickets are required in order to gain entrance. People are requested to contact the organizers directly or visit the websites given below for further information on tickets. In general, most of the events in India are free where as the majority of events abroad require paid tickets. For your information, as a long-standing policy His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not accept any fees for his talks. Where tickets need to be pur-chased, organizers are requested by our office to charge the minimum entrance fee in order to cover their costs only. Please note that the below dates are subject

to change.

January 6:HisHolinesswillgivethekeynoteaddressattheInauguralceremonyofthea4-dayInternationalConferenceonBoundsofEthicsinaGlobalizedWorldinthemorningatChristUniversity,Bangalore,

Karnataka, India

January 7:HisHolinesswillgivethePresidentialAddressatapro-gramwithMounaSadhuSathyanandaMaharajintheafternoonatHall“E”ofCodissaTradeFairCenter,Coimbatore,TamilNadu,India

January 10:HisHolinesswilladdressapublicmeetingorganizedbytheBhandaraIndiancommunityinthemorninginBhandara,Maha-

rashtra, IndiaonFebruary1:HisHolinesswillparticipateinaninter-faithconclaveintheafternoonatRabindraBhawanorganizedbytheLBSPublica-

tionsHouseInter-FaithConclaveinGuwahati,Assam,India

February 2:PublicTalkinGuwahati,Assam,IndiaHisHolinesswillgivetheFirstLBSFounders’CommemorativeLectureonAHumanApproachtoWorldPeaceandtheIndividualatNehruStadiuminthe

morning.

February 2:HisHolinesswillinauguratetheFestivalofTibetanArt&CultureintheafternoonatSrimantaSankaradevaKalakshetra.

February 4: Teaching in Shillong,Meghalaya, India His HolinesswillgiveateachingtotheBuddhistcommunityinthemorningatthe

PoloGround.

February 4:Inter-FaithEventinShillong,Meghalaya,IndiaHisHo-linesswill participate in an inter-faith event in the afternoon at the

PoloGround.

chooseaverysadway…Itisdifficultto say, ‘Youmust live and face theseunbearabledifficulties.’IfIhavesomealternative to offer them, then I [can]say,‘Don’tdothat.Insteadofshorten-ingyour life,please live long,andwecan do this and this and that.’ But [Ihave]nothing–noalternative.Morally,[it’s] very difficult. There is no otherchoicebuttoremainsilent,andprayer.Clear?”

He rises, and so do I, but he continues speaking. “Historically Tibet was anindependentnation,”hesays.“Butwemustlookforwardandaccordingtothereality.ItisourowninteresttoremainwithinthePeople’sRepublicofChina.Tibetisbackward…andalsowantstomodernise…AnumberofTibetansil-legally went toAmerica and Canada,nottoseekspiritualitybuttoseekdol-lars.Tibetansalsolovemoney.Forthatreason,remaininPeople’sRepublicofChina.Plentyofmoney.

“Our main concern is preservation ofTibetanculture–cultureofpeace,non-violence, ultimately a culture of love,compassion. That is really relevant intoday’s world,” he says. “Millions ofChinesealsoneedcultureoflove.Oncethere is a cultureof love,honestyandtransparency [will] come. Police anddeath sentence will not solve thesethings.Onlyifthingschangehere,”hesays,pointingtohisheart.

“Theverymeaningofautonomyislookafteryourownculture,”hesays.“Oncethat is fully implemented,weareverymuchwillingtoremainwithinPeople’sRepublicofChina…WeTibetansarehistorically separate. Doesn’t matter.Wecanlivetogether.”

My audience is over. Leaving, I walkpast five Chinese men – with short-cropped hair, wearing dark, ill-fittingpolyester blazers – waiting to meettheDalaiLama. Ican’thelpbutwon-der what they will say to each other,andwhetheraneweraofTibetansandChinese living together harmoniouslycouldfinallybepoisedtobegin.

Amy Kazmin is the FT’s south Asiacorrespondent.

Watchwww.tibetonline.tvforHisHolinesstheDalaiLama’steachingsandprogrammes,andnewsonCTAandTibet.


CTAResponsetoChineseAllegationPartyBossinTibetPlanstoSeparateThe14thDalaiLamaFromTibetanBuddhism

ByTseringWangchuk

Recently,justpriortotheThirdPle-num, Chen Quanguo, the currentPartySecretaryoftheTibetAutono-mous Region (TAR), published anarticle in Qiushi (“Seeking Truth”)titled ‘Ensuring the Security of Ti-bet’s Ideological Realm with theSpiritofDaringtoShowtheSword’.Hepledgesto“thoroughlycarryoutthe educational activities of com-paring old Tibet with the New Ti-bet, instructing people of variousethnic groups to be grateful to theParty, listen to thePartyandfollowtheParty”.Ironically,heisexpress-ingthekindofimperialistmentalitythat theCommunist Party criticizesandclaims tofightagainst. Indeal-ingwithTibetans,hevowsto“edu-cate and guide cadres and ordinary people of various ethnic groups toseparateTibetanBuddhismfromthefourteenthDalaiLama,andseparatethe fourteenthDalaiLamafromthetitleofDalaiLama…”.

This statement shows that after 60years of rule in Tibet, some CCPleadersareyettounderstandTibet’sintrinsic spiritual and cultural as-pects.TibetansbelieveHisHolinesstheDalaiLamais themanifestationofAvalokiteshvara (theBuddha ofCompassion). This reverence ex-ceeds any political leverage and isnotbornoutofgreatnessofthetitle,but the greatness of the person. Itrepresents the Tibetans’ active par-ticipationinservingthesacreddutiesofHisHolinesstheDalaiLama.Thisactofservice isat thecenterof theMahayana tradition of Buddhism,whichpredatestheCommunistPartyinChina,aswellastheMarxistide-ology.During the last fewdecades,His Holiness the Dalai Lama hasbeen proposing dialogue with the

Chinese communist leaders, in order tofindamutuallybeneficialsolution.Along with the Tibetan people, hehaspeacefullysoughtgenuineauton-omyforTibetwithinthescopeoftheconstitutionofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,whileadvisingagainstvio-lencethatdriveothermovementstomilitantstrugglesworldwide.

However, Chen Quanguo’s articlewill further antagonize Tibetans inTibet.Thisisbecausehisarticledis-regardsTibetan values and imposeshis perceived superior ideology.Such leftist opportunismplayedoutinTibetwillderailanyloftyprocla-mation like ‘ChineseDream’.ChenQuanguo’shardlinepronouncementsonTibetareencouragedbytwomainreasons.One is the example shownby Hu Jintao who was catapultedfromPartySecretary inTAR to thehighestpositioninChinaafterseriesof violent repression carried insideTibetinlate80s.

More than often, Party’s hardlinemood in Beijing overdrives localleaders into employing repressivemeans.LastApril,theCentralCom-mittee of the Communist Party’sGeneral office in China circulateda confidential memo to its Partyleaders, now leaked and known asDocument 9. The document details“Noteworthy Problems Related totheCurrent State of the IdeologicalSphere” and aims to impose a “un-waveringadherence to theprincipleoftheParty’scontrolofmedia”.

The document calls on Communist leaders to ”persist in correct guid-anceofpublicopinion,insistingthatthe correct political orientation suf-fuseeverydomainandprocessinpo-liticalengagement, form,substance,

and technology”. It lists seven per-ils that could unsettle the Commu-nist Party monopoly in China anddirects its cadres to engage in an “intense struggle” against constitu-tionaldemocracy,civil society,“ni-hilistic”viewsofhistory,“universalvalues,” and the promotion of “theWest’sviewofmedia”,amongoth-ers. Such a hardline tendency willempowerprovincialleaderstocarryout unwarranted repression of eth-nic groups who have different val-ues and views than theCommunistParty. For instance, in Tawu (Ch.Daofu),Yulshul(Ch.Yushu)ineast-ernTibetandDriru(Ch.Biru)underTARearlierthisyear,localPeople’sArmedPolicehadtheirhandsfreetoviolently suppressTibetanswithoutslightest provocation.Thiswas ob-viouslyencouragedby themood inBeijing.

ChineseleadersinBeijingshouldbemindfulof the implicationsof suchpolicies in Tibet. His Holiness theDalaiLamaisthemostauthoritativepersonforTibetans,withareconcil-iatoryintentandapathtosolvetheissueofTibet.Heisconstantlyguid-ing Tibetans towards non violenceand compassion. Tibetans insideTibetriskgravepunitiveactionsbythepolicejustinordertoprocurehisportrait. In light of such conducivefactors,thefailuretoreachapeace-ful resolution to the Tibetan issuewhilethe14thDalaiLamaishealthyand active would be a devastatingmistakeonthepartofcontemporaryChineseleadership.

Tsering Wangchuk is the Press Officer of Department of Information and In-ternational Relations, Central Tibetan Administration. Reach him at: [email protected]


cTa briefing

TibeTan bulleTin 28

DHARAMSHALA:TheCentralTibet-anAdministration has expressed deepconcernoverthecontinuinggovernmentcrackdownonTibetansinDrirucountyin Nagchu prefecture in eastern Tibet(incorporated into the so-called TibetAutonomous Region) since the Chinese governmentbrutallycrushedtheprotestagainstitsmeasuresforcingTibetanstoundergopatrioticre-educationandhoistChineseflagsovertheirhomesaheadofitsNationalDayon1October.

A huge number of Chinese officialsandsecurityforceshavebeendeployedacross the region to enforce the mea-sures,whichincludeforcingTibetanstoswear allegiance to theChineseCom-munist Party and denounce theirmostrevered spiritual leader, His HolinesstheDalaiLama.

MediareportssaythousandsofTibetanshavebeenarbitrarilyarrestedsincepro-testeruptedagainsttheChinesegovern-ment’s repressivemeasures,which lo-cal Tibetans described similar to those imposed during the Cultural Revolu-tion. The Tibetans in Driru are beingsubjectedtogrosshumanrightsabusessuch as arbitrary detention, torture, un-lawfulimprisonmentandenforceddis-appearance,humanrightsgroupssay.

The Chinese authorities conduct fre-quent raid at homes and force Ti-betans to undergo 24-hour politicalindoctrination.A latest report comingoutofTibetsaythreemonksofTarmoemonastery in Nagshoe Driru countywere arrested on 23 November whentheyonwinterholidayinLhasa.Theirwhereaboutsandwell-beingremainun-known.Themonasteryremainedshut-down after the deployment of heavysecurityforcesthereandsomevillagesinitsvicinity.Similarly,securityforceshavelaidsiegetosomeothermonaster-ies like Rabten monastery and Drongna monastery. Eight monks of Rabtenmonastery,whohavetraveledtoPalyul,Derge,SershulandSertharinKarze(in-corporated intoChina’sSichuanProv-ince)forstudy,havebeenarrested.

Police firing on Tibetan protesters

The security forces opened fired atpeaceful Tibetan protesters who weredemanding the release of a fellowTi-betan in Dathang township in Drirucountyon6October.TheTibetansgath-eredinfrontofthegovernmentofficetodemandthereleaseofDorjeDraktsel,aTibetanwhowasarrestedfromNagchutownship, apparently for his persistentadvocacy of freedom and truth on theissueofTibet.ThepolicefiringleftfourTibetansdeadandover60Tibetansin-jured.

TheChinese authorities cut off phoneand internet lines following the inci-dent.The shooting incident followedthe arrest of over 40 Tibetans on 29September. They were arrested whenthey protested against the repressivemeasuresinMowavillageinDriru.ThearrestdrewstrongprotestfromTibetansintheneighbouringvillagesofTaklhay,Bahro,LavogandKona,whogatheredinMowavillagetodemandthereleaseofthearrestedTibetans.

The police firing drew condemnationfromAmnesty International, a promi-nent human rights group. “It is outra-geousforthepolicetostartfiringonapeacefulgathering.ThislatestincidentshowsthattheChineseauthoritieshavedone nothing to rein in excessive useof force by their security forces or toincrease respect for Tibetans’ right tofreedomofpeacefulassembly,”Corin-na-Barbara Francis, Amnesty Inter-national’s China Researcher, said in astatementon9October.

“AcrosstheTibetanregionthesituationremains tense, the Chinese authorities aredoingnothingtoimproveitbycon-tinuing to deny Tibetans their most ba-sichumanrights.Thedailyharassmentandhumiliatingtreatmenthavetoend,”said Francis.The Chinese authoritieshavetargetedTibetansingersandwrit-ersinthecrackdown.AccordingtotheTibetanCenter forHumanRights andDemocracy,ahumanrightsgroupbased

in Dharamsala, two Tibetan singers –TrinleyTsekar,22andGonpoTenzin,25–werearrestedbytheChinesepoliceinlateNovember.TrinleyTsekar,anativeofSerkhangvillageinDrirutownship,wasarrestedfordistributingaDVDthatcontained songs he had sung on Tibetan identity,cultureandlanguage.SourcessaidTrinleyTsekarwas awell-knownsingerwhoused toexpressed thepainandsufferingofTibetanpeoplethroughhissongs.Hisfamilymembers,includ-inghisoldmother,wifeand twochil-dren, are deeply concerned about hiswell-beingandwhereabouts. The other well-known singer, GonpoTenzin, a native of Septha Village inShagchu Town, Diru County, was ar-bitrarily arrested on unknown chargesin Lhasa on 30November. Friends ofthe singer suspect that he might havebeen arrested in connection with hissongs that contained lyrics calling forthe promotion and propagation of Ti-betan culture, literature and language.Hereleasedaspecialalbumtitled“NoLosarforTibet”,thetitlesongofwhichbecame hugely popular among Tibet-ans.With the growing repression andrelentlessself-immolationsinTibet,thetitlesong“NoLosarforTibet”touchedachordamongmanyTibetanswhofeltthat celebrating Losar (Tibetan NewYear) would be inappropriate giventhe situation inside Tibet, TCHRD re-ported.

In early November, over 17 TibetanswerearrestedforprotestingagainstthearbitraryarrestofTsultrimGyaltsen,awriter,andhisfriendYougyal, inTen-khar village near Shamchu town inDrirucounty.

Aspartofitsongoingcrackdowninen-forcingmasslinepolicy,Chinahassen-tencednineTibetans tovaryingprisonterms.Among those sentenced isTop-den, a 30-year-old nomad who writesunderthepseudonymDroGhangGah.Hewasarrestedon28Octoberandsen-tencedtofiveyearsinprisonon30No-vember,TCHRDsaid,quotingsources

CTA expresses concern over China’s crackdown on Tibetans in Driru


cTa briefing

TibeTan bulleTin 29

as saying that he was imprisoned forallegedly “keeping contacts with Da-laicliqueandengaging inactivities tospiltthenation.”HehaswrittenapoemabouttheChineseatrocitiesinTibetpar-ticularlyinNagchuareain1969whenthousandsofTibetanswerestarved,im-prisonedandkilled.Thepoemcontainsdetails of recent crackdown on Tibet-ans in Driru county including beating andcontinueddetentionof69-year-oldDayangandprotestagainstminingac-tivities.

TwootherTibetans–TenzinRangdol,a 30-year-old layman and KunchokChoephel, a 28-year-oldmonk–weresentencedt0fiveandsixyearsinprisonrespectively.

Thehumanrightsgroupsaidtheidenti-tiesofsixotherswerenotimmediatelyknownduetoextremegovernmentcen-sorshipandsurveillanceintheregion.

Chinese government sensitive to po-litical protests in Driru: US Congres-sional Commission

TheUSCongressionalExecutiveCom-missiononChinahasreleasedaspecialreport on the Chinese government’scrackdownonTibetanprotestsinDriruregion.“Thescaleofsecurityresponsestore-cent events in Driru, however, likelyreflectsChinesegovernmentandCom-munist Party sensitivity toward politi-calprotestsinthecounty.Driru’sroleinthe series of Tibetan self-immolationsfocusing on political and religious is-suesprovidessignificantcontextfortheseriesofdetentionsandprotests.

UN Must Hold China Accountable its Human Rights Pledges

Inviewoftheworseninghumanrightssituation in Driru region, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) based in Dharamsalahascalledforurgentinter-ventionoftheworldleadersandhumanrightsbodiestourgetheChinesegovern-menttoenditscrackdown.InOctober,the CTA office inGeneva has briefedtheUNofficialsabout theurgent situ-ation inDriru.Moreover,KalonDicki

Chhoyangof theDepartmentof Infor-mation&InternationalRelationsraisedtheissueinhertestimonybeforeItalianSenate’sExtraordinaryCommissionfortheProtectionandPromotionofHumanRightsinRomeon5December.

ThedeepeningcrackdownonTibetansin Driru is a blatant violation of thepledges to “further protection of therights and interests ofminority ethnicgroups” thatChinamade tobecomeamemberoftheUNHumanRightsCoun-cil.TheCentralTibetanAdministrationappeals to the UN member States toholdChinaaccountableforitsongoinghumanrightsabusesandpriorcommit-ments. It calls for the highest level ofChina’shumanrightsperformancenowthatithasbecomeamemberoftheUNHumanRightsCouncil.

As the number Tibetans setting them-selvesonfireinprotestagainstChina’srepressiveruleinTibetrisesto124,theTibetanParliament-in-Exile todaysaidthecrisisinTibetwarrantsurgentinter-national intervention to press theChi-nesegovernmenttoendrepressionandaddressthegrievancesofTibetans.

The statement from the Tibetan Par-liament came as one more Tibetan set himselfonfireandanother tortured todeathinpolicecustody.

“The hardline and ultra-leftist policiesoftheChinesegovernmentinTibetarethesolereasonswhichhaveledtoself-immolation protest by 124 Tibetans.Butinsteadoflisteningtotheiraspira-tionsandchangeitsrepressivepoliciesinTibet, theChinese government lev-elled baseless criminal charges against thefamilymembersandrelativesoftheself-immolators,” the Tibetan Parlia-mentinExilesaidinastatement.

Tsultrim Gyatso, 44, a well-respectedmonkofAchokmonasteryinSangchucounty inKanlho prefecture (incorpo-rated into China’s Gansu Province),burned himself to death on Thursdayto protest against theChinese govern-

ment’s repressive policies. He left awritten note, saying that he is settinghimself on fire due to the repressivepolicies of the Chinese government.HecalledforthereturnofHisHolinessthe Dalai Lama to Tibet, the releaseofPanchenLama fromprisonand thewell-beingof the sixmillionofTibet-ans.

“The Chinese authorities especiallytargettheTibetanmonkswhoworkforthepreservationofTibetancultureandenvironment.Theyareimmediatelyar-restedandtorturedtodeath,”theTibet-anParliamentsaidinitsstatement.

Geshe Ngawang Jamyang, a seniorBuddhistmasterandscholaratTarmoemonastery in Driru county in Nagchuprefecture,died inpolicecustody.TheChinese authorities handed over hisbodytohisfamilymembersonTuesday(17December) andwarned that thosewho reveal information to the outsideworldwouldfacedeath.Hisbodywascremated at the crematorium of SeraMonastery inLhasa.Thewhereaboutsoftwoothermonkswhowerearrestedalongwithhimremainunknown.

“Onecanclearly see thatTibetansaredriven to commit self-immolation dueto such atrocities perpetrated againstthembytheChinesegovernmentacrossTibet,”theTibetanParliamentsaid.

ItcalledontheChinesegovernmenttoaddressthegrievancesofTibetansandrespect their lives insteadof lyingandmisleading the international community abouttherealsituationinTibet.

The Chinese authorities should imme-diately end arrest and torture of inno-cent family members and relatives oftheTibetanself-immolatorsandunfairsentencemetedouttothem,itsaid.

“We strongly urge the governments,parliamentsandotherinternationalbod-ieswhorespecthumanrights,freedomandlivesofTibetanstoprotecthumanrights in Tibet and press the ChinesegovernmenttoenditshardlinepoliciesinTibet,”theTibetanParliamentsaid.

Tragedy in Tibet warrants urgent international intervention


Last page

Before China brutally crushed the un-precedented peaceful protest by Tibet-ans across Tibet in 2008, every year,hundredsofyoungTibetansembarkonadangerousexodusacrosstheHimala-yas to seek the blessings of His Holi-ness theDalaiLamaandgeteducationinIndia,thehomeforTibetanrefugeessince China completely occupied theirhomelandin1959.Thosenewlyarrivedchildrenwhoareintheschoolgoingageget admission in regular schools such Tibetan Children’sVillage and HomesFoundation.Forthosewhohavecrossedthe school going age, the Central Ti-betanAdministrationhasbuiltaspecialschool.

SherabGatselLoblingwas establishedin1993toservetheeducationtonewlyarrivedTibetanyouthsagedbetween18and35.The school, currentlyadminis-tered by the Sambhota Tibetan Schools SocietyoftheDepartmentofEducation,offered courses inTibetan andEnglishlanguagesandmaths.

The 14th Kashag restructured the cur-riculum by introducing orientation and livelihood Training programme. Un-der the livelihood trainingprogramme,skillbasedcoursessuchasFoodCraft,Thanka Painting, Tailoring, Computersoftware,TibetanStudies(Higherlearn-ing)andOpenSchoolingleadingtoclass10and12thcertificateareintroduced.

SertaTsultrim, a former student of theschool,isservinasamemberofTibetanparliament and head of a leading cul-tural centre in Dharamsala.Sharing hisexperienceofstudyinginSherabGatselLoblingSchool,heapplaudstheserviceoftheschoolinshapingthelivesofnew-lyarrivedTibetans.Hesays“Thisinsti-tutionstudentstolearnEnglish,Tibetan,mathsandvocationalskills.Majorityofthemdidn’tgetanyopportunitytogotoschool in Tibet, hence it is a boon to the newlyarrivedTibetanstoimprovetheirskillandshowcasetheircalibreinbotheducationalandvocationalfields.”

Dhondup,whocameintoexilein2002,

joinedSherabGatselLoblingtopursuehisdreamtogetgoodeducation.Aftercompletinghisfive-yeareducation,heaB.AinTibetanstudiesfromtheCollegeofHigherTibetan Studies,Sarah.Aftercompleting two years of teacher train-ing, he teaches Tibetan language in the school. “BeingaTeacher, it’smydutytodelivertheflowofknowledgeasHisHoliness always encourage sharing ofknowledge and serving the society astheprimedutyofeveryindividual,”hesays

The students have pure commitmenttowards studies as they compete withotherstudentsinNationalInstitutionofopen schooling. Norbu Sangpo, a stu-dentrecentlypassedclassXfromNIOSand is now preparing for classXII. “Iaim to pursue education to become ajournalist,”hesays.

“Theinstitutionfacilitatesthesestudentsin learning English, Tibetan languageaswellasvocationalskills.ItprovidesSpiritual and cultural education to thestudents for their holistic growth andover all development. Financial sup-port isgiven to the studentswhowishtocontinuehighereducation.MoreoverthevocationaltrainingsuchasThangkapainting,cookeryandtailoringarequitestandardized,sothatthestudentscanbe

benefitedinthelongruntobecompe-tent in themainstream industry,”SaysKarmaChungdhak,DirectorofSamb-hotaTibetanSchoolsSociety.

The number ofTibetan refugees com-ingintoexilehasdrasticallydecreasedafterthechinasteppeduprestrictioninTibet and Nepalese border in view ofthewidespreadprotestsince2008.ButTibetans continue to risk their lives tocrosstheHimalayastocomeintoexile.

TheUNCommitteeontheRightsoftheChildheldinGenevafrom16Septem-ber to4OctoberurgedChina toallowTibetan children to use and learn their language and culture in the schools.It called on china to eliminate all re-strictions, including the closure of theTibetan schools, that severely restrictthe ability of the Tibetan children tolearn and use the Tibetan language in schools;andtoensurethatallteachingand learningmaterials for the primaryandsecondarylevelsarealsoavailablein ethnicminority languages andwithculturallysensitivecontent,asguaran-teedbytheChineseconstitution.

The school has offered education toover6,400studentssinceitsinception.

(The writer works as an intern in DIIR in December 2013)

TibetanrefugeesdreamforeducationcometrueByTenzinPassang

Sikyong and Kalons with food craft students at Sherab Gatsel Lobling

INDIADepartment of Information & International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala - 176 215H.P., India Tel: +91-1892-222510/222457 Fax: +91-1892-224957 Email: [email protected]

Bureau of H.H. the Dalai Lama, 10-B Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 110 024, India Tel:+91-11-26474798, Fax:+91-11-2646-1914 Email: [email protected]

Chief Representative (South Zone), No. 7, Sampangiramaiah Garden, Srinivagalu Tank, Viveknagar Post, Bangalore-560047Karnataka, India Tel:+91-080-5506842 / 5506843 Fax:+91-080-5506966 Email:[email protected]

NEPALThe Office of Tibet, Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office, Gaden Khangsar, Narayan Gopal Marg-270. Lazimpat, Ward 2, P.O.Box No. 310,Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4419903/4420799Fax: +977-1-4411660 Email: [email protected]

UNITED STATESThe Office of Tibet, 241 E. 32nd Street, New York NY 10016, U.S.A. Tel: +1-212-213-5010, Fax: +1-212-779-9245 Email: [email protected]

Liaison Officer for Latin America, 241 E. 32nd Street, New York NY 10016, U.S.A. Tel: +1-212-213-5010, Fax: +1-212-779-9245 Email: [email protected] spanish.tibetoffice.org

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO EUROPEOffice of the Special Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama, P.O.Box CH-8036 Zurich Tel:+41-79-349-2448 Fax:+41-43-536-2909Email: [email protected]

SWITZERLANDThe Tibet Bureau, Place de la Navigation 101201 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41-22-7387-940 Fax: +41-22-7387-941 Email: [email protected]

JAPANLiaison Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Hayama Building No. 5(5F), 5-11-30 Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, JapanTel: +81-3-3353-4094, Fax: +81-3-3225-8013 E-mail: [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMThe Office of Tibet, 1 Culworth Street, London, NW8 7AF, U.K. Tel:+44-207-722-5378, Fax:+44-207-722-0362 Email: [email protected]

FRANCEBureau Du Tibet, 84 BD Adolphe Pinard, 75014, Paris, France, Tel:+33-1-46-565-453, Fax:+33-1-41-170-014, Email: [email protected]

BELGIUMBureau du Tibet, 24 Avenue des Arts, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32-2-280 4922Email: [email protected]

AUSTRALIATibet Information Office, 8/13 Napier Close, Deakin, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia Tel: +61-2-6285-4046 Fax: +61-2-6282-4301 Email: [email protected]

RUSSIATibet Culture & Information Centre, Korn # 110, POB # 7, St. Bolshaya Novodmitrovs-kaya - 14 Moscow 127015, Russia Tel: +7-495-786-4362 Fax: +7-495-685-11-32 Email: [email protected] www.savetibet.ru

SOUTH AFRICAOffice of Tibet, P.O. Box. 16812, Lyttelton 0140, Republic of South Africa. Tel: +27-12-664-1193 Fax: +27-12-664-1194 Email: [email protected]

TAIWANReligious Foundation of H.H. the Dalai Lama10th Fl. 4 & 5, No. 189, Sector - 2, Keelung Rd., Taipei, Taiwan (ROC) Tel: +886-2-2736-0366 Fax: +886-2-2377-9163 Email: [email protected]

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TibeTan media

Contacts for the Central Tibetan Administration

benefitedinthelongruntobecompe-tent in themainstream industry,”SaysKarmaChungdhak,DirectorofSamb-hotaTibetanSchoolsSociety.

The number ofTibetan refugees com-ingintoexilehasdrasticallydecreasedafterthechinasteppeduprestrictioninTibet and Nepalese border in view ofthewidespreadprotestsince2008.ButTibetans continue to risk their lives tocrosstheHimalayastocomeintoexile.

TheUNCommitteeontheRightsoftheChildheldinGenevafrom16Septem-ber to4OctoberurgedChina toallowTibetan children to use and learn their language and culture in the schools.It called on china to eliminate all re-strictions, including the closure of theTibetan schools, that severely restrictthe ability of the Tibetan children tolearn and use the Tibetan language in schools;andtoensurethatallteachingand learningmaterials for the primaryandsecondarylevelsarealsoavailablein ethnicminority languages andwithculturallysensitivecontent,asguaran-teedbytheChineseconstitution.

The school has offered education toover6,400studentssinceitsinception.

(The writer works as an intern in DIIR in December 2013)

EditedbyLobsangChoedakPrintedandPublishedbytheSecretary,DepartmentofInformation&InternationalRelations,CentralTibetanAdministration,GangchenKyishong,Dharamsala-176215,H.P,INDIAPrintedatNarthangPress,GangchenKyishong,Dharamsala-176215,H.P,INDIA

‘‘MEPs call on the Chinese authorities to respect the rights of Tibetans in all Chinese provinces and to take proactive steps to resolve the underlying grievances of the Tibetan population. The authorities should cease promoting policies that threaten the Tibetan language, culture, religion, heritage and environment, in contravention of the Chinese

constitution and the Chinese law granting autonomy to ethnic minorities,’’ says the EU’s Urgent Resolution on 27 October 2011

***

‘‘Calls on the People’s Republic of China to release all persons that have been arbitrarily detained; to cease the intimidation, harassment and detention of peaceful protestors; and to allow unrestricted access to journalists, foreign diplomats, and international organiza-

tions to Tibet,’’ US Senate Resolution on 1 February 2012

***

“Social stability in Tibet will never be achieved through heavy security measures and suppression of human rights,” she said. “Deep underlying issues need to be addressed, and I call on the Government to seriously consider the recommendations made to it by vari-

ous international human rights bodies, as well as to avail itself of the expert advice being offered by the UN’s independent experts on human rights,” UN High Commissioner for

Human Rights Navi Pillay on 2 November 2012

***

‘‘President Barack Obama reiterated his strong support for the preservation of the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic traditions of Tibet and the Tibetan people throughout the world. He underscored the importance of the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China. The President commended the Dalai Lama’s commitment to nonviolence and dialogue with China and his pursuit of the “Middle Way” approach,” White House state-ment on President Obama’s meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 16 July 2011

Quotes of World Leaders and International Community on Urgent Situation in Tibet

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