December 2017

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འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་གསར་འཕྲིན།

Contact

A Free Monthly Publication For Tibetan Issues and Community Information RGD No. HPENG/2013/51798 Volume: XIX Issue:11 DECEMBER 31, 2017

Self-immolation in Ngaba

Freedom for Dhondup Wangchen!

Richard Gere Supports Tibet

HR Day: Tibetans Call for Support

Koenpe, a young Tibetan man in his late 20s, selfimmolated near Kirti monastery in Ngaba in Tibet on December 23 and died in hospital the following day. The incident took place on “martyr’s lane” where many people have self-immolated and a video circulating on social media showed him engulfed by flames.

Witness statements have been reported saying that Continued on page 3

by Dorji Kyi The renowned Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Chair of the International Campaign for Tibet, testified at a United States Congressional hearing on US Tibet policy in Washington, DC on December 6.

He spoke about the Tibetan monk, Tenga, who selfimmolated last month. He went on to outline the urgent Continued on page 3

W www.contactmagazine.net

by Mary Trewartha Dhondup Wangchen, 43, the Tibetan filmmaker and political activist, has arrived safely in the United States to be reunited with his family on Christmas day.

Wangchen served six years in prison in Tibet for his role in the production of the documentary Leaving Fear Behind which portrayed interviews with Tibetans who described Continued on page 5

by Tenzin Samten December 10 is celebrated as International Human Rights Day across the world and to mark the day Tibetans campaigned to raise the issue of the ongoing human rights violations inside Tibet by the Chinese regime.

The Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) released Continued on page 5

Contact News

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NEWS & ISSUES

Continued from page 1

Richard Gere Supports Tibet

need to look into the situation of the Tibetan people inside Tibet and expressed concern about China’s accountability to international law as it becomes more powerful.

Mr Tenzin Tethong, Director of the Tibetan Service, Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Mr Carl Gershman, President of National Endowment for Democracy (NED), were also present at the hearing as witnesses.

The two-hour-long hearing was hosted by the US Congressional Subcommittee on Asia. The Pacific and Subcommittee Chairman Mr Ted Yoho opened the hearing with a statement that raised the issues of both the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act and the Concurrent Resolution on Tibet.

Congressman Yoho said: “Human rights and personal freedoms in Tibet are already in a poor and worsening state. According to the State Department’s 2016 human rights report, the government of China engages in the severe repression of Tibet’s unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage by, among other means, strictly curtailing the civil

rights of the Tibetan population.”

In his testimony and recommendations Richard Gere said, “Since the nineties, subsequent US Administrations and Presidents have supported the call of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people, and have called on

Photo: tibet.net

China to respect the distinct identity of the Tibetan people; including their language, their religion and their culture, and to stop the persecution of Tibetans.

“Respect for the identity of a people, of their religion, is something the American people understand very well. Before being politicians, you are human beings who understand that oppression cannot be tolerated; you understand that all human beings have

the right to the pursuit of happiness.

This is what His Holiness the Dalai Lama continuously reminds us; to look at what unites us as human beings, not what divides us.”

He also pointed out that “During President Trump’s recent visit to China, the White House stated that the issue of human rights was raised with the Chinese authorities.

While this is good, President Trump and Secretary Tillerson did not publicly highlight the lack of respect of human rights in Tibet or the need for China to restart the dialogue process with the Dalai Lama; this is out of line with the provisions of the Tibetan Policy Act. It is now critical that the US Congress takes concrete initiatives to make sure that the Tibetan Policy Act is fully implemented and that China understands that the US stands with the Tibetan people.”

US Congressional hearings are the principal formal method by which Congressional committees collect and analyse information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Hearings usually include oral testimony from witnesses and questioning of the witnesses by members of Congress.

Self-immolation in Ngaba Continued from page 1

police arrived within minutes and removed the body. His family were summoned to collect his remains but

his father was arrested on arrival and charged several thousand yuan to pay for his son’s treatment.

Koenpe’s father and mother are Gyakyap and Thindok, who live in Cha village in Chuleb Gongma along Contact

with his two brothers and three sisters.

Koenpe lived in Division 2 of Meruma township with his wife Kalsang Lhamo. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said he feels “helpless” and that these acts demonstrate the desperation of the Tibetan people living under China’s repressive policies. The Tibetan Government-in-exile has reiterated their plea for people to refrain from self-immolating and for the Chinese government to “realise that the cause, as well as the solution to this wave of fiery protests, lie with the Chinese government itself”.

According to an update on tibettimes.net, Tibetan restuarants and shops in Ngaba country town remained closed on December 24 and 3

25 to show their solidarity with, and sympathy for, Koenpe’s family.

The Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration held a prayer service

for Koenpe on December 27 at Tsugla-khang, the main temple in Dharamshala.

Since 2009, 151 Tibetans have resorted to self-immolation in protest against Chinese forced rule in Tibet.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES Sikyong and the Speaker Rally Support in North America

by Tenzin Samten December has been a busy month for the leaders of the Tibetan exile community.

Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) also known as the Tibetan Government-inexile, and Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-inexile, visited Tibetan communities in the United States and met influential politicians and parliamentarians in Washington DC to “raise awareness” and push for support and developments related to the Tibet issue.

Dr Sangay was on a five-day visit to Washington DC and New York while the Speaker, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, also made an official visit to DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sikyong, along with the Chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) board Richard Gere, the newly appointed Representative of the Office of Tibet, Washington

DC, Ngodup Tsering and Matteo Mecacci, President of the ICT, met Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham in an hour-long meeting. The official website of the CTA - tibet.net, reported on the meeting with the two Senators, who are high-profile former Republican presidential candidates.

They discussed various issues including the growing Chinese influence in the world, US funding for Tibet related programmes, the appointment of the special coordinator for Tibetan issues in the State Department and the Reciprocal Access to Tibet bill which was recently introduced in the House.

December 10 was World Human Rights day and the 28th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. To mark the day Tibetans in North America organised a North America Solidarity with Tibet Rally. During this event, Dr Sangay, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Ngodup Tsering, along

with other guests and supporters took part in the mass rally. Both Dr Sangay and the Speaker addressed the gathering.

During his visit, Dr Sangay met Senator Tom Cotton, one of the closest senators to President Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham, Chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee and Representative Nita Lowey, all of whom play an influential role in appropriating funds for Tibetan programmes.

Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel addressed the Tibetan communities in Washington DC, San Francisco and Salt Lake City, Utah and also met Utah State Senator Jim Davis, Salt Lake City County Mayor Ben McAdam and the Mayor of Berkley and Richmond in California, promoting the Tibetan cause and seeking support for the movement.

Dr Sangay and the Speaker returned from their trip to Dharamshala, seat of the exile government, on December 15 and 18 respectively.

A Meeting Between Friends

by Charlotte Wigram Evans His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Barack Obama met for the sixth time, reaffirming vows of friendship and aspirations for world peace.

“You are young, you can do a lot,” were but a few of the words spoken

by His Holiness to the former United States president Barack Obama in Delhi during their most recent meeting on Friday, December 2.

Obama was on a fleeting five-day world tour, having flown in from Beijing the previous evening. The two Nobel Peace Prize laureates have met many times before - four when Obama was in presidential office - and His Holiness described them as “two old trusted friends.”

During the 45-minute interaction the two men discussed compassion and altruism at length, and the importance of promoting peace in a world torn by strife and violence. His Holiness said: “We should fulfil our aspiration for world peace. Maybe my Contact

generation will not see the results, but your generation will definitely see the results.”

Obama has repeatedly emphasised his support for the Central Tibetan Administration’s Middle Way policy,

advocating the continuation of China’s political rule while preserving Tibet’s unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions, as well as their human rights.

It is a policy backed by His Holiness who has long insisted that he is not the separatist the Chinese accuse him of being. The spiritual leader officially retired from his political 4

role as the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in 2011, but remains the head of Tibetan Buddhists.

Responding to the press at Gaggal airport on his way home to Dharamshala, His Holiness stated that the meeting “was very good…

I mentioned to him that now the time has come for us to promote the sense of oneness among seven billion human beings. It is sad to see there are so many differences among people.”

Obama subsequently spoke at a leadership conference in New Delhi and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before holding a Town Hall meeting for young people hosted by his Obama Foundation. The Obama Foundation’s mission is to inspire and empower people to change their world; they are holding a series of Town Hall conversations about active citizenship and how the Foundation can support the inspiring work of so many emerging leaders.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES Human Rights Day: Tibetans Call for Support

Continued from page 1

a six-minute animated video entitled Tibet: the Land Where Dreams are Shattered. The CTA’s official website tibet.net has promoted the film, saying the story, based on true events, is about a fictional character - a 27-year-old woman who is described as “a feisty, fearless female and a mother of two”.

“The story of Pema resonates broadly with Tibetans living in Tibet and makes a glaring case of the challenges they face in travelling outside Tibet, exacerbated by the Chinese government’s discriminatory policy in issuing passports to Tibetans,” Dukthen Kyi, a researcher at DIIR, is quoted as saying on the CTA website.

In a separate event, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), a non-government organisation based in Dharamshala, organised a photo-action cum poetry reading event at the entrance to Tsungla-khang, the main temple in Dharamshala, to mark the 69th International Human Rights Day. SFT’s press statement said the

event was aimed at reminding the international community about the sufferings of Tibetans in Tibet who are without basic human rights under the Chinese regime. Tibetans and supporters took part in SFT’s photo action campaign and were photographed with pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan national flag. This is intended to send a message to Beijing where the Tibetan flag is considered to be a sign of separatism. SFT’s photo action highlighted the fact that in Tibet the mere possession of a photo of His Holiness or the Tibetan flag could mean lengthy jail terms and numerous detentions.

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released a statement for International Human Rights day saying, “The world can no longer turn a blind eye to the egregious repression taking place in Tibet. Last month, a 63-yearold monk named Tenga became the 151st known Tibetan to die of selfimmolation protest in Tibet. Tibet

is now ranked worst of the worst for freedom and human rights in independent global surveys. […]

Tibet is turned into a giant open prison due to mass surveillance, Maoiststyle propaganda campaigns, and government reprisals against humanrights defenders and other individuals exercising human rights.”

“TCHRD urges the international community to make the Chinese government accountable for human rights violations and abuses in Tibet and to prioritise human rights principles in its bilateral relations with the Chinese government,” the statement continued.

Human Rights Day takes place every year on December 10 to honour the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948. It was the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the then newly set up United Nations.

Freedom for Dhondup Wangchen!

Continued from page 1

the unendurable conditions in which they were living under Chinese rule.

He and his assistant Golok Jigme interviewed and filmed 108 Tibetans from aroundTibet in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They sent the footage out of Tibet and the film was produced and released worldwide

by Zurich-based Filming for Tibet and Dhondup Wangchen’s cousin, Gyaljong Tsetrin. It was shown to foreign journalists in Beijing during the Olympics.

The film has received international awards including Committee to Protect Journalists International Press Freedom Award in 2012 and the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent in 2014.

Both Wangchen and Golok Jigme were imprisoned and suffered torture while in detention. Golok Jigme escaped from prison in 2012 and from Contact

Tibet in 2014 after living in hiding.

Wangchen was released in 2014 but remained under constant surveillance, his political rights were denied and he was not allowed to travel.

He has made what has been described as an “arduous and risky escape” from Tibet and China to rejoin his wife Lhamo Tso and their four children in the United States,

saying on his arrival there,“After many years, this is the first time I’m enjoying the feeling of safety and freedom […]

I would like to thank everyone who 5

made it possible for me to hold my wife and children in my arms again.

However, I also feel the pain of having left behind my country, Tibet”.

During his time in prison many organisations protested against his treatment including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Front Line, The Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders and the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.

The Washington based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said that Wangchen made his film to raise international awareness of Beijing’s denial of “the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people”. Matteo Mecacci, the ICT president, said, “The six years Dhondup Wangchen had to spend in jail is a stark reminder of the human costs that China’s policies continue to have on the Tibetan people”.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES

December 2017: Another busy month for HH the Dalai Lama

by Minoru Nakano His Holiness the Dalai Lama has maintained a busy schedule up to the end of 2017 – from a meeting with the former United States President to embarking on a 20-day tour around south India.

The Tibetan spiritual leader started off the month by featuring in a New York Times article, Our future is very much in our hands. This article quoted an earlier article in Turning Points in which His Holiness was asked about the global political situation: he responded by stressing the importance of compassion.

On December 1, His Holiness met the former US President, Barack Obama, in New Delhi. As a fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the Dalai Lama reassured Obama of his continuing effort towards “promoting peace in today’s world torn by strife and violence”.

On December 5, His Holiness gave a speech at a ceremony in the PG Government College in Dharamshala. He remarked that modern education could benefit from spiritual knowledge “in transforming our destructive emotions and promoting basic inner values”.

As he embarked on the tour, the Dalai Lama reiterated his message during his two-day teaching at Somaiya Vidyavihar in Mumbai on December 8. He expressed an urgent need for the revival of the ancient Indian tradition as he believes in India’s unique global position in guiding the world for a better future by blending its “modern education of material values and ancient knowledge”.

Following his visit to Mumbai, His Holiness arrived at Drepung Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka on December 11. In conjunction with his message of reviving ancient Indian knowledge, the Dalai Lama remarked on the crucial role of Tibetan Buddhism in preserving the Buddha’s teaching.

On the following day, he gave Contact

a public talk in Doeguling Tibetan Settlement. Addressing the gathering of devotees, he reminded them of the progress the Tibetan community has made over the years, and of his commitments to the promotion of human values, religious harmony and safeguarding Tibet’s environment, culture and language. His Holiness reminded devotees of their responsibility to preserve and study the rich Tibetan Buddhist teachings.

He encouraged the audience to critically examine the teachings of the ancient philosophy, rather than simply believing in them.

Speaking to young Tibetans, His Holiness repeated his message about the importance of excelling at modern education while studying the ancient teachings, as he believes in the importance of mastering the two streams of knowledge when spreading peace and human values.

On December 14, His Holiness inaugurated the Drepung Loseling Meditation and Science Centre.

The scientific approach in studying

Buddhist philosophy was again a major theme in his speech and he encouraged the students to become “21st century Buddhists” who would “thoroughly investigate” the teachings of Buddha using modern education.

His Holiness reiterated the same message the following day when he inaugurated the newly constructed covered debate centre at Jangchub Choeling Nunnery. “Buddhism is not dependent on faith alone; it relies on reason and logic,” he said. His speech was followed by a demonstration of philosophical debates by the nuns.

The nunnery was founded in 1986 6

by a group of 18 nuns and currently hosts 250, including five who have achieved the Geshema degree (or doctorate) in Buddhist philosophy.

They were members of the first ever group of Buddhist women to do so.

Leaving Jangchub Choeling, His Holiness moved on to Ganden Lachi Monastery in Karnataka where he was greeted by 8,000 people who had gathered for his teaching on Tsongkapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path.

The Tibetan community in Bylakuppe welcomed His Holiness on December 18.

In Sera-Jey Monastery His Holiness bestowed the Hayagriva Empowerment, explaining that Hayagriva is one of a set of deities known as the Eight Pronouncements and belonging to the class of the highest Yoga Tantra.

On December 21, His Holiness inaugurated Sera-Mey Monastery’s new debate courtyard and science centre and also spoke a crowd of over 8,000 monks and lay Tibetans on Je Tsongkhapa’s In Praise of Dependent Origination.

Arriving in Bangalore, on December 24 he addressed a crowd of over 14,000 people, giving the Silver Jubilee lecture on Education for Wisdom and Compassion to Rebuild the Nation at the Tripura Vasini, Palace ground, Bengaluru.

In his speech His Holiness said, “All this problem starts with too much emphasis on secondary level of differences such as different race, country and religion […]

Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognise the value of each other’s respective traditions.”

His Holiness flew to Delhi for an inter-religious conference on December 28. He will be teaching in Bodhgaya from January 5 – 7 and 14 – 16.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES

Satellite Imagery Shows New Dam on the Tsangpo

by Mary Trewartha New satellite imagery published by theprint.in shows a massive new dam on the Brahmaputra river — the Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet. The dam is nearly one kilometre long and apparently engulfs the entire water flow along its length.

The satellite imagery released on November 26 by DigitalGlobe, the United States commercial vendor of space imagery, shows evidence of a major new project located in Sangri county in southern Tibet, close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh.

The Brahmaputra, which rises in Tibet, is a major water source for the countries downstream and there has long been concern at China’s plans to exploit the water and the potential consequences of this for the millions of people downstream who rely on it for their livelihood, despite China’s assurances to India and Bangladesh that its dams were not designed for removing or storing water. India has full rights over the waters and in addition to concern about future loss of water supply there is the potential for catastrophe in the

or Zangmu Dam was constructed just 13 km downstream, becoming operational two years ago. Beijing paid no attention to India’s objections to this dam.

The feature in theprint.in reports speculation that this new, second dam

event of a sudden release of water from the dam in case of emergency.

The Indian government has, to date, not reported any evidence of water diversion although there have been reports in the news of the water turning black.

Another project, the Tsangpo

near water as these polymer resin adhesives are said to be harmful to humans and animals. Media reports suggest this could be the cause of the black water downstream in Assam.

At the end of October the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the relatively independent Chinese

Contact

is not purely to generate hydropower but to divert the water to supply the Taklamakan desert in Xinjian in northwestern China, 1,100 km to the northwest.

There is further concern about polymer resin adhesives which the satellite images show as being sprayed all around this project area to act as a dust suppressant. This is common for large construction projects but never

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newspaper, reported “experts involved in the project” as saying, “Chinese engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build a 1,000km tunnel – the world’s longest – to carry water from Tibet to Xinjiang”, and also reported a geotechnical engineer working on the project as saying that the tunnel would “turn Xinjiang into California”. The SCMP continued, “The earliest proposals to divert water from Tibet to Xinjiang were made

by Qing dynasty officials Lin Zexu and Zuo Zongtang in the 19th century. In recent decades, Chinese government branches, including the Ministry of Water Resources, have come up with engineering blueprints involving huge dams, pumps and tunnels.”

Responding to environmental concerns, the SCMP quotes Wang, an engineer on the project, as saying, “It won’t leave a mark on the surface for other countries or environmental activists to point their fingers at”. However, they also quote Zhou Shiqiao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research in Beijing, as saying, “It will change the landscape of an entire region… to my knowledge, no environmental evaluation has been carried out.

The nature and scale of the impact remains in the dark.”

The Times of India reported at the end of November on China’s plans to build the world’s longest tunnel to divert water from the Brahmaputra to Xinjiang – China’s largest administrative division – and that this was raising concerns among environmentalists.

The Brahmaputra is sacred to both Tibetans and Indians. Its source is in the Angsi Glacier in Purang county in Tibet. Some studies have warned that the water supply from Tibet could run dry if global temperatures continue to rise.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES

Tibetans Around the Globe Celebrate Nobel Peace Prize Day

by Tenzin Samten In Taiwan a group of Tibetans and Tibetans all over the world gathered Taiwanese gathered to celebrate, to celebrate on December 10 to mark reading the Kashag’s statement and the anniversary of the day in 1989 then taking part in a long-life prayer His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, ceremony for His Holiness. The the spiritual leader of Tibet, was Taiwan Office of Tibet announced awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his that, along with the Kashag, they commitment to promote human values, are designating next year as Thank peace and compassion in the world.

You Taiwan Year which they will Hundreds of Tibetans and supporters mark with a series of events in gathered at Tsuglakhang, the main temple in Dharamshala, to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness. The official event was organised by the Tibetan Governmentin-exile, also known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

Chief guest was Shri Ram Swaroop, the Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament for the Mandi district of Himachal Award of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness Pradesh, who thanked His Holiness for making Dharamshala a Taiwan. Next year will be the 20th centre of attraction for people across the anniversary of the Taiwan Office of world through his message of peace and Tibet. love. He urged the Indian government In Belgium the Tibetan to award the Bharat Ratna, the highest community also celebrated the civilian award in India, to His Holiness.

The Officiating President and Home Minister of the CTA, Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang, and Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phunstok, read statements from the Kashag (the Tibetan cabinet) and the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile.

The Kashag and the Tibetan Parliament thanked His Holiness and Celebration in Dharamshala expressed appreciation for his untiring Photo: tibet.net work towards resolving the issue of Tibet peacefully, and for promoting day; the President of the Tibetan peace and compassion in the world Community appealed to members at large. They also congratulated this to remember His Holiness the Dalai year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Lama’s life-long commitments and International Campaign to Abolish urged them to implement these Nuclear Weapons (Ican). The full commitments in their own lives to statement of the Kashag can be read on bring changes. tibet.net, the CTA’s official website.

In Lithuania the newly formed tibet.net, reported on events taking Provisional Group for Solidarity place around the world. with Tibetans in the Lithuanian Contact

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Parliament (Seimas) held a series of events jointly with the Tibet Support Group in Lithuania. The first was a press conference – the first event organised by the Solidarity group, this was followed by film screenings and later, further meetings and speeches.

In the United States hundreds of Tibetans and supporters from across North America gathered in New York City for the Solidarity with Tibet protest, led by North America’s Tibetan Parliament-inexile Representatives Pema Chagzoetsang and Tsewang Rigzin and local Tibetan associations.

Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the CTA, together with Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, who were both in New York, addressed the rally which was attended by many Chinese scholars and dissidents including Prof Ming Xia, Chinese activist Chen Guangchen and democracy activist Yang Jianli.

In Japan, Tibetans, together with representatives of the Uighurs, the minority Muslim group from East Turkestan or Xinjian in north western China, and people from southern Mongolia joined with Japanese supporters to participate in a peace rally in Tokyo. Carrying flags and banners, they called on the United Nations and the international community to restore freedom and justice for Tibetans, Uighurs and the people of southern Mongolia. The rally was organised by Students for a Free Tibet, Japan.

In the European Parliament, the film Tibet, Ombre et Lumières was screened.

Photographs of Tibetans around the world (including Tibetan settlements in India) celebrating the day circulated on Facebook and Wechat – Wechat is a popular social media site with Tibetans.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES China Blocks Dalai Lama’s New Mobile App

by Lauren Chaplin A new mobile phone application launched by His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been blocked by China on the Apple Appstore. The app, named Dalai Lama, is an extension of the

website dalailama.com, which is also blocked in China and occupied Tibet.

Zhu Weigun, Director of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee, was quoted in the Global Times denigrating

the app, claiming that its launch was politically motivated. “The Dalai Lama’s influence has been drastically declining in recent years, as major powers in the West have increasingly realised that supporting him has become a negative asset when trying to improve relations with China,” said Weigun. “He is desperate as his influence dims, and has turned to the Internet,” he continued, asserting that the Dalai Lama and his followers won’t stop trying to “illegally” free Tibet from Chinese control.

Featuring news, travel information, videos and photos, the app can be used on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and is compatible with devices running iOS 10.0 or later, with an Android version expected to launch soon. The app is already proving popular, with over 15,000 downloads and a 4.6/5 rating on the

Appstore. Its release marks a natural continuation of His Holiness’ wellestablished online presence, with 16.7 million Twitter followers and 13 million likes on his Facebook page.

The Dalai Lama has long been engaged with the question

of technology, saying in a 2014 interview that without it “humanity has no future, but we have to be careful that we don’t become so mechanised that we lose our human feelings”.

Arrests and Protests in Delhi

by Charlotte Wigram Evans Nine Tibetans were arrested on December 11 after protesting outside The Imperial Hotel in Delhi, where a Chinese delegation to India was staying. The delegation included China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and marks the first political interaction between the two countries in several months. The relationship between India and China became fraught in June following a border row, but Yi’s arrival - here to take part in the Russia -India-China trilateral dialogue suggests an end to tensions.

While this may be good news for some, his visit stirred up animosity among Tibetans across India.

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) kicked off their protest by displaying a large banner over a flyover near Indira Gandhi International Airport.

It read: “Wang Yi, Free Tibet Now.” The nine detainees, all members of SFT, were arrested later that day for carrying banners reading: “Tibet is not a part of China,” and “China free Tibet now.”

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The Tibetan Youth Congress also spoke out against the visit, saying that Yi represents a “regime that today rules China out of sheer military might without public mandate, unleashing a reign of terror, denying freedom and human rights to its people, leading to

Photo: SFT Facebook

unparalleled genocide of over 70 million Chinese including 1.2 million Tibetans”.

The organisation did, however, acknowledge that improved SinoIndia relations are key if progress on the Tibet issue is to be made progress that is more and more in India’s interest. The Russia-IndiaChina meeting comes on the back of 9

China’s decision to build a 1,000km tunnel for the Brahmaputra, which, when completed, will be the world’s longest by a huge margin.

It has been reported that it will be used to divert the waters of the Brahmaputra river – the Tsangpo in Tibet – to the dry Xinjiang region of north west China, and “is a major threat to India and other downstream countries whose survival depends on Tibet’s rivers,” according to Tenzin Tselha, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet.

“Tibet’s independence is vital for India’s security,” said Michael Rajchandra, a member of Students for a Free Tibet. “As an Indian member of SFT, I urge Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Minister of India to stand up for Tibet’s independence.”

The nine members of SFT were later released without charge - although if this is the beginning of close workings between India and China there is speculation that there will be many more such demonstrations in the near future.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES

Penpa Tsering Refutes the Kashag’s Allegations

by Lodoe Gyatso Penpa Tsering, the former Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and Representative of the Dalai Lama in North America, has responded to the Kashag (Tibetan Cabinet) charges against him following his sudden termination last month from the post of Representative. His rebuttal was contained in a 97-page document contesting each allegation point by point.

At a three hour press conference he challenged the Kashag to prove their charges. Should they not do so

he vowed to take further action. He said that although he did not accept the Kashag’s accusations, he accepted his termination, as it was the Kashag’s right to terminate the services of Representatives.

Following his dismissal on November 7, the Kashag issued a ten-point statement on November 18, giving details of why Penpa Tsering’s position had been terminated, each of which he has refuted: • The first point was an introduction which included mention of three warnings being served on Tsering.

Tsering acknowledged receiving only one.

• Point two contains allegations that he did not submit any formal reports.

Penpa responded that an order had been issued by the Department of Information and International Relations to submit reports only on April 20, 2017.

• He denied the allegation of insubordination in point three with Contact

regard to the announcement of Kunga Tashi as Chinese Liaison Officer in New York.

• Point four concerned not reporting “Dholgyal-related activities”. He said that this had been fully reported as required.

• The fifth point accused Tsering of being “unable to schedule any such meetings for Sikyong” with senior members of the United States government. In response he produced several documents to prove that he contacted and tried to schedule meetings, but said that because of short notice no meetings had materialised.

• Point six cites “negligence raising funds”. Tsering replied that as the Donald Trump administration was new, many initial contacts had still to be made. Despite that, his efforts had helped to ensure continued funding assistance from the US government.

• With respect to point seven - the “closure of five bank accounts” of the Office of Tibet in Washington, Penpa Tsering said that this had been due to political reasons. “There wasn’t anything we could do about the closure.”

• Point eight touches the sensitive matter of the US$ 1.5 million transaction between the Tibet Fund and the Office of Tibet. The allegation states that “the amount was not a loan.” Tsering points out that it was in fact accounted for as a loan in the Tibet Fund books, but there was no documentation showing that the Office of Tibet is liable for repayment of the loan. He felt that it was necessary to reconcile this discrepancy. He asked an auditor for assistance who told him that he would ask his supervisor in Dharamshala about finding a solution. Tsering was charged by Sikyong for instigating the action that the auditor mention the loan issue in the audit report. His response to this charge was, “If raising such an issue was seen as insubordination, then why should there be meetings? If we are not able to raise issues and are to 10

just follow orders, wouldn’t that be an autocracy, not a democracy?”

• Concerning point nine, Tsering denied the Kashag’s charge that “he tried hard to convince a female Kalon nominee against working with Sikyong”.

• The tenth point was a summary of the firing of Penpa Tsering and the provision of his replacement.

The Tibet Fund clarifies their position regarding the loan Following the controversy that has arisen around the issue of the loan from the Tibet Fund, the Tibet Fund has issued a statement which makes it clear the US$1.5 million was a 30-year loan for the purchase of a building. This was drawn up legally, but, at the time it was drawn up, it

was hoped that it would eventually be “forgiven” and subsequently “deemed an outright grant” on condition of the CTA honouring the terms and condition of the loan and “where the relationship between CTA and Tibet remains one of mutual respect and support”.

The Tibet Fund is based in New York and provides funding assistance to the Tibetan exile community. It relies heavily on funding from the US government.

Its mission statement says that it works to preserve “the distinct cultural and national identity of the Tibetan people”.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES

The Snow Leopard in Himachal Pradesh

by Simon Cavendish, Marvin Westerveld, Amelia Rozelle The snow leopard is an important species and a national symbol for many people in the Himalayan region, but these animals have been in danger of extinction for many years.

One reason for this is that snow leopards are shy and solitary, preferring remote areas above an altitude of 3,200 metres. They are not able to adapt to a changed environment and are therefore not found in villages. The 400 to 700 Indian snow leopards are mainly living in the Western Himalayas of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

Previous efforts to protect the snow leopard have apparently been successful. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently changed the status of snow leopards from “endangered” to “vulnerable”. The species remains threatened but according to the IUCN the situation is getting better.

The Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) opposes this view, saying that only

2% of the animal’s range has been analysed – mostly areas which are known to be densely inhabited by snow leopards. The SLT, therefore, campaigns to reset the status to “endangered” and obtain a guarantee

from every country to keep up conservation efforts.

Unaffected by the recent change, 12 countries continue to work together in the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Programme. This initiative aims to offer wide-ranging protection and to set up “secured landscapes”.

Snow Leopards in Eastern Tibet

by Minoru Nakano Snow leopards have been captured on film in the south east of the Tibet Autonomous Region – the first time images of leopards have been obtained in this area. Chinese state media Xinhua n e w s agency reported on December 18 that the images of the leopards were taken in the Nujiang River Valley in eastern Tibet. The Nujiang is a largely free flowing river unobstructed by dams or other projects.

The snow leopards were captured “several times” on infrared cameras set up by the Chinese Shan Shui Conservation Centre. “We have captured images Contact

of baby leopards with their mother which indicates that a certain quantity of the rare species live in the region,” said Zhao Xiang, head of the conservation centre, speaking to Xinhua.

The Xinhua report continued, “Local officials said their appearance in the populous region in eastern Tibet showed efforts to protect the local ecosystem and biological diversity were successful.”

The World Wildlife Foundation estimates that there are between 4,080 and 6,590 snow leopards in the wild, living in a vast habitat spanning northern and central Asia. Their population is suspected to have declined by 20% over the past 16 years, due to habitat loss from climate change, reduced prey, poaching and retaliatory killings by local farmers.

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However, it is just as important to work at a regional level – for example with Ladakhi villagers who are affected by snow leopard attacks on their animals. The SLC-IT (Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust) has changed the attitude of rural communities by using simple measures, such as strengthening the roofs of shelters, which have reduced attacks by up to 94%.

Through setting up Homestays, SLC-IT is drawing tourists to these remote areas and is raising further awareness. 10% of the fees paid to the owner are collected and go towards support measures which include insurance against livestock depredation. Thereby, snow leopards, tourists and villagers have all benefitted.

There is hope that with further conservation efforts the future of these animals may be positive and that the snow leopard might thrive in harmony with people all the way from Tibet to Himachal Pradesh.

Stop Press Dec 29: House Arrest Shonu Palden, 40, a bedridden former Tibetan political prisoner has been put under house arrest following a lengthy interrogation. It is alleged that he has sent information outside Tibet.

Shonu lives in Machu C o u n t y in Gansu Province; he hit the news recently when his eight-year-old daughter was refused access to school because of his past. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reports that there is grave concern for his health.

He was released from prison in 2013 before the end of his prison term because of his very poor health – the Chinese authorities often release prisoners in poor health to avoid a death in detention.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES Dec 25: Concern for Choekyi There is concern about the health of Choekyi, a monk from Phurbu monastery in Serta county who is currently in prison.

Voice of Tibet has reported a local source as saying that Choekyi’s health is deteriorating under prison conditions and his family has not been allowed to bring him food since October. He is serving four years for celebrating HH the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday in 2015.

Dec 21: Parasitic Outbreak The Chinese state media Xinhua has reported an outbreak of parasitic tapeworm infestation in the Tibet Autonomous Region. After screening around 3 million people, 30,000 cases of hydatid disease (Echinococcosis), which can be fatal, have been confirmed. The outbreak mainly affects the herding areas of China’s Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet and Xinjiang. The tapeworm is carried by dogs.

Dec 21: “World’s Biggest Prison” The media watchdog Reporters without Borders has designated China the “world’s biggest prison for journalists” for the second year running in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index. It says China is “continuing to improve its arsenal of measures for persecuting journalists and bloggers”, and that “journalists in China meet with slow death behind bars”. China is ranked 175th out of 180 countries. Norway was top, North Korea bottom.

Dec 20: Visa Regulations Simplified The Government of India is now allowing one-year multi-entry visas to Tibetan Identity Card (IC) holders to simplify the documentation required for foreign travel.

The Office of Tibet, New Delhi announced, “Tibetans may apply for one-year multientry visa at all the Indian embassy/ consulates in the US and Canada.”

Dec 20: BJP Victory The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Himachal Pradesh state elections at which Tibetans voted for the first time. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, said, “The Tibetan people welcome BJP’s victory with fond memories and hopeful optimism.” Local Tibetans are hoping the new government will resolve ongoing issues of concern, including the 218 cases of encroachment of forest land in McLeod Ganj.

Dec 19: Refused School The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Contact

Tibetan headlines

Democracy (TCHRD), the organisation supporting Tibetan political prisoners, has reported that the daughter of a former political prisoner in Tibet has been refused the right to attend school. The political prisoner, Shonu Palden, 40, was released early in very poor health, and because of his former political activities his eight-year-old daughter Namkyi Dolma has been refused school.

Dec 15: Larung Gar Checkpoints have been set up on the approaches to Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, the major Buddhist Academy in eastern Tibet which has recently undergone partial destruction. All visitors, including monks and nuns, are being questioned and are required to show permits before encountering a second checkpoint where they are questioned further before being allowed to enter.

Dec 14: Access Ban Access has been banned at the Achen Gangyap or, in Chinese, Hoh Xil Nature Reserve in Qinghai. This ban includes the nomads who have lived sustainably off the land there for thousands of years, with threats of punishment for transgressors. The reserve was given UNESCO World Heritage status earlier this year, which at the time caused concern for the future management of the area.

Dec 14: Tsongkhapa Remembered Monasteries across Tibet observed the anniversary of the death of Tsongkhapa, the fourteenth-century founder of the Gelugpa school of Buddhism, with the traditional displays of lamps and offerings presented to the communities of monks. Large crowds gathered for the celebrations, with Chinese security police much in evidence, but there were no reports of disruption or crackdown.

Dec 14: FIFA in Tibet FIFA, the international football governing body, has launched a football initiative for women in Tibet. The Live Your Goals campaign is creating a platform for aspiring women footballers and encourages young women to take up the game. New football campuses will be created in 51 schools across Lhasa. To date, Live Your Goals has engaged thousands of young women in 225 football projects across the world.

Dec 13: Support from Lithuania A group of Lithuanian legislators is setting up a Tibet solidarity group in their parliament – despite not getting endorsement from the Lithuanian leadership who follow the official policy that Tibet is a part of China. However, 12

an ad hoc group has been established which does not need official backing. A member of the group said they aspire to keep Tibet in the global conscience and political frontlines.

Dec 12: New Passport Option The Indian government is reported to have announced that Tibetan refugees holding Indian passports can surrender them and revert to their refugee status. There will be no penalty incurred. Tibetans are reluctant to hold an Indian passport because it renders them ineligible for benefits and privileges handed out by the Tibetan Government-in-exile. People cannot hold a passport as well as the Identify Certificate (IC) which makes the holder eligible for benefits.

Dec 8: HIV in Tibet A growing number of people living in rural areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) are becoming infected with HIV, reports China’s state media globaltimes. Although the number is growing, it is still relatively small with 253 cases reported between 2004 and 2013. The TAR government has vowed to raise awareness and a spokesman said that intervention, as well as education, is needed to prevent high risk education.

Dec 5: Traders Row A group of Indians confronted Tibetan traders in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, accusing them of failing to follow trading laws and being “anti-Indian”. The 25 Tibetan shops there sell ready-made garments during the winter. A spokesman for the Tibetans said the Indians do not understand that the Tibetans pay all required taxes. The authorities have said they will support the Tibetans.

Dec 2: Life Sentence Three young Indians have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a Tibetan youth in McLeod Ganj two years ago. Kailash Kumar, Mahesh Kumar and Rinku Kumar were all sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of INR 50,000 (US$775 / £575). Tsultrim Chokden, 29, was stabbed on October 30, 2015. Tibetan non-government organisations as well as the Settlement Officer attended the court hearing.

Dec 2: Gambling Addiction Reports are emerging from the Qinghai province (Amdo) that young Tibetans are becoming addicted to gambling. Radio Free Asia has reported that young Tibetans are gambling the proceeds of harvesting caterpillar fungus and becoming addicted, meeting in secret to gamble sums of up to 100,000 yuan (US$15,000 / £11,000) in a night, causing family and social hardship. The report says that it is affecting Tibetans and not the Chinese.

DECEMBER 2017

NEWS & ISSUES

International headlines

Dec 28: Spy Arrested The Indian military has arrested a Chinese national who is suspected of being a spy.

The Times of India reported that the man, Qin Min Xiv Xiang, 55, was apprehended in Manipur, the north eastern border state. He was carrying various Chinese, Vietnamese and Myanmarese documents, foreign currencies, a pen drive and a compass and was arrested following a tipoff.

Dec 26: Tiananmen Square Newly released British documents put the number of people killed by the Chinese army during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests as at least 10,000. A secret diplomatic cable from the British ambassador to China at the time has come to light giving these updated figures.

China’s statement at the time was that “several dozen” had died, other estimates ranged from several hundred to 1,000.

Dec 22: Trump Thwarted The United Nations General Assembly has voted to call on the United States to withdraw its recent decision to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – thus effectively recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – and igniting Palestine-Israel hostilities.

128 states voted for the resolution, 35 abstained, nine voted against; this despite US threats to withdraw funding from countries backing the resolution.

Dec 21: UN Investigator Banned A mass grave has been discovered in Rakhine state in Myanmar, where the Muslim Rohingyas are suffering military oppression and brutality. Yanghee Lee, the United Nations investigator into human rights in Myanmar was due to visit next month but has been banned because she was “not impartial and objective while conducting her work”. She raised concerns over the treatment of Rohingyas on her visit there last summer.

Dec 20: Tourists Killed At least 12 tourists have been killed and 18 injured in a road accident in Mexico. They were passengers on a bus carrying tourists from a cruise ship. The bus, which was carrying 31 people, overturned between Mahahual and Cafetal in Quintana Roo state in south eastern Mexico. The tourists were from the United States, Italy, Sweden and Brazil.

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Dec 18: White Paper Human Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based human rights watchdog, has responded to a White Paper issued

by China which talks of its “remarkable progress” in the “law-based protection of human rights” over five years. HRW has launched a report which demonstrates that the human rights situation has declined under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rule and says the White Paper is “hollow” and a “self-congratulatory report”.

Dec 16: Right to Visit Jim McGovern, the United States Congressman, has addressed the US House of Representatives, calling on the Chinese authorities to reaffirm the right of HH the Dalai Lama to return to his homeland.

He said the Middle Way Approach seeks Tibetan autonomy within China, and that China must restart the dialogue and take advantage of the opportunity to achieve a peaceful resolution.

Dec 15: Police Guilty!

In the Czech Republic, the Prague Municipal Court has found the Czech Police guilty of the unlawful removal of Tibetan and Taiwanese national flags.

The flags were displayed by two Czech nationals in their own windows, these faced the hotel where Chinese President Xi Jinping was staying while in Prague.

The court said the police had the right to search the room but not to remove the flags.

Dec 14: Reporters Missing Two Reuters journalists in Yangon, Myanmar, are in police custody. Local reports say Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being held under the Official Secrets Act which could mean 14 years in prison, and that they were found with military reports and a map of Rakhine state where the Rohingya people, who are being subjected to military oppression, live.

Myanmar has seen increasing curbs on press freedom.

Dec 13: Death Penalty Six people in India have been given the death penalty for an “honour killing” in Tamil Nadu last year. They hacked Shankar, 22, a member of India’s Dalit community, to death in broad daylight on a crowded road because he had married a woman from a higher Hindu caste.

One of the six was her father. Dalits, or 13

untouchables, are at the bottom of the caste system.

Dec 12: Temple Fire The prayer hall and 16-story wooden pagoda at the Lingguan Mansion complex in Mianzhu in the Sichuan province has been destroyed by fire. The fire took four hours to extinguish. The original Lingguan Mansion was built during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and then destroyed in the 2008 earthquake. The temple reconstruction is still underway.

Dec 11: Nobel Prize Winners This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner is the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican). The prize was accepted on their behalf by Executive Director Beatrice Fihn who warned that the world faces a “nuclear crisis” from a “bruised ego” – an apparent reference to US - North Korea tensions, and continued by saying, “We have a choice, the end of nuclear weapons or the end of us.”

Dec 8: Bitcoin Bonanza Bitcoin has reached a record breaking US$16,000 (£12,000), gaining over 50% in the last week. It began the year below US$1,000 (£750). Critics say Bitcoin is going through a bubble, others say the price is rising as it crosses into the financial mainstream. Bitcoin is an online, digital alternative currency normally used as a financial investment.

Dec 7: Trudeau in China The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in China where he raised the issue of human rights with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and said he will do so again during his forthcoming talks with President Xi Jinping. Trudeau said, “Whenever I meet with world leaders, I bring up the issues of human rights.” He also discussed the death penalty and the fate of imprisoned Canadians in China.

Dec 5: Dirty Water Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, has expressed his concern over the state of the water in the Brahmaputra or Tsangpo river which flows from Tibet. He has informed the central government that the water is “muddy and black” and unfit for drinking, saying this is a recent change and the pollution has its source in “Chinese territory”. China denies the allegations.

DECEMBER 2017

DHARAMSHALA VOICES

Contemplations Over a Street Stall

by Lodoe Gyatso Lhatso sits at her stall, a serious look on her face. It is hard to imagine a frivolous thought passing through her mind. But what is she thinking about?

Perhaps she is thinking about her business. She sells malas and other items on Temple Road in McLeod Ganj. Her small business seems to be doing well. She has put a lot of herself into it and its success is the fruit of much hard work and application.

Perhaps she is thinking about the stock of her shop. She is very knowledgeable about every item and knows what her customers are looking for. Still she has some unease about the business. “Tibetan people did not sell Buddhas,” she notes sadly. But she has no choice; it is the source of the family’s income.

Perhaps she is thinking about her day. She gets up early each morning before walking the Kora*. At nine she starts setting up her stall. In winter she goes home at six in the evening, but in summer she can only go home at nine. It is a long day, and then she still has to wash clothes and prepare dinner. When she gets to sleep at night she has certainly earned her rest.

Perhaps she is thinking about her childhood. She was born in Tibet.

Her mother died when she was only a few months old, and so Lhatso has no memory of her. Instead, she was brought up by an aunt. Her aunt treated her well and she was perfectly happy. At the age of 10, however, she had to go and live with her brother.

She was unhappy; her sister-in-law did not like her and for five years she had a very difficult life.

Perhaps she is thinking about her escape from Tibet when she was fifteen. She and her sister were part of a group of 36. They walked for 28 days through the mountains. They carried tsampa** and other dry food.

They slept in the day and walked at night. They made it safely to Nepal, and were very hungry when they got there. She fondly recalls how they ate when they reached the reception

centre. Their guide went back to Tibet and was sent to prison for many years for his role in helping escapees.

Perhaps she is thinking about her youth. She went to Tibetan Childrens Village (TCV) school for three years.

Tibetan was far harder for her than English. “After the exam I forgot everything,” she says wistfully.

She wanted to go to college but this did not work out. She then learned thangka stitching from a master tailor. She learned much about the conventions of thangka art and made several pieces, but the work was bad for her eyes and she stopped.

Perhaps she is thinking of her missed opportunities. She might

have started a sewing business, but she had no backup support.

Perhaps she is thinking about her visit last year to Tibet. She does not say much about it, but she lets it slip that she is happy in India. “I like India. You can go anywhere. It is peaceful,” she says simply.

Perhaps she is thinking about her children. She has two sons. They are both in TCV school. The elder son is in class 10 while the younger is in class 3. The smaller son is a joker.

They are both good at maths. She is particularly proud of the elder son who’s doing well at school. “Study hard, my son,” she tells him. “Don’t think about money.” A stubborn look appears on her face. She will somehow make sure that he will be able to complete his studies after school, and that finances will not be a constraint. He will study at a good college and get a good job. She has made up her mind.

Perhaps she is thinking of the path she followed that brought her to this stall.

But she won’t let her mind dwell for long on things which are not practical. She needs to take care of her business. She helpfully fields a question by a customer, and the day goes on. * The Kora is the circumambulation walk around His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s temple and residence. The walk through the forest, with many prayer wheels and flags, and a small temple, is popular with Tibetans, Buddhists and visitors. **Tsampa is roasted and ground barley – a traditional, staple food of Tibetans.

Every month we feature somebody from the Tibetan community on our Dharamshala Voices page.

You can read more Dharamshala Voices stories on the Contact website: http://www.contactmagazine.net/dharamasla-life/ The People stories on the Dharamshala Voices page online tell the stories of the people who make up the Tibetan exile community in Dharamshala and elsewhere, as well as the stories of Lha students and volunteers, told in their own words.

Contact

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DECEMBER 2017

LHA NEWS AND PROJECTS Keeping Dhasa Clean and Green Lha’s monthly mass clean up for December was held on the 16th with about50 participants, as usual Lha students and volunteers came along to help. This month we picked up litter around the main temple, Kora pathway and below Potala road. Even though we clean the area every month, there is a truck full of garbage every time.

The Clean Upper Dharamshala Program (CUDP) is trying their best to keep this town clean and a few Tibetan non-government organisations sometimes make an effort to clean their surroundings. However, the local population is apparently unmoved by all the litter around and they rarely participate in or initiate any cleanup operations.

India’s National Green Tribunal, the statutory environment agency, has this month announced a new “statutory

obligation” for local authorities to remove garbage and a fine of Rs 10,000 [US$160 / £120] for “any person or agency, government or private,” found leaving garbage in a public place, or anywhere without consent.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 with the aim of cleaning India’s streets.

For further environmental information, please visit www. tibetnature.net/en/

Lha could not provide the services we do without the support of our wonderful volunteers who help in so many ways and inspire us with their enthusiasm. Every month we ask a volunteer to share their story. This month Amelia Rozelle from France tell us her story.

A Personal and Professional Achievement Volunteer Job at Lha: French teacher and contributer to Contact After travelling a while in Asia, I was in Indonesia and supposed to go to Malaysia next. But India had been calling me very strongly for a few months...

When I decided to change all my plans for India, the question of “where” came. In a huge country like India, the options were numerous. So, despite the winter, I stopped procrastinating and took a flight for Dharamshala, a city

that I had wished to discover since the beginning of my travels.

Since being attracted a few years back by the Tibetan culture, I wanted to involve myself in its community, I wanted to be helpful. That is how my path has crossed the association Lha. First, I started with helping with the English conversation classes which were amazing! Quickly, I had “my” group of students: two Tibetan women and two monks. Their life stories were impressive. Our conversations were rich, we laughed a lot, and I could see them improving their English day after day.

After a few days, and thanks to my background, I had the opportunity to work on the environmental part of the

association. With two other volunteers, we wrote articles for Contact magazine and the Tibet Nature website. With the goal of raising environmental awareness, we covered some diverse topics over the following months. It was such rewarding work and an enriching exchange.

At the same time the Lha French teacher left so I started to learn how to teach French which is my mother tongue. I had three classes: beginner and intermediate, plus an individual lesson. It was a real challenge for me to teach up to 20 people (the beginners)!

Nevertheless, their enthusiasm encouraged me to do my best.

Moreover, my individual student was teaching me Tibetan at the end of our class. I was feeling very slow in learning a new language in comparison with my students... My days became very busy!

After six weeks of volunteering, I can say that I have absolutely no regrets at having changed my original plans. I have not only learned a new skill, teaching a language, but also gained valuable experience in my profession. To write environmental articles for a magazine is such a big opportunity for my career in the protection of the biodiversity.

The Lha team is awesome, my students are awesome, everything is great and I had so much fun!

Each day I was learning from everyone, each day I was leaving the office with a smile, and each day added meaning to my travel.

I already plan to come back in the future to continue my commitment with Lha.

Contact magazine is published by Lha Charitable Trust

Lha Charitable Trust is an award-winning, grassroots, non-profit organisation and one of the largest Tibetan social work institutes based in Dharamshala, India. Lha has been striving to provide vital resources for Tibetan refugees, local Indian communities, and people from the Himalayan regions for 20 years. Lha was registered as a charitable trust by the Indian Government in 2005.

For more information, please visit www.lhasocialwork.org To keep up to date with news of what’s happening in Tibet and in the Tibetan exile community, follow Contact magazine online at www.contactmagazine.net Facebook: Contact News / Twitter: Contact News Contact

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DECEMBER 2017

around town

Charities and Organisations

Central Tibetan Administration

The CTA serves in Dharamshala 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: Near Library 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 organises his schedule, including appointments and travel plans, diplomatic and personal correspondence, and liaises with officials of the Central Tibetan Administration.

WEB: www.dalailama.com LOCATION: McLeod Ganj, PHONE: 01892-221343 / 221210 EMAIL: ohhdl@dalailama.com

Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC)

The TYC is an advocacy and political action organisation with chapters around the world.

The TYC organises cultural exhibitions, educational campaigns and social welfare activities.

WEB: www. tibetanyouthcongress.org LOCATION: Tipa Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala -176219 PHONE: 01892-221554 EMAIL:president@tibetanyouthcongress.org, tyc@tibetanyouthcongress.org

Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA)

The 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 PHONE: 01892-221527 EMAIL: tibwomen@gmail.com

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 Dharamshala and day school in McLeod Ganj, with other branches throughout India.

WEB: www.tcv.org.in LOCATION: Dharamshala Cantt.176216 PHONE: 01892-221354 / 221348 EMAIL: headoffice@tcv.org.in

Men-Tsee-Khang: Tibetan Medical & Astro. Institute

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.

Contact

WEB: www.men-tsee-khang.org LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, PHONE: 01892-223222 / 223113 EMAIL: info@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 PHONE: 98822-55047 EMAIL: ltwa1970@gmail.com

Delek Hospital

Delek Hospital is a small, Tibetan run hospital in Dharamshala. 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. The hospital has a pharmacy on site.

WEB:www.delekhospital.org LOCATION: Kharadanda Rd, Dharamshala; Delek Clinic, Bhagsu Rd, Dharamshala HOURS: Outpatient, Mon-Fri: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm; Specialist clinics, Mon-Sat: 2:00 pm-4:30 pm; Emergencies, 24 hours daily PHONE: 01892-222053 / 223381 EMAIL: delek@bsnl.in hospitaldelek@yahoo.com

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 organisation.

WEB: www.sambhota.org LOCATION: Session Rd, Dharamshala176215 PHONE: 01892 - 228877 | 226877 EMAIL: stss1999@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. Volunteer opportunities available.

WEB: www. tong-len.org LOCATION: Top Floor, Bank Of Baroda, Kotwali Bazaar, Dharamshala-176215 PHONE: 01892-223930 EMAIL: jamyang@tong-len.org

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)

SFT is an international NGO that promotes the Tibetan cause among the non-Tibetan community.

The organisation attempts to build international solidarity by advocating for a free Tibet through chapter organisations at Universities around the world.

WEB:www.sftindia.org, www.studentsforafreetibet.org LOCATION: Jogiwara Road, McLeod Ganj PHONE: 9882786875

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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 conducting workshops and campaigns.

WEB: www.tchrd.org LOCATION: CTA, Dharamshala - 176215 PHONE: 01892-223363 EMAIL: office@tchrd.org

Lha Charitable Trust (Lha)

Lha, a Tibetan grassroots NGO based in Dharamshala, is one of the largest social work organisations 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, Opposite State Bank of India PHONE: 01892-220992, 988-2323-455 EMAIL: office@lhasocialwork.org

The Kangra Distt. Red Cross Society

The Kangra District Red Cross Society renders its humanitarian services, projects and activities with the help and the co-operation of people at all levels of society by donation.

WEB: www.redcrosskangra.org LOCATION: Red Cross Bhawan, Dharamshala PHONE: 01892-224888 / 9418832244 EMAIL: sharmaopl12345@gmail.com

Gu-Chu-Sum Movement Association of Tibet is an organisation of former political

prisoners of Tibet and former activists currently in exile that engages in their complete assistance from medical, financial, basic education and vocational training. It also organises lobby and advocacies about human rights abuses in Tibet.

WEB: www.guchusum.org LOCATION: Jogibara Road, McLeod Ganj, PHONE: 01892-220680 / 220679 EMAIL: guchusum1991@gmail.com

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 PHONE: 01892-221790 / 221877 EMAIL: director@tibetcharity.in

Norbulingka Institue

Centre for Tibetan culture with studios and artists at work.

Temple, tour guides of the workshops, and gardens.

L O C AT I O N : S i d h p u r, Dharamshala PHONE:9882144210 EMAIL: info@norbulingka.org WEB:www.norbulingka.org

DECEMBER 2017

around town

Charities and Organisations

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA)

Established in 1959, under the vision of HH the Dalai Lama, TIPA strives to preserve and promote Tibetan theatrical tradition. The Insitute imparts comprehensive training and lessons on Tibetan folk dance, folk song, traditional instruments and tradition of Tibetan opera.

TIPA also hosts a beautiful theatrical museum which remains open during working days. We organise a special group tour of our campus every Wednesday (10 am).

WEB: www.tibetanarts.org LOCATION: TIPA Road, McLeod Ganj Dharamshala-176219 PHONE: 01892-221478 EMAIL: tibetanarts2012@gmail.com

Learning and Ideas for Tibet (LIT)

Learning and Ideas for Tibet (LIT) is a nongovernment, non-profit adult education centre in Dharamshala, North India. LIT provides Free Education, Health Care and Skills Training to Tibetan Refugees to help eradicate poverty and illiteracy amongst the Tibetan population.

WEB: www.learningandideasfortibet.org LOCATION: Jogiwara Road, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala 176219 PHONE: 01892-220690 EMAIL: learningandideasfortibet@gmail.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, Dharamshala 176215 PHONE: 01892-226627 EMAIL: tccrteam@gmail.com

Rogpa Baby Care Centre

The Rogpa Baby Care Centre helps low-income Tibetan families to become self-sufficient by providing free child care for infants so that their parents can work. The centre needs volunteers to help with art, games, singing and other tasks including diaper changing.

WEB: www.tibetrogpa.org LOCATION: Jogiwara Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala- 176219 PHONE: 9857973026 EMAIL: rogpa2004@yahoo.com

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, Dharamshala, Distt Kangra 176215 PHONE: 9816105554 EMAIL: tashu72004@yahoo.com

Contact

Clean Upper Dharamshala 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 Centre are part of the Clean Upper Dharamshala Project. Weekly guided tours are offered on Wednesdays at 3 pm.

WEB: www.tsodhasa.org LOCATION: Bhagsu Road, McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala - 176219 PHONE: 01892-221059 EMAIL: cudpswm@gmail.com

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: nyingtob_ling@hotmail.com

Women’s Team

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 levels 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 and many more benefits for volunteers.

LOCATION: No. 262, 1st floor, Khajanchi -Mohalla, Khunyara Rd, Lower Dharamshala PHONE: 9882077708 / 9882921477 EMAIL: wangduemiddleway@gmail.com Website: www.anec-india.net Facebook: www/facebook.com/anecpeace

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 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: Dharamshala–176219 EMAIL: tibetparty4@gmail.com PHONE: 9882787633 / 9882673330

Volunteers needed to teach English to Indian women and children in the village of Kaniyara near Dharamshala. Contact Jitender.

EMAIL: jitenderje@gmail.com PHONE: 7831956680 / 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: 4:00am (Rs 554), 6pm (Rs 580), 7:30 pm (Rs 570) Semi Deluxe Bus: 5pm (Rs 590) , 6:30pm (Rs 590) Full Deluxe Bus: (Rs683) AC Volvo Semi-Sleeper: 8:15 am (Rs 1243), 5:35pm (Rs 1275), 7:00pm (Rs 1275), 8:50pm (Rs1275) AC TATA: 5:50pm (Rs 972) Amritsar: Ordinary Bus: 5am (Rs257) *from Dharamshala Dehradun: Ordinary Bus: 2pm (Rs 560) 8pm (Rs 551); VOLVO: 7pm (Rs 1199) Manali: Ordinary Bus: 7:10am (Rs358 *from Dharamshala / VOLVO: 11:30 pm (Rs 782) Pathankot: Ordinary Bus: 5am (Rs 136) * from Dharamshala Shimla: Ordinary Bus: 5am (Rs 408), 6am (Rs 360), 7:50am (Rs 375), 8:am (Rs 520) 7:45 pm (Rs 363), 12pm (Rs 367) *from Dharamshala, Semi-Deluxe Bus: 9:30pm (Rs455) *from Dharamshala FOR BOOKINGS: Location: Ticket stand under McLLo’s, McLeod Ganj Main square Hours: 10am-5pm, daily Phone: 220026 (McLeod bus stand), 224903 (Dharamshala) For deluxe buses, book through any travel agency.

TA X I S A private taxi to Lower Dharamshala will cost you Rs 200. Cram into a jeep (from the bus stand), and it’ll only cost you Rs15.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Ambulance: 01892-102, 222189

Police Superintendent: 01892-222244

Tibetan Delek Hospital Location: Gangchen Kyishong, CTA Hours: Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, MonSat; Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm, Wed only; 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

Kangra Airport: 01892-232374 Bhagsu Taxi Union: 01892-221034 Tourism Office: 01892-224430 , 223325 Rail Booking & Enquiry: 01892-265026

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McLeod Ganj Post Office Location: Jogiwara Rd, past Peace Cafe Hours: 9:30am-1pm and 2-5pm, Mon-Fri; 9:30am-noon, Sat. Parcels and money orders can be sent in the mornings only.

Phone: 01892-221 924

DECEMBER 2017

activities and information Upcoming Events January 1, 2018: New Year Holiday January 5 to 7, 2018: His Holiness will give a three-day teaching in Bodhgaya, Bihar, India February 16 to 18, 2018: Losar (Tibetan New Year) March 2,2018: His Holiness the Dalai :ama teaching in Dharamshala

BUDDHIST PHILoSOPHY Library of Tibetan Works and Archives WEB: www.ltwa.net/library LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala HOURS: Mon-Sat: 9-10 am, 11-12noon PHONE: 921-842-2467/9882255047

Public Audience with HH Karmapa WEB: www.kagyuoffice.org LOCATION: Sidhpur HOURS: Wed & Sat: 2:30pm PHONE: 01892-235307

yoga and reiki Om Yoga, Meditation and Reiki Centre LOCATION: Ketan Lodge, behind Akash Hotel, on Jogiwara Rd HOURS: 8:00am-5:30pm PHONE: 980-569-3514

Siddhartha Retreat and Yoga Centre LOCATION: Upper Bhagsu PHONE: 098165-65138 WEB: www.shivamneelkant.yoga.com

MASSAGE Nature Cure Health Club

Shiatsu massage LOCATION: Near Tibetan Ashoka, Jogiwara Road PHONE: 07833047078 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com

Men-Tsee-Khang

LOCATION: Mcleod Ganj Branch Clinic, 1st floor, TIPA Road (2 mins from Main Square) PHONE: 98828-60505 EMAIL: therapycenter@men-tsee-khang.org

Om Massage Centre

LOCATION: Bhagsu Road, Opposite the Green Hotel, Mcleod Ganj PHONE:7018483961/9857999373 EMAIL: kunsangdolma75@gmail.com

Dorjee Spa LOCATION: Pema Thang Guest house, Hotel Bhagsu Road PHONE:9816393673 / 9857108408 WhatsApp: 9816393673

Contact

MEDITATION Ocean of Harmony

Taught by an experienced and qualified coach WEB: www.oceanofharmony.org PHONE: (+91) 99798-94585 EMAIL: ohlifeandwellness@gmail.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

Shivan Neel Kanth Yoga

WEBSITE:www.shivamneelkant.yoga.com LOCATION: Bhagsu Nag, Near High Sky PHONE: 09816565138 EMAIL: yogi_shivam@yahoo.co.in

COOKING Lha Tibetan Cooking Classes - for groups

LANGUAGES Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translators Program LOCATION: Rato Chuwar Labrang, Phuntsok Gatsel Session Road Hours: 10:45-5pm Email: lrztp.manager@gmail.com

Rita Thakur Hindi Classes

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

Tibetan Language

LOCATION: The Tibetan Library *see Buddhist Philosophy Listing

Hindi Lessons with Kailash

LOCATION: Hotel India House, Bhagsu Rd PHONE: 01892-20063, 941-816-1947

Esukhia Online Tibetan Courses and Tibetan Immersion Spoken Location:Tilak Ray Building, Bhagsu Rd PHONE: 8679502538 / 98820-04965 EMAIL: contact@esukhia.org

LOCATION: Lha Soup Kitchen, Temple Rd, Just below the Dalai Lama’s temple HOURS: Registration, 9:00-11:00am PHONE: 01892-220992

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

Indian Cooking Classes

LOCATION:Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guesthouse HOURS: 10:00am-6:00pm PHONE: 07833047078 / 0988230136 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

Sangye’s Kitchen: Traditional Tibetan Cooking Classes

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

COMPUTER CLASSES Tibetan Career Centre, Dharamshala LOCATION: Jogiwara Road, Mcleod Ganj HOURS: 9:00am-6pm PHONE: 9882321424 /9880969175 Email at : yesheadconsultant@tibet.net

Lha Charitable Truse

LOCATION: Near Dolma Chowk, Mcleod Ganj PHONE: 9882323455 / +91 (0)1892 -220992 WEB: www.lhasocialwork.org

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art and museums Tibet Museum

LOCATION:Near the Main Temple and 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, Jogiwara Rd HOURS: Mon, Wed & Fri: 2:00pm-5:00pm

The Tibetan Institute for the Performing Arts (TIPA)

WEB: www.tibetanarts.org LOCATION: Tipa Road, McLeod Ganj PHONE: 1892-221478 EMAIL: tibetanarts2012@gmail.com

Kangra Art Museum

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

Men-Tsee-Khang Museum

LOCATION: Near CTA, Gangchen Kyishong PHONE: 01892-223222 / 223113 EMAIL: info@men-tsee-khang.org HOURS: 9am-5pm. Closed on Sun, 2 and 4th Sat

Men-Tsee-Khang Museum

LOCATION: Near CTA, Gangchen Kyishong PHONE: 01892-223222 / 223113 EMAIL: info@men-tsee-khang.org HOURS: 9am-5pm. Closed on Sun, 2 and 4th Sat

DECEMBER 2017

activities and information HEALTH SERVICES Perfect 32 Dental Clinic Dr Natasha Mehra LOCATION: Near Hotel Mount View, Jogiwara Road, McLeod Ganj PHONE: 09218742046 EMAIL: perfect32dentalclinic@gmail.com Tibetan Physiotherapy Clinic Specialised in Muscle and Joint Pain LOCATION: Near Delek Hospital, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala 176215 HOURS: 10am - 5pm (Appointment Bases) PHONE: 9882322783 / 9882321532 EMAIL: jigten17@yahoo.co.in WEBSITE : tibetanphysiotherapy.com Tibetan Delek Hospital LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala 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 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: Below Delek Hospital, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala 176215 PHONE: 01892-223222 / 223113 EMAIL: info@men-tsee-khang.org 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: 7833047078 / 9882320136 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com Dr Tandon Advanced Dental Orthodontic & Implant Centre Location: Opp. AP Travels, Mcleod Ganj Phone:9418462936 Email: dr.rahultandon@gmail.com

Tibet-Related Websites

News:

tibet.net - official website of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile phayul.com -Phayul is published in Dharamshala,has opinion, reviews, photos, etc contactmagazine.net - Contact magazine online news 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 thetibetpost.com - Tibet Post International online news tibetexpress.net - Tibet Express online news 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 thetibetpost.com and tibetexpress.net are both sources of news and information

News, information and campaigning:

dalailama.com - for broadcasts of His Holiness’s teachings, his schedule and information about Tibet and the Dalai Lama tchrd.org - Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy - a nongovernmental organisation and a research centre to protect the human rights of Tibetan people and promote the principles of democracy tibetanyouthcongress.org - an international non-governmental organisation that advocates full independence for Tibet from China studentsforafreetibet.org - a global grass roots group campaigning for full Tibetan independence tibetanreview.net - news, opinions, reviews and information freetibet.org: - UK-based campaigning organisation, also a good news source savetibet.org - Website of the 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 tibetanjournal.com - Tibetan Journal - news, reviews and opinions

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.

Interested in a Tibetan Homestay?

Is Arriving in India a Nightmare?

Thinking about Volunteering?

Lha Charitable Trust can arrange homestays of one month with a Tibetan refugee family. By sharing day-to-day life with a Tibetan family you will have an opportunity to experience Tibetan culture at first hand as well as making friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

Accommodation, breakfast and dinner included.

Next time you come, use the Lha Reception service at Delhi airport.

We will meet you at the airport, look after you in Delhi and give you a safe place to stay while you wait for your overnight bus to McLeod. We’ll put you on the bus and make sure you are on the right seat! Use our service especially when you are arriving late at night or early morning.

Lha offers you the opportunity to share your knowledge and skills while gaining practical experience with a social work organisation – good for your CV as well as being fun and interesting! Lha volunteers develop friendships as well as learning at first handabout the issues facing the Tibetan refugee community.

Find out more! Call into the Lha office, see Map # 1 Contact

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DECEMBER 2017

advertisements

DR TANDON’S ADVANCED Our specialty: Chocolate Vegan cake, Gluten free cake, Fresh Coffee Beans, cappaccino, Chocolate chilli lollipop 9am to 7pm - Closed on Monday

Below “Black Magic Hotel” on Jogiwara Rd -Map#4

DENTAL

ORTHODONTIC & IMPLANT CENTRE Mcleod Add: Downstairs Opp. AB Travels Temple Road Mcleod Ganj Dharamshala Add: Opp. Canara Bank Kotwali Bazaar Dharamshala

A centre with multispeiciality dental treatment facility since 2000. Map#24 website: www.himachaldentist.com Email: dr.rahultandon@gmail.com Appointment/Emergency call: 9418462936

HIMALAYAN YOGA RETREAT Yoga Time: 8:30 am to 9:30 am

To advertise here, Contact Lha office at Temple Road, McLeod Ganj Or Call on our number 9882323455 Price of advertisements depends on the size of your Ad

Drop-in Classes/ Weekly Courses/ Reiki Course & Treatment Teacher Training Course (200 hours) Map#26

Mobile no: 988222502 - Surinder

Address: Jogiwara Road, Green View House after Youngling Schoo Mcleod Ganj, Opposite Pink House www.himalayanyogacentre.com / Email:surinderlala@yahoo.in

8 AUSPICIOUS HIM VIEW HOTEL

8 beautiful rooms with balcony facing the Himalayan Range.

Enjoy the sunrise from your bed!

Phone: 01892-220567 Cell: 9418236603 Jogiwara Rd (Map #12) Email: tseringd@aushimview.com

Nature Cure Health Club

Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guest House - Map #23 Mobile: 07833047078 /09882320136 / Email: mahinder_m@ hotmail.com 20+ yrs’ experience: Swedish massage courses & treatment, Zen Shiatsu courses, treatment, reflexology treatment, SPA, Singing Bowl Treatment and many more!

TIBETAN OM MASSAGE THERAPY Bhagsu Road, Opp.Green Hotel Mcleod Ganj - Map #27 Email: kunsangdolma75@gmail / Mobile : 7018483961 / 9857999373

I) COURSES

• Thai Massage ( 90 minutes for 3 days - Rs 4500 ) • Traditional /Ayurvedic Acupressure (90 minutes for 3 days - Rs 4500 ) • Litho Us Therapy (60 minutes for 3 days - Rs 4000) • Deep Tissue (90 minutes for 2 days - Rs 3000) • Swedish Massage (90 minutes for 2 days - Rs 2000) • Foot Reflexology (90 minutes for 1 day - Rs 2000) • Back Massage (120 minutes for 1 day - Rs 2000) • Head Massage (90 minutes for 1 day - Rs 1500) • Chair Massage (90 minutes for 1 day - Rs 1500) • Yoga Classes (5 days course - Rs 1000)

II) MASSAGES

• Lithos Therapy ( 70 minutes - Rs 1600) • Thai Massage ( 60 minutes - Rs 1500) • Deep Tissue Massage ( 60 minutes - Rs 1300) • Compresss Therapy ( 60 minutes - Rs 1300 ) • Kerala Traditonal Massage ( 60 minutes - Rs 1000) • Swedish Massage (60 minutes - Rs 1000 / 90 minutes - Rs 1500) • Reflexology ( 30 minutes - Rs 600) • Chair Massage ( 30 minutes - Rs 600) • Baliness Back Massage ( 30 minutes - Rs 500) •Ayurvedic Head Massage ( 30 minutes - Rs 500)

Contact

20

DECEMBER 2017

advertisements

Contact

21

DECEMBER 2017

advertisements Map not to scale

Map of McLeod Ganj showing locations of places of interest

BHAGSU NAG

See advertisement pages for details of advertisers TIPA

21

DHARAMKOT

27

26

Vipassana Centre

Naddi Village Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV)

15

Tushita Centre

22

MAIN SQUARE

3

McLEOD GANJ 25 Main Bazaar

27

Cantt Police Post

20

28

24

6

23

4

1

Lha

12

11

10

5

16

29 14

2

13

Road to Dharamshala

1. Lha Headquarters and Tibet Fair Trade 2. Namgyal Cafe 3. Common Ground Cafe 4. Dr Mobile, Woeser Bakery 5. Black Tent Cafe 6. Carpe Diem Restaurant 10. Perfect 32 Dental Clinic 11. Hotel Ladies’ Venture 12. 8 Auspicious Him View Hotel 13. Ahimsa House and Lha Soup Kitchen 14. Chonor House 15. Lhamo’s Croissant, Dolma Therapy 16. Rinku Taxi Service

17. Central Tibetan Administration,Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, Tibetan Library 18. LRZTP Tibetan Language Programme 19. Tibetan Museum and Temple 20. Tibetan Handicraft Centre 21. Taste of India 22. SnowLion Custom Tattoo 23. Nature Cure Health Club 24. Dr Tandon’s Advanced Dental 25. Smile Dental Clinice & Implant Center 26. Himalayan Yoga Retreat 27. Om Massage Centre 28. Chapri Handicrafts 29. Dorjee Spa

Enjoy traditional Taiwanese and Chinese food and peaceful environment, just one minute from the Bus Stand, just behind Asian Plaza! (Map # 3)

NEED A DENTIST?

19

17 18

Road to Dharamshala

Shifted to new location!

First floor opposite Municipal Parking near HH Dalai Lama temple #Temple Road

For all your dental requirements under one roof, in a sterile and state of the art clinic

Dr Natasha Mehra @ Perfect 32 Dental Clinic Location: Near Hotel Mount View Jogiwara Rd, McLeod Map #10 Email: perfect32dentalclinic@gmail.com /Call: 09218742046 Website: www.perfect32dentalclinic.in

To advertise here, Contact Lha office at Temple Road, McLeod Ganj

To advertise here, Contact Lha office at Temple Road, McLeod Ganj Contact

Lhamo’s Croissant Vegetarian and Vegan Food

Bakery, Coffee shop, Gluten Free and Fresh seasonal juices and salads

Roof top terrace with stunning views

Bhagsu Road, just after Tibetan Settlement Office Map#15 22

DECEMBER 2017

advertisements Smile Dental Clinic & Implant Center

Oppo. Walia Medical Store Near State Bank of India ATM, Mcleod Ganj. MOBILE NO: 7018354594 / 8629011445 Map#25 website: smiledentalclinicmcleodganj.com

Ocean of Harmony Programmes for Wellbeing For upcoming events, visit www.oceanofharmony.org Meditation Intensives For intensive trainings Meditation Therapies around the world (any country) Intensive Yoga Courses/Retreats contact: Shalu Patel Stress Management (experienced & qualified life Integrated Healing Therapies and wellness coach for Wellness Retreats international trainings)

To advertise here, Contact Lha office at Temple Road, McLeod Ganj

Phone: (+91) 9979894585 Email: ohlifeandwellness@gmail.com

Seasons Greetings and a very Happy New Year to all our readers!

With all good wishes for a peaceful and prosperous 2018.

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23

DECEMBER 2017

ལྷ་བོད་ཀྱི་ལུགས་མཐུན་བཟོ་ཚོང་ལས་ཁང་།

Lha Tibet Fair Trade Regd No.U74140HP2013PTC000540 IEC No. 2213006741 TIN: 02060101641 CST: 02060101641 PAN: AACCL5897M

What’s LTFT?

Lha Tibet Fair Trade (LTFT) is a certified Fair Trade company which supports Lha’s charitable work through the sale of traditional Tibetan goods made by local craftspeople.

What we have?

Hand-made woollen carpets, singing bowls, jewellery, goods made from recycled paper, Tibetan home decor pieces and many more!

Why LTFT?

Your shopping and support will contribute to Lha’s numerous social projects and help Lha become more sustainable and self-sufficient.

What we do?

Retail outlet, manufacture, wholesale, import & export, support local artisans, tours and travel.The LTFT is pleased to welcome any businesses wishing to form partnerships and set up exhibition tours.

Drop-in at our store at LHA office, Mon-Sat Phone: +91 (0) 98823-23455 / 1892-220992

W www.tibetfairtrade.com

Lha Tibet Fair Trade To advertise call Lha office: 01892-220992 or visit Lha office at Temple Rd, McLeod Ganj Map #1

Follow Contact website using the QR code!

Tibet Fair Trade འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་གསར་འཕྲིན།

Contact Newsletter Managing Director Ngawang Rabgyal Editor-in-Chief Jenny James Editor Tenzin Samten Assistant Editor Dorji Kyi Circulation Manager Lobsang Rabsel Published by Lha Charitable Trust Web: www.lhasocialwork.org www.contactmagazine.net www.samdhongrinpoche.com Phone: 91(0)1892-220992 Email:editor@contactmagazine.net Facebook: ContactNews Twitter: @ContactTibet Printed at Imperial Printing, Dharamshala Phone: 222390 Email:ippdsala@gmail.com