The Tibet Post International

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China-Tibet Talks

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book

Page 4 Mind and Life Page 5 Kyigudo Quake Page6

Shangri La

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Stand up-India

Page 8 Tweet

Tibetan Student

10th Panchen’s Daughter

Arrested by China page 5......

Vol. 01, Issue 18, 30 May 2010

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Award to Tibetan Women writer

China Must Begin Serious Talks to Solve Tibet Issue: His Holiness Dharamshala: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet said on Tuesday, in an interview given to the Chinese media outlet Duowei, that the Chinese administration needed to acknowledge that there indeed existed a Tibet problem and that this issue needs to dealt with, and he also said that the best way to resolve this impasse is to begin serious talks.

Tsering Woeser on the roof of Jokhang temple in Lhasa, during 2007 Tibetan Losar (New Year). Photo/ Woser

Dharamshala: A Beijing-based Tibetan writer, Tsering Woeser, has received the 2010 ‘Courage in Journalism Award'. Each year the award recognizes heroic women journalists from all over the world who risk political persecution and personal safety in their efforts to expose corruption and defend human rights.

When asked on what steps could be taken to move the issue forward, his holiness said that he had done everything from his side, and also reminded the interviewer Mr. Yu Pinhai, about Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's commitment that except for the issue of Tibetan independence everything else can be discussed and resolved, and the fact that some Chinese officials who said that, there is no Tibetan issue, but only the issue of the Dalai Lama.

...See page 6

NDPT Announces Next PM ........?

His holiness also reiterated the fact that the whole world knew that, he does not ask the Chinese government for independence for Tibet, yet the Chinese continue to label him a separatist, His Holiness the Dalai Lama also stressed the need for more Tibetans in China to take an active part in discussions with the Chinese government, he also said that the

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet attending a function in Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI

majority of Tibetans who are in Tibet are his boss, he also said that most Tibetans in china are afraid to speak out for fear of being labeled a separatist. His Holiness said he had never asked the Chinese Government for any

position of power for himself in the past, and he had no desire to do in the future as well.

Speaking on the rich spiritual heritage and a culture that was the way of life for all Tibetans, ...See page 3

Chimed Yungdrung, president of NDPT. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT) held a press conference this afternoon to formally announce its 2011 Prime Minister and Parliamentary candidates. The conference was chaired by NDPT President Chime Yungdong.

Leave Tibet and Taiwan to Us, China Warns the United States special representatives, Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo. The talks focused on issues such as bilateral relations, cooperation in the areas of public health, customs, energy, environment and climate change, along with military ties.

NDPT President and chairperson of the conference Chime Yungdong for mally .....See page 7

China’s Death Sentence...

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walks past the U.S. and China national flags upon arrival at a press conference in Beijing, China, Tuesday, May 25, 2010.

Photo: AP

Sonam Tsering. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: Lhasa Intermediate People's Court sentenced a Tibetan, Sonam Tsering, to death with two years reprieve and five other Tibetans to lengthy imprisonment terms between 3 to 7 years in prison for secretly hiding him from the law enforcement agencies.

According to so called Lhasa Evening News; Sonam received his sentence on May 25th under article 289 and 263 while the other five Tibetans (Tashi Choedon, Kelyon, Yeshi Tsomo, Tayang, Tsewang Gyurmey) to imprisonment terms between 3 to 7 years under Article 310 of the ......See page 6

Release 11th Panchen Lama

Dharamshala: During the ongoing ,ChinaU.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues (S&ED) being held in Beijing, the Chinese delegation told the U.S to "respect its core interests and major concerns, and to pay particular attention to handling sensitive issues such as those regarding Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues properly."

Ma Zhaoxu, spokesman of the Chinese delegation at the conference was quoted as saying" "China believes both sides should abide by the three joint communiques between the two countries and the joint statement issued during U.S. President Obama's visit to China last November" The high level talks are being co- chaired by President Barack Obama's special representatives, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and also by President Hu Jintao's

China has long claimed Taiwan and Tibet as part of its own territory and, rebukes sharply any world leaders for showing or expressing any sort of sympathy with Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama or the Taiwanese government.

Tibetans in Dharamshala urging China to release the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet on 17 May 2010, Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Dharamshala today remembers the 15-year anniversary of the abduction and imprisonment of the 11th Panchen Lama ............ See detail on page 7

When Chinese leaders warned Washington to take into account China's "core concerns" including Taiwan and Tibet. Clinton deftly replaced "Tibet" with "human rights" saying she was keen to understand China's concern on "Taiwan and human rights issues". It was not immediately clear if she had any serious differences with her host on the issue of human rights, which she regards as her own political agenda.

High profiled delegation led by US Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner abd Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not seem to have much success in getting Chinese leaders to accept her prescription on the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues. She did manage to elicit some amount of positive verbal response from Chinese leaders on economic issues concerning market access and revaluation of Yuan but there were no agreement on paper over these matters.

Crackdown on Photocopying

Tibetans and foreign suporters in Dharamshala urging China for more freedom of expression in Tibet. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: The Chinese government has been known to crack down on many things, like the internet, radio and television channels and even the print media, but now the paranoid mandarins in Beijing have decided that photocopying is another thing to crack down on. .....Detail on page 8

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30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

TPI TIBET IN EXILE

Candle-Light Vigil Held for Release of 11th Panchen Lama

NDPT Announces 2011 Election Candidates for Tibetan PM and MPs ......continued from front page endorsed two candidates, Dr. Lobsang Sangay and former Tibetan minister Tenzin N. Tethong, for the upcoming 2011 Tibetan Prime Ministerial election, and revealed a list of 21 candidates - 6 from Dhotoe, 5 from Dhomed, 10 from U-Tsang - that it will be backing for the concurring 2011 Parliamentary elections.

take candle-light vigil on the 15th anniversary of the Panchen Lama's abduction by the People's Republic of China (PRC) at Dharamsala, photo: TPI

Daharamshala: The Mcleod Ganj bus stand formed the meeting point for hundreds of people taking part in a candle-light vigil on the 15th anniversary of the Panchen Lama's abduction by the People's Republic of China (PRC). Tibetan residents, monks and foreign tourists gathered at 6.30pm to start the procession which circled the centre of town before continuing to the Namgyal Monastery, then the main Tibetan temple of Dharamshala.

Once the procession reached the temple, participants placed their candles at the entrance and made their way to the centre to hear the various planned speakers. Lhakpa Tsering, the Culture secretary of the

Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), reminded the audience that the 11th Panchen Lama is the youngest political prisoner in the world.

Tsering spoke of his disappointment at the small turn-out of 66 people who had participated in the morning protest. He encouraged listeners to take responsibility for this fight for freedom and not to depend solely on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who turns 75 this year. He also urged parents to teach their children about current political activities, thus enabling them to continue with the Tibetan struggle for freedom.

Tenzin Yangzom Organiztional secretary of TYC then repeated this message in English for the benefit of

The Tibet Post

At the third General Body Meeting of NDPT held in Dharamsala in March, executive members and representatives of NDPT's regional chapters across India and Nepal passed a resolution to back three nominees for Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa), and 45 Members of Parliament (MPs) - fifteen from each of the three Tibetan provinces.

the many foreigners in attendance.

Shortly after the final wave of people had gathered, a one minute silence was observed to remember the plight of the imprisoned Panchen Lama.

Due to other commitments of the proposed Parliamentary candidates, and the ill-health of the third Prime Ministerial candidate, Chime Yungdong today announced that only two candidates for Prime Minister and 21 Parliamentary candidates have accepted NDPT backing.

Tibetan to have gained a doctorate from Harvard University. He is well known for his scholarly work on Tibetan issues and is noted for putting together groundbreaking conferences between Tibetan and Chinese scholars at the university. He has been a prominent member of the Tibetan Youth Congress, and Chime Yungdong commented that became its youngest ever executive after which focused on introducing member. potential candidates for the upcoming elections - NDPT will Tenzin N. Tethong is a fellow of invite the official candidates to speak Stanford University and a former at length about their political stances representative of His Holiness the and policies.

Dalai Lama in New York and later in Washington. He has been involved Chime Yungdong said that in many initiatives aiding Tibetan pamphlets introducing prospective issues such as The Tibet Fund and MPs will also be circulated around Potala Publications, and in 1980 was Tibetan settlements in India. elected to the Tibetan Government in-Exile where he served in various Dr. Lobsang Sangay is the first capacities.

About a Month After The Arrest of Renowned

The evening's events were organized by the TYC, as part of a day-long campaign which included the morning protest and a petition signing.

NDPT Announces 2011 Election Candidates for Tibetan PM and MPs ......continued from front page Gendun Choekyi Nyima by the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Approximately 100 people gathered at the main temple for the anniversary. One of the main guests present was Mr. Jampal Monlam, assistant director of the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy. He talked of the recognition of the 11th Panchen Lama by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the subsequent imprisonment of the Panchen Lama by the PRC. Later, Mr. Dhondup Lhadhar, the General Secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress, addressed the gathering. He spoke about the 10th Panchen Lama, who lived in a Chinese prison for 14 years, and was killed in 1989 by the Chinese government because of the China/ Tibet issue. He expressed the importance for the Tibetan people to remember this as part of their history.

He elaborated on the imprisonment of both the 10th and 11th Panchen Lama for 14 and 15 years respectively. Indeed, the 11th Panchen Lama is believed to be a reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, and therefore the incarceration of one person, yet two lives, is unique within world history.

Mr. Lhadhar then talked of the United Nations and their promotion of Human Rights and international peace. However the reality of the situation is that when the 11th Panchen Lama was imprisoned - at the age of 6 - the UN did not put pressure on China for his release. He felt this signified a severe lack of human rights.

Mr. Lhadhar expressed that although prayer is essential, the str ug gle for freedom is more important. During the Cultural Revolution Tibetans were prohibited from praying and their political and religious freedom was

restricted. As such, attendance at the demonstration marking this anniversary and the desire for freedom should be a top priority for the Tibetan people.

In Tibetan History, there have been two times when people have passed away and the Lama's have not been allowed to attend the invitations to pray for those affected. The first occasion was during the Cultural Revolution.

However, secondly and more recently, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was prevented from visiting those affected by the earthquake that struck Tibet in April this year.

Today the demonstration started at the main Temple in McLeod Ganj and finished in lower Dharamshala. Signatures were collected as part of a petition for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama. This afternoon, prayers will be said in McLeod Ganj and candles lit in memory of the anniversary.

“Nam Sa Go Chey�, a book which documents the 2008 peaceful demonstrations in Tibet, written by Tagyal or Shokdung (the writer's pen name) who was recently arrested

Dharamshala: Tibetan writer Tagyal Shokdung by Chinese Government. His book was reprinted by some young Tibetans and it was formally published by Gyalnor Tsawang, a member of Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputy (ATPD),the book titled "nam sa go chey" was launched at the Songsten Higher Secondary School in Kathmandu, in the presence of two other members of ATPD, Sponsors, RTYC, TWA and an audience of about a hundred people.

Gyalnor Tsawang member of ATPD said that it was his pleasure to launch such a book, further adding it was a very brave and patriotic course of action that was taken by the author and that, this move had once again reignited the flame of the Tibetan fight. Tsetan,

another member of the ATPD said that, as of now these books can only be published in exile, but he hoped that in the future that books of the same genre could be published inside Tibet.

The book in question talks about, the nationwide peaceful protest against the Chinese Government in the March 2008 uprising, and was therefore immediately banned by the Chinese government and the author put in jail. Experts believe that this is a counter revolutionary book that the Chinese state would not like the people of Tibet to read or understand. The title of the book "nam sa go chey" translates into English as "Opening of Earth and Sky". The author Tagyal Shokdung was arrested in Xining, the provincial Capital of Qinghai district in China on April 23.

The Tibet Post

TPI H.H THE DALAI LAMA

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Begin 4-Day New York Visit

30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama Speaks of Marxism, Capitalism in New York Dharamshala: Speaking to reporters yesterday in New York where he is giving a series of lectures in central Manhattan until Sunday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama reiterated his belief that Marxism can bring "moral ethics" to economics.

His Holiness' comments follow growing disaffection and distrust of unregulated capitalism in the international community.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks to students, faculty, and guests at the University of Northern Iowa, Tuesday, May 18, 2010, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Photo: AP

Dharamshala: Tibet's spiritual and political leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, will commence his teachings today on a four day visit to New York, NY U.S.A. The event will be hosted by the Tibet Centre and Healing the Divide, two Buddhist organisations based in New York City.

All teachings held between the 20th and the 23rd of May will take place in the metropolis’s Radio City Music Hall.

The 74-year old Tibetan leader His Holiness said that the issue must be examined bilaterally. On one level, all of the major religions of the world differ in the philosophical aspect yet are similar in their messages of love, compassion, etc. His Holiness propagated a positive standpoint on all religions based on his own belief in tolerance. His Holiness said that, while his faith is Buddhism, he possesses respect, appreciation and admiration toward all religious traditions. He has visited mosques, churches, Hindu mandirs, etc. whenever possible.

On another level, there exist two main Buddhist traditions, Pali and Sanskrit, and as Buddhists we should have faith in both. The Mahayana tradition envelops Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Tibetan Buddhism, all of which share root in the Nalanda School.

Within Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness spoke of the schools of Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Geluk and Jonang, all of which follow the Nalanda tradition.

Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness also met with over 100 friends and supporters of the Tibet Center, including well known singer Tony Bennett.

His Holiness stated that he advocates non-sectarianism and that all of the preceding Dalai Lamas have followed this approach. He mentioned that the first Dalai Lama had received teachings from Kagyu and Sakya masters, that the second Dalai Lama was praised as a non-sectarian master in his biography, while the third Dalai Lama had received teachings from the Sakya lineage; the fifth Dalai Lama was a non-sectarian accepted Kagyu teachings while the seventh Dalai Lama followed a purely Geluk

tradition. The 13th Dalai Lama was principally non-sectarian and he himself had also been following this approach.

His Holiness continued that the tradition of critical debate involving the voicing of varying viewpoints is an integral part of Tibetan Buddhism.

He said there were Tibetan masters who were critical of Je Tsongkhapa and similarly of Tsongkapo who, while refraining from using offensive language, established pointed cases against the viewpoints of challengers.

The director of the Tibet Centre, Nicholas Vreeland, has engaged in aiding the co-ordination of the Dalai Lama’s five visits to New York, beginning in 1991. The Tibet Centre is an institute for learning and Buddhist meditation and remains open to all. Classes at the Centre include Buddhist philosophy and meditation practice. The Centre also hosts lectures and seminars by guest speakers.

The Healing the Divide Foundation was founded in 2001 by American actor and practising Buddhist Richard Gere; it aims to promote ‘understanding, cooperation and innovative solutions to issues that threaten the welfare and prosperity of people and communities around the world.’ The Foundation is currently working on a project in India referred to as the ‘Tibetan Health Initiative’ in order to provide the local Tibetan Monastic community with improved healthcare.

His Holiness will spend the first three days of his stay discussing two Buddhists texts: Nagarjuna’s ‘Commentary on Bodhicitta’ and Shantideva’s ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattvas’s Way of Life.’ These texts teach concepts such as human emptiness and suggest a path twoard enlightenment.

The final day will be dedicated to a public talk on how to lead a happy life, entitled ‘Awakening the Heart of Selflessness.’ His Holiness’ speech will cover how to achieve a state of genuine selflessness with the aim of inspiring true caring and compassion for others. A question-and-answer session with His Holiness will follow.

His Holiness' comments follow growing disaffection and distrust of unregulated capitalism in the international community.

The Tibetan spiritual leader told reporters that the world is becoming a more tolerant and unified place, though he criticised capitalism, saying Marxism includes "moral ethics, whereas capitalism is only how to make profits."

His Holiness was keen to add that whenever Marxism has been adopted by authoritarian regimes such as China or Soviet Russia, it has lead to oppression.

His Holiness the The Dalai Lama speaks during a news conference at Radio City Music Hall in New York May 20, 2010. Photo: AP

The Tibetan leader and Nobel laureate previously called China a "Communist country led by a Communist party without a communist ideology," and yesterday in New York asserted that capitalism "brought a lot of positive to China. Millions of people's living standards improved." "[The Chinese people] want more

freedoms, they want an independent judiciary, they want to have a free sort of press," His Holiness added.

Despite being previous advice to not mention or endorse any sense of Marxism, least of all in the most enthusiastically capitialist country in the world, "Still I am a Marxist," the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader declared.

His Holiness Inaugurates Buddha Smiriti Park in Patna enthusiasm to take part in the ceremony.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Dharamsala on 8 February 2010 /Photo:Tenzin Choejor, Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Dharamshala: After wrapping up his 15 day tour of the US, Tibet’s exiled leader the Dalai Lama, flew to Patna, capital of the Indian state of Bihar, on Wednesday to inaugurate the highly anticipated Buddha Smiriti Park.

Upon arriving at the Patna airport, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was welcomed by Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and he expressed his

“I am very happy to come here to participate on the consecration of this temple at a holy place. And the Chief Minister really tends to Buddha dharma (religion), one of the important India’s tradition and particularly the Sanskrit tradition. So he is very keen to revive, not necessarily Buddhist religion, and rather Buddhist concept and Buddhist signs. So I’m very very happy to come here," said the Dalai Lama to waiting reporters.

His Holiness has inaugurated the Buddha Smiriti Park today, to mark the occasion of Buddha Purnima or the full moon day of Saka Dawa.

This is a special day which commemorates Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. The memorial park is

dedicated the Lord Buddha to commemorate his 2,554th birth anniversary, covers 22 acres and cost approximately Rs 125 crore to create.

The ceremony was attended by delegates from Buddhist countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan and Mynanmar, who will bring presents of holy relics, urns and other gifts.

Chief Minister Nitish met with Tibetan leader at His Holiness’s private residence in Dharamshala in February of this year, where he formally invited His Holiness to visit Patna to inaugurate Buddha Smiriti Park.

After the inauguration ceremony, His Holiness was welcomed back to his home in Dharamshala, where he has been living in exile over the past 50 years.

......continued from front page whether Buddhists, Muslims or Christians, the Dalai Lama said that the world, including China faced a moral crisis, and said that it would be beneficial if the Tibetan Buddhist culture could be preserved, it could result in a positive change for all humanity.

His Holiness spoke of the great love the Tibetan people had for their heritage, and talked about the negative effect that the attitude of the people in power had on general populace in Tibet, citing the examples of Khenpo

Jigme Phuntsok who faced great difficulties in pursuing purely spiritual activities.

His Holiness the Dalai lama clarified that he" had never asked all the Chinese to move out of Tibet, but that Tibetans be the majority as that was essential for the survival of the Tibetan identity "he took the example of development in inner Mongolia where there were only three to four million Mongolians compared to around 20 million Chinese. His Holiness said that the

ideal situation being something like six million Tibetans compared around one million Chinese. If this were the case in Tibet, he said there would not be the problems that we faced today.

On the issue of leadership, His Holiness said he was not overly concerned as he said "In exile since 2001 there is an elected political leadership and also young and qualified spiritual masters in all Tibetan Buddhist lineages are growing up."

The Tibet Post TPI MIND AND LIFE Encouraging Positive His Holiness Successfully Completes Mental Qualities Can Make 4-Day New York Tour the World More Peaceful

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30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

Tibet's spiritual and political leader His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, visited the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Sunday, completing his scheduled teachings and lectures at the Radio City Music Hall, New York after holding talks which tack;led on various subjects including freedom, peace, harmy, Buddhism and education.

UW professor Richard Davidson (left) and His Holiness the Dalai Lama talk at the Overture Center's Capitol Theater during an event on Sunday to celebrate the opening of the Center of Investigating Healthy Minds.

MADISON: Tibet's political and spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said Sunday in Madison, US that he is hopeful that science can make the world more peaceful by encouraging positive mental qualities such as empathy and compassion.

Madison governor Jim Doyle warmly welcomed His Holiness, and the Madison Youth Choir performed before high-backed chairs were brought out for the discussion. Two children in the choir presented the Tibetan leader with a cap, which he wore throughout the event.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke of the importance of compassion, empathy and oneness to Madison on Sunday afternoon, mixing in levity and tales of sibling rivalry with his brother, while sitting crosslegged in his chair and wearing a red Wisconsin baseball cap. His Holiness said that, unlike religion in which differing beliefs have caused sharp divisions across the globe, "science is universal" and can be used to bring people together.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, was in town to participate in an hourlong dialogue with University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist Richard Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds which is set to open in the fall in the Waisman Center on campus.

He called for "a special effort" to be taken to promote traits like tolerance, forgiveness and concern for the wellbeing of others, among them children, before they are taught to focus on divisions like race and religion. He noted children from Jewish and Palestinian families will play together if they are allowed to, even though there may be hostility between their families.

from taking care of other people.

When he meets with people, His Holiness said, he treats a president or queen the same as he would a beggar, “They're are all the same.

They want a happy life.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit marked the inauguration of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which will be dedicated to researching qualities of the mind like kindness and compassion.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama defined a healthy mind as one that is clear, calm, kind, gentle and free of "destructive emotions." He said he had no doubt that a healthy mind contributes to good physical health and a sense of community.

A human being’s “basic nature is pure,” and “everyone experiences positive and negative emotions,” but there is the possibility of the mind being distorted by ignorance, he told the crowd of about 1,100 people in the Overture Center’s Capitol Theater.

His event was presented as a discussion with center director Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist whose work has been inspired by His Holiness. Davidson's research on the brains of veteran practitioners of meditation, including Buddhist monks, suggests mental exercises can improve one's compassion, empathy, kindness and attention.

Upon arrival in New York on 20 May, His Holiness gave an audience to Tibetans who are from Kyegudo area in Kham, eastern Tibet, which recently suffered a devastating earthquake. These Tibetans had come to seek His Holiness' blessings on behalf of the people in their hometown, particularly to seek his prayers for the deceased. His Holiness shared with the group his thoughts when the tragedy occurred.

He asked these Tibetans to convey to their friends and relatives back home that while they have suffered a great tragedy at the same time it is fortunate that the victims have received the prayers of all the great masters of Tibetan Buddhism.

His Holiness has been in New York from 21st-23rd May, holding talks which have tackled subjects varying from Marxism to the war in Iraq.

The first three days of teachings at

contemplative practices in the real world.

Its scientists are expected to start a study this fall teaching mental exercises to fifth graders in Madison schools to promote qualities like attention, relaxation and empathy.

They want to find out whether such exercises can reduce bullying and have other positive outcomes in the classroom.

The discussion was moderated by former New York Times science writer, author and psychologist Daniel Goleman.

"The new Center for Investigating Healthy Minds is another shining example of how research based here in Madison can change the world," said Gov. Jim Doyle. “We have learned so much from you about compassion and its study over the years,” Davidson told His Holiness, whom he first met in 1992. He said it’s important for a person’s wellbeing to focus on the welfare of others and decrease focus on themselves, adding that a focus on others is at the heart of compassion.

The 74 year old His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks to the media after a news conference at Radio City Music Hall in New York May 20, 2010. Photo: Reuters

the Radio City Music Hall focused on discussing two Buddhist texts, Nagarjuna's 'Commentary on Bodhicitta' and Shantideva's 'A Guide to the Bodhisattvas's Way of Life.'

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, his first day of talks, His Holiness declared that he was "still a Marxist" in spirit, criticising capitalism for only knowing "how to make profits. The Dalai Lama however also asserted that where communism had been adopted by authoritarian governments such as in China, there has been a suppression of human rights.

On Friday, in a New York hotel room, His Holiness participated in an hour-long 'tweet' session with Chinese web users, hosted by Wang Lixiong, a Chinese writer and critic and convert to Tibetan Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama answered questions (asked and voted for by Chinese citizens) regarding issues such as Tibetan autonomy and the replacement of His Holiness after his death. His Holiness blamed the government of China and not the people for the tensions in Tibet and expressed his belief that mutual resolution of benefit to both sides can be found.

On Sunday morning, His Holiness visited Hunter College, speaking to 230 students as part of the Bridge Conference. The Bridge Conference has been established as a Tibetan and Chinese Youth Dialogue Project and the theme of this second conference was 'Friendship and Mutual Understanding'. During the talk, His Holiness criticised the Chinese government for its use of propaganda and censorship. He explained to both the Chinese and Tibetan students present, that freedom of speech and openness "are essential". This topical subject comes shortly after the recent

revelation that Chinese authorities have started a clampdown on photocopying in the Tibetan capital Lhasa; all those using photocopiers in the city will have to register their names and addresses before being allowed to do so.

At the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, His Holiness participated in a panel discussion on "Kinship and its Meaning in Our World Today".

Joining him on stage were two panelists of Muslim faith, Sakena Yacoobi, who founded the Afghan Institute of Learning and Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core and member of the Obama administration's Faith Advisory Council. Patel raised the issue of the use of religion in our lives, questioning whether it will be used as "a barrier of division", "a bomb of destruction" or more hopefully as a "bridge of cooperation". Patel further continued his point by praising the Dalai Lama as "perhaps the greatest world leader" who shines "a light on the issue of religion as a bridge of cooperation".

To this final New York audience of just under 2,000 people, including American actors Richard Gere (founder of the Healing the Divide Foundation) and Naomi Watts, His Holiness expressed his view that the U.S.-led war in Iraq may have been avoided through negotiations with Saddam Hussein. This is not the first time the Dalai Lama has criticised the Iraq war.

Plea to Release Journalists jailed in Tibet

Through education and practice, "these ideas will become a part of their life," His Holiness said during the hour long discussion. His Holiness also said that people get a benefit

Earlier on Sunday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed a group of scientists in the building where the center is under construction. The university says it will be the only research centre in the world with a meditation room adjacent to a brain imaging laboratory.

The center will carry out research into what causes positive mental qualities and translation of spiritual texts that will explore the impact of

The visit marked the eighth time His Holiness the Dalai Lama has come to the Madison area since 1979.

Every year His Holiness spends time away from Dharamshala, participating in open talks and teachings across the world. The Dalai Lama will shortly be releasing a book named 'Toward a True Kinship of Faiths: How the World's Religions Can Come Together', covering the many subjects raised during his tour.

TPI TIBET

The Tibet Post

Donations made to the orphanage in Kyigudo

orphanage school in Kyigudo.

Ms Rigzin Wangmo said that she went to meet the victims of this great natural tragedy not as an official with a post of high standing, but as a normal Tibetan there to express her solidarity with the people of this disturbed region, she also visited the orphanage and school at Kyigudo.

At the school for orphans, Ms Wangmo said that she related with the children because she herself was an orphan and could also understand their pain, but then she also encouraged the students to study hard and achieve their goals and aspirations and also warned against disappointing the people who had hopes riding on their success.

Ms Rinzin Wangmo the daughter of the 10th panchen lama Visiting earth quake affected regions of Kyigudo in the eastern area of Tibet.

Dharamshala:The daughter of the 10th panchen lama, Ms Rigzin Wangmo said on the 22nd of April in an emotional address to the people of the earth quake affected regions of Kyigudo in the eastern area of Tibet that "she would forever keep the people of Tibet in her heart, and would never forget that in spirit and in blood that she was Tibetan.

Tsangpa Tulku yuntenphuntsok,

Sakya Tulku Dawa Tsering, Bashi Loten are the lamas or spiritual leaders from the Lithang County of eastern Tibet visited the earthquake affected area of Kyigudo and donated 20,000 Yuan to the Kyagu monastery in the region, 30,000 Yuan to the earth quake victims, and also donated 70,000 Yuan to a local school for orphans. They also said that they hoped to donated between 10 to 50,000 Yuan annually to the

The people of Kyigudo prayed for the well being and long life of Dr Wangmo, they also spoke of the respect and belief they had for Ms. Wangmo's father the 10th Panchen Lama, and when the 3 lamas from lithang county asked the doctor not to forget them with time,Ms Wangmo replied very emotionally that ,her father was very very important for the Tibetan people, because he promoted Tibetan education and culture and also said that the blood of her father and Tibet flowed through her veins.

China Arrest Six Monks in Early Morning Raids in Eastern Tibet

Wara Monastery in Thangpu Township, Jomda County (Ch: Jiangda xian) in Chamdo Prefecture, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (‘TAR’)

Dharamshala: Four monks of the Wara Monastery in Thang pu Township, Jomda County (Ch: Jiangda xian) in Chamdo Prefecture, "Tibet Autonomous Region" (‘TAR') were arrested last Saturday (15th May) under suspicion of leading and instigating a protest at the county headquarters in Spring 2008. Two other official monks of the same monastery were arrested on Sunday, according to a report by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

A total of six monks of the Wara Monastery were arrested during early morning raids carried out by scores of Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials at the monks' residence on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, Thinley, 25, and Nangsey, 27, were arrested in their

room whereas Soegon, 26, was arrested for sounding the alarm on the arrival of the PSB at the monastery. Kelsang Gyurmey, 29, whom the PSB officials were looking for, could not be traced in the monastery and was later arrested at his home. All four monks were students of Buddhist philosophy at Wara Buddhist College that comes under the Wara Monastery. The four monks are currently being detained at Jomda County PSB Detention Centre.

The following morning, the PSB officials came again to the Wara Monastery and detained two senior monks: Sonam Gonpo a.k.a Soegon, 40, and Tagyal, 29. The duo was arrested for their failure to "educate" the monks of the monastery under the "Patriotic Education" campaign launched at the beginning of April 2008. There is no information on where the two monks are currently held.

On 3rd April 2008, monks of the monastery confronted and challenged the teachings of the 'Patriotic Education' campaign by saying that "even at the cost of our lives we will never defame and denounce our religious leader, the Dalai Lama". According to sources,

many of the monastery's monks were at the forefront during the 2008 protests in Jomda County, when they were blocked by the People's Armed Police (PAP) from advancing towards the main county market to proceed with their protest.

At the beginning of this year, a novice monk, Jamyang Palden, 14, was detained twice and released after undergoing torture to extract a confession for his role in the 2008 Jomda protest. He was detained for more than a week on both occasions at the Jomda County PSB Detention Centre. Similarly, Gyaltsen, 16, was detained under suspicion of distributing a speech by the late Panchen Lama to Tibetans during the 2008 protest. He was released after a week of interrogation at the PSB detention centre.

TCHRD strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of the Wara monks. The Centre calls upon the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the detained monks and guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the detained monks. The Chinese authorities should put an end to all acts of harassment against the monks so that they are able to carry out their religious studies without obstruction.

30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

5

Chinese Authorities Clamp Down on Protest School

Thupten Nyima student from Machu country Gansu Province.

Dharamsala:The Chinese government recently sent official authorities to Machu County, Eastern Tibet - the site of a recent student protest - to ensure the teaching and advancement of its political propaganda reports Dolkar Kyab, a Tibetan researcher at Norbulinka Institute.

On March 14th a group of 25 Middle School students calling themselves the Tibetan Language Promotion Association staged a protest for Tibetan independence.

Some 500 locals joined in the spontaneous demonstration before authorities intervened and arrested 20 of the youths involved.

Chinese officials say they have blocked the display of photos of the 10th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choephel and Dhondup Gyal in classrooms. Students are now forbidden to pray or to keep Rosary (prayer beads), while books and other material with religious content

have been banned.

The leaders of the demonstration, 17 year old students Tsering Dhondup and Thupten Nyima were tortured for five days when detained. Both were bound and hung from the roof and given electric shocks. They were also denied food for the duration of their detention. After their release, both were expelled from the school, and sent away from their homes.

At present, the parents of the Tsering and Thupten are not permitted to see them, and can only send food once a week.

Chinese authorities told teachers of Machu County Tibetan Middle School that were not being properly assertive and accused some of actively misleading students into their political activism. A total of 21 teachers were given fines, including Lobsang Rabgyal and Pema Dorjee from Qinghai Province who were fined their salary for five years.

10th Panchen Lama's Daughter Rigzin Wangmo Visited Quake Hit Areas areas of the region.

Rigzin Wangmo, the daughter of 10th Panchen Choekyi Gyaltsen visiting Kyigudho quake hit areas in April. Photo: TPI/Dorjee Tashi

Dharamshala: Rinzin Wangmo, the 10th Panchen Lama's daughter, last month helped along Kyigudo relief efforts by sending a relief convoy of nine trucks and participating in the distribution of essential aid to victims, it has emerged.

Rigzin Wangmo first arrived in the devastated Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu) County on 22 April, to visit and comfort the victims in the worst-hit

On 23 April, Wangmo sent the 9 trucks, filled with essential food aid and shelter such as roasted barley flour, butter, salt, tents, quilts and clothing. The aid was aimed to be in line with needs of the victims, most of whom had not received the vital food and shelter supplies promised by the Chinese government. The aid was targeted towards nursing homes and orphanages, many of which had completely destroyed by the quake.

Reports of the Tibetan spiritual figure's visit quote victims saying her arrival brought not only material assistance, but some spiritual comfort following the Chinese refusal to recognise His Holiness the Dalai Lama's bid to visit the Tibetan region.

She has summoned around three hundred monks from different areas

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30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

TPI TIBET-SHANGRI-LA

The Tibet Post

China’s Western Conquest Continues: Is Tibet Extinct in Shangri La? hiking to a monastery on the hill where thousands of prayer flags adorn the peaceful forest. Then one day I was humbled to my knees in one of the temples and had a vision of traveling through Tibet alone. At that point I made the decision; I wanted to go to central Tibet.

Young Tibetans spinning a big prayer wheel for good luck, Shangri La, eastern Tibet, March 2010. Photo: TPI/Mike Taylor

Dharamshala: Coming off the sleeper bus from Kunming to Shangri La, eastern Tibet this March brought more than just fresh air and a mild headache due to the altitude.

Outside the bus station is a long corridor for a main street, empty and modern. The lone vehicles look like small jets on a massive runway struggling to take flight as they drive by. After thirty minutes or so of navigating the hollow streets we found the Old Town with renovated wooden shops and prayer flags. We passed stores with Tibetan women on display in their traditional clothes weaving items for clamoring Chinese tourists who came to "see" Tibet. Being my first experience in a community of Tibetan influence I was fascinated despite a growing

suspicion that something was not quite right. It was not until watching a unit of soldiers in army fatigues run by my window while drinking Yak Butter Tea. Not until merely playing guitar on the opposite side of a military compound only to get scared off by intimidating looks from heavily armed guards. Or not until seeing riot police armed with their shields and clubs when I went to see my friends off at the bus station did I realize what was at stake.

Throughout the week that I spent in Shangri La, a personal transformation was taking place within me. I remember standing dizzily underneath the largest prayer wheel I've seen and a sense of wonder came over me. We went

Tibetan Writer Honoured for Her Courage and Dedication ......continued from front page It is bestowed by the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), a global network founded in 1990, dedicated to strengthening the role of women in the news and media worldwide and promoting further freedom of press. The IWMF includes women and men in the media in more than 130 countries worldwide.

Woeser, a freelance writer and blogger for the site ‘Invisible Tibet', has been under constant scrutiny from the Chinese authorities since the publication of her book ‘Notes on Tibet' in 2003. The book was banned almost immediately as China saw it as a threat to their nation. Woeser was accused of writing sympathetic and favorable references to the Dalai Lama whom Beijing condemns as a ‘separatist', and she has not been allowed to publish in China since, although these restrictions have failed to deter her.

Despite my determination, I quickly learned that it would be nearly impossible to venture legally into Tibet. When I went to the bus station to find out when buses went to Deqin, a border town 10 hours north of Shangri La they told me the road was snowed in. I overhear a person that needed to get to Chengdu in Sichuan province and was told that there weren't any buses for foreigners at the present time. Both enraged we went to the police station to discover why foreigners weren't allowed in Sichuan. The police told us that foreigners aren't allowed in western Sichuan because it was near the anniversary of the Lhasa riots in 2008.

They also told me that foreigners aren't allowed permits into Tibet until some time in April from China because of the same reason. Hopes quickly faded, not only would I have to wait for two weeks at least, travel agencies wanted over $1,000.00 for a three day tour just to Lhasa. I won't even mention the prices for a full ten day tour.

We were not the only ones having these problems; Taiwanese travelers on pilgrimages had their plans ruined

Viewing the Prayer flags from hill, Shangri La, eastern Tibet, March 2010.

Photo: TPI/Mike Taylor

because permits were not being given out at that time. Other travelers who were coming back from Tibet complained that tour guides control everything they do and see. They also told us about how many armed soldiers are in Lhasa as well as surveillance cameras. The people who work in Youth Hostels were terrified to say too much because they feared that someone would tell police about their opinions and be sent to prison.

So even though I couldn't go to central Tibet, I obser ved the contradictions that remain in Shangri La with China Telecoms and army surplus stores everywhere. The contradictions made it obvious that a cultural battle was taking place.

Children attending the youth academy walk down the streets in camouflage where as the others attending Monastery sport their maroon and gold robes. It makes me remember that wars and oppression are often times founded on differences in ideas, like Tibet. China does not have to worry about Tibet taking over China, but China still commits atrocities because of ideas different from theirs. Shangri La should be on a list with countless other cities where modern culture is endangering the once well preserved way of life for Tibetans. It is my hope that the traditions that have seen Tibet through hundreds of years can outlast the childish spread of control and industry through western China into Tibet.

China Sentences One Tibetan to Death and Five to Lengthy Prison Terms ......continued from front page

Born in Lhasa in 1966, Woeser is a quarter-Han Chinese and three quarter-Tibetan. She graduated from the South West University for Nationalities in Chengdu in 1988 and is celebrated as one of the few Tibetan authors to write in Chinese.

In 2007, Tsering Woeser was granted the Norwegian Authors Union awards Freedom of Expression Prize but was effectively barred by Chinese authorities from leaving China for Oslo to accept the honour.

She was also awarded an honorary ‘freedom of speech medal' by the Association of Tibetan Journalists (ATJ) based in Dharamshala. In her acceptance speech written from Beijing, she expressed, "If everyone gives up their rights out of fear, then there will be more unrestricted oppression from leaders. So, the best way to enjoy freedom of speech and expression is to break out of the restricted rules and regulation curtailing freedom."

Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China. The official media reported that Sonam was charged of rioting and inciting the public to riot on 14 March 2008. He undertook leadership role in inciting hundreds of people in rioting by setting cars and shops on fire and overturning police vehicles. He was reported to have wielded a knife in the air and loudly shouted anti government slogans atop a police vehicle. A damage of around 40 million Yuan has been done due to the rioting. The other five Tibetans were charged of sheltering Sonam from the police.

Tsering, currently 23 years old, was born to Tsering Samdup (father) and Yangkyi (mother) in a semi nomadic family in Rachap Township, Payul County, Kardze "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture", Sichuan. In late 2007 Sonam arrived in Lhasa on pilgrimage and stayed back. When popular protest broke out in Lhasa

in March 2008, he took active participation in it. Sonam was arrested in mid October 2009, 17 months after the Uprising in Lhasa.

With the passing of the death sentence on Tsering, a total of seven Tibetans have been given the capital punishment and two the death sentence. Around 450 Tibetans have been given various imprisonment terms for their participation in the pan-Tibet spring uprising against the government of People's Republic of China. The spontaneous protest by the Tibetans in venting out a built up resentment over decades of flawed policies by the government has been dealt with iron-fisted crackdown by the government and its various law enforcement and judicial agencies. The government and its propaganda department have been repeatedly painting the popular Tibetan uprising with an image of criminal activities to the international community.

......continued from page 5 of eastern Tibet at the funeral to offer prayers for those who lost thier lives during the deadly earthquake. It's very comforting for those who survived.

In a message to victims of the disaster, Wangmo said that the spirit of the 10th Panchen Lama was with them, and stressed the importance of community assistance and solidarity in dealing with the tragedy.

"We want you to know that in this land our ancestors experienced and overcame a variety of disasters. From generation to generation [the Tibetan people] have taken root here, and built up a beautiful and warm home. Today we should have the confidence and reason to believe that with strong community assistance, Yushu people in their perseverance will in the near future see this land bloom once more."

The Tibet Post

TPI INTERNATIONAL

30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

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India: Stand up and speak up! Battles of the 21st Century: Cyber Warfare Dharamshala: As the world steps into a new century and globalization continues to grow at the crest of infor mation and technological evolution, a new kind of war is being waged. These battles discount aggregates of soldiers or numbers of warheads, and shift the battlefield from geological space, to cyberspace.

This is why China, a country that commands over 8 million troops the world's largest ar my - and possesses one of the worlds largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, is struggling in a tough battle of technological wits.

A Tibetan flying Indian and Tibetan national flags in Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: Rewind to march 2008; when the Chinese security forces came out in full force, and crushed the uprising in Tibetan capital of Lhasa and quelled all public sentiment on the Tibetan plateau, and here at home the Indian response to this crackdown was dispiriting to say the least, In parliament the seasoned politician and then foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee could only express distress at the plight of the hapless Tibetans. Worse still, Indian police swooped down on nonviolent Tibetan protesters near Dharamshala, the principal refuge of the Tibetan Diaspora, and incarcerated them for 14 days using India's preventive detention laws, a relic of the colonial age.

Looking at the matter globally, when Burma's junta in the September of 2007 killed at least 31 people during monk-led protests in the capital Rangoon, it triggered international outrage and a new wave of US-led sanctions. But when the junta's closest associate, the world's largest autocracy in Beijing, has cracked down on monks, nuns and others in almost all parts of Tibet, with an indeterminate number of people killed. The muted global response thus far raises the question whether China has accumulated such power as to escape international censure over highly repressive actions.

India does not do itself, any disservice if she displays a greater deal of independence and does not bow-down to Beijing's stand on Tibet, why does India with her rapid economic growth, powerful military and robust democratic institutions act in such a subservient nature to the China?

New Delhi's reluctance to challenge China over Tibet goes back to Beijing's brutal repression of the Khampa revolt 50 years ago, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal head of the Tibetans, fled to India. Although China sharply reproved India for providing refuge to His Holiness, India stood its ground. Shortly thereafter, following a breakdown of negotiations over a disputed border,

China attacked and defeated India in October 1962. Even though India's army has since been modernized and prepared for mountain warfare, the memory of this rout still haunts Indian military planners and policymakers.

Also Indian foreign policy has been burdened by a legion of pandahuggers, who bring discredit to our democracy and comfort to our adversary. These Sinophiles believe the only alternative to continued appeasement is confrontation. They cannot grasp the simple fact that between appeasement and confrontation lie a hundred different options. A false choice - pay obeisance to Beijing or brace up for confrontation - has been used to block any legitimate debate on policy options.

Why Tibet matters?

Why does Tibet matter so much?, it is but a frozen plateau located at a unforgiving altitude and devoid of any noticeable value to anyone, but if one looks closer we understand the value of Tibet to India. Tibet's vast glaciers and high altitude have endowed it with the world's greatest river systems. With global warming likely to ag gravate water woes, Chinese domination over the origins of Asia's water sources is a worrying factor for lower lying countries like India. Think back to the words of the for mer World Bank VicePresident Ismail Serageldin when he warned that, "If the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water."

Tibet's forcible absorption not only helped China to expand its landmass by one-third, but also has given it a contiguous border, for the first time in history, with India, Bhutan and Nepal, and a gateway to Pakistan and Burma. By subsequently and illegally annexing Aksai Chin in Ladakh , the Chinese was able to link Tibet with another vast, restive region, Eastern Turkestan (Ch: Xinjiang), home to Turkic-speaking Muslim ethnic groups and seat of a short-lived independent East Turkestan Republic up to 1949. The reckless exploitation

Just over a week ago starting from May 10th to May 16th, a total of 81 Chinese government websites were of the immense mineral deposits that the Tibetan plateau possesses, and the building of new hydro and railway projects that links the mainland with the Tibetan region are playing havoc with Tibet's fragile ecosystem which in turn is critical to the climate security of India and other regional states.

Tibet's security and autonomy are tied to India's own well-being. If the ‘Roof of the World' is on fire, India can hardly be safe. The choice before India is to either stay stuck in a defensive, unviable negotiating position, where it has to fend off Chinese territorial demands, or to take the Chinese bull by the horns and question the very legitimacy of Beijing's right to make territorial claims ecclesiastically on behalf of Tibetan Buddhism when it still has to make peace with Tibetans.

Second, if Tibet is to be the means by which India coops up the bull in its own China shop, it has to treat the Dalai Lama as its most powerful ally. As long as the Dalai Lama is based at Dharamshala, he will remain India's biggest strategic asset against China. The Tibetans in Tibet will neither acquiesce to Chinese rule, as their latest defiance shows, nor side with China against India.

India has long, albeit fitfully, sought to uphold human rights both at home and abroad. Today, when it has aspirations of regional and global leadership, it needs to demonstrate the self-confidence to condemn China's repression of its Tibetan minority and to provide comfort to the Tibetan diaspora. If India wishes to be seen as the exemplar of a modern democratic nation with global aspirations then, she should at minimum stand up and take a stand.

Mr Gautham Ashok is an active Indian student based Pune, India, he has also written some article about Tibet issue, and you can reach him at gautam.ashok@simc.edu

reportedly found to be hacked and tampered with mainly due to software risk loopholes, page revisions and Malware, according to a report by National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team.

A report by the NCNERTT revealed 150 /CN malicious domain names, 5 malicious codes, and 5 software loopholes. The report also discovered that a malicious domain group with the codename .xorg.pl

which is registered in Poland, has over 100 malicious domain names used to attack Chinese websites and its users.

This is only a small episode that is the series of a global cyberwar. In April of 2008, the official website of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India was hacked and crashed, offering a "page can not be displayed" to browsers of the site as well as other Tibetan websites including Out Look Tibet.

People of Hong Kong Vote for Democracy

Hong Kong Votes for Democracy. Photo: FIle

Dharamsala: The struggle for democracy in Hong Kong claimed a small, yet potent victory when despite a low voter turn out at 17.1 percent - all 5 pro-democracy lawmakers won re-election on Sunday in the by-elections of the Legislative Council.

The 5 lawmakers from 2 prodemocracy parties submitted letters of resignation last January in attempt to trigger by-elections, which they hope to turn into an infor mal referendum on introducing greater democracy in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong prior to the coming elections that are to be held in 2012, rather than waiting until 2017 or after - as Beijing officials have stated.

Since January, Hong Kong's political

system has been increasingly strained with tensions, primarily due to a public dissatisfaction on a lack of democracy compounded with economic havoc brought about by the recent global recession. This was marked by a growing number of protests on opposing the construction of an expensive highspeed rail that links Hong Kong with Shenzhen and Guagzhou in mainland China, and China's consistent delay and backtracking on commitments made in the 1990s to allow the public to directly elect a majority of lawmakers in the region's Legislative Council.

Donald Tsang, the Beijing-backed chief executive of Hong Kong has also suffered significant decline in approval ratings since the recent ...See page 10

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30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

TPI PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE

His Holiness Gives Talk on Education and Non-Violence at UNI, Iowa

The Tibet Post

A Harmonious Society Develop by Guns -Impossible: His Holiness Dharamshala: In a speech given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Sunday morning, at the bridge conference aimed at fostering understanding between Chinese and Tibetan students in the United States, he said that a world peace and harmony is impossible in a society that has been developed by guns.

Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness spoke at the McLeod Centre at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Photo:AP

Dharamshala: Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness spoke at the McLeod Centre at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Cedar Falls, Iowa, during his first ever visit to the state on Tuesday 18th May. The day's proceedings were split into three events, beginning with a morning discussion entitled ‘Educating for a Non-Violent World', in which the panel spoke about educating both the ‘head and the heart' and promoting nonviolence. Other topics covered included ideas on how individual and societal ethics can be used to conquer violence and promote peace. To end the morning talk, the Provost of the university, Gloria Gibson, presented His Holiness with a purple ‘Panthers' (the University football team) sunvisor, much to the delight of the crowd.

In the afternoon, His Holiness received an honorary humanities degree from UNI President Benjamin Allen, for his dedication to promoting positive human values such as love and forgiveness. The university has been linked with Tibet for 16 years as one of a handful of universities participating in the Tibet Fund. As part of the programme, the institute has welcomed on average three students from Tibet annually and has totalled an enrollment of 30 Tibetan students over this time.

At 2pm His Holiness gave a keynote speech entitled ‘The Power of Education'. Referring to his own education, His Holiness the Dalai Lama revealed that he was in fact a ‘lazy' student in his youth, generating laughter from the 5,400-strong sellout crowd. On a more serious note, His Holiness urged UNI lecturers to develop a syllabus that included more teachings on moral ethics and the ‘education of the heart'. The talk highlighted the way in which such an education should be used to resolve current world conflicts. His Holiness emphasised the eternal value of education, as knowledge is something that ‘nobody can steal'.

His Holines the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet received applause for his comment that we must respect all religions, saying they provide not only a day-to-day perspective, but also a long-term vision. But he said it doesn't really matter what religion you are. "My religion is very simple.

My religion is kindness."

Speaking to the focus of the forum, the Dalai Lama said, "Education brings about knowledge, education brings equality, but education alone is not sufficient. We must have more sensitivity to what people think."

He said we need to educate both mind and heart to create peace, and it needs to start early in life.

"Whenever we saw some conflict or disagreement the instinctive response is how to force. Using force or violent attitude always bring more trouble. From kindergarten must teach whenever you see conflict using force is the wrong method."

Fundamentally, he said, we are human beings, then faith, color or gender, these are secondary. "I am always telling people many problems we are facing today are man-made problems. Most of these problems have too many emphasis on wealth, gender, race, forget it, fundatmentally we are the same human being."

The university reported that the day's events had helped raise a total of US $32,000, which will be used in aiding future Tibetan student scholarships.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet was welcomed to the University of Northern Iowa by a sell-out crowd of more than 5,400 people in the McLeod Center. Just as with the morning sesson, the Dalai Lama took the stage for his afternoon keynote to a great deal of applause.

Following on from his visit to Cedar falls, His Holiness will continue his tour to New York.

"Openness and freedom of speech are essential, under fear, with police watching, how can har mony develop? Harmony by gun impossible. "his holiness said in a speech that was full of tongue in cheek comments aimed at the Chinese government, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that some Chinese officials aimed to portray him as "demon - with horns, their thinking is almost childish", his holiness opined He also said that he only ever wanted self governing autonomy "autonomy" for Tibet and not total separation from the Chinese state.

When told by some Tibetans that they feared to visit his government in exile based in Dharamshala, India for fear of it being infested with spies, His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks during during a press conference after the first of his teaching sessions May 20, 2010 at Radio City Hall in New York. The Dalai Lama is on a fourday visit to New York. Photo: AP

said that "Any spy is welcome, We have nothing to hide."

His holiness spoke of the Chinese propaganda that gave Tibetans a bad image among the Chinese population; he believed that the propaganda made the Chinese think that Tibetans were "backward and stupid". Incidentally the Chinese regime had invited the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet in the 1980's but the Nobel peace prize winning monk

had declined the offer saying that "The issue is civil rights. Until they address that, there's no point in my return" The bridge conference was organized by Tenzin Delek, who had lived in Tibetan refugee camps in India until 2008 said that" The Western education system is all about objectivity. It's easier for us to understand each other's position here in the melting pot of America".

HH the Dalai Lama has First Tweet with Chinese Web Users Dharamshala: Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, spent one hour on Friday evening answering questions via Twitter from Chinese web users.

This is the first online chat of its kind with Chinese citizens since the Dalai Lama joined twitter in February of this year. The chat was hosted by Wang Lixiong, a Chinese writer and critic, on his Twitter account.

Approximately 12,000 Chinese web users took the opportunity to vote on which of 250 questions should be put forward to His Holiness. The questions scoring the highest popularity were used during the His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the temple in Dharamshala. Photo/TPI

...See page 10

China's Harsh Crackdown on Photocopying in Lhasa, Tibet ......continued from front page In news, just filtering through, the residents of Tibetan capital Lhasa will now have to register their names if they want to take photocopies of any documents, this in an apparent bid to crackdown on separatists photocopying and distributing "objectionable material" i.e. pamphlets.

According to a local official at Lhasa Public Security Bureau, the government hoped to implement the planned measures soon, but declined

from giving an exact launch date. He also said that the "Lhasa's public security forces have been investigating these (photocopying) businesses and keeping track of them", although he refused to elaborate on what sort of printed material police were concerned about. The police are allegedly worried about separatist using photocopying machines to print out illegal content on pamphlets.

The china daily reports that the new rules would require customers to

submit both their names and addresses, and only permanent Lhasa residents would be allowed to make photocopies.

There have been sporadic instances of protests, with the latest being in China's far western province of Gansu where on Saturday, 15 Tibetans were wounded in a clash with local police after they blocked a road leading to a cement factory they blame for spewing pollution, an overseas Tibetan rights group said.

TPI TIBET

The Tibet Post

Chinese Authorities Steal Valuables in Quake-Rocked Kyigudo County

30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

9

China’s Controversial Plans for Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet Dharamshala: The Brahmaputra River, or the Yarlung Tsangpo as it is known in Tibet, is the latest target of China's hydroelectric plans. The planned dam is set to be the largest in the world, greater than the Three Gorges Dam in China, and will be part of a 540 megawatts (MW) power generation project due for completion by December 2015.

According to several media reports there are 28 other dams either planned or currently construction along the Yarlung Tsangpo, though China are yet to confirm these.

Kyigudo county of Tibet where deadly earthquake rocked. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: Chinese authorities secretly transported valuable goods and jewelery from Sanjian Commercial Complex in quakedevastated Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu) County to central China, according to a reliable source received by The Tibet Post International.

Chinese security insisted on guarding the shopping centre in fear of looting by the destitute population, then stole the valuables they were protecting, say locals and shop-owners.

Thousands were killed and many more seriously injured when the 6.9 magnitude earthquake and its 18 aftershocks shook the Tibetan region. An estimated 95% of all housing was completely destroyed, contributing to the death toll and leaving over 120,000 homeless and without adequate shelter in the freezing climate.

The four-story shopping centre containing the valuables, however, sustained only superficial damage.

Shop owners in the complex were blocked from moving out commercial goods and jewelery by Chinese authorities, who then insisted on taking control of security of the shops. After 10 days, authorities secretly transported valuables such as gold and silver jewelery and locked safes to an unknown destination.

Chinese authorities subsequently claimed that the missing items were stolen by a group of thieves; shop owners refute this as a shoddy cover up and place the blame on the authorities.

The report follows last month's theft of highly sought-after (at $2000 $6000 each) Tibetan Mastiffs by Chinese government relief workers.

The Gezhouba Corporation, responsible for the project, is among China's largest construction and engineering companies. The General Manager of China's Hydropower Engineering Consulting Group has stated that Tibet's resources "will be converted into economic advantage", however some reports (denied by China) have claimed that water may in the future be diverted from the river to areas of drought in southwest China. This would create knock-on effects in India and Bangladesh, reducing the flow of water in the parts of the Brahmaputra that run through them.

The Yarlung Tsangpo source lies at a height of 4,000 metres in southwestern Tibet, at the Jima Yangzong glacier and flows in an easterly direction for 1,600km through Tibet. Before entering India as the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh, the river takes a massive u-

Tibetan Female Students Shine in AISSCE Results Science; Pema Dolkar of TCV Gopalpur who scored 89.6% in Arts; Tenzin Choedon of TCV SOS Bylakuppe who achieved 90.6% in Commerce and Tenzin Sangmo of CST Mundgod achieving 87.8% in vocational studies.

Out of the total of 1337 pupils attending 14 Tibetan schools across India, 1280 were registered as participants of the examinations.

From this number, a total of 1107 students passed successfully, 39 failed and 57 were absent for the exams.

Students from Dharamshala TCV playing music instrutments. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: Results released last Friday have shown that female students in Tibetan schools have gained higher marks then their male counterparts in all three subject areas of the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE). The exams, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, took place between March and April this year.

The percentage pass rate of Tibetan students however somewhat disappointingly dropped from last year's score of 92.99%, to an average of 86.48%. Of this average, male students achieved a pass rate of 86.59%, whilst female students gained an 86.39% score.

Top achieving students were: Monika Chauhan of CST Herbertpur, who scored 91.4% in

The following rankings reflect the 14 school results: TCV Gopalpur (100%), CST Mundgod (98.73%), CST Kalimpong (97.06%), TCVSOS Bylakuppe (95.91%), TNMF, Clement town (95.24%), THF, Mussoorie (84.62%), CST Dalhousie (84.00%), TCV, Upper Dharamsala (81.19%), CST Paonta (79.41%), CST Bylakuppe (78.05%), CST Darjeeling (74.24%), CST Herbertpur (67.65%), CST Mussoorie (65.82%) and CST Shimla (64.71%).

Tibetan river, Yarlungtsangpo, central Tibet, 21 May 2006. Photo: TPI/File

turn named the ‘Great Bend'. It is in this most easterly Indian state where there is a confluence of the Siang, Dibang and Lohit rivers, forming the Brahmaputra. The Brahmaputra passes through India in its middle sector through Assam, leading on to Bangladesh, its lower riparian, where it converges with the river Ganga to create the largest delta in the world, before reaching its mouth at the Bay of Bengal. A huge proportion of river runoff from Tibetan rivers, approximately 90 per cent, flows further downstream to many countries such as India, China, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

Interfering with the natural flow of river water in Tibet will thus have repercussions for other nations.

Backed by Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests, India has recently stated that it would not stand for any future Chinese plans to intervene with the Brahmaputra River for both political and ecological reasons. Ramesh had expressed particular concern over the lack of a "water-sharing treaty", something that latest reports suggest is in the process of being created. It will constitute an agreement between the two nations to share all information concerning hydroelectric projects on the Brahmaputra.

Furthermore the Minister insists that India must quicken its own hydroelectric plans in the Brahmaputra basin, so that India's bargaining position with China is strengthened. The diplomatic process of negotiation is predicted to be a slow one, as recently experienced with the issue of sharing glaciological data which was delayed last year because of Chinese reservations.

Reports on the 5th of May from the Indian External Affairs Minister, Somanahalli Malliah Krishna, show that China has expressed that the planned project in Zhangmu would "not in any way impact the river's downstream flow" in India. Krishna revealed that Chinese Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, had assured him during his latest visit to Beijing

that China was always responsible in its actions regarding trans-border water politics. Yang had also insisted that the plans for the river were to generate hydroelectric power and not to store the water or regulate its volume, thus not affecting the river flow in Indian territory.

Although at the moment China insists that the Zhangmu project only concerns hydroelectricity, there are fears over possible future hydroengineering projects further on the Tsangpo at the Great Bend. There are concerns that China may divert water in this area as part of the Southto-North Diversion Scheme. The scheme would be used to irrigate arid areas in the north where over a third of the population lives, yet less than a tenth of the country's water resources is found. A dam would be built at the Great Bend and water from China's southern rivers as well as from Tibet's Tsangpo would be diverted in a northerly direction along three routes; the western route could have detrimental ecological and hydrological effects in India and Bangladesh. This would also lead to further complications with India's own hydroelectric plans in Arunachal Pradesh and a potential north-tosouth irrigation scheme to bring water to drier areas in southern India.

Indian authorities have said that slow progress on their own hydro plans have been due to inadequate funding, protests and bureaucratic impediments, whereas China does not partake in public negotiations and has both the financial and technological resources available to them to pursue their projects.

It was only recently that China admitted its plans for the Zhangmu dam, denying the project for many years previously. This has led to Indian suspicion regarding future Chinese water plans, despite China's strong denial of any water diversion projects.

Other concerns raised regarding the suitability of such a large project in the area have highlighted the seismic instability of the region, which could prove devastating if dams were built.

10

30 May , 2010 Dharamsala

TPI OUT LOOK TIBET

The Tibet Post

The death of free trial in China? crimes, which require criminal intent, were committed? Are there any facts that point to the alleged deaths and damage to property? What are the facts that allegedly tie any deaths or loss of property to these individuals?

News in Tibet is controlled by Xinhua, the Communist Party propaganda agency. Are there any independent reports?

Kungtsuk, who was given a suspended death sentence and is at severe risk

Dharamshala: In November, 2009, the Chinese government executed 4 Tibetans, two men, one woman and a fourth unidentified person, for allegedly "starting fatal fires" during the uprising in March 2008.With the world mulling over a moratorium on the death penalty, the Chinese government continues to exercise the dread verdict with little or no restraint.

International Law on the Death Penalty "Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life."

UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights This international convention does not in itself prohibit the death penalty.

However, it strongly discourages it.

In December 2007 and 2008 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolutions 62/149 and 63/ 168. These resolutions call for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

These resolutions, together with other recently adopted international treaties, establish an international trend toward abolishing the death penalty.

However, the Chinese government continues to execute an indeterminate

number of people every year.

Amnesty International stated in its 2008 Report on China that death penalty statistics are regarded as a state secret.

"Based on public reports, Amnesty International estimated that at least 470 people were executed and 1,860 people sentenced to death during 2007, although the true figures were believed to be much higher. Death sentences and executions continued to be imposed for 68 offences, including many non-violent crimes such as corruption and drug-related offences."

The Swedish representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council stated that, 80% of the total executions that were carried out in the world were from China, this was cited by Amnesty international in 2007 The facts unknown The Chinese state run media (Xinhua) reports that on April 8, 2009 "the two defendants [Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak] given the death penalty had committed extremely serious crimes and have to be executed to assuage the people's anger." They and two others, Penkyi and the unidentified fourth person were charged with "starting fatal fires."

Is there any evidence that these

At the very least, China should provide to the international community a copy of any recordings of testimony and evidence presented at the trials and any evidence if any, that might and could have exonerated them.

Seeing is not always believing...

Under international law, anyone accused of a crime has certain fundamental rights. They include a right to a fair trial by an independent body, and the right to legal representation.

China's own constitution gives the accused the right to an open trial, to legal counsel and even states that the courts exercise their power independently. However, the words are applied contrary to their common sense meaning. Once we delve deeper into the double meaning of the Chinese constitution we understand how....

The structure of the legal system prevents a fair and impartial trial.

The Communist Party controls the legal system at all levels.

The Communist Party elects the National People's Congress. The People's Congress elects the president of the Supreme Court and the procurator general (prosecutor), as well as other key government officials. And sadly enough also has the power to remove them.

And although the constitution states "The people's courts shall . . . exercise judicial power independently"

..............................Vote for Democracy ......continued from page 7 protests took place, as he struggled with rising local discontent.

Demonstrations in Hong Kong has usually maintained a relatively civil demeanor found uncommon by international standards. This is particularly apparent as 500,000 people congregated peacefully in 2003 to protest against the introduction of Basic Law Article 23, which stipulates that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall

enact laws to protect national security by means of prohibiting "any act of treason, secession, sedition or subversion against the Central People's Government". The law is now withdrawn and shelved indefinitely.

The voter turnout of 570,000 out of 3.3 million eligible voters that provided the victory of the 5 prodemocracy lawmakers is a powerful reflection of the massive

demonstrations that took place in 2003.

The Hong Kong government has been working to provide larger democratic civil participation for the 2012 elections. However, this has been met with dissatisfaction from democratic advocates who have expressed that the plans do not go far enough. Tsang also promised more democratic procedures for the election of chief executive in 2017 and Legislative Council in 2020.

It does not however ‘act independently of the Party'. This is the one crucial fact that the western media does not pick up on The President of the Supreme People's Court stated in October 2007: "The power of the courts to adjudicate independently doesn't mean at all independence from the Party. It is the opposite . . . " interestingly enough, Wang Shengjun, the President of the Supreme Court, is not a legal professional but a police and party administrator.

Lawyers are not independent either. In a speech in October 2007, the vice-minister of justice said that lawyers "must support the leadership of the Party at all times."

A new Law on Lawyers was passed in 2007 (effective 2008) purporting to give lawyers more

rights, it in fact did not do so. The vice minister of justice in October 2007 stated that the party "ruled out greater independence for the legal profession, stressing to the contrary the need to further control the work of lawyers as a way to diffuse social unrest." paranoia anyone??

Summary So little is known about what actually occurred in Tibet - what wrongs, if any, were done and by whom. Whether or not these four individuals committed any criminal wrongs, they were entitled to a fair and impartial trial and independent lawyers of their own choosing. It is very doubtful indeed they had any of these. It is shameful indeed that even after the Beijing Olympics of 2008, when the Chinese government promised to improve its human rights record, the statistics state the exact opposite.

..........Tweet with Chinese Web Users ......continued from page 8 question and answer session.

Questions were voted for using Google Moderator, which was eventually blocked by Chinese authorities on Thursday.

Questions asked included topics such as what would happen after His Holiness' death and the issue of the Chinese-chosen Panchen Lama. His Holiness expressed concern about the possibility of the Chinese authorities choosing their own Dalai Lama to replace him after his death, which would pose a similar problem to that of the current situation of having two Panchen Lamas. The Dalai Lama also covered questions regarding the dialogues between the Chinese government and the Tibetan government-in-exile, which have proved fruitless so far. He stated that although he has no demands of them, the Chinese government insists on saying that there is no Tibet issue, just a Dalai Lama issue.

When discussing the Sino-Tibetan relationship, the Dalai Lama explained that their relationship stems back at least 1000 years and that this current period of strife is a result of the Chinese government and not its people. On the protection of the Sino-Tibetan relationship, His Holiness emphasised the importance of reducing the suspicion held by both sides and for all to be viewed as human beings.

His Holiness attributed the problem of the emerging gap between the ordinary Tibetan and the Han Chinese people living in Tibet to the

lack of transparency of the Chinese government and for not implementing Deng Xiaoping's ‘seek the truth from the fact' in their policies.

Referring to the ‘Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People', web users expressed their concerns over the possible discrimination and expulsion of the Han Chinese should Tibet gain autonomy. His Holiness answered by explaining that there were Han Chinese living in Tibet before the 1950s and that they would still reside there in the future regardless of any changes in the autonomy of the Tibetan people. However the Dalai Lama also referred to the problem in inner Mongolia, where the Mongolians themselves have become a minority. He expressed fear that an increase in the population of Han Chinese people in Tibet would threaten the Tibetan language and culture.

His Holiness concluded that since the establishment of the communist government in China, dramatic changes in governance have taken place from Mao's era to Hu's era. In this sense, His Holiness believes that further changes in Chinese national policies will come, especially in regards to the Tibetan issue where a mutual resolution of benefit to both sides can be found.

A translated version of the question and answer session can be read in full at the following link http:// d o c s . g o o g l e . c o m / View?id=df2gh45v_15cjqqdcgb