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Final election results 2016 declared

Vol. 04, Issue 154, Print Issue 78, April 30, 2016 Speaker congratulates Sikyong on election victory

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B o d - K y i - Cha-Trin

A Voice For Tibet

Tibet remains the most intriguing and tightly controlled region: FCCC Bi-monthly

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There is no limit to our progress: His Holiness at Sarah College

By Molly Lortie: April 26, 2016

Speaker Penpa Tsering greeting Dr Lobsang Sangay on his victory, 28 April 2016.

Photo: CTA/DIIR

By TibetNet: April 29, 2016

Dharamshala — Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Thursday visited the Kashag secretariat to congratulate Dr Lobsang Sangay following the official declaration of results by the Election Commission on 27 April.

Speaker Penpa Tsering and incumbent Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay were the two final candidates vying for the post of Sikyong in the final election.

Speaking to Tibetnet afterwards, Mr Tsering said: “As per tradition and as one of the final two candidates of the Sikyong election, I came here to congratulate incumbent Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay for his victory.”

“I also congratulate all the winners of the 16th Tibetan Parliamentary elections as well,” he added.

At least 59,353 Tibetans in exile participated in the recently concluded Tibetan general election. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay garnered a total of 33,876 votes (57.08 % of the total vote share) while Speaker Penpa Tsering got 24,864 votes (41.89% of the total vote share).

Dharamsala – The morning of April 26th, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, made his way to the College for Higher Tibetan Studies (CHTS) at Sarah, some 12 kms from Dharamshala. His Holiness was met on arrival

by Institute of Buddhist Dialectics (IBD) Director, Ven Geshe Kalsang Damdul and Principal of the College, Ven Geshe Jampal Dakpa, who escorted him into the assembly hall.

The ceremony honoring this year’s graduates from the college opened with remarks from IBD Director, recalling the founding of the school. Having taken responsibility for preserving and promoting Tibetan culture with the establishment of the Institute, in 1991, he bought land here in Sarah to set up the College for Higher Tibetan Studies. His Holiness blessed the site and inaugurated the institution once it was built. Educational programs include an undergraduate course in Tibetan Studies and graduate courses in Tibetan History and Tibetan Literature as well as an effective teacher training program.

This year’s graduates included 14 successful Rimey Geshe candidates, 28 BA and 2 MA candidates. Education Kalon, Ngodup Tsering congratulated all the graduates on their achievements. He described these as going some way toward fulfilling His Holiness’s advice to Tibetans to develop real expertise,and compared what they had done to Jetsun Milarepa who told his teacher, Marpa, “I have no wealth to give you, but offer you instead my practice.” He added, “We should not be satisfied with what we’ve achieved so far, but should press on. As they say in English ‘the sky’s the limit’”.

Setting the achievements of the IBD and CHTS in the context of Tibetans’ life in exile, His Holiness began his talk by recalling his departure from Lhasa in 1959.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his visit to the College for Higher Tibetan Studies (CHTS) at Sarah’s assembly hall in Dharamsala, HP, India on April 26, 2016. Photo: TPI/Choneyi Sangpo

“It was 17th March when we fled Lhasa. I left the Norbulingka at 10 pm. We had to make it past the Chinese garrison and when we left we didn’t know if we would see the next day. It wasn’t until we reached

China releases one of Tibet’s most high-profile political prisoners

the top of the Che-la pass that we began to feel out of immediate danger. Local people had brought us horses. We mounted them and then turned to take one last look at Lhasa. Then we left.

“A member of the Indian Cabinet later told me that when the Cabinet received news that I had left Lhasa, the then Defence Minister Krishna Menon expressed the view that the Dalai Lama should not be allowed to enter India for fear of upsetting relations with China. Nehru retorted that that would not be proper, saying, ‘We must let him come.’

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Chinese human rights activist Harry Wu dies

China passes strict new law controlling foreign NGOs

By Yeshe Choesang: April 28, 2016

China’s parliament passed a controversial law governing foreign non-government organisations, Xinhua state news agency said Wednesday, giving wide powers to the domestic security authority and prompting criticism from Amnesty International.

The law is part of a raft of legislation, including China’s counterterrorism law and a draft cyber security law, put forward amid a renewed crackdown on dissent by President Xi Jinping’s administration.

The law, which is set to come into effect on Jan. 1, grants broad powers to police to question NGO workers, monitor their finances, shut down offices and regulate their work.

Earlier drafts of the law had faced criticism from NGOs and foreign governments, which said it was too vague in its definition of what constituted actions that harmed China’s national interests and could harm the operations of social and environmental advocacy groups, besides business organisations and academia.

That ambiguity largely remained in the final version of the law, and officials who briefed reporters on the implications of the law on Thursday would not provide specific examples of actions by NGOs that constituted such violations.

“If there are a few foreign NGOs, holding high the banner of cooperation and exchange, coming to engage in illegal activities or even committing criminal acts, our Ministry of Public Security should stop it, and even enact punishments,” said Guo Linmao, an official with the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, in a briefing.

The law also includes complex registration requirements for foreign NGOs that critics have said are meant to stifle the groups’ ability to work.

Amnesty International called the law fundamentally flawed.

“The authorities - particularly the police - will have virtually unchecked powers to target NGOs, restrict their activities and ultimately stifle civil society,” William Nee, a China researcher for the group, said in a statement.

The German Embassy in Beijing said the law adopted some positive changes including the deletion of an expiry clause on registration licences. But it said overall it remained too restrictive.

“The law continues to focus strongly on security and contains numerous approval and documentation requirements, as well as other norms restricting activities,” it said in a statement.

Chinese officials said China welcomes law-abiding NGOs to work in the country, but intends to punish those which harm Chinese security interests or social stability, without defining what that could mean.

“I’ll use a colloquial expression,” Guo said. “If you’re in trouble, ask the police for help - if you haven’t broken the law, what are you afraid of?”

Harry Wu showing an exhibit to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Laogai Museum, October 7, 2009. Photo: File

By Yeshe Choesang: April 29, 2016

undated image of Tulku PhurbuTsering Rinpoche, also known as Pangrina Rinpoche. Photo: TPI

By Yeshe Choesang: April 21, 2016

Dharamshala — Trulku Phurbu Tsering, a senior Buddhist figure from has been released after eight years in prison. The 60-year old Buddhist monk, was one of the most high-profile Tibetan political prisoners in Tibet.

The Buddhist leader was released from Mianyang Prison in Sichuan on Sunday morning, April 17, 2016, TPI sources said, adding that after his release, he was escorted to his home in Dhartsedo in Karze county of Kham Province in eastern Tibet.

The sources said that he has since travelled to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province after being released from prison. However, his current state of health remains unknown.

In 2014, as stated in earlier TPI reports, he was in a critical health condition at a Chinese prison and ‘the actual cause of his imprisonment remains unclear.’

An eyewitness who says he saw him, whose religious name is Lobsang Tenzin Yeshe Trinley by chance early this month (Agust 2014) while visiting another prisoner at Mianyang Prison, located about two hours from Chengdu city. “At first I couldn’t recognize him as he had become so weak, almost emaciated,” said the TPI source. “It looks like he is not being treated well in prison.”

The report also said that local Tibetans have expressed deep concern and anxiety over Rinpoche’s deteriorating health,

which they believe is caused by the severe condition he is subjected to in prison.

He was arrested in May 2008 following a peaceful protest by nuns from the Pangrina nunnery in Kardze, eastern Tibet, against a political re-education campaign that authorities enforced on the nunnery.

The Tibetan leader came under Chinese police surveillance, in May 2008, when he was suspected of having links with a peaceful protest march conducted by more than 80 nuns of Pangrina Nunnery on May 14, 2008 in Su-ngo Township in Karze County.

The protest was broken up by more than 2000 Chinese security forces and several of the nuns were arbitarily arrested.

As abbot of the nunnery, he was ordered by authorities to sign a document provided by authorities criticising His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Rinpoche was arrested after he refused to sign it.

Information about Rinpoche only became available on 23 December 23, 2009, when an Intermediate People’s Court at Dartsedo (Ch: Kangding) County sentenced him to eight years and six months for possession of weapons.

However, Li Fangping and Jiang Tianyong, two prominent Chinese civil rights lawyers who defended Rinpoche had said that serious violations of Chinese law occurred during his case and that the charges against him “lack factual clarity and sufficient evidence”. P- 2...

Harry Wu, an ex-political prisoner who spent his whole life disclosing atrocities in China’s brutal prison labor camp system died at 79.

During a vacation in Honduras, he died Tuesday morning, said Ann Noonan, the administrator with his Laogai Human Rights Organization, but it is not known why he died, his son Harrison and ex-wife China Lee were on their way to retrieve his remains from the Central American nation.

“He was a real hero,” Noonan said. “Harry’s work will continue, it will not stop.”

He had been born in a wealthy Shanghai family whose property got confiscated after the 1949 civil war victory of Mao Zedong’s communists. Having studied geology at the university, he got into trouble with the officials when he criticised the Soviet Union that was China’s ally at the time.

He got sentenced in 1960, when he was 23, to China’s prison camp system or Laogao, that translates to “reform through labor.”

At Laogao, intellectuals and political prisoners faced long sentences and brutality, leading to millions of deaths. Wu was shifted to 12 different camps, and underwent harsh work regimens in the farms, coal mines, and work sites, experiencing beatings, torture, and near starvation.

He was set free in 1979 after Mao’s death. In 1985, he moved to the US and taught, wrote and founded the Laogai Research Foundation, even as he moved intermittently to China to research the labour system.

He assumed U.S. citizenship but again got arrested when he visited China in 1995. He got another 15 years for espionage. Though he got deported to the U.S. he continued to document Chinese human rights abuses, frequently speaking before Congress and at academic events.

Wu’s books on his experiences include “The Chinese Gulag,” ‘’Bitter Winds,” and “Troublemaker.”

Various other issues that he championed included international labor rights, religious freedom, opposition to the death penalty, forced organ harvesting, and China’s population control policies.

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TPI NEWS

April 30, 2016

Tibet, symbolism and the Czech Republic

OPINION

Tibet remains the most intriguing and tightly controlled region: FCCC

By JAN HORNÁT, OPEN DEMOCRACY: April 28, 2016

Czech President Milos Zeman recently labelled proTibet protestors “mentally ill” during a visit of the Chinese Premier to the Czech Republic. What does this say about Zeman and Czech society?

Chinese president Xi Jinping paid an official state visit to the Czech Republic on 28 March – this three day visit was the first historical trip of the Chinese president to the country and represented the culmination of a revised foreign policy course adopted by the government that took power in 2013 and strongly advocated by President Milos Zeman.

Strengthening ties with China could be labeled as President Zeman’s main foreign policy goal in his first term in office and thus Xi’s visit, which brought pledges of Chinese investments and whereby the Czech government elevated the relations with Beijing to a strategic partnership, epitomizes a “mission accomplished”.

While it is yet to see whether the pledged investments will materialize and whether they will benefit the Czech economy or rather serve as geopolitical tools of China’s expansion into Europe, the presidential visit caught media attention for different reasons.

On 30 March two men, introducing themselves as officers of the criminal police, entered the citycenter premises of the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) and demanded to know who gave the school permission to hoist Tibetan flags, remarking that “the Chinese do not like it”.

According to the official statement of the dean’s office, the display of the Tibetan flag was a symbol of the institution’s freedom of thought, a critical expression of the injustices of our times and therefore a reaction to a state visit “reminiscent of communist-era masquerades”.

Various other accounts where the Czech police allegedly gave preferential treatment to participants in the crowds welcoming the president carrying Chinese flags over those with Tibetan flags and purported interventions of officers in private homes that flew Tibetan flags out of their windows have since emerged.

Accordingly, the public started questioning the conduct of the police during Xi Jinping’s visit and demanded to know whether an order to “side with Chinese demonstrators and intervene against Czech human rights activists” was made and if yes, by whom. Also, the opposition in parliament quickly mobilized to seek further investigation into the issue to reveal if this was a systematic breach of the society’s freedom of expression.

After initial denial of the events at FAMU, the police president apologized for the episode.

Moreover, the interior minister announced that he would resign if the investigation revealed that the police had received such orders and that the alleged excesses towards the wielders of Tibetan flags were not just the self-initiative of a few officers.

Meanwhile, President Zeman applauded the role of the police officers during Xi’s visit and – using disturbing rhetoric reminiscent of the communist-era terminology employed to counter any oppositional forces – acknowledged their difficult role in “preventing the public expressions of mentally impaired individuals”.

Essentially, in President Zeman’s jargon, these “mentally impaired individuals” are human rights activists, the entire NGO sector, the “Prague Café intellectuals” and, in fact, most of his opponents (which, as he recently pointed out, remind him of Hitler’s Sturmabteilung).

In a sense, President Zeman tends to formulate a realpolitik narrative that appears to say that carrying a Tibetan flag during the official state visit of the Chinese president was not a legitimate form of protest, but rather a foolish provocation merely damaging Czech national interests. Needless to say, Czech society is divided over the issue of Tibetan flags in the streets – the overlap between critics of the initiatives and President Zeman’s supporters is expectedly high.

For a portion of the Czechs, however, the Tibetan flag is not just a form of protest – the flag is a reminder, a symbol that alludes to the most vulnerable points of Czech (Czechoslovak) history. The contemporary Czech affiliation with Tibet is somewhat influenced by former president Vaclav Havel’s friendship with the Dalai Lama and His Holiness’ frequent visits to the country since the Velvet Revolution (more than ten times).

At the same time, China’s occupation of Tibet and the subsequent repression of the Tibetan people can be viewed as an analogy to the German

occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and the Moscow-ordered Warsaw Pact intervention in the country in 1968, which put an end to initiatives aimed at reforming communism and launched an era of “normalization” characterized by a firmer totalitarian grip on the society.

Therefore, given these perhaps simplified historical analogies, the Tibetan flag serves two purposes in the Czech context. Not only does it send a message of support to “the oppressed and the occupied”, who share a similar fate as the Czech nation, but the flag also serves to reaffirm modern-day Czech identity.

The symbol of the Tibetan flag has moved from the concrete (the situation and history of Tibet) to the universal (human rights and even democracy).

By hoisting the Tibetan flag, or flying it out of the windows during the Chinese president’s visit, the Czechs were implicitly being reminded of their own history. For this reason, any attempts to suppress the freedom to fly the Tibetan flag will be viewed by a significant part of Czech society as a denial or an attack on an important aspect of its identity.

The above-described episode should thus be interpreted along two separate dimensions – on the one hand, it is about the limits of the freedom of expression and on the other hand, it is about the (re)affirmation of Czech identity.

The major takeaway from this story, though, is that Czech society realized that in certain circumstances there is a very thin and fuzzy line between the freedom and the restriction of expression. It engaged policymakers in a debate targeted at identifying where this line is and where it should be.

Apart from a few exceptions, the majority of Czech policymakers acknowledged (at least rhetorically) that a high-level instruction given to the police to intervene against human rights protestors and to attempt to minimize the occurrence of Tibetan flags in the city would represent an unacceptable crossing of a red line. This is good news (although we may never actually find out whether such and order existed and who put it forward).

It seems that once in a while a democratic society needs moments like this that serve as a wake-up call to break out of its lethargy and (at least for some period of time) stop taking institutions intrinsic to democracy – like freedom of expression – for granted and subsequently discuss their limits and functions. Such debates are vital for a not yet consolidated democracy, like the Czech Republic.

About the author Jan Hornát is a lecturer at Charles University in Prague and Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations, Prague.

Tibet remains effectively closed to outside media coverage. Photo: TDT

By Staff Writer, TDT: April 29, 2016

Dharamshala — The Beijing based Foreign Correspondents Club of China has voiced serious concern over restrictions on freedom of expression in Tibet, saying “Tibet remains the most intriguing and tightly controlled region in China today.”

While foreign media outlets were granted some limited access to the Tibet Autonomous Region in 2015, China still rejected roughly three-quarters of the reporters who sought permission to visit last year, according to a new survey by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC).

“The survey revealed deep frustration that China only allows foreign journalists to visit Tibet on government-approved trips; employs an opaque process for selecting those who can join these trips; and restricts freedom of movement while there,” the FCCC said as it released the study.

While Chinese authorities apparently believe that restricted access will prevent “negative” reporting about issues in the region, the survey results suggest the opposite may be true.

Journalists said a lack of access to Tibet increases their reliance on exile sources and overseas academics, who may have particular agendas and lack up-to-date information.

By contrast, the few journalists granted permission to visit to Tibet in 2015 said it improved their knowledge of the region and Chinese government administration there.

The FCCC also surveyed journalists on their perspectives about diplomats and foreign government officials who have been allowed to visit Tibet. A vast majority of those responding said these foreign diplomats and officials are not doing enough to press for greater media access

Australian leaders keep unspoken vow of silence on China’s human rights record

By GLOBAL VOICES, FIONA SO: April 24, 2016

Following Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s whirlwind visit to China from 14 to 15 April, some are questioning his decision to remain tight-lipped on the country’s human rights record.

With a 1,000-strong entourage of business leaders in tow, the 36-hour trip saw Turnbull reach an agreement to expand Australian and Chinese tourism, announce a $100 million joint research and science program, and sign a deal aimed at raising the profile of Australian football.

While the prime minister assured reporters that human rights issues had also been raised, he made clear such discussions would be kept strictly behind closed doors.

Turnbull’s reluctance to disclose specifics is consistent with the tendency for seniorAustralian officials to avoid publicly confronting China over human rights issues. Earlier this February, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was similarly unwilling to dish on whether she had expressed concern to her Chinese counterparts about China’s intimidation and detention of at least 170 lawyers: “I have raised these issues in the appropriate place which was in the ministerial and other meetings that I’ve held today. And I won’t go into the details, I don’t think that would be useful.”

It seems even a social media ‘like’ violates this self-imposed, unspoken vow of silence.

Days before Turnbull’s trip, Australia’s Treasurer Scott Morrison claimed his account was hacked after appearing to ‘like’ an op-ed — written by Australia Director at Human Rights Watch Elaine Pearson — urging the prime minister to include human rights on the China agenda: “Malcolm Turnbull is to make his inaugural visit to China as Australia’s prime minister against the backdrop of a new bilateral free-trade agreement and growing unease over tensions in the South China Sea. It would be a mistake, however, if Turnbull’s talks in

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Beijing focus only on trade and security.

The Chinese government is imposing the most intense crackdown on civil society in at least two decades. Turnbull should not ignore the backdrop of repression that has intensified under the three years of President Xi Jinping’s rule.”

BuzzFeed Australia’s Political Editor Mark Di Stefano was among the first to pick up on Morrison’s unusual Twitter move.

When human rights concerns in China are raised publicly, it is usually done on a less personal, more institutional basis.

For instance,Australia was one of 12 countries who signed a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council condemning China’s intensified crackdown on human rights activists.A“frank and constructive exchange of views” also takes place at the infrequentAustralia-China Human Rights Dialogue, the last of which was held in February 2014. It was not attended by the prime minister or any senior cabinet minister.

Explaining the silence at the top Several theories have been put forward to explain the conspicuous silence of senior Australian political figures on human rights in China — incidentally, Australia’s largest trade partner.

Perhaps the most obvious is the government’s need to ensure sensitivities over human rights do not derail the China-Australia Free TradeAgreement (ChAFTA), which recently came into force last December. The deal, which includes across-the-board tariff reductions for a range of Australian exports, is being enthusiastically spruiked by officials as “[supporting] future economic growth, job creation and higher living standards through increased goods and services trade, and investment.”

Others suggest the government is shying away from imminent charges of hypocrisy, in light of Australia’s much lambasted treatment of asylum seekers and its indigenous population.

to the region.

The survey -- based on 142 responses from foreign journalists based in China, including 35 from nonFCCC members -- revealed the following: The government may be slightly more open to arranging group trips for China-based foreign correspondents. Journalists from more than a dozen foreign media organizations were allowed to join three group reporting trips to the region in 2015.

Among the media organizations that visited Tibet in 2015 were ABC Spanish Daily Newspaper, Bloomberg, Russian TV, Kazakhstan TV, Le Figaro, Der Spiegel, ANSA, Mainichi Shimbun, Yonhap, Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, the Financial Times and Reuters. (Links to some of their reports can be found at the end of this report.)

Large numbers of journalists are still shut out. Nearly three-quarters of those seeking to report in Tibet (49) had their applications rejected. Only one respondent to the survey reported receiving approval for an individual reporting trip to the region.

Many journalists aren’t applying because they believe they won’t get permission or will be subjected to unacceptable reporting restrictions. Only 36% of journalists said they or their organization had applied to conduct a reporting trip to Tibet in 2015.

Of the 64% who did not apply, lack of interest in Tibet was not the reason; rather, half of those journalists said they didn’t apply because they believed permission would not be granted. Another 40% said they didn’t seek permission for a trip because they believed the restrictions imposed by authorities would make substantive reporting impossible. Only 9% said they weren’t interested in Tibetan affairs.

Journalists say the procedures for seeking permission to visit Tibet are opaque and difficult. Of those who applied to conduct trips, 30 (or 79%) said that the process was not straightforward and that details about costs and the itinerary were insufficient.

“It was a totally opaque process, with very little short term notice,” wrote one responder.

“Not straightforward at all,” wrote another. “Very (little) information about the itinerary and costs, and the selection of journalists who finally went to

There is no limit to...

“Once we reached Lhuntse Dzong we were out of danger, but we still didn’t know if we would be able to enter India. We decided that one group of us would approach the Bhutanese border and the other the Indian border. As we reached closer to India we came to know that Indian officials were waiting for us. We also heard that Lhasa was being shelled. We had no idea that we would be in India for decades; we thought we’d soon be going back.

We were strangers for whom the only certainty was the sky above and the earth below. We requested the Indian government to help our people.

“I arrived in Mussoorie at the end of April 1959. Shortly afterwards Nehru came to see me. We’d known each other since we first met in Beijing in 1955. However, when I pointed out inconsistencies in what he said he would bang the table in irritation. We discussed not only how Tibetans could make a living, but the setting up of separate settlements and separate schools for Tibetans.

Nehru took personal responsibility for seeing that this was done. Since then we Tibetans have kept alive that spirit of needing to survive.”

His Holiness said those who have studied the classic texts can share what they know with others with no reference to past or future lives, strictly in the context of this life.

“I’ve asked the Abbots to pass on this message to others and when I’m in South India in July, we’ll discuss it further. By sharing this knowledge we can be of service to others. It seems there are monks at Sera jey who have learned other languages. We also have nuns who are about to become Geshe-mas. And about 50 years ago

Tibet was arbitrary.”

Several of the journalists allowed to visit Tibet in 2015 found the trip worthwhile, despite reporting restrictions: “Not perfect but it was good to get this trip,” said one reporter. “We got some very good material, especially our photographer.”

“In general, I found the trip useful in the sense that it gave me a glimpse of Tibet, the government’s policies and point of view. There was no chance to do independent reporting per se or freedom to travel to regions or areas that were not included in the trip, nor could I extend the trip on my own. But it was better than nothing. I asked all questions that I wanted to officials, who candidly responded with their own discourse to my questions about more sensitive issues that you don’t usually see explained in state media or press conferences in Beijing. Yes, it was heavy on propaganda, but I was able to get a picture of how the government sees Tibet and how it envisions its future.”

“Reporters of the five Indian media organizations with registered offices in China ... were invited to travel to Tibet when the first batch of Indian pilgrims for the Kailash yatra arrived in Yadong on a newly opened route. In Yadong and Lhasa, there was reasonably free access.”

According to the survey results, the bulk of the foreign journalists who visited Tibet in 2015 did so on a five-day November group trip organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Notification for the trip was provided on the ministry’s website in October, with a short deadline for applying. MOFA originally scheduled the trip for October, then delayed it, later rescheduling it with little notice to those who had applied. Selection criteria were not revealed and some journalists said after applying they were unable to confirm the status of their application with officials because the phones at the appointed office went unanswered.

Those selected visited Tibet from Nov. 16-20.

Participants stayed at Lhasa Hotel and visited Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, schools and an academy, a beer factory and Namtso Lake, where they visited a village and talked with the village leader.

China releases one ...

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Li Fangping told the Associated Press that Rinpoche was framed. During his disappearance, Rinpoche was reportedly tortured for four days and nights and forced into making a confession during interrogation. Police even threatened his wife and son of detention if he did not comply.

Trultu Phurbu Tsering was born on 2 January 1957 to Tsewang Dargye and Yangchen Lhamo at Chigring Village of Serkhar Township in Karze County, the area known to Tibetans as Kham Tehor (Chinese: Ganzi, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province). He is the patron of Pangrina and Yatseg nunneries, which house 100 and 60 nuns respectively. He was also engaged in charity works such as building old people’s homes and hospitals for local Tibetan population in the area. His unwavering faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama coupled with his charity work earned him much appreciation and praise from the local Tibetan community.

(continued from front page)

I urged monks of Namgyal monastery to extend their studies beyond rituals to include the study of Buddhist philosophy through logic and reason. This follows the Buddha’s own advice to his followers not to accept what he taught at face value, but to examine and test it as a goldsmith tests gold.

“We need to be 21st century Buddhists. We need to study and understand. If we do this Buddhism will go on for centuries more. We can do this in our own language, which is something to be proud of. Besides this, Tibetans are generally known for being honest, ethical and good mannered. Since IBD and CHTS are contributing to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture, there is no limit to the progress we can make. I congratulate those of you who have graduated today.

His Holiness went to highlight the importance of teaching knowledge of mind and emotions in secular schools in order for us all work towards building a peaceful world.

“As I said, I congratulate those who have graduated today, but if your minds are not disciplined, mere knowledge will not be of much help. We need to use our intelligence to extend our basic compassionate nature. Children are good natured and open to others, but as they grow up they pay more attention to secondary differences between themselves and others and their self-centredness grows. On the other hand, with mental training we can help others sincerely and effectively. This gives rise to trust and trust is the basis of friendship, which as human beings is what we all need.”

Tibet 3 TPI NEWS Tibetans observe birthday of New Comm. to tackle causes of declining health, moral values: Sikyong Tibet’s missing Panchen Lama The Tibet Post International

April 30, 2016

By Yangchen Dolma: April 25, 2016

Tibetans celebrating the 27th birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama who was taken into Chinese custody on May 17, 1995 at age six, Dharamshala, India, on April 25, 2016. Photo: TPI/Choneyi Sangpo

By Yeshe Choesang: April 25, 2016

Dharamshala — April 25, 2016 marks the 27th birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama who was taken into Chinese custody on May 17, 1995 at age six, three days after His Holiness the Dalai Lama named him as the Panchen Lama.

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima— one of Tibet’s most important spiritual leaders has not been seen in public ever since. Tibetans in Dharamshala Monday observed his 27th birthday with mixed feelings that brings both joy and pain to their hearts, as they noted the lack of any concrete proof from the Chinese government over the well being and whereabouts of the young lama who has been missing for more than two decades.

“Tibetans living inside and outside across the world commemorate His Birthday by recollecting the unparalleled gratitude of Panchen lineages and memorial ceremony of current Panchen Rinpoche Gedhun Choekyi Nyima,” the two Tibetan NGOs said in a joint statement.

“We are fortunate to have you in our life yet it is heart breaking that we have been unable to celebrate your birthday in your presence. We nevertheless will keep marching forward and stand beside you-my Lama Rinpoche,” said Wangden Kyab, President of the RTYC Dharamshala.

“The world does not know whether he is live or not, his whereabouts and what he is doing since his recognition by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Today on his 27th Birthday, we urge Chinese government to make transparency about him,” said Dolma Yangchen President of the RTWA. During the ceremony, the RTWA also organised signature campaigns in McLeod Ganj and they urged all Tibetans and Tibet supporters to celebrate the April 25th, 2016.”

Tibetans, Tibet supporters, human rights organisations and world governments have consistently urged China to release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, but these appeals continue to go unheeded.

For more than two decades the Chinese authorities have denied requests from governments and the United Nations for access to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family, claiming that he was leading a normal life and does not wish to be disturbed.

The regime in Beijing also has consistently denied access to the Pachen Lama and his family, provided very little information about his circumstances. An official from Tibet earlier in March 2010 said that the young boy was living with his family and having a “very good life” somewhere in Tibet. He, however, gave no further details.

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is recognised by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, one of the highest-ranking spiritual leaders in Tibet. The previous Panchen Lama (Lobsang Trinley Lhundrup Choekyi Gyaltsen) spoke out against Chinese rule many times and wrote a report chronicling Tibet’s famines in the 1960s. As a result, he spent more than eight years in jail and died in suspicious circumstances in 1989.

China ordered the abbot of Tashilhunpo Monastery, Chadrel Rinpoche, to head the search for the Panchen Lama’s reincarnation. He duly sent a list of possible candidates to Dharamshala, India, where His Holiness the Dalai Lama is in exile, and on 15 May 1995, His Holiness the Dalai Lama announced that Gedhun had been recognised as the 11th Panchen Lama.

However, the Chinese government rejected His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s candidate as “illegal and invalid” and on 17 May 1995, the authorities abducted the child and his family. Chadrel Rinpoche and his assistant Jampa Chung were then arrested and served six-year and four-year sentences respectively for “selling state secrets” and “colluding with separatist forces abroad”.

Six months after Gedhun’s abduction, China announced that it had selected a Tibetan boy called Gyaltsen Norbu to become the Panchen Lama. Since

his selection, Gyaltsen, who lives in Beijing, has only rarely visited Tibet. His visits are carefully stage managed and heavily policed and Tibetans still refer to him as the ‘Panchen Zuma’, or ‘false Panchen’.

Gyaltsen Norbu is a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a top advisory body to China’s government and a senior figure in China’s state-run Buddhist Association. In a speech in 2015, he vowed to uphold “national unity” - the Chinese government’s term for opposing any change in Tibet’s status.

Dharamshala — The political leader of Tibetan people, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay on Monday announced formation of two new committees, to enhance preventive health care, tackle the causes of declining moral values among Tibetans and for uplifting poorer sections of the Tibetan society.

Dr Sangay, the democratically elected political leader of the Tibetan pople held a press conference in Dharamshala, on April 25, 2016. During the press conference, he said that the Kashag held numerous internal meetings as well as joint meetings with the Tibetan Parliament, after advisories issued by the oracles of Tibet.

He told reporters that the Kashag is announcing the formation of two assessment committees and compilation of a draft guideline to amend election laws as part of the Kashag’s initiative.

These announcements come on the heel of Sikyong’s earlier pledges to launch a vigorous health and welfare campaign following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public expression of concern at the declining health condition and morality of the Tibetan people.

“We have formed two committees to address the issues of concern as noted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the centenary celebrations of Mentseekhang on 23 March,” Sikyong said.

“The first committee that we have formed is the preventive healthcare committee,” Sikyong announced. “Mr Ngawang Phelgyal Gyechen, former Chief Justice Commissioner, will head the committee along with former Secretary Mr Tsering Dorjee. Both of them have extensive work experience in Tibetan public health through their service in the Department of Health,” he said.

China puts Tibet writers under house arrest

By Yeshe Choesang: April 28, 2016

Dharamshala - Chinese Authorities in Beijing are holding Tibetan poet and author Tsering Woeser and her dissident writer husband Wang Lixiong under house arrest during a visit to Beijing by a U.S. non-government group, Woeser said via Twitter.

Wang and Woeser have been prevented from leaving their Beijing home by state security police since Monday, and the restrictions will remain in place until Friday, Woeser wrote.

“The Beijing state security police told us that it’s because of a delegation from the American Himalayan Foundation which arrived in Beijing [on Monday],” she wrote.

“I hope that the American Himalayan Foundation will come to hear of our house arrest during their visit,” she said, adding:

“I had never heard of this organization.”

Woeser and Wang have already been prevented from leaving China, with Wang prevented from boarding a plane for Japan by border guards at Beijing’s Capital International Airport in December.

Repeated calls to Woeser’s phone and to the American Himalayan Foundation, rang unanswered on Tuesday.

The foundation builds schools, trains healthcare professionals, subsidizes education and healthcare and helps protect cultural artifacts and the environment across the Himalayan region, according to its official website. It also funds campaigns to stop the trafficking of girls and to save tigers.

Woeser has used her blog “Invisible Tibet,” together with poetry, historical research, and social media platforms to give voice to millions of ethnic Tibetans who are prevented from expressing themselves to the outside world by government curbs on information.

Wang has written several works on Tibet issues, including Sky Burial: The Fate of Tibet, and has also spoken out about the large-scale losses to Tibetan culture during the statesponsored destruction of the Cultural Revolution.

Wang is best-known for his 1991 apocalyptic political parable “Yellow Peril” which prophesies a China embroiled in political, economic, cultural, demographic and ecological crisis and the country’s collapse. The novel and his nine other books are banned in mainland China.

Major religious leaders join climate action

By Molly Lortie: April 21, 2016

Dharamshala – The two friends and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, joined a group of 250 faith leaders from around the world, signed an Interfaith Climate Statement, urging nations to sign on to the Paris climate agreement and called for scaling up ambition to combat climate change.

Ahead of the Paris Agreement Signing Ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters on 22nd April 2016, as religious and spiritual leaders, we stand together to urge all Heads of State to promptly sign and ratify the Paris Agreement.

Leaders belonging to the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other faith have signed on, “We as faith communities recognize that we must begin a transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean renewable energy sources,” the leaders said in the statement.

Emphasising each person’s “moral responsibility” to care for our shared Earth, the Statement was submitted to the UN climate chief Christina Figueres in New York, Monday, April 18, 2016.

The interfaith statement was signed by leaders of the world’s major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Juddhism, and Buddhism, and comes ahead of the gathering of international leaders at the United Nations on April 22nd, to sign the landmark climate pact agreed in Paris.

The statement begins, “Caring for the Earth is our shared responsibility. Each one of us has a ‘moral responsibility to act,’ as so powerfully stated by the Pope’s Encyclical and in the climate change statements by Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other faith leaders.”

“Humanity is at a crucial turning point. We as faith communities recognize that we must begin a transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean renewable energy sources. It is clear that for many people

significant lifestyle changes will have to be made. We must strive for alternatives to the culture of consumerism that is so destructive to ourselves and to our planet.”

“We must reflect on the true nature of our interrelationship to the Earth. It is not a resource for us to exploit at our will. It is a sacred inheritance and a precious home which we must protect. United with the shared hope that arises from faith, we the undersigned believe that the means, desire, and will to care for Earth and all life can and will become action as our political leaders ratify the promises made in Paris – and thus safeguard the greater promises of this generation and of all those to come,” the statement concludes.

A record number of countries are set to sign the Paris agreement, accordingly scheduled on Earth Day, making the agreement a historic step in climate action.

The Statement was signed by 270 high level faith leaders, 176 different groups and more than 4000 individuals.

Six Key Points within the Interfaith Climate Change Statement: Urge governments to rapidly sign, ratify and implement the Paris Agreement, and to increase pledges to reduce emissions in line with keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels; Insist on rapid emissions reduction and peaking by 2020, in order to keep the 1.5C goal within reach; Strongly advocate for greater flows of finance, especially for adaptation and loss and damage; Urge the swift phase out of all fossil fuel subsidies and a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050; Encourage faith communities to reduce emissions in their homes, workplaces and centres of worship and to support and stand in solidarity with communities already impacted by climate change; and Call for fossil fuel divestment and reinvestment in renewables and low carbon solutions, including within our own communities, and/or by engaging companies on climate change.

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay speaking at the press conference in DIIR Lhakpa Tsering Memorial Hall in Gangchen Kyisong, Dharamshala, India, on April 25, 2016. Photo: TPI/Dawa Phurbu

“The other committee that we have formed is the welfare committee, which will be headed by former Kalon Ven Tsering Phuntsok and former Secretary Mr Tashi Phuntsok,” Sikyong said.

“These two committees will assess the root causes of the declining health situation and the economic condition of the Tibetan people. Following which, they will compile a comprehensive report on how to effectively address these issues with concrete results and allay the economic woes of the Tibetan public,” Sikyong explained.

Sikyong further informed about a draft guideline to amend the existing election laws, formulated by the Kashag in consultation with relevant authorities to ameliorate the sense of declining morality in the Tibetan community.

“As per the advisories issued by the oracles regarding the conduct of the Tibetan people in the lead-up to the final election, the Kashag held numerous internal meetings as well as joint meetings with the Tibetan Parliament, and its Speaker and Deputy Speaker,” Sikyong explained.

“We also held meetings with the Chairman and the staff of the Election Commission as the issue of declining morality came into particular prominence during the election campaign. During these meetings, we deliberated on the negative campaigns employed during the election and discussed ways to avoid such occurrences in the future. One thing that we agreed upon was that the duration of the campaign was too long and needs to be shortened,” Sikyong said.

Sikyong also explained that because the campaign duration was too long, a lot of issues were raised.

However, he lamented the fact that most of the campaign duration was spent on clarifying baseless allegations and explaining unfounded criticisms instead of talking about the real issues and speaking about the candidates’ visions and policies.

Sikyong further assured the public of his deep commitment to implement the promises that he has made to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan public, and said that the recommendations of the two committees will be implemented in earnest by the Kashag by middle of May this year.

By Yeshe Choesang: April 27, 2016

registered for the final election. However, only 59,353 people actually turned up to vote in the final Sikyong elections and 58,615 turned up to vote in the final elections of the 16th Tibetan Parliament,” Mr Choephel said.

“Similarly, as per article 51(1) of the electoral rules and regulation, a total of 45 members are elected for the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile,” said the election commissioner.

The 45-member Tibetan Parliament is composed of 10 members each from the three traditional provinces of Tibet; two each from the five religious constituencies, two each from the Tibetan communities in North America and Europe and one from the Tibetan community in Australasia (excluding India, Nepal and Bhutan),” he said.

“The Election Commission heartily congratulates the winners of both the Sikyong and Tibetan Parliamentary election,” Mr Choephel further added.

Dr Sangay was elected in the third direct elections for the Kalon Tripa held in March 2011. He also became the first Tibetan to be elected as the Sikyong of the CTA after His Holiness the Dalai Lama devolved his political authority in 2011.

Following the devolution of his political authority to the democratically-elected Tibetan leadership, His Holiness the Dalai Lama had said he was handing over the political leadership he inherited to “Sikyong Lobsang Sangay.”

“I took over the political leadership of Tibet from Sikyong Taktra Rinpoche, when I was 16 years old. Today, in the 21st century, when democracy is thriving, I hand over the political leadership of Tibet to Sikyong Lobsang Sangay,” the spiritual leader of

Final results: Dr Lobsang Sangay is re-elected political leader of Tibet Dharamshala — The Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has announced final election results Wednesday showing that Dr Lobsang Sangay, the incumbent Sikyong, has won re-election, defeating challenger Mr Penpa Tsering, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament.

Results given by Mr Sonam Choephel Shosur, the chief election commissioner, show that Dr Sangay, won 57.08 percent of the March 20 vote, trailed by challenger Mr Tsering with 41.89 percent.

“As per article 67(5) of the electoral rules and regulation, the Sikyong candidate with the largest number of secret ballots cast by the public will be declared the winner,” Mr Choephel said while addressing a press conference at the Lhakpa Tsering hall, Ghangchen Kyishong in Dharamshala, India, on Wednesday, April 27, 2016.

“Therefore, Dr Lobsang Sangay, the incumbent Sikyong, is re-elected as the Sikyong for another five year term. Dr Lobsang Sangay has got a total of 33,876 votes (57.08 % of the total vote share) as against the 24,864 votes (41.89% of the total vote share) in the name of Mr Penpa Tsering, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament,” Mr Choephel said.

“Out of the total 59,353 actual voters in the Sikyong election, 613 votes were disqualified while 591 votes from the total of 58,615 actual votes cast for the Tibetan parliamentary election were disqualified,” said Mr Choephel, who was accompanied by Ven Tempa Tashi and Mr Tenzin Choephel, the two additional election commissioners.

“Although there are approximately 150,000 Tibetans in exile, a total of 90,377 Tibetans

Mr Sonam Choephel Shosur (c), Chief Election Commissioner accompanied by the two additional election commissioners Ven Tempa Tashi (left) and Mr Tenzin Choephel (right) at the press conference in Dharamshala, India, April 27, 2016. Photo: TPI/Dawa Phurbu

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By Yangchen Dolma: April 26, 2016

Dharamshala — Health Kalon Dr Tsering Wangchuk issued a statement commenting on progress so far and challenges ahead in the fight against malaria in the Tibetan settlements located in Malaria endemic region, such as Odisha, Mainpat, Miao, Tezu, Tuting and Bhandara.

The global malaria community observed World Malaria Day on April 25th. This year’s theme, “End Malaria for Good” reflecting the vision of a Malaria-free world set out in the “global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030?.

The following statement was issued by Dr Wangchuk, Minister of the Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration, to observe World Malaria Day on April 25, 2016.

“The strategy aims to dramatically lower the global malaria burden over the next 15 years. Its goals are ambitious but attainable: 1. Reducing the rate of new malaria cases by at least 90% 2. Reducing malaria death rates by at least 90% 3. Eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries 4. Preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free” According to WHO’s “World Malaria Report 2015?, there was a decline in global malaria cases and deaths since 2000 and this was made possible through the massive expansion of effective tools to prevent and treat malaria, such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets, diagnostic testing and anti-malarial medicines.

However, about 3.2 billion people – nearly half of the world’s population – are at risk of malaria. In 2015, there were an estimated 214 million new cases of malaria and 438,000 deaths, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Millions of people are still not accessing the services they need to prevent and treat malaria.

Malaria is a Vector-borne disease which is transmitted through Anopheles female mosquitoes from person to person. These mosquitoes are called vectors. They can put our health at risk, at home and when we travel.

Malaria is preventable as well as treatable disease. We can take the following steps in order to prevent and protect one from these diseases: 1. Know about these diseases and particularly, know about how you can protect yourself and your family from these deadly diseases.

2. Take personal precaution to avoid bites from mosquitoes, particularly at night, by using mosquito repellent creams, wearing long sleeved clothes, using anti-malarial insecticides and spray. Always sleep inside the insecticides treated bed nets if you live and travel to an endemic region of diseases like malaria.

3. Make all efforts to reduce mosquito breeding sites around your house like standing water through regular cleaning of your surroundings, and by screening of windows and door of house with wire mesh to reduce entry of mosquitoes and other insects inside the house.

4. Get diagnosed early and get complete treatment when you have any signs and symptoms of these diseases. The

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Phuntsokling settlement, a needs assessment survey was conducted in 2013 in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University of the USA. It was found that people had good knowledge of preventative measures and the treatment options; however, many people lacked the means through which they could get hold of tools for preventing themselves against malaria. The DOH thus launched its “Malaria Control Project” focusing in Odisha initially, followed by Mainpat, Miao, Tezu, Tuting and Bhandara from 2012 to 2014. The project was funded by our donor partner Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).

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World Malaria Day - Tibetan Minister says Malaria remains a challenge first symptoms of malaria are usually very similar to ‘flu – aches and pains, fever, headache and so on. After a few days, chills, followed firstly by a high fever for a few hours, and then by profuse sweating occur. For dengue, symptoms usually begin 4-6 days after infection, lasting up to 10 days and include sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, skin rash and mild bleeding.

Malaria has been reported from Malaria endemic regions in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, North East states, Maharashtra and few in Karnataka and Delhi region. Health centers of seven Tibetan settlements in India namely; Odisha Phuntsokling, Mainpat Phendeling, Miao Choepheling, Tezu Dhargeyling, Mundgod Doeguling, Delhi Samyeling and Bylakupee Tibetan settlement had reported cases of Malaria over the years. The Central and North-east India accounting for more than 90% of the cases reported. In 2013, there were a total of 214 reported malarial cases from our Tibetan settlement health centers with 119 cases alone from Odisha. In 2014, 197 cases of Malaria have been reported from our Tibetan settlements health centers, of which 170 cases were reported alone from Odisha. In the year 2015, HIS3 (computer based Health Information System at DOH) recorded a total of 190 Malaria cases out of which 167 cases were from Menla hospital (Odisaha), 11 cases from Mainpat, 6 cases from Miao and 3 from Tso-Jhe Khangsar hospital. Delek, Sataun, and Tezu reported 1 case each.

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Horoscopes for the Month of May, 2016 Sorces: Always Astrology ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Ferret out information that will hold them responsible.

You may want to try your hand at a little creative writing. Don’t let your boss get the better of you. Don’t be too quick to judge those you live with. Don’t do something silly just to get back at your mate. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) You’re in need of love. Attempt to face key issues with lovers or problems could escalate. Someone you work with may be emotional. Don’t let your partner goad you into wearing your heart on your sleeve. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Unexpected romantic connections can be made if you go out with friends or take a pleasure trip. This is a good day to check out your investments. You could do extremely well in competitive sports events.

Broaden your horizons and look into programs that will teach you awareness and relaxation. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) Hold your temper and refrain from doing anything that might cause injury. You can make profitable investments if you purchase an art object for your home. You haven’t been watching your spending habits and you may have been neglecting your duties. You may be frustrated by the way situations are being handled in your personal life. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Be sure to organize events that will keep the children busy. Resist any idle chatter. Overstatement will be your downfall. You might be overly emotional concerning situations at work. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Visitors may be likely to drop by. You should expect to have changes in your home. You should consider getting your whole family involved in a project at home. Don’t evade important issues; you may find yourself backed into a corner. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) You can expect to have a problem with your lover.

Don’t put off the things that they have asked you to do. You can make money if you pursue your own business. Get involved in sports events that will benefit your physical appearance. Double-check before you go out. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Your talents might just be discovered. You could be your own worst enemy if you overreact to something you’re told. Don’t lend to people who have given you negative vibes. Changes regarding family members will set you off. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Money problems will be difficult to deal with if you have a partner. Deep discussions may only lead to friction. Your best gains will come through helping others emotionally. Romance may be likely if you travel. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You may have difficulties with someone who lives with you. You can offer your help to others but back off if they appear to be offended by your persistence. This will not be the day to lend money to friends or family.

Try to understand their point of view. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) You will be a bit of a spendthrift this month. Take time to do something nice for yourself. Be careful not to reveal private information. You must look into your options. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) You need to keep busy doing things that you both enjoy. Avoid being intimately involved with clients or colleagues. Property investments, insurance, tax rebates, or inheritance should bring you financial gains. Don’t forget to let your mate know how much you care. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

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His Holiness honored with Global Treasure award

Jeff Skoll speaking about His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the Global Treasure Award at Said Business School, University of Oxford, England, on April 14, 2016. Photo: TPI

By Molly Lortie: April 19, 2016

Dharamahala — The 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile concluded its 11th and final session Friday with a strong resolve to promote and practice unity, cooperation and harmony among the various g Dharamshala — The Skoll World Forum on April 14th awarded the prestigious Skoll Global Treasure award to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in recognition of his efforts to promote compassion and human values around the world.

The ceremony, organized by the Skoll foundation, was held at University of Oxford, England, and attended by some of the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs and thinkers.

Jeff Skoll, Founder and Chairman, introduced the award, saying, “This year the forum explores the notion of fierce compassion. We had hoped to bestow our Global Treasure Award on someone who exemplifies fierce compassion like no other.”

“This is a man who calls himself just a simple Buddhist monk but is in fact a world leader, a nobel laureate and an inspiration to millions, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.”

The Skoll chairman applauded His Holiness’ contribution to promoting warmheartedness and embedding moral values in our economic system.

Identifying His Holiness’ message and wisdom as best suited and effective for social entrepreneurship, he quoted His Holiness, saying, “It is the task of a leader to create an organization with strong and warm heart and to see things as they really are.”

In a personal letter to the forum, His Holiness expressed regrets for not being able to participate in the Skoll World Forum, “I have been looking forward to participating in the Skoll World Forum because I feel the vision and intent of the meeting resonate with my basic commitment to promoting human values.

I am deeply committed to the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self discipline.”

“Today growing numbers of people are coming to recognize that such values are not confined just to religious practices, but also to making human life happier. Therefore if we are to create a happier, more peaceful world, it is essential that all of us are not only aware of these basic human values but also take steps individually to make them part of our lives,” the letter reads.

Past recipients of Global Treasure Award are Mohamad Yunis, Archbishop Tutu, Malala Yoousafzai and Graca Machal.

The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the premier international platform for advancing entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Their mission is to accelerate the impact of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs by uniting them with essential partners in a collaborative pursuit of learning, leverage and large-scale social change.

Each year, nearly 1,000 of the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs, key thought leaders and strategic partners gather at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School to exchange ideas, solutions and information. roups and sections of Tibetan society.

In his concluding remarks at the 11th session, Speaker Penpa Tsering has appealed Tibetans to respect the verdicts passed by the parliament based on democratic principles.

“I take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment and responsibility towards the Tibetans inside Tibet,” the Speaker said, when he expressing solidarity with the Tibetans inside Tibet.

“I solemnly urge everyone to sustain the spirit and momentum of our struggle, upholding the values and morals of our culture,” Mr Tsering said.

“The official announcement of the election result will be made in the following days. As member of a democratic society, we should all respect the election results and work constructively in accordance with the democratic values of the Charter for Tibetans-in-exile,” he said while stressing the need for coordinated efforts to strengthen the Tibetan struggle.

The Speaker also urged the Tibetans across the world to leave differences behind, saying “Now the elections are over, the story, whom do I support in the elections, also over now, it’s time for us to have new thoughts, leaving all our differences behind.”

“It is also of vital importance for us all to put all efforts together,” collaborating with the new leadership who will take the responsibility. “It is time to put a new effort to fight for the cause” the Speaker said, adding: “Otherwise there would be no reason for us to have an enemy like China.”

Mr Tsering also noted that he saw many writings and drawings attacking the candidates during the elections, and said, “This creativity could now be used in service of the Tibetan cause.”

He emphasised that Tibetans should all work for the Charter of the Tibetans-in-exile, and not make individuals more important than the Charter.

The speaker applauded the members of the Parliament and members of the Kashag, led by Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay for their cooperation in conducting the session successfully.

The 11th session of the parliament began on 21 March 2016. This is the last session of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.

H.H THE DALAI LAMA

April 30, 2016

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Tibetan Buddhism is the wealth of the Tibetans: His Holiness

By Jane Cook: April 19, 2016

Dharamshala — “Tibetan Buddhism is the “wealth of the Tibetan people,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said while interacting with a delegation of school captains from 19 Tibetan schools based in India and Nepal.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke to a group of Tibetan school captains from India and Nepal on Saturday, 16 April 2016. The delegation consisted of 60 students and faculty from 19 Tibetan schools based in India and Nepal, including three staff from the education department. They are in Dharamshala as part of a six-day leadership workshop organised by the Education Department.

The spirtitual leader of Tibet spoke about the rich religious and cultural traditions of Tibet and the responsibility of the younger generations to preserve it.

He said that Tibetan Buddhism is the “wealth of the Tibetan people”. “Politically, Tibet has had to go through a tremendous loss. However, the Tibetan tradition, its language and Buddhist studies have held us together.”

“Nowadays the learned intellectuals from the entire world are increasingly showing interest in the concepts of Tibetan Buddhism,” His Holiness said, adding: “Therefore, we must preserve this unique culture since it has the potential to contribute positively to the whole of humanity.”

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate expressed sorrow at the indiscriminate killing of thousands and the wars that are supposedly being fought in the name of religion in different parts of the world. He emphasised the need to develop warm heartedness and compassion, and called on the students to work

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking to a group of Tibetan students, in Dharamshala, India, on April 17 2016. Photo

towards creating a more peaceful and non-violent 21st century.

“You are all representatives of your schools, so you have the responsibility to pass on the unique Tibetan traditions in the 21st century and also into the 22nd century. That is your duty. Our aim is to educate the 7 billion human beings, whether believer or non-believer, into contributing to a compassionate humanity,” he said.

His Holiness added that “If that happens, then the 21st century will eventually become a century of

compassion, of dialogue, of non-violence.” His Holiness told the students “that can be done by Tibetans alone” “The sustenance and advancement of Tibetan Buddhist culture is not dependent on one person,” His Holiness explained them while responding to a question on the reincarnation issue. He recalled that ancient Indian masters like Gonpo Ludup and Lord Buddha did not have any reincarnation. Yet, their teachings have lived through practice and study for centuries.

hundred thousand times with this in mind.”

His Holiness concluded both letters with assurances of his sympathy and solidarity with the people of Ecuador and Japan, declaring that he hadasked The Dalai Lama Trust, in the case of Ecuador, and his Representative in Tokyo, in the case of Japan, to make a token donation towards the relief and rescue work.

Over 500 aftershocks have followed two major earthquakes near the Japanese city Kumamoto since last Thursday.

About 42 people have been killed, and 2,000 are estimated to have been injured. People are still missing, some trapped inside fallen buildings. Roads have also suffered damages and are expected to suffer more.

Mudslides are making it difficult to access villages and towns and heavy rain is predicted to come soon, triggering more. Electricity has gone out in a number of areas, stirring problems for those in need of medical attention. So far, 180-thousand people have been safely evacuated from earthquake-hit areas.

Powerful 7.8-magnitude quake struck off Ecuador’s central coast, killing at least 233 people and injuring almost 600. The death toll has increased to 238 with more than 1,500 injured). The death toll is expected to increase because the most powerful

quake to strike the country since 1979 was centered around sparsely populated areas, including beaches that are popular tourists spots. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake was felt across the country and tremors were even felt in neighboring Colombia and Peru.

At least 135 aftershocks have been reported.

Ecuador and Japan are both in was the third to strike in the area around the edges of the Pacific Ocean that is known as the “Ring of Fire,” where approximately 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur. A smaller 6.1-magnitude earthquake also struck the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Sunday but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

His Holiness expresses sympathy over Ecuador, Japan quakes

By Yeshe Choesang: April 19, 2016

Dharamsala, India — The spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama Monday has expressed sadness over the loss of life and destruction to property brought about by earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written to President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa and Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe to express his sadness at the injuries, loss of life and destruction of property in their respective countries as a result of recent devastating earthquakes.

To President Correa he wrote: “I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives as a result of this natural disaster, and would like to express my sympathy and condolences to their families and others who have been affected.”

In his letter to Prime Minister Abe he wrote: “As a Buddhist monk who recites the ‘Heart Sutra’ daily, I feel it would be important if Japanese Buddhists were to recite the ‘Heart Sutra’ now and in the future. Such recitation may not only benefit those who have lost their precious lives, but may also help prevent further disasters in the future. Here in Dharamsala we are reciting the ‘Heart Sutra’ one

His Holiness the Dalai Lama praying during a ritual ceremony session in Dharamshala, India, in 2010. Photo: TPI/Yeshe Choesang

Syria, China, North Korea among worst countries for press freedom

By Yeshe Choesang: April 21, 2016

Dharamshala — China again ranked among the world’s worst freedom of press offenders — joining Syria, North Korea and Eritrea — while Finland, Netherlands and Norway kept their place with the regions’ most open media, Reporters Without Borders, a media watchdog report released Wednesday said.

“It is unfortunately clear that many of the world’s leaders are developing a form of paranoia about legitimate journalism,” said Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders, in a statement accompanying the report, on April 20, 2016.

The media watch-dog analyzed 180 countries around the world. The ten worst offenders were Cuba (171), Djibouti (172), Laos (173), Sudan (174th) Vietnam (175th) China (176th), Syria, (177th), Turkmenistan (178th), North Korea (179th) and Eritrea (180th).

“Today, it is increasingly easy for powers to appeal directly to the public through new technologies, and so there is a greater degree of violence against those who represent independent information,” Mr. Deloire added.

“Journalism worthy of the name must be defended against the increase in propaganda and media content that is made to order or sponsored by vested interests.”

The World Press Freedom Index ranks 180 countries on indicators such as media independence, selfcensorship, the rule of law, transparency and abuses.

The global total has increased, or worsened, by nearly 4 percent since last year, and nearly 14 percent since 2013, says the anual report.

This year’s report again ranks China among the world’s worst freedom of press offenders with a score 80.96, behind Syria, which is ranked 177th in the world with a score 81.35.

Since 2008, the Chinese government never stopped in trying by any means it can to keep Tibet in a state of isolation from the world, by banning almost all of

foreign journalists, international observers, human right activists, writers, and NGOs. In Tibet today, Tibetan writers, intellectuals, musicians, artists, environmentalists, health-workers, and religious figures are being arbitrary arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities for merely posting an article to a blog, writing an essay, editing a magazine, sending information by text message, or singing songs that express the suffering of the Tibetan people.

The Freedom House, in its annual ‘Freedom in the World’ report release in 2016, has placed Tibet as the second worst place in the world for political rights and civil liberties. Tibet was amongst the world’s 12 worst countries, in its report in 2015.

Shokjang’s arbitrary arrest and imprisonment are a simple example, which highlighted the fatal violations of freedom of information in Tibet. The popular Tibetan blogger and intellectual Druklo, more widely known by his pen name Shokjang, was sentenced to three years, for writings allegedly engaging in splittist activities.

The 32-year old Tibetan, who wrote under pen name ‘Shokjang’ charged with leading “splittist movements” from 2008 and for writings allegedly engaging in splittist activities.

Shokjang recently has written an eloquent letter from detention appealing against his three-year prison sentence. The letter was circulated on Chinese social media, was handwritten in Tibetan and addressed to the Qinghai Higher People’s Court. Before his sentence, he was arrested by Chinese police, on March 18, 2015, from a hotel in Rebkong County.

Among the other South Asian countries, India is ranked 133rd with a score of 43.17, Afghanistan 120th (37.75), Pakistan 147th (48.52), Sri Lanka 141st (44.96), Maldives 112th (34.17), Myanmar 143rd (45.48) and Bangladesh 144th (45.94).

Japan slumped to 72nd due to what the watchdog identified as self-censorship towards Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,

while Finland retained its top spot for the sixth consecutive year, followed by the Netherlands and Norway.

While Europe remained the region with the most press freedom, Reporters Without Borders warned that the misuse of counter-terrorist and counter-espionage measures and conflicts of interest had put it on “a downhill course”.

Poland fell a massive 29 places to 49th due to government seeking to restore Polish ownership of foreign owned Polish media.

And France dropped seven places to 45th because “most of the private-sector national media are now owned by a handful of businessmen with interests in areas of the economy unrelated to the media.”

In Europe threats to journalists were linked to rising

nationalism which saw death threats in Sweden, which dropped three places to 8th , and attacks on journalists during anti-Muslim rallies in Germany (which dropped four spots to 16).

“And finally, it was in Paris that the attack on Charlie Hebdo took place on 7 January 2015, an attack masterminded from Yemen. So, Europe was also the victim of the world’s demons,” read the report.

The World Press Freedom Index, published annually since 2002, measures “pluralism, media independence, the quality of the legal framework, and the safety of journalists in 180 countries,” says the report. The data come from a questionnaire, published in 20 languages and completed by experts all over the world, combined with data on abuse and violence against journalists.

2016 World Press Freedom Index: leaders paranoid about journalists. photo: RSFD

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TPI NEWS

The Tibet Post International Back Page Focus US Congress holds hearing on pervasive use of torture in Tibet, China Conference raises voice for Tibet issue April 30, 2016

Golog Jigme testifies before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) on April 14, 2016 in the US Congress.

Photo: TPI

By Steve Shaw, April 18, 2016

Dharamshala — The international spotlight was once again shone on the pervasive use of torture in China’s criminal justice system this month when it was made the subject of a United States Congress hearing that convened on 14 April.

Held by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the hearing drew testimony from a number of high profile witnesses who each highlighted the country’s systemic use of torture and maltreatment and gave recommendations to the US government.

The witnesses and experts included, Sophie Richardson, China Director of Human Rights Watch; Margaret K. Lewis, Professor of Law at Seton Hall University School of Law and Golog Jigme, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, human rights advocate, and survivor of torture in Chinese detention centers.

For the well renowned former Tibetan political

prisoner Golog Jigme, this was his first appearance before the US Congress. He is well-known for highlighting the shocking torture that has become the norm in the Chinese justice system and has regularly shared his own personal story of how he suffered when he was held in detention. During the hearing he urged the US government not to turn a blind eye to the situation inside Tibet: “As human beings, we Tibetans have the right to peacefully express our views without fear of being arrested and tortured. We have the right to freedom of movement and to freedom of religion, and China should be held accountable for denying us these basic freedoms, and subjecting us to arbitrary detention and torture when we try to exercise these basic rights,” he told the panel.

The congressional hearing follows a previous international hearing held by the UN’s Committee Against Torture at the end of 2015. During that hearing the panel highlighted particular concern

over the Chinese government’s reluctance to provide information on 24 out of 26 Tibetan cases, each involving allegations of torture, deaths in custody, arbitrary detention and disappearances.

It also raised questions over allegations of deaths in custody as a result of torture or from lack of medical care. It recommended an independent investigation is held into a number of cases, including the death of Tibetan monk, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.

Whether or not the international community will take measures to hold China to account for their actions remains to be seen. The west’s relationship with China in recent years has largely been driven by economic and business interests rather than human rights and the response to injustices in Tibet has often been muted. However, since early 2015 relations between the US and China have been particularly tense following the US government’s warnings to Beijing over its rapid island-building in the South China Sea, this has led to a number of heated exchanges between the two countries, including the US taking a stronger stance on China’s human rights record.

Meanwhile, China recently issued a report by its Cabinet’s State Council Information Office which attacked the US’ human rights record. It cited gun crime and excessive use of force by police, as evidence and touched on other topics including US foreign policy. It called the country guilty of civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria through airstrikes and drone attacks, and highlighted the government’s unlawful monitoring of foreign citizens’ communications.

“America is still committing gross violations of other countries’ human rights, viewing lives in other countries as worthless,” it said.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi also met with Gyatso on Tuestday April 19 and later wrote on her Facebook, saying “America has a responsibility to speak out in support of human rights in Tibet and elsewhere in China.”

“A respected monk, former political prisoner, and teacher -- I was so glad to meet with him this afternoon,” Pelosi said, adding “Golog Jigme Gyatso’s persecution, torture and escape in Tibet bring deep insight to our efforts to advance human rights.”

Repression was severe in Tibet, human rights remain poor: US report

By Molly Lortie, April 18, 2016

Dharamshala — The U.S. State Department released its annual human rights report on Tibet and China on April 13th, 2016. While the report confirmed its stance that Tibet remains a part of China, it witnessed and reported gross violations of human rights, as Chinese authorities “engaged in severe repression” in Tibet.

The report noted the Chinese authority’s strict control over the area, making it difficult to ascertain the extent of human rights violations, stating “the Chinese government harassed or detained Tibetans who spoke to foreign reporters, attempted to provide information to persons abroad, or communicated information regarding protests or other expressions of discontent through cell phones, e-mail, or the internet,” making information regarding the TAR hard to come by.

Press and media freedom appears nearly nonexistent, as the report noted, “reporting from ‘Tibet proper remains off-limits to foreign journalists,’ according to an annual report by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China.

According to the same report, many foreign journalists were told also that reporting in Tibetan areas outside the TAR was ‘restricted or prohibited.’

The report went on to include many cases of arbitrary or unlawful detainment, disappearances, torture, and harassment, including the “11 Tibetan writers and intellectuals and 10 Tibetan singers who have faced imprisonment and repression” in an apparent attempt to stamp out Tibetan cultural pride.

Trial procedures also came in to question, as under Chinese law, prisoners have the right to request a meeting with an appointed attorney, a right that was not honored for most Tibetan prisoners. In addition to the lack of legal representation, “in cases that authorities claimed involved ‘endangering state security’ or ‘separatism,’ trials often were cursory and closed.”

The State Department highlighted the “strict curtailing of civil rights” particularly regarding freedom of speech and expression, noting examples of those severely punished for expressing discontent or spreading information regarding a protest, including

several examples of Tibetans who were arrested and imprisoned for peaceful protests.

On self immolation by Tibetans, the report said, “Selfimmolators reportedly continued to see their acts as protests against political and religious oppression.

The Chinese government implemented policies that punished friends, relatives, and associates of selfimmolators,” who are by law charged with “intentional homicide and subjected to punishment.”

Overall, the report summarized the repression in the Tibetan populated regions as continued to fail both international and Chinese law as, “the government’s respect for, and protection of, human rights in the TAR and other Tibetan areas remained poor. Under the professed objectives of controlling border areas, maintaining social stability, and combating separatism, the government engaged in the severe repression of Tibet’s unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage by, among other means, strictly curtailing the civil rights of China’s Tibetan population, including the freedoms of speech, religion, association, assembly, and movement.”

cooperation between the two countries.

Che Dalha stressed that Tibet has always been part of China, and there is no basis for so-called “Tibet issue” as claimed by the 14th Dalai Lama and his group.

He said the Tibet Autonomous Region is currently a picture of economic growth, harmony and happiness.

2016 is the start year of China’s “13th Five Year Plan,” and Tibetan people will work hard together with all Chinese people to ensure the target of building China into a well-off society in 2020, he added.

The U.S. officials said that the U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century.

The United States accords great importance to its relations with China, and is willing to strengthen exchanges with all Chinese provinces and autonomous regions including Tibet, and deepen the cooperation in

all fields between the two countries, they said.

They believed the delegation’s briefing of Tibet and the achievements Tibet has made are impressive, and expressed the hope for more such exchanges in the future.

Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and Boulder City in the State Colorado became sister cities in 1987. They also visited the Center for East Asia Studies at the University of Chicago and the Center for Asian Studies of the University of Colorado at Boulder, where they exchanged views with experts and scholars.

In Washington D.C. and Chicago, the group held discussions with Tibetans living in the United States, and briefed them on the poverty relief efforts, education and environment protection in Tibet.

“In 1949, great parts of Tibet were occupied by the Chinese that include Kham and Amdo Provinces. Tibet Autonomous (TAR) Region was created in 1965 on the basis of Tibet’s incorporation by the PRC following its armed invasion in 1949-50,” said Mr Nyima T.J. a Tibetan political analyst.

“In the past half-century, China has ruled Tibet with its failed iron fist policies in the occupied region. During this time few puppets were appointed to positions of low ranking officials. Theses officials including Lobsang Gyaltsen, (Ch: Losang Jamcan) the Chairman of TAR and Pema Trinley, (Ch: Padma Choling) head of TAR’s People’s Congress,” added, saying “TAR does not literally mean Tibet, as China claims it, is actually a part of what constituted historic Tibet, but it literally means “Tibet Autonomous Region.”

Chinese “puppets” claim Tibet has always been part of China

By Yang Chendolma, April 25, 2016

Dharamshala — A group of the Chinese Communist party “puppets” from Tibet recently visited the United States and during their meetings with the U.S. officials, they said that Tibet has always been part of China, and there is no basis for “Tibet issue.”

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the group of Chinese government “puppets” visited Washington D.C., Colorado and Illinois on April 1924. They were headed by Che Dalha (Ch: Qizhala), deputy to China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and secretary of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Lhasa Municipal Committee.

“During the trip, the legislators met and exchanged views with people from all walks of life in the United States, briefed them on the economic and social developments in Tibet and answered questions,” the report claimed.

The report also said that thet met with Colorado State Senate President Bill Cadman, Mayor of Boulder City Suzanne Jones and Denver Vice Mayor Don Mares, separately in Colorado.

In Illinois, they met with U.S. Representative Danny Davis, Chicago Vice Mayor Steve Koch, visited the officie of U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, among others.

During the meetings, Che Dalha said that China and the United States are countries of big influence in the world, and the visit is a journey of friendship, aiming to implement the consensus Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama have reached, promote understanding and consolidate

Qizhala (3rd L), deputy to China’s National People’s Congress and secretary of the Communist Party of China Lhasa Municipal Committee, visits the office of U.S. Senator Mark Kirk in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, April 22, 2016. Photo: Xinhua/He Xianfeng

Participants raise their hands in support of Tibet issues during the conference in Taipei, April 23, 2016. Photo: TPI/Artemas Liu

By Yangchen Dolma, April 24, 2016

aiepi — Over a hundred and fifty Tibetans and Chinese people from across the world, mostly intellectuals and writers took part in the Sino-Tibetan Conference “Finding Common Ground” from 22 – 24 April 2016 in Taipei, the Captial of Taiwan.

The Conference was organised by the Taiwan Office of Tibet in Taiepei, says it is a major project of the China Desk of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR).

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in a video message to the conference, reiterated that historically the Tibetans and Chinese people have maintained friendly relations for thousands of years.

He further said that there should now be a collective effort to find a common ground to establish a friendly and mutually-beneficial relations between the two in the future as well.

His Holiness expressed his hope that the conference will provide a forum to conduct a frank and thorough discussion on the possible ways to resolve the collective problem in a realistic manner.

DIIR Secretary Sonam Norbu Dagpo presented an overview of the evolution of the past engagements between Tibetans and Chinese people.

“The growing level of Sino-Tibetan interaction in the post-Tiananmen era has created better awareness and understanding about the situation in Tibet, which in turn has rejuvenated the quest for finding a common ground for the peaceful resolution of the Tibet issue,” Mr Dagpo said during the opening ceremony of the conference on Saturday.

He further reaffirmed that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration remain steadfast in their commitment to the Middle-Way

Approach as the best way to peaceably resolve the Tibet issue in a mutually beneficial way.

Among those who addressed the opening ceremony of the conference were also three Taiwanese legislators: Taiwan’s rock star Mr Freddy Lim, Ms Kolas Yotaka and Ms Yu Mei-nu. Former DPP Legislator Chen, Chieh-Ju, who has been a strong supporter of Tibet, was also present and addressed the ceremony.

The three-day conference features presentations and discussions on a whole gamut of issues related with Tibet and China by scholars, intellectuals, writers, activists and students from all over the world, including those from the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, Spain Hong Kong and Taiwan.

A similar conference was held on September 1, 2014, in Hamburg, Germany, where the conference came to the following consensus: - to support the efforts of the CTA for dialogue with the Chinese Government; - to make efforts that Sino-Tibetan people-to-people dialogue should not be limited to the political sphere, but also include areas of religion, culture and arts; - to acknowledge that the issue of Tibet is not just the problem of Tibetans, but it has also relevance to the future of both the Chinese and Tibetan people; - to express grave concerns about the serious human rights violations in Tibet and the deteriorating legal system, democratic development and human rights situation in China; - to unanimously express recognition and support for the policy of the Middle Way Approach; - to acknowledge the conference “Finding Common Ground” very meaningful and express that such meetings should be convened annually and agreed to form a working group of Tibetans and Chinese.