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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: XX Issue:2 FEB/MAR 31, 2018
Self-Immolation in Ngaba
by Neha Malara Another Tibetan has taken their own life by dousing themselves in petrol and setting themselves alight in an outcry against Chinese rule. Sichuan’s Nagba county was the scene of the selfimmolation which took place on March 7. Tsekho Tukchak set himself on fire in Meruma, but before dousing Continued on page 3
“Thank You India”!
March 31 marks the beginning of the 60th year since His Holiness the Dalai Lama first set foot in India after his flight across the Himalayas from Tibet. A year-long “Thank You India” campaign was launched on March 31 with a celebration at Tsuglakhan, the main temple in Dharamshala, to acknowledge India’s hospitality to the Tibetan people. Full story inside! Please see articles on pages 4, 9 and 10
Major Fire at Jokhang Temple Tibetan Writer Shokjang Released by Anisha Francis A fire broke out at the ancient Jokhang temple in Lhasa on February 17, damaging the gilded roof and parts of the second and third floor of the UNESCO world heritage site, considered the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Even several weeks later the full extent of damage to the 1,300-year-old monastery is still unknown, due to the censorship of all Continued on page 5
W www.contactmagazine.net
by Tenzin Samten Druklo – popularly known by his pen name Shokjang – a prominent Tibetan writer and blogger was released from Chinese prison on March 19 after completing a three-year prison sentence for a wrongful conviction. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), Shokjang was required to go through a lengthy checkout procedure via Continued on page 3
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ABOUT LHA & CONTACT Contact, a free monthly magazine published by Lha Charitable Trust, is a recognised and registered publication under the Registrar Office of the Newspaper, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. The registration number is HPENG/2013/51798. Acknowledged by Lonely Planet and other international travel resources, Contact has been a popular source of news and information on Tibetan issues, and the Dharamshala community, for over 20 years. 700 - 1,000 copies are printed per issue and distributed in the Dharamshala area, Delhi, and various diplomatic missions of India. Copies are also sent to various Tibetan schools, settlements, offices and NGOs in India and abroad. Please Note: The articles, stories and other material in Contact represent the views of the authors and are not necessarily the views of the Contact editing staff or Lha Social Work. All comments on this issue should be submitted by email to: editor@contactmagazine.net
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This issue of Contact is sponsored by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). TFD’s kind contribution has made this publication possible. We thank TFD for supporting the publication of Contact.
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NEWS & ISSUES
Continued from page 1
Self-Immolation in Ngaba
himself in petrol he called out: “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for Tibet.” The 40 year-old Tibetan was objecting to the Chinese authorities’ repression of the residents of Nagba, and the incident marks the 153rd self-immolation in Tibet since 2009. With the 59th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese forces in Lhasa on March 10, the Chinese authorities have further increased their presence in Meruma, with internet access blocked and large gatherings forbidden. Tukchak was vocal in his opposition to the occupation and repression by the Chinese authorities, and was
concerned about its effect on the Tibetan community and culture. He is survived by his mother, wife and two daughters who are still living in Meruma in Nagba county. Since the 2008 uprising, selfimmolation has been a powerful tool
to draw attention to the repression in Tibet. In March of that year peaceful
protests in the capital city Lhasa were brutally shut down leading to a full scale riot. The 2008 Beijing Olympics meant that the world was watching China, and they were determined to silence the protesters. Hundreds of Tibetans were detained and shot. Prayers are being held for Tukchak both at home in Meruma and by Tibetan communities around the world. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, prayed for him during the anniversary of the National Tibetan Uprising Day of 1989. In the ceremony he expressed concerns over the growing resentment of the Tibetans living under Chinese rule, with self-immolation perhaps the most extreme form of protest possible.
Tibetan Writer Shokjang Released Continued from page 1
numerous police stations before being allowed home to Gengya village in Gansu province’s Sangchu County. He was only allowed to return home after dark, however, he was given a warm welcome by many fellow Tibetans from different areas who gathered to greet him, said RFA’s source. There is no news about whether his health has suffered during his time in prison, and he remains under extreme scrutiny with a further two years “deprivation of political rights”. “He is still being closely watched by the Chinese though, and we don’t know many details about his current condition,” said Golog Jigme, a former Tibetan political prisoner now living in Switzerland. He added that though Shokhang is said to be well, there are concerns for his health, given the hard labour prisoners are required to perform while in prison. While still a student, studying Tibetan literature at the Northwest Nationalities University in Lanzhou, Shokjang organised a student protest calling for greater freedom to coincide with the 2008 mass protest happening across Tibet at the time, and following this was detained for a month. Contact
He was arrested again on March 19, 2015 for his involvement in the 2008 Tibetan uprising and for publishing a literary magazine that criticised China’s policies. He was sentenced to three years by the People’s Intermediate Court in Rebgong on Feburary 17, 2016 for “inciting separatism”. Shokjang
protested against his sentence from his prison cell, in a 17-page letter, that his writings are protected by China’s constitution which allows freedom of expression through writings. Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) reported that the Chinese Communist Party jailed 23 journalists and 83 bloggers 3
in 2015, including Shokjang. Shokjang’s case was widely publicised and his cause was taken up by international human rights organisations, exile Tibetan communities and Tibetan supporters across the world who repeatedly petitioned China for his release. His case highlights the situation in Tibet where a prison sentence can be a consequence of the expression of one’s views in writing. “Shokjang was wrongfully imprisoned on politically motivated charges and it is utterly deplorable that he was forced to spend the past three years of his life behind bars. His imprisonment is yet another appalling example of the ruthless and repressive tactics used by China in a bid to crush dissent, especially when it comes to those speaking out about China’s policies in Tibet” said Gloria Montgomery, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns at the Tibet Society in London. Shokjang is a highly regarded Tibetan poet, lyricist, short story writer and essayist. He is the author of four books: The Courageous Path; The Might of the Pen; For Liberty, I Have No Regrets and Rangdrol’s Courage. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES His Holiness Launches the “Thank You India” Campaign
by Tenzin Samten and Mary Trewartha His Holiness the Dalai Lama launched the year-long “Thank You India” campaign at Tsuglakhang, the main temple in Dharamshala, on March 31. The event marked the beginning of the 60th year since His Holiness stepped onto Indian soil after his flight from Tibet in 1959, and will also celebrate the Tibetan culture and spirit that thrives on Indian soil. Despite the Indian Government’s planned boycott of the event [see articles on pages 9 and 10], Indian guests included Mahesh Sharma, Indian Minister of State for Culture and Tourism; Ram Madhav, National General Secretary of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); Naren Chandra Das, the retired Havaldar of the 5 Assam Rifles who welcomed His Holiness when he arrived in India in 1959; Shanta Kumar, a member of the BJP and a former third Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, he
is also a former Union Minister in the Government of India and Convener of All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT); Kishan Kapoor, Food, Civil supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister from the state of Himachal Pradesh and the member of the
At the launch of Thank You India campaign Photo: tibet.net
legislative assembly from Dharamshala assembly constituency of India and Shri RK Khrimey, National Convener, Core Group for Tibetan Cause and BJP member. Other events for His Holiness in March included a special audience and speech to 600 foreign visitors from over 50 countries in Tsuglakhang on March 5 and the following week he participated in the five-day Mind and Life Conference
held this year in Dharamshala from March 12 to 16. A panel of experts, which included His Holiness, made presentations during the conference on their fields of expertise. On March 18 His Holiness attended the first convocation of the Central University of Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir State as Chief Guest telling the students therethat they are the “future of the world and the future of India”. The following day, His Holiness spoke at the annual meeting of the Association of Indian Universities in Sarnath, Varanasi which was attended by the representatives of 150 universities. His Holiness said the world is increasingly becoming interdependent and that violence is outdated behaviour and of the need to reduce anger and fear. He also spoke about the relevance to this century of India’s age-old traditions of ahimsa and secularism. While in Sarnath, His Holiness visited the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies where he met and spoke to the Tibetan teachers. His Holiness has cut down on international travel on the advice of his doctors.
Liverpool FC Urged to Drop Water Deal with Tibet
by Lauren Chaplin In the United Kingdom, opposition continues to mount against Liverpool Football Club’s 2017 sponsorship deal with Tibet Water Resources. A petition calling on the football club to abandon the deal, saying it “lends legitimacy to the occupation [of Tibet], creating a cycle of violence and repression”, has so far received nearly 86,000 signatures and counting. Liverpool FC has yet to comment on the matter. The deal concerns Tibet Water Resources Ltd’s flagship product Tibet Water 5100 which is bottled at 5,100 metres above sea level in the Tibetan Himalayas. This exploitation of Tibet’s water is causing grave concerns on environmental grounds and for the millions of people living downstream in neighbouring countries who rely on Tibet’s water, as well as the concerns Contact
about supporting the oppressive Chinese regime in Tibet. The deal states that Liverpool FC, which has a growing Asian fan base, is lucrative for both the Club and for Tibet Water. However, the petition argues that the football club is in a financially robust position and draws attention to the ethics of working with a company that is based in Tibet, which has been under Chinese military occupation since the 1950s and suffers wellcatalogued human rights violations. Responding to detractors, Tibet Water Resources claims it has “helped measurably improve Tibetans’ livelihoods by providing more job opportunities and building local facilities, as well as supporting local education, medical care and poverty alleviation”. Protests have been staged, co4
ordinated by Tibet groups and global advocacy organisation SumOfUs. On January 14 and February 4, both match days, a mobile billboard was driven around Liverpool, bearing a message directed at Liverpool FC owner John W Adams: “Under Chinese rule, Tibetans are beaten and tortured for their beliefs […] Do we think this is okay?” Liverpool fans are contacting Tibet support groups directly to lend their support to the campaign. Campaigners say that deals such as these normalise the repression of Tibetans and reward unethical Chinese companies. John Jones of Free Tibet has called on Liverpool FC to listen to its fans and make it clear that “principles are more important than profits”. You can sign the petition on the SumOfUs website. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES Continued from page 1
Major Fire at Jokhang Temple
media reports pertaining to the event by the Chinese government. While the incident caused an outpouring of grief and anguish from Tibetans across the world, it has also provoked the international media into questioning the Chinese authorities’ attempts to downplay the blaze and suppress all videos and photographs that showed several parts of the temple completely engulfed in flames for several hours. Unwilling to even acknowledge the fire for up to five hours after it began, the Communist-party-controlled Chinese news outlets said only that the fire was “put out swiftly” and that the revered Jowo Shakyamuni Buddha statue had not suffered any damage. Later it reported that the blaze had affected an area of 500 square feet. The Chinese government has also denied arson, claiming the fire, which broke out on the second day of Losar celebrations, was an accident. The Chinese authorities forbade locals from sharing videos of the blaze and threatened punishment
to those who discussed the fire on social media, or attempted to give out eyewitness accounts to foreign media over the telephone. One of the country’s most politically sensitive sites and the location of the anti-Beijing protests in the 1980’s, the Jhokang temple is home to numerous priceless cultural artefacts, including over 3,000 images of Buddhas, idols
of other deities, relics, murals and manuscripts, numbering over 6,500 in total. Tibetan Buddhists and historians alike are anxious about the condition of these artefacts and alarmed by the lack of information or evidence that they are safe. Residents of Lhasa who visited the temple for prayers as soon as it was re-opened told the international press
that many parts of the monument were cordoned off by large yellow curtains and that they could see charred debris behind them. The main chapel that houses the Jowo statue, believed to have been blessed by Buddha himself, has not yet been opened to the public. The spectacular golden roof of the temple, that was seen burning from miles around Lhasa, has been removed – apparently to safeguard against collapse. In the United Kingdom, Members of Parliament have submitted a written question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office asking the Minister If he will request from the Chinese authorities a detailed report on the recent fire damage to the UNESCO-listed Jokhang temple in Lhasa, and if he will make a statement. While in Paris, Amy Heller, a Tibet expert and art historian at the East Asian Civilizations Research Centre in Paris, expressed her scepticism over the “official” news from the Chinese media saying, “We still know nothing”.
Human Rights Council Condemns China
by Lodoe Gyatso The grave human rights situation in China was a hot topic at the 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). During his annual report to the Human Rights Council, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’adAl Hussein made specific mention of the human rights situation in China. “My Office continues to receive urgent appeals regarding arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, ill-treatment and discrimination, emanating from human rights defenders, lawyers, legislators, booksellers, and members of communities such as Tibetans and Uyghurs,” he noted, adding that “Many of these cases involve people struggling against economic, social and cultural injustices, such as cases of corruption; illegal seizure of land and forced evictions; destruction of cultural sites; constraints on religious Contact
practices and restrictions on use of local languages.” The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights made a statement addressed to the President of the Human Rights Council. It stated that China’s revised law regarding Buddhism in Tibet, in effect since February 2, strengthens the Communist Party’s far-reaching power over people’s lives and beliefs. The law further threatens Tibetan Buddhism’s continued survival under Chinese rule. “While they intend to regulate almost every aspect of religious life, in addition, the revised rules conflate peaceful religious practice with ‘threats’ to China’s security, creating a more dangerous political environment for monks, nuns, and lay Buddhists,” the rights group said. “We are concerned that despite many concerns raised by the international community, the 5
situation at Larung Gar and Yarchen Gar remains unsatisfactory and deeply worrisome, as massive state intervention at these sites continues to violate the freedom of religion of Buddhist practitioners,” the statement said. In a further development, a group of international human rights organisations has “sent a private letter” to specific UN member states. “The Human Rights Council should take further steps to show China that undermining key legal protections for freedoms of expression and association and the rights to a fair trial, not to mention disappearing or arbitrarily detaining dissenting voices, is unacceptable behaviour,” the group noted. The 37th Human Rights Council was held from February 26 to March 23. Please see also article on page 11. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES
The World Stands with Tibet
by Tenzin Tso Events were held across the globe around the weekend of March 10 as people showed solidarity and support for the Tibetan people on the 59th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day. In Dharamshala, the five Tibetan non-government organisations (NGOs) – the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the Tibetan Women Association, the
Tibetans and supporters in Australia
Gu-Chu-Sum movement, the National Democratic Party of Tibet and Students for Free Tibet – staged an event, 59 years of Tibetan resistance, and called for China’s President Xi Jinping to stop intensifying the repression of Tibetans. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay – President of the Tibetan government-in-exile – called for unity among Tibetan people
and a crowd of Tibetans and supporters hoisted the Tibetan national flag and took part in a peaceful procession from the temple to lower Dharamshala. Gu-Chu-Sum, meanwhile, organised a photography exhibition to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1988 uprising in Lhasa to acknowledge the courage and sacrifices made by Tibetan martyrs and to show solidarity with the Tibetan political prisoners who remain in Chinese prisons. In Delhi, 80 protestors from the TYC were detained during a peaceful protest near the Chinese embassy and around the world Tibetans and supporters took to the streets. In Nepal, where for years Tibetans have been banned from protesting due to their government’s closer relations with China, they took to the streets anyway. They were soon stopped by the Nepali police, but not before making their voices heard. In Europe, Tibetans in Geneva marked the day with slogans demanding freedom and human rights in Tibet, while in London,
United Kingdom, events included a protest at the Chinese Embassy. Twenty parliamentarians from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia issued statements of support for Tibet. Events
Tibetans and supporters in New Zealand
were held in Taiwan and Japan and a prayer service was held in Moscow, while similar services were also held in South Africa and Australia. In Tibet, the Chinese government staged a display of strength, with large drills in Lhasa and other major towns and cities. On March 10, 1959, 300,000 Tibetans took to the streets of Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, to protest against the Chinese invasion of their country. His Holiness the Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet in fear of his life and thousands of men, women and children were killed.
Tibetan Nuns Offer Their First Tenshug
by Tenzin Samten Tibetan nuns from over 40 nunneries across India, Nepal and Bhutan made their first-ever Tenshug (long-life prayer offering) to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama on March 2 at Tsuglakhang, the main temple in Dharamshala. The nuns represented all the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the Bon tradition. On receipt of their offering, His Holiness said, “I am indeed happy that this offering is being made together by nuns of all five sects of Tibetan Buddhism. It is indeed applaudable.” While Contact
acknowledging with gratitude their grand long-life prayer offering, he told them that the most meaningful offering to him would be their “unfaltering dedication and service” to the dharma. Speaking about the importance of studying Buddhist texts and basing that study on reasoning, His Holiness recounted that in Tibet Buddhism has spread throughout the country but said that the majority of people follow out of blind faith. “After coming to India and reviving monasteries and nunneries successfully, I encouraged monks and nuns to pursue the study of Buddha’s teachings, root texts and the five great treatises,” said His Holiness. “I am very proud of your achievement,” he continued, “And encourage all of you to pursue the highest scholarship in Buddhist study. This is the 21st century and we need to understand the Buddha’s 6
teachings in the light of reason. When we study, contemplate and practise the teachings, we need to do so on the basis of reason.” His Holiness was referring to the fact that nuns
are now able to achieve the Geshe degree – a level of study previously only permitted to monks. The following day, March 2, Tibet’s spiritual leader gave a short teaching from the Jataka Tales followed by a teaching on Tsongkhapa’s In Praise of Dependent Origination (tendrel toepa) to a packed crowd at Tsuglakhang. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES
Two Prisoners Held Incommunicado by Tenzin Samten and Mary Trewartha Lodoe Gyatso, also known as Sogkar Lodoe, who was reported missing after his solo protest in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa on January 28, is now known to be held in a Chinese prison in Sog County in Tibet’s Nagchu prefecture – his hometown. During his protest, Gyatso called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, demilitarisation of Tibet, and transformation of Tibet into a “zone of peace”. Radio Free Asia reports that he was first arrested in 1991 for killing a man in a fight and sentenced to 15 years, but was
held for 21 years because of his political activism while in prison. On his release in May 2013 he was under police supervision but continued to criticise the Beijing government for its “oppressive policies” and saying that China’s treatment of Tibetan people “was contrary to national and international standards of law”. Gyatso also spoke out about the Chinese authorities’ insistence that Tibetans wear traditional fur-lined clothing lined – which they now avoid following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s plea that people stop wearing animal skins. Arrested again, he was beaten and tortured while in detention before being released in July 2016. He is reported to have promised his fellow inmates that he would stage a protest in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, after being freed.
Lobsang Sangye, 36, a monk from Kirti Monastery has been sentenced to five years in prison in a closed trial conducted by the People’s Court of Barkham, in Sichuan’s Ngaba county. Radio Free Asia reports that he has been “charged with an offense related to a Tibetan self-immolation, and for engaging in political activities.” Sangye, who came from Chigdril county Golog, was previously detained in August 2012 “but he was released afterwards,” before being rearrested in August 2017, since when he has been held “incommunicado”.
Washington DC Welcomes Dhondup Wangchen by Lauren Chaplin Activist, filmmaker and former political prisoner Dhondup Wangchen has visited Washington DC to raise awareness about the grave situation in Tibet, following his escape from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). He testified before the United
States Congressional Commission on China, at a hearing entitled Tibet – From All Angles: Protecting Human Rights, Defending Strategic Access, and Challenging China’s Export of Censorship Globally. Calling for a recognition that Tibetans are “not victims but agents of change trying to explore and use every opportunity to fight for a better future”, Wangchen asked that the United States support Tibetan human rights, requesting the US Contact
administration raise the issue in all appropriate fora, including the United Nations. He also endorsed recommendations to urge China to release political prisoners, including the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. Wangchen was granted a private audience with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and they discussed how the USA could do more to help Tibetans, especially those who were imprisoned. Wangchen was arrested by the Chinese authorities in March 2008 and charged with “inciting subversion” following the production of his film, the widely acclaimed documentary, Leaving Fear Behind, which highlighted the political plight of the Tibetans in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and which won a number of prestigious awards, including the Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent (2014) and the Committee to Protect Journalists International Press Freedom Award (2012). Wangchen spent six years in prison and was subjected to interrogation 7
and torture, manual labour and solitary confinement. During the hearing he recounted how he had been told by his captors to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a request he repeatedly refused. He also contracted Hepatitis B in prison, for which he received no proper medical treatment. Wangchen’s friend and assistant, the
Tibetan monk Golok Jigme, similarly suffered detention and torture. Throughout their imprisonment many international organisations, including Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, protested against their treatment. Wangchen was released in June 2014, remaining under Chinese surveillance until escaping three and a half years later – to the United States in December 2017 – to be reunited with his family. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES Dr Yeshi Dhonden Honoured
by Lodoe Gyatso Dr Yeshi Dhonden, former personal physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Padma Shri Award from the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on March 20. The Tibetan doctor was among 85 “Heroes of India” to receive India’s fourth highest civilian award. Dr Yeshi Dhonden has served patients from all over the world from his clinic in McLeod Ganj. He is an expert in Tibetan traditional medicine, known as Sowa Rigpa, which uses pulse examination and urine samples to make a diagnosis and treats using herbal remedies. Even now, at 90, he is a beacon of hope for patients with chronic ailments including people in the advanced stages of cancer. “They have seen my work with their own eyes and so all I can say is thank you for the honour,” he said of the award, adding, “The plan had always been to help others and follow
the directions of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” In 1960 he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as chief of the newly-founded Mentsee Khang, the Tibetan Medical College, in
Photo:pib.nic.in
Dharamshala. He led the institute until 1979 and was also a director of the Tibetan Astro and Medical Institute. Dr Yeshi was the Dalai Lama’s personal physician from 1960–1980. Dr Yeshi Dhonden was born in
Lhoka, Tibet, in 1927. He comes from a long line of medical practitioners and began practising medicine himself when he was 20. He fled to India in 1959 after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, applauded the decision to present the award to Dr Yeshi saying, “We congratulate his personal contribution and recognition of Tibetan medicine which is now increasingly being discovered and treasured by the international community for its healing prowess.” The Padma Awards are given to recognise works of distinction for exceptional achievements or service in all fields. The awards are presented by the President of India, usually in March/April every year, the awardees being given a medallion and a certificate signed by the President of India.
Tibetan Parliament Concludes Budget Session
by Lodoe Gyatso The 16th Tibetan parliament-inexile concluded its fifth session – the budget session for the fiscal year 2018–2019. The session approved a consolidated budget for the activities and functions of the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) seven departments, autonomous bodies and offices. Besides the budget proposal, the 11-day session deliberated comprehensively on the political and human rights situation inside Tibet, the global Tibetan movement and the activities of the seven departments of the CTA. It passed resolutions of mourning for Tenga, Konpe and Tsekho, the most recent selfimmolators, and for the death of Tibet supporter Dr N K Trikha. The session approved Dr Pema Yangchen as Contact
Kalon of the 15th Kashag following her nomination by CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay. She is a former viceprincipal of the Dalai Lama Institute and an academician based in Canada. In his address on the final day of the session, Dr Sangay thanked
Photo:tibet.net
the United States government and Congress for their continued support and financial aid. He thanked Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and Richard Gere, Hollywood actor, for their unwavering support towards the Tibet cause. Dr Sangay reiterated the 8
importance of responsible exercising of rights that are guaranteed under the democratic system such as freedom of expression. He urged members not to hamper unity and harmony in the Tibetan community and also urged Tibetans to be aware and vigilant and to refrain from sharing disinformation circulating in social media. In his concluding remarks, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel expressed his satisfaction at the parliamentarians’ wholehearted participation and emphasised the importance of effective implementation of the budget in order to fulfil the stated objectives. During the session, around 80 protestors gathered at the basketball court at Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala to stage a “silent and peaceful” protest against the Kashag’s decision to remove Penpa Tsering from his position in the Office of Tibet, Washington, the CTA’s mission in North America. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES by Anisha Francis There were fears that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had effectively cancelled the launch of the “Thank You India” year of celebrations when they instructed Indian leaders to boycott the two major public launch events organised by the Tibetan governmentin-exile. This boycott was seen as a political move, an attempt by India to foster relations with its neighbour China, as it comes ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Chinese capital city Beijing this summer. In the event, the Tibetan community was delighted to welcome senior Indian politicians and leaders at the celebration which took place in Tsuglakhang, the main temple in Dharamshala on March 31. China always threatens sanctions against any country seen to publicly support the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause. March 31 is the date the Dalai Lama arrived at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh in 1959 on his flight from Chinese-occupied Tibet. The two events which had been planned to take place in Delhi – a
A Political Game?
“Thank You India” programme at Thyagaraj stadium and an inter-faith prayer at Gandhi Samadhi – scheduled for March 31 and April 1 – were to be attended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as a number of Indian government officials, including Minister of State Kiren Rijiju and veterans including Manmohan Singh and L K Advani. Indian Foreign
His Holiness and Sikyong with Dr Mahesh Sharma and Shri Ram Madhav Photo: tibet.net
Secretary Vijay Gokhale sent a directive to senior state leaders and central government functionaries, telling them to “stay away” from events organised by the Tibetan governmentin-exile,saying it was a “sensitive time” for relations between India and China. The letter was sent on the eve
of Modi’s February 22 visit to China. In addition, India’s ruling BJP party leader Subramanian Swamy, speaking to the media, said that His Holiness should “stick to religious activities” and not indulge in political events as India accepts Tibet as part of China. This move is seen as a demonstration of how the present Indian government has used His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan population in exile as a way to manipulate India’s stance on China. With tensions between the two countries high in recent years, India has honoured the Dalai Lama, inviting him to major national events, as well as including Sikyong (leader of the CTA) Lobsang Sangay in Indian Prime Minister Modi’s swearingin ceremony. The Dalai Lama was not prevented from visiting Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh last year, which China claims as part of China, and Sikyong Lobsang Sangay hoisted the Tibetan flag on the shores of the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, on the India –Tibet border. Both of these events infuriated Beijing. See also articles on pages 4 and 10
The Tibetan Flag Flies at the Olympics by Mary Trewartha The world has rejoiced to see the cooperation between North and South Korea in the Winter Olympics this year as the two countries marched together in the opening ceremony and fielded a joint ice-hockey team. Tibetans have particular cause for celebration because their flag has flown in South Korea at the Olympics! Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the Honorary representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Russia, Mongolia and CIS countries, attended the Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea as a special guest. He tells the story of entering the hall for the ceremony and seeing rows of flags of free nations. Although he had assumed he could not fly the Tibetan flag he had come prepared and “pulled out the Tibet flag and started to wave Contact
and cheer for the athletes and scream and shout in support with the rest of the spectators. No one ever came to me and said the Tibet flag is forbidden or not allowed. Nor was I removed, arrested, detained or interrogated”.
Telo Tulku Rinpoche raising the Tibetan national flag at the Winter Olympics in South Korea
Rinpoche tells of how he spoke to people around him, telling them the flag is Tibetan and found people 9
friendly and supportive, wishing him “good luck”. When he left he handed it to some nearby spectators and asked them to keep it flying during the games. “To my surprise,” said Rinpoche, “They said, ‘we were waving the same Tibet flag with fellow Tibetans in 2016 at a Rally in Europe’”. He continued, “I know the sun on the Tibet Flag will continue to shine on the ongoing 2018 Winter Olympics […] My hopes and dreams are to see a winter Olympic games being held in Tibet.” In 2014 Rinpoche was invited to attend the opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia as a VIP guest but was then excluded from the ceremony and forbidden to attend any games as a spectator because the Chinese President was in attendance. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES 60 Years on Indian Soil
by Mary Trewartha India and Tibet. done the most for Tibet […]we want to His Holiness the Dalai Lama first set Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, thank India.” He spoke about events foot on Indian soil after his flight from President of the Central Tibetan planned for the coming year, and Tibet on March 31, 1959 and addressed concerns about the Tibetan governmentthe Indian Government’s in-exile has planned a announcement of a boycott year of tribute to India of the “Thank You India” for her hospitality to the launch events. He said Tibetan people, which was that immediately after launched with a celebration the announcement of the at Tsuglakhang, the main boycott he visited Delhi to temple in Dharamshala, on meet Indian Government March 31 and attended by officials. Dr Sangay stated, Indian leaders. “There is no structural A song Thank You India, departure from past policy produced and performed on Tibet or His Holiness by the Tibetan Institute of the Dalai Lama as far as Performing Arts, has been the Indian government is launched, together with HH the Dalai Lama with then Indian Prime Minister Nehru in 1959 concerned […] There is Photo: gettyimages three sets of books published no need to worry. India’s by the Department of Information Administration, said, “The position on Tibet is unchanged.” and International Relations about government and people of India have See also articles on pages 4 and 9
“Discrimination and Restrictions in Tibet”: Amnesty International by Mary Trewartha Amnesty International have released their report for 2017/18, The State of the World’s Human Rights, which documents the state of the world’s human rights in 159 countries and territories during 2017. It speaks of conflict, austerity measures, discrimination and natural disasters across the globe and reports that “governments of all persuasions continued to crack down on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly”. With regard to Tibet, the report said, “Ethnic Tibetans continued to face discrimination and restrictions on their rights to freedom of religion and belief, of opinion and expression, of peaceful assembly and of association.” It mentions that, “At least six people set themselves on fire in Tibetanpopulated areas during the year in protest against repressive policies.” They quote the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights who has stated that the situation of Tibetans and Uighurs was “deeply Problematic”, and “that most Contact
ethnic minorities in China are exposed to serious human rights challenges, including significantly higher poverty rates, ethnic discrimination and forced relocation”. Under the section on China, the report speaks of new laws which present serious threats to human rights under the guise of “national security”. It mentions the Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo who died in custody and Tashi Wangchuk, a Tibetan education advocate who remains in detention, as well as activists and human rights defenders who were detained, prosecuted and sentenced on charges such as “subverting state power” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. An increase in repression of religious activities outside statesanctioned churches is mentioned, and the “anti-separatism” or “counterterrorism” campaigns which, it says, remain particularly severe in Tibetan-populated areas, and in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. The report says the new Chinese 10
National Intelligence Law presents “serious threats to the protection of human rights [and] […] granted effectively unchecked powers to national intelligence institutions with unclear roles and responsibilities”, and spoke of the lack of “safeguards to protect against arbitrary detention and to protect the right to privacy, freedom of expression and other human rights”. The report states that the revised Regulations on Religious Affairs, “codified far reaching state control over every aspect of religious practice, and extended power to authorities at all levels of the government to monitor, control and potentially punish religious practice. The revised law […] could be used to further suppress the right to freedom of religion and belief, especially for Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims and unrecognised churches.” Amnesty International is an independent global movement of more than seven million people who “campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all”. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES Tibet Advocacy Week in Geneva
by Tenzin Samten Tibetan groups and activists attended the 10th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy during the week prior to the 37th United Nations Human Rights Council during a week of activities to highlight the deteriorating human rights for people living in Tibet. Golog Jigme, who made the documentary film Leaving Fear Behind with Dhondup Wangchen (both were imprisoned in Tibet for making the film), addressed the Summit on February 20. He spoke of China’s double standards, saying this is what prompted him to make the film and expose the true situation inside Tibet. He also recounted being subjected to psychological torture while in prison. A group of UN human rights experts issued a public statement on February 21, condemning the Chinese authorities for imprisoning Tashi Wangchuk and calling on them to drop all their allegations against him. Tashi Wangchuk has been in prison for two years following his appearance in a
New York Times documentary calling for “linguistic and cultural rights in Tibet” and for speaking up about the “criminalisation of his freedom of expression […] in his country”. Six Tibetan political prisoners were among the 35 political prisoners from around the world whose plights were examined at the Summit on February 20. The six were Tibet’s 11th Panchen
Tashi Wangchuk
Lama – Gendun Choekyi Nyima – the world’s longest serving political prisoner; Lobsang Kunchok, a Kirti monastery monk who was given a suspended death sentence for selfimmolation; Dolma Kyab, husband of Kunchok Wangmo who selfimmolated; Karma Samdrup, a Tibetan environmentalist sentenced to 15
years; Yeshi Choedon, a retired doctor who was given a 15-year sentence and Bonkho Kyi, sentenced to seven years for celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. Other issues raised by Tibetan representatives during the summit were religious repression in Tibet; the demolition of Larung Gar and Yachen Gar Buddhist acadamies; China’s discriminatory practices of issuing passports; self-immolation protests in Tibet and monitoring and surveillance in Tibetan areas. The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is sponsored by a coalition of 25 international human rights non-government organisations, including the Swiss Tibetan Women’s Association. Representing Tibet at the summit were the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration; Tibet Office, Geneva; the Switzerlandbased Tibetan Women’s Association and Golog Jigme. Please also see article on page 5
New Chinese Surveillance Tactics Turn Neighbours into Informers by Mary Trewartha New Chinese edicts have been issued which require Tibetans living in Tibet to inform on their neighbours, colleagues and relatives. The Chinese state media Global Times has reported on the new circular issued by the authorities. Under the heading Police ask Tibetans for Dalai Lama tips the article, which was published on February 11 said, “The public security bureau in Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has released details on how the public can provide tips on activities of ‘criminal gangs connected to the separatist forces of the Dalai Lama’.” The article continues, quoting the circular, “It warns local people to be on the lookout for the ‘evil forces’ of the Dalai Lama that might use local temples and religious control ‘to confuse and incite’ people against the Contact
Party and government. “The bureau is asking people to report on the activities of ‘foreign hostile forces’ that may seek financial support for the Dalai Lama. “Criminal gangs are cancers on the healthy economic and social development, and gangsters are a chronic disease that severely disgusts the public.” The Global Times said the “primary task of Tibet” is to “maintain national and ethnic unity”, and continues, “Collusion with criminal gangs is a tactic the Dalai group uses to spread its message of separatism. These kinds of gangsters were involved in the Lhasa rebellion in the 1950s and the violent incidents in 2008 in Tibet,” and says that the “spread of separatist gangs in Tibet is rampant”. The circular says that public security departments will protect tipsters’ identities and safety. 11
Tibet.net, the website of the Central Tibetan Administration – the exile Tibetan Government – says that it is the lack of proper employment opportunities in Tibet which has forced many Tibetans to work in the surveillance industry, and this will require them to spy on fellow Tibetans for a livelihood. Phayul.com, the English medium exile Tibetan news website, says that this directive comes after the announcement in January by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council that they will tackle “organised crimes” and officials who shelter criminal organisations and says the authorities are targeting those who in their view are threatening China’s political stability or driving people against the government under the disguise of religion. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES
Congressman Jim McGovern Condemns the Changes at Larung Gar
by Ben Byrne Congressman Jim McGovern from Massachusetts, speaking on the floor of the United States House of
Representatives on January 31, raised the issue of suppression of religious freedoms by the Chinese government and made specific reference to the
ongoing situation at Larung Gar in Tibet, a Buddhist institute which was possibly the largest religious institution in the world. The Chinese government has been interfering in activities at Larung Gar for many years. Monks and nuns have been expelled, reducing by half the number of people studying there and the management has been taken over by Communist Party cadres and lay officials. Students applying to study there must show they will abide by Communist Party ideals. Much of the accommodation provision on the campus has been demolished. McGovern condemned these actions and referred to them as
“draconian”. He continued: “China says it respects constitutionally protected religious beliefs: that is a lie. When the state puts officials who are required to be atheists in charge of your religious institution, that is not religious freedom. When admission requires a firm political stand when the state tells you what to teach and students must honour the communist party that is not religious freedom.” McGovern, the author of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017, said that if the Trump administration does not act, then Congress must ensure that China faces consequences for its “egregious actions to control and destroy Tibetan Buddhism”.
Lobsang Sangay Lobbies for Support in Japan
by Tenzin Samten Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), visited Japan from February 17 to 23; his fourth official visit there. Dr Sangay met Japanese parliamentarians, interacted with the Japanese media and gave public talks related to Tibet and the importance of Tibet on the global stage. His first major visit was to Reitaku University where he spoke to a packed auditorium, saying that supporting Tibet sends a powerful message that the world supports morality and non-violent conflict resolution, as
Tibetans stand for freedom, justice and democracy. He also spoke about China’s years of attempts to destroy Buddhism in Tibet. Dr Sangay’s welcome reception was attended by representatives of government offices, Japanese parliamentarians and their representatives, Buddhist institutions, non-government organisations including Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), Tibetan community members and educational institutions. Mr Uto Takashi, a Member of the Japanese Parliament, spoke, making a commitment towards Japan’s ongoing
support in restoring the cause of Tibet. Dr Sangay gave a series of media interviews during his stay in Japan, speaking about the situation in Tibet, the CTA’s Middle Way Approach and the selection process for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. The visit concluded on February 22 with an address attended by Mr Nagao Takashi, a Member of Parliament from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Secretary of the All Party Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet. Sikyong’s previous visits to Japan were in 2012, 2016 and 2017.
Losar Celebrations for Earth Dog Year by Tenzin Tso Tibetans celebrated the Tibetan Losar (New Year) of the upcoming Earth Dog Year of the lunar calendar on February 16. Losar is the most widely celebrated festival in the Tibetan calendar and represents a time for all things to be purified and renewed. All past misdeeds and negativity are purified and family bonds are rekindled for the year to come. This day begins with the sound of firecrackers and warm greetings to family, friends and neighbours, along with visits to the monasteries Contact
or the family altar for prayers for good health, happiness and peace
Losar Decoration
for all sentient beings. All followed with feasts and parties, songs and 12
dance before the third day of sangsol or ritual offerings to the protective deities on the third day to ensure that the coming year is filled with good luck and protection. In Dharamshala this year a chikdril guthuk– a guthuk street dinner party – was held in the main square in McLeod Ganj and around the world Tibetans living in exile celebrated Losar with their family, friends and Tibet supporters. While in Tibet the crackdown on gatherings and festivals limits the celebrations that can take place there. FEB/MAR 2018
March 30: Detained Adak, a Tibetan in his late 40s living in Nepal, was detained for 10 days and threatened with deportation back to Tibet because of a Facebook post earlier this month. The post shows a photo of him posed in front of the Boudha stupa in Kathmandu and displaying the Tibetan national flag. Adak has left Nepal for India, with the help of Nepalese human rights organisation HURON. Mar 24: Funding Earmarked The United States Congress has approved US$17 million (£12 million) funding for Tibetans for the remainder of the 2018 fiscal year: $8m (£5.7m) for Tibetans inside Tibet; $6m (£4.25) for Tibetans in India and Nepal and $3m (£2m) for Tibetan institutions and governance in exile, allaying concerns arising from the new Trump administration’s proposed cuts in foreign development assistance – including some Tibetan programmes. Mar 23: Pilgrims Detained 60 Tibetan pilgrims have been detained in the Lhagong area of Datsedo county in Karze Prefecture and their passports confiscated. The travellers were on a pilgrimage to Nepal and India and had been ordered to return home in January, despite having legal travel documents. It is reported that the pilgrims are believed to be undergoing a re-education programme and may be facing beatings and imprisonment. Mar 23: 130,000 Candles Students for a Free Tibet has launched a campaign to mark the missing 11th Panchen Lama’s 29th birthday on April 25. The Panchen Lama was abducted by the Chinese at the age of six and SFT plan to light 130,000 candles on a birthday cake for him – a world record and a candle to represent each of the Tibetans living in exile. Mar 21: Detained for Mining Protest The head of Markhor village in Driru county, Nagchu, Karma, has been taken into custody after he refused to sign an approval for mining activities to take place at the nearby sacred mountain SertraDzage. Radio Free Asia reported that the authorities forced villagers to sign the Contact
Tibetan Headlines
approval for mining to proceed on the pilgrimage site which is also home to many wild animals. Mar 18: Two Monks Arrested Two monks from DzaWonpo monastery in Sershul county in Kardze have been arrested on unknown charges, Lobsang Lhundrub on March 9 and another, Choechok, was taken into custody two days after the December 23 self-immolation by a Tibetan protestor named Konpe – although no official reason has been given for his arrest. Mar 12: Freed After 10 Years Lodroe, a monk from the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has been released from a Chinese prison after serving a 10-year prison sentence. Lodroe was imprisoned for taking part in the March 2008 uprising in Lhasa. He was one of the 15 monks from Lhasa’s Sera monastery who were taken into custody during the uprising. Mar 6: No Freedom Freedom House, the human rights advocacy group based in the United States has released its 2018 report, Freedom in the World, in which it lists the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as the second least free region in the world – Syria being the worst. The report says China has stepped up “internal repression” and accuses other countries of following its lead and adopting a similar disdain for democracy. Feb 24: Singer Released The Tibetan singer Shawo, 44, has been released from prison after completing his five-year sentence in Siling city, capital of Qinghai Province. He was charged with “distributing photographs of selfimmolation protesters; writing last notes left by self-immolators on these photographs; participating in protest against Chinese government and singing patriotic Tibetan songs”. He is known for his love of Tibetan culture, language and traditional Tibetan music. Feb 21: Sentenced Tsegon Gyal, 55, a Tibetan journalist, 13
NEWS & ISSUES musician and former political prisoner, has received a three-year prison sentence for “inciting separatism”. He was detained in December 2016 and tried in May last year with no access to a lawyer, and has had only one visit from his family. He wrote a blog criticising China’s policies. Feb 10: Released! Geshe Tsewang Namgyal, a monk from the Draggo monastery, has been released after serving six years in prison for his participation in a peaceful demonstration in Draggo during the Lunar New Year. The demonstration was broken up by the Chinese authorities who fired on the participants, killing six people. He was tortured in prison and has been left with a disability. Feb 10: Detained Tashi Choeying, 37, a monk from the Ganden Jangtse monastic college in South India, and who has been missing since traveling to visit his family in Tibet in November 2016, has been traced to a Chinese jail and is being held on an unknown charge. A fellow inmate who was discharged recently contacted his family and said Choeying has been given a six-year prison sentence. Feb 6: Released! Gartze Jigme, 41, a Tibetan monk who has spent five years in jail for his politically sensitive writings has been released and is home in Tsekhog in Malho, physically frail but otherwise healthy. He has been banned from returning to his monastery for a year, and from speaking at public gatherings. He was originally detained in 2011 after launching a literary journal Courage of the King. Feb 1: Nun Dies Ngawang Tsomo, 51, a Tibetan nun and former political prisoner who was jailed for protesting against Chinese rule in Tibet, has died. She is reported as having been in poor health since her time in prison, where she was tortured. She was arrested in 1993 and given a seven year sentence following a “sham trial”. FEB/MAR 2018
NEWS & ISSUES
International Headlines
Mar 30: Home-Grown The government of Uzbekistan is threatening citizens with a triple land tax if they fail to use their kitchen gardens “efficiently” by growing crops and keeping farm animals and hens. The news reports say officials will monitor every household twice a year. The President, who keeps hens at home, says people should produce their own food. Mar 28: Activist Held Mai Khoi, the Vietnamese singer and activist, was detained and held for eight hours when she arrived back in Hanoi after her European tour. She is an outspoken campaigner for free speech and her detention comes amid a crackdown on activists by the one-party state which is known for its intolerance of dissent. Her song Please, sir pleads with Communist Party leader to allow everyday freedoms for ordinary people. Mar 26: UN Appeal The United Nations has launched an appeal saying that US$350m [£250] is urgently needed for children who are going hungry in Yemen where the war has killed more than 10,000 people and wounded another 40,000. The UN has described Yemen as the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world” with around 8.4 million people facing famine and outbreaks of cholera and diphtheria. Mar 22: Schoolgirls Released 101 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped last month have been returned home to their families. 110 girls were kidnapped by militants in the town of Dapchi; a Christian girl remains in captivity and at least five died when they were crushed to death while being herded into vehicles and driven away. There is no news of the other three girls. The freed girls are to meet President Muhammadu Buhari. Mar 19: Diplomatic Row A row has broken out between Russia and the United Kingdom following the attack on a former Russian spy now living in the UK, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Both remain critical ill after being infected by the nerve agent Novichok which is known Contact
to have been developed in Russia, and Britain is accusing the Russians of attempting to murder the former spy.
Mar 16: Happiness Report Finland is this year’s happiest country, knocking Norway off the top spot. The World Happiness Report measures “subjective well-being.” Nordic countries regularly appear in the top five, while Burundi was this year’s least happy, having been thrown into crisis when President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for re-election sparked protests. India also came in fairly low: 133rd out of the 156 countries analysed. Mar 14: Stephens Hawkins Dies World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has died peacefully aged 76. The Briton was known for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books. At the age of 22 Prof Hawking was given only a few years to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease, but went on to have live an extraordinary life and have three children. Mar 12: President for Life? China has approved the removal of term limits for its leader, a move that effectively allows Xi Jinping to remain president for life. Since the 1990s, China had imposed a two-term limit on its leaders, but Mr Xi, previously due to step down in 2023, refused to present a potential successor during October’s Communist Party Congress. It is now hard to see Xi Jinping’s presidency ever being challenged. Mar 8: International Women’s Day Events and protests are taking place around to the world on International Women’s Day as women push for progress. The event started as a campaign for better pay and rights for women, but is now aimed at inspiring females across the world. This year’s theme is #PressforProgress motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive. Mar 7: Message in a Bottle A 132-year-old message in a bottle has been picked up on a beach in Perth, Australia – it is the oldest 14
known message in a bottle in the world. The note in the bottle was dated June 12, 1886 and had been thrown from the German ship Paula as part of an experiment into ocean and shipping routes by the German Naval Observatory. Mar 5: Listeria Outbreak South Africa has been suffering the worst outbreak of listeria in its history; 1,000 people have been infected and 180 killed by it over the last year and the source has only now been traced to a factory operated by Enterprise Foods in Polokwane in Limpopo. People are being told to avoid all ready-to-eat meat products as cross-contamination of processed meats could have occurred in shops. Feb 27: Humanitarian Effort A daily five-hour pause in hostilities in Syria has been ordered by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to create a “humanitarian corridor” to allow civilians to leave. 393,000 civilians are trapped in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, which has been under intense bombardment by government forces with Russian support. More than 560 people have been killed in eight days. Feb 7: Rohingyas to Return? Myanmar has been showing foreign envoys the preparations that are being made for the reception of returning Rohingya Muslims. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in the face of brutal military oppression in their home Rakhine state in Myanmar, and hostile negotiations have been taking place between the two countries to facilitate their return. There is widespread concern about their treatment in Myanmar. Feb 1: Super Blue Blood Moon The rare lunar event, the “super blue blood Moon” was visible around the world last night. This happens when a total lunar eclipse (a blood Moon), a supermoon (when the Moon is closest to the Earth) and a blue Moon (when a full Moon happens twice in one month) coincide. The Moon appears about 7% larger and 15% brighter than usual. FEB/MAR 2018
DHARAMSHALA VOICES
by Elizabeth Mundy “I don’t have any special story to tell,” says Pema Zomkyi as she talks with humility and charm about the path her life has taken, from her birth in Bhutan in the late 1970s to being one of the few female Tibetan web developers working in India today. “My parents escaped Tibet into Bhutan in the late 1950s and they lived there for 20 years. My mother was from a landlord family, so she had a good life in Tibet. Growing up, she would tell us children stories about what we had, what we’d go back to. It sounded like a lavish lifestyle. She left a lot of things behind, including her parents. But she had to leave otherwise they all would have died. Much later on, someone went back to our village; they found out my grandfather had died of starvation in prison.” Some 4,000 Tibetans crossed the mountains into Bhutan – one of the harshest routes open to fleeing Tibetans – at the height of the brutal Chinese crackdown in 1957, after which the isolated country of 700,000 citizens shut its borders to refugees. Despite the commonalities between Tibet and Bhutan – ethnically, culturally and religiously – the Bhutanese government put pressure on the Tibetans to better integrate and in 1979 issued them an ultimatum: take citizenships and so renounce their right to return to Tibet, or to leave the country. Around 2,300 accepted the deal, while others – including Pema’s family – uprooted their lives and moved to India. “We went to Dekyiling colony in Dehradun. Most of the people there came from Bhutan.” She shares an early memory: “Growing up, I knew that if we got independence then we’d go back to Tibet. It was the thing we were hoping for. So when the Nobel Peace Prize was given to His Holiness [in 1989], and my mum and everyone in the colony was celebrating in the streets, we children thought, oh we’ve got independence! People were
Journey from Bhutan celebrating that much.” However, this nod of international recognition – which at the time seemed a stepping stone to freedom – did not alter China’s policy towards Tibet. She continues: “I came to McLeod Ganj to study at Lower Tibetan Children Village for secondary school, living first with an uncle and then boarding. I was studious, interested in sciences and especially maths. We had a computer lab: I remember we had to remove our shoes, and just learned typing. But still I found it interesting and wanted to do more.” Pema went on to receive a Bachelors in Information
Technology from the university in Delhi, before returning to Dekyiling to be close to her mother. “When I was at school, we only went home once a year so I wanted to spend time with my family. When you grow up, you start to understand your mum, you start to know her more as an adult. She’s a very strong woman. I have three older brothers and a younger sister: she raised all of us as a single parent, as my father died before we left Bhutan. Even now, I’m in awe: I think, I couldn’t handle five children!” She credits her eldest brother too, now living in Canada, for sacrificing his monkhood at Namgyal Monastery to help provide financially for her education. Today, she works freelance developing Tibetan websites, after a six-year stint working in IT for the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala where she met her
husband, a Tibetan from Bylakuppe in south India. “Politics isn’t for me, but sometimes the world makes you get involved. If you work in Dharamshala – which is the centre of work for the Tibetan struggle – you get drawn in. Tibetan websites always get hacked, so a big part of my job is security. Right now I’m a consultant for Voice of Tibet radio station, and I have to keep checking the files to secure the website.” Pema adds that her work is made challenging by the fact that Tibetan script is not fully supported on web browsers. “Even with Google, Tibetan text is recognised but not fully integrated – it comes out all congested, not neatly stacked – but they’re working on it. That’s why most of the people here in McLeod Ganj use iPhones: Apple supports our language. It’s progress.” And how does she find being a woman working in the male-dominated computer industry? “In this community, they encourage women. Tibetans say, ‘I can’t believe it! A woman in IT!’” They’re proud of me. We circle back to the topic of Bhutan, which she visited as an adult in 2006. Today several hundred Tibetans remain undocumented in the country, with limited rights and opportunities. “I think the new generation wish that their parents had taken citizenship because life is difficult. They can’t own their businesses or shops. Here, in India, we can’t apply for government jobs and some companies won’t take us because we’re Tibetans,” she notes regretfully. “It’s a problem. But compared to Bhutan, it’s much better in India.” Today, among Tibet’s geographical neighbours, India stands alone as the Tibetan refugees’ ally against the political and economic behemoth of China. “Now, economy is everything. But when that shifts, when the world’s focus isn’t just money, then things will change for us. That’s what we’re hoping.”
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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FEB/MAR 2018
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
FEB/MAR 2018
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
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
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
Tibetan Dubbing Society
Tibetan Dubbing Society, founded in 2015, is a non-profit organisation working towards preserving Tibetan language through various forms of entertainment and dubbing animation movies into Tibetan language for Tibetan children. LOCATION: Near Norbulinga Institute WEBSITE: www.tibetdub.org EMAIL: savetiblang@gmail.com CONTACT: +91-8629837735
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.
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activities and information UPCOMING EVENTS May 29, 2018: 15th Day of Sakadawa (The fourth Tibetan holy month) June 28, 2018: Universal Prayer DAy (Zamling Chi-sang) July 6, 2018: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday July 16, 2018: Buddha’s first teaching (Choe Khor-Duechen)
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 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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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
Sanskrit Language Study Program at Vikramashila Foundation India (VFI) Location: Vikramashila center, 1st flr, Ketan Lodge,Jogiwara road, McleodGanj, Dharamshala, H.P Email: vikramashilafoundation@gmail.com
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
FEB/MAR 2018
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.
DHARAMSHALA CONTACTS Ambulance: 01892-102, 222189 Tibetan Delek Hospital Location: Gangchen Kyishong, CTA Hours: Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, Mon-Sat; Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm, Wed only; Emergencies: 24-hrs, daily. Phone: 222 053,223 381 Kangra Airport: 01892-232374
Contact
Bhagsu Taxi Union: 01892221034 Tourism Office: 01892-224430 , 223325 Rail Booking & Enquiry: 01892265026 Police Superintendent: 01892222244 Police Contact Information Location: Past St.John’s Church on the road to Dharamshala in
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Cantt. area. Phone: 221 483 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
FEB/MAR 2018
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
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FEB/MAR 2018
advertisements
Contact
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FEB/MAR 2018
advertisements Map not to scale
Map of McLeod Ganj showing locations of places of interest
BHAGSU NAG 16
See advertisement pages for details of advertisers TIPA
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DHARAMKOT
Naddi Village Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV)
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26
Vipassana Centre
15
Tushita Centre
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MAIN SQUARE
3
McLEOD GANJ 25 Main Bazaar
27
Cantt Police Post
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28
1
24
6
23
4
12
11
10
5
Lha
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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 16. Shivam NeelKanth Yoga Kendre
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)
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Road to Dharamshala
Shifted to new location! First floor opposite Municipal Parking near HH Dalai Lama temple #Temple Road
NEED A DENTIST?
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
Shivam Neelkanth Yoga Kendra BOOKWORM - THE COMPLETE BOOKSHOP
Yoga Teacher Training 2018 by Yogi Shivam
is the oldest bookshop in Mcleod Ganj, where the Lonely Planet Guide (India) calls it the Best bookshop in town.
10 Days Yogic Retreat Location: Pemathang road, few steps from Dolma Chowk Yoga Teacher Training 200 Hr • Online shopping gives us only the books we already want. Certification 24 days Intensive Workshop Yoga Pranayam • Bookshops draw us into the ones we didn’t know we wanted Asana. Meditation Kundalini Kriya Yog Yogi Shivam sharing his teaching since 26 years in east and west Vegetarian and Vegan Food Location: Upper Bhagsunath, 5 mins from Heena Bakery, Coffee shop, Gluten Free and Fresh Cafe, 15 minutes from Lower Bhagsu, walk up in hill seasonal juices and salads Website: shivamneelkanthyoga.com Email: yogi_shivam@yahoo.co.in Roof top terrace with stunning views Map #16 Mobile: 09816 - 565 -138 Bhagsu Road, just after Tibetan Settlement Office Map#15
Lhamo’s Croissant
Contact
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lha news and 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
Lha News and Projects 27th Water Filter Machine Installed at the Tibetan Homes Foundation Mussoorie School Lha installed the 27th Water filter on March 12 at the Tibetan Homes Foundation, Mussoorie School, which has around 1,150 students. This school is located in the hill state of Uttarakhand. This water filter will provide the school children with clean and safe drinking water which we hope will improve their overall health and prevent water-born diseases. The machine is a Reverse osmosis / Ultraviolet water filter system which produces more than 100 litres of clean and safe drinking water per hour. We also installed a 500-litre stainless steel storage tank which provides an emergency/reserve water supply in the event of a power outage, water shortage or other problems. Along with the machine, we were also able to provide an extra bottle cooler dispenser. This dispenser is installed in their dining hall where everyone can have hot or cold water while having their meals. We are extremely grateful to Mr John Jack Ulrichsen for funding the 27th Water filter machine and to the Australia Tibet Council Tour Group 2017 for supporting us in this project and many others. On behalf of the residents Tibetan Homes Foundation, Mussoorie School and Lha staff, we sincerely thank you all for your support. For more Lha news see overleaf
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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Lha News and Projects Lha’s Cultural Exchange Programme for 2018 The first group to visit Dharamshala under Lha’s Cultural Exchange Programme this year was a student group from Craig Kielburger Secondary School, Canada who came to us through Gapforce who arrange gap year projects and expeditions. This group of 12 students was led by their two teachers Tania Ann McPhee and David John Turnbull together with the Gapforce group leader Julius Howarth. They all stayed at Lha’s Ahimsa House from March 12-14, visiting Tibetan institutes to enable them to learn about Tibetan culture and traditional medicine. The group visited the offices of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA); Mentsee Khang (Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology) and its museum; theTibet Museum;Norbulingka Institute and Gyutoe monastery. They also had the opportunity to attended the Mind and Life conference in the temple courtyard and to receive blessings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The group volunteered at Tsechokling Monastery, Jampaling Elders Home and Lha’s English conversation classes. In addition to their visits and volunteering, Lha arranged for Miss Dhukthen Kyi from the CTA to talk to them about the human rights situation in Tibet and to answer their questions. Dr Chok led a two-hour meditation and yoga class for the group. “I am really happy that Lha organised these lectures for us as it helped us to gain a new perspective and understanding of Tibet, its Government-in-exile and your struggle, We also learned more about what you do, your reach and your impact as a social work NGO (non-government organisation). They are incredible, Thank you” said Rhyss Elizabeth, one of the students. She added that she will definitely come back in the hope of working with Lha again in the future. This month Lha also hosted two student groups from Rustic Pathways. The two groups were from Colorado Springs School and Riverdale International School. These 28 students participated in the mutual learning programme, helping Lha students to learn English through different activities, games and group discussion. We aim to create a platform for Lha students to interact with students from different cultural backgrounds while improving their language skills. At the same time, the international students are introduced to Tibetan culture, tradition, and religion and exile way of life. To know more about our Cultural Exchange Programme please visit our website: www.lhasocialwork.org/cultural-exchange or email us at office@lhasocialwork.org For more Lha news please see page 23
To advertise call Lha office: 01892-220992 or visit Lha office at Temple Rd, McLeod Ganj Map #1
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Contact Newsletter Managing Director Ngawang Rabgyal
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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