Contact August 2013 by Lha Charitable Trust

འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་དུས་དེབ།

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www.contactmagazine.net

31 August 2013 Volume: XV Issue: 8

contact Magazine A Free Monthly Publication For Tibetan Issues & Community Information

Monk Self-Immolates in Nepal On August 6, Karma Nyedon Gyatso, a Tibetan monk, d i e d minutes a f t e r setting himself ablaze near Boudhanath stupa in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu at around 7:30 am local time. Karma Nyedon Gyatso, 38, was from Damshung County, near Lhasa in Tibet. He had arrived at the Kathmandu Tibetan Reception Centre on January 30, 2012. Karma was paralyzed in the lower part of his body. He used two wooden blocks for mobility. An eyewitness said the monk was sitting crosslegged when she saw his lap on fire. He then poured fluid over his head and went up in flames. He did not cry out or scream at all. Passersby doused the fire. Police removed the body, wrapped in a red cloth. He was declared dead on arrival at Tribhuvan University hospital in Kathmandu. A source said that Karma had lit over hundred butter lamps before he burnt himself. The body is in the custody of the Nepal Police Department, and on August 20, the Tibetan Youth Congress, a major Tibetan exile organisation, urged Nepal to hand over Karma’s body or “arrange for the correct funeral rituals according to Buddhist traditions”. Even after a week’s time, there are no reports on the Nepalese government’s response to this appeal.

Husband on Death Row after Wife’s Self-Immolation by James Thomas The husband of a Tibetan woman who self-immolated has been sentenced to death for her murder. Chinese state-run media reported a court ruling that Dolma Kyab (pictured, right), 32, from Zoege County strangled his wife on March 11 over an alleged drinking problem. However news had circulated previously that his wife, Kunchok Wangmo, 31, had self-immolated on March 13 on the eve of Xi Jingping’s formal selection as the new President of China – something she had done to protest over Chinese rule in Tibet. The woman’s family has firmly denied the allegations, stating the

pair were “on good terms with each other.” Following his wife’s selfimmolation Dolma Kyab was arrested for failing to comply with the authorities’ “official version” of events which stated that the incident was a result of a family feud. He leaves behind him an elderly mother and an 8 year old daughter for whom Kyab was the sole earner in the family. Continued on page 5

Chinese Security Forces Clash with Tibetan Protestors

by Eric Goh Khentsa Soedor, a local Tibetan leader Hundreds of Chinese security forces whose wife was detained by authorities have cracked down on local Tibetan for interrogation before being released, protestors who have continued their demonstrations against mining operations in Gedrong Zatoe County in the Qinghai province in Eastern Tibet. The demonstrations started on Friday, August 16, when a massive influx of Chinese miners arrived at three Tibetan areas to begin excavations: Atoe Yultso, Chidza Yultso Several hundred security forces are deployed to disperse Tibetan protesters at a mining site in Gedrong area of and Dzachen Yultso. Dzatoe on August 16. “You can kill us but we will Photo: rfa.org not let the mining take place here. It is our responsibility to protect and whose own location remains our environment which is a source of uncertain. water to many other countries,” said “Over [a] hundred Tibetans were Continued on page 5

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Lha is a resource of education and knowledge that provides meaningful, multi-leveled social and educational services for the benefit of others.

Background:

health and environmental awareness education, distribution of clothes and medicine, a community kitchen, and many other programs and activities. Through rehabilitation resources and social and educational services, Lha facilitates an easy transition for the Tibetan refugee community to India. On a daily basis, Lha serves over 250 people, hosts between 15 and 25 volunteers and provides up to 20 different services, including on average 50 nutritious meals per day for financially disadvantaged people. For more information about Lha, please visit: www.lhasocialwork.org

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On 6 July 2011, Lha opened its community soup kitchen at its new building, Ahimsa House. This is the first soup kitchen in Dharamsala and serves low-cost and nutritious meals to the Tibetan refugee community. Forty to fifty needy refugees can take advantage of this service every day for a nominal fee of 15 rupees per person, per meal. Meals are completely free for those who cannot afford to pay. The kitchen’s primary objective is to provide refugees with low-cost and nutritious meals while educating them about healthy eating and living. The kitchen will also serve as a space where refugees can receive formal training for the service and resaurant industry.

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Contact Magazine is a free monthly publication of Lha Charitable Trust. It contains Tibetan issues, international news and local information that aspires to bring the West and East together in a meaningful and beneficial way. 700 - 1,000 copies are printed per issue and distributed in the greater Dharamsala area and (in the future) in Delhi, Rishikesh, Manali, Goa, and various diplomatic missions to India. Contact keeps readers up-to-date on current issues and events, and provides networking, education and volunteer opportunities, as well as social services information. Contact staff and contributors hope you will enjoy and benefit from our modest efforts to build a community through communication. May peace and love prevail! Guidelines for submission: Contact welcomes submissions of articles, news and photography. We also gladly accept information about upcoming events, volunteer work and special projects. All material intended for publication in Contact must be submitted by the 20th of each month. Your letter may not be printed if it is unsigned, illegible, slanderous or malicious. We reserve the right to edit submissions for spelling, grammar and length. Send your material via email to editor@contactmagazine.net Please Note: The articles, stories and other material in Contact represent the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of the Contact editing staff or Lha Social Work.

Lha collects all kinds of donations in the form of clothing, shoes, books, If you would like to sponsor and language resources, computer Contact please get in touch and medical supplies, as well as any with us. This other useful items. If you would like to contact Contact,

space could be Monetary donations are extremely used to present helpful and are greatly appreciated, your profile, large or small. logo and any Please contact the office: message you want to share. office@lhasocialwork.org We will thank you for many (0) 1892-220992 lifetimes! Contact Magazine

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about lha & contact

འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་དུས་དེབ། Contact Magazine Managing Director Ngawang Rabgyal Editor-in-Chief Jenny James Editor Dukthen Kyi Sub Editor Tenzin Younten Assistant Editor Palden Choedon Layout Design Tamdin Yangzom Circulation Manager Lobsang Rabsel Published by Lha Charitable Trust Web: www.lhasocialwork.org www.contactmagazine.net Phone: 91(0)1892-220992 Email: editor@contactmagazine.net Facebook: facebook.com/ContactNews Twitter: ContactLHA Printed at Imperial Printing, Dharamsala Phone: 222390

Tibet-Related Websites News: tibet.net - official website of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile phayul.com - up to date online news on Tibetan issues rfa.org/english/news/tibet - Radio Free Asia’s mission is to provide accurate and timely news and information to Asian countries whose governments prohibit access to a free press voatibetanenglish.com - Voice of America’s Tibet pages – VOA is an international multimedia broadcasting service funded by the US government contactmagazine.net - Contact Magazine online guardian.co.uk/world/tibet - the UK Guardian newspaper’s Tibet pages scmp.com/news/china - the South China Morning Post – one of the more independent news sources in China Campaigning: tchrd.org - Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy - a nongovernment organisation and a research

centre to protect the human rights of Tibetan people and promote the principles of democracy tibetanyouthcongress.org - an international non-government organisation that advocates full independence for Tibet from China studentsforafreetibet.org - a global grass roots group campaigning for full Tibetan independence savetibet.org - international campaign for Tibet and a good resource for news, campaigns, fundraising and projects tibetnetwork.org/home - a coalition of more than 190 Tibet organisations dedicated to campaigning to end human rights violations in Tibet and restoring rights to the Tibetan people Writings: highpeakspureearth.com/category/ woeser - occasional translations of Woeser’s enormously popular blog – Woeser lives in Beijing and is continually harassed by the Chinese government for her courageous writings

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TIBETAN LANGUAGE CLASS Learn more about the Tibetan people, culture, and Buddhism by learning the Tibetan language! Beginner and intermediate class levels with qualified teachers for individuals and small groups. TIBETAN COOKING CLASS Individuals and small groups can learn to prepare a variety of traditional and modern vegetarian Tibetan foods including momo, thukpa and Tibetan bread with a qualified teacher. TIBETAN ARTS CLASS Learn the basic traditional Tibetan form of painting, drawing, and how to use colour with a qualified artist. For individuals and small groups. TIBETAN HOME-STAY Lha arranges home-stays with refugee families giving visitors the chance to experience the Tibetan life style and a chance to connect and learn about each others’ cultures. 3

RECEPTION & ORIENTATION Our services help smooth your arrival in Delhi, and your onward travel to Dharamsala, and also to orientate you to the Tibetan community here. Avoid the scams at Delhi Airport! These services are highly recommended for people who want a stress-free arrival, especially if you are arriving late at night or early in the morning and can be purchased online in advance of your travel to India There is a discount for people travelling together. *All donations and fees from Lha classes and services directly benefit Lha community social work projects. For information on cost, times and/or registration, please visit: Lha office, Temple Road McLeod Ganj-176219 Dharamshala, Distt. Kangra H.P. (Mon-Sat: 9:00am-12:00pm & 1:00-5:00pm) office@lhasocialwork.org (0) 1892-220992 www.lhasocialwork.org www.contactmagazine.net www.tibetnature.net AUGUST 2013

news & issues

China Closes Tibetan Monastery by James Thomas The Chinese government has shut down a Tibetan monastery in Nagchu in eastern Tibet. The Gaden Dhargyeling monastery based in Shak Rongpo, situated within Nagchu County, has been forced to close after alleged links to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Hundreds of Chinese police have been drafted to the area compelling the local Tibetan monks to seek shelter elsewhere. Political crackdowns started at the Gaden monastery in 2010 after it was alleged that the monks at the holy site conspired with His Holiness the Dalai Lama about reinstatement of the monastery’s spiritual head,

Rongpo Choejey Rinpoche. Lama Dawa, as the spiritual leader of the monastery is also known, was

Shak Rongpo monastery in Nagchu Photo: Phayul.com

arrested that year under false charges and sentenced to seven years in prison.

A source close to the monastery stated: “Lama Dawa is currently 78 years old and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lhasa. The Chinese government continues to keep a close watch on his movements by deploying plainclothes policemen around him”. For a hundred years or more Shak Rongpo’s Gaden Dhargyeling monastery has been welcoming Buddhist monks from across the region, including some of the highest lamas in the land. This recent closure is adding to fears within the local community that the Tibetan culture is being slowly eradicated by Chinese influence and their heavy-handed approach.

Water Crisis by Zalina Gamat The announcement by China in their 12th Five Year Plan to go ahead with the building of three dams on the river Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet) which originates on the Tibetan plateau, has caused grave concern among the north-eastern states of India, political analysts and environmentalists. The Indian government is worried that the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar and Assam may be affected by drought, famine and over-flooding in the monsoon season. Minister of Water Resources Mr Harish Rawat has stated that India has urged China to ensure that the interests of Mr Harish Rawat downstream photo: indiavision states are not harmed by the proposed dams. China’s president Xi Jinping has assured India that the proposed dams are run-of-theriver hydro-electric projects, and they will neither store water nor adversely Contact Magazine

affect the downstream flow to India. these four countries have plans for Though China claims the dams more than 400 hydro dams to provide are built to generate power, political 160,000MW of electricity, to be built analysts feel that once China has on various Himalayan rivers. The control over the river, it can lead to same article states that China is likely diplomatic strong-arming, and may to emerge as the ultimate controller of be a trigger for war. water for nearly 40% of the world’s Besides India, Thailand, Laos, population as the Tibetan plateau Vietnam and Cambodia have expressed similar concerns over eight dams being constructed on the Mekong river which have decreased the water reaching their nations. The Chinese dam in western Xinjiang has caused the water level in two of the main rivers of The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is the largest dam in the world Kazakhastan to go Photo: thehimalayanvoice down. According to an article in the Guardian dated August is the source of the single largest 10, it is not just China but also India, collection of international rivers in Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan who the world including the Mekong, the are largely responsible for creating Brahmaputra, the Yangtse and the potential environmental disaster in Yellow rivers. the Himalayan region. Taken together, 4

AUGUST 2013

news & issues

Top Political Advisor Visits Tibet by Mary Trewartha Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng has returned from a six-day “inspection tour” around Lhasa which took place on August 1-6. He is the Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the member of the Standing Committee responsible for Tibetan Affairs. people.com.cn – described as the leading key news website in China – reported that during his visit Yu said development remains “fundamental and key” to addressing all issues related to Tibet, and spoke of “achieving leapfrog economic and social development in Tibet and long-term stability”. He was reported as promoting efforts to rule Tibet by law and to seek a regional development path with Chinese and local characteristics. people.com.cn reported that during

his talks with Buddhist monks and religious officials, Yu rejected the Dalai Lama’s proposal for a high degree of autonomy for all Tibetaninhabited areas, saying that it “runs

Yu Zhengsheng in Lhasa on August 2 Photo: people.com.cn

counter to China’s Constitution, the law, and the fundamental interests of Tibetan Buddhism”, adding that the monks he was addressing should “have a clear understanding of the

secessionist nature of the Dalai Lama clique and resolutely safeguard national unification, ethnic unity and Tibet’s harmony and stability.” There are suggestions that the infrastructure developments proposed for Tibet are needed to cater for the 5 million Chinese visitors expected this year. The government in Beijing markets Tibet as the ultimate “indigenous” spot for Chinese tourists, and the revenue they bring could be used to justify the new Kardze Yading airport soon to open, and the major repairs to enable Bangda Airport in Chamdo to be reopened. However, in addition to providing transport for tourists, the new airports also facilitate deployment of military troops in restive areas. An unusual aspect of Yu’s visit is that it was not reported in the Chinese press, nor the local Tibetan press, until he was back in Beijing.

Husband on Death Row after Wife’s Self-Immolation Continued from page 1

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has publicly stated that China often resorts to bribing families into silence over self-immolations. “The latest death penalty indicates that the authorities have hardened their stance on the issue of self-immolation, by making an example out of a few defiant

relatives to scare and intimidate other family members and relatives of selfimmolation protesters into toeing the official line,” said Tsering Tsomo, the executive director of TCHRD, a research centre based in Dharamsala. Responding to China’s alleged “guilty confessions” from Kyab, Tsering expressed doubts because

China “uses torture extensively to extract confessions in politicallymotivated cases.” China continues to report various self-immolations as “fabricated” and tries to blur the number of actual deaths which are due to the political unrest over their continued rule of Tibet.

Chinese Security Forces Clash with Tibetan Protestors Continued from page 1

wounded in the Chinese crackdown, while at least eight Tibetans were arrested and 15 others taken to hospital. The total numbers of injured and arrested still cannot be confirmed, this hospital alone treating 15 protesters” said Konchok Dhondup, a Tibetan monk living in Dharamsala who has close ties with the area. Dawa, Atsong, Phuntsog Nyima, Jamyang Wangmo and Kelsang Yudron were among the people identified as arrested. A man named Sogpo Choedrup was critically Contact Magazine

wounded after he allegedly tried to kill himself with a knife. The police removed him from the scene and his present condition remains unknown. According to Lobsang Palden, a monk in South India citing contacts in the region, a male protestor called Nyima was shot to death. Palden said, “He was surrounded by the security forces, and none of the Tibetans could approach him.” Four days later, reports from Tibet said mining has resumed in Atoe village. 5

Tibetan residents have long regarded the mountains targeted for mining as the abodes of protective deities. Documents with government seals appearing to give central government approval for the work were later found to be fakes, one source said. “If the protesters who were detained are not released, and their efforts are not successful in the county or the prefecture, the protesters are planning to take their appeal directly to Beijing,” he said. AUGUST 2013

news & issues

Heavy Military Presence at the Shoton Festival by Zalina Gamat Buddhist devotees, including monks and nuns, were almost outnumbered this year by paramilitary personnel during the Shoton or “Yoghurt” festival in Lhasa. The traditional unveiling of the 1,480 square metre thangka (religious painting) of the Buddha at the 600 year old Drepung Monastery on August 6 was heavily guarded, forcing many to view the ceremony at a distance or not at all. Scanners and metal barricades had been constructed, and about a thousand armed guards were deployed in the monastery and on the hillside where the thangka was displayed. Images circulating amongst Tibetans on social media show the presence of these troops, whereas those on Chinese official sites show only the worshippers and the thangka, and no armed personnel. The Shoton festival has been celebrated since the 17th century, and is named after the tradition of laypersons offering yoghurt to

Buddhist monks after their annual summer retreat. Chinese reports of the festival paint it as a successful tourist event, boasting of staged Tibetan operas

Military troops at Shoton ceremony in Drepung Monastery, Lhasa Photo: tibet.net

with modern audio-visual effects, calligraphy and thangka exhibits, and even the widening of the road leading

to the monastery for easy access to tourists. However, the Tibetans have described the event more as a “battle zone” than a joyous religious festival. They say they preferred watching the operas as they had been traditionally performed, with indigenous instruments and in village squares. The Shoton festival has been used by Tibetans to express dissent since the late 1980s and early ‘90s. In 1993 four monks carried Tibetan flags and shouted out slogans of “Long Live the Dalai Lama”, and in 1990 twelve nuns were imprisoned in Drapchi prison after they had taken part in a protest during the Shoton festival. The Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, India has in the past celebrated the festival with special prayers and opera performances at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, however this year no celebrations took place in view of the 120 selfimmolations inside Tibet.

Tibetan Issues Prevail in Recent China-US Talks by Eric Goh The 18th annual talks between China and the US took place in Kunming, Yunnan Province on July 30 and 31. This was the first of such talks attended by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang since they took office this year. Uzra Zeya (picture below), acting Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor emphasised the mistreatment targeted at family members of jailed Nobel Peace Price winner Liu Xiaobo, and blind lawyer Chen Guangchen, the Chinese civil rights activist who worked on human rights issues in rural areas of China and who fled to the US after being placed under house arrest Contact Magazine

and beaten. Zeya also referred to the increasingly strict controls aimed at Tibetans and Uighurs in the western regions of China. These issues were also brought up in the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue that took place in Washington on July 10 and 11. Responding to these assertions, the Chinese authorities said that its Tibetan and Uighur minorities are happy and enjoy freedom. They retaliated by criticising the US and urged Washington to re-examine its own record. “China has made important progress on human rights. People in various regions in China including Xinjiang and Tibet are enjoying happier lives and they are enjoying unprecedented freedoms. We hope the United States will improve its own human rights situation on the basis of mutual respect and non-intervention in each other’s internal affairs”, said 6

State Councillor Yang Jiechi. The Chinese government has repeatedly identified the Dalai Lama as a “splittist” and denied curbing Tibetan rights, and says it ended serfdom and made the region more prosperous. There has been some scepticism over the outcomes of the talks. “We’ve continued to see a deterioration of the overall human rights situation in China,” said Zeya. Her evaluation of the talks remains unchanged from that of her predecessor after last year’s talks. However, Li Fangping, a human rights lawyer, recently said that the talks are still meaningful. “It achieves little in the short term, but from a macro and long-term perspective, there are great benefits. It helps make human rights public and mainstream, and more people can be aware of the issues through digital media”, the lawyer said. AUGUST 2013

news & issues

This Month’s News of Prisoners in Tibet Arrested Yarphel, 38, a popular singer from Machu County has been arrested in Lhasa for organising concerts promoting the Tibetan language and for singing songs that have political overtones. Three villagers were arrested for refusing to fly the Chinese national flag from their homes. They are being held in Pashoe County. A source said that when the Tibetans refused to fly Chinese flags the officials warned that noncompliance would be treated as anti-state activity. The Intermediate People’s Court in Malho in Rebkong, has sentenced three Tibetans, each to a two year prison term, Tsundue Choeden, a 19 year old monk, in connection with a self-immolation incident last year and two students, Lhamo, 20, and an unidentified Tibetan, 17, for raising pro-Tibet slogans. Dorjee, a youth, was among several people arrested in Lhasa following a self-immolation protest last year. Dorjee was sentenced to two years and is being held at a prison in Toelung Dechen county. Guldrak, 29, has been beaten to death by Chinese police in Khyungchu County after being arrested for theft. 500 people gathered to demand information from the police, who said initially that Guldrak committed suicide, but later accepted that he died in police custody due to beatings, and agreed to pay compensation. Two students, Tashi Chowang, nephew of Gudrup who selfimmolated on October 4, 2012, and his friend Aphu Sonam are “missing” since their arrest from Lhasa last year after Gudrup’s self-immolation. Contact Magazine

Sentenced Singer Shawo Tashi, 40, has been sentenced to five years in a secret trial for publicising self-immolation protests and for political songs. He is said to be held in Xining in Qinghai province.

Sogren Lori, 66, Lugzi Abey, 50, Lhagma Choedup, 64, and Trinley, 46, from Nyagchu county have been released. They were detained in July after going to Beijing to submit petitions for the release of Tulku Tenzin Delek.

Dorjee, a student of the Rebkong Intermediate school and a native of Dowa town, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for “instigating separatism”, engaging in proindependence protests and founding a group called ‘Ghangsol Gyunzin Tsokpa’ (Tibet Culture Preservation Organisation). He is currently held in Xiling, Qinghai.

Sonam Gewa, Lobsang Samten, Lobsang Nyima and Tenzin Sherab, four monks from the Nyatso Zilkar Monastery, have been released from a Re-education Through Labour camp in Yushu before the completion of

Akhu Gyatak, 63, from Rebkong has been sentenced to four years in prison for taking part in a peaceful protest against China’s crackdown following the spate of self-immolations last November, subverting state laws and orchestrating separatist activities. Drensel, Yudrang, Gangkye Drupa Kyab, Samdup and Sheygyal, have been sentenced in Kardze’s Nyagchu County for “anti China” activities and for being members of Mar Chung Ngogoel Tsogpa (Anti-Communist Party Association), a blacklisted association, on August 1. Three monks, Namsay Sonam, Dhondup Gyaltsen and Rabsel, have each been sentenced to prison terms of two and a half years for distributing anti-government posters last year. Released Nun Shedup Lhamo has been released after serving one year in prison in Kardze County for calling for Tibet’s freedom, long life and the return of the Dalai Lama. She is in “poor health” after suffering severe torture in prison. 7

their sentences. They were arrested for taking part in the big protest on February 8, 2012. Tenzin Sherab was also accused of circulating the newspaper Mar-jen (Raw Red) which apparently carried content relating to self-immolation protests. He was severely beaten and tortured while in prison, and they all underwent excessive hard labour. Two monks, Drakpa Gyatso and Jigme Tenzin, from Dowa town, have been released. They had been arrested following self-immolation protests by Tibetans in the region. Tamding Tsering was recently released from a Xining prison after seven months, during which time he was subjected to severe torture leaving him in poor health. He was detained in 2012 for his connection with a selfimmolation protest by a school girl, Bhenchen Kyi. Sonam Rinchen, another political prisoner, was released after completing his prison term of 18 months for his alleged role in a peaceful protest in the Drango region of Kham in February last year. He is in poor health following the injuries he received in prison. AUGUST 2013

news & issues

Sikyong’s Second Year by Tara Parashar Celebrations were held this month to mark Sikyong Lobsang Sangay’s first two years in office as the sole political leader and figurehead of the Tibetan community, and to honour his achievements to date. Initially elected “Kalon Tripa” or “Chief of Cabinet” of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) – the highest political office which could be held by a lay person – his title was changed a year later to “Sikyong” which denotes the main political leader. The title was previously held by His Holiness himself, thus demonstrating the Dalai Lama’s faith in Sangay’s leadership. Dr Sangay has taken a fresh approach to garnering international attention for the Tibet issue and is fast becoming a well-known and internationally respected political leader. He has made a concerted effort to alter the image of the CTA

and of the Tibetan movement, touring extensively throughout the Western world. He hopes to foster democratic, political discussion on the future of

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay Photo: Tibet Sun

Tibet, not only between the Chinese Government and the CTA, but also in the wider international community, and to demonstrate the CTA’s capacity as a functioning, democratic government in exile. In a recent speech, drawing a comparison between the international

interest in the violence in Syria and the lack of coverage of the non-violent, democratic Tibetan movement, he highlighted the discrepancy in media attitudes to democracy, saying “if non-violence is the right thing to do, we ought to be supported.” At his anniversary celebrations in Dharamsala on August 8, Sikyong praised the Kashag and Tibetans inside and outside Tibet for their roles in the successful transfer to democracy. He thanked international support groups for their work and he reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing the “Middle Way Approach”. He was keen to impress upon his audience that although he understood that Tibetans within Tibet had no other means of protest, self-immolation was not the best way to campaign for freedom. He urged Tibetans to find unity in this time of difficulty. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay has three more years left in office.

Social media in the Tibetan Community by Tenzin Younten Social media is playing an exceptional role in the life of the Tibetans-in-exile community, enabling many people to reunite virtually with their kin in their homeland, Tibet. Social networking has become a bridge between Tibetans in exile and in Tibet, and Tibetans have left almost no form of social networking untried. “My uncle left me in school…. when I was just 12 years old. I have never been to Tibet since then but I am in touch with my relatives through social webpages. These online pages have deeply influenced my life,” said Gangkar, a student of Tibetan higher studies of Buddhism. Many, like Gangkar, are hoping to connect with their loved ones and this is the reason that most Tibetans in exile, including monks, children and octogenarians, can be seen carrying classy tablets, iphones, etc, while dressed in their traditional costumes and robes. There has been a significant increase over the years in the number of Tibetans, Contact Magazine

both in Tibet and in exile, embracing the social media world, not only for social interactions but also to voice their feelings on developments, and for communicating about campaigns. This was particularly relevant in 2008 during the mass demonstrations in Tibet, when social media played an important role in the communication of information. Similarly, in exile, social media became an integral part of the campaign for the Tibetan elections in 2010 and 2011 that saw the election of a different leadership in the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The CTA, and different Tibetan activists and NGOs (non government organisations) all use the internet to create international awareness. Many a time their online content is blocked or hacked, and their email accounts attacked by “Chinese hackers”. Websites relating to the Tibetan community within Tibet and China are immediately taken down and web searches using the words “freedom” and “Dalai Lama” 8

are blocked. China’s policy for social media is the most highly monitored, controlled and censored in the world. If the Chinese government decides that its people should not view a certain image, video, website, story or article, or A girl using WeChat anything Photo: Ecns.cn else that may cause controversy, or an opinion that differs from the party line, it will be closed down. However, young people can sometimes get too involved, to the point where social media distracts them from their career, schooling or colleges, and for Tibetans, from the preservation of our culture and traditions. However, social media now forms an integral part of the Tibetan struggle. AUGUST 2013

news & issues

Gather Your Friends by Sune Peterson Military tensions between China and India are rising, in part due to the border intrusions into Ladakh in the last months. Both countries are currently on a mission to strengthen existing alliances and secure new ones against a possible standoff on the seas as well as along their borders, and have both intensified their diplomatic relations with the surrounding countries in the region. India has courted several countries by offering everything from credit, trade agreements, increased arms sales and public support. Indian Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh visited Vietnam in July and Indian Defence Minister AK Antony has recently visited Singapore, Thailand and Australia – a country with relatively strong ties to China – offering trade agreements and reaffirming bilateral defence ties. India has approved an agreement to expand Burmese-Indian

defence relations. In the recent standoff between China and Japan over the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, India has been quick to publicly state her support for Japan. India has recently launched the INS

China-Russia Naval Exercise Photo: ziuaveche.ro

Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier, to which the Chinese Xinhua news agency responded that “there is no arms race between China and India”. Chinese presence in the Indian

Ocean and elsewhere is growing. Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Sri Lankan Head of State have agreed to a strategic cooperative partnership, which has already greatly benefited the Sri Lankan economy through contracts with Chinese development, construction and oil companies. Bangladesh is being courted through favourable arms deals and there is evidence of a planned Chinese-supported naval base in the Seychelles. A highly publicised joint naval exercise between China and Russia took place in July and was described by China as “the country’s largest with a foreign partner”. The drill took place in the Sea of Japan, only a couple of hundred kilometres away from a joint US-Japanese air exercise. Although a Chinese official statement said that the drill would contain “no aggressive element” the Chinese fleet comprised four destroyers, two guided missile frigates and a support ship.

Hackers Seize Control of Tibetan Website by Mary Trewartha China has been accused of hacking into Tibetan websites based in India in order to gain information which they can use to track down and jail people inside Tibet. Hackers seized control of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s official Chinese language website on August 13. Tibetan cyber-security officials lost control of their own site for three hours which, according to their advisers, was enough time for the hackers to access the details of up to 300 visitors. Lobsang Sither, a leading Tibetan cyber-security consultant, has said that he has no doubt that China was behind this latest attack, and also that the webchat site, WeChat, has been used by Chinese officials to track Tibetans who voiced nationalist opinions, and to jail them. Lobsang Sither leads a public Contact Magazine

education campaign to train exiled Tibetans to protect their digital profiles. “We are trying to raise public awareness among Tibetans. We are focusing on basic online hygiene to teach Tibetans not to click on attachments or downloads, to use secure email protocols, to only buy genuine software,” he said. The Telegraph.co.uk has reported that the WeChat application effectively gives the Chinese government free access to the user’s phone and email accounts. Lobsang Kunchok, a 40 year old monk from the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, was arrested earlier this year after he used his iPhone WeChat app to post a photograph of an immolation protest. He was given a suspended death sentence. Dharamsala-based Tibetan websites have been victim to a spate of cyber 9

attacks including the Tibet Times, which was shut down temporarily, the Voice of Tibet radio station and the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. There have been rumours that the Dalai Lama’s site DalaiLama. com was hacked. Experts believe that China is behind all the attacks, and their Lobsang Kunchok motive is photo: China Daily to obtain information about visitors to the sites. They want to collect data about Tibetans in exile who are communicating with people inside Tibet, and to intercept their communications. AUGUST 2013

news & issues

Tibetan Headlines Aug 29: Peaceful Tibet Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay concluded a week-long visit to the US. He met the Tibetan Associations and general public in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and Utah. Sikyong talked on “Tibet issue and current status” at the SJ Quinney Law School in Utah. “Support for Tibet is support for peace, nonviolence and democracy”, he said. Aug 27: Asian Support The Asian Rally in Solidarity was held in Delhi to express solidarity with the Tibetan people and to raise concerns over the environmental repercussions of China’s policies on rivers originating on the Tibetan plateau, and which affect billions of people in Asia who depend on the river water. The rally was joined by a large number of Tibet supporters from Burma, Japan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. Aug 26: Cycling for Tibet A Tibetan nomad has completed his solo cycling tour of 13 European countries and leaves for Japan to further his mission “to raise the deplorable condition of human rights in Tibet whilst carrying the message of over 120 self-immolated Tibetans”. Rinpo Yak, 42, set out on his Europe cycling tour in March this year and has met over 120 public figures including parliamentarians and human rights advocates. Aug 25: On Peace, Happiness HH the Dalai Lama, on the first day of the teaching in Dharamsala, said that positive h u m a n values like morality, love and tolerance should be Contact Magazine

developed to create a lasting peace and happiness in the troubled world. Over 4,700 people from 61 countries attended the three-day teaching.

released in Dharamsala. Mr Kranti said that he hopes to instill in people the goodness of love and compassion through this comic book.

Aug 22: Preserving Language The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamsala celebrated its 54th anniversary. With Tibetan language preservation as the theme, the annual cultural performance and play competition between its artistes, divided into Gyalu and Ngonpa houses, received

Aug 6: “In Bed with China” Tibetans and supporters carried out a campaign “In bed with China” at the InterContinental Hotel in London to protest against the hotel group’s project to build a luxury hotel in Tibet’s capital city Lhasa. The protesters blocked the entrance to the InterContinental Westminster hotel with a bed with a white sheet saying “Selling out Tibet”.

great applause from the audience. Aug 16: Independence Day Indian Independence Day was celebrated in McLeod Ganj by Indians, Tibetans and Western visitors. A brief ceremony was held at the Kashag Secretariat where the de facto Tibetan Prime Minister Dr Sangay unfurled the Indian flag as the Indian national anthem was sung. On the streets, Tibetans distributed sweets. Aug 12: Earthquake Strikes Tibet A magnitude 5.7 earthquake has struck Tibet. The epicenter of the quake, which was initially reported as magnitude 6.1, was located at Ringo, 89 miles (143 km) south-southeast of Qamdo, Xizang Province. A magnitude 5.7 quake is considered moderate and capable of causing considerable damage. Aug 7: New Comic Book A comic book about the life of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, titled “Dalai Lama: The Soldier of Peace”, by a well-known Indian author and journalist, Mr Vijay Kranti, was 10

Aug 6: Prisoner in Poor Health Rongyal Adrak, a prominent Tibetan political prisoner, is in poor health and continues to suffer frequent beatings, his nephew says. Rongyal Adrak was sentenced to eight years in prison in October 2007, after he called publicly for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama during an annual horse racing festival in Lithang county in the Kardze region of Tibet. Aug 5: Home Kalon in Italy Home Kalon Dolma Gyari of the Central Tibetan Administration introduced the Sister Shichak (settlement) project to the members of the Tibetan community in Italy, to strengthen the ties between Tibetans living abroad and those living in settlements in India. Aug 2: Drama in Lhasa Chinese authorities staged a multimillion dollar drama about Princess Wencheng, the Chinese wife of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, in Tibet’s capital Lhasa, to increase tourism and promote Chinese propaganda concerning Tibet. Leading Tibetan writer and blogger Woeser said, “In reality this is a project to rewrite history, to ‘wipe out’ the historical memory and culture of a people.” AUGUST 2013

news & issues

International Headlines Aug 26: UN, EU Targeted Germany’s Der Spiegel weekly, in a report on US spying, said that the European Union and the UN’s New York headquarters were among those targeted by the US National Security Agency. “The surveillance is intensive and well organised and has little or nothing to do with warding off terrorists,” wrote Der Spiegel, citing secret US documents. Aug 25: New Communal Violence Around 1,000 Buddhist protesters attacked Muslim shops and houses in Htan Kone village in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region after hearing reports that a Buddhist woman was sexually assaulted by Muslim men. Several people were injured. Police have arrested 12 people from the mob. Aug 23: “Insane” Wife Fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai called his wife insane after his corruption trial heard video testimony from her implicating him in bribery. Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, “looked nervous in the pre-recorded video”. “Under the circumstances of her mental illness, the investigators placed huge pressure on her to expose me” Bo had said. Aug 22: Mugabe’s Rule Continues Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has sworn in for a new term, weeks after a poll that was widely criticised as fraud and even challenged in court. Africa’s oldest leader, Mugabe, 89, has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980. Aug 19: Forced to Flee Thousands of Syrian Kurds have fled into Iraq to escape deadly clashes between Kurdish fighters and jihadists in the last few days. The UN says more than 15,000 refugees have arrived in Iraq in the latest influx. The number of refugees is expected to increase. Contact Magazine

Aug 17: Shipping Collision A collision between a ferry and a cargo ship in the Philippines has left at least 31 people dead and around 170 missing. Many of the 600 survivors were sick from swallowing seawater and oil. Coastguard and military vessels helped with the rescue, but the operation was hampered by rough seas. The Philippines has a poor record for maritime safety, with scores of people dying in accidents every year. Aug 15: Peace talks The first direct Israeli-Palestine peace talks in three years have been held in Jerusalem. The meeting began hours after 26 Palestinian prisoners were freed by Israel as part of the deal to restart negotiations. No statement was published after the meeting. A Palestinian official said they have agreed to meet weekly, alternating between Jerusalem, and Jericho on the West Bank. Aug 14: Woman MP Abducted Fariba Ahmadi Kakar, a female Afghan MP was abducted by armed men while travelling in the central province of Ghazni with her three daughters. It is the first time a female MP has been snatched by insurgents. Police said the kidnappers had demanded the release of four Taliban prisoners in exchange for Mrs Kakar. Aug 11: Burglars Return Loot Burglars returned stolen computers when they realised they had taken it from a non profit organisation that

helps victims of sexual abuse. They broke into the San Bernardino County Sexual Assault Services office (in the US), but the next night they broke in again to return the stolen goods along 11

with a note: “We had no idea what we were takeing [sic]. Here your stuff back. We hope that you guys can continue to make a difference in peoples [sic] live. God bless.” Aug 8: Asylum-Seekers Segregated Switzerland has outraged human rights activists by instituting separate centres to house asylum-seekers, in order to keep them away from public places like swimming pools, libraries, schools and churches, a move many consider to be racial segregation. Officials say that the move has been made to reduce tensions between existing residents and asylum seekers. Aug 6: Nuclear “Emergency” Recent news reports reveal that the Fukushima power plant in Japan has been leaking radioactive groundwater into the Pacific Ocean for at least a month. Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the power plant, has admitted that their temporary measures to contain the leak have been breached. Aug 4: Soldier’s Death Protests Over 100,000 people gathered in Taipei to call for accountability in the death of conscripted soldier Hung Chungchiu. Hung died of heat stroke last month after he was kept in solitary confinement and was subjected to arduous punishment for bringing his cell phone to the military base. Public protests have already led to the arrest of 18 officers and the resignation of the Defence Minister. Aug 2: Violence Breaks Record The UN Mission in Baghdad has released a report concerning 1,057 civilian casualties in Iraq during the month of July, the highest number of deaths in a single month in Iraq since 2008. AUGUST 2013

around town

Charities and Organisations

Central Tibetan Administration

The CTA serves in Dharamsala as the government in exile of Tibet. It is democratic with judiciary, legislative, and executive branches. Within the Executive branch there is the Kashag, consisting of the departments of Religion and Culture, Home, Education, Finance, Security, Information and International Relations and Health, and Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay. WEB: www.tibet.net LOCATION: Dharamsala – 176215 PHONE: 01892-222218 HOURS: Mon-Sat: 9:00 am-5:00 pm EMAIL: kashag@tibet.net

The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama (OHHDL)

OHHDL is the personal office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The office organizes his schedule, including appointments and travel plans, diplomatic and personal correspondence, and liaises with officials of the Central Tibetan Administration. When His Holiness is in Dharamsala, his schedule includes daily religious practice and studies, meeting with private audiences, and congregating with the Tibetan Kashag and senior Tibetan governmental officials. WEB: www.dalailama.com LOCATION: Thekchen Choeling, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala – 176219 PHONE: 01892-221343 / 221879 EMAIL: ohhdl@dalailama.com

Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC)

The Tibetan Youth Congress is an advocacy and political action organization with chapters around the world. The Tibetan Youth Congress organizes cultural exhibitions, educational campaigns and social welfare activities. The organization publishes a series of periodicals and magazines on the Tibetan cause. WEB: www. tibetanyouthcongress.org LOCATION: Tipa Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala -176219 PHONE: 01892-221554 / 221010 EMAIL:info@tibetanyouthcongress.org, gensec@tibetanyouthcongress.org

Tibetan Women’s Association

The Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) conducts workshops on gender sensitization and domestic violence throughout Tibetan settlements in India, provides Tibetan women with education scholarships, and connects women with international sponsors. WEB: www. tibetanwomen.org LOCATION: Bhagsu Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala – 176219 PHONE: 01892-221527 / 221198 EMAIL: twa@tibetanwomen.org

Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV)

TCV provides care to Tibetan children by creating a nurturing environment and fostering Tibetan values and culture while delivering a modern education. There is an Upper and Lower residential school in Dharamsala and day school in McLeod Ganj, with other branches throughout India. WEB: www.tcv.org.in LOCATION: Dharamsala Cantt.176216 PHONE: 01892-220356 / 221348 EMAIL: headoffice@tcv.org.in

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Tibetan Medical & Astro. Institute (Men-Tsee-Khang) Men-Tsee-Khang is a facility for research, training and practice of traditional Tibetan medicine. Patients may seek treatment at Men-TseeKhang for both acute and chronic conditions. The facility provides extensive training and produces traditional pharmaceuticals. WEB: www.men-tsee-khang.org LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala – 176215 PHONE: 01892-223222 EMAIL: tmai@men-tsee-khang.org

Tibetan Library (LTWA) (Centre for Tibetan Studies)

The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives has the purpose to restore, protect, preserve, and promote Tibetan culture in all its aspects. They offer courses in Tibetan and Hindi language and Buddhist philosophy and can provide affordable accommodation for those enrolled in two or more courses. WEB: ltwa.net, tibetanlibrary.org LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong Dharamsala - 176215 PHONE: 01892-222467 / 226181 HOURS: Mon-Sat: 9:00am-1:00pm, 2:005:00pm. Closed 2nd and 4th Sat. every month EMAIL: office@ltwa.net

Delek Hospital

Delek Hospital is a small, Tibetan run hospital in Dharamsala. It has 45 inpatient beds, holds outpatient hours from 9am to 12pm Monday through Friday, and can handle most small procedures. Patients are responsible for a 10 Rupees registration fee, although this is waived for those who fall under the poverty line. The hospital has a pharmacy on site. WEB:www.delekhospital.org (Friends of Tibetan Delek Hospital) LOCATION: Kharadanda Road, Dharamsala -176215; Delek Clinic, Bhagsu Road, Dharamsala -176219 PHONE: 01892-222053 / 223381 HOURS: Outpatient, Mon-Fri: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm; Specialist clinics, Mon-Sat: 2:00 pm-4:30 pm; Emergencies, 24 hours daily EMAIL: delek@sancharnet.in

Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society

The society was established in 1999 to provide educational and administrative guidance to all Tibetan schools in remote areas of India and Bhutan that do not fall under the guidance of Tibetan Childrens Village. Today there are 12 schools under this organization. WEB: www.sambhota.org LOCATION: Session Road, Dharamsala 176215 PHONE: 01892 - 228877 | 226877 EMAIL: stsa1999@yahoo.co.in

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)

Students for a Free Tibet is an international nongovernmental organization that promotes the Tibetan cause among the non-Tibetan community. The organization attempts to build international solidarity by advocating for a free Tibet through chapter organizations at Universities around the world. WEB:www.sftindia.org, www.studentsforafreetibet.org

LOCATION: Jogiwara RoadMcLeod Ganj, Dharamsala - 176219 PHONE: 01892-220589

Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) TCHRD advocates for human rights and provides education on the human rights situation in Tibet. The centre publishes journals and articles, as well as conducts workshops and campaigns. WEB: www.tchrd.org LOCATION: Top Floor, Narthang Building Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala - 176215 PHONE: 01892-223363 EMAIL: office@tchrd.org

Lha Charitable Trust (Lha)

Lha is a Tibetan grassroots nonprofit based in Dharamsala, India. It is one of the largest social work organizations providing vital resources for Tibetan refugees, the local Indian population, and people from the Himalayan regions. Lha offers free English, French and Chinese classes, cultural exchange programs, IT classes, vocational training, health and environmental awareness education, distribution of clothes and medicine, a community kitchen, and many other programs and activities. (see page 2) WEB:www.lhasocialwork.org LOCATION: Temple Road, McLeod Ganj PHONE: 01892-220992 EMAIL: office@lhasocialwork.org

Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet

(Ex Political Prisoners Association) Gu-Chu-Sum is a social service organization that provides financial and medical support for ex political prisoners and political activists from Tibet. In order to join Gu-Chu-Sum, one must register as a political prisoner or political activist through the Department of Security. WEB: www.guchusum.org LOCATION: Jogibara Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala -176219 PHONE: 01892-220680 / 220679 EMAIL: guchusum1991@gmail.com

Tong-Len Charitable Trust

Tong-Len’s mission is to help displaced communities in North India achieve a secure and sustainable future. Tong-Len projects include educational and health programs, childhood education and sponsorship, primary and nursery tent schools, and children’s support hostels. Some volunteer opportunities available. WEB: www. tong-len.org LOCATION: Top Floor, Bank Of Baroda, Kotwali Bazaar, Dharamsala-176215 PHONE: 01892-223113 / 223930 EMAIL: jamyang@tong-len.org

Tibet Charity

Tibet Charity provides programs including English and computer classes, an animal care program, and a variety of medical and educational financial support programs. WEB: www.tibetcharity.in LOCATION: Temple Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala – 176219 PHONE: 01892-221790 / 221877 HOURS: Mon-Fri: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm EMAIL:mail@tibetcharity.in, tibccharity@gmail. com

AUGUST 2013

around town

Charities and Organisations

KUNPHEN Centre for Substance Dependence HIV/AIDS&HRD

KUNPHEN is an Open door Policy drop in Centre providing support, advice, advocacy, counseling, group and alternative healing therapies to those in the Tibetan community suffering from addiction issues. Volunteers needed to carry out action plans. WEB: www.kunphen.org LOCATION: Near Delek Clinic, Bagsunag road, P.O Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala 176219 PHONE: 01892-220565 / 985716806 EMAIL: kunphen@mail.com

Tibetan Centre for Conflict Resolution (TCCR)

Tibetan Centre for Conflict Resolution is a nonprofit, educational organisation dedicated to the non-violent management of conflicts in the Tibetan Community and the world as a whole. They work to promote the approaches and tools of non-violent conflict resolution and democratic processes in the Tibetan community in exile and elsewhere. WEB: http://tccr.org LOCATION: Session Road, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala 176215 PHONE: 0189-2226627 EMAIL: tccroffice@yahoo.com

The Active Nonviolence Education Center (ANEC)

ANEC facilitates trainings, workshops and open forum discussions on nonviolent strategies to help resolve disagreements and differences at all levls of human society. ANEC welcomes volunteers from western countries to participate in informal panel discussions on ideas of regional and global peace and nonviolent strategies. Free lunch and tea for volunteers. WEB: www.anec.org.in LOCATION: No. 262, 1st floor, Khajanchi -Mohalla, Khunyara Rd, Lower Dharamsala PHONE: 981-632-7158 / 867-990-4767 EMAIL: tcsamkhar@gmail.com, executive_directoranec@yahoo.com

National Democratic Party of Tibet

The NDPT is currently the only Tibetan political party. With 5000 members in 36 regional chapters throughout the world, the main aim and objectives of the NDPT are to prepare for the establishment of a political party in a future

Gamru Village School

Gamru Village School is a successful NGO that provides free high-quality education to any children who encounter serious barriers to education and who have a low standard of living. WEB: www.gamruschool.com LOCATION: Village Gamru, P.O Kotwali Bazaar, Dharamsala, Distt Kangra 176215 PHONE: 9816105554 EMAIL: (check website)

Clean Upper Dharamsala Project

Founded in 1994 to provide a waste management system in and around McLeod Ganj, the Green Workers, the Handmade Recycled Paper Factory, the Green Shop and the Environmental Education Center are part of the Clean Upper Daramsala Project. Weekly guided tours are offered on Wednesdays at 3 pm. WEB: www.tsodhasa.org LOCATION: Bhagsu Rd., McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala - 176219 PHONE: 01892-221059 EMAIL: office@tsodhasa.org

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Nyingtob Ling (Realm of Courage)

Nyingtob Ling supports Tibetan children from disadvantaged families. The children make handicrafts and paintings. They are so friendly and love to have visitors. WEB: www.nyingtobling.org LOCATION: Near Norbulingka, Sidhpur PHONE:01892 211042 / 9816028149 EMAIL: nyingtobling@hotmail.com

Women’s Team

Volunteers needed to teach English to Indian women and children in the village of Kaniyara near Dharamsala. Contact Jitender. EMAIL: jagori@yahoo.com PHONE: 9817105035 / 08894435595

BUS SCHEDULE

* Times and prices may vary. Please check with the bus stand ahead of departure. Leaving from the McLeod Ganj bus stand, unless otherwise stated: Delhi: Ordinary Bus: 4:45am, 6pm, 6:45pm, 8:15pm and 8:30pm (Rs330) Semi Deluxe Bus: 6pm (Rs355) AC Volvo Semi-Sleeper: 8pm (Rs1035) AC TATA: 8:30pm (Rs840)

Rogpa Baby Care Center

The Rogpa Baby Care Center helps low-income Tibetan families to become self-sufficient by providing free child care for infants so their parents can work. The center needs volunteers to help with art, games, singing and other tasks including diaper changing. WEB: www.tibetrogpa.org LOCATION: Near Tibetan Ashoka Guest House, Jogiwara Rd., McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala - 176219 (near no.13 on map) PHONE: 9816659549 HOURS: Mon-Sat: 8:00 am-12:00 pm or 1:00 pm- 5 :00 pm EMAIL: rogpa2004@yahoo.com

Tibet, to promote democracy, to educate the Tibetan people about the significance of political parties, and to create awareness among the people about Tibetan issues. WEB: www.ndp4tibet.org LOCATION: Dharamsala–176219 EMAIL: tibetparty4@gmail.com

Amritsar: Ordinary Bus: 4:45am (Rs165)

*from Dharamsala

Dehradun: Ordinary Bus: 9pm; AC Deluxe: 5:30pm Manali: Ordinary Bus: 5:40pm, 8:40pm *from Dharamsala Pathankot: Ordinary Bus: 11am, 12:10pm, 12:30pm, 2:10pm, 3:50pm, 5pm(Rs75)

Shimla: Ordinary Bus: 5am, 5:30am, 6am, 8am, noon and 4:55pm (Rs235) *from Dharamsala Semi-Deluxe Bus: 8:22am, 7:45pm and 9:30pm (Rs???) *from Dharamsala FOR BOOKINGS: Location: Ticket stand under McLLo’s, main square Hours: 10am-6pm, daily Phone: 221750 For deluxe buses, book through any travel agency.

TAXIS

A private taxi to Lower Dharamsala will cost you Rs 200. Cram into a jeep (from the bus stand), and it’ll only cost you Rs10.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Ambulance: 01892-102, 222189

Police Superintendent: 01892-222244

Tibetan Delek Hospital Location: Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala Hours: Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, Mon-Sat; Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm, Mon-Sat; Emergencies: 24-hrs, daily. phone: 222 053,223 381

Police Contact Information Location: Past St.John’s Church on the road to Dharamshala in Cantt. area. Phone: 221 483

Post Office The McLeod Ganj Post Office is located Kangra Airport: 01892-232374, 232324 on Jogiwara Rd, past Peace Cafe Hours: 9:30am-1pm and 2-5pm, Mon-Fri; Bhagsu Taxi Union: 01892-221034 9:30am-noon, Sat. Phone: 221 924 Tourism Office: 01892-23107 Parcels and money orders can be Rail Booking & Enquiry: 01892-265026 sent in the mornings only. 13

AUGUST 2013

activities and tourist info Upcoming Events

MEDITATION

Sep 30-Oct 3: HH The Dalai Lama teachings will give a three and a half-day teaching on Nagarjuna’s Sixty Stanzas of Reasoning (rigpa drugchupa) & Tsongkhapa’s Concise Treatises on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (lamrim dudon) at the request of a group of Taiwanese at the Main Tibetan Temple.

Om Yoga, Meditation & Reiki Centre

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

Library of Tibetan Works & Archives WEB: www.ltwa.net/library LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamsala HOURS: Mon-Sat: 9:00-1:00pm, 2:00-5:00pm PHONE: 921-842-2467

Public Audience with HH Karmapa WEB: www.kagyuoffice.org LOCATION: Sidhpur HOURS: Wed & Sat: 2:30pm PHONE: 981-631-5336

YOGA & REIKI Om Yoga, Meditation & Reiki Centre LOCATION: Ketan Lodge, behind Akash Hotel, on Jogiwara Rd - Map #11 HOURS: 8:00am-6:00pm PHONE: 980-569-3514

MASSAGE Lha Healing Oil Massage Courses & Treatment LOCATION: Lha Office, Temple Rd PHONE: 01892-20992 HOURS: Registration, 9:00am-11:00am

Om Yoga Center

WEB: www.omyogaindia.com LOCATION: Ketan Lodge, Jogiwara Rd. HOURS: Daily, 8:00-9:30pm & 4:00-5:30PM PHONE: 980-569-3514 EMAIL: om.yoga@ymail.com

Nature Cure Health Club

Shiatsu massage LOCATION: Near Tibetan Ashoka,Jogiwara Rd PHONE: 941-813-0119 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com

Shiatsu & Swedish Massage LOCATION: Lha Office, Temple Rd PHONE: 01892-20992

Synergy Ayuredic Massage Center LOCATION: Near Tibetan Ashoka, Jogiwara Rd PHONE: 941 80 8488 EMAIL: mcleodganj@gmail.com

Traditional Thai Massage

LOCATION: Opposite the Govt. Tourist Information Centre, Hotel Surya Rd PHONE: 981-633-9199 EMAIL: jite02@yahoo.com

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WEB: www.omyogaindia.com LOCATION: Ketan Lodge, Jogiwara Road PHONE: 980-569-3514 EMAIL: om.yoga@ymail.com

Tushita Meditation Center WEB: www.tushita.info LOCATION: Dharamkot HOURS: Mon-Sat: 9:30-11:30am PHONE: 0898-816-0988 EMAIL: spc@tushita.info

Vipassana Meditation

WEB: www.sikhara.dhamma.org LOCATION: Dharamkot HOURS: Mon-Sat: 4:00-5:00pm PHONE: 01892-21309 EMAIL: info@sikhara.dhamma.org

Rishi Yoga & Meditation Center

WEB: http://.rishiyogaindia.com/reach.php LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, opposite Gaden Choeling Nunnery PHONE: 9736184741, 9882228502 EMAIL: Yogarishi2001@yahoo.co.in

School of Life and Spirituality

Meditation and teachers’ training LOCATION: behind Hotel Akashdeep, Bhagsu, Mcleodganj, please all before coming WEB: web: www.devom.org PHONE: 09569221047, 09971608310 EMAIL: dev@devom.org

COOKING Indian Cooking and Knitting with Ms. Rita Kapoor LOCATION: Old German Bakery, 1st Floor, Room No. 2, Opp. Buddha Hall, Bhagsunag PHONE: 94592 06586

Lha Tibetan Cooking School LOCATION: Lha Office, Temple Rd HOURS: Registration, 9:00-11:00am PHONE: 01892-20992

Indian Cooking Classes

LOCATION:Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guesthouse HOURS: 10:00am-6:00pm PHONE: 941-813-0119 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com

Lhamo’s Kitchen, Tibetan Cooking Classes

LOCATION: Bhagsu Rd, near the Green Shop HOURS: 8:00am-9:00pm PHONE: 981-646-8719

Nisha’s Indian Cooking Class

LOCATION: Hotel Lotus Leaf, Jogiwara Rd HOURS: 4:00-6:00pm EMAIL: nisha@indiancookingcourse.com

Sangye’s Kitchen Traditional Tibetan Cooking Classes

LOCATION: Lung-ta Restaurant, below the Tashi Choeling Monastery on Jogiwara Rd HOURS:10:00am-12:00pm & 4:00-6:00pm PHONE: 981-616-4540 EMAIL: sangyla_tashi@yahoo.co.in

LANGUAGES Tibetan Language Class

LOCATION: Lha Office, Temple Rd HOURS: Registration from 9-11am, Mon-Fri PHONE: 220 992 See ad on pg 3.

Hindi Classes

LOCATION: Ketan Lodge, Jogiwara Rd, beside the Korean Restaurant PHONE: 981-649-4732

Hindi Lessons with Sunil

LOCATION: Kunga Guesthouse, Bhagsu Rd and in Dharamkot PHONE: 01892-21942, 941-818-7281 EMAIL: sunilsharma81in@yahoo.co.in

Tibetan Language

LOCATION: The Tibetan Library See Buddhist Philosophy Listing

Hindi Lessons with Kailash

LOCATION: At Bhimsen’s Indian Cooking Class PHONE: 01892-20063, 941-816-1947 HOURS: Daily, 4:00-6:00pm

Tibetan with Pema Youdon

LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, opposite the post office HOURS: 1:00-4:00pm, or leave a message.

Esukhia Online Tibetan Courses and Tibetan Immersion Spoken

Location: Esukhia Office,Tilak Ray Building, Bhagsu Road, Dharamsala Web: www.esukhia.org Phone: 8679502538 E- mail- esukhiacontact@gmail.com

ART & MUSeums Naam Art Gallery

LOCATION: Main Road Sidhbari Dharamsala PHONE: 9816043708

Tibet Museum

LOCATION:Near the Main Temple and the Namgyal Monastery gate, McLeod Ganj HOURS: Tue-Sun: 9:00am-5:00pm

Tibet Photo Exhibit: 50 Years of Struggle and Oppression

LOCATION: Gu-Chu-Sum hall on Jogiwara Rd, next to the Lung-ta Japanese Restaurant HOURS: Mon, Wed & Fri: 2:00pm-5:00pm

Kangra Art Museum

LOCATION: Near Bus Stand, Kotwali Bazaar PHONE: 01892 224214 HOURS: Tue-Sun: 10:00am-1:00pm & 2:00pm-5:00pm

The Tibetan Institute for the Performing Arts (TIPA) WEB: www.tibetanarts.org LOCATION: Kotwali Bazaar PHONE: 1892-221478 EMAIL: tipadhasa@hotmail.com

Form Gallery

LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd. near Oasis Cafe PHONE: 8894-060602 HOURS: Daily, 12:00pm-6:00pm

AUGUST 2013

activities & services HEALTH SERVICES Dr. Sant Marwah Clinic

LOCATION: In front of Main Temple, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala HOURS: 9:30am-6:30pm, Closed Monday PHONE: 01892-21106, 981-602-1106 EMAIL: smarwahin@yahoo.com

Dr. Kumar Ayurvedic and Panchkarma WEB: www.kumarayurveda.com LOCATION: Hotel Surya Rd., opposite the the Club House HOURS: 9:00am-2:00pm & 2:30-7:00pm; Emergencies: 24 hrs daily PHONE: 8894492837 EMAIL: SATINDER3737@gmail.com

Maanav Health Clinic

LOCATION: Main Square HOURS: 10:00am-12:30pm and 2:00-5:00pm PHONE: 941-815-5795 EMAIL: maanavcare@yahoo.co.in

Men-Tsee-Khang

LOCATION: Between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala PHONE: 01892-22618 / 223113 EMAIL: tmai@vsnl.com

Primary Health Centre

LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, main market HOURS: 9:30am-4pm, Mon-Sat

Nature Cure Health Club

LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guest House-Map #10 HOURS: 9:30am-6:30pm PHONE: : 941-813-0119 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com

Tibetan Delek Hospital

LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamsala PHONE: 01892-22053 / 223381 HOURS: Outpatient services, Mon-Sat: 9:00am-1:00pm; Specialist clinics, Mon-Sat: 2:00-4:30pm; Emergencies: 24 hrs daily

Ayuskam Health Care

WEB: www.ayuskama.com LOCATION: First floor Hotel Anand Place, near Bhagsu taxi stand and near Tibetan Hotel Ashoka Guest House McLeod Ganj PHONE: 980-592-8923, 973-621-1210

Reflections of a Volunteer Telling Tales

Name: James Thomas Job at Lha: Writer, teacher & conversation class I’ve met so many wonderful people here from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. Most of the tales I have heard are too tragic to fully comprehend. Working with refugees and the exiled Tibetan community has certainly been one of the highlights of my life, and an experience I’m sure never to forget. The journalism element whilst working for Contact Magazine covered subjects that truly fascinated me. Real, hard-news stories that moved me as I researched them. The shocking selfimmolations in Tibet, the Chinese approach to gagging “pro-Tibetan propaganda” and various spy stories are all part of the journalistic norm reporting here. Through the office window you can see Tibetan children playing each day, dodging sleeping dogs in the playground, as monkeys lark around in trees above. The children sing harmoniously every single day. A beautiful sound I know I’ll always miss. Although I came to India to volunteer as a budding journalist and general web-monkey, nothing has inspired me more than my limited but fruitful experience of teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and student interaction and left with a rewarding feeling of achievement.

I’m sure I learnt far more than the students did however. The studying ethos here is unlike any I’ve ever come across in my life. You can see their desire for knowledge and education burning deep within. If I could dedicate 24 hours in every day to teaching, I’m sure the students would be happy to double that to learn more. During English Conversation class I listened fascinated to the stories of the students’ 10/11 day trek through the treacherous Himalayas. The vast majority of the Tibetan community have not seen their Tibet-based friends or family for years and have no idea when, or if, they will see them again. When the students would ask me what I thought of the Tibet situation, I’d have to fight back the tears describing how outraged and upset I am by it all. Words can not explain how their stories have touched me. In the west the Tibet issue seems so far away. Here the Tibetan struggle, by such a wonderful group of people, has lodged itself firmly in my heart. I find myself in the midst of a population in exile, among the most peace-loving and forgiving people in the world. It’s a magical place and I feel privileged to have played my very own small part. Tashi delek.

Football Crazy by Tenzin Younten In 1981, the first Gyalyum Chemo Memorial Gold Cup (GCMGC) club level tournament was organised in loving memory of Diki Tsering, the late mother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Over the years, the GCMGC football tournament has become the most prestigious football tournament in the exile Tibetan community. The Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) has organised the GCMGC since 2003; today it is fully Contact Magazine

responsible for organising the annual tournament. Through this tournament, TNSA selects its national team for participation in tournaments around the world. The GCMGC is also a process of strengthening the mentoring and selection process at both school and club levels. This year, the 19th GCMGC tournament was held in Rabgyaling Tibetan settlement, Hunsur (South India) from July 21. Twenty two teams 15

from three countries participated (19 from India, one from Canada and two from Nepal). The final match was played on August 1 with Goa FC versus Dhondupling FC (Clementown). The Dhondupling side scored one goal in the extra time which led to their victory and they became the winner of the 2013 GCMGC tournament. Ogen Tsering of Goa FC was presented the Top Scorer award and Mangalore FC won the Fair Play award. AUGUST 2013

news and advertisements

Career Opportunities for Young Tibetans by Vanshika Tripathi The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has been investing in creating employment opportunities for young Tibetans by providing resources such as training workshops for people with vocational careers, as well as scholarships for academic high fliers. The Tibetan Careers Centre “create[s] job opportunities for unemployed youths and school dropouts through counselling and training” said Jigme Tsultrim, the Centre’s head consultant. He spoke of the Centre’s recent ten day Job Ability training workshop “to prepare

and provide Tibetan youngsters with cutting-edge skills and knowledge”. The CTA’s Women’s Empowerment Desk arranged a four day workshop in Bangalore to promote entrepreneurship. Tenzin Tseyang of the Desk said the workshop “aims to address some common problems... like lack of self confidence...and lack of achievable goals and proper information on the opportunities available”. The workshop included tailoring, cookery, hairdressing, medical transcription, and multimedia skills. The new Business Process

Outsourcing (BPO) at Uma Ling Technical Solutions is striving to provide jobs for young Tibetan people. Opening the BPO, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay said “Through this project we hope that the unemployed, uneducated and educated youth...will get jobs, and...that...[this]...is the beginning of many projects...not just in...Dharamshala but in other Tibetan settlements as well”.

Tibetan Artefacts Sell for $200,000 by James Thomas Centuries old Tibetan artefacts and unique photos have been auctioned for almost $200,000 (£140,000) in London, with telephone bids coming in from China, Hong Kong and America. The collection was sold by a direct descendant of an officer who accompanied Colonel Younghusband’s infamous 1904 British trip to Tibet. There were 140 original photographs, many depicting Tibetans in traditional dress, and others inspirational landscapes which had never been seen in the west before. The photographs were bought for $18,000 (£12,000).

Also taken during the British advance north into Tibet was a metal

This Sino Tibetan deity sold for £45,000 ($70,000) during the auction in London on August 13 Photo: BBC

Tibetan deity miniature showing Ushnishavijava, 5 inches tall, which

sold for $70,000 (£45,000), and a gorgeous Gilt Mahakala, 8 inches tall, which sold for $120,000 (£77,000). A rare Sino-Tibetan teapot went for $3,500 (£2,200), despite initial estimations of less than £350 or £200. The auction was filmed by the BBC for their “Flog It” programme. Questions are already being raised within the Tibetan community as to where the funds will be directed. “It would be nice to see a reasonable proportion of the money donated to Tibetan charities and volunteer centres here in Dharamsala” commented Tenzin, a Tibetan refugee in his twenties.

Shivani Clinic and Panchakarma Centre

Bhagsunag - map # 22 Empower Yourself Ayurvedic consultations for acute and chronic diseases with ayurvedic therapies, herbs and panchakarma, with world renowned doctors working in collaboration with naturopaths in Europe and America. Treatments starting from one hour to three weeks, depending on your problems. Contact Magazine

visit : www.ashoayurvedahealing.com email: drshivani.mahehskumar@gmail.com call: 9418069406 weekdays 5- 7pm AUGUST 2013