October 2021

འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་གསར་འཕྲིན།

Contact

A Digest of Tibetan Issues and News from Inside and Outside Tibet RGD No. HPENG/2013/51798 | Volume: XXIII Issue:04| October 31, 2021

NBA Player Slams China’s HR Abuse in Tibet and East Turkestan

by Tenzin Samten National Basketball Association (NBA) player Enes Kanter, 29, a professional basketball player with United States Boston Celtics, has publicly criticised Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling him a “brutal dictator” and has called on the Chinese government to “Free Tibet” which, he says in a video message shared on social media, “belongs to Tibetans”. He spoke after meeting Tibetan community members in New York. China has reacted, saying his remarks “were not worth refuting”.

Continued on page 3

Tibetan Activists Arrested

by Tenzin Samten and Mary Trewartha Three Tibetan rights activists were arrested after entering the official Olympic torch lighting ceremony held in Olympia on October 18 and displaying a banner reading “No Genocide Games”; they shouted protests and waved the Tibetan flag. The activists were calling for a boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics which will take place in February 2022. Their protest was part of an ongoing campaign by Tibetan, Hong Kong, Uyghur, Taiwanese and Chinese activists who are working together to call on the international Continued on page 4

Spotlight on Tibet’s Climate Crisis at COP26

by Tenzin Samten COP26, the United Nations climate conference starting on October 31 in Glasgow, UK, will see a series of climate change advocacy events which are happening across the world, including a spotlight on the climate crisis in Tibet.

COP26 brings together governments, businesses, local authorities and civil society to discuss global climate action. The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is “calling for the inclusion of a strong rights-based approach in the fight against climate change in the COP26”. ICT highlights Tibet’s ecosystem as of regional and global importance; Continued on page 7

Sikyong Penpa Tsering Represents Tibet at IPAC

by Mary Trewartha Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, has accused China of hypocrisy and firmly called out China’s unlawful actions against the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Taiwanese and Hong Kongers. He was speaking at the IPAC conference, held ahead of the G20 Summit*which is taking place in Rome as we go to press. So what is the G20, what is IPAC, and where does Tibet come into the story?

The G20 – the Group of Twenty – is the international forum that brings together the world’s major economies. Its members account for more than 80% of world GDP, 75% Continued on page 5

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Editor’s Word As we go to press the focus of the world is on Glasgow in the United Kingdom and the COP26 summit taking place there. So many hopes and aspirations and above all, for those of us involved with Tibet, the determination that the world will recognise the importance of the Tibetan plateau and its vital contribution to the world’s climate. To date, it seems that the powers that be are failing to recognise that importance. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is adding his voice to those of Tibetan activists and support groups around the world who are using all their resources to get that message across. Turn to page 7 for His Holiness’s message to COP26.

Our occasional guest editor Kate Murry, a passionate climate campaigner and advocate for Tibet’s place in the picture, gives us her personal plea for Tibet, for our climate and for the future of the world as we know it. You’ll find Kate’s story on page 14, and you can read our lead article setting the scene for the summit and how the worldwide Tibetan community is campaigning for Tibet’s inclusion in the decision making process.

It’s not all a lost cause for Tibet on the international front. The G20 Leaders Summit - the international forum that brings together the world’s major economies - took place on October 30 and 31. Our Sikyong, Penpa Tsering, was invited to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) conference in Rome which took place ahead of the G20 to demand a tougher stance towards the Chinese government. Sikyong is among the prominent leaders of groups targeted by the Chinese government invited to speak at this conference and you can read the report on on our front page and on page 5.

Contact Magazine Managing Director : Dorji Kyi Editor-in-Chief : Jenny James Editor : Tenzin Samten Circulation Manager : Tsering Wangdue Designed by : Karma Ringzin Topgyal Published by Lha Charitable Trust

Contact newsletter is sponsored by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). TFD’s kind contribution has made this publication possible. We thank TFD for their continous support.

Contact magazine | September 2021 | Page No 2

Email:editor@contactmagazine.net Facebook: ContactNews Instagram : tibetan_news_brief Printed at Imperial Printing, Dharamshala Phone:01892 -222390 Email: ippdsala@gmail.com

News Features NBA Player Slams China’s HR Abuse in Tibet and East Turkestan Continued from page 1

In the video, Kanter was seen wearing a T-shirt with a picture of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and saying, “Did you know that simply owning a photo of the Dalai Lama in Tibet is a grounds for arrest. Even flying the Tibetan national flag could get you arrested.” He later posted on his social media platforms photos of shoes painted with the Tibetan flag, “Free Tibet” and an image of a man in flames – a symbol of the self-immolation protests that have taken place in Tibet over the last 12 years. “More than 150 Tibetan people have burned themselves alive! – hoping that such an act would raise more awareness about Tibet. I stand with my Tibetan brothers and sisters, and I support their call for freedom,” he wrote.

The following day, Chinese tech giant Tencent said it would stop streaming Celtics games in China following Kanter’s public message. The Boston Celtic star slammed the Chinese President calling him a “heartless dictator of China” over China’s treatment of the Muslim minority Uyghur people living in East Turkestan [Ch: Xinjiang].

“The Chinese government has sent Uyghurs, along with Kazakhs, Tajiks and other Muslim groups to concentration camps for […]anything that does not align with the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda [….] It is so disappointing that the governments and leaders of Muslimmajority countries are staying silent while my Muslim brothers and sisters are getting killed, raped and tortured,” said Kanter in his video message.

Also posted on social media platforms were “Free Uyghur” shoes and T-shirts sporting messages including “I am calling you out in front of the whole world. Close down the SLAVE labour camps and free the UYGHUR people! Stop the GENOCIDE, now!” In his video, he calls on Muslim leaders and athletes around the world to join him and speak up against the genocide of the

Uyghur people of north western China; “It’s shameful and sad how you have decided to prioritise money and business with China over human rights.”

In a video posted on October 25, the NBA star called out Nike – the international shoe brand – saying that they are keeping silent on the oppression and forced labour inflicted on the Uyghur population; this is reportedly associated with manufacturing products for various companies in the US. He said, “You do not say a word about oppression of minorities in China. You are scared to speak up. Who makes your shoes in China? Do you even know? There are so many forced labour factories in China.

Uyghur forced labour, modern day slavery.” Footwearnews.com quotes Nike’s response saying they do “not source products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)” and their Codes of Conduct and Leadership Standards “prohibit forced or indentured labour”, and that they have found “no evidence of Uyghur or other ethnic minority from XUAR employment in its supply chain”.

Continuing his pro-democracy activism, Kanter also tweeted a photo of “Free China” games shoes with the written message, “XI JINPING and the Chinese Communist Party, someone has to teach you a lesson, I will NEVER apologise for speaking the truth. You can NOT buy me. You can NOT scare me. You can NOT silence me.

Bring it on!!”

Enes Kanter was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents; he was brought up in Turkey and has a history of activism, speaking out against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In 2017 the Turkish government revoked his passport, he has not returned to Turkey for many years and has lost contact with his family.

“I think the NBA gives me a big platform, and so that’s why I’m trying to be a voice for all those innocent people who don’t have one,” said Kanter, as quoted by a report published in Vox.com in 2019, referring to his pro-democracy activism when he criticised his native President.

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News Features Tibetan Activists Arrested Continued from page 1

community to boycott the games and to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee to remove the games from Beijing, saying that awarding the games to Beijing “confers a badge of global legitimacy” on China’s human rights abuses and genocide. The Olympic Torch is held to “represent peace and hope”, awarding the games to Beijing, they say, “represents global complicity in Chinese repression”.

This protest took place close to the entrance of the stadium where the ceremony was taking place, despite intense security employed to prevent protests. Activists are calling the arrests “outrageous” in a western country and the arrests have hit the international press.

Activists Chemi Lhamo, Jason Leith, of London-based Free Tibet, and Fern MacDougal carried out their protest before being arrested by the police. They were kept in custody and will face a second court hearing. At their initial hearing the prosecutor reacted angrily to the activists but there was support from local people, including a group of local olive farmers and lawyers who provided food for the protesters to have in their cells.

However, neither they nor their lawyers have been able to establish what is their charge.

Free Tibet Chief Executive Sam Walton, after visiting the three detained activists said, “They’re all in great spirits and glad to hear that their brave action is shining a light on the International Olympic Committee’s hypocrisy. The IOC cannot with one breath say that the Olympics is all about solidarity, and with the next ignore the plight of millions of people who are being oppressed by the Chinese regime.”

Free Tibet, a non government organisation advocating freedom in Tibet, is part of No Beijing 2022, a group calling for a global boycott of Beijing 2022.

The three were later released, charged with “destruction of a monument” despite no damage being caused by them during their protest. The hearing has been postponed to February 3, 2022 - one day before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are due to open. They were the last of the activists associated with the No Beijing 2022 campaign to be freed.

Other activists in the area have reported repeated harassment by local police including four Students for a Free Tibet activists who were detained for several hours yesterday without ever being accused of a crime, and others whose car was searched after they held a press conference about the No Beijing 2022 campaign.

Two more activists who were detained in Athens after holding a press conference were held overnight and then released the following day after a court hearing. They will face charges at a court hearing in January. There is no clear

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information about what the charges will be and there is concern that Beijing will interfere in, and influence, the judicial process.

In all, nine Tibet protesters have been detained or arrested by Greek police for peacefully protesting or representing the campaign.

International human rights groups have been calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics citing China’s human rights abuses in Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan [Ch: Xinjian] and China. The International Olympic Committee has remained silent on the issue and went ahead with the torch lighting ceremony.

Phayul reports that over 200 rights groups around the world have urged 26 Olympic broadcasters, including the United States based NBC, to drop coverage of the Beijing Olympics on humanitarian grounds.

Tibetan and Uyghur activists have issued press statements saying that China is “carrying out an unprecedented campaign of repression in Tibet, southern Mongolia, bullying Taiwan, destroying Hong Kong democracy, and committing genocide against the Uyghurs”.

They suggested that competitors should consider their involvement with the games, saying that any medals won will be tainted with the “blood of millions of people who are suffering” under China’s régime. They also pointed out that the award of the 2008 Olympic Games to Beijing had given legitimacy to China’s human rights abuses, effectively sending them a message of support instead of putting on pressure to change. They report increased surveillance and repression since this message of legitimacy and say they IOC is “aiding and abetting the Beijing régime”.

Message from Jason, sent while in detention in Greece: I am writing this email from Greece, home of the Olympic Games. After spending last night in a police cell, I remain in detention along with two other activists as we await our trial.

Yesterday we were arrested after we gate-crashed the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame. Our action has been reported by major newspapers around the world and seen by millions on social media.

Many of you have sent your support to us while we sat in detention, while locals have been incredibly generous with their support, not least the local farmers who brought us food. This coverage and support has kept us in good spirits and made it clear that our campaign has real momentum.

My fellow activists and I hope we can safely travel home soon, something that over 1,000 political prisoners across Tibet cannot look forward to. But this campaign is only going to continue growing. Please join us in saying “No Beijing 2022!”

News Features Sikyong Penpa Tsering Represents Tibet at IPAC the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is carrying out of global trade and 60% of the population of the planet. a global campaign of threats and intimidation against The forum has met every year since 1999 and includes, Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Chinese dissidents since 2008, a yearly Summit, with the participation of the and other activists abroad. Those extradited or deported respective Heads of State and Government. to the PRC will not face a fair trial and are at severe risk Ahead of this year’s Summit, October 29 saw a of persecution, arbitrary detention and torture. We, as gathering of 200 global parliamentarians, diplomats legislators from across the world, pledge to advocate on and experts at the conference of the Inter-Parliamentary behalf of all those facing extradition or deportation to the Alliance on China (IPAC)**, also held in Rome. IPAC PRC based on their ethnic, religious or political status or staged a counter-meeting ahead of the G20 Leaders’ activities, and call on our governments to put a stop to Summit to demand a tougher stance towards the Chinese all attempts to harass and intimidate these groups in our government. jurisdictions.”

IPAC invited Sikyong to speak, along with *Rome is hosting this year’s G20 Summit on October representatives of other countries living under 30 and 31 – gathered there are the G20 Heads of State and Chinese rule. IPAC issued a press release saying “The Government, their counterparts from invited countries, conference […] will see and representatives parliamentarians from of some of the main five continents meet international and regional with prominent leaders organisations.The of groups targeted by Summit is the climax of the Chinese government, the G20 process and the including Taiwanese final stage, at Leaders’ Foreign Minister level, of the intense work Joseph Wu, Sikyong carried out throughout the of the Central Tibetan year.

Administration Penpa **The InterTsering, former Hong Parliamentary Alliance on Kong legislator Nathan China is an international Law and Uyghur artist cross-party group of Sikyong Penpa Tsering with Representative Chhimey Rigzen of the and activist Rahima legislators working Tibet Bureau Geneva and Secretary Karma Choeying of Department Mahmut.” IPAC says towards reform on how of Information and International Relations, CTA. the Alliance is now the democratic countries Photo: IPAC “world’s largest China approach China.It is made focussed network of international legislators”. up of global legislators and led by a group of co-chairs, Speaking to the Conference, Sikyong said, “For who are senior politicians drawn from a representative the G20 members of the democratic countries, it is not cross-section of the world’s major political parties. enough to have freedom in your own countries since the IPAC’s website says, “Developing a coherent response entire world is an interdependent community of human to the rise of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as led beings. It is paramount that you ensure the values you by the Chinese Communist Party is a defining challenge cherish in your countries be available to those ruled by for the world’s democratic states. This challenge will authoritarian ones like the Chinese government,” He outlast individual governments and administrations; its also appealed to the members to discuss the climatic scope transcends party politics and traditional divides issue facing the Tibetan Plateau and emphasised Tibet’s between foreign and domestic policy […] When contribution to the major rivers in Asia. He said China countries have stood up to Beijing, they have done so must be strictly called out for its attitude against climate alone. Rather than mounting a common defence of shared change. He said that China is the “principal stakeholder principles, countries have instead been mindful of their in the global disharmony”. own national interests, which are increasingly dependent At the IPAC conference parliamentarians from 22 on the People’s Republic of China for crucial minerals, countries signed a pledge to “advocate on behalf of components, and products.No country should have to bear persecuted groups at risk of extradition to the People’s the burden of standing up for fundamental liberties and the Republic of China and Hong Kong: The government of integrity of the international order by itself.”

Continued from page 1

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News Features China’s Eco-Compensation Claims Refuted by TCHRD

by Mary Trewartha China’s eco-compensation policy on Tibetan grassland comes under the spotlight in the new report Unsustainable Futures published this month by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)* ahead of the COP26 Summit** in Glasgow, UK, next month. They look at China’s carbon trading scheme - this attempts to offset its reliance on coal fired electricity, which includes plans to build many more coal-fired power stations, and China’s use of this scheme to “repair reputational damage”.

The report describes how China has been “persistently accumulating its climate capital, through its rhetoric of ecological civilisation construction, carbon trading, grain to green, closing pastures to grow more grass” and goes on to say, “China has much to say on eco-compensation, intrinsic to China’s credentials as a climate leader and as benevolent governance of ecosystem services and respect for those who provide them”.

The report examines what these policies mean on the ground, and the effect they are having on the people concerned, with particular reference to the Tibetan nomads whose centurieslong, traditional and sustainable lifestyle, as well as the long-term sustainability of the land, is being eroded

by China’s desire to be seen as offsetting its unsustainable use of the coal-fired electricity on which it relies.

“Tibet and the Tibetans provide ecosystem services for the whole of Asia and well beyond,” says TCHRD. They go on to say that “China is now in a competitive race with the US on climate action and environmental progress” and talks of a world that “hopes that, on this issue, China and the US can cooperate, even if they are hostile to each other on almost all else”.

The report continues, “None of China’s regulatory and policy frameworks on environmental conservation integrates the human rights based approach to protect communities from harmful effects of displacement and climate change” and backs this up with documented testimonies of people who have lived in the areas affected

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and can give first hand accounts of the impact of China’s policies.

TCHRD makes observations and recommendations which focus on the traditional Tibetan nomad lifestyle, its respect for the environment, and its sustainability. China’s policies do not respect these factors and their policy of nomad displacement “is unscientific, contravenes available evidence, and should be declared a contravention of Article 8 (j) of the Convention on Biodiversity”. They say that this policy also contravenes the human rights of the nomads and that any schemes should “empower local communities by respecting their human rights, including land tenure security and freedom from forced removal from their ancestral lands”.

Water security for the millions of people living in the countries downstream of Tibet is discussed, saying that if “upper river reaches are not adequately protected, active protection measures downstream will have limited effect.

Construction of further hydro dams, especially high wall dams, is not compatible with river protection, and fish biodiversity protection”.

The report concludes, “China’s policy responses for climate change mitigation and adaptation undermine s u s t a i n a b l e development and traditional livelihood sources on the Tibetan Plateau [… ]Eco-compensation policies must be inclusive in nature and recognise the role of local nomadic communities in pursuing sustainable and productive livelihood sources”. *The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is a registered non-government human rights organisation based in Dharmashala with the mission to protect the human rights of the Tibetan people in Tibet and promote the principles of democracy in the exile Tibetan community. *COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021, taking place in Glasgow October 31 – November 12, will “bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change”.

News Features Spotlight on Tibet’s Climate Crisis at COP26 Continued from page 1

Tibet needs to be opened up to international scientific research they say, “The Tibetan experience is crucial as it underscores the importance of local knowledge and meaningful inclusion, both of which are largely ignored by the Chinese authorities in Tibet”. They also point out that currently Tibet is warming at two to four times faster than the global average. This has accelerated glacial and permafrost melt and exacerbated desertification, which results in the loss of a major carbon sink. Climate change in Tibet threatens the livelihood of more than one billion people who live in the countries downstream and depend on Tibetan rivers for their water supply.

A billboard highlighting the impact of climate change on Tibet, due to be displayed outside the COP26 summit, has been blocked by the billboardowner Global Outdoor Media. Free Tibet, who created the billboard, was told it was “political” despite last minute changes, removing any reference to COP26.

John Jones of Free Tibet said, “Tibetans have been frozen out of COP26 and now even their message has been frozen out but all the while, Tibet is still melting.”

“Every single part of our billboard design is factual.

That these facts might be embarrassing for some of those at COP26 does not make them political.”

Representatives from Free Tibet and other groups of Tibetan environmental experts and supporters will be attending the COP26 summit; the Tibetan experts will share findings of how Tibet’s environment is dramatically deteriorating due to climate change, exacerbated by policies by the Chinese Communist Party. These policies include mining, the construction of dams and the relocation of Tibetan nomads from their pastures, said Free Tibet.

On November 6, members of the Tibetan community in the United Kingdom will join the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice, where representatives intend to raise the lack of Tibetan participation at COP26.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Message to COP26

by Tenzin Samten Tibet’s spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published a letter on October 31 to coincide with the opening of COP26, the United Nation’s annual climate conference happening from November 1. His Holiness says that the issue of climate change must be addressed on a cooperative global level. He underlines the importance of the Tibetan plateau, as the source of Asia’s major rivers, to sustain the livelihood of over two billion people in downstream areas.

“Global warming is an urgent reality. None of us is able to change the past. But we are all in a position to contribute to a better future. Indeed, we have a responsibility to ourselves and to the more than seven billion human beings alive today to ensure that all of us can continue to live in peace and safety. With hope and determination, we must take care of both our own lives and those of all our neighbours,” said His Holiness in the letter which is published on his official website, dalailama.com.

The Tibetan plateau, being the largest reservoir of snow and ice outside the North and the South Pole, is referred to as the “Third Pole”. Tibet is the source of major rivers in the world, including the Brahmaputra, the Ganges,

the Indus, the Mekong, the Salween, the Yellow River and the Yangtze. These rivers are a source of drinking water, irrigation for agriculture and hydropower, for nearly two billion people across Asia, says His Holiness. The melting of Tibet’s glaciers, the damming and diversion of rivers and widespread deforestation currently being undertaken, will affect the whole of this population whose livelihood depends on this ecology.

His Holiness emphasised that these issues should be addressed “taking realistic action founded on scientific understanding.” He continued, “The inhabitants of our planet are interdependent as never before. Everything we do affects our human companions, as well as innumerable animal and plant species.” He said that the participation of younger generations in the climate change movement gives hope for the future.

His Holiness reiterated the importance of maintaining a sense of the one-ness of the humanity,saying that the threat of global warming and climate change is not limited by national boundaries: it affects us all.

He concludes the letter by saying, “I hope and pray that our leaders will gather the strength to take collective action to address this emergency, and set a timetable for change. We have to act to make this a safer, greener, happier world.”

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News Features Concern as Tibetan Homes are Replaced with Chinese-style Buildings

by Mary Trewartha Reconstruction is taking place following the devastation caused by the earthquake in Matoe County [Ch:Maduo] of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in eastern Tibet earlier this year.

There is concern that the buildings that are being constructed to replace the homes, schools and monasteries destroyed in the 7.4 magnitude earthquake are being rebuilt in Chinese style, not replaced with traditional Tibetan-style buildings. In addition, local reports tell of Tibetan buildings being demolished to make way for more Chinese-style buildings, reports Tibet Watch, the UK-Dharamshala based Tibet research and advocacy organisation.

Over 1,200 children have been relocated to distant boarding schools when their school was demolished and the situation has given rise to the opportunity to deny pupils Tibetan-language education.

In September this year, the Chinese authorities in Matoe county started demolishing Lungkya Monastery, an unidentified nunnery and a number of Tibetan homes as part of infrastructure reconstruction in the wake of the earthquake. The Tibet Watch report continues, saying that the demolitions are being carried out regardless of whether or not the houses were damaged by the earthquake. All the monks, nuns and residents were forced to temporarily take shelter in the newly built camps with steel roofs.

Tibet Watch’s local source said that they have been told about “rebuilding a better monastery and its assembly hall”.

Tibet Watch’s source added, “Local residents worry about how long they might remain under the steel-roof shelters. The main concern of local people is that they are uncertain if the Chinese authorities would reconstruct the monastery and Tibetan homes after everything is torn down. Many homes were neither damaged nor affected by the earthquake but the authorities forced the residents of those unaffected homes to move to the camps along with others and even proceeded with demolishing the houses.”

Local residents have been warned by the authorities not to share or post any pictures, videos or updated information about the demolition and activities currently underway on social media for “security reasons”.

Chinese state media coverage of the earthquake and its consequences have focussed on schoolchildren, saying that students are continuing their classes in disaster relief tents, and that transitional schools are opening. Tibetan parents in the region however remain concerned about the lack of education in Tibetan in these new boarding schools: the local policy is for bilingual education which prioritises the national language [Putonghua], and it is Putonghua which is the medium of instruction in classes with minority pupils. Many pupils are being sent out of their home area to attend boarding schools some distance away.

The Tibet Watch report comments that the “life of resettlement after resettlement remains rife with uncertainty about their homes, places of religious faith and Tibetan education for their children”.

China’s Relentless Sinicisation Drive in Tibet

by Tenzin Samten Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and study centres have been instructed to begin translating their class texts from Tibetan into Mandarin Chinese. This edict comes under China’s drive to sinicise religion across the country, China is requiring what it calls its “common language” to be used by monks and nuns for their interactions with each other in place of their native language, reports Radio Free Asia (RFA).

The instruction was issued at a three-day conference at the Tso-Ngon Buddhist University in Qinghai’s capital city Xining, which was held on Septermber 27 and which was “attended by more than 500 religious figures and students from Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist universities and other educational organisations, including more than 300 students from Tso-Ngon University,” said the report.

Speaking to RFA, Phentok, a researcher at the Tibetan

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Policy Institute, said that this move was intended to further the destruction of the Tibetan religion and culture, and to force Tibetan Buddhist scholars and religious teachers to obey the Chinese government.

There are thousands of classical Buddhist texts written in the Tibetan language, many of which were translated from Sanskrit many years ago. It is unclear whether the policy will also require the translation of those texts into Chinese. Geshe Lhakdor, Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamshala, has said that the Chinese language is unable to communicate the full range of meaning of Buddhist doctrine.“This policy is just an ignorant power play by the Chinese government. The question now is: who will translate these Buddhist texts, and what kind of job will they be able to do?” he said.

News Features Tibetan Writer Imprisoned for Four Years

by Tenzin Samten Lobsang Lhundup, 41, a Tibetan writer whose pen name is Dhi Lhaden, has been sentenced to four years in prison, following a secret trial, on a charge of “creating disorder among the public”. This follows his writing of a book criticising Chinese rule in Tibet, reports Radio Free Asia.

He has been in custody for two years and his family has not been allowed to visit or to bring him food or clothes, and the current state of his health is unknown.

Lhundup was taken into custody in June 2019 while working in a private cultural education centre in Chengdu.

Born in 1980, Lhundup is a native of the Pema district of Golog in Amdo [Ch: Qinghai].

He became a monk at the age of 11 and studied Buddhism in Larung Gar Tibetan Buddhist Academy in Kardze where, over the last couple of years, thousands of resident monks and nuns have been forcibly evicted by

the Chinese authorities.

In his late 20’s, Lhundup taught Buddhism in Drepung and Sera monasteries in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and travelled widely in Tibet. Later he wrote and published books about the region-wide protests in 2008 against Beijing’s policies and rule in Tibetan areas.

He has a wife and one child. On December 4, 2020 his family was summoned by the Chinese authorities to discuss his case but learned only that his case is still pending and they would not be allowed to visit him.

Writers, singers and artists in Tibet who promote Tibetan national identity and culture have frequently been detained by the Chinese authorities, with many handed long jail terms, reports RFA, saying that this has increased following the 2008 widespread protests across Tibet against Chinese rule.

Kirti Monk Detained Lobsang Choephel, 34, a monk from Kirti monastery in Ngaba, Amdo [Ch: Qinghai ],was detained earlier this month by the Chinese authorities. His whereabouts and the state of his health and wellbeing are unknown, according to information provided by two monks from Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, Lobsang Yeshi and Kanyag Tsering, who act as the contact point for Kirti Monastery in Ngaba.

Choephel has been arrested twice by Chinese authorities before; in 2008 he was arrested in Lhasa and again in 2011 at Ngaba. He was detained for four months during that time. He joined

the monastery at an early age, now working there in the monastery’s computer section; he is also the monastery’s official photographer. He specialises in taking nature photographs and has won awards for his photography which he publishes online under the name of Rewai Dawoe.

Lobsang Choephel is from Ngasib Kanyag Ruwatsang; his late parents were Rikho and Tsering Kyi and he has three siblings.

There are unverified reports of arrests of other monks from Kirti Monastery earlier this month; no names or details of these arrests are currently available.

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News Features Deadlock Ends; 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Resumes

by Tenzin Samten The 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) has resumed normal operations now that all Members of Parliament have taken their oath. The Pro-tem Speaker, Dawa Tsering, who is also the longest serving TPiE member, took his oath, followed

by Khenpo Sonam Tenphel who has been elected Speaker and Dolma Tsering, Deputy Speaker.

Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, a Nyingma constituency member, gained 23 votes against Dolma Tsering who secured 22 votes, while Dolma Tsering was elected Deputy Speaker with 23 votes against Namgyal Dolker who gained 18 votes. Youdon Aukatsang secured two votes and two votes were deemed disqualified.

The parliamentary deadlock originated last spring with the impeachment of the three Justice Commissioners; without the Justice Commissioners the newly-elected Members of Parliament were unable to take their oaths in the usual way – this led to a dispute and Parliament was unable to convene. Because the Members had not taken the oath, the new Sikyong, Penpa

Tsering, was unable to appoint his Kashag [Cabinet].

The five Tibetan MPs from the US, Europe, and Australasia called for an internal meeting among the new Parliamentarians to find a way to resolve the stalemate. This took place on September 27–29. When no agreement was reached during this meeting, Parliamentarians agreed to consult His Holiness the Dalai Lama and follow his advice as to the way forward.

On October 7, responding to the appeal letter submitted by the Parliamentarians, His Holiness expressed “disappointment” that the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile was unable to convene and advised them to take their oath of office according to the provisions of the Tibetan Charter, or recommended the Election Commission exercise its authority, again according to the Charter, to enable Parliament move forward.

After receiving the advisory letter from His Holiness, all 45 MPs unanimously decided to take oath under the Charter.

The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker took their oath of the Office from the Chief Justice Commissioner on October 9.

17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Approves Three New Ministers

by Tenzin Samten The 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) convened its first session for the two days of October 11 and 12, pledging to resolve the political issue of Tibet, to resolve the human rights and environmental crises in Tibet, and to oversee the welfare of Tibetans living in exile. The first day’s session approved three new Ministers for the Kashag [Cabinet], all women.

They were voted in by Members of Parliament from the six names proposed by the Sikyong [President] of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel in his opening remarks to the session greeted the parliamentarians and reaffirmed the Tibetan Parliament’s resolve to fulfill the aspirations of Tibetans living inside Tibet. “With the rapidly evolving global politics, China is impacted to gradually shift its policy toward the changing spectrum of global governance.

This shift in China’s global policy is evidently impacting its hardline policy toward Tibet,” said the Speaker, and urged his fellow members to put forward their opinions or constructive suggestions for discussion.

Members unanimously proposed a resolution to specifically thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his timely intervention and his invaluable advice which ended months of parliamentary deadlock, and to express remorse for the long impasse.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering nominated six people for the post of Kalon [Ministers], voting took place to elect the three Kalons, all of whom are women: former Minister Gyari Dolma (30 votes), former school Principal Tharlam Dolma (27 votes) and Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy researcher Norzin Dolma (27 votes). Former Minister Thupten Lungrik and

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Tibetan Children’s Village Director Tsultrim Dorjee failed to secure approval votes. The sixth nomination for cabinet was the MP Ngodup Dorjee; some of the MPs walked out of the session, refusing to vote, citing the incompetence of this nominee.

The CTA President withdrew his remaining nominations until the next Parliament session. He urged the parliamentarians to respect the proceedings of the house. Phayul reports him as saying, “It is of utmost importance that we go through with the full proceedings as per the charter. If Parliament is rendered powerless at the behest of any group, how will we get on with our executive duties?”

The two-day meeting saw discussion and deliberation from MPs on the political and human rights situation inside Tibet, together with proposals for amendments to the Tibetan Charter on the rules and regulations concerning the nomination of the Chief Justice Commissioner and Justice Commissioners.

The members of the 17th TPiE approved eight official resolutions of obituary and mourning, and one official resolution of solidarity with the sufferings of the Tibetan people inside Tibet.

Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel expressed his gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his advice, as requested by MPs, which brought an end to the parliamentary crisis. He called for a united effort by the Kashag, the Tibetan Parliament and Tibet support groups across the world for a better outcome for the Tibetan freedom struggle. The Speaker assured the Kashag, led

by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, of the full support and cooperation of the Tibetan Parliament in all its future activities, and urged his fellow MPs to support the Kashag as stated in the official resolution of the Tibetan Parliament.

TPiE usually holds two sessions each year, with each session lasting about ten days; one in March to discuss and approve the annual budget for the CTA departments, the second session in September to discuss the reports of the budget. The next session for the current TPiE is likely to be scheduled for March next year.

News Features Ban on All Tibetan Religious Activities in Golog

by Tenzin Samten Members of the Communist Party of China, both current and former, living in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Tibetan province of Amdo [Ch: Qinghai] have been issued with a strict ban on any religious activities, reports the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). Homes are being searched and an army of informers has been deployed. Party members are expected to educate their families to adhere to the Party’s founding principles and mission. TCHRD says this violates people’s rights to freedom of thought, religion and privacy.

The report further elaborates that in Darlag County in Golog, “the ban is being enforced by the deployment of a large number of informers to ensure no Tibetan party member engages in religious rituals such as going for kora (circumambulation of sacred structures), using rosaries, digital prayer beads and other religious objects” and their homes were searched for the photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The ban on all religious activities associated with the Tibetan way of life includes a ban on sending children to monasteries to join as nuns or monks, inviting monks or

nuns to perform prayers and engaging in any online religious activities. This all reflects the six point “code of conduct” imposed earlier this year in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Party members are expected to adhere to Marxist materialism and atheism as well as showing loyalty to the Party and its constitution. Members are expected to educate their family on the “incompatibility of religion with the Party’s founding principles and mission” says the TCHRD report.

TCHRD believes that the drive is linked to the National Political and Legal Team Education and Rectification Leading Group’s meeting which was held in Beijing on September 13. Guo Shengkun, the Group’s leader, who presided over the meeting, said that Party members must take the lead in implementing the “second batch of education rectification campaign with higher standards and stricter requirements to ensure that tangible results are achieved”.

TCHRD, which is a Dharamshala-based non government organisation, reports that the ban is likely to be imposed on other parts of Golog and Yuhsu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, as well as the remaining prefectures and counties outside the TAR in the coming days.

His Holiness Connects with Young People Around the World

by Tenzin Samten His Holiness the Dalai Lama keeps in touch with his friends and followers across the world virtually from his residence in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala.

This month, he participated in a two-day conversation with young peace-builders about compassion, education and equality, organised by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), on October 14 and 15.

His Holiness spoke about cultivating peace of mind voluntarily and not out of fear, reminding his listeners that the last century was marked by violence, now there is a wish for peace. He spoke of cultivating peace of mind founded on loving-kindness and compassion, “we need to strengthen our wish not to harm others. Non-violence is not just a religious principle, it’s common sense,” said His Holiness.

He emphasised the importance of education, and said that warm-heartedness and compassion are the best way to achieve happiness. His Holiness then answered questions from the online audience. On gender equality, His Holiness said that discrimination on the basis of gender, colour or faith is “out of date”.

“These days it’s realistic to work for co-existence on global level. It’s no longer appropriate to thinking only of

‘my country’. We must educate the young to thinwk about how to achieve genuine world peace. We have to take the entire world, the whole of humanity, into account on a global level”.

He continued, “The younger generation must be more broad-minded. They need to adopt a broader perspective, not simply repeating what was experienced in the past”.

USIP is “dedicated to the proposition that peace is possible, practical and essential for US and global security.

It brings together young leaders from conflict-affected communities and provides training on leadership, prejudice reduction, and conflict transformation”.

“Ultimately the foundation of peace of mind is loving kindness” said His Holiness, “Every day, as soon as I wake up, I meditate on compassion, and it brings me peace and tranquility. It’s not just a matter of being free from disturbance, but of being moved by love and compassion.

Peace of mind isn’t just a religious topic; it underpins the survival of humanity. Even those who trouble us are human beings and deserve our compassion”.

On October 26 he gave a teaching Compassion and Dignity as requested by the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

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Tibetan Headlines Oct 31: Rikki Hyde Chambers Longtime friend of Tibet, Rikki Hyde Chambers OBE, died this morning in hospital.

Rikki has been a champion of the Tibetan cause for over 50 years and is well known and loved throughout the Tibetan exile community for his staunch support of Tibet and work with the Tibet Society.

Oct 29: Dutch Award Tsering Jampa, the International Campaign for Tibet-Europe Executive Director, has been awarded the Knighthood in the Order of Orange-Nassau—a prestigious Dutch Royal Distinction—for her substantial efforts to defend and promote the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people.This is the first time that a Tibetan has received this major honour.

Oct 29: Tibetan Flag Removed Thomas Rohden, a candidate in the Danish local elections, has accused the Chinese embassy of theft - ten of his election posters, all showing the Tibetan flag, and displayed outside the Chinese embassy near Copenhagen, had been removed.

Rohden said they were intended as a protest against a partnership between the Danish health authorities and the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. China accused Rohden of “deliberate provocation”.

Oct 29: Panchen Propaganda Gyaincain Norbu, the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, is reported by Chinese news agency Xinhua as having gained his Kachen degree-equivalent to a doctorate. He was appointed Panchen Lama after China kidnapped Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the six year old recognised as the Panchen Lama by HH the Dalai Lama. The Panchen Lama is second only to HH the Dalai Lama as the most influential Tibetan Buddhist religious figure.

Oct 26: Collaboration with Taiwan The annual conference Finding Common Ground 2021 took place in Taipei, organised by the Office of Tibet and the Taiwan—Tibetan Welfare Association. This year’s theme was “Developments on the issue of Tibet, East Turkestan, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the context of changing US—China relations”. Participants in Taiwan included scholars, politicians, activists, and social workers, and they were joined virtually by people from around the world.

Oct 22: Empowering Women An awareness raising event saw the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) partnering the Central Tibetan Administration’s Women’s Empowerment Desk with a presence in McLeod Ganj’s main square, to raise awareness about domestic violence, timed to take place during this

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month’s Domestic Abuse Awareness Month campaign. The campaigners handed out badges, fliers and T-shirts, and invited people to write their concerns on T-shirts which were then displayed at the event.

Oct 22: Climate Strike!

Tibetans and supporters held a demonstration in McLeod Ganj to support the Global Climate Strike; the activists aim to raise awareness of the climate crisis in Tibet and were calling for COP26 to “recognise the global ecological significance of the Tibetan Plateau, making it central to any discussion on global climate change”. They carried placards with slogans including “Tibet’s rivers, Asia’s lifeline”.

Oct 21: Grazing Permits Revoked Tibetan nomads in Amdo [Ch: Qinghai] are losing their permits to use their traditional grazing grounds as a 50-yearold agreement comes into force, transferring their ownership of the land to the state. Radio Free Asia reports its local sources as saying that the authorities are “confiscating the land to force the Tibetan nomads to relocate to the city” and enabling the land to be exploited by the authorities.

Oct 20: New Secretary in TAR Wang Junzheng, 58, has been appointed Secretary of the Communist Party of China Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee. Wang is one of the Chinese officials to be sanctioned by the United States, Britain, the European Union and Canada for his role in China’s genocidal actions in East Turkestan [Ch:Xinjiang]; he has held office in East Turkestan and been instrumental in China’s genocidal actions there.

Oct 20: Running for Tibet A group of Tibetans participated in the German Post Marathon Bonn, joining more than 4,000 runners for the event in Bonn to create awareness of the situation in Tibet, to thank Germany for its support for the Tibetan cause over years, and to mark 14 years since the US Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honour of the United States, was presented to HH the Dalia Lama.

Oct 19: Support for Flood Victims His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, to express his deep sadness at the loss of life and property caused by flooding and landslides in Kerala. His Holiness added, “As a token of my sympathy, I would like to make a donation from the Dalai Lama Trust towards the rescue and relief efforts.”

Oct 18: Free Entry to Potala The Chinese authorities have discontinued charging tourists to visit the Potala Palace, the traditional winter residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, for the remainder of this year, saying it is to “promote winter tourism”. There are grave concerns at the impact of the heavy footfall on this ancient and historically important sacred structure, promoted

by China as the most popular tourist attraction in Tibet.

Tibetan Headlines Oct 18: Men Tsee Khang Celebrates Men Tsee Khang, the Tibetan medical and astrological institute, has celebrated 105 years since it was founded in Lhasa by HH the 13th Dalai Lama, and 60 years since it was re-established in exile in Dharamshala by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As well as a presentation of awards the celebration included dance performances, a book launch and the launch of a new section on its website.

Oct 15: Death Penalty Tang Lu, a Chinese man convicted of murdering his Tibetan exwife, has been given the death penalty reports the Tibetan Journal.

Lhamo, his ex-wife and a mother of two, was a well-known vlogger. Tang regularly beat his wife and they divorced last year.

Three months later Tang visited her home on the Tibetan plateau.

He doused her with gasoline and set her on fire while she was livestreaming.

Oct 14: Snakes Found in Tibet Two new species of viper have been discovered on the Tibetan Plateau, the Nujiang pit viper in Zayu in Tibet and the Glacier pit viper found west of the Nujiang River and Heishui in Kham [Ch: Sichuan], reports the Tibetan Journal. The Glacial pit viper is living at 4,800 metres above sea level: 2,000 metres higher than its normal habitat.

Oct 14: Gold Cup Winners!

Shimla United Football Club are the winners of this year’s Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup, beating TCB Bir United three goals to two - a first-time win for Shimla. The final match was held at the Tibetan Nehru Memorial Foundation School ground. Ten teams from Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal took part in the twelve-day tournament. The winners received a 1.5 lakh prize (UD$ 2,000 / £1,500).

Oct 13: Focus on Education Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Tibetan Governmentin-Exile (CTA), has started his drive to develop the education system for Tibetan schools with a special meeting of the heads of the various Tibetan schools, together with officers from the CTA’s education department. Plans for the future were discussed, with Sikyong saying that some “serious decisions” are needed in order to benefit the education of Tibetan students in the future.

Oct 12: Congratulations The Office of Tibet in Japan has sent congratulations to the newlyelected Prime Minister Kishida Fumio with a message from Sikyong Pempa Tsering, President of the Tibetan Government-inExile saying, “We admire Japan for its efforts [...] in the universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law”. Sikyong thanked the Japanese government and people for hosting the largest parliamentarians’ support group for Tibet.

Oct 11: Closer Ties?

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, speaking to Taiwan’s national news agency Central New Agency, has said he wants to strengthen Taiwan-Tibet ties. “There are many aspects in which we can work together”said Sikyong, adding that he hopes that the Taiwanese government could

provide scholarships to Tibetan students in order to foster more exchanges between Taiwanese and Tibetans.

Oct 8: 50th Anniversary Celebration The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest pro-independence group is celebrating its golden jubilee with a five day meeting in Dharamshala to “discuss and deliberate on important TYC issues”.

They plan to strengthen their four core objectives by introducing new strategies. TYC was set up in 1970; it now oversees 88 regional chapters across the world with over 35,000 members.

Oct 8: Birthday Greetings His Holiness the Dalai Lama has sent a video message expressing birthday greetings to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who turned 90 yesterday saying, “My elder spiritual brother, please live long. We need you to set a good example”. His Holiness said that they are both trying their “best to bring about peace in the world” Oct 7: Sikyong Meets Taiwan Ambassador Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, and His Excellency Baushuan Gerhe, the Taiwanese Ambassador to India, met in Delhi to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. Sikyong has met diplomats from other countries during his three-day visit to Delhi this week.

Oct 4: Detainees Released Only three monks remain in detention following the mass arrests in Kham [Ch: Sichuan] in August and September. The Tibetan Review reports that all but three of the 121 detained have now been released with a warning not to keep or share pictures of HH the Dalai Lama or other religious or political content. The three still held were among eight taken from Dza Wonpo Monastery.

Oct 4: Tibet Lobby Day Tibetans and supporters from more than 20 states in the United States took part in Tibet Lobby Day on Sept 28—29, holding more than 75 virtual meetings with members of Congress or their staff urging them to take action to help the Tibetan people and sending more than 4,100 signatures in petitions to Congress. The petitions encouraged increased US support for Tibet.

Oct 2: Resist China!

Tibetans joined Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Southern Mongolians, Chinese and Taiwanese people in a day of protest against the Chinese Communist Party and their crackdowns against freedom, democracy and human rights which has intensified across China.

Resist China is a global campaign. In London, United Kingdom, large numbers of people gathered in Picadilly Circus to demonstrate their support for the movement.

Oct 1: China Responds The Chinese government has responded to the call by UN experts to provide information about two detained Tibetans, Rinchen Tsultrim and Go Sherab Gyatso, who have apparently disappeared in detention.

China’s response has failed to address the allegations or to provide the information requested, reports the International Campaign for Tibet, the United States based Tibet advocacy organisation, who have called for the immediate release of both detainees.

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COP26: A PERSONAL VIEW COP26: Why Does Tibet Matter?

by Kate Murry I am not a Tibetan, nor a climate science expert. Like you, I am a human, with a family. I am aware that we humans, as a species, are facing a very difficult moment; that we have caused devastation to the very ecosystem that supports us, all in the name of progress, and profit; that we need to act fast to mitigate the damage and to protect our children and grandchildren and so many other life forms from the worst effects of our blindness and greed.

I have been an educator and climate activist, and involved with Tibetan communities for decades. My children have Tibetan heritage and we have travelled to stay with our Tibetan drokpa/nomad familyin Trehor, in Kham. So please, let’s add our voices together.

Allow me to remind us of the fact that we are nowhere near limiting global CO2 emissions to 1.5 degrees, as pledged at COP21 in 2015, and that the pledges on the table at COP26 put us on course for between two and three degrees of warming.

Anything above 1.5 degrees is going to equate to hundreds of millions of displaced people, millions of deaths, resource scarcity, droughts, floods, societal breakdown. It will mean wars.

It will mean suffering. It will mean that the poorest and most vulnerable will be the hardest hit. The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says we need “rapid, far-reaching, unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”. If we reach net zero by 2050, as COP26 proposes, we still only have a 50/50 chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, according to the IPCC .

That’s a 50/50 chance of survival. And that is not mentioning the inevitable biodiversity loss, mass extinction of species, soil degradation, desertification and the destruction of ancient forests, peatlands, oceans and rivers ….

The climate and ecological emergency is upon us, we are dangerously close to the point of no return. We have less than a decade to turn the Titanic around, and we seem incapable of even slowing it down.

When it comes to Tibet there are particular considerations.

Firstly, these degrees of heating are a global average. Tibet is heating at least three times as fast as the rest of the world.

What does that mean for the next generation in Tibet? The great rivers of Asia providing freshwater for 20% of the world’s population originate in Tibet and depend on gradual glacial melt. In addition, as the permafrost on the Tibetan plateau melts, methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) is released contributing to the feedback loops and increasing

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the temperature even further. Tibetans are already experiencing crop failure due to destabilised weather patterns: floods; droughts; warmer wetter winters.

The people of Tibet are subjected, by the Chinese regime under which they live, to unregulated mining for minerals and resources; road and railway building; huge hydroelectric dams that divert water from where it is needed. Traditional faming and building methods are being phased out, replaced by high carbon footprint methods for greater short term benefits, with no regard for sustainability. Nomads are forced from their grasslands, and traditional ways of life are lost. Over a third of Tibet’s grasslands have already been degraded into semi deserts.

The traditional Buddhist culture of Tibet had a very different approach to life, one which was underpinned by compassion and respect for all life, and which therefore supported the delicate ecological balance needed to keep the biodiverse ecosystems intact.

I find it astonishing that we allow this to go on right under our noses, and apart from the occasional mention of human rights, there is no outcry form the West.

I find this particularly appalling as a student of Tibetan Buddhism, as someone whose life has been vastly enriched by my encounter with this most precious of “exports” from Tibet, the Dharma.

We in the West are very happy to receive these teachings, to welcome the Dalai Lama, and other great teachers, so that we can consume them, as we do all other resources, as part of our personal spiritual progress, without giving a thought to protecting the social and geographical infrastructures, the very land from which they sprung. This is not a war cry against China, but rather a plea for the human race to face the truth of what we have done and what we need to do to put things right.

As someone who has witnessed at first hand the environmental and cultural destruction taking place in Tibet, and heard second hand of much more; as someone who cares about the whole of our home, this precious earth, but who has a special connection with and responsibility towards Tibet; as someone who wants her children to be able to not only survive but flourish, not have a less than 50% chance of doing so, I urge you: inform yourself; inform others; make sure that Tibet’s situation is not absent from the climate and ecological emergency debate.

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “We need a revolution of compassion…The entire human family must unite and cooperate to protect our common home”.

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 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 tibetanreview.net - Tibetan Review online news

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 non-governmental 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 grassroots group campaigning for full Tibetan independence freetibet.org: - UK-based campaigning organisation, also a good news source tibetwatch.org - Tibet Watch works with Free Tibet to promote the human rights of the Tibetan people through monitoring, research and advocacy. 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 rukor.org - a discussion site on Tibetan nomads and their fate bitterwinter.org - A magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China

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.

Contact is published by Lha Charitable Trust Institute for Social Work and Education We have moved! (see map on next page)

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MAP OF MCLEOD GANJ, DHARAMSHALA

DHARAMSHALA CONTACTS Delek Hospital Gangkyi, Central Tibetan Administration Hours: Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, Mon-Sat Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm Emergencies: 24-hrs, daily Phone: 222 053,223 381

Mcleod Ganj Police Station: 01892 221 483 Kangra Airport: 01892 232374 Bhagsu Taxi Union: 01892 221034 Tourism Office: 01892 224430 223325 Rail Booking & Enquiry: 01892 265026 Police Superintendent: 01892 222244

McLeod Ganj Post Office Location: Jogiwara Rd Before the 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

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