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A Free Monthly Publication For Tibetan Issues & Community Information Rgd No. HPENG/2013/51798
A Friend of Tibet Dies by Mary Threwartha Robert Webster Ford, a lifelong friend of Tibet and the first foreigner to serve in the Tibetan government services, has died. He was born in March 1923 in Burton-on-Trent, England, and died on September 20 in London aged 90. Robert Ford joined the British Mission in Lhasa as a radio officer in 1945, and when India gained independence in 1947 he was appointed by the Government of Tibet. He started Tibet’s first broadcasting station, trained Tibetan radio operators and set up a radio communications
Volume: XV Issue: 8
30 September 2013
Taking Tibet to the World by Apurva Kashyap His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit this month to the European countries Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Germany to give talks on peace, compassion and solidarity attracted a huge following. His tour began with Prague, where, referring to the recent racial attacks in the Czech Republic, he was asked if there was any racial tension between Tibet and China. His Holiness replied that Tibet and China have been on unfriendly terms and the best way to counter this is for Tibetans to reach out to their Chinese brothers and sisters. While in Prague, His Holiness had a meeting with fellow Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Dalai Lama also met Chen Guangcheng, a human rights activist
His Holiness and fellow Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Prague, Czech Republic Photo: OHHDL
and a fellow panelist at the Charles University in Prague. He then visited the Lithuania Continued on page 5
Indian Citizenship: a Dilemma for Tibetans
The PLA arrests Robert Ford in 1950
network throughout Tibet. He spent five years in Tibet, declaring that he “had the opportunity to witness and experience at first hand the reality of Tibetan independence…It was a… country with its own government, its own language, culture, customs and way of life.” Ford had his first audience with the then 14-year-old Dalai Lama in Lhasa, and his last earlier this year when His Holiness honoured him with the International Campaign for Tibet’s “Light of Truth Award” which recognised his “tireless advocacy on behalf of Tibet for more than half Continued on page 9
by Tenzin Younten Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, the de facto Prime minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, said on August 21 in Dharamsala, “The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) cannot prevent any Tibetan from applying for Indian citizenship”, thus confirming that Tibetans living in India can apply for Indian citizenship and the CTA will help them by providing supporting documents. He continued, “The decision to apply for Indian or any other country’s citizenship is a personal choice. The Indian Citizenship act of 1986 grants citizenship rights to Tibetans born in India between 26th January 1950 and 1987,” He also added, “at the same time, the CTA cannot compel Tibetans to apply for the Indian citizenship”.
According to the Indian Constitution, Section 3, Citizenship by birth: every person born in India, (a) on or after the 26th January, 1950,
The Delhi High Court declared Namgyal Dolkar Lhagyari an Indian citizen by birth and issued her an Indian passport in 2010. Photo: Phayul
but before the commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) act, 1986 (51 of 1986); and (b) on or after such commencement and either of whose parents is a citizen of India at the time Continued on page 9