Han-Chinese Colonisation: How many will China transfer to Tibet? Vol. 03, Issue 125, Print Issue 49, January 31, 2015 Pope says he’s willing to meet His Holiness Dalai Lama of Tibet
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Think others’ well-being, you’ll be happy: His Holiness By Jane Cook: January 19, 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness Pope Francis Photo: TPI image By Yeshe Choesang: January 20, 2015
Dharamshala: - His Holiness Pope Francis Monday said he is willing to hold a meeting with the spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness Dalai Lama, denying that he refused to receive the spiritual leader in December over fears of upsetting the Chinese government. “The usual protocol of the secretary of state is not to receive heads of state and high ranking personalities when they are in Rome for an international meeting,” he told journalists as he flew back from Manila. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in Rome last month for a summit of Nobel Peace Prize recipients. “When there were FAO meetings [the Food and Agriculture Organization summit in November], I did not meet anyone,” P-2... the pope said. Twitter campaign urges Modi and Obama to raise Tibet issue
Dharamshala: The spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama Friday said that “think of others’ well-being and you’ll be happy. Selfishness creates a distance between people, leading to “suspicion and mistrust, ultimately resulting in loneliness. “ His Holiness was warmly received by Ms. Nazneen Rowhani, the General Secretary of Baha’i Faith in India and Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, Secretary of the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH). Ms Rowhani introduced His Holiness to an audience that included students from 14 different schools in New Delhi, India on January 16, 2015, diplomats, school principals, and other guests as the light that beckons unity of all spiritual traditions. “I usually don’t like formality,” His Holiness began, “because we are all the same mentally, emotionally and physically. All of us have problems, physical and mental. No one is without problems. However, education enables us to view our problems from a wider perspective so we can deal with them.” Looking at the many school children in the audience, His Holiness said, adding: “You are very important to humanity’s future. You are the generation of the twenty-first century. In you lies the hope of creating a better future for the world. It will fall to you to solve the problems created by my generation in the twentieth century.” His Holiness explained that the immense violence of the twentieth century arose largely due to short-sighted, narrow-minded thinking, when people only considered the narrow interests of their own group rather than those of humanity as a whole. Urging the younger generation, His Holiness said “concern yourselves more with the needs of others, with the needs of all humanity, and you’ll have peace of mind. Selfishness creates a distance between us and other people, leading to suspicion and mistrust, ultimately resulting in loneliness. Think of others’ well-being and you’ll be happy.” “Young brothers and sisters, think more broad-mindedly. Warmheartedness and compassion are conducive to our physical and mental well-being, while anger, hatred, and fear are not. This is why some scientists today talk about warm-heartedness ensuring a healthy mind
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Surat, Gujarat, India on January 1, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
and a healthy body,” he added. “Because the existing education system is oriented towards materialistic goals we need to pay special attention to inner values such as tolerance, forgiveness, love and compassion. If we are to present these in a way that appeals to everyone we need to cultivate secular ethics,” he said. “This is an approach followed in India for more than a thousand years, but which remains relevant today. India’s deep-seated tradition of ahimsa or non-violence is reflected in this age-old respect for all religious traditions and even the views of those who have no faith,” he added. Among questions from the audience His Holiness was asked how
to cope with the threat of terrorism. He responded that many of the problems we face today are symptoms of our past mistakes. Resorting to the use of force, however decisive it may seem to be in the short run, is out of date, because violence only leads to more violence. Instead, whenever we face problems amongst ourselves, we should solve them through dialogue not force. Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian and Baha’i prayers were recited in a number of languages including English, Hindi, Arabic and Sanskrit during a gathering His Holiness attended in the Lotus Temple in Delhi, known as Bahai temple after his talk.
His Holiness calls China a ‘great’ nation
China sentences monk to 10 years in Sog County of Tibet
images/stories/January-2015/Tibet-Twitter-Campaign-2015-1.jpg By Jane Cook: January 25, 2015
Minneapolis, MN: - The Tibetan National Congress (TNC), an independent Tibetan political party, launched a Twitter campaign to highlight the regional security implications of China’s occupation of Tibet, as U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to visit India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that President Obama will be joining his monthly “Mann ki Baat” radio address on Tuesday, January 27. Modi said he was “eagerly looking forward” to the event, and invited people to submit questions via Twitter using the hashtag #AskObamaModi. P- 2...
His Holiness responding to questions asked by members of media in Ghaziabad, UP, India on January 27, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL By Times of India: January 28, 2015
Ghaziabad: Calling China a “great nation”, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday said he admired the country and its hardworking people. “China is a great nation with long history, cultured, hardworking people I admire,” he said while responding to a query by mediapersons on the sidelines of an event at a public school in Rajendra Nagar. Responding to another query, he said, “India and China are two most populous nations, neighbours and have close friendship and mutual trust. It is very necessary not only for Tibet but for Asia.” During his interaction, he encouraged students to spread the message of love and peace as violence and hate is being spread throughout the world. Students are the strong pillars of the country, he said.
TYC Memorandum to President Obama
Undated photo of Ven Tsewang, a 27-year-old monk from the Sog County’s Drilda Monastery, eastern Tibet. Photo: TPI By Yeshe Choesang: January 25, 2015 Mr. Karma Rinchen speaking to the press about the suspicious object found near the main Tibetan Temple in Mcleod Ganj, 14 January 2015. Photo: CTA/DIIR By Yangchen Dolma: January 22, 2015
Delhi, India: - Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) delivered a Memorandum to US President Barack Obama ahead of his visit to India. TYC in a statement said “The memorandum was delivered to the US Embassy in Delhi this morning by TYC International Relations and Informational Secretary Tsewang Dolma.” TYC stated in its memorandum that so long as China continues to illegally occupy Tibet, Tibetans will continue to protest and demand for freedom. TYC has urged the President to “help bring about immediate and positive change for Tibet and hold China accountable for their actions inside Tibet”.
Dharamshala: - Reports coming out of Tibet say, a Chinese court has sentenced a Tibetan Buddhist monk to ten years in prison after being held in a detention almost a year. “Tsewang, 27, from the Drildha Monastery in Sog (Ch: Su? Xiàn) county in the Nagchu Prefecture of the Tibet, was sentenced in this month by the Intermediate People’s Court for allegedly inciting others to protest against Chinese rule,” Rinchen, a Tibetan man living in Belgium told The Tibet Post International (TPI) on Saturday. “He was among four monks from the Drildha Monastery, Kham region of eastern Tibet first detained on March 17 last year for ‘political reasons’ or on suspicion of having ‘outside contacts,’” Rinchen said citing with contacts in the county. But, their details, including current condition and whereabouts are still unknown. Atse and Gyaltsen, two others held with Tsewang are still
in police custody after being arrested from their monastery and their whereabouts and condition remained unknown. According to an earlier report by TPI, one of them, Ven Tseyang Gyatso, a senior Tibetan Buddhist monk sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment on charges of “contacting outsiders” and for “inciting others” to protest against Chinese repressive policies in Tibet. Several areas in the region said to be increasingly reeling under a tense situation amid unusual intensification of state surveillance measures, as paramilitary forces and police presence is reported to have significantly increased recent years. Tibetans face lengthy jail sentences, arbitrary arrests and severe torture for sharing information about the current situation in the county and surrounding areas, where a widespread, systematic crackdown took place after “refusing to display the Chinese national flag” from their traditional homes.
Obama, Dalai Lama invited to prayer breakfast By US Today: January 29, 2015
Next week will likely bring the first joint public appearance of a prominent duo: President Obama and the Dalai Lama. Both are expected to appear Feb. 5 at the National Prayer Breakfast, the annual event that brings together religious leaders and Washington lawmakers. If Obama accepts his prayer breakfast invitation — and he has in the past — it would be the first time that the U.S. president and the Tibetan leader have appeared at the same public event. Obama and the Dalai Lama have met privately, much to the annoyance of China’s communist government. Reports Time magazine: “President Obama has previously met with the Dalai Lama three times, despite the strong objections of the Chinese government who consider the Tibetan leader a dissident. In the past, the White House has not allowed reporters to witness the meetings, which have been staged outside the Oval Office in deference to Chinese objections. ... “Following the Dalai Lama’s last private meeting with Obama in 2014, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui summoned a U.S. diplomat to register his nation’s objections.”
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TPI NEWS
January 31, 2015
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New Yorker Writer Is Surprised by Byline in Chinese Newspaper: His Own By Jess Yu, New York Times: January 21, 2015
Han-Chinese Colonisation: How many will China transfer to Tibet? January 31, 2015
Dharamshala: - 2015 began with further disappointment for Tibetans and Tibet supporters all over the world as China announced a plan to increase the Han-Chinese population into Tibet by 30 percent by 2020 — a total of approximately 280,000 new arrivals, strengthening China’s rule of terror and worsening the cultural genocide. The Chinese population has increased in all Tibetan regions since China invaded Tibet in 1959. China recently said in an article published by the China Tibet Information Center, that more than 25 million Han Chinese live in Tibet, including 7.5 million in the so called Tibet Autonomous Region. In 1989 Martial Law was imposed and China still maintains a strong military presence, with estimates of 150,000 - 500,000 PLA troops stationed on the Tibetan Plateau, according to several media reports. Tibetans have much to say about the recent crisis in Tibet, but there is near unanimity regarding the unpopular Tibetan officials who have been for decades the propagandists for the Chinese regime. They too have failed to win the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people. If Tibetans working for the Chinese regime in Tibet voice their support for the Tibetan people, they are labeled ‘separatists’. If they support the regime, they are distrusted by the very Tibetans they are trying to lead. Unlike Han-Chinese, whether it’s a government official or a civilian Tibetan, Tibetans have been targeted specifically as “separatists” since the invasion — justifying the killing of over 1.2 million Tibetans and destroying over 6,000 Tibetan monasteries and shrines. This is happening in the wake of the ongoing case against 15 Chinese officials and party cadres who disagreed with the government’s plan to transfer another million Han-Chinese into Tibet. The occupation and increasing colonization of Tibet has drawn widespread condemnation by the international community. Chinese authorities will soon realize that it is the failure of their policies in Tibet that have directly led to these deaths band also has caused the biggest wave of self-immolation protests in modern history. How many Tibetans does the Chinese government want to punish and kill? How many Han-Chinese does the Chinese government ultimately want to transfer? Tibetans have no rights. A Chinese street vendor in Tibet could casually, easily and successfully accuse a Tibetan of wrongdoing. Tibetans are the victims of arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and torture for their political and religious beliefs, and face punishment because of their beliefs in human rights and fundamental freedoms. China’s 60 year rule in Tibet has failed to win Tibetan hearts and minds under the umbrella of the so called “Peaceful Liberation of Tibet.”
Moreover, China has lost its international reputation and any remaining right to moral leadership by defending their failed policies with an iron fist during its occupation of Tibet. Indeed, the most shameless part of the six decades old government propaganda campaign is the claim that Tibetans enjoy freedom and equality. If this were true, then there would be freedom for the Tibetan people in the form of protection and preservation of their culture, religion and national identity. Of course, this is not the case. The so-called socialist paradise has proven itself ineffective, inhumane and littered with empty promises. Chinese authorities in Tibet recently revealed the true nature of their intentions, highlighting their mistrust of those Tibetan officials serving the Chinese regime. Many Tibetans believe that the authorities immediately politicise any issue, claiming the need for ‘stability’ and blaming ‘separatism’ as the root cause, when in fact there is an endemic problem of corruption and a nasty habit of disregarding the law. The Chinese government promises to fight against “separatist activities” and to completely destroy any attempt to undermine “stability” in Tibet”. Protests and other more subtle forms of resistance continue today, including self-immolations. Younger generations involved in any form of peaceful protest have been subjected to violence and falsely connected to separatist activity. They have been being beaten, shot, imprisoned and killed for standing up for their fundamental human rights and denied the right to learn their ancestral language and culture. They are forced to be second-class citizens within their own country. They are pushed to defy the authorities by demonstrating, sharing information, and burning themselves to death in protest. Despite the repressive iron fist policy of the Chinese Communist regime, the Tibetan fight for freedom is stronger than ever. If the Chinese authorities think Tibet is too small by population to make a difference, then China must learn from its own history, as well as from others. The Tibetan struggle is indeed one of the most supported of the 21st Century. This latest announcement shows that Chinese authorities have done nothing to support the Tibetan people’s right to secure a “meaningful autonomy” that protects their religions, language, and culture. Tibetan singers and writers call on Tibetans to be unified across the three provinces of Tibet. Their lyrics foretell the return of their spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the unification of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. Ironically, Tibetans are more united as a nation now than ever before, and six decades of repressive rule has far from crushed the Tibetan spirit. Even if China’s population of 1.37 billion came out unified against Tibetans, surely justice and truth would prevail in the end. The Tibetan struggle is a righteous, peaceful course of action seeking justice based on non- violence. We must be held accountable for conducting our struggle for freedom and justice with dignity and discipline. We must make our freedom struggle our top priority, and remember that the spirit of our people cannot be broken. For all of the Tibetans who live in free countries, it is our duty to speak out on behalf of Tibetans inside Tibet so that the peace-loving countries of the world will be equipped to condemn China over its failed policies in Tibet. Not only should we adhere to the truth, we must always tell the whole world the whole truth about Tibet, with a focus on the increasingly tense situation in Tibet. Every day, human rights are violated in Tibet, and the immense suffering of Tibetan people and the destruction of Tibetan lands, homes and culture continues.
The Tibet Post International
Readers of Peter Hessler, the author of “River Town” and other well-received books about China, may have been surprised to see his byline this week in China Daily, a state-run newspaper. “I think I have a better understanding of how essentially stable the Chinese system is,” read the article under Mr. Hessler’s name, which appeared on Monday on China Daily’s website. The article, which had the headline “U.S. Observer: Comparing Egypt With China,” featured observations about the two countries’ political systems. Mr. Hessler, who lived in China for years, moved to Egypt in 2011 and now reports from there for The New Yorker. Noting the chaos that Egypt has experienced since the Arab Spring, the article said that China would be better equipped to handle major social change. “Because the state is strong, and power is quite deeply entrenched,” the article said, “whenever significant changes do come, I think they are more likely to succeed, because the Chinese have a significant political foundation, and they have the experience of living in a functional state.” The article received substantial attention online, raising eyebrows among Hessler readers surprised that he would write a piece for a state newspaper
praising the Chinese system’s stability. On Tuesday, Mr. Hessler clarified the matter: He hadn’t. Mr. Hessler wrote on Facebook that he had been approached not to write an opinion piece, but to discuss a variety of subjects with a Chinese colleague, Li Xueshun, for a special year-end edition of China Daily. “I want to emphasize that this article does not in any way represent a comprehensive picture of my views on China and Egypt, and I never would have agreed to such a story,” Mr. Hessler wrote. “And I want readers to understand that the terms under which I was approached — that this was a year-end interview with my friend and colleague Li Xueshun, on a range of topics — are completely different from being approached for an article specifically about Egypt and China.” Mr. Hessler also clarified that he told the reporter he believed China’s campaign against corruption would fail because it would not bring systemic change. The article, he said, “omitted crucial parts, including the most important point: that I believe it’s harder to make a political change in China, where the system is deeper rooted than in Egypt, and thus the flaws are also more deeply rooted. I said that this is the reason why the current anticorruption campaign will be a failure, because China is not addressing its systemic flaws.”
Mr. Hessler asked that China Daily remove the article from its website and issue a retraction. But as of Wednesday morning, while the Englishlanguage version of the article had been deleted, the newspaper still had not issued a retraction. A Chinese version was still available on various news portals, including Sina. The office of China Daily’s website did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Wednesday, and an editor in the newspaper’s print department said the article had been published only online. Journalists and commentators have complained in the past that their remarks or writings had been substantially changed in Chinese state-run news media for what appeared to be political reasons. In 2013, for instance, Rowan Callick, an editor at The Australian, was quoted as saying that people in Tibet were living “a wonderful life.” Mr. Callick later said that the quote did not represent his views but was “pitch-perfect from Beijing’s perspective.” In his Facebook statement, Mr. Hessler said that the incident was not representative of his experience with Chinese journalists. He offered to participate in a question-and-answer session with China Daily, provided that the newspaper disavow the earlier article and allow him to approve the final edits.
may be as huge as the distance between them.” It added: “Three days are surely not enough for Obama and Modi to become true friends, given their hard differences on issues like climate change, agricultural disputes and nuclear energy cooperation.” For a joint statement, Mr. Modi agreed to American language on China’s regional disputes. The leaders reaffirmed “the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea.” They also called “on all parties to avoid the threat or use of force” in maritime disputes. Mr. Modi’s suggestion of fresh security cooperation linking the two with Japan and Australia would bring back a short-lived effort involving the four democracies that began in 2007. Known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, it drew protests from China and was abandoned a year later with a change of government in Australia. Mr. Modi’s determination to play a greater role in Asian affairs, a policy known as “ Act East ” coincides with Mr. Obama’s own so-called pivot to Asia. The two countries had been moving toward consensus on China for years, but that was particularly solidified by events of the last year, analysts said.
Among the most important were patrols by Chinese nuclear submarines in the Bay of Bengal, which India considers its strategic backyard. The patrols sent a shudder through India’s defense establishment, as building delays and accidents have left its submarine fleet severely depleted. The possible presence of Chinese nuclear missiles so close to India’s coastline undercut its nuclear deterrence. The second event was a three-day visit in September by President Xi Jinping of China during which Chinese troops confronted Indian troops in the disputed Ladakh region of Kashmir, infuriating Mr. Modi, who had planned to make considerable efforts to get relations with China off to a good start. “Mr. Modi discovered that the more charming and hospitable you are to the Chinese, the tougher they decide to be with you,” said Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian foreign secretary and ambassador to the United States. The two essentially squared off in a proxy fight earlier this month in Sri Lanka, which had hosted one of the Chinese submarines last fall. Although India denied directly intervening, it was happy when elections this month turned out a government friendly to China. The election was seen as a setback for Beijing. Indian leaders had long feared that being too cozy with the United States would poison relations with China, Mr. Mansingh said. But if being nice to China led only to further confrontation, then one of the last obstacles to closer cooperation with the United States dropped away, he said. “Obama’s visit shows that Mr. Modi has concluded that the U.S. is not just a strategic partner but is India’s principal strategic partner in the world,” Mr. Mansingh said. “It’s a clear upgradation in the relationship, and it signals a new direction of Indian foreign policy.”
U.S. and India Share Sense of Unease Over China By New York Times: January 26, 2015
New Delhi — When President Barack Obama landed here for a three-day visit, he brought a long list of issues to discuss, like energy and trade. But when he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India sat down to talk, the first 45 minutes were dominated by just one: China. Mr. Obama and his aides discovered to their surprise that Mr. Modi’s assessment of China’s rise and its impact on the greater strategic situation in East Asia was closely aligned with their own. Just as they did, Mr. Modi seemed increasingly uneasy about China’s efforts to extend its influence around the region and interested in a united approach to counter them. He agreed to sign a joint statement with Mr. Obama chiding Beijing for provoking conflict with neighbors over control of the South China Sea. He suggested reviving a loose security network involving the United States, India, Japan and Australia. And he expressed interest in playing a greater role in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, where India could help balance China’s influence. For years, American presidents have tried to enlist India, the world’s largest democracy, in a more robust partnership, partly to offset China’s rising power. India has had a long history of suspicion and rivalry with China, which allied with New Delhi’s archenemy Pakistan during the Cold War. But it has long insisted on being an independent actor in world affairs and resisted aligning itself with the United States against its giant neighbor. Mr. Modi, by contrast, seems not only willing but eager to redefine India’s relationship with the United States at a time China is on the rise economically, militarily and politically. “There has been a lot of ambivalence in India about China, just as there has been in the United States,” said K. Shankar Bajpai, a former Indian ambassador to the United States and China. “Now, both sides are clearer about their own interests and better understand that those interests are similar.” If that proves enduring, it could signal a shift more consequential than any specific deals or statements signed during Mr. Obama’s stay here. In effect, American officials hope the two powers can do much more together than the United States could do alone to restrain China’s ambitions and preserve the postwar order in the region. The possibility of an Indo-American partnership tilted against it clearly aggravated China this week as it lashed out against Mr. Obama’s visit to New Delhi. A commentary in Xinhua, the official Chinese state news agency, dismissed what it called a “superficial rapprochement.” It recalled that the United States once barred Mr. Modi from traveling there and that the two were fighting just a year ago over thearrest of an Indian diplomat accused of exploiting a housekeeper in New York. The Xinhua report went on to say that the visit “is more symbolic than pragmatic, given the longstanding division between the two giants, which
Twitter campaign ... ... continued from front page
In response, TNC launched a social media campaign to tweet the following question to the two world leaders: “China’s occupation of #Tibet is a regional security threat. How can we resolve it to secure peace? #AskObamaModi” Tibet supporters from around the world have been re-tweeting this question, making it one of the leading tweets yesterday. “TNC is strongly encouraged by the deepening ties between India and the United States,” said TNC’s President Jigme Ugen. “From the perspective of regional security, it is critical that India and the U.S. enhance their cooperation to address the destabilizing situation in Tibet. Our Twitter campaign seeks to place this issue on their agenda, as well as in the larger public discourse.” Ugen explained, “The Chinese occupation of Tibet is the root cause of major security threats to the entire region: the constant danger of Sino-Indian border conflict, trans-boundary water disputes over rivers originating in Tibet, China’s interference in Nepal’s internal affairs, and undeclared martial law in Tibet due to the ongoing self-immolation crisis. It is only through Tibetan self-rule that these problems can be resolved.” “India and the U.S. share a national interest in resolving the destabilizing Tibet issue, to say nothing of also promoting their values of human rights and democracy,” said Ugen. “It is a natural partnership that these two great democracies -- India and the U.S. -- promote their security and their values, by jointly promoting Tibetan self-rule.”
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“Some newspapers said that I did not meet with him out of fear of China. This is not true. He asked for an audience some time ago. A date has been fixed. But not for the moment. We are in contact,” he added. Asked about efforts to forge closer ties between the Vatican and China, he said: “The Chinese are polite, and we are also polite. We are doing things step by step.” The Chinese “know that I am ready to go there [China] or to receive [Chinese officials] at the Vatican,” he said. As his plane returned to the Vatican from Manila, the pontiff sent a telegram to Chinese President Xi Jinping, as he does for each country he flies over. “I assure you of my prayers for you and the people of China, invoking abundant blessings of harmony and prosperity.” In December, reports said the Vatican decision reflected concern over what would inevitably be a furious Chinese reaction, and a desire not to jeopardise efforts to build bridges with Beijing or risk retaliation against the country’s small Catholic community. According to media reports, “the Vatican has not had diplomatic relations with China since they were broken off by Chairman Mao in 1951.”
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January 31, 2015
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Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay greets India on 66th Republic Day China says to increase urban
Dr Lobsang Sangay in Dharamshala during the occasion of India’s 66th Republic Day, 26 January 2015. Photo: TPI By Yeshe Choesang: January 26, 2015
D h a r a m s h a l a : - T h e C e n t r a l Ti b e t a n Administration (CTA) greeted India on its 66th Republic day and wished continued peace and prosperity to all. Dr Lobsang Sangay, the political leder of Tibetans hoisted the Indian National flag at a brief ceremony held Sunday morning at the Kashag (cabinet) secretariat. Dr Sangay thanked the government and people of India for hosting the Tibetan community for
the last more than 50 years. According to media reports, over 100,000 Tibetans live in India. Members of the Kashag and other senior Tibetan officials attended the brief ceremony today to mark India’s 65th Republic Day. “On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration, I wish the government and people of India a very hearty congratulation in observing and celebrating its 66th Republic day,” Dr Lobsang Sangay said while expressing his warm greetings and best wishes to the people of India
Medicare system will ensure financial help for all Tibetans: Sikyong By Jane Cook: January 25, 2015
Dharamshala: - The political leader of Tibetans, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay spoke to a gathering of over 52 people including Tibetan settlement officers, Tibetan doctors, hospital administrators and healthcare workers who participated in a workshop. The two-day workshop on Tibetan Medicare System (TMS), was held at the Reception Centre for New Arrivals from Tibet, Lower Dharamshala, India on 24th -25th January, 2015. Speaking on the prevalence of economic disparity in the Tibetan community, Dr Lobsang Sangay said that the Tibetan Medicare System will ensure effective financial help for all including the poor during medical emergencies. “The general economic condition of the Tibetan people has improved a lot since the early days of Tibetan exile. However, I have noticed during my visits to the Tibetan settlements that there are still Tibetans who continue to remain poor,” he said. “Despite our best efforts, reaching out to each and everyone is challenging. Therefore, the Tibetan Medicare System is a novel initiative to ensure financial help to the poor during medical emergencies,” Sikyong added. “The TMS is currently in its third year since its launch in 2012. In the past three years, over 30,000 Tibetans have enrolled in the project and around 1800 have already availed the benefits of it,” he said. However, Sikyong said that “the TMS is still dependent on funds. Hence, more participation of the Tibetan public is crucial to make TMS selfreliant and to pre-empt financial constraints during medical emergencies for the poor.” Dr Sangay repeated his appreciation to the US Congress for providing an additional 3 million USD in financial aid to the Tibetans under a new line item recently. He further added that ‘the sanction of the new funds by the US Congress which was duly approved by
the US President reflects the support of the US and other countries towards the activities and leadership of the CTA.’ ‘The Tibetan Medicare System is one of the five most important projects of the CTA that has been prioritised by the present Kashag,’ Health Kalon Dr Tsering Wangchuk said while addressing the gathering. Explaining the purpose, objective and scope of workshop, he urged the participants to create more awareness about the project so as to increase enrollment from the public. Dr Wangchuk also explained the allocation of the 3.2 million USD awarded by the US government for the Tibetan Health System Strengthening Project. According to him the funds are allocated on three main activities of the Health Department namely i) its main projects including TMS, Mother & Child program, TB programs, etc, ii) capacity building of staff such as workshops, trainings, and iii) preventive measures like vaccinations, MTR TBs etc. The workshop is organised by the Department of Health, Central Tibetan Administration to discuss the revised guidelines and boost participation of the Tibetan public in the medical insurance project. The workshop was presided over by Dr Aloke Gupta and Dr Francis Raj. Topics discussed in this workshop include, community engagement and its implication on the scheme, Identifying effective mode and channel of communication for enhancing enrollment of scheme, etc. According to TMS, a family of five members has to pay an annual contribution of INR 3565 and an extra INR 713 per year for each additional member to avail benefits of upto 1 Lac Rupees. This include cost of hospitalization, medicines, etc. Individuals have to pay INR 950 to avail benefits of up to 50,000 at selected hospitals. TMS is a non-profit secondary and tertiary health care coverage - aimed to abet financial security to the Tibetan public during medical emergencies.
on the occasion of Republic Day, 2015. “I am very happy to see that the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, is here in India to take part and be the Chief Guest of the Republic Day celebrations,” he told reporters, responding to a question regarding the visit of US President Barack Obama to India. “Since America and India are the two largest democracies of the world, it’s a celebration of democracy that we are witnessing today. It’s also fitting because today is the day that India promulgated its constitution in 1950, so the President of the United States to come here on this day is a reflection of renewed energy in their bilateral engagement. As a Tibetan, I welcome and celebrate the get together of these two great nations,” Sikyong added. Sikyong also attended an official ceremony hosted by the local Indian Administration, Lower Dharamshala. He visited the War Memorial along with the Minister to pay respects to the Indian martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for their country. The biggest of the celebrations was held at the Rajpath where the country’s military might and cultural diversity will be on full display as part of the Republic Day parade. ‘Obama is the first US president to have been conferred the honour as the chief guest. He was invited to be the chief guest at the parade by Prime Minister Modi - the invitation is considered as one of the biggest honours India can bestow on a foreign leader,’ according to media reported. India celebrates 26 January as the republic day as the constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950. The Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 but was adopted on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country’s transition toward becoming an independent republic. India achieved Independence from British rule on 15 August 1947.
population in Tibet 30% by 2020 By Yanchen Dolma: January 24, 2015
Dharamshala: - The Chinese government has announced a plan to increase the urban population of the region by a further 30 percent by 2020. The plan entails moving approximately 280,000 ethnic Han Chinese into Tibet. However, Tibetans say ‘population transfer of Han Chinese settlers into Tibet was posing the greatest threat to the survival of the religious, cultural and national identity of the Tibetan people. Because Tibetans say China”s hard line repressive policies have made them a minority in their own country, depriving them of jobs, discriminating against their culture and religion, and denying their political and economic rights.’ The urban population of Tibet has risen dramatically since the 1980s, when China launched a “National Strategic Project to Develop the West” following the end of the Cultural Revolution. Before the campaign, under 300,000 people lived in 31 towns and cities in Tibet. According to Chinese estimates for 2013, over 740,000 people now live in 140 towns and cities in Tibet. The new push will bring that number to over one million Chinese. The majority of new residents in Tibet are Han Chinese. The Chinese population has increased in all Tibetan regions since China invaded Tibet in 1959. In the administrative capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Chinese outnumber Tibetans three to one, while in 1990 there were only 81,200 Chinese in all of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). In addition to the Chinese resident population measured in government figures, there are also an additional 300,000 to 500,000 (150,000 to 250,000 in TAR) ethnic Chinese stationed in Tibet as cadres, administrative staff, and ordinary and military police. The chairman of the so called Tibetan regional government, Lobsang Gyaltsen (Ch: Losang Jamcan), said at the meeting that Tibet still lagged behind many regions of China, and that urbanization especially was lagging behind the rest of China.
Armed Chinese soldiers patrol the plaza in front of the Jokhang Temple in Tibet’s capital Lhasa, amid Tibetan pilgrims performing their rituals, 2009. Photo: TPI
Gyaltsen said that Tibet wanted to improve public services in urban areas in order to attract more people to move to Tibet, and to boost local economies. “Altogether 7.97 million people including 5.56 million Tibetans and 2.41 million of other ethnic groups” now live in Tibetan areas, including 10 autonomous prefectures for Tibetans or those mixed with Tibetan and other ethnic groups, and 2 autonomous counties in Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu Provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region,’ said an article published in 2010 by the China Tibet Information Center, citing official statistics. The article further said that the Memorandum on “Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People” which the Tibetan representatives submitted to China seeks a total of more than “2.5 million square kilometers,” where “31 million people including 25 million people of the Han” Chinese and other ethnic groups live in the above areas, covering almost “the whole Qinghai, half of Sichuan, half of Gansu, a quarter of Yunnan and the southern part of Xinjiang.” But the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamshala has repeatedly urged the Chinese authorities in Tibet to address the genuine grievances of the Tibetan people to alleviate their sufferings and to end its political repression, religious persecution, cultural assimilation, economic marginalization and environmental destruction in Tibet, which remain the main causes of drastic forms of protests, including self-immolations.
Dhongthog Rinpoche Tenpé Gyaltsen passes away in US By Yeshe Choesang: January 22, 2015
Dharamshala: - Dhongthog Rinpoche Tenpé Gyaltsen, a widely-respected Sakya lineage scholar, passed away on the morning of 13th January, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. He was 83. At the advice of His Eminess Sakya Trizin, the cremation of Dhongthog Rinpoche took place in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday morning, January 21, 2015. After being recognized as the fifth reincarnation of Jampal Rigpai Raldri by the Sakya Dagchen Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, Rinpoche studied Tibetan literature and Buddhist philosophy at Dzongsar Shedra. Before leaving Tibet in 1957, Rinpoche was the head teacher of Dhongthog Rigdrol Phuntsog Ling Monastery, Kardze, Kham Province of eastern Tibet. Rinpoche served the Tibetan Government-in-Exile for 13 years before moving to the United States in 1979. In those 13 years, Rinpoche worked at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamshala and at Tibet House in New Delhi, according to Geshe Gazi Tseringpo, a member of the Tibetan Parliament In-Exile. He was one of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist scholars of recent times, especially for his work as a historian, lexicographer and prolific author. He wrote several books, including ‘The History of Sakyapa School of Tibetan Buddhism,’ ‘The
Dhongthog Rinpoche Tenpé Gyaltsen aka T.G. Dhongthog Rinpoche (1933-2015). Photo: Media File
Cleansing Water-drops,’ ‘The Peacock’s Joyful Dance’, ‘The Earth Shaking Thunder of True Word,’ ‘The History of Tibet,’ ‘The Timely Shower, The Timely Flame’ and ‘New Light EnglishTibetan Dictionary.’ Rinpoche also worked as a translator and editor on the Tibetan version of Sogyal Rinpoche’s The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and translated David Jackson’s biography of Dezhung Rinpoche into Tibetan.
In the early 1990s, Rinpoche made a monumental trip back to his monastery ‘Dhongthog Rigdrol Phuntsog Ling’ in Kardze County, eastern Tibet for the first time since leaving in the 1940s. He was accompanied by his personal attendant, the late Gonpo Dorjee. Rinpoche leaves behind devoted monks at Dhongthog Rigdrol Phuntsog Ling Monastery. Rinpoche is survived by his wife, two sons, daughter and extended family.
Project Tibet Society told The Tibet Post International. The Tibetans are part of a Government of Canada public policy that is facilitating the immigration of up to 1,000 displaced Tibetans living in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. This policy followed a 2007 appeal by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. By end of this month, 315 Tibetans will have arrived in Canada. The displaced Tibetans are being settled in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. To date, over 95% of the Tibetans who have arrived in Canada are employed and financially self sufficient with
three months of their arrival. Project Tibet Society, who is facilitating the national resettlement effort, is working with the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society in the local resettlement effort. The Resettlement project is funded by individual donors and staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers. Project Tibet Society was founded in 2011, as part of the public policy to oversee the implementation of this project. The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society is a non-profit organization, which provides settlement and integration services to all immigrants and refugees in Southern Alberta.
Fifteen more Tibetans to arrive in Calgary, Canada this week By Yanchen Dolma: January 20, 2015
Dr Lobsang Sangay addressing the participants of two-day workshop on Tibetan Medicare System at the Tibetan reception Centre, Lower Dharamshala, India, on January 24, 2015. Photo: TPI/Choneyi Sangpo
Calgary, 19 January, 2015: – Fifteen Tibetans are headed to Calgary this week as part of Canada’s Tibetan resettlement program. They will join the 106 Tibetans who have arrived in Calgary since January 18, 2014. All of those who have arrived previously are employed and financially self-sufficient. “ Tw e l v e o f t h e Ti b e t a n s w i l l a r r i v e o n Wednesday, January 21 (BA 103 ETA 17:35 expected exit from immigration 19:45), three on January 22. Local sponsors and those who have arrived previously will greet them at the airport,” Mr Nima Dorjee, President,
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TPI NEWS
January 31, 2015
Announcement: Future Role of the Sakya Trizin By Tibet Net: January 30, 2015
According to a circular received from Sakya MP Geshe Gatsi Tseringpo, which enclosed a letter from Sakya Dolma Phodrang dated 19 January 2015, wherein, His Eminence the Sakya Trizin, the current head of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, has made a historic announcement regarding a discussion between the DOLMA PHODRANG and PHUNTSOK PHODRANG about a Resolution and New Directive Concerning the FUTURE ROLE of the Sakya Trizin, the Head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism. The announcement states that both generations of Dolma and Phuntsok Phodrangs of Sakya tradition, will take turns in assuming the responsibility of the role of Sakya Trizin by seniority of age and with the required qualifications of the designate for a three-year term, beginning from 2017. The new directive has been announced with the due blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A Private Discussion Between the Dolma Phodrang and Phuntsok Phodrang about a Resolution and New Directive Concerning the Future Role of the Sakya Trizin, the Head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Based on the disposition, aptitude, and inclinations of individuals, the precious teachings of the Victorious One, the Incomparable Buddha, flourished in the Land of Snows as the source of the merit field for all. With this background, in the beginning, the Khon Konchog Gyalpo founded Palden Sakya and the Great Compassionate One, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, established it us an Order later to be known atone of the four major Buddhist Orders of Tibet. Then Sakya Pandita, the uncle, and Chogyal Phagpa, the nephew, Dharma Masters, caused it to flourish extensively throughout Tibet, Mongolia, and China, and for the next 11 generations, the Khdn masters presided over the great Dharma seat of the Sakya. Later, the tradition continued to flourish under the spiritual leadership of four separate Labrangs. Finally, from that time right up to the present day, the successive descendants of Ducho Labrangh hereditary lineage have assumed the role of both administrator and spiritual head of the Order. Among these Ducho masters, Jamgon Wangda Nyingpo had four sons. Two were renunciate monks, whose Lubrangs existed only during their lifetime, while the other two each held separate hereditary and spiritual lineages, which have come to be well known from that time until now as the Dolmu Phodrang and the Phuntsok Phodrang, and the role of Sakya Trizin has alternately been assumed by one of these Phodrungs, based on the seniority of the age of the designates. At this moment, as if at a time of a new “age of perfection:’ when both Khon Families enjoy unprec edented harmony, pure in our samoyas, while we have similar aspirations, and when both KhSn dungseys have carried and are carrying on their extensive Dharma studies, I wish and thus suggest a change and an improvement in the designation of the position of the head of the Sakya Order based on mutual discussion and a resolution reached thereof This assaredly will cause increased stability in the continuation of the teachings and administtation of the Sakya. Bearing in mind that while we the elder genetutions are still thriving and are thus able to take the opportunity to provide guidance, I suggest that both generations of Phodrangs take turns in assuming the responsibility of the role of Sakya Trizin by seniority of age and with the requited qualifi cations of the designate for a three-year term. This arrangement has great significance in that all members will have the opportunity to serve as Sakya Trizin. The qualifications shall consist of the complete fulfillment of the studies of all the basic courses of
Rites and Rituals of the Sakya; studies in all the major philosophies; having received empowerments, reading transmissions, and pith instructions; having studied the teachings of the ancestral Dharma teachings of both Lamdre Ts’ogshey and Lamdre Lobshey, along with other important teachings and Empowerments; and having accomplished the basic recitation retreat on Hevajra and other important tutelary deities. This recommended duration of the term of the Sakya Trizin is based on an opinion of Vajradhara Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, who, as we have heard, suggested that “the post of Sakya Trizin be made like the four Labrangs of the Ngor Monastery, which take turns every three years:’ At the end of the three-year term, the post must be turned over to the next designate without fail. During the term of each Sakya Trizin, his responsibilities shall include conducting any one of these major teachings of Lamdre Ts’ogshey, Lamdre Lobshey, the Collection of Sadhanas, and the Collection of Tantras; presiding over the important traditional annual dücho, the Commemorative Offering Ceremonies of the seat of the Sakya; overseeing the training and studies of the Sakya monasteries; seeking to find ways to promote and grow the Dharma teachings through study and practices; fulfilling the wishes of Sakya followers; and, last, it is extremely important he carry on exceptional work that includes the improvement of all the areas of Dharma, the monasteries, and the Sakya followers. Ever since I assumed the responsibility of the leadership, just before the “change of time:’ 1959— and a long time has passed since then—it may be possible that at times I, as Sakya Trizin, have been seen to have benefited from privileges. In reality, as soon as I assumed the responsibility, the “change of time” took place. When I arrived as a refugee, there was nothing in terms of monasteries and community in India that we could depend upon. For everything we needed or had depended upon, we had to ask of acquaintances and had to face many hundreds of difficulties for a long period of time. This is neither a “boast” nor have I anything to show of accomplishment, and yet, as all can see for themselves, I have at least maintained the presence and the name of the Sakya Order. Seeing, at the moment, the importance of the need for directives for the future of the Order, I offer the gift of this suggestion for a new mode of selecting future Sakya Trizins. With the mutual agreement and decision reached by both the Phodrangs to this suggestion and with the blessed confirmation received from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this new mode of selecting the Sakya Trizin will then be put into practice.
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ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Your ideas can be put into action. In-laws or relatives may oppose your personal intentions. Keep your feet on the ground, if you can. Be discreet and don’t reveal any personal information. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday. TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) Remember; talk to them, not at them. You may need a physical outlet that will help you relieve your tension. Implement your ideas into your projects at work. Try to compromise rather than having an all out battle. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday. GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Invite friends over rather than spending money on lavish entertainment. You will have the stamina and the know how to raise your earning power. Visitors are likely to drop by and chances are, they may even stay a little longer than you want them to. Use your creative talent in order to accomplish your goals. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday. CANCER (June 22-July 22) You can make financial deals that will bring you extra cash. Your stubbornness coupled with your mate’s jealousy don’t make for a favorable time. Set your goals and stick to your guns.Avoid conflicts with in-laws or other family members. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday. LEO (July 23-Aug 22) There’s a good chance that they won’t come back. Don’t let friends convince you that you should contribute to something you don’t believe in. Get involved in the activities of children. They will teach you far more than you expect. Feeling under the weather may be a result of overindulgence. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday. VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Don’t let other people meddle in your private affairs. Your energetic nature and ability to initiate projects will add to your popularity. Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems. You can expect opposition at work. Don’t let your competition be privy to information that could be in criminating. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Get back down to earth and to basics. You may attract attention if you get out socially. Consider making residential changes; either moves or renovations could payoff. You may be fortunate while traveling. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Your partner may be somewhat irritable this month. You may want to make plans to take a vacation together. You will meet potential new mates through friends or relatives. Try looking into new ways to make extra money. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) You are best to tuck your money away where no one will be able to touch it, including yourself. Try not to lose your cool, and make your point known. Your versatile mind and common sense will allow you to come up with various solutions. There’ll be difficulties if you spend too much. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday. CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Lighten up your serious attitude Beware of someone who is trying to make you look bad. Creative educational pursuits will payoff. You need an outlet. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday. AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) This will not be the day to start new business ventures or make drastic changes in your career. Uncertainty regarding your mate may emerge; reevaluate what you see in each other. Small business ventures can earn you extra cash. Sentimental feelings may make it difficult to get much done at work. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday. PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Use your genuine warmth and compassion to win hearts. New love connections can be made through group associations. Don’t divulge secret information. Difficulties with female members of your family may result in estrangement’s. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.
The Tibet Post International
TPI NEWS
H.H THE DALAI LAMA
Doctors and nurses are truly admirable in helping others: His Holiness By Yeshe Choesang: January 21, 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India on January 20, 2015. Photo/ Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
Dharamshala: - The spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama told a gathering of Indian doctors and nurses that “the medical treatment will be more successful, if there is a genuine sense of concern for others. But the key is to smile and be warm in your interactions.” “Cultivating a good heart and a positive motivation are very important. We have a Tibetan saying that this doctor is learned but his medicine is not very effective, whereas that doctor, while not very learned, makes more effective medicine because he is warmer-hearted,” His Holiness said. Speaking about compassion, the Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said that “the stern faced doctor treats his patients as little more than machines to be fixed, whereas the doctor who smiles understands the importance of putting the patient at ease. Doctors and nurses are truly admirable in their efforts to help others. I readily speak about compassion, but you people put it into effect. Wonderful.” His Holiness answered several questions from
the audience after to the Medical Staff at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi January 20, 2015. Asked if competition between doctors is good or not, His Holiness replied that it depends on the motivation. “If the motivation is to succeed in order to help others more effectively, it’s good. But if the intention is to reach the top for your own selfish interests, it’s not of much help,” he said. “We are all the same, physically mentally and emotionally,” he told his audience. “We all want happiness just like other animals. And we all have a right to live a happy life,” he added. “However, what differentiates us from animals is our intelligence. Our intelligence and our more powerful brains give us the potential to make others happy besides ourselves. And yet, when we use our intelligence in negative or destructive ways, we create problems such as the organized or mechanized violence that is war. This is why we need to use our intelligence more positively and see ourselves as just as one among seven billion
other human beings,” Hiss Holiness added. Describing himself as a great admirer of the thought of ancient India. The Tibetan spiritual leader said that “Ahimsa or non-violence gave rise to widespread tolerance and a strong sense of secularism, which in India means cultivating respect for the convictions of all those of religions faith as well as those who have none.” “In the West, the word secularism is considered by some to be similar to atheism, having no respect for any religion. Ancient Indian philosophy and psychology were deep and profound. If we compare ancient Indian psychology with Western psychology today, Western psychology is just at the beginning,” he said. Reiterating that India is also a country where the world’s major religions have long lived together side by side, His Holiness said: “Apart from some occasional unfortunate incidents, by and large there has been significant harmony among religious traditions here.” This connects with my life’s second commitment: the promotion of inter-religious harmony. Since all religious traditions talk about love, compassion and forgiveness, they should all be able to live together in respect and harmony. Such an understanding will be of great help to humanity. To a question about whether we should acknowledge one truth, one faith, or many, the spiritual leader said that that the notion of one religion and one truth may be useful at the level of the individual, but in terms of the wider community we have to acknowledge the existence of several faiths and several truths. His Holiness also explained that the nature of mind is pure and that the defilements, the disturbing emotions that cloud it are not of the nature of the mind. He said we need to train our minds to achieve happiness, inner peace and good health.
Clean up the injustice done in today’s world: His Holiness the Dalai Lama By Yeshe Choesang: January 28, 2015
Dharamshala: - Guided by existing materialistic education, the spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama urged the 21st century generation to transform the world into one concerned with morality and clean up the injustice done in today’s world during a visit to Dayanand Anglo Vedic School (DAV) in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday January 28. The school’s Principal and other administrators warmly received His Holiness and slowly escorted him to the ground where an audience of over 3000 people awaited him, comprising excited students and staff of DAV School together with other Principals and guests. After a brief flower offering ceremony Mr AK Sharma, the Chairperson of the DAV school network, expressed that it was thoughtful of the school to seize the opportunity to listen to someone who has “contributed to peace and knowledge” worldwide. Expressing his pleasure for the chance to interact with young Indians, His Holiness said “India is the most populated democratic nation in the world and has a long history. It has produced a great many thinkers who could be called ‘ancient scientists’ for their thorough investigation into the nature of things.” “Some of these masters already discovered the concept of quantum physics over 2000 years ago,” said the Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel peace prize laureate. “The world is rife with problems today, and India has the potential to contribute to nonviolence. Many of the problems in the world are caused by people who are well-educated but who use their knowledge to gain more money or power, and exploit others by cheating and bullying them,” His Holiness said. “You, the generation of the 21st century, can transform the world into one concerned with morality. You can clean up the injustice done in today’s world, which is guided by the existing materialistic education,” he said while pointing out that extreme selfishness, which leads to disrespecting others, is the root of many of our problems. To mend this situation in the world, His Holiness told the students, “the concept of secularism, which respects both believers and non-believers equally, is unique to India. Today, in order to promote the
His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, India on January 20, 2015. Photo/ Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
principles of morality, you should find a means to address the problems we are facing that applies to both believers and non-believers. Religions won’t work for the non-believers!” Speaking about the importance of affection and friendship, His Holiness said “a smile is something us human beings can express to others. A genuine smile brings us closer to others as we build trust, which in turn leads to friendship,” he told the students. “If you ask a non-believer whether money can buy us friendship, their response will be negative. You need an open heart to gain trust and friendship. A closed heart cannot bring us these,” he added. Even animals appreciate our love and affection, His Holiness explained. He told the students of his friendly relationship with the fish in a pond in the Norbulingka summer palace in Tibet, saying, “When they heard the sound of my footsteps they would pop out of the water in sheer joy!” In order to demonstrate how our physical structure itself is built for friendly relations with others, His Holiness then hugged the school Principal as the delighted audience erupted into applause. “As social animals, affection brings us together while anger pushes us apart. Scientists say that anger and fear are bad for our health, and peace of mind is good for our health.” His Holiness mentioned that religious harmony is something unique to India, and is linked to India’s secular approach and ahimsa, or non-violence.
“You should think seriously about your culture,” he told the students. “You are the builders of a new world for the sake of the seven billion people on the Earth who need to be educated in these principles.” His Holiness explained that secular ethics is meant for entire humanity and we need to see it in this perspective and promote moral principles, beginning in our own families. We then spread this outwards to ten people, a hundred people, a million people, and so on. “Young people,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama told the school students, “you have the potential to manifest these moral principles. You have the opportunity and ample time to do so for a happy 21st century,” he said. “You should not feel discouraged thinking that there are too many problems in the world and that you cannot do anything about them. Change must start with individuals and spread out to others. Think that you have responsibility for the world and make an effort,” His Holiness added. His Holiness then took questions from several of the students. One boy asked how to cope with parents’ demands for good marks by comparing them with their peers, which causes depression in the children. He responded by looking at both sides of the question and said that the parents could push their children if they were lazy. However, if the children had done their best but could not live up to the parents’ expectations, then the parents were making unrealistic demands.
January 31, 2015
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India important nation, can keep nuke weapon: His Holiness the Dalai Lama Ghaziabad: - Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, on Tuesday said although he did not support nuclear weapons but certain nations could keep them for the safety for all. The Tibetan spiritual leader was in Ghaziabad as the chief guest in a school function. When asked about the civil nuclear cooperation between India and the United States, which has been revived by US President Barack Obama during his recent visit to the country, he said that he considered India as a huge and populous nation and hence it had a right to keep nuclear weaponry. “I am totally against nuclear weapons. However, on this planet [if] some bigger nations have certain rights to keep nuclear
By ANI: January 28, 2015
weapon s, then India [is] also one important nation,” he said. Meanwhile, he added that India was a great country because of its cultural diversity and the young generation was the future and hope of the nation. During his speech, the Nobel Peace luareate urged the students to spread the message of peace and prosperity through their actions. In a glow of bonhomie, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Obama had earlier this week unveiled plans to unlock billions of dollars in nuclear trade and to deepen defence ties to establish an enduring strategic partnership.
Welcome for Pope; Dalai Lama next By The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) Editorial January 18, 2015
Coming as it did in the immediate aftermath of a hard-fought Presidential election, Pope Francis’ visit to Sri Lanka lost some of the media focus it would otherwise have merited. The local Catholic Church, however, worked silently throughout – with the help of the previous administration, amidst widespread speculation that the Pope might actually cancel his trip. They pulled off a hugely successful visit. The relaxed, well organised, tumultuous welcome for their spiritual leader by the country’s Catholic population was testimony to this smoothly coordinated effort. That the President who invited the Pope to this country was not able to receive His Holiness was a cruel fate that befell the former President, he being the third Head of Government to have invited a Pope to this country only to see his successor welcome him. Hopefully, it will not be a deterrent for a future invitation to a Pope. In his brief tenure of the Papacy, Pope Francis’ unorthodox, liberal approach has revolutionised the Church. He has faced resistance from conservative bishops in his quest to modernise the way the Vatican comes to grip with today’s issues while maintaining cherished spiritual values. The Holy See has been engaged in international relations since its inception, through quiet diplomacy. In modern history, it was the Church’s role during World War II when Pope Pius XII’s stance that the essence of statesmanship was compromised with Nazi Germany and him remaining aloof, insisting on the Church’s neutrality that attracted debate. It was a debate of whether evil should be tolerated to save the long-term interest of the Church. Later, the high point of the Church’s foreign policy was the Polish born Pope John Paul II’s intervention in breaking up the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Pope Francis is now credited with paving the way for re-establishing diplomatic links between the US and Cuba after 53 years. In Sri Lanka, the Holy Father maintained political correctness insisting his was essentially a pastoral visit to canonise a Saint. It was only when he visited the hallowed northern shrine of Madhu that he touched on the touchy National Question and called on all Sri Lankans to reconcile in fellowship after the ‘recent tragic past’. It was back on May 18 last year when the Pope’s visit was officially announced that we said in an editorial; “A state visit by the Pope to bless his followers, and the country which can do with some blessings is a welcome occasion…… In sharp contrast, however, is the stand taken by the Government of Sri Lanka on the Dalai Lama, the deposed Head of State and spiritual leader of Tibet and the ‘face of Buddhism’ to the world”. We referred to His Holiness the Dalai Lama being denied a visa in the face of diplomatic pressure from China. First it was the military support we received, then it was the economic support. And what of the ‘double standards’ we complain other countries apply on Sri Lanka? With a change of political leadership, we would like to see if there is indeed an actual change of heart. Good governance: Someone must do it. Government-forming or Cabinet-making is an arduous task especially when it comes to a Government of National Unity comprising several – in fact all -political parties barring the Old Left, the New Left and the northern Tamil Alliance. The
latter two supported the new dispensation but it is somewhat fortunate that they opted out of the process without placing their own demands for helping contribute to the downfall of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government. The Rajapaksa Administration has collapsed like a deck of cards and the former President seems to have capitulated meekly. Like the Third Reich, it felt it would last a thousand years. Today, those ‘soldiers’ who served in it are not merely surrendering but deserting in droves, jumping to the side of the winners of the January 8 election, complaining they were merely carrying out orders of the ‘Fuhrer’, pledging allegiance to the victorious Allied Forces, some cringing, some crawling, some begging for mercy, some asking and some getting favours from the new leadership. In this imperfect world of politics, there is already a sense of déjà vu; that nothing really has changed. Some of the new appointments to public office have already raised eyebrows. Some of the worms are coming out of the woodwork in a scramble for directorships on Government boards. Political IOUs are being encashed, big time. The city is full of wheelerdealers from home and abroad seeking to cement new deals or ensure the status quo remains. An element of despair is in the air about investigations on past misdeeds and how they will really unfold. Apart from the hot air, have the accusers the expertise and the information wherewithal to successfully prosecute the allegations they make against the previous regime. Very soon, those newly elected to hold political office are going to get embroiled in running their ministries and those charges they made while in Opposition are going to return to the back-burner. It will likely be ‘business as usual’ and most everything swept under the carpet. The 100-day programme is running behind time, but it is unfair not to give the new Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe led National Democratic Front (NDF) Administration more time to put its house in order and get its act together. The pressures on the new Government are immense, and it’s not an easy job it has inherited – but then, someone’s got to do it. Course correction with India We have, only half-jokingly said before how whenever a national election is concluded, the winning candidate goes to the Dalada Maligawa to pay homage to the Buddha and the newly anointed Foreign Minister goes to New Delhi to pay pooja to our biggest neighbour. The new Foreign Minister has lost no time in packing his bags and following in the illustrious footsteps of some of his predecessors. He flies over this weekend to meet Indian leaders. It is not a bad thing to do only if the new Minister has thoroughly briefed himself on the nuances of Indo-Lanka relations as they stand. Course correction with India is a must. Misgivings about Sri Lanka’s heavy proChina policy of yesteryear must be allayed, but there are a plethora of outstanding issues ranging from poaching to the UNHRC probe, to devolution, to the safety of Sri Lankans visiting India, to the FTA, for the new Minister to grapple with. He must, meanwhile, be wary of placing his signature to joint communiqués and MoUs that his ill-informed predecessor, acting on his own advice was too eager to sign to please his host.
6 TPI NEWS Back Page Focus Addressing young Tibetans, His Holiness the Dalai Lama Monk who refused to criticize Dalai Lama is freed from jail urges in-depth study of Tibet’s culture and language The Tibet Post International
January 31, 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking to students and staff living at the Tibetan Youth Hostel in New Delhi, India on January 25, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jamphel/OHHDL By Yanchen Dolma: January 29, 2015
New Delhi, January 25, 2015: —The spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, speaking to about 300 Tibetan students and staff residing in New Delhi, urged young Tibetans to learn to their own culture, tradition, and language, so that they understand it better for posterity, no matter whether they want to practice religion or not. In light of the hard-line policies of the Chinese government— attempting “the systematic destruction of Tibetan culture inside Tibet, His Holiness Sunday morning said that Tibetan culture, tradition and language are being destroyed by the Chinese. “Today, our religion is being destroyed and teaching Chinese is given priority over teaching Tibetan inside Tibet.” Alluding to the richness of psychology in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the accuracy of translations from Sanskrit, His Holiness called on
the Tibetan students, “You are the new Tibetan generation who must pay attention to our cultural heritage. We must feel proud of our culture and tradition, and our language. We are a great people.” “Whether you practice religion or not is an individual’s business. But you must learn your tradition and culture well. Be aware of your own heritage and be proud of your culture. It is important to learn Tibetan Buddhist science and philosophy, for which you do not have to become a monk or nun,” on January 25, His Holiness emphasised generating belief in the teachings of the Buddha through reasoned understanding rather than mere faith. For this it is important to maintain an initial curious scepticism of the teachings in order to analyse and investigate them, so that we may then gain true conviction and build deeper insight into the doctrine. Speaking about the Buddhist tradition of Tibet,
which is both profound and vast, covering the entire range of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings. Particularly thanks to master Shantarakshita, His Holiness said that Tibetan Buddhists have a rich tradition of differentiating the various philosophical systems of ancient India through rigorous logic. Owing to the richness and profundity of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, even highly renowned scientists today take keen interest in gaining more knowledge about its understanding of emotions and system of mind, which are pertinent to scientific research into helping people overcome mental problems. Like Buddha encouraged his followers to take the initiative not simply to take his teachings on faith, His Holiness urged them to not accept things without checking, adding: Just as the Buddha himself exhorted us in this popular quote— Just as a goldsmith would test his gold by burning, cutting and rubbing it, so Likewise, must you examine words thoroughly and then accept them—But not just because you have devotion to me! His Holiness also presented a sweeping account of Tibetan history, which, based on solid archaeological findings of human bodies and implements, identifies the origin of Tibetan race in the Stone Age—or at least 30 thousand years ago. He expressed how he felt proud of the Tibetan writing system that enables Tibetans to preserve our religion and cultural traditions on a firm historical platform for posterity. This is unlike some cultures indigenous to Latin America which have no script of their own, and He has advised these peoples to devise some romanised writing system as many others have done. His Holiness also reiterated that all 7 billion people are the same in not wanting suffering but instead wanting happiness, and that we have the same right to achieve this goal. “As Tibetans” he said, “if you regard me as Gyalwa Rinpoche, the Precious Triumphant One, someone special, then you cannot see me being the same as you. But as Tibetans we are the same.”
Party officials punished for having irresolute political stances on Tibet By Yeshe Choesang: January 29, 2015
Dharamshala: - The Chinese investigators claims to have found 15 Communist Party officials in Tibet joined underground organizations, provided intelligence to the Tibetan spiritual leader and his supporters or participated in activities deemed harmful to China’s security, a party agency said Wednesday. The reports carried in major state-run newspapers, the party’s official mouthpieces said that “the fourth Central Discipline Inspection team reported that from its investigation in Tibet, the struggle against splittism was still complex and grim.” The report said there had been six cases of party members and civil servants violating party discipline and 45 officials who had abandoned their posts or neglected their duties. Those 45 officials were being “severely punished,” the report said, citing Wang Gang, a party discipline official. A report in Beijing Times, another state-run newspaper said that “a small number of Party members and cadres have irresolute political stances, and the work of stability maintenance must be strengthened.” The publicising of CCP officials supporting Tibetan separatism was highly unusual and suggested continuing unrest in the occupied region, which has had a heavy security presence since a wave of 2008 peaceful protests against Chinese repressive policies toward Tibetan people. The involvement was uncovered last year during an investigation of a small group of party officials, according to state-run media reports citing to an article published by the Communist Party in Tibet. Fifteen officials received unspecified punishment for violating party and political discipline, the article said without giving details, including their including
their names and positions. The inspection team last November said that “grasp the key rectification issues to ensure the rectification results; to further implement strict political discipline. Always put in the first place, strict adherence to political discipline; have a firm political stance, a clear political direction; this should be insisted upon in Tibet.” However, it is still unclear why the cases were reannounced this week again. Chen Quanguo, the so called Chinese party chief in Tibet, last year described a ‘new measure’ that would make a big difference to Tibet and people in the region. In response, Tibetan information minster, Ms Dicki Chhoyang, said: “Repression incites resistance, and such actions will further hamper any chance of long term stability sought by China within the region. Clearly this latest warning to Tibetan officials who revere His Holiness the Dalai Lama demonstrates that all is not well in Tibet after all.” The team’s statement gave no details of these officials that the party members joined, the intelligence they provided or other activities that would have harmed national security. Calls to party representatives in Tibet were not answered, and the discipline commission’s phone number was not publicly available. Journalists’ access to Tibet is tightly restricted and all information from the region is extremely difficult to confirm. While details such as the name of the officials punished were not provided, it is likely they were Tibetans who practice Tibetan Buddhism of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader. Ethnic minorities, including Tibetans and Muslim Uighurs from the neighboring Xinjiang region, make up about 6 percent of the Communist Party’s 86 million members. They are recruited to fill posts at various
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levels as a key component of the party’s united front policy, although the top party official in provinces and regions such as Tibet is always a member of China’s overwhelming majority Han Chinese group. A discipline investigator, Ye Dongsong, was quoted in the party-run Global Times newspaper as saying that the Tibetan regional government should focus on neutralizing separatists, maintaining social stability and more strictly monitoring projects in the region. Stability maintenance refers to the raft of Party security actions aimed to forcing ideological and behavioral compliance with the regime. Wang Gang, the secretary-general of the Tibetan Autonomous Region’s disciplinary committee—the Party organ that ensures the Party line is followed inside the Party, alongside battling corruption—was quoted to the effect that an investigation had been opened against the “very small number” of cadres suspected of providing intelligence to “underground Tibetan independence groups and the 14th Dalai Lama.” Chinese government says it treats Tibetans inside Tibet fairly, and that it has poured billions of dollars into raising living standards in Tibetan areas. In response, Tibetans say ‘China has invested millions of Yuan in developing Tibet’s infrastructure, without the consent of Tibetans in their homeland. The investments mainly benefit Han Chinese migrants and Chinese state-owned companies and contribute to the economic marginalisation of Tibetans.’, and resent the government’s strict limits on Tibetan Buddhism, culture and language. The infrastructure which is mainly aimed to support heavy militarisation, allowing China to maintain Tibet as a police state, and to increase resource extraction, allowing Chinese to further plunder Tibet’s vast supply of natural resources. More tellingly, the Chinese name for Tibet, Xizang – the Western Treasure House. “These Tibetans officials and those party cadres who disagreed with the Chinese government’s new plan—to transfer another million Chinese into Tibet,” Mr Nyima T.J., a Tibetan political analyst said, adding: I have always suspected that the Chinese population has increased in all Tibetan regions since China invaded Tibet in 1959 and China recently says more than 25 million Han Chinese live in Tibet, include 7.5 million in TAR.” “More than 100 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 to protest the Chinese government because it has pursued failed policies that repress and marginalize the Tibetan people,” he added.
Jamyang Tenzin in an undated photo. Photo courtesy of an RFA listener By RFA English Service: January 27, 2015
Chinese authorities have freed a Tibetan monk who spent most of the last eight years in prison after refusing to publicly criticize Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, according to a Tibetan source living in India. Jamyang Tenzin, a monk from Lithang (in Chinese, Litang) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was freed from jail over the weekend after being held for nearly two-and-a-half years in his latest detention, a Tibetan monk living in exile told RFA’s Tibetan Service. “Jamyang Tenzin was released on Jan. 24 from his detention center in Minyak Rangakha and … warmly welcomed by his family, relatives and other village members,” the India-based monk named Jamyang Yonten said, citing local contacts. “It is difficult to assess his condition of health at this point of time,” he said, noting that the monk had earlier suffered from vision problems he developed while in prison. Jamyang Tenzin was detained on Oct. 3, 2007 after he refused to take part in a public condemnation of the Dalai Lama convened by Chinese authorities involving more than a thousand local Tibetans, according to Jamyang Yonten. At the time, the monk stood up and rejected the criticism of the Dalai Lama, reciting a prayer for his long life, and demanded that authorities explain the detention of several
other Tibetan leaders. Jamyang Tenzin was secretly detained later the same day and held for two years in an undisclosed location. He was subsequently sentenced to three years in prison at a secret trial conducted by the Kardze People’s Intermediate Court, Jamyang Yonten said. Medical release While serving his three-year sentence, Jamyang Tenzin developed a kidney problem that caused his vision to become blurred and he was freed for medical treatment, Jamyang Yonten said, without providing a date for the monk’s release. “After going through rigorous treatment, Jamyang Tenzin got better and resumed a variety of social work, including his efforts to improve literacy among the nomadic Tibetan community,” he said. But the monk was again detained on Aug. 28, 2012, without any explanation, and held in prison until his release over the weekend, according to Jamyang Yonten. Authorities did not provide a reason for setting him free. Tibetans living in China frequently complain of political, economic, and religious discrimination as well as human rights abuses. A total of 136 Tibetans have self-immolated in China since 2009 to protest Beijing’s rule in Tibetan-populated areas and to call for the return of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.