Khenpo Kartse released but under supervision Vol. 04, Issue 160, Print Issue 84, July 31, 2016 Political prisoner who was accused of murder freed By Kalsang Sherab: July 28, 2016
Dharamshala - A Tibetan political prisoner who was accused of murder following the death of a self-immolator has been released. On 21 July, Gurgon was released from Mianyang Prison near Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province after completing his fouryear prison sentence. Gurgon, a resident of Kyungchu County in Ngaba, northeastern Tibet, was one of three people arrested on 22 January 2013, four days after Drupchok (also spelled Dupchoek in some reports) set himself on fire at a basketball court in Kyungchu‘s Drachen Township. Drupchok carried out his self-immolation in protest against Chinese government repressive policies in Tibet. When Chinese police attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, several Tibetans at the scene attempted to stop them. Drupchok died at the scene of his protest. In the days following Drupchok’s protest and death, local authorities issued an order to arrest Gurgon and two other Tibetans, Norbu Dorjee and Sonam Yarphel. The three were held at the detention centre in Kyungchu County and interrogated. They were also told that they would face a less serious charge if they confessed to their involvement in Drupchok’s death. In July 2013 the people’s court of Kyungchu County summoned two family members of each of the three detainees to the court, where it announced that the three had all been found guilty of murder. Gurgon and Sonam Yarphel were sentenced to four years in prison while Norbu. Tibetans can be charged with “intentional homicide” for their involvement in self-immolations following a ruling by China’s Supreme Court in December 2012. This charge applies to those that have carried out or planned to carry out a self-immolation protest, or to those that have participated in “abetting or assisting” others in carrying out a self-immolation. After his release from prison, Gurgon was returned home, where he was welcomed by locals and family members. Sonam Yarphel and Norbu Dorjee remain in prison.
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Thousands welcome His Holiness in Ladakh By Jane Cook: July 27, 2016
Leh, Ladakh, J&K, India — Thousands of people carrying ceremonial scarves (khatag) accorded warm welcome to the spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who arrived in Ladakh, J&K Tuesday to give a three-week teaching series from 10 August. His Holiness informed them that he was planning to spend the next three to four weeks in Leh including a two-week rest period with no scheduled engagements. His Holiness’ teachings in Ladakh, includes Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment (jangchup lamdron), Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhicitta (jangchup semdrel), and Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (chodjug). He will also confer a long life empowerment (tsewang) and the Avalokiteshhvera Initiation (wang). His Holiness left Dharamshala Monday morning before sunrise for Jammu. According to the office of the Dalai Lama, he made a brief stop near Pathankot where a group of Ladakhi schoolchildren studying in a nearby boarding school greeted His Holiness with flowers and smiles. As the Leh-bound plane took off from Jammu and came out of the clouds the snow-capped mountains peeked into view followed soon after by the barren brown mountains of the Leh valley. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama alighted from the plane at Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport (3,256 m above mean sea level), he was welcomed by Ganden Tri Rinpoche, Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche and other lamas. J&K Minister for Ladakh Affairs and Cooperatives Tsering Dorjey, Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Dr Sonam Dawa, Leh MLA Nawang Rigzin Jora, leaders from the Buddhist community and
Thousands of people greet His Holiness the Dalai Lama as he arrives in Ladakh, J&K, India on July 25, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
Muslim community, and a host of others also welcomed His Holiness with traditional scarves.
Monks, nuns helpless as Buddhist academy in Tibet faces demolition
Torture victim released after being re-arrested
The devotees and well-wisher dressed in their finest attires holding traditional scarves, flowers and incense, lined the road from the airport to Shewatsel Phodrang. Mothers holding their newborn babies dotted the route seeking blessings from His Holiness. The 12-kilometer route took over one hour to drive. Arriving at Shewatsel Phodrang, His Holiness’ official residence in Ladakh, His Holiness assumed his seat in the small assembly hall below his residence where the lamas, local leaders, both civilian and police, as well as religious and community leaders gathered. Ganden Tri Rinpoche, the President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, and the local Tibetan Settlement Officer made the traditional mendel tensum offering to His Holiness. The nobel peace prize laureate extended his greetings to all those gathered and thanked them for giving him a warm and sincere welcome. His Holiness outlined his three commitments – the promotion of human values, religious harmony, and Tibetan Buddhist culture – to the audience. He informed them about his recent visit to the United States where he was able to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors about the need for secular ethics in the world. The growing interest shown by a number of these Mayors was very encouraging. The Tibetan spiritual leader also briefed them about efforts to introduce a curriculum based on secular ethics which he hoped would be completed by the end of this year. He requested the local leaders to consider introducing this curriculum in the local schools in Ladakh.
Rinpoche died of police torture, says niece By Yeshe Choesang: July 28, 2016 Lobsang Gyatso is shown in an undated photo following his release. Photo: TPI By Tahhira Somal: July 28, 2016
Dharamshala - A former Tibetan prisoner who was rearrested earlier this year in Lhasa was released last week. Lodoe Gyatso (also known as Sogkhar Lodoe Gyatso), a Tibetan from Sog County in central Tibet, served more than 20 years in prison before his release in 2013. During this time he was tortured. In May 2016 he was rearrested in Lhasa with no explanation, but on 19 July was allowed to go free. Lodoe Gyatso, now 55, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1993 after killing a man in a fight. While in serving his sentence in Drapchi Prison in Lhasa, he carried out a pro-independence demonstration inside the prison, during which he shouted slogans including “Tibet is independent”, “China should leave Tibet”, “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama” and “The six million Tibetans are united”. He also distributed handwritten leaflets to other prisoners. In response, prison authorities called on the Tibet Autonomous Region Intermediate Court to sentence him to death. However, news of Lodoe Gyatso’s possible execution was smuggled out of the prison and Tibet to the outside world. The United Nations and international rights groups raised Lodoe Gyatso’s case with the Chinese government, which instead had his sentence extended to 21 years in prison. Lodoe Gyatso was severely tortured in the month following his demonstration. He was hung up by his thumbs and kept in such a small cell that he couldn’t even raise his head. When he was finally released in 2013 he was in poor health. Following his release, Lodoe Gyatso was put under tight supervision. Sources said that he was planning to hold a peaceful protest in Lhasa calling for the Dalai Lama to be allowed to return to Tibet, and for global demilitarisation, specifically in Tibet so that the country could become a “peace zone”. On 14 May 2016 he was rearrested in Lhasa. His family members were unaware of the reasons behind the arrest and his whereabouts until 19 July, when he was released from Tsamda Prison in Driru County, central Tibet. Lodoe Gyatso is now in weak health.
Residences being demolished at Serta Larung Gar, the largest centre of Buddhist teaching in Tibet. Photo: TPI By Steve Shaw: July 27, 2016
Dharamshala — Monks and nuns have watched helplessly as Chinese demolition teams have rolled into Serthar, Kardze and begun tearing down their homes at the Larung Gar institution, one of the world’s largest monastic institutions with a population of over ten thousand Buddhist practitioners. The demolitions come after an initial government order was issued in June demanding that “by September 30, 2017 the population of the encampment must be limited to 5,000 persons”. The local authorities have marked up a map which indicates areas where homes are permitted and areas where they will be demolished. Around 1,400 houses are set to be demolished in the first wave and they are primarily nuns’ homes and hostels belonging to elderly people. No explanation for the demolitions was given in the order other than saying it is part of ‘correction and rectification obligations’. It further states: “Residences of those expelled since 2013, illegal new residences, residences that have become old age homes and nuns’ hostels, a total of 1,500, will be demolished at one go”. In statements made by the local authorities, they say that action against the institute is not specifically for demolition purposes and is instead part of construction development and a project for “accelerated urbanisation”. The Serthar County United Front Work Department secretary, said: “Online it has been said that ‘Larung Gar will be demolished,’ ‘it’s the end of Larung Gar,’ ‘the monks and nuns will be removed,’ ‘the authorities are destroying and sweeping away a holy religious place,’ and so on. This is totally untrue, and irresponsible.” He added that the work is part of the expansion of nearby Lo-Nor Township “because Larung Gar monastery is close to Lo-Nor township it will naturally be integrated into the overall planning
and construction.” With the demolitions potentially causing and emotional or even angry response from residents, Tibetan lamas in charge of the institute have called for a calm response and advised those affected to continue with their studies and focus on Buddhist teachings, not the destruction of physical possessions. A similar crackdown at Larung Gar was reported in 2001 and thousands of homes were dismantled by over 500 armed police and military personnel. Witnesses at the time said that huts were demolished with possessions and shrines still inside and demolition teams were seen to drag elderly and disabled residents out of their homes before destroying their homes, in some cases demolitions began while the owners were still inside. This crackdown is believed to have led to the expulsion of 8,000 practitioners and the demolition of 1,874 monastic residences and 2,000 meditation huts. In a statement made after work began last week, Matteo Mecacci, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, said: “These demolitions are part of a set of policy measures implemented by the Chinese government that severely restrict the religious freedom of Tibetan Buddhists. “This is a regressive and dangerous approach aimed at managing and controlling Tibetan Buddhism that sends a chilling signal to the outside world about the pressures faced by people seeking to peacefully practice their religion in the PRC. Larung Gar is a living, vital center of Tibetan Buddhist teachings that is renowned worldwide and across China. It is of immeasurable importance in terms of Tibetan language, culture and religion as well as for a new generation of Chinese Buddhist scholars and pilgrims. As such it should be treasured and protected, and its religious teachers must be fully engaged in decision-making on its long-term future.”
Nyima Lhamo, niece of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche speaking at a press in Dharamshala, India, on July 28. Photo: TPI/Dawa Phurbu
Dharamshala — The niece of a prominent Tibetan religious leader Nyima Lhamo said that her family believes Trulku Tenzin Delek died as a result of torture in Chinese prison and not from a heart attack as the Chinese government had claimed. Nyima Lhamo, 26, arrived in Dharamshala on July 24, where the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration based. Speaking at a press conference in Dharamshala, India, on July 28, she said that her fight for justice will continue. Nyima said that her uncle told her mother during prison visits that he was repeatedly and severely beaten and asked to demonstrate his religious powers by the Chinese police officials. The family was informed of the Rinpoche’s death in July last year and only allowed to see the body after Nyima tied a ceremonial Tibetan scarf to the bars of the prison gate and tried to hang herself. Nyima and her mother were only given a few moments with Rinpoche’s body. But other monks in prison, who had dressed his body in monks’ robes and laid it on a platform, told them that his nails were black and he had a deep hollow behind his head. Nyima said her uncle’s lips had also turned black. P-5 ...