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Vol. 02, Issue 80, Print Issue 4, January 31, 2013

Tibetan woman self-immolates over land-grab

2013 begins and the self-immolations continue in Tibet

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A Voice For Tibet

Fortnightly

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Share India’s secular ethics with the world: His Holiness to Bihari Chief Minister

By Yeshe Choesang and Matthew Singh Toor: 07/01/13

The Gesar Stadium in Kyegudho, Kham region, 2007. Photo: TPI/File

By The Tibet Post International: 14/01/13

Dharamshala: Reports from Tibet reveal that a Tibetan woman set herself on fire in Beijing last year in protest against illegal land grabbing by the Chinese authorities.

According to the Central Tibetan Administation, 62-year-old Passang Lhamo self-immolated on 13 September 2012 after repeated appeals to the central authorities to allow her to retain her ancestral home in Kyegudo. Ms Lhamo was taken to hospital after the incident and treated for severe burns.

In the aftermath of the 2010 Kyegudo earthquake, land grabbing by the Chinese authorities has left hundreds of Tibetans homeless, despite claims of a huge relief effort to resettle Tibetan families.

Growing resentment about the government’s reconstruction plans have been reported from the region and there have been numerous protests by Tibetans demanding effective relief strategies.

TCHRD releases annual report on human rights

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy re1eases its annual human rights report in Dharamshala, January 17. Photo: TPI

Patna: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Patna on January 3 to take part in the International Buddhist Sangh conference.

The spiritual leader was received at Jayprakash Narayan airport

by Nitish Kumar, chief minister of the state of Bihar, northern India, and other officials.

On the afternoon of January 4, His Holiness walked with Mr Kumar to the Pataliputra Karuna Stupa in the 22-acre Buddha Smriti Park, which he inaugurated in 2010.

“As a Buddhist monk,” His Holiness said, “I appreciate how the world’s major religions have flourished side by side in peace in India for the last thousand years. This interreligious harmony that has become part of Indian tradition is very relevant today, particularly when we see elsewhere that sadly religion can be a source of conflict.

“But in addition, today India and many other countries are facing something of a moral crisis. Increasing the police force won’t have much effect. What we need is self-discipline on the basis of ethics - secular ethics. In many ways, Indian tradition has supported secular ethics for hundreds of years. Now it’s time to share them with the rest of the world.

On January 5, the spiritual leader inaugurated the conference at the park, in which hundreds of delegates participated, including several senior and elderly monks from countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Japan, Laos, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Thailand and Vietnam.

His Holiness and Mr Kumar lit a ceremonial lamp, whilst the audience chanted “Buddham Sharnam Gachchhami”. The Nobel Laureate then praised the Chief Minister’s enthusiasm for not only material development but also the inner values inherent in Bihar’s history, and his efforts to transform a former place of confinement into a symbol of liberation - the park was built on the ruins of the district jail.

“We have now reached the 21st century,” His Holiness said.

“Time goes on naturally and no one can stop it. We cannot change the past, but we can plan for the future. In terms of material and spiritual progress, science and technology have focused on material development, which is essential when so many remain materially deprived. However, along with material

By Yeshe Choesang: 17/01/13

Dharamshala: The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released its annual report for 2012 at a press conference in Dharamshala, northern India, on January 17.

The report focuses on various aspects of human rights violations and the blocking of communication channels within Tibet, as well as the Chinese government’s closure of Tibet to foreign media and international fact-finding delegations.

In a press release, TCHRD said, “Despite heavy surveillance and restrictions, individual Tibetans continued to let the world

His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives flowers from Bihar’s Chief minister, Nitish Kumar, in Patna, January 4. Photo: TPI

progress we also need to attend to our inner development.

“Thinking only of material development makes us insensitive to the problems of others. It gives rise to greed and deceit, which in many places is the reality today. Scientists and thinkers are concluding that one of the main causes of trouble in society is a lack of love and compassion.

“Therefore, one of our tasks is to raise awareness of the importance of compassion and pay more attention to promoting it. Although this is traditionally one of religion’s responsibilities, this is a responsibility we all have to shoulder as individuals.

In the context of this conference, we need to examine what contribution Buddhism can make to this.”

His Holiness expressed satisfaction at the Chief Minister’s intention to make the Karuna Stupa a centre of learning, pointing out that the Tripitaka - the three collections of Buddhist scriptures - can be viewed as dealing with Buddhist science,

Sikyong appeals to Tibetans not to celebrate Tibetan new year in 2013

philosophy and spiritual practice. While the spiritual practice sections are a matter for Buddhists, he said, the science and philosophy sections, such as the explanation of impermanence and momentary change, may be of interest to anyone.

His Holiness continued that the Buddhist explanation of conventional and ultimate truth is evidence of a scientific approach to reality that can benefit all humanity. “The creation of this stupa should not be seen as an opportunity to propagate Buddhism as such. We are not trying to convert others to See Page 5 ...

Solidarity prayers for Tibetan self-immolators

Kasur Kirti Rinpoche and Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay at the Department of Religion and Culture’s prayer service in Dharamshala, January 16.

Photo: TPI

By CTA Official Media: tibet.net: 17/01/13

Dharamshala: The Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Religion and Culture has held a pray service to express solidarity with those Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the Tibet cause.

The cermony took place in Dharamsala, northern India, on January 16 and was addressed by Sikyong (political leader) Dr Lobsang Sangay, who appealed to all Tibetans to “strengthen See Page 6 ... and amplify” solidarity campaigns.

See Page 4 ...

Richard Gere wins achievement award

New Tibetan Association formed in USA

Richard Gere with his Chairman’s Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival, January 5. Photo: Reuters

By Yeshe Choesang: 07/01/2013

Dharamshala: The Hollywood star and activist Richard Gere has won the Chairman’s Award at the 24th Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Mr Gere, a tireless promoter of human rights in Tibet, was presented the award on January 5 by television personality Mary Hart at the Palm Springs Convention Center in California, USA. The actor used the occasion to elicit support for Tibet and quoted the Japanese Buddhist poet Kobayashi Issabut’s haiku ‘Under the cherry tree, there are no strangers’, adding, “And I can extrapolate that under movie screens there are no strangers.”

Festival chairman Harold Matzner praised Mr Gere, saying, “Throughout his career Richard Gere has established himself See Page 8 ...

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay addressing the fourth All India Tibet Support Groups Conference 2012 in Dharamshala, northern India, 9 June 2012. Photo: TPI

By The Tibet Post International: 24/01/13

Dharamshala: Dr Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (political leader) of the exile Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in India, has expressed his concern over the ongoing selfimmolations in Tibet and appealed to Tibetans across the world not to partake in Losar (Tibetan new year) celebrations.

Speaking in a video message posted online on January 24, Dr Sangay said, “With profound grief, I report that the number of Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest against repression in Tibet is now reaching 100. In 2012 alone, 83 Tibetans self-immolated, and 28 of these occurred within the

single month of November.

“Now, in the new year of 2013, I am saddened to inform you that three Tibetans have set themselves on fire. The most recent self-immolation, by Kunchok Kyab, 26 years old, occurred just a few days ago. Given this continuing tragic situation, I request my fellow Tibetans to not celebrate Losar with our usual festivities. Instead, when this year’s holiday falls on February 11, I ask you to perform only the customary religious rituals like visiting temples and making offerings. Do wear our traditional robe [Chupa] to display our identity and tradition. Kindly pray for all who have sacrificed their lives and for all who continue See Page 7 ... to suffer in occupied Tibet.”

Mr Lobsang Nyandak, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representative to the Americas, at the inauguration of Amherst Tibetan Association, January 5.

Photo: tibet.net

By Yeshe Choesang: 11/01/2013

Dharamshala: Amherst Regional Tibetan Association has become the 30th official Tibetan association in North America.

The association is located in North Hampton, Massachusetts state - home to around 100 Tibetans.

An inaugural function was held on January 5, presided See Page 6 ...

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TPI NEWS

January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

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Editorial:

Must 21st century economics outweigh human rights?

By Yeshe Choesang: 31/01/13 Dharamshala: The developed nations of the modern world are far more technologically and economically advanced than in previous centuries, and the majority of their citizens lead more prosperous lives. But those nations appear to be willing to sacrifice universal human rights to maintain their prosperity.

China consistently plays the West’s ‘need’ for economic stability against Western values of human rights and democracy, abetted by Western expediency in the face of the global economic downturn. In a world where trade trumps ethics, China appears at liberty to continue its systematic cultural genocide in Tibet and its breaches of international human rights law with no effective challenge.

The Chinese police and military routinely carry out programmes of torture as a means of suppressing political and ideological dissent, or to punish political opponents who do not share their ideology, who sympathise with Tibetan independence or who communicate with Tibetans living in exile. Torture can be either physical or psychological and, as human rights academic Antonio Cassese put it, aims at the “humiliation or annihilation of the dignity of a person.”

Organisations such as the Gu Chu Sum Movement of Tibet have repeatedly testified to the Chinese

authorities’ use of physical torture, including starvation, mutilation, beatings, and electric shocks, and psychological torture, including sleep deprivation and subjection to high-level noise, to extract ‘confessions’ from political prisoners to being xtremists? eparatists?or pies of Western imperialism?

Western human rights organisations, pro-Tibetan groups, parliamentary committees and, to an extent, the media all express their concern and even horror, but governments and international bodies fail to act. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s aides, over 1.2 million Tibetans have died under Chinese occupation, and the exile Central Tibetan Administration estimates that over 200,000 have been forced to leave their country. But the West continues to fail to hold China to account.

Tibetans are not unreasonable in their appeals to the world. Whether advocating independence or genuine autonomy, they request support in countering Chinese policies of cultural and linguistic extinction in Tibet. But further, they advocate global human rights - the right for all individuals to practice their own religion, to maintain their own culture and to control their own land.

The Tibetan view of the world is compassionate. Is the West’s view of Tibet genuinely reciprocal, or has self-interest superseded morality?

A volunteer’s story of life with Tibetan refugee children

Lesley Freeman and her book Running from Tenda Gyamar. Photo: TPI

By YC. Dhardhowa, 11/01/2013

Dharamshala: A new book by Lesley Freeman tells the story of her work as a volunteer teacher in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, northern India.

Running from Tenda Gyamar describes how Ms Freeman employs courage, love and compassion to support the Tibetan peoples’ struggles for freedom and education, and is foreworded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. ‘Tenda Gyamar’ is Tibetan for ‘the red enemy’ The English author said, “Anyone can take a risk, make sacrifices, without financial gain, not only to help others improve their lives [but] also

to develop themselves by facing obstacles and challenges - through witnessing the struggles of those less fortunate and helping to make a difference to them.”

She continued that she aims to “tell of the poignant, profound experiences and suffering of the Tibetan children in their struggle to be free and to be educated, in the hope that readers will be inspired to help in any way they can - through sponsorship of a Tibetan child or even as a volunteer.”

For further information on Ms Freeman’s book, visit: www.volunteerfortibet.com.

Tibetan student training programme rolled out in Delhi and Bangalore

By Yeshe Choesang: 08/01/13

New Delhi: A special training programme on business communication and etiquette and Englishlanguage skills has been held for Tibetan students in New Delhi and Bangalore, India.

The JobAbility?Training Programme for university students was organised by TechNoServe and the exile Central Tibetan Administration as part of a project funded by USAID. It began on January 4 and ran for 80 hours of sessions.

More than 70 graduates and students participated in the programme, which was designed by graduate content experts from the Indian Institute of Management. To pass the course, participants

had to score a 60% average in all end-of-lesson assessments.

Tsering Tharchin, a final-year student at Delhi University, commmented, “This workshop is especially important as I will be looking for a job after my studies and I would like to be a superior candidate to fill in a position of my choice.”

Upon passing the course, students will be offereed assured placement assistance through JobNetwork services. Over the past four years, JobNetwork has placed over 5,000 candidates in national and multinational companies across sectors including banking and financial Services, IT, retail and human resources.

The Tibet Post International

Teenage boy dies in Amdho Region, Tibet, before his planned self-immolation

By Yeshe Choesang: 23/01/13

Dharamshala: A Tibetan teenager from Amdho region, northeast Tibet, has died from suspected poisoning before being able to carry out a planned self-immolation attempt in protest against the Chinese authorities.

Sources from inside the region reported that 17year-old Jigjey Kyab died in Luchu county on January 19 and that, “The poison killed him before he could light his body on fire.”

Jigje left a suicide note on his bed, reading, “I pray that my aspirations will be fulfilled. If you are a mother’s son, rise up. Sons of the Land of Snows, rise up. Tibetan singers, rise up. May the Dalai Lama live long. I bow down to show respect to the Snow Lion [the national symbol of Tibet].

“Father and mother, please take care of my body.

You are the most loving persons on this earth. I hope to pay back your kindness in my next life.”

Since 2009, at least 98 Tibetans have selfimmolated in Tibet. Indian political analyst Nyima TJ has reponded to the crisis by saying, “A single self-immolation protest never happened in Tibet history before the Chinese occupation. The tragedy that should never have happened, if all Tibetan

Tibetan teenager Jigjey Kyab, who was found dead from apparent poisoning on January 19, with his body doused with kerosene and lighters in his hand, in Luchu region of eastern Tibet.Photo: TPI

people have equal rights in politics, the economy and in their daily life...Unfortunately its still Tibet’s only option - self-immolations to express their voices.”

International campaign group Human Rights Watch have stated, “The Chinese government should devote as much energy to addressing the

deep-rooted problems facing Tibetans as it does to punishing the families of those who have taken the drastic step of protesting by self-immolating...

Instead of stepping up repression and driving people to believe there is no hope of change, Beijing needs to take steps to respond to Tibetans’ grievances.”

Second and third self-immolations of 2013, in Kyungchu and Labrang counties, Tibet

By Yeshe Choesang and Matthew Singh Toor: 22/01/13

Dharamshala: Two Tibetan men reportedly died after setting themselves on fire in Kyungchu Chinese: Hong Yuan)and Labrang counties, northeast Tibet, on January 18 and 22.

Sources inside Amdho region said that 28-yearold Tsering Phuntsok, known as Dupchok, selfimmolated in Drachen village, Kyungchu county on January 18. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, aged three and five. “Local Tibetans and Buddhist monks gathered at his home to say prayers and pay respects,” the sources told TPI. 26-year-old Konchok Kyab, also known as Konbhe, self-immolaged at 12am local time on January 22, near Bhora Monastery. Lhachab Jinpa, a Tibetan living in exile, told TPI, “Konbhe is survived by his wife, Dorjee Tso, and tenmonth-old child. His father’s name is Dorjee Tseten and his mother’s name is Rinchen Tso.” Sources reported that Konchok died on the spot and that Chinese police took his body away, upon which local Tibetans threatened to protest if they did not return it to his family.

Clockwise from top left: Konchok Kyab’s ID card; his wife and child; Bhora village, Amdho region. Photo: TPI/File

Dupchok’s and Konchok’s are the second and third known self-immolations of 2013. 81

Tibetans died in similar protests against the Chinese authorities in 2012.

Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen transferred to Chinese women’s prison

By Matthew Singh Toor: 22/01/13

Zurich: The filmmaker and political prisoner Dhondup Wangchen has been transferred from Xichuan labour camp to Qinghai Provincial Women’s Prison - the main prison for women in China’s Qinghai province.

According to the Swiss organisation Filming for Tibet, Wangchen’s close family visited him in Quinghai on January 15, where he spoke of harsh treatment at Xichuan labour camp, including several months of solitary confinement beginning in March 2012.

Wangchen is apparently now being held in improved conditions, but his family remain unaware of the reasons for his transfer particularly to a women’s prison with no other Tibetan inmates or political prisoners.

Wangchen’s cousin and president of Filming for Tibet, Gyaljong Tsetrin, reported, “Although we are relieved to hear that Wangchen is in stable health, we share Wangchen’s own concerns as he says he feels isolated and alone in this prison.

“There is still well over a year until Wangchen will have served his six-year sentence for making (the documentary) Leaving Fear Behind. It is our wish that in this time Wangchen suffers no

Popular Tibetan filmmaker and political prisoner Dhondup Wangchen. Photo: TPI/File

maltreatment and be granted access to books so that he can study - something he has repeatedly requested but has been forbidden from doing.”

Individuals and groups from around the world have built a growing coalition in support of Wangchen. In 2012, the US-based Committee to

Protect Journalists awarded him for his work and groups such as Amnesty International have made intensive campaign efforts on his behalf.

Report filed by Filming for Tibet. For more information on the organisation, visit: www. filmingfortibet.org.

TPI NEWS

The Tibet Post International

His Holiness in Sarnath: Sustained Buddhist study important for both monastics and laypersons

H.H. the Dalai lama

January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

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Science and monastic education: His Holiness at Mind and Life Conference

By Yeshe Choesang and Matthew Singh Toor: 18/01/13

His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives a four-day teaching on the Guide to the Bodhisattava’s Way of Life in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, January 7-11. Photo: TPI

By Yeshe Choesang and Matthew Singh Toor: 11/01/13

Sarnath: His Holiness the Dalai Lama held a four-day teaching in Sarnath, northern India, from January 7 to 11.

The teaching, which was attended by over 30,000 people, including 7,000 foreigners from 46 countries, focused on Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattava’s Way of Life and was held at the Central University for Tibetan Studies in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

A group of Theravada monks began the event by reciting the Mangala Sutra in Pali, followed by a recitation of the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit by students of the university.

Seated on a carved wooden throne, His Holiness began his address by saying “I feel fortunate to be able to give this teaching and you should think yourselves fortunate to be able to listen to it.

“This is not about listening in order simply to receive blessings. Nor is it a case of hearing the teaching once and then setting it aside. You have to study steadily, understand it and think about it again and again.”

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate pointed out that while the Pali and Sanskrit traditions of Buddhism have the monastic discipline - or Vinaya - in common, Tibetan Buddhism seems to be the only tradition to employ logic. For this, he said, Tibetans are grateful to the Nalanda master Shantarakshita who helped establish the practice of Buddhism in Tibet and who was himself a master of philosophy and logic.

“When you are in trouble,” His Holiness advised, “think of everyone else who is facing trouble and suffering. Think to yourself, ‘May I take on the suffering of others until the ocean of suffering is dried up?’.

“I don’t mean to imply that I have any realization of Bodhichitta, but I do have great admiration for it. I think about it every day and I am convinced it has brought me peace and happiness.

“On the other hand,” he continued, “it would be inappropriate to boast, ‘I have heard the Dalai Lama explain the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life so many times’. Nor is it appropriate to think of it as a potential means to gain money, power and influence. If we do that we’ll merely be hypocrites posing as dharma practitioners with our minds set on wealth.”

Following three days of chilly temperatures, the last day of His Holiness’ teachings saw milder weather and blue skies. The spiritual leader made his way early to the teaching pavilion and spent an hour performing preparatory rites for the Avalokiteshvara empowerment. After a recitation of the Mangala Sutta in Pali, the Heart Sutra was recited in Russian.

His Holiness began, Vasubhandu has divided the Buddha’s teaching into the scriptural and the experiential, and we’ll be able to preserve it if we engage in study and practice, which involves hearing the teaching explained and thinking it over again and again, then meditating on what you’ve understood.

He repeated that study and practice is the only way to preserve the Buddha’s teachings - that construction of monasteries and erection of statues have their place but that if that is all we do we won’t be able to preserve the tradition.

We do not pay much respect to the Kangyur and Tengyur collections,” he continued, “other than treating them as objects of veneration. We have no custom of opening the volumes and simply reading them.

“Study should not be the preserve of the monastics.

Lay people, both men and women, must study and come to understand the Dharma. What we are dealing with is a system of mind and how to cultivate happiness in relation to it.?

His Holiness suggested that we receive teachings from masters in order to overcome our doubts but that we must then investigate whether the teachings stand up to reasoned examination. He added that some texts are regarded as provisional, while others are definitive, and that it is worth remembering that the Buddha himself encouraged his followers not to take his teaching on trust but to investigate it thoroughly.

Moving on, His Holiness said, Today, I’m going to give an empowerment of Avalokiteshvara belonging to the lotus lineage, bearing in mind that Tibetans have a special connection with him. When Atisha composed the Lamp to the Path to Enlightenment in Tibet in the eleventh century, he mentioned the practice of tantra and he evidently followed it himself.

“Tantra employs different methods for acquiring the four bodies of a Buddha. It is called secret mantra, because it is not to be revealed to those who are unready for it, while mantra refers to a mind protector - something that protects the mind from ordinary appearances. Meanwhile the word vajra, in this context, means the indestructible inseparability of method and wisdom.”

As a preliminary to the empowerment, His Holiness gave the vows of a lay person, and then conducted a ceremony to generate the aspiring awakening mind, followed by the Bodhisattva vows.

Prayers for His Holiness’ long life were then led

by Jangtse Choje Lobsang Tenzin, to which the spriritual leader responded, “for as long as I am able to serve, I aspire to live long.”

After lunch, His Holiness completed his reading of the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life with chapters nine and ten on wisdom and dedication.

He compared the yogis referred to in the text to the scientists of today, adding that, while he has met some scientists who are conservative and set in their views, most good scientists are broad-minded, forward-looking and open to change.

“From today,” he continued, “those of you who have come from elsewhere will disperse and go your own ways. Make an effort to bring your mind closer and closer to what is taught in this book.

“Remember the vows you have taken and the promise you made during the empowerment to meditate daily on the awakening mind of Bodhichitta and the view of emptiness.”

As the teachings drew to a close, an announcement was made detailing how they had been financed and stating that left-over funds would be given to local charities, including a school for the visually challenged.

His Holiness concluded by saying, “Let’s dedicate our merit to the long life of our Lamas, to peace and harmony in the world at large and specifically to peace and freedom in Tibet.

“Tibetans in Tibet face such hardship right now, but their spirit remains strong. As we say in the Prayer of the Words of Truth, ‘May they be guarded by the compassion of the protector of the Potala.”

His Holiness first received an explanation of the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life from the Khunu Lama Tenzing Gyaltsen in Bodhgaya. Prior to this the Khunu Lama taught His Holiness on the Praise to Bodhichitta in a sparse Hindu temple in Sarnath, which he described as an ideal, quiet place to stay.

Mundgod: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived at the Tibetan settlement outside Mundgod, south India, on January 17, to attend the 26th Mind and Life Conference.

He was received by Ganden Tri Rinpoche, Sharpa Choje, Choje and members of the Mind and Life Institute at Drepung Lachi monastery.

After paying his respects before a statue of the Buddha, he met briefly with senior monks, lamas and scientists upstairs in the Ganden Phodrang.

His Holiness joked that in December, during his Lam Rim teachings in Mundgod, he had explained the views of Nagarjuna who, in his time, engaged in debate with Indian materialists, and that on this visit he has brought representatives of contemporary materialism - the Mind and Life scientists - with him.

He also explained that, en route to Mundgod, he participated in a dialogue at Delhi University which he hopes will lead to the creation of a curriculum to introduce secular ethics into modern education.

His Holiness assured the monks that he has known several of the Mind and Life scientists for many years and that they exemplify the qualities that Aryadeva outlined for true thinkers - objectivity and freedom from prejudice, critical intelligence and the ability to engage in deep inquiry, and interest in exploring how the future of science can serve humanity.

Continuing in a light-hearted vein, he teased the monks that, “Although Bodhisattvas are bound not to spend more than a week with Buddhists who do not follow the Mahayana, in case their Bodhisattva aspiration declines, you should harbour no such fears about spending a week with these scientists!”

The spiritual leader spoke of feeling sentimental as he approached Drepung Monastery, recalling that since the second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso, was abbot at Drepung Monastery in Tibet, it had become the monastery of all subsequent Dalai Lamas. He continued that, if he had been in Tibet when he retired from political responsibility nearly two years ago, he would probably have left the Potala and Norbulingka and returned to Drepung.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 26th Mind and Life conference in Mundgod, south India, January 17. Photo: TPI

Contemplating the thousands of scholars, writers and masters who belong to the Drepung community, His Holiness said it is reasonable to think of Drepung as being like the Nalanda of Tibe. The Nalanda is an ancient centre of higher learning in the Indian state of Bihar.

He explained, “I started this dialogue with scientists out of my own curiosity, but when it became clear how helpful it could be for Buddhists already familiar with the inner world to learn more about physical reality, I wanted to open it up to them too.

“I wanted to bring scientific understanding to our Tibetan Nalanda. Our monks have heard about this dialogue and I thought it would be really meaningful for them to have a taste of it - and now they can.”

The six-day Mind and Life Conference began the next day, January 18, with 20 of the world’s foremost scientists and philosophers, together with senior Tibetan scholars, partipating in a dialogue over Mind, Brain and Matter. The main hall of Drepung monastery was packed with around 1,000 audience members.

Upon the arrival of His Holiness, Geshe Lhakdor, director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, northern India, expressed his appreciation of the

spriritual leader’s initiative in encouraging dialogue between modern science and Buddhist science and philosophy. He also mentioned the importance of the meeting taking place in a monastic setting.

Arthur Zajonc, president of the Mind and Life Institute, noted that science is now being introduced into the monastic curriculum. He described this as a courageous move and clarified that science is not a branch of materialism but an attempt to penetrate reality.

His Holiness commented that it is important to keep traditional monastic education as an object focus, after introducing modern science.

The conference agenda included the historical sweep of science, revolutions in our understanding of the physical universe and the nature of the mind, and delved into scientific and classical Buddhist philosophical methods of inquiry, quantum physics, neuroscience, and Buddhist and contemporary Western views of consciousness.

The Mind and Life Institute is a world leader in scientific investigation into the effects of contemplative practices on brain and behavior, and the translation of this data into effective tools to benefit people in all walks of life.

Recordings of the conference’s eleven sessions can be viewed at www.dalailama.com/webcasts.

Sikyong and Speaker hold press conference

ahead of Tibetan Solidarity Campaign

By Yeshe choesang and Matthew Singh Toor: 29/01/13

New Delhi: In the run-up to the January 30 Tibetan People’s Solidarity Campaign, Dr Lobsang Sangay, Sikyong (political leader) of the exile Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and Mr Penpa Tsering, Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-inexile, addressed a press conference in the Indian capital Delhi on January 29.

Mr Tsering introduced the campaign, set to run from January 30 to February 2, and to be marked by events in Delhi including mass rallies, prayer meetings, inter-faith meetings, and the lobbying of foreign diplomats and Indian policy makers.

The campaign was initiated by the CTA’s Kashag (cabinet) and the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, to highlight the situation inside Tibet and to draw the international community’s attention to the sacrifices being made by Tibetans inside the country.

Dr Sangay gave an overview of the Tibet situation, including the status of Sino-Tibetan dialogue, the position of Tibetans inside Tibet and international response to the Tibet situation. He particularly stressed the conditions that have led nearly 100 Tibetans to self-immolate in protest against the Chinese government since 2009.

More than 100 reporters, representing major national and international agencies, attended the meeting at the Press Club of India, which was followed by a question-and-answer session

Speaker Penpa Tsering of the Tibetan Partliament-in-exile (L) and Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay (R) at the Press club of India in New Delhi, January 29. Photo: TPI

covering issues including India’s bilateral economic ties with China and China’s international standing.

After the press conference, a short film by the CTA’s Department of Information and International Relations was screened, titled What’s China Doing in Tibet?

Highlights of the Tibetan People’s Solidarity Campaign were set to include an inaugural address

by India’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Shri LK Advani, at Talkatora stadium on January 30, and a

prayer meeting on February 1 to be presided over by the ‘throne holder’ of the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

A traveling exhibition on Tibetan history and culture, titled Long Look Homeward, together with a ten-panel photo exhibition on self-immolation, also visited Delhi.

More than 5,000 Tibetans had converged on Delhi from India, Nepal and Bhutan, and over 1,500 Indian supporters were expected to take part in the campaign.

4 Tibet TPI NEWS 27 monks expelled from Pekar China confiscates satellite equipment in Tibet monastery, Kham region to block ‘overseas anti-China programs’ The Tibet Post International

January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

By Tenzin Desal and Matthew Singh Toor: 11/01/13

Diru County, Kham region, eastern Tibet. Photo: naglha.net

By Sophie Jay: 09/01/13

Dharamshala: 27 monks are reported to have been expelled from a monastery in eastern Tibet after refusing to comply with controls on religious practices imposed in July 2012.

According to a monk from Pekar Monastery in Diru county, Nagchu, Kham region, many others have also been arrested or ordered to leave and only a few of the 200 monks who resided there remain.

Monks from other monasteries have been forbidden to stay at Pekar.

The source said that, last July, Chinese officials visited the monastery and imposed controls on religious practices, study and the monastery’s finances, to which the monks refused to adhere.

He added that local Chinese authorities have forbidden the sale of petrol in the area, making it difficult for people to leave Pekar.

The situation apparently remains tense at the monastery and in the surrounding area, following protests in reaction to the crackdown.

China arrests prominent writer Gartse Jigmey in northeast Tibet

Gartse Jigmey addressing a Buddhist meeting in Gartse township, Amdho, 25 June 2012. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala: The Chinese authorities have launched a massive crackdown on satellite TV equipment used by Tibetans in Rebkong, northeastern Tibet.

The move is believed to be part of a government clampdown to stifle the spread of information about self-immolation protests against the Chinese government’s rule.

Radio Free Asia have reported that hundreds of satellite dishes and receivers were seized in January from homes in Rebkong, Malho prefecture (Chinese: Huangnan), Amdho region, and destroyed or burned as part of a ‘cleansing’ operation launched on the orders of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

Further, a statement from the Chinese state-run Qinghai news agency reported that search parties were sent to over 300 monasteries in Malho, where they dismantled satellite equipment and seized televisions which enabled the monks to tune into “anti-Chinese” broadcasts.

The statement, released in December, said that to deter self-immolations the Chinese authorities should be “guiding public opinion on the Dalai issue”, and “blocking outside harmful information”.

It added, “The prefecture’s agricultural and pastoral areas have relied on certain satellite equipment to watch and listen to overseas anti-China programs.

“At this critical moment for maintaining social stability in Huangnan prefecture...[we must] strengthen measures and fully fight the special battle against self-immolations.”

When the Reuters news agency asked the Huangnan prefecture government to confirm the Quinghai report, it received the reply, “We do not know anything about it.”

The authorities also reportedly encourage Tibetans to buy smaller satellite dishes and new receivers, which receive only state-controlled programmes.

Local residents have reported that families are fined 5,000 yuan for not surrendering their old equipment, and rewards of 10,000 yuan are offered to anyone informing on such families.

Some locals have even suggested that the new devices double up as surveillance equipment, fitted with mini-cameras and recording kits.

The new measures are part of a Tibet-specific policy called ‘The Four Stabilities’, announced by China’s leader Hu Jintao during an internal speech in March 2012. The specific order to seize and destroy satellite equipment stems from a speech by Qinghai’s Communist Party Secretary Qang Wei in November 2012.

The authorities have stepped up crackdowns in Tibet against the viewing of Western media since the 2008 uprising. In the past five years, several independent

By Yeshe Choesang: 10/01/13

Dharamshala: The writer Gartse Jigmey has been arrested by Chinese authorities in northeast Tibet.

Sources inside the country report that 36-year-old Jigmey was detained in Gartse county, Tsongon, Amdho region (Chinese: Qinghai Province)on January 1.

Police from Xining station arrived at Gartse monastery and conducted a thorough search of Jigmey’s room before arresting him. His current condition is unknown.

The detention took place immediately after Jigmey had completed the second volume of his 25-chapter

work, Tsengpo’s Power of Heart, which details the spate of self-immolations in Tibet, the situation of minority groups in China, human rights issues in Tibet and peaceful uprisings by Tibetans. The book also concerns the Tibetan government-in-exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other spiritual leaders.

Jigmey is well-regarded by Tibetan readers. His first popular work was Journey Diary, which won awards from the local community. The first volume of Tsengpo’s Power of Heart was published in 2008 and expressed the joy and suffering of Tibet’s past

and present. In 2010, Jigmey also penned Analysis of Buddhism, Knowing Earthly Feelings and The Ordained Person’s Life.

The writer is originally from Garwa Tsowa village of Gartse township, Thunrin district, Malho region, Amdho. He joined Gartse monastery in 1992 after three years at school.

Jigmey was educated in Tibetan language and history, and Buddhist philosophy and culture. He founded a local newspaper and magazine club in 2010, and personally funded two conferences for writers and editors.

Two types of satellite dishes in northeastern Tibet. Photo: TPI

Tibetan websites and blogs have been closed down, and public internet facilities have been suspended in many Tibetan areas.

Five of the 97 Tibetans who have self-immolated in protest against Chinese rule since 2009 are believed to have done so in Malho.

Tibetan man self-immolates in Amchok township, Amdho, northeast Tibet The Chinese authorities have reportedly cut off all means of communication in the area in response to the self-immolation, which brings the total since 2009 to at least 96, 81 of which occurred in 2012.

All of the self-immolators have doused themselves with petrol and set themselves alight after shouting slogans calling for freedom in Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

A crowd surrounds Tsering Tashi, who self-immolated in Sangchu county on January 12. Photo: TPI

By Yeshe Choesang: 12/01/13

Dharamshala: A Tibetan man has reportedly died after setting himself on fire in Sangchu county, northeastern Tibet.

Sources inside the country say that Tsering Dhondup, known as Tsering Tashi (Tsebhe), selfimmolated at around 12am on January 12 in front of the main gate of Amchok township in Labrang, Amdho province.

22-year-old Tsebhe was the son of father Dhugkar Kyab and mother Tsering Dolma. He was originally from Kyenang village in Amchok township.

Sources told TPI, “Local Tibetans carried his body to his home before Chinese security authorities arrived, where many more locals and Buddhist monks gathered to say prayers and pay respects.”

Tsering Tashi with his wife and son. Photo: TPI

China arrests three Tibetans for commemorating self-immolator

TCHRD releases annual report on human rights abuses in Tibet ...... Continued from front page know about the real situation in Tibet, often at great personal risk...Human rights violations in Tibet [include] arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and [infringement of] language rights...”

The organisation prepared a separate report on religious repression which it submitted to the United Nations’ special rapporteur on freedom of religion, Mr Heiner Bielefeldt, on January 14, urging him to conduct a visit to Tibet and publish a report on its findings. It also urged Mr Bielefeldt to encourage the Chinese government to adhere to those international conventions to which China is already party and sign and ratify those to which it is not.

The press release said that in 2012 the Chinese government continued to label all those who expressed Tibetan aspirations and grievances as ‘splittists’ - locking them up on ‘national security’

grounds - and that those who shared information about human rights abuses in Tibet with outsiders were charged with violating state secrets law and imprisoned following dubious trials.

“Crackdowns on self-immolation protests continued all through 2012,” it continued, “as local authorities, particularly in Kanlho (Chinese: Gannan), Ngaba (Chinese: Aba), Kardze and Nagchu (Chinese: Naqu) mobilized government cadres and ‘work teams’ to hold political education campaigns and carry out punitive measures against not only protest self-immolators and their family members but also the villages they belong to.”

The organisation added that, despite criticisms against its human rights record, China continues to view ‘stability’ as a prerequisite for the enjoyment of human rights and that the rationale of ‘national security’ is used ad nauseam to justify violent crackdowns on dissidence.

“China’s rejection of the universality of human rights”, it said, “became more pronounced in its second National Human Rights Action Plan (2012-15), which states that freedoms entitled to all will only be granted to Chinese citizens when it is convenient for the one-party rule of Chinese government.”

In 2012, TCHRD confirmed the detention and imprisonment of 269 Tibetans in Tibet, of whom 29 were sentenced without procedural guarantees and due legal process. The fate of 218 remains unknown.

The press release concluded that, “With the increased security build-up along Tibet-Nepal border, the number of Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet dropped drastically in 2012. As opposed to about 700 Tibetans who arrived in India in 2011, there were only 374 Tibetans who successfully

Wangchen Norbu, who died after self-immolating in Tsoshar, Amdho, November 19. Photo: Unnamed source

By Tenzin Desal: 05/01/13

Dharamshala: It has been reported that the Chinese authorities have arrested three Tibetans for conducting a prayer ceremony for a selfimmolator.

Local sources in Tsoshar, Amdho, northeastern evaded arrest at the hands of Chinese border guards and reached India in 2012.

“China continued to pressurise Nepal to crack down and forcibly repatriate Tibetans fleeing its rule. It is a known fact that the continuation of Chinese aid to Nepal is contingent on the Nepalese government’s ability to suppress Tibetan activism.”

For TCHRD’s full 2012 Annual Report visit: www. tchrd.org/2013/01/annual-report-2012

Tibet, said that monks Tsundue (23), Gendun Tsultrim (30)and Yumkyab (23) were detained after the authorities objected to a ceremony on November 21 in honour of Wangchen Norbu, who died after setting himself on fire two days earlier.

Eyewitnesses reported that Norbu self-immolated near Kangtsa Gaden Choephelling Monastery, shouting slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, the release of the Panchen Lama and freedom for Tibet.

Norbu’s uncle apparently said the arrests were due to ‘‘the expression of solidarity and leading the prayer ceremony for the deceased?

The condition and whereabouts of the three detained monks remain unknown.

TPI NEWS

The Tibet Post International

Three Tibetan monks ‘disappear’ following arrest in Chabche county

International

January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

Sikyong meets visiting Harvard students in Dharamshala, India

5

By The Tibet Post International: 18/01/13

Dharamshala: A group of 16 students from Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Kennedy School, USA, met with Dr Lobasang Sangay, Sikyong (political leader) of the exile Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala, northern India, on January 15.

The mid-career students talked with Dr Sangay for almost two hours on subjects ranging from Tibetan self-immolations to the structure and workings of the CTA, the current political situation in Tibet and Dr Sangay’s personal experiences.

The three ‘disappeared’ Tibetan monks from Chabche county: Sungrab Gyatso, Yeshi Sangpo and Draksang. Photo: TPI

By Reporters Without Borders: 08/01/13

Paris: International press free freedom campaigners Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have expressed their concern about three Tibetan monks of whom there has been no news since their arrest in early December.

Sungrab Gyatso, Yeshi Sangpo and Draksang were detained in Chabche county (Chinese: Gonghe) in the northwestern province of Tsongon (Chinese: Qinghai) for providing information about a demonstration.

According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, the monks were arrested for sharing information about a student demonstration on November 26 in Chabche county. Many Tibetan monks have been arrested and jailed in recent months for circulating information about protests and cases of self-immolation.

RSF said, “Jail sentences and holding detainees incommunicado are radical measures but they are used routinely against human rights activists who try to disseminate information that the regime wants to suppress.

“We are outraged by these practices, which show that the People’s Republic of China not only censors messages about freedom and justice but also

continues to target those who transmit them. We call for the immediate release of the three monks...and the withdrawal of all the charges against them.”

Sungrab Gyatso was arrested by members of the Public Security Bureau on December 1. The other two monks, Yeshi Sangpo (37) and Draksang (26) have been missing since December 3, when they went to local government headquarters in response to a summons to report for interrogation.

Members of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) had gone to Khyamru monastery the night before to arrest them but the monks inside refused to open the gates. The PAP responded by barricading the gates from the outside and denying access to other monks who arrived for prayers the next morning, suggesting that they address their complaints to the local government.

Around 150 monks quickly set off but were stopped by members of the local Tibetan population, who feared an outbreak of violence. Government officials later arrived with special forces and, according to witnesses, said they had a list of ten Tibetans for arrest but for the time being only wanted to talk to Yeshi Sangpo and Draksang.

It remains unknown where or in what conditions the three monks are being held.

Taiwan Tibetan Association invests in Solidarity with Tibet campaign truck

The students’ trip was part of the Harvard Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research.

..... share India’s secular ethics with the world ...... Continued from front page Buddhism. But when a centre of learning has been established here, Buddhist science and philosophy can be among the subjects for academic study.”

In his 30-minute keynote speech, Mr Kumar said that Bihar was not only the land of over eleven crore (110 million) Biharis but also belonged to millions of Buddhists spread across the world.

Bowing to His Holiness, the Chief Minister said that when the Tibetan leader had come to Bihar previously, he had sought his blessings to give him strength to lead Bihar into prosperity, and that His Holiness responded that, as Bihar already had the blessings of Buddha, there was no reason why it would remain backward.

Mr Kumar concluded that the state government would soon build a stupa in Vaishali - the ancient seat of the Lichchavis - where Buddha delivered his last sermon before his death in 483 BC. The conference convener, the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi, next outlined the meeting’s main priciples - to create a society of ideal persons striving for moral and spiritual perfection, to create a vehicle through which knowledge, wisdom and understanding of how to live a good life could be spread through society from generation to generation, and to create a democratically governed society of well-disciplined members.

The conference was organised by Bihar’s department of art and culture and the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee. Buddha Smriti Park was chosen as the venue because its Karuna stupa enshrines the relics of Lord Buddha, which were brought from Sri Lanka, Japan, Mayanmar, South Korea, Thailand and Tibet.

Patna is regarded as one of the longest inhabited places in the world. It first gained significance when the Magadhan King Ajatashatru - a contemporary of the Buddha - shifted his capital there from Rajgir.

Two centuries later, the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, who in his maturity embraced and fostered Buddhism and who became the first ruler of a largely united India, made his capital in Patna.

Monk beaten and detained after lone protest in Serta township

By Yeshe Choesang: 28/01/13

Dharamshala: The Chinese authorities have arrested a young Tibetan monk after he carried out a brief, peaceful protest in the centre of Serta township (Chinese: Seda), eastern Tibet.

Sources told TPI that Phuntsok Jongney called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet as he marched into the township at 10.30am local time on January 27.

One source said,”Phuntsok shouted slogans for Tibet and called for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama...very close to the statue of a yellow horse in Serta, Karze county [Chinese: Ganzi].”

Another added that the monk is known as ‘Kunchen’ and that he managed to distribute

Dr Lobsang Sangay, Sikyong (political leader) of the exile Central Tibetan Administration, presents Taiwan Tibetan Association’s campaign truck visits tourist spots in Taipei, January 26.

Photo: Kalsang Lhundup

the Tibetan College Students’

By Matthew Singh Toor: 30/01/13

an School in Majnu ka Tilla, Delhi,

Award to Vijay Kranti at the Tibet-

Taipei: Tibetans in Taiwan began a Solidarity with

update regularly.

Tibet campaign in Taipei city on January 26, using

26 December 2012. Mr Kranti is a

Mr Dachompa, President of the Tibetan Association,

a mini-truck to inform the public and tourists about

who drove the truck on the campaign’s first two

senior Indian journalist, photogra-

the Tibet situation.

days, said many Chinese tourists take the time to

The Taiwan Tibetan Association has been driving

look at the posters and read the information, which

the recently purchased truck around Taipei and

is written in Chinese. He added that, through the

stopping at spots visited by hundreds of tourists

campaign, Tibetans hope to provide a true picture

from mainland China. Campaign posters and

of the Chinese government’s repressive policies

information on those Tibetans who have self-

in Tibet.

immolated in Tibet are pasted on the back and sides of the truck, which the campaigners plan to

Report filed by Kalsang Lhundup

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay with the group of Harvard students at the Kashag secretariat, Dharamshala, H.P, India.

Photo: Tibet Net

pher and Tibetologist who has been documenting the lives of Tibetans living in exile since the early 1970s. Photo: TPI

several wind-horse (prayer) flags during his protest.

30 armed Chinese paramilitary personnel reportedly arrived immediately at the scene, where they beat Phuntsok before taking him away.

Phuntsok is from Gephel Ling Monastery in Serta county. His father’s name is Losher and his mother’s name is Chukpo. His condition and whereabouts remain unknown.

Sources have also reported that increasing numbers of Chinese security personnel have been deployed in the town and surrounding area since the protest.

Photo News

Left: Phuntsok Jongney from Serta township, eastern Tibet.

Photo: TPI/file

6 TPI NEWS Exile Dr Lobsang Sangay meets Bihar Tibetan Home Minister discusses Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Indo-Tibetan relations in Orissa

The Tibet Post International

January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

By Yeshe Choesang:08/01/13

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay with Bihari Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar and Kalon Pema Chhinjor in Patna, January 5.

Photo: File

By Yeshe Choesang: 17/01/13

Patna: Dr Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (political leader) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), met with Shri Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, in the state’s capital, Patna, on January 5.

Dr Sangay thanked Mr Kumar for his contributions towards developing Bihar’s infrastructure to promote it as a major Buddhist pilgrimage destination.

The meeting preceded His Holiness the Dalai

Solidarity prayers for Tibetan self-immolators held in Dharamshala

Lama’s inauguration of the International Buddhist Sangha Conference at Buddha Smriti Park in Sarnath.

Dr Sangay was accompanied by Kalon (minister) Pema Chhinjor of the CTA’s Department of Religion and Culture, and also met with and expressed his best wishes to the Reverend Khin Min Da Thar Mi Sayadan of Myanmar, the Venerable

Bhubaneshwar: Mrs Dolma Gyari, Kalon (minister) for the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) Department of Home, has met with senior officials in Orissa’s state capital, Bhubaneshwar, to resolve land issues and foster relations between the Indian and Tibetan communities.

Kalon Gyari met Shri Bijay Pattnaik, Chief Secretary of the south Indian state, Home Secretary Shri Upendra Nath Behera and Shri RK Sharma, Secretary of the forest department, on December 28 and 29.

She also attended a state-level conference of minorities and ‘backward’ communities, titled Jati Janajati Mukhia’s Sammillan, on December 30, as chief guest.

Kalon Gyari spoke about the Tibetan exile community’s harmonious coexistence with the local Indian population over the past five decades and thanked the central and state governments of India for their hospitality.

Phraphrommethee - member of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand - and the Venerable Udugama Saddharma Keerthi Sri Dharmadas Ratanapala Buddharakkithabhidan of Sri Lanka

North East Zone Tibetan Delegation lobbies officials in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar

...... Continued from front page Two of the recent spate of self-immolations in Tibet were highlighted - those of Tsering Tashi, also known as Tsebey, who died January 12 after setting himself on fire in protest against the Chinese government’s repressive policies at Amchok, Sangchu county, and Passang Lhamo, who self-immolated on 13 September 2012 at Beijing in protest against land grabbing by the Chinese authorities. Ms Passang’s condition is unknown.

The service was attended by members of the Kashag (cabinet), Tibetan chief justice commissioners, members of parliament and hundreds of local Tibetans and Tibet supporters.

Since 2009, the total number of reported selfimmolations has reached 97 - all in protest against the Chinese government’s repressive policies, and in demand for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

30th Regional Tibetan Association formed in North America ...... Continued from front page over by Mr Lobsang Nyandak, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representative to the Americas.

The presidents of the two neighbouring Tibetan associations of Boston and Connecticut also joined the ceromony.

Mr Nyandak and members of the Amherst community offered khatas - traditional Tibetan scarves - to a portrait of His Holiness, and a short prayer service and minute’s silence were held for those Tibetans who have lost their lives in the struggle for Tibet.

Following interim president Thupten Choeden’s welcome speech, Mr Dawa Tsering gave a detailed account of the efforts put into forming the Tibetan association.

Mr Nyandak stressed the importance of working in close cooperation to fulfill the dreams of the association and also called on the public to remember that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration never discriminate against or discourage those who hold differing views on the best approach to resolve the Tibet issue.

The association’s interim executive members include Vice-president Lobsang Dhondup, General Secretary Kunga Rinchen, Passang Norbu, Lhamo Tsering, Tsering Dorjee and Dawa Tsering.

Elections for a new executive will be held in a year’s time.

Ms Dolma Gyari, minister of the CTA’s home department. Photo: TPI/file

She was accompanied on the visit by Chime Rigzin, Additional Secretary of the Department of Home,

and Chonor Samdup, Settlement Officer of Orissa Tibetan settlement.

Obituary: Tibetan Administation mourns the Venerable Tarha Tenzin Choenyi

By Central Tibetan Administration Media: tibet.net:

Dharamshala: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has expressed its sadness over the demise of the Venerable Tarha Tenzin Choenyi.

The former secretary of the private office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama passed away on January 14 at 11.13am.

As a mark of respect, the CTA administration held a prayer service on January 15 at 3pm, after which all of its offices remained closed.

The Venerable Choenyi was born in the Kharkha Tarha household of Gyaltse Dzong in 1920. He joined the administration of the Tibetan government in 1935 and in 1947 was one of the main officials investigating the political crisis in Tibet. He also took key responsibilities during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s brief stay in Dromo, Sikkim, in 1951.

In 1952, the Venerable Choenyi was appointed to the Tibetan foreign office in Beijing, where he served for around seven months. He was also a member of the organising committee of His Holiness the Dalai

The Venerable Tarha Tenzin Choenyi (1920-2013).

Photo: tibet.net

Lama’s visit to Beijing.

He arrived in exile in India with His Holiness in 1959 and from January 1960 held various positions in the Tibetan spiritual leader’s private office, most notably as secretary. He officially retired in 2001 but continued to serve as an advisor until January 2012.

The Venerable Tarha Tenzin Choenyi dedicated more than 53 years of his life to the service of Tibet.

Sikyong Honours Himachal’s new Chief Minister The North East Tibetan Parliamentary Delegation with West Bengal Governor Shri MK Narayanan. Photo: TPI

By Yeshe Choesang and Matthew Singh Toor: 16/01/13

Kolkata/Bhubaneswar: The North East Zone Tibetan Parliamentary Delegation has held meetings in the Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha, as part of the ongoing All India Solidarity with Tibet Campaign initiated by Central Tibetan Administration.

On January 10, the delegation met with the Governor of West Bengal, Shri MK Narayanan, at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. Mr Narayan expressed the “unflinching support of the Indian Government towards the Tibetan people”, adding that “the Tibetans inside Tibet have the right to live with dignity”.

Mr Narayan continued, “India...will never dither in championing the cause of Tibet but, in the wake of the rampant human rights violations inside Tibet, the Tibetan side must adopt a nuanced position and a forward strategy to resolve the crisis.”

The governor’s affiliation with the Tibetan cause began in 1960 when, as member of the Indian intelligence bureau, he oversaw the founding of Tibetan settlements in Bylakuppe and Karnataka, south India.

The four-member parliamentary delegation is led by the former speaker of the Tibetan Parliamentin-exile, Pema Jungney, and has appealed to Indian leaders for substantial expressions of solidarity and support in the face of the spate of self-immolations

by Tibetans inside Tibet and subsequent crackdowns by the Chinese government. It has also also urged the Indian government to engage in urgent diplomatic actions to pressure the Chinese leadership.

On January 11, the delegation held a 30-minute meeting with Shri Biman Banerjee, the speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Mr Banerjee described the “functioning of Tibetan democracy in exile as exemplary for other fledgling democracies” and advised the Tibetan leadership to seek an allparty parliamentary resolution on the crisis in Tibet,

in both Indian houses of parliament - the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Later, Shri Derek O’Brien, chief whip of the All India Trinamool Congress Party (AITC), and face of the television series Bournvita Quiz Contest, directed the Tibetan delegation to engage in a tristep coordinated action of “education, orientation and direction” to secure a substantial diplomatic action from Indian policy makers.

Mr O’Brien pledged his party’s support for an all party parliamentary resolution on the Tibet crisis.

The AITC has 28 MPs - nine at the Rajya Sabha and 19 at the Lok Sabha.

On the evening of January 11, a 30-minute film on the spate of self-immolations was screened at a press conference attended by reporters from The Times of India, The Statesman, The Hindu, The Hindustan Times and Reuters.

The Kolkata leg of the campaign concluded with a mass solidarity rally, during which more than 200 people - Tibetans and local Kolkatians - lit candles, chanted prayers and marched the three kilometers from Wellington square to the Press club of India at Esplanade.

On January 14, the delegation met with governor Shri Murli Chandrakant Bhandaresecond in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha. Mr Bhandare commended the “passing of baton to young leadership in the exile government” and expressed anguish over “the prolonged suffering the Tibetans inside Tibet are subjected to by the erroneous state policies”.

The governor recognized the exile Tibetan administration’s Middle Way approach as “befitting and practical” and said, I truly wish for a solution to this long-standing issue...The Tibetan identity must be recognized and their true aspirations valued.?

Further meetings were held with dignitaries

Dr Lobsang Sangay presents a thangka to Shri Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh’s new Chief Minister, January 10. Photo:

By Yeshe Choesang: 10/01/13

Dharamshala: Dr Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (political leader) of the exile Central Tibetan Administration has paid a courtesy visit to Shri Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh’s new Chief Minister.

The meeting was held on January 9 at the circuit house in the north Indian township of Dharamshala.

Dr Sangay presented Mr Singh with a khata (Tibetan ceremonial scarf)and a thangka painting,

to congratulate him on assuming office. In turn, Mr Singh honoured Sikyong Dr Sangay with a traditional Himachali shawl and cap.

The Sikyong was accompanied by Mr Tsering Dhondup, Kalon (minister) for the Central Tibetan Administration’s finance department. Shri Sudhir Sharma, urban development and town and country planning minister, was also present.

Mr Singh is a long-time supporter of Tibetans and the Tibet cause.

including Odisha state Chief Secretary BK Patnaik, politician and social activist DK Roy, and Mr Braka K Mishra, chief editor of Tathya News.

A second rally was held in Bhubaneswar on January 15. Around 200 Tibetans from Phuntsokling Tibetan settlement, Gajapati district, made the seven-hour bus journey to participate, and were joined by over 35 Indian supporters.

Urging Indian leaders and the public to express

“solidarity with the 96 self-immolations inside Tibet” and take “urgent action on ending the crisis in Tibet”, the candlelight march went from Ram Mandir to Lower PMG ground and made headlines in the city’s main newspapers.

The North East Zone Parliamentary delegation’s future itinerary will include visits to Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim and Nagaland.

TPI NEWS

The Tibet Post International

South Zone Tibetan Parliamentary Delegation wins support in Kerala

Solidarity with Tibet

January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

7

Lok Janshakti party president pledges support for Tibet cause

By The Tibet Post Internatonal 19/01/2013

Dharamshala: Ram Vilas Paswan, President of India’s Lok Janshakti party, has pledged full support to the Tibet cause at a meeting with the North Zone Tibetan Parliamentary delegation.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr Paswan said the Tibet situation is a vital issue for India, adding that “the Indian people and my party have always supported the cause of Tibet and we will raise the issue of Tibet in the Indian parliament.”

The north zone delegation included Dawa Tsering, Yeshi Dolma, Mogru Tempa and Ghang Lhamo, who subsequently visited Patna, Bihar, as part of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile’s Solidarity with Tibet lobby campaign.

The South Zone Tibetan Parliamentary Delegation meets Speaker G Karthikeyan of the Kerala Legislative in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, January 13. Photo: TPI

By Matthew Singh Toor: 16/01/13

Dharamshala: The South Zone Tibetan Parliamentary Delegation has met with an array of top state officials in Kerala, south India.

During its week-long visit to state capital Thiruvananthapuram, as part of the ongoing All India Solidarity with Tibet Campaign initiated by Central Tibetan Administration, the group met with the chief minister, governor, speaker, opposition leader and officials from across the political spectrum.

The tour began with a visit to the spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, during a massive satsang (spiritual assembly) attended by over 50,000 followers and scores of media. The guru asked the delegates to convey his warm greeting to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and enquired after his health.

On January 16, the delegation apprised Chief Minister Sri Oommen Chandy of the critical situation in Tibet and urged him to raise his voice in support of the Tibet cause. Mr Chandy responded that, “Despite political limitations, our full support, love and affections are with the Tibetans. You are fighting for a good cause”.

In the evening, theArchbishop of Thiruvananthapuram granted the delegates an audience during which he lauded the peaceful struggle of the Tibetans and

prayed for the success of the Tibetan struggle and peace for Tibetans inside Tibet.

Earlier in the tour, on January 13, the Speaker of the Kerala Legislative, Sri G Karthikeyan assured Tibetans of his utmost support and emphasized that they can enjoy “freedom in exile” in India for eternity.

The delegation also gave a presentation to the prominent think-tank, the Kerala International Center, which members affirmed as “most revealing and an eye-opener”. Later, it met with Kerala opposition leader Mr VS Achuthanandan who, as one of the founders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has a close affinity with China.

Mr Achuthananadan declared that he would ask Beijing to facilitate a dialogue with the Tibetan leadership.

Other dignitaries lobbied during the campaign included former Indian foreign secretary Shri KPS Menon, Her Majesty Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore, the Archbishop of the Philippines, film director Mr Shaji Karun and renowned psephologist and political analyst Dr G Gopakumar.

The delegation left for Puducherry in Tamil Nadu on January 17, for the next leg of its campaign.

Indian MPs express solidarity with Tibetans

Ram Jethmalani, Member of Parliament, with the Tibetan Parliamentary Delegation, New Delhi. Photo: Tibet Net

By The Tibet Post Internatonal 18/01/2013

New Delhi: As part of the All India Solidarity with Tibet lobby campaign, a Tibetan parliamentary delegation has met a string of parliamentarians from both houses of the Indian parliament in Delhi.

The delegation appealed to Indian MPs to express support for the Tibet cause and urged them to join the Tibet People’s Solidarity Campaign which will be held from January 30 to February 2 in Delhi. The campaign is a joint initiative of the exile Central

Tibetan Administration’s Kashag (cabinet) and the Tibetan Parilament-in-exile.

Included in the delegation were Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Juchen Kunchok Choedon and Dawa Phunkyi. They met with 15 Indian MPs from across the political spectrum, who expressed solidarity with the critical situation inside Tibet and assured their unwavering support.

Ram Vials Paswan, President of the Lok Janshakti party, and Rajya sabha MP speaking to the press. Photo: TPI/File

Local Indians join Tibet solidarity rally in Patna

By The Tibet Post Internatonal 19/01/2013

Patna: Local Indians and Tibetan sweater sellers in Patna held a candle light vigil and a solidarity rally on the third day of the north-zone Tibetan parliamentary delegation’s lobby campaign.

The rally was organised by the Tibetan parliamentary delegation along with the India-Tibet co-ordination office of Bihar, according to the exile Tibetan administration media, Tibet Net. The solidarity rally was held in memory of all those Tibetans who set themselves on fire, said Jivender, the chairman of the India Tibet office, Bihar. Meanwhile, Abhishek Gupta, the president of the Patna college students association expressed solidarity with the suffering of the Tibetans inside Tibet.

The Parliamentary delegation also held a press conference in the afternoon.

Local Indians join Tibet solidarity rally in Patna .Photo: TPI

....... not to celebrate Tibetan new year ...... Continued from front page Dr Sangay continued by saying that the CTA appeals to Tibetans not to undertake drastic actions. He also reflected on the successes of its 2012 year of lobby, expressed his gratitude to those parliamentarians, organisations and insititutions that have promoted the Tibet cause within India and internationally, and urged the international public to engage with 2013’s Solidarity with Tibet Campaign The video message can be viewed on YouTube search “Dr Lobsang Sangay video message”. The text is published in English below.

“The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) continues to appeal to Tibetans to not undertake drastic actions, and still self-immolations persist in Tibet. The universal demands of the Tibetans have been the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans. This is the aspiration of Tibetans and our sacred duty to support.

“In our 10 March 2012 statement, we called on all Tibetans and friends to make 2012 a Tibet Lobby Year. Due to their dedication, this call has been successful - we have seen resolutions passed in the European Union (EU), France, Italy and the United States, and statements issued by parliamentarians in Brazil, Japan and other nations.

“The CTA expresses deep appreciation to these parliamentarians, and to global citizens, for their support. We also remain grateful to the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House for their attentiveness to and reports on the deteriorating situation in Tibet.

“Let us build on the successful lobbying efforts of 2012 by fully engaging throughout 2013 in the Solidarity With Tibet Campaign. This campaign’s first major event took place in New York on 10 December 2012 with the release of the video on self-immolation, What’s China doing in Tibet?.

“Within India, Tibetan parliamentarians are visiting state capitals to appraise and seek support from many prominent leaders.

“From January 30 to February 2, thousands of Tibetans will converge in Delhi, India’s capital city,

for a series of campaign activities. On March 10, Tibetans from various corners of Europe will gather in Brussels, the capital city of the EU, to observe the 54th Tibetan national uprising day.

“I urge all Tibetan associations, Tibet support groups, international NGOs, people of all faiths, and friends of justice throughout the world to intensify efforts to lobby parliaments and governments. Call on the Chinese government to allow international delegations and media access into Tibet. Reach out to your local and national media and encourage them to write and broadcast about what is happening in Tibet. In all endeavors, please continue to conduct our campaign in a peaceful, legal and dignified

manner.

“I appeal to our Chinese brothers and sisters to join us in supporting the aspirations of the Tibetan people. The CTA remains committed to the Middle Way approach and to resolve the issue of Tibet peacefully through dialogue. The responsibility as well as the solution for the current crisis in Tibet lies with the Chinese government.

“To our brothers and sisters in Tibet, we are with you every step of the way. The three principles of unity, innovation and self-reliance will guide us towards our goal of seeing His Holiness the Dalai Lama return to Tibet and restoring freedom for Tibetans.”

Photo News

One of Tibet’s most popular singers, Yadong, has released a new album for 2013 Mother Tongue. Photo: File

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January 31, 2013 Dharamshala

TPI NEWS

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We can do anything boys can do: Tibetan female football stars of tomorrow

By Sophie Jay: 09/01/13

Dharamshala: Two weeks after seeing her brother beaten by police for attempting to cross the Nepalese border, Lhamo Kyi scored the first goal in the history of Tibetan women’s football.

18-year-old Lhamo is now captain of the first Tibetan women’s football team. Her brother, 33year-old Tsetan Dorjee, is in a Nepalese prison, where he has been sentenced to five years, five months and five days.

I met Lhamo at the second Tibetan Women’s Football Select Training Camp, established last year

by American coach Cassie Childers at Gopalpur’s Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) school in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, where 30 young Tibetans aged twelve to 23 are in training.

Sitting on a grassy bank in the afternoon sun, which provided welcome respite from the January chill, Lhamo explained how she, her brother and her mother, 53-year-old Dhompo Kyi, were detained at Sonauli, halfway along India’s border with Nepal, for not having ‘refugee cards’. The family had marched 20 miles (33 kilometres) a day between March and May 2012 from the Dalai Lama’s main temple in McLeodganj, with the intention of continuing all the way to Tibet.

“They beat my brother in front of our eyes and my mum was about to be sick,” she said.

“It was 11pm and no one else was there. It was raining very hard. Nepalese police don’t do anything to us during the daytime. They do everything at night when nobody can see what they’re doing.”

Upon their release the three returned to Gorakhpur, India, where Lhamo waited for three days in a hotel room for her mother to recover. Then one morning they awoke to the news that Tsetan Dorjee had disappeared. “My mother was just shocked,” said Lhamo. “She shouted, ‘Where is my son?’ She was crying and said she wanted to go and find him. I didn’t know what was happening.

“One or two days later we had a call from a friend in Delhi who said my brother had called him and was going through Nepal alone. He had already walked 43 miles (70 kilometres).”

Shortly afterwards, Lhamo’s brother was arrested and she has not seen him since. Upon returning to McLeodganj, her mother sat outside the main temple and fasted for 48 hours.

Cassie, 31, from New Jersey, told me how, during the two-month peace march, when the family sought shelter each night in temples along the roadside, Lhamo would SMS her every night.

“It was very emotional for me, never mind for her,” she said.

“I saw her the day after she returned and our first match was scheduled a week later, on May 25. I told her that if she wanted to join our team she could be captain.

“She played and she scored that goal - the first in the history of Tibetan women’s football. That just shows how courageous this young woman is. She’s amazing.”

Lhamo, who was aged only eight when she left her home in Amdho region, northeast Tibet, to make the perilous trek across the high Himalayas, said: “The happiest moments of my life are when I’m playing football.

“I like sports, especially soccer and basketball, but before last year I knew nothing about football.

Richard Gere Wins Chairman’s Award at Palm Springs Film Festival ...... Continued from front page as an accomplished actor and producer, and yet still finds time to support crucial cultural and humanitarian causes.”

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is one of the largest in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees each year for its line-up of new and celebrated international features and documentaries.

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Young Tibetan footballers line up with their coach, Cassie Childers, at the Tibetan Women’s Football Select Training Camp.

Photo: TPI

During the last camp I got to know everything about football.

“I get courage through playing football. We have the first Tibetan women’s team and when we play we speak out to the audience saying we girls can do anything if we work hard.”

Lhamo is not alone in enjoying the three-week training camp. I watched the team being put through their paces, shouting and laughing as they played their first game of the year on the school’s dusty pitch, against the backdrop of the snow-covered Dhauladhar mountains.

Harayana state’s girl’s team – described as one of the best in India by Cassie who added that her team was “happier than the winners.”

She said: “We have two main aims at the camp: to empower the girls, and to get a team ready to compete against the top teams in India.

“For me it’s all about fun. Just having fun and never giving up. If there’s no fun, there’s no point, and I think they play better when they’re having fun.”

Each day the girls awaken for running or yoga at 7.30am, and spend the morning in the classroom learning about empowerment, leadership skills and

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Lhamo Kyi, who scored the first goal in the history of Tibetan women’s football. Photo: TPI

Cassie, who taught history and football in American high schools for five years, told me how she came up with the idea of forming a Tibetan women’s team in 2010, after visiting a photography exhibition on Tibetan football by the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) in McLeodganj.

She said, The first thing I noticed was that I was the only female in the room. I then noticed that in the photos there were no women playing sport at all and I began to wonder if they weren’t getting the opportunities. I said, That’s ridiculous - I’m going to do something about it.?“ I walked up to the TNSA’s executive secretary, Kalsang Dhondup, and said: ‘Hey, I think Tibetan women should be playing football – what’s going on?’ He just pointed to the guestbook. I put my name and email address and wrote: ‘Tibetan women should be playing football.

I’d like to help.’

“Then I went home, back to my teaching job and forgot about it.

“About a month later I got an email from the executive secretary saying: ‘If you’re serious, we’re serious.’ I spent the next few months preparing and fundraising in America, and arrived back a year later.”

For her first team, Cassie contacted PE teachers at eight TCV schools, plus Sambhota Tibetan School in Chauntra, Himachal Pradesh, asking for three of their most enthusiastic female footballers. This year however, she visited all but one of the schools herself on a mission to select the best. Despite having been picked for their enthusiasm, last year’s team managed a respectable 2-0 defeat against

football techniques before spending the afternoon on the pitch trying out their new found skills.

Tsering Lhamo, 16, from Dehradun, has been playing football for five years. She said: “Football is an international game. It’s one of the most popular games in the world, so if we can play in a Tibetan national women’s team, we can share our feelings about our country throughout the world.”

Lhamo Choekyi, 16, who lives in Dharamshala, added: “I’ve learned so much about playing football from Cassie and the other staff. This game is very important for Tibetan women because it makes us proud. Some boys say that Tibetan girls don’t know how to play football. We want to show all the boys that we can play football and that we can do anything they can do.”

Sonam Palyang, 23, lives in Bylakuppe in Karnataka, south India, having left Kham in eastern Tibet, seven years ago.

“In many countries people have freedom and many opportunities to represent their country,” she said.

“We have no freedom in Tibet and here we are refugees. Fortunately Cassie has come and my dreams have come true.”

“The bond that forms during this camp is amazing,” added Cassie.

“It’s just like they are all my daughters. All these girls have a story and it’s magical to hear them unravel.

“And this year we’ve got the very best.”

To learn more about the Tibet Women’s Soccer Project, or to make a donation, visit www.friendsof-tibet.org/projects/tibet-womens-soccer.

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Contributors to this editon

Keary Huang Mathew Singh Toor Sophie Jay Tenzin Desal Yeshe Choesang Sangay Dorjee Pema Tso Himalayan Literacy Trust (Head Office) 2nd Floor, Exile House Temple Road, McLeod Ganj: 176219 Dharamshala, Distt. Kangra H.P, India

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