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A Digest of Tibetan Issues and News from Inside and Outside Tibet RGD No. HPENG/2013/51798 | Volume: XXIII Issue:03| September 30, 2021
Tibetan Schools Closures Causing Concern for Orphans and Destitute Children by Tenzin Samten and Mary Trewartha The Chinese authorities are closing Tibetan schools in their sinicisation drive and there is now grave concern over the effects of these closures on the local communities involved. The closures mean that local students no longer have access to Tibetan medium education and their cultural education suffers, as does local community adhesion. Of equal concern is the fate of local orphaned and destitute children who are now without access to formal schooling. These children are left with no further help and are unable to gain admission to other schools, reports Tibet Watch, a UK-based Tibet support and advocacy organisation. Continued on page 3
Detained and “Disappeared” Tibetans: UN Probe
by Mary Trewartha A group of United Nations representatives have called on the Chinese government to provide information on the whereabouts of two Tibetans who have apparently disappeared in detention, and to provide the legal grounds for their arrest and detention. The two detainees are Rinchen Tsultrim and Go Sherab Gyatso, both arrested during the past two years and both held in Kham [Ch: Sichuan]. The UN representatives and bodies are the UN Working Group on Involuntary and Continued on page 5
China Targets Preschool Children in its Sinicisation Drive by Mary Trewartha The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has released a report saying that a Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE) decree went into force this month to teach Mandarin Chinese to all preschool children. The report, published on September 17, goes on to say that this new edict is an extension of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s belief in “catching them young, noting the significance of language learning in the early years, and discounting the purpose of bilingual education of helping children ease into the school system”. Continued on page 3
Sikyong’s First Months in Office by Tenzin Samten Sikyong PenpaTsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) which is also known as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, has outlined the main tasks performed by his administration since he assumed the role of Sikyong on May 27. He was speaking in an exclusive TV interview with Tibet TV. Sikyong affirmed his commitment to “resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict based on non-violence and the Middle Way Approach espoused by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Continued on page 4 www.contactmagazine.net
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Sacred Place The political struggle for the restoration of Tibetan freedom should not be seen in the same light as we view ordinary politics. The Tibetan political struggle is aimed at preserving Tibetan identity and culture, a culture that is closely related to Buddhism and its fundamental principle of compasssion. This culture has the potential to benefit not only Buddhists, but also non-believers. This being the case, I do my best to serve the cause of Tibet. As a Buddhist monk, I see this as a spiritual practice which will not only make my life meaningful, but also lead me to the path of enlightenment. If we serve sentient beings by engaing in political activities with a spritual orientation, we are actually following the Bodhisattva’s way of life. Therefore, I call upon Tibetan spiritual figures, as they have influence in the community, to work for the common cause of Tibet. If a layperson in the service of our administration is able to devote 50 percent of his or her time to the common cause of Tibet, celibate monks and nuns have the potential to devote 75 percent of their time our cause. This means spritual figures with the potential to make a difference must shoulder responsibility for the cause of Tibet. It would not do for them to shirk their responsibility under such pretexts as, “I am a spiritual practitioner. I do not understand politics.” I sincerely believe that we should follow secular democracy when Tibet becomes free. Take the case of India. Here, people are free to follow any religion as long as they do not break the law of land. Although 90 percent of Indians are Hindus, the state gives equal treatment to all religions. This is the measure of India’s greatness. Every religion is equal before the law. The Indian government does not have a religious ministry or reglious representations in the parliament. Religion in India is regarded as a personal matter. I think this is very healthy. - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama From Gems from the Heart by HH the Dalai Lama Published by Tibetan Women’s Association
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News Features Tibetan Schools Closures Causing Concern for Orphans and Destitute Children Continued from page 1
orphans but also provide a boarding facility at the school Sengdruk Taktse Middle School in Darlak county, for them to live.” Without this safety net of the Tibetan Golog in eastern Tibet, was closed on July 8 with no schools, these children are destitute and sometimes official reason given for the closure. The school mostly homeless. accommodated orphans and destitute children from Teachers have been forbidden from providing shelter neighbouring regions. The students were scattered and local or help to those orphans; teachers are now kept under children were registered in government-affiliated schools additional surveillance and like other local Tibetans, they while those who had come from other regions, which in are subject to random cellphone checks. One dedicated this case include Derge, Khyungchu and Dzachuka, are teacher from Sengdruk Taktse school, Rinchen Kyi, was unable to register in new schools: their school identity arrested for helping former students once the school was card from Sengdruk Taktse school is closed, and has received ill treatment now invalid and their identity cards in detention. are registered at their home addresses Taktse was co-founded in 1999 by making them unable to register at new Khandrul Jigme Kunsang Gyaltsen, schools locally where they have been Abbot of the renowned Larung Gar living. Buddhist Academy, with the priority The Tibetan Review reports, “Only of enrolling orphans, poor children children who could produce their and those without access to formal Household Registration Card [Ch: schooling. A group of alumni from the Hukuo], and their Resident Identity Khandrul Jigme Kunsang Gyaltsen giving a school has written a petition, citing speech during 2020 graduation ceremony the importance of Sengdruk Taktse Card (Jūmín Shēnfènzhèng)”, are given Photo: RFA admission to local government-run to the children’s future, to Tibetan schools. The issue of a Resident Identity Card is dependent culture and aspirations of Tibetan nomads and farmers. on the Registration Card. Tibet Watch continues, “Most of The school remains shut, no update has been issued on the private Tibetan schools, therefore, not only issue their the “legal status and ownership of its properties and its address for the application of Resident Identity Card of the future”.
China Targets Preschool Children in its Sinicisation Drive Continued from page 1
The TCHRD reports that the MoE announced the Children Homophony Plan for Putonghua Education for Preschool Children in July, to be brought into force on September 1, saying its aim is to “cultivate a strong foundation for standard Mandarin language and help build a sense of community for Chinese nation from an early age”. Mandarin Chinese is now the required medium of instruction for all kindergartens in ethnic and rural areas and teachers are required to undergo “national common language application ability training”. The plan, an element of China’s sinicisation of Tibet drive, is guided by Article 43 of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) that states, “We will raise the quality and level of education in ethnic minority regions and intensify efforts to popularise the national
common language and writing system”. The report says that the sinicisation drive is “targeting Tibetan medium schools in the region, not sparing charity schools for poor Tibetan children”. Tibetan medium schools are being closed and students and activists petitioning for the use of the Tibetan language are being detained and harassed. TCHRD reports that these moves are contrary to China’s own laws: “Article 10 of the 1984 Regional National autonomy Law, along with the People’s Republic of China’s Constitution and other national laws and statutes provide for areas where minority languages and Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) should be used as well as citizens and officials who should learn both minority languages and Putonghua”.
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News Features Sikyong’s First Months in Office numbers of Tibetans emigrating to the West and the very endorsed by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, and well few Tibetans able to get out of Tibet. To have a complete received by Tibetans all over.” The dialogue with China picture of the Tibetan students and school scenario, Sikyong plans to have a meeting with all school heads in stalled in 2010. Tsering said his first step towards resuming the Sino- near future to plan for the coming years. Regarding Tibetan settlements, he said “We have Tibet dialogue has been to dissolve the existing Task Force and “replace it with a restructured committee”. to assess the sustainability of these settlements in the While expressing appreciation of the work of the previous future” and suggested that small settlements with a slim chance of sustenance should be Task Force team, he outlined his merged with the larger Tibetan plans saying “The new committee settlements, but that these are consists of four members, each long-term projects. from a specific department of the Sikyong has also spoken CTA”. The Department of Security about the current parliamentary will source relevant information impasse which dates back to from inside Tibet; the Department the impeachment of the three of Information and International Justice Commissioners earlier Relations (DIIR) will source this year. In a parliamentary news from around the world, and statement he said,“We would the Tibet Policy Institute will New Task Force committee members and three advisors like to stress that it is high conduct analytical research on the Photo: Vot.org time that the concerned people information gathered. A political secretary has been appointed to lead the committee. should seriously weigh the advantages and disadvantages Sikyong added, “the Task Force will also be committed if the situation lingers on, and make no mistake in their to highlighting the true situation inside Tibet and consideration by taking responsibility in the highest unmasking China’s distorted narrative of Tibet into the interest of our cause. If the impasse drags on due to their intransigence, it will only lead to the collapse of Tibetan global community.” Answering the question of whether China will resume administration”. He said that his office has been carrying the dialogue or not, “we are actually receiving positive out administrative work without negligence but that “The inability of the parliament to signals from the Chinese side on the convene its session has been issue of dialogue. However, I am preventing it from carrying out being cautious as we need to verify its legislative functions”. whether these signals are genuine He continued, saying “The and trustworthy,” said Sikyong. parliament is also not able to Speaking about the world’s make use of the opportunities changing attitude towards China to plan activities and campaigns since the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with the changing he said the geopolitical situation situation in China and the “offers a unique and convenient Sikyong with Tibet TV interviewer international community.” opportunity for us Tibetans to Photo: Screengrab He warned that he has been seek support for the Tibet cause. We shouldn’t lose this chance”. He said he will focus on informed of “incidents of Chinese government exploiting building relationships with, and seeking support from, this issue to spread false information inside Tibet to create division in the exile Tibetan community and European countries in the coming months. The new Sikyong sees great opportunity in the large misuse it at the international platforms”. He concluded, number of Tibetans living in various countries to increase “It has created great concern and apprehension among and strengthen the Tibet advocacy and lobby campaigns the governments, parliaments and Tibet supporters who across the world, and to this end he urges the younger genuinely support us. Tibetans inside Tibet said they generation Tibetans to lead the Tibetan freedom movement. would stop their activities for the Tibetan cause if the He spoke of the decreasing number of Tibetans in problem is not resolved immediately”. schools and monasteries in India and the challenges of Please see STOP PRESS on page 8. sustaining Tibetan communities in the face of the large
Continued from page 1
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News Features Detained and “Disappeared” Tibetans: UN Probe Continued from page 1
Enforced Disappearances, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the special rapporteurs on minority issues and freedom of religion. Citing the obligations of the Chinese government under international human rights law, the UN experts have expressed “serious concern for the alleged arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance” of the two Tibetans, adding that they “are particularly concerned at information indicating that these detentions are not isolated events, but reflect a worrying pattern of arbitrary and incommunicado detentions, closed trials, and unknown charges and verdicts against the Tibetan religious minority in China, some of them amounting to enforced disappearances”. Rinchen Tsultrim, 29, is a monk who was detained in July 2019 for exercising his freedom of opinion and thoughts; he is now known to be held in Mianyang Prison. The International Campaign for Tibet, the United States based Tibet advocacy organisation, believes that Rinchen was charged with “incitement to split the country” for expressing his views on the Chinese social media WeChat app. His whereabouts were completely unknown for over a year and a half following his arrest and his family was eventually informed that he had been sentenced to four years and six months in prison. Details of his trial, if there was one, and his charge and sentence have not been ascertained, and his family have not been allowed to see him in person or via video-link. Amnesty International has raised grave concerns for
Rinchen Tsultrim’s condition and wellbeing, and his lack of access to his family and legal representation. Go Sherab Gyatso, 46, is a prominent Tibetan Buddhist scholar and writer who was detained in Chengdu, Kham, by officials from the Tibet Autonomous Region in October last year. No information about the circumstances of his detention or his current whereabouts is available and the reason for his detention is unknown. Gyatso is a prolific writer, having published several books on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, tradition and culture. He has also published critiques about the Tibetan monastic education system, calling for a broadening of the monastic community’s exposure. Kai Mueller, head of UN advocacy at the International Campaign for Tibet, said, “The cases of Rinchen Tsultrim and Go Sherab Gyatso reflect a worrisome pattern of repression in Tibet, where the Chinese authorities relentlessly persecute dissent and independent thought [… ] Prolonged incommunicado detention is worrisome because of the danger of torture against unaccounted-for detainees. We believe this is a serious risk, as two Tibetans died earlier this year while in or immediately after detention due to injuries sustained in detention.We urge the international community, governments and parliaments to publicly raise the cases of Rinchen Tsultrim and Go Sherab Gyatso, as well as of other Tibetans, and to consider, in earnest, consequences with regard to their bilateral relations with the government of China.”
Spotlight at the UN on China’s Human Rights Violations in Tibet by Tenzin Samten Tibetans in Switzerland and Liechtenstein staged a peaceful protest march from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the building of the UN Human Rights Council. Their message was to highlight the deteriorating human rights situation inside Tibet to the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)currently being held in Geneva. Karma Choekyi, the Tibetan Community President, read an appeal from the Tibetan community to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calling on China to “respect the right of Tibetan children to learn the Tibetan language; to stop the forced militarisation of Tibetan children in military camps during school holidays; release all Tibetan political prisoners, including the 11th Panchen Lama Gedun Choekyi Nyima and his entire family, and Chadrel Rinpoche; and to allow an independent factfinding delegation to assess the situation on the ground in Tibet”, reports Tibet Post International. Protest marchers called on the UN and international community to work
together to hold China accountable for violating all aspects of human rights in Tibet and towards other groups under their régime. Delegates from Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and the European Union on behalf of its member states, have expressed concerns and called on China to respect human rights in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, said a separate report by the Tibet Bureau Geneva and published on tibet.net, the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration. There is concern that the violations are targeted at the people belonging to minority groups, human rights defenders and media workers, including in Tibet. The United States delivered a statement which strongly condemned China’s economic exploitation, systemic racism and destruction of cultural heritage. The US says it remains concerned over China’s severe restrictions on religious, linguistic and cultural traditions in Tibet. The regular UNHRC session is running from September 13 to October 8.
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News Features His Holiness the Dalai Lama Teaches on the Middle Way by Tenzin Samten formed the basis of Buddhist education in Tibet. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has completed a two“When I was very young,” said His Holiness, “I day introduction to Buddhism online teaching based on memorised Entering into the Middle Way and could recite Chandrakirti’s auto-commentary to his treatise Entering it aloud without knowing what it meant. In due course, into the Middle Way. The teaching took place on September I found out by studying the text word by word. A key 8-9 at the request of a group of Buddhists from Singapore, aspect of the Nalanda Tradition was to take a reasoned, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. questioning approach to the books we studied. These His Holiness told his audience “I have received the days, if I can, I read a few pages of Chandrakirti’s autotransmission of the root text from my Abbot, Kyabjé Ling commentary every day, which prompts me to reflect on the Rinpoché, and the transmission of the auto-commentary way things exist. I take great inspiration from verses at the from Sakya Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk.” end of the sixth chapter.” He then His Holiness reminded his recited verses from f o l l o w e r s the texts and gave that Buddha an explanation, then Shakyamuni answered questions started teaching from his virtual the Dharma more audience. than 2,500 years On the second ago. However, His day he continued Holiness made with a teaching on it clear to his Chandrakirti’s autofollowers that they commentary to his should not take treatise Entering into his teachings for the Middle Way. granted and follow His Holiness His Holiness addressing the virtual audience of Asian Buddhists them blindly, but reiterated “We all Photo: OHHDL should examine have a Buddha the teachings to see if they find it reasonable and would nature. The true nature of the mind is clarity and awareness. have the effect of transforming their minds. The subtlest mind has an innate quality of luminosity and Before going into the text, His Holiness briefly awareness. There are no stains or afflictions at that level. explained the history of Tibetan Buddhism by saying The obstacles that stain the mind are not part of the mind. that in seventh century Tibet, Emperor Songtsen Gampo Ignorance and so forth can be eliminated. When you commissioned the creation of a understand this and can combine an Tibetan alphabet. Despite close understanding of conventional and relations with China, Songtsen Gampo ultimate reality, you will be led to the chose to model the Tibetan alphabet state of omniscience.” on the Indian Devanagari (Sanskrit) His Holiness concluded by saying, script and not on Chinese script. A “You’ve received teachings about century later, Emperor Trisong Detsen bodhichitta*, make this your daily turned to India once again when he practice. In time you will see some invited the eminent Nalanda scholar transformation. I’ve meditated on Shantarakshita to establish Buddhism His Holiness reading from Chandrakirti’s bodhichitta and emptiness for decades in Tibet. and I’ve observed change in myself. auto-commentary His Holiness continued by saying Please keep in mind that if I can see Photo: OHHDL that following the development of the change, so can you.” Tibetan language, the work of translating Buddhist literature into Tibetan started and the result was the 100 volumes of *The Sanskrit term bodhicitta, or mind of awakening, the Kangyur, the translated words of the Buddha, and more refers to the state of mind of a bodhisattva, ie one who than 200 volumes of the Tengyur, the translated collection pursues buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient of treatises of subsequent masters. These translated works beings.
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News Features Concern as the Situation in Dza Wonpo Township Deteriorates by Tenzin Samten Tibetans in Dza Wonpo township in Serschul county in Kardze prefecture continue to face mass surveillance: banned online activities include keeping pictures of the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and communicating with Tibetans and others in exile. Among the detainees following the recent mass arrests were members of a local group promoting the use and preservation of the Tibetan language. Mass arrests of Tibetans in Dza Wonpo, both monks and lay people, by Chinese police started on August 25, eight more were arrested on September 3 bringing the total number of detainees to 121. So far only four people: two men, one woman and a monk have been released. Details of the detainees or their whereabouts are currently not available owing to the strict restrictions imposed on communications in Tibetan areas. Residents in Dza Wonpo remain grim under surveillance and are subject to harsh rules and unlawful inspections. The latest report by the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) Human Rights Desk names one of the detainees, Kardon, a woman aged around 50, who has fallen critically ill while in detention. She is reported to have been refused treatment in both Sershul County Hospital, where she was initially taken, and then another hospital where she was taken when Sershul did not treat
her. Requests to visit other hospitals have been denied. It is understood that Kardon was arrested for allegedly contacting Tibetans living in exile. The CTA report says that she remains in custody despite her poor health. In addition to the drive to root out banned online activities, the authorities are targeting people who campaign and advocate the use, teaching, preservation and promotion of the Tibetan language. The authorities have warned residents against joining, creating or engaging in WeChat groups which discuss or promote the preservation of the Tibetan language, and religious groups promoting religious activities such as chanting Mani mantras and other prayers. There are reports that people arrested are being denied proper food and clothing while in detention to the point at which it is affecting their health. Radio Free Asia reports a source as saying, “They are also being interrogated every day and are being given political re-education sessions in the prison”. RFA’s latest report on the situation identifies eighteen Tibetans among those detained in Dza Wonpo : Soepa, Lobsang Choezin, Pendo, Pelkyab, Tsangpa, Choe Lhamo, Kardon, Loden Chunglam, Tenzin Losel, Losher, Choechok, Gaden, Sherab, Jampel, Dolo, Choepa, Sonam Galek and Tamdin Norbu. Dza Wonpo town has been in the Chinese authorities’ spotlight since the widespread protest in the region in 2008. The surveillance intensified in 2012, when the monks refused to abide by the directions to hoist the Chinese flag on the monastery’s roof in place of their own Tibetan flag.
Arrests Elsewhere in Tibet At least 25 Tibetans from Lithang County in Kham were arrested around July 6, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday, reports the Tibet Post International. News has only just emerged because of the restrictions on communications. 15 of those arrested were monks, many of them senior, from Lithang
Monastery. The lay people arrested with them are reported to be nomads. They were kept in police custody for over 20 days before being released. Sources have said that these Tibetans were arrested for sharing photos of His Holiness on WeChat around the time of His Holiness’s birthday this year. Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday is banned in Tibet. Every year, there are cases of arbitary arrests in Tibet before or after His Holiness’s birthday.
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News Features Focus on Tibetan Schools in India by Tenzin Samten The transfer of Tibetan schools which have in the past been administered by the Indian Government’s Ministry of Education (MoE) is nearly complete. The schools are being transferred to the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) Education Department, with six remaining and due for transfer shortly. Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the CTA, visited these six schools during his official tour this month to assess their current situation and to meet the staff to gain an understanding of their perspective and suggestions. Originally 28 Tibetan schools came under the administration of the Indian MoE. The schools’ transfer project has been in place since 2013; 22 schools have so far been handed over to the Sambhota T i b e t a n Schools Society (STSS), which is under the administration of the CTA’s Education Department. The remaining six schools, currently in the process of transfer, are Central School for Tibetans (CST) Darjeeling, CST Kalimpong, CST Dalhousie, CST Shimla, CST Mussoorie and CST Herbertpur. Sikyong has stressed the importance of this transfer for both the schools’ administration and for the future of the students attending them. He has expressed concern about the decreasing number of Tibetan students in enrolling in Tibetan schools across India, with a 50% decrease in the number of Tibetan students over the last decade. The decrease is reported as being the result of the drop in newcomers from Tibet since 2008, the economic development of Tibetan families who now send
their children to Indian schools in cities, and also the large number of Tibetans migrating to the West. “The Central School for Tibetans (CST) Shimla, for instance, has a total of 351 students at the moment. [Of these] 351, only 13 are Tibetans while 253 are local Indians and the other 85 are from Himalayan regions. The situation is almost the same in most other Tibetan schools too,” said Sikyong. Sikyong Penpa Tsering made the official visit to schools along with the CTA’s Department of Education’s Secretary Jigme Namgyal and STSS Director Tsering Dhondup. Phayul reported on September 21 that “Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj has written to leaders in the capital […] urging [them] not to hand over central Tibetan schools to an NGO overseen by the CTA”. Phayul’s report continues, “In the letter, Bhardwaj said that the overwhelming majority Minister Suresh Bhardwaj of the students in those schools are Indian and that Tibetan students constitute a very small percentage. ‘Tibetans are running their own administered schools in the areas where they can accommodate their students, whereas the Indian students have no other option but to drop out from the schools if these schools are handed over to the Tibetan NGO,’ Bhardwaj said. […] The Indian government reportedly directed CTA in May to undergo administration change by March 31, 2022.” Secretary Jigme Namgyal, speaking to Phayul, said that the enrolled students in those schools will not be affected, “The transition won’t affect the students already enrolled and the curriculum will remain the same as per the CBSE guidelines. We will only provide better resources and facilities in the concerned schools.”
STOP PRESS: PARLIAMENTARY DEADLOCK The Tibetan Parliament-inexile (TPIE) met on September 27 with the intention of finding a way to resolve the current parliamentary deadlock which is crippling Parliament. All 45 MPs were present, with the exception of Doring Tenzin Phuntsok representing Australasia due to the country’s COVID-19 restrictions. The deadlock originated last spring with the impeachment of the three Justice Commissioners. Because
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of the deadlock the new Sikyong Penpa Tsering has been unable to appoint his Kashag [Cabinet], nor have the Speakers been appointed and parliament is unable to function. This meeting was convened by the five MPs from abroad calling in all the parliamentarians for a meeting in person. The meeting, originally scheduled for two days, extended to a third but no statement was issued when the meeting closed.
News Features 40 Tibetan Victims of Enforced Disappearances Remembered by Tenzin Samten The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), based in Dharamshala, reports nearly 40 known cases of enforced disappearances inside Tibet in the last three years despite severe restrictions on information sharing. On August 30, the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, TCHRD called on China to “immediately ratify the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances.” TCHRD’s report says that over the years, they have reported and documented cases of enforced disappearances of lamas, monks, nuns, intellectuals, writers, artists, farmers, community leaders and students – the majority of whom were labeled as “national security” suspects, allegedly for “disclosing state secrets” or “endangering state security”. Among the most recent Tibetan victims detained are Norsang, 36, detained in September 2019 and Lhadar, 37, detained in October 2019. Both are from Nagchu (Ch: Naqu) City, Tibet Autonomous Region. “They were detained for resisting forced patriotic education in 2019 in the run-up to the 70th founding anniversary of the
People’s Republic of China”. says the report. The news of their detention surfaced only in May 2020. TCHRD have submitted an urgent appeal to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) to address their cases. In May 2021, TCHRD learned that Norsang had died in custody a week after his detention due to severe beatings and torture. The prevailing restriction on communications within Tibetan regions makes it hard to get news and information outside Tibet. Tibetans continue to disappear every year leaving the families and relatives with no information. Many Tibetans have become victims of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance under the new campaign by Chinese authorities to crack down on “fake” news and “illegal” online activities before and after the recent centenary celebration of the Chinese Communist Party and the 70th anniversary of what they describe as the “peaceful liberation” of Tibet. The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is marked every year on August 30 and draws attention to those who have been imprisoned without their friends or families knowing where or why.
Tibetan Writer and Former Political Prisoner Dies by Tenzin Samten Ra Tsering Dhondup, a Tibetan writer and former political prisoner, died at the age of 34 on September 15 in a hospital in Chengdu. His health has suffered during the eight years since his release from prison in 2013. He was arrested in February 2010 and imprisoned for three years for publishing a magazine which criticised the Chinese government. The magazine, published by Dhondup with two other friends, described the situation inside Tibet following the widespread protests in Tibet in 2008, reports Radio Free Asia. Dhondup was arbitrarily detained in Markham city for his involvement in the publication and later sent to Mianyang Prison where he completed his three year prison sentence. He was released in 2013 in poor health; his health deteriorated during the last eight years and he finally succumbed to liver disease, said Gendun Tsering, a friend and colleague of Dhondup, who is currently living in exile. Tibetan prisoners are “brutally tortured which often
leads to major health complications, especially liver and kidney”, stated Gu Chu Sum, the association representing former political prisoners and based in Dharamshala. Tenzin Dawa, a researcher at the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, said that “harsh treatment and lack of medical care in prison” caused Dhondup’s poor health following his release. There have been many cases of Tibetan political prisoners being released in a critical health condition, either before their prison term is completed, or at the end of their term. RFA’s report confirmed that “at least seven reported during the last year to have died – either in prison or after their release – from injuries inflicted under torture in custody”. Dhondup was a monk at Rongtha monastery in Khyungchu county in Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. He wrote under the penname Shinglo Marpo [En: Red Leaf]. Following his release, he published writings that he had written while in the prison.
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News Features Tibetans Celebrate Democracy Day by Tenzin Samten Tibetan communities across the world celebrated the 61st anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day on September 2. At Dharamshala, the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the day was observed with an official function in Sikyong hall. A video was screened showing His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking on the importance of strengthening Tibetan democratic institutions. Sikyong reiterated the evolution of Tibetan democracy under the visionary leadership of His Holiness over the years until His Holiness completely devolved his political role in 2011. Tibetans in the London Borough of Waltham Forest Council marked Democracy Day with a flag raising ceremony outside the Assembly Hall in the presence
of the Mayor, Councillor Elizabeth Baptise, other councillors and Tibetans and supporters. In France the Tibetan Community organised an event at French Republic Square in Paris to mark the day. Tibetans in Nepal also observed Tibetan Democracy Day under a close watch by local police. In recent years, Nepali police have not been allowing the Tibetan community to gather in public to appease China. Sangpo Lama, programme coordinator for the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal, (HURON) told Radio Free Asia, “one could also see many police officers both in uniform and in plain clothes stationed around the Boudhanath Stupa and other Tibetan settlements. Around 20 officers were also deployed and a police truck stationed outside the Jawalakhel Tibetan settlement.”
China’s Covert Invasion of India by Ben Byrne “China has made significant inroads into numerous Indian sectors in recent years” says the Law and Society Alliance in their report entitled Mapping Chinese Footprints and Influence Operations in India. According to the report the Chinese infiltration takes place “subtly” in the form of “financial investments, fellowships, travel courtesies and coercion”. Chinese propaganda is spread, they say, through India’s compromised entertainment industry, think tanks and Confucius Institutes. China, referred to in the report as a “manipulative adversary”, has allegedly been targeting “the bright impressionable minds, the tech savvy youth, the opinion makers and the intelligentsia present in India” through investments by Chinese companies, which include Alibaba and Tencent, in Indian multinationals such as BYJU’s, the Educational technology company based in Bangalore. The appearance of Bollywood megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kabir Khan at the Beijing International Film Festival in 2019 is interpreted by the report as a covert intelligence mission by the Chinese to “make inroads into Bollywood for its influence operations through the mechanism of co-productions”. The selection of Sha Rukh Khan’s film Zero to close the festival is referred to as a “calculated step” by the Chinese Communist Party. The report also highlights cultural exchanges between India and China and labels them as influencing operations of
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the Chinese state. One “prominent” university in Delhi is not named by the report but it is accused of being a “bastion [of] so-called China experts”. Another Delhi–based organisation, also unnamed, is accused of “creating sentiments favourable to China among Indians” and “discharging duties similar to that of the Chinese Embassy.” Further, an organisation which operates cultural exchanges for young people between Beijing and Delhi is pilloried by the report, with their Chairman lambasted for “authoring China-appeasing articles across Indian media platforms”. Elsewhere, the report cites the fact that the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M) has refrained from criticising or rebuking China as proof that China has infiltrated India’s political system; mentions US$7 billion worth of Chinese investments in India’s tech sector; observes that Chinese tourists are frequently seen “interacting with Buddhist monks, clicking pictures, and doing a recce of monasteries” and refers to recent Chinese activities on the Sino–Indian border and in Nepal. In an online event convened to discuss the report, journalist Aarti Tikoo said that the report showed that Chinese influence in India today was similar to the British influence 200-300 years ago. Ilshat Kokbore, a member of the World Uyghur Congress, said that the report showed how adept the Chinese were at “twisting reality and spreading propaganda.”
News Features China’s Economy in Jeopardy? by Ben Byrne In the year that it celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Chinese Communist Party has announced a slew of new policies which essentially amount to tighter regulation of much of the Chinese economy by the government. The laws aim to rein in the debt-ridden giants of China’s economy and put them on a path to sustainability. A crisis has emerged after new laws preventing property developers from borrowing excessively from banks were introduced. Evergrande, the second largest real estate developer in China and the world’s most indebted, has a business model based on borrowing. Founded in 1996 in Guangzhou by Xu Jiayin, Evergrande rode the Chinese economic boom through the early 21st century and was reported to be the world’s most valuable real estate brand in 2018. For decades, the company took out loans with double digit interest rates and gambled that its sales of yet-to-be-built apartments would be high enough to service dramatically rising debt levels. It currently owes US$ 305 billion in loans to banks and liabilities to contractors and suppliers. Recently, the implementation of the government’s “Three Red Lines” policy – three strict caps placed on the ratio of debt a property developer can hold in relation to its assets, equity and cash-on-hand – has crippled the company. The policy prevents Evergrande from taking out loans it cannot pay back and using speculative market procedures to raise house prices. It is now required by government regulators to pay back its debts at a rate which is not practicable in the current housing market – the company simply cannot sell apartments quickly enough to service its debt. Evergrande currently oversees over 800 unfinished residential projects nationwide, has a host of unpaid suppliers, and faces thousands of angry homebuyers demanding action against the company from the government. Buyers of an estimated 1.4 million Evergrande units all over China are now facing uncertainty over whether the properties they have paid for will ever be built. Evergrande investment products are now next to worthless and the stock value of the company has fallen
by nearly 90% this year. The company is likely to default unless it successfully negotiates a restructuring plan with banks. Government regulators are currently trying to find companies that can buy out Evergrande or, failing that, seeking to take over aspects of Evergrande’s business themselves. On September 23 a deadline passed for Evergrande to pay US$83.5 million in bond interest. Two people familiar with the situation told Reuters that bond holders had not been paid and neither had they heard from the company. A 30-day grace period follows which will end in default if Evergrande fails to come up with the cash. Bo Zhuang, the chief China economist at United States investment firm Loomis Sayles, said that the government policies were part of a well-intentioned longterm programme to “de-risk, de-leverage and shift away from local government land financing”. He warned, however, that the crisis at Evergrande, an inevitable side-effect of the policy’s sudden implementation, risked spilling over to other developers and could potentially cause a banking or debt crisis. The collapse of Evergrande could trigger a global financial meltdown similar to that which began when Lehmann Brothers folded in the United States in 2008. Global stock markets are already reeling and buyers spooked by the crisis mean developers are witnessing falling property sales and plunging stock prices. Foreign banks are exposed to Evergrande and there is a high risk of global contagion. Chinese government officials are reportedly “getting ready for the possible storm”. The Chinese government is concerned about the potential for social unrest in the event of Evergrande defaulting. Protests have already been staged outside Evergrande headquarters and local governments have been instructed to contain any fallout from the crisis. Dexter Roberts of the Washington DC-based Atlantic Council’s Asia Security Initiative commented on the governments predicament: “A lot of Chinese people have a lot to lose if their property prices plummet as a result of a disorderly collapse of Evergrande. It will hurt people’s confidence. But on the opposite side, if the government is seen to have helped Evergrande too much, it will cause moral hazard.”
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Tibetan Headlines Sep 29: Monk in Poor Health Thabgey Gyatso, 46, a Tibetan monk from Sanchu County who was serving a 15 year sentence has been released two years early, but there is grave concern for his health. Radio Free Asia reports that he was arrested in Lhasa during the 2008 protests and that he continued to protest in prison, where he was beaten. He has spent the last three years in Tenshi Prison Hospital. Sep 28: Chinese Border Villages China has built 680 villages close to the Tibet-India border in Ladakh, where China makes regular incursions over the border into India, and Aranachal Pradesh, the north eastern Indian state that China claims as its own territory, reports the Tibetan Review. The villages are very prosperous and designed to convince nearby Indians of the benefits of living under Chinese rule, while also serving “as additional eyes and ears for Beijing”. Sep 27: Chinese Incursion An area of traditional grazing land in Ladakh in north India has been lost to a Chinese intrusion, reports The Hindu. This is the site of a stand off between Indian and Chinese troops since April this year. “No Zone” areas, now out of bounds to local villagers and farmers, have been created along the Line of Actual Control – or de facto border with Tibet – formerly patrolled by Indian troops. Sep 24: Further Sinicisation Radio Free Asia reports that there is concern among the Tibetan population of Amdo [Ch: Qinghai] that homes and monasteries demolished in an earthquake earlier this year are being rebuilt Chinese-style, and not being replaced by Tibetan style buildings. RFA’s local source said the authorities are demolishing structures that were not affected by the earthquake and including their replacement in the Chinese-style new build. Sep 24: Call for Boycott A petition has been submitted to the Swiss Government calling for an official boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing. The petition, which has 7,788 signatures and was submitted by Swiss Tibetan associations, is supported by Swiss parliamentarians Fabian Molina and Nicolas Walder. Sep 24: No Freedom! Freedom House has published this year’s report on internet freedom, ranking China as the worst country for internet freedom for the seventh year running. The report: says “Chinese authorities imposed draconian prison terms for online dissent, independent reporting and mundane daily communications. The COVID-19 pandemic is heavily
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censored.” This lack of internet freedom is used to control flow of information into and out of Tibet. Sep 24: Climate Strike “The Earth is burning, Tibet is melting – take climate action now” was the message put forward by eight Tibetan organisations in Dharamshala at a Climate Strike event held in advance of the COP26 conference in Glasgow in Scotland in the United Kingdom, from November 1–12. Youth protesters initiated the global climate strike event which was held at more than 1,400 locations with the message, “change is coming – from the streets”. Sep 23: Congratulations! HH the Dalai Lama has written to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to congratulate him on his Liberal party’s victory in the Canadian national elections saying, “May I [...] express gratitude for the warm welcome Canada has shown Tibetan refugees since the time your late father was Prime Minister. I understand that, by and large, Tibetans have been making a positive contribution to Canada’s multicultural society.” Sep 22: US Congressional Hearing The International Campaign for Tibet gave a written testimony to the United States Congressional-Executive Commission at the hearing on China’s Environmental Challenges and US Responses. ICT’s submission drew attention to the connection between the Chinese government’s abuse of the Tibetan people and its destruction of natural resources in Tibet. Other legislators and witnesses raised concerns about China’s environmental policies in Tibet. Sep 22: Swiss Hearing The situation in Tibet was presented to a Swiss Parliament human rights hearing entitled Coherent implementation of the Swiss China Strategy: the role of Parliament in strengthening human rights. United Nations Advocacy Officer from the Tibet Bureau in Geneva, Kalden Tsomo testified at the hearing saying, “[Switzerland] has more potential in defending the rights of the people who are silenced and suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, including Tibetans”. Sep 21: Vajrayana Monlam More than 30,000 people joined online the first ever Vajrayana Monlam to be held in the United States. The Vajrayana Monlam is a practice of the Shakyamuni, and this event was designed to include four Vajrayana communities – Kagyu, Nyingma, Sakya and Gelug – as well as Theravada and Mahayana traditions. The ceremony was led by His Eminence Che-Nga Rinpoche and attended by the Office of Tibet Secretary Tashi Dhondup.
Tibetan Headlines Sep 17: World’s Oldest Artwork A panel has been discovered on the Tibetan plateau which experts have identified as the oldest known artwork in the world. There are hand and footprint patterns on the panel which were created sometime between 169,000 and 226,000 years ago. The experts have confirmed that the find is a work of art and not just coincidental markings made by ancient humans, and had been placed there with intent. Sep 16: Denied Access Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, has been banned from entering the UK parliament – this follows on from the sanctions imposed earlier this year by the UK on Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses on Tibetans and other minorities in China. China retaliated at the time with sanctions against UK officials. Zheng was to attend a meeting on China but was stopped at the last minute. Sep 13: TWA Celebrates The Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) celebrated its 37th anniversary by urging world leaders and Tibet support groups to call on China to resume talks with the exile Tibetan administration. TWA is one of the oldest and largest of the Tibetan non-government organisations; its founding was inspired by the women’s uprising which took place in Lhasa on March 12, 1959 in protest against the Chinese invasion in Tibet. Sep 13: Gold Medals! Dickyi Palmo, Tenzin Tseyang and Tenzin Noryang, three Tibetan women students at Mysore University and KLE College of Higher Education and Research in Karnataka, have been awarded gold medals for their outstanding performances in their exams. Dickyi Palmo was born in Tibet, escaping to India in 2003 while Tenzin Tseyang was born in Bylakuppe and Tenzin Noryang in Mungod. Sep 10: Olympic Broadcasting Deals Over 200 rights groups across the world have urged 26 Olympic broadcasters to drop coverage of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. The coalition of Tibetan, Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Chinese and other human rights groups called to “immediately cancel broadcasting deals”, reports Phayul. Despite calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics from many rights groups and governments, organisers and sponsors have been silent so far. Sep 9: China Warns India The South China Morning Post has reported that recent displays of Chinese military might in Tibet were intended as a “warning” to India. The website of the People’s Liberation Army released footage of several PLA units occupying
a key command centre at an altitude of 4,700 metres, demonstrating their prowess in the Himalayan theatre. The units included infantry, artillery, army aviation, special operation forces, electronic warfare, engineers and chemical defence units. Sep 7: Birthday Sakya Losel Choe Dzong, a Tibetan Buddhist Society in Canberra, Australia, hosted an online celebration of Kyabje Sakya Gong-ma Trichen Rinpoche’s 76th birthday on September 6. An interview conducted with Rinpoche by the Tibet Oral History Project in 2017 was screened and Representative Karma Singey, from the Tibet Information Office, gave a speech praising Rinpoche’s consistent support for the Dalai Lama and his life-long contribution to Tibetan Buddhism. Sep 6: Book Launch Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, the representative of the Tibetan Government-in-exile in Taiwan, has spoken at a book launch event at the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan cautioning that the decades-long Chinese oppression of the Tibetans should serve as a warning to the Taiwanese people. The warning comes as Taiwan faces an increasing threat from the Communists in Mainland China, who claim that Taiwan is part of their territory. Sep 3: Yarlung Sotang Award The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA)’s Department of Home conferred the Yarlung Sotang Best Farmer award to Tenzin Thinley from Phendeling Tibetan settlement in Mainpat, and the Yarlung Sotang Best Young Farmer award to Lodoe Gelek from Bylakuppe. They each received a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 [$1,360 / £990]. Through the awards, the Department of Home aims to inspire and encourage new agriculture and farming techniques in the Tibetan community. Sep 2: Dhondup Dorjee Dhondup Dorjee, 74, a former political prisoner in Lhasa, has died in Tibet. He spent two years and eight months in prison for campaigning for human rights in Tibet while working for the administration. He came from Lhalu in Lhasa and is survived by his wife and younger daughter Penpa Dolma in Tibet, his older daughter Tsering Dekyi, lives in Australia. Sep 1: Awarded for Humanitarian Work Tsering Dolkar, a Tibetan refugee also known as the “Tibetan Mother Teresa” and known for her humanitarian work in Chandigarh, has been awarded a grant of three lakh rupees ($4,000 / £3,000) by the governor’s secretariat of Punjab Raj Bhavan. The grant is to go towards helping needy and ailing people in Chandigarh. Tsering Dolkar said it was an honour, “Your appreciation inspired me to keep working hard.”
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People story Tibet Environmental Author Michael Buckley Speaks to Contact Michael Buckley’s many years researching Tibetan issues has led to the publication of three new books. Here he speaks to Contact about his involvement with Tibet.
Contact: Tell us briefly about yourself – your background, interests Michael Buckley: I am a very curious person with a wide range of interests. That is what has led me to travel to many countries around the world, usually with research and writing purposes in mind. I am, for instance, a keen scuba-diver, and concerned with preserving the world’s oceans, which are under great threat. Michael with His Holiness the Dalai Lama Photo: Michael Buckley
C: How did you become involved with Tibet and Tibetans? MB: I wrote a guidebook to China for Lonely Planet in the early 1980s. One place that was off-limits to foreign visitors at the time was Tibet. But then Tibet suddenly opened in 1985 and I travelled across Tibet to research and write the first English guidebook to Tibet for Lonely Planet, published back in 1986. C: What came first, your interest in the environment or your interest in Tibet? MB: Guidebook writing requires repeated visits to update the practical details, and it was during these visits that I started to notice the landscape of Tibet itself was changing, which is something you never expect to happen. The snowcapped mountains, the grasslands, the rivers – were undergoing drastic changes. So then I worked on a short documentary: Meltdown in Tibet and later wrote a book of the same title. That is a different kind of guide work: a guide to on-going environmental disaster. C: What inspired you to write your current book on the Tibetan environment? How did it happen? MB: I wanted to inspire readers with quotations from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on environment, matched to photos of Tibet’s majestic landscapes. His Holiness has long been involved in environmental issues, as one of his lifelong commitments is preservation of Tibetan culture and environment. What fascinated me is that Tibetans have had a concept of sacred landscape for over a millennium, far in advance of the West. Nature and all sentient beings are held in high regard by Tibetans – which could well be a solution to dealing with the current situation with climate chaos and ecosystem collapse. I contacted a dozen professional photographers to get them on board for this project, and liaised with the office of His Holiness to obtain photos of himself. The resulting book is This Fragile Planet: His Holiness the Dalai
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Lama on Environment, published in September.
C: How do you research your books? Do you go to Tibet? MB: I mounted a number of trips and expeditions to Tibet between 1985 and 2015. I have also visited many Tibetan Buddhist enclaves such as Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal and Himalayan India (Sikkim and Ladakh). Research is a mix of boots-on-the-ground, interviews with experts and key witnesses, and desk (internet) research. But you have to be careful with internet research as so many sources are just plain misleading or wrong. On-the-ground research is very valuable because it allows me to figure out what rings true in the many research sources consulted. Also published in September is The Snow Leopard’s New Friend, a children’s book that I wrote about the fabulous animals of Tibet. I was surprised how little has been written about the unusual animals of Tibet such as the wild yak, the Tibetan sand fox and the takin (the takin is a species of goat-antelope). So I set out to trace some of these animals, mounting an expedition to find the takin in Bhutan. We found that takins only gather in numbers during the monsoon season, and nobody treks in the monsoon because of leeches and other biting bugs at lower elevations. So we decided to do just that, and found a large group of wild takins frolicking in the highlands. En route we found the fabled blue poppies of Bhutan a beautiful bonus. They only flower in the early monsoon season. C: How can ordinary people, especially Tibetans, contribute to the protection of Tibet’s fragile ecosystem? MB: Within Tibet that is going to be very difficult because of China’s draconian rule and because China does not care about environmental issues, as their engineers are involved in building megadams and extensive mining on the plateau to exploit these resources. However, in places like Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh, dramatic solutions have been implemented to stall ecosystem collapse. In Ladakh, ice stupas have been introduced that replicate the work of glaciers. And Ladakh has introduced vast solar farms as energy sources. In Bhutan over 50 percent of the land area has been set aside for national parks and nature reserves, even a park for the Yeti. Ordinary people need to develop a healthy respect for nature, and leave nature to work its magic, unhindered by human interference. There are solutions if we are dedicated to seeing them through. Michael’s books are published published by Sumeru Books, and the children’s book The Snow Leopard’s New Friend is available in Tibetan from the Library of Tibetan Works and Archive.
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.
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