Bi-MonthlyB o d - K y i - Cha- Trin

I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Rs.5Vol. 02, Issue 54, 30 November 2011

Gary Locke Urged to Act on Tibet

www.thetibetpost.com

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Full article Page 5.

600 Tibetans Protest Against Chinese Rule in Delhi

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Tibetan PM To Address Brussels Summit

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Two More Monks Arrestedin Eastern Tibet

Dharamshala, India: - It has been confirmedthat two more Tibetan monks from KirtiMonastery, Ngaba County, Eastern Tibet,have been a r res ted by the Chineseauthorities.Gyatso, aged 42, was taken into custody onNovember 21, and Lobsang Gedun, aged 48,in mid-October. The reasons for the arrestsremain unknown, as do the monks' currentwhereabouts.Gyatso is from Raktsa Tsang house in MesipDewa village, Trotsig town, Ngaba County.He joined Kirti monastery as a child, engaged

Tibetan monks from Kirti Monastery, eastern Tibet: Gyatso, 42 year old (L) and Lobsang Gedhun, 48 year old.Photo: TPI/File

Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet Post

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Every Human Being Wants Happy Life

Exile Tibetans shout slogans against the Chinesegovernment during a march in New Delhi, India,Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Photo: AP

Dharamshala, India: - The solidarity and spiritof around 600 Tibetans created an atmosphereof electricity in India's capital on Wednesday.The protestors marched through Delhi,shouting anti-China slogans and "Free Tibet!"to protest China's

Palden Choetso at her nunnery in Karze county,eastern Tibet. Photo: TPI (file photo)

US Ambassador to Beijing, China nominee Gary Lockeestifies on Capitol Hill in Washington Photo: AP

Dharamshala, India: - The Kalon Tripa (politicalleader) of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, Dr.Lobsang Sangay, is currently on his first Europeantour, which includes visits to Belgium, Switzerland,Germany, Norway, Denmark, France & GreatBritain.

Dharamshala/New York: - The most comprehensivefootage of protests in Tibet this year, including imagesof Palden Choetso, a 35-year-old nun from GedenChoeling Nunnery in Tawu, eastern Tibet, who diedafter setting herself on fire on November 3, has beenobtained from sources in Tibet.

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay meeting with members of theTibetan Discussion Group and Foreign Affairs Committee

members of the German Parliament. Photo: TPI

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in Buddhist studies there, and is currentlystudying in the first class for the Karmapadegree - the h ighes t monas t icqua l i f i ca t ion .Gyatso taught a t themonastery's school until it was shut downby the Chinese authorities, has written forvarious Tibetan magazines and newspapers,and is well-known for his Tibetan calligraphyand art.Lobsang Gedun is from Sego Tsang house,Kanyak village, Trotsig town, Ngaba County.He belongs to the Kalachakra college at Kirtimonastery, and was formerly in charge ofdiscipline there.

SeldonAmongRhodesScholarship..

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Kalon TripaTrips

Seven EuropeanCountries....

Dharamshala, India: - On 29th November 1956,on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of theBuddha's Parinirvana, I had the opportunity tomeet Indian leaders and Buddhist representativesfrom many countries here in New Delhi. At thattime I gave a detailed account of the historicaldevelopment of Buddhism in Tibet and theunique Indo-Tibetan relationship. Since then theworld, including India and Tibet, has witnessedmany changes and so have the Buddhisttraditions in different countries.Until the last fifty years or so, the world's diverseBuddhist communities had only a distant inklingof each other's existence and little appreciationof how much they held in common. As theBuddha's teaching took root in different places,certain variations in the style in which it waspractised and upheld evolved naturally. Indeed,the Buddha himself gave different teachingsaccording to the predispositions of his disciplesat different times. What distinguishes ourcontemporary situation is that almost the entirearray of Buddhist traditions that evolved indifferent lands is now accessible to anyone whois interested. What's more, those of us who studyand practise these various Buddhist traditionscan now meet and learn from one another.Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment inBodhgaya about 2600 years ago, yet I believe histeachings remain refreshing and relevant today.Moved by a spontaneous concern to help others,

following his enlightenment the Buddha spentthe rest of his life as a homeless monk, sharinghis experience with those who wished to listen.Both his view of dependent arising and his advicenot to harm anyone, but to help whoever youcan, emphasize the practice of non-violence. Thisremains one of the most potent forces for goodin the world today, for non-violence is to be of

service to our fellow beings.Siddhartha's renunciation - his choosing to live thehomeless life - symbolises the practice of the trainingin morality; his six-year asceticism symbolises thetraining in concentration; and his attainment ofenlightenment through the practice of wisdom underthe Bodhi tree represents the importance of thecultivation of wisdom.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Message to GlobalBuddhist Congregation

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Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivering a speechin during a special ceremony being held in Dharamshala, India on8th August 2011. Photo: TPI/file

Ambassador of Czechoslovakia Miloslav Stasek.Photo: File

Dharamshala, India: Ambassador ofCzechoslovakia reached McLeodganj,Dharamshala, on Wednesday, 16th November tomeet the spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holinessthe Dalai Lama, and was given a warm welcome.Tibetans offered him white silk scarf (Tib: Khatas)at the Kangra airport which located nearDhramshala.The offering of "katas" or white scarf is anauspicious Tibetan tradition for welcoming andthe start of a good relationship. AmbassadorMiloslav Stasek refused to disclose anyinformation about the issues he will take up withThe Nobel Peace Prize laureate, His Holiness theDalai Lama."I am here till Friday and this is not an official visit, Ican't say anything about the meeting at the moment,"he told reporters at the airport.

"In light of these realities, we urge you, inyour capacity as U.S. ambassador, to visitTibet. Speak with Tibetan people and faithleaders. Press for a fact-finding mission intothe Kirti monastery which has featuredprominently in the recent wave of self-immolations," they added.

The Tibet Post2 TPI OPINIONS AND VIEWS30 November , 2011 Dharamsala

Tibet's Only Option: Self-immolations To Express Their VoicesBy Denzi Yishe

Self-immolations Are Calling forInternational Intervention in Tibet

Minnesota, USA : - A Tunisian streetvendor set himself on fire last year anact that many credit with sparking theArab Spring, which led to the oustingof tyrannical leaders Moammar Gadahfi(Libya) and Hosni Mubarak (Egypt).But in the Ngaba region of Tibet, wherea dozen young monks immolatedthemselves, life has become evenharsher. China has reportedlysubjected the remaining monks at KirtiMonastery to endure torture, near-starvation conditions and constantmonitoring.In addition, the monks have beenforced to stomp on photos of HisHoliness the Dalia Lama (the Tibetanspiritual leader and Nobel PrizeLaureate who visited Minnesota inMay), cut up their scriptures and listento endless patriotism lectures designedto make them Communist Partyloyalists.This is the story told last week by KirtiRinpoche, the head of all Kirtimonasteries in and out of Tibet, in

testimony before the US CongressCommission of Human Rights. "Tibetansdo not even have half the rights thatordinary Chinese do," he said.After the hearing, he flew to Minnesota,where I met with him between hisgatherings organized by the state'sTibetan American Foundation.Speaking through an interpreter, he saidthe monks immolations spoke of thedesperate conditions for Tibetans inChina.He wouldn't rule out immolating himselfsome day. But since non-violence isfundamental to Buddhism, I wanted toknow how the Rinpoche reconciled theteachings with the self-immolations, apoint of debate among Tibetansglobally. After all, if Tibetans destroythemselves, haven't the Chinese won?"The self-immolators sacrificed theirown bodies with the purist of motives"to help the Tibetan people," he said.They hoped that by calling attention tothe human rights abuses, the worldwould intervene and make life better.China invaded Tibet in 1951, which led

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and others,including the Rinpoche, to flee to India,where they established a governmentin exile. China claims Tibet is their land,whereas Tibetans want autonomy andreligious, cultural and other freedoms.In 2007, President Bush bestowed HisHoliness with the Congressional GoldMedal - Americans highest civilianhonor - calling him a "universal symbolof peace and tolerance," and adding that"Americans cannot look to the plightof the religiously oppressed and closeour eyes or turn away."Sadly, President Obama has seemedmore concerned about not offendingChina, Americans largest creditor. Hedeclined to meet with His Holiness in2009 and did so this year only afterinternational pressure.Afterward, the ever-diplomatic Obamaspoke of the importance of building a"cooperative partnership" between theUS and China and preserving Tibetanculture.But for that to happen, the human rightsabuses must stop.

16 March 2011, People's Armed Police march on Ying Shong Avenue near the main market in Ngaba Town around 5pm, just afterprotests took place following the self-immolation of Phuntsok. Photo: TPI.

By: SUSAN HOGAN , Star Tribune

London, UK: - Since March, elevenTibetans within Tibet, includingmonks, former monks and two nuns,have set themselves on fire. At leastsix of them have died in the act.Tibetan protests have been takingplace over the course of six decadesof cultural genocide inflicted by theChinese state.China has never properly consideredthe issues of religious freedom andhuman rights, despite the cries ofTibetans within Tibet and across theglobe.This year, Tibetans within Tibet havecome out again in protest. A humanmala, or rosary, of Tibetan monks andnuns have self-immolated in order tograb international attention.This was the only way left for themto express the reality of their feelingsand situation.Protests have taken place worldwidesince the ‘flame of the souls' was litin Tibet.In London, UK, hundreds of peoplehave participated in demonstrationsto express sympathy for thoseTibetans who have self-immolated, aswell as all those others who suffer asa result of brutal Chinese policies.The protests, which have beenrunning for over a week, have beenheld mainly at Downing Street - theresidence of British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron - and outside theChinese Embassy.The Tibetan community, alongsidesupporters from Students for a FreeTibet, have played a big role inorganising these activit ies andproviding information to the mediaand general public. They havesuggested that protests should beheld on Wednesdays.Lhakar, or ‘White Wednesday', is HisHoliness the Dalai Lama's ‘soul day'.It is also the name of a non-violentpeople's movement that has emergedin Tibet. Each Wednesday, a growingnumber of Tibetans make a specialeffort to wear traditional clothes,speak Tibetan, eat in Tibetanrestaurants and buy from Tibetan-owned businesses.Some Tibetans in the UK, togetherwith their supporters, have visitedtheir local MPs to report on thesituation in Tibet and to request that

questions on the issue be raised inthe British parliament.It seems everybody is doing whatthey can, but Tibetans in the UK areconcerned to know whether the self-immolations in Tibet will achieveanything, or possibly make thingseven worse.The loss of each life is tragic and, asthe Karmapa Lama said, "Tibetans arefew in number, so every Tibetan lifeis of value to the cause of Tibet."The deaths have caused a lot of griefto friends, family and Tibetans ingeneral, but what has been the widerworld's reaction?BBC News has broadcast two newsreports from Dharamsahla - mostrecently on November 19 - focusingon why these tragic events haveoccurred.On November 17, it reported that theexiled chief abbot of Kirti monastery,who fled to exile in 1959, had said hereceived information about thesituation at the monastery throughunderground channels."Chinese government policies are thecause of the immolations," he said,concluding that the Chineseauthorities could put an end to theprotests overnight, if they changedtheir approach.

TibetBurning

Palden Choetso self-immolating to protest against Chinese rule, Karze county, eastern Tibet, where thehorrible cost of ongoing oppression by the Chinese government. Photo: TPI

Editor’s Note:

The views expressed arethose of the authors, and donot necessarily represent theviews of The Tibet Post In-ternational (TPI).

TPI TIBET WORLDThe Tibet Post 3German Parliamentarians Meet with

Tibet’s Political Leader in BerlinBy Tibet Net

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay (5th from left) addressing members of the TibetanDiscussion Group and Foreign Affairs Committee members of the German Parliament.

Photo: Tibet Net

Berlin, Germany: - Mr Hans-Ulrich Klose,the Deputy Chairman of the ForeignAffairs Committee of the GermanParliament, expressed his great pleasurein welcoming the newly elected politicalleader (Kalon Tripa) of the Central TibetanAdministration, Dr Lobsang Sangay, at theParliament's Foreign Affairs Committeeconference room.Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay said 8August 2011 was a historic occasion. HisHoliness the Dalai Lama attended theKalon Tripa's inauguration ceremony inDharamsala. In his address, His Holinessthe Dalai Lama had said that when he wasyoung, Tibet's Regent Taktra Rinpochehanded over Tibet's political authority toHis Holiness and today he was handingover his political authority to thedemocratically elected leader, the youngLobsang Sangay.Tibet's new politicalleader Dr Lobsang Sangay said, thestatement by His Holiness the Dalai Lamamakes it clear the continuity of the sameleadership that started in 1642 by the 5thDalai Lama.Speaking on the present situation in Tibet,Kalon Tripa said, "I have nothing but sadreport. We have had 11 cases of self-immolations since March this year. I feel itis almost becoming just a number. But total12 individual human beings and Tibetanshave self-immolated due to the verydesperate situation in Tibet.He expressed his appreciation to theGerman Foreign Ministry and the HumanRights Commissioner and the Parliamentmembers for the recent statements on thetragic situation in Tibet.Kalon Tripa said any statements ofsolidarity will be heard inside Tibet. It willsend a message of hope in this verydesperate situation. He said that he wantsto send the message to Tibet that there is

hope.In response to a questions on the MiddleWay Approach, he said, "We are seekinggenuine autonomy in Tibet. That is thepolicy of my administration."About 15members of Tibet Discussion Group andForeign Affairs Committee membersattended the briefing by Kalon Tripa DrLobsang Sangay, which wassimultaneously translated into German.Dr Lobsang Sangay concluded his adressby appealing to the internationalcommunity to support the Tibetan cause.Dr Sangay arrived in Berlin this morningfrom Zurich. His first meeting in the GermanParliament was with Mr Harald LeibrechtMP, a senior member of the GermanParliament and a prominent supporter ofthe Tibetan issue.In the evening, MrsClaudia Roth MP, the Chairwoman of theGreen Party welcomed Kalon Tripa at theirparty head office in Berlin."I welcome you to the official meeting inour Party's Headquarter in Berlin," saidMrs Claudia Roth. "I feel honoured andemotionally touched that we meet. Wehope for a green future for the Tibetan

people."Dr Lobsang Sangay thanked the GreenParty for their support for so many yearsto the Tibetan people.The Green Party'sForeign Affairs spokeswoman and thehead of press office also attend themeeting along with other party senorofficials.The last programme of the day wasmeeting with the Tibetan community inBerlin. Members had travelled fromHamburg and other parts of Germany.The meeting starting with the singing ofthe Tibetan national anthem and oneminute silence in memory of the Tibetansin Tibet."Thank you for coming to meetme and expressing your confidence andsupport," said Kalon Tripa in hisopening remark to the communitymembers.He talked about the recent politicalchanges in the Tibetan administrationand the very grave situation in Tibettoday.Kalon Tripa called on the Tibetansto stand united and remember fellowTibetans in Tibet and fulfill the wishesof His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

US Congressmen Urge AmbassadorGary Locke to Act on Tibet

US Ambassador to China nominee Gary Locke testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington,Thursday, May 26, 2011, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his

nomination/Associated Press Photo

By YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post International

Dharamshala, India: -Three members ofthe United States Congress - Frank RWolf, James P McGovern, and JosephPitts - sent a letter on November 17 tothe US Ambassador to China, GaryLocke, expressing their concern overhuman-rights violations in Tibet,asking him to visit the country in thelight of the recent self-immolationsthere, and to "publicly use yourplatform as Ambassador to make it clearto the Tibetan people that they have a

friend in the United States of America"."You have undoubtedly seen newsreports of the recent wave of self-immolations of Tibetan Buddhist monksand nuns since March of this year indesperation at the abuses suffered byher people, just last week a second nundid the same," congressmen said.The Congressmen are all members ofthe Tom Lantos Human RightsCommission.Apprising the ambassador about the

recent testimony of Kalon Tripa(elected Tibetan political leader) DrLobsang Sangay and Kirti Rinpoche, aformer minister to the LantosCommission, the members said, "Theirtestimony was moving and deeplydisturbing. They spoke of the abusessuffered by the Tibetan people whichin recent months have driven thesepeace-loving people to desperate formsof protests."The Congressmen urged ambassadorLocke to press for a fact-findingmission to Kirti Monastery which hasfeatured prominently in the recent waveof self-immolations."In light of these realities, we urge you,in your capacity as U.S. ambassador,to visit Tibet. Speak with Tibetanpeople and faith leaders. Press for afact-finding mission into the Kirtimonastery which has featuredprominently in the recent wave of self-immolations," they added."Raise the Chinese government's repressivepolicies in Tibet with senior party officialsand publicly use your platform asAmbassador to make it clear to the Tibetanpeople that they have a friend in the UnitedStates of America," they said.They also called on the ambassador topress the Chinese government torespect the peaceful religious, political,civic, and cultural expressions of theTibetan people.

Australian MP Urges China to RespectReligious Freedom in Tibet

By Tibetan Administration Official Media. Tibet Net

Mr. Michael Danby MP, Federal Member for Melbourne Ports (Victoria)in Dharamshala-India. Photo: TPI/File

Dharamshala, India: - EchoingAustralian government's deep concernabout reports of self-immolations byTibetan monks and nuns in Tibet, MrMichael Danby MP in the AustralianParliament has appealed to the Chineseauthorities to respect the religiousrights of Tibetan monks and to ceasetheir repressive actions against thosein the Kirti Monastery.Following is the full text of the speechof Michael Danby MP, MelbournePorts, Australian Labor Party and alsoChairman of the Australian All PartyParliamentary Group For Tibet in theAustralian Parliament, on 3 November2011:Earlier this year I visited the seat of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama. In the foothillsof the Himalayas, Dharamsala is theheadquarters of eight Tibetan exilesettlements in India. Many youngTibetans starved of their culture andfacing repression make the heroic trekacross the Himalayas to India to theTibetan community that lives in freedomthere.Since March this year, 10 youngTibetans, including seven monks fromthe Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, have setthemselves alight to protest the Chinesegovernment's restrictions on theirreligious and political freedom. Chineseauthorities are using extreme force inthe crackdown on the Kirti Monastery,where they are enforcing a 'patriotic re-education campaign' and have imposedan indefinite ban on religious activitiesat that critical monastery. The numberof monks in the monastery has gonefrom 2,500 to around 400. Since MarchNgaba has seen the presence of civilianand military personnel patrolling thearea.Yesterday the United Nations SpecialRapporteur on freedom of religion,Heiner Bielefeldt, said: "Intimidation ofthe lay and monastic community mustbe avoided, and the right of membersof the monastic community and thewider community to freely practice theirreligion, should be fully respected bythe Chinese Government."The restrictive and repressive measuresenforced on the monks at Kirti includesecurity raids and surveillance withpolice presence inside and outside themonastery to monitor religiousactivities. Over 300 monks have beendisappeared by the Chinese authoritiesfor "patriotic re-education" and manyof them remain missing and unheardfrom by their families. A recent HumanRights Watch study found that per

capita annual spending on publicsecurity in Ngaba was five times theaverage spent per person on publicsecurity in non-Tibetan areas ofSichuan.The US State Department has called onChina to respect human rights and therights of Tibetans since the nine youngTibetans have set themselves on fireas a result of these restrictive Chinesepractices. The US State Departmentsaid: "We urge Chinese leaders toaddress counterproductive policies inTibetan areas that have createdtensions; and to protect Tibet's uniquereligious, cultural and linguisticidentity."The crackdown on Tibetan monks since2008 has been brutal. Beijing continuesto restrict foreign journalists fromtravelling to Tibetan areas, jam radiobroadcasts of Voice of America andRadio Free Asia's Tibetan and Chineselanguage services. This is part of astrategy to eliminate the remnants ofTibetan identity and cultural heritage.The Chinese authorities continue torepress Tibetan culture.On 19 October 2010, a decision wasmade to replace Tibetan with Mandarinas the main medium of instruction inTibetan schools in the Qinghaiprovince. Freedom of movement ofmonks and nuns is extremely limitedwithin Lhasa and Tibetan areas ofQinghai, Gansu and Sichuan. Last yearin the Tibetan areas of Sichuanprovince, the Chinese governmentreportedly continued to remove monksunder the age of 18, unregisteredmonks and monks and nuns fromoutside the Tibet AutonomousRegion.The process of eliminating Tibetanculture and the removal of monks andnuns is a direct violation of thefreedom of religion. The Australiangovernment is deeply concernedabout reports of self-immolations bymonks and nuns. Australian officialslast week made renewedrepresentations in Canberra andBeijing to their Chinese counterpartsabout these reports. Our embassy inBeijing has raised our concerns aboutreports of the continuing crackdownaround the monastery and theprovince and increased securitymeasures in the Tibetan areas. Ientreat the Chinese authorities torespect the religious rights of Tibetanmonks and to cease their repressiveactions against those in the KirtiMonastery.

Dharamshala, India: Inauguratingnew hostels at Tong-len charitabletrust for poor and needy Indianchildren and families l iving inCharan Khad, a slum dwelling inDharamsala, the spiritual leader ofTibet, His Holiness the Dalai LamaSaturday, 19th said every humanbeing whether rich or poor has samecapability to lead a dignified andhappy life.Tong-len was founded in 2002 byJamyang, a Tibetan monk and isbeing funded by the Dalai Lamatrust and other generous donorsfrom the world over. Today i tprovides education and health careservices to over 40 impoverishedchildren and their family members.His Holiness said he is acquaintedwith Jamyang's work for the lastseveral years and recounted howhe brought a group of children tohim."I always believe and tell peoplethat we are same human being.Every 7 billion human being aresame, the way they are born anddie. Differences of religious faith,

nationality, races, rich and poor,educated or uneducated, believeror non-believer are secondary, moreimportant is that we are same humanbeing. Every one want happy lifeand not suffering. Every humanbeing have the same r igh t toovercome problems. As a socialanimal, it our part of our nature andmoral responsibility to look aftereach o ther by fo rge t t ing thedifferences," His Holiness said."Poverty and the gap between richand poor are morally wrong andpractically a source of problem. Wemust make every effort in findingways to reduce th is gap," HisHoliness said.Nobel peace l said both the rich andpoor section of society has thesame potential to reduce the richand poor gap. "The rich people cancontribute for the edcation of theunderprivileged section and boosttheir wil l , self-confidence and

courage. Similarly, the poor peoplemust think about how other peoplebecome rich. They should know thatthe rich people do not get wealthfrom the sky, but due to their effortand hard work . Moreover,education and vocational trainingare very essential. So, both sidescan make efforts to reduce the gapbe tween r ich and poor, " HisHoliness said.His Hol iness s t ressed theimpor tance of how vocat iona ltraining empower the poor andneedy people. "With the help ofstate government and the Tibetancommuni ty in Mundgod insouthern India, poor and needylocal children receive vocationaltraining. We will feel happy to beab le to con t r ibu te fo r the i reducation. It is our duty to makedona t ions to he lp the poorsection."Describing Jamyang's initiative toprovide educat ion to the poorchildren as "wonderful work", HisHoliness said "In little ways, wefu l f i l [T ibe tans] our mora lresponsibility to serve the localIndian community, particularly theneedy children. I really appreciate

your good work," he said.His Holiness told the children ofTong-len charity as "young brights tuden ts , l ea rn ing new th ingsincluding English from a Tibetanmonk born in Tibet."He told the Tong-len trust not tohesitate to ask for donation from theDalai Lama Trust. When there is nomoney in the Dalai Lama trust, thenI will say no. Otherwise it is yourmoney as long as there is fund inthe Dalai Lama trust."In his address, Mr Shanta Kumar, aformer state minister and presentmember of Indian parliament, said:"I will always cherish the time thatI today spent as the most importanttime in my life."Describing Tong-len charity as thereal temple of god, Mr Kumar said:"To help other human beings is toworship the god, adding, there isnot greater means to worship thegod than to g ive ca re and

The Tibet Post4 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala TPI COMPASSION AND HAPPINESS

Every Human Being Wants Happy Lifeand Not Suffering: Says His HolinessBy: Tibetan fficial Media. Tibet Net

education to the poorer section ofthe society. I deeply appreciateefforts made by Jamyang.""For everyone, it is worth gettinginspiration from Jamyang and thesupport given by many generoussponsors," he said.For the delight of Tong-Len family,Mr Kumar announced a donation ofRs 10 lakh from his member ofparliament fund. "I am very muchimpressed by the work done by thisinstitute for the poor children. I amannounc ing to con t r ibu te adonation of 10 lakh rupees from themember of parliament fund to Tong-len charitable trust," he said.Mr Kumar also expressed concernover the large number of slums inIndia despite the nation makingeconomic progress.On how he conceived the idea tostart the charitable trust, Tong-lendirector Jamyang said: "I observedthat the children were begging,co l lec t ing rubbish and ea t ingscraps when they were desperatelyhungry. I was filled with sadnessand concern which prompted me toac t and beg in my journey ofchallenging the embedded cycle ofpover ty fo r the fami l ies o f

Charankhad."As a Tibetan refugee, Jamyangfeels happy to able to give back tothe Indian community for theirsuppor t and hospi ta l i ty to theTibetan people in exile.Of its major achievements, Tong-lensa id i t has been ab le to savechildren's lives; enhance the healthof young children, particularlythose who were at risk of a life timeof serious health; educate children,who as a result are often the first intheir families to have not onlyattended school, but to achieveexcellent academic success andchange a child's life by providing anew chance of living with dignityand good health.Apart from looking after the 40needy children, Tong-Len has beenproviding health care services topeople wi th in the s lum ofCharanKhad and other six slumareas in and around Kangra.

Pretoria: - In his message toparticipants at the Global AfricauBuntu conference held inJohannesburg from 9 - 11November, the spiritual leader ofTibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lamaunderlined that "many of theworld's problems, conflicts andfears arise due to lack our abilityto accept the oneness ofhumanity"."Today's world requires us toaccept the oneness of humanity.Many of the world's problems,conflicts and fears arise becausewe have lost sight of the commonexperience that binds us alltogether as a human family," HisHoliness said in the message, whichwas read out by his representativeto South Africa, Mr SonamTenzing.

By Tibetan Administration Official Media. Tibet Net

"We tend to forget that despite thesuperficial differences between us,people are equal in their basic wishfor peace and happiness. In thepast, particular communities couldafford to think of one another asfundamentally separate. Somecould even exist in total isolation,"he said.A short video message ofArchbishop Desmond Tutu wasshown to the conferenceparticipants, while representativesfrom various faith groups read theirmessages on the importance ofoneness.More than 800 participants fromdifferent parts of the world attendedthe three-day conference, whichwas organised by Oneness Africaorganisation based inJohannesburg.Tibet .

Dharamshala, India: - Despite strongobjections from China, His Holiness theDalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet,left Dharamshala today to address theGlobal Buddhist Congregation in NewDelhi on November 30.Indian officials say a meeting betweenIndian and Chinese diplomats has beencanceled, after China attempted tointerfere in India's internal affairs.The Buddhist Congregation is now intoits second day, with religious scholarsdebating the finer points of Buddhistphilosophy and morality.Yesterday, China reportedly objected toHis Holiness' attendance and warnedIndia to cancel the conference, whichis being attended by around 900Buddhist scholars and others from 46countries.Speaking from Beijing, Chinese foreignministry spokesperson Hong Lei said,"We oppose any country that providesa platform for his anti-China activities,in any form."The Global Buddhist Congregation hasbeen organized by the Asoka Mission,to commemorate the 2,600th year ofSambobdhi Prapti (the enlightenmentof the Buddha).His Holiness the 17th Karmapa UgyenTrinley Dorjee addressed theconference's second day. Speaking onthe Buddhist view of the environmentand the natural world, he stressed theimportance of a clear understanding ofnature and the interdependence of allthings.He added that environmental problemsare man-made - a result of human self-centeredness.Speaking at one of the conferencevenues, Hotel Lalit, Mr Tempa Tsering,the representative of His Holiness theDalai Lama in the Indian capital NewDelhi protested against China'sattempts politically colour a religiousevent, saying that India "has done the

right thing" by refusing to cave in.He commented, "The conferencedelegates have no other motive than tobring Buddhist scholars together todiscuss Buddhist philosophy andshare experiences of how the Buddhistteachings can help humanity."India is a free, democratic society.China is a closed society. That's whythey are reacting in a paranoid manner."His Holiness the Dalai Lama has beena guest of India for the last 52 years. Itwould have been unusual if HisHoliness, who is regarded the worldover as a spiritual leader and the headof Tibetan Buddhism, will not attendthis conference."The Asoka Mission has also objectedto the politicization of the event byChina. Its president, Lama Lobzang,said, "The world is dealingwith...violence, social and economicdisparity, environmental degradationand discord between and withincommunities and nations."The objective of the congregation isto stand united when it comes tosending their collective message to theworld on such issues."Among the countries represented at theconference are Taiwan, South Korea,Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos,Thailand, Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal andMyanmar.According to the 2001 census report,India, where the Buddha attainedenlightenment, is home to nearly eightmillion Buddhists.His Holiness the Dalai Lama is alsoscheduled to give a talk on The Powerof Compassion in Delhi, as part of thePenguin Annual Lecture Series, to beheld at the India Habitat Center onDecember 3.He will then leave for Gyurmey Tantricmonastery, in Gurupura (Hunsur), togive teachings on the Commentary onthe Five Stages by Nagarjuna, writtenby Panchen Lobsang Choegen, fromDecember 5 to 7.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to AddressGlobal Buddhist Conference

YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post

Today's World Needs the One-ness of Humanity: His Holiness

The Tibet Post 530 November , 2011 DharamsalaTPI TIBET IN EXILE

Dharamshala, India: - Monday, 14thNovember, the largest Tibetanorganization in exile, 'Tibet YouthCongress' held a press conference attheir headquarters in Dharamshala, inorder to issue an official statementregarding the self-immolations of 11Buddhist monks and nuns in EasternTibet.The Sichuan province has been setablaze with these shocking acts ofprotest, the last self-immolation beingof a 35 year old nun of the Kardzemonastery on November 3, becomingthe 11th in a series of self-immolationsthat started in March of this year. Thefirst,was of Lobsang Phuntsok of theKirti monastery, a 21 year old monk whoset himself on fire on 16 March 2011,just six days after the 52nd anniversaryof Tibetan National Uprising Day."An occupied country's struggle,achievements and resolve to regainownership lies in the level ofresponsibility, sacrifice anddetermination assumed by its citizens",said, Dhundrop Lhadhar, the VicePresident of the TYC.This year, dramatic serial protests haveswept over the Serta, Kardze andChamdo regions of Chinese-oppressedEastern Tibet."While TYC is saddened by the lossof lives, it is also empowered by theircourageous acts. They show adetermination and desperation to bringinternational attention to the ongoingoppression suffered by a nation undercolonial occupation".It has been 61years since the aborted uprising of1959, which lead the Dalai Lama andhis faithful people to flee Tibet andarrive in Dharamshala, which has sinceserved as their place of refuge."These extreme actions indicate arenewed grassroots pledge calling forall Tibetans to stand united tocollectively end Beijing's draconianrule". They further described the actsof self-immolation as "a painful cry

Tibetan Youth Congress:Drop Tibetan Losar to Fund Future Initiatives

By: Brionie Pereira, The Tibet Post International from across the mountains toaccelerate efforts to restore Tibet'sindependence".In July 2011, the People's Republic ofChina celebrated 60 years of their"peaceful liberation" of Tibet; thetimely protests and acts of resistancemark the watersheds in Tibet's historyand expose China's continual lies thatthey liberated Tibet from serfdom,poverty and misery.In reference to the self-immolations,Vice President of TYC said, "This newmethod of resistance proves thatBeijing's claims have no historical basisand that Tibetans will never bow toChina's occupation. They have theunrelenting courage to continue thestruggle to regain their homeland, andtheir actions primarily express faith andreverence for His Holiness the DalaiLama and his people's yearning to bewith him in Tbet".Beijing has often labeled His Holinessas the key to the Tibetan problem,claiming that the resistance will onlylast while he is alive and in power. Inthe recent past, China has also accusedhim of encouraging the self-immolations. The issues of the spiritualleader's succession have sparked a lotof controversy. One might speculatethat the Chinese are trying to claim vetoover the religious office of Dalai Lamain order to gain complete control overthe Tibetan people, socially andspiritually.According to the TYC,Tibetans need no "instigation" (fromthe Dalai Lama) to protest; they aremasters of their fate and regardless ofany change in the exile leadership, theirdetermination to regain ownership oftheir motherland will not wane.In their statement, they call the self-immolations "a defiant rejection of halfa century of Chinese propaganda, avictory of the human spirit againsttyrannical oppression".The Dalai Lama has repeatedly issuedpleas to his people not to resort to theactof self-immolation. Only recently, the

Karmapa Lama echoed His Holiness'sentiments by urging Tibetans topreserve their lives, maintaining thatalthough he did not endorse it, it washis sacred duty to honour and supportthose that sacrificed their lives for theircountry."When we think of those Tibetans whoset themselves ablaze, and imaginetheir boies being consumed by flames,we feel their suffering and a chillpenetrates or souls, said Lhadhar. "Butsimultaneously, a surge of optimism andpide arises when we think of theirunimaginable courage".Many of the Tibetans monks and nunswho self-immolated shouted suchslogans as "Long Live his Holiness theDalai Lama" before being engulfed bythe pyres of patriotism. The TYCbelieves that through their daring andsacrificial actions, they are conveyingtheir dying desire to return His Holinessto Tibet and end the Chineseoccupation.In order to honour their sacrifice, theTYC will launch a campaign thatrefrains them from celebrating TibetanLosar (The Tibetan New Year) in 2012,and instead initiate a special fund forfuture Free Tibet initiatives."This is not only about a fund butdemonstrating every individualTibetans' responsibility andcommitment to a future Tibet, saidTYC's representatives. "Tibetansworldwide, through our regionalchapters, will be asked to contribute allthe expenses usually incurred incelebrating Losar to this fund".The TYC has called on all Tibetansoutside occupied Tibet to support andparticipate in this initiative. Allproceeds will be handed over to theTibetan Government-in-Exile.Parliamentarians, Kalon Tripa washosted for lunch by relevant officialsfrom the Norwegian Ministry of ForeignAffairs. Over lunch, Kalon Tripa DrLobsang Sangay briefed the MFAofficials on the current situation in Tibet

Kalon Tripa ConvenesMeeting of Top Tibetan

Education Officials

By Tibetan Administration Official Media. Tibet Net

Heads of major Tibetan schools and officials of the education department during aopening session of the meeting presided over by Kalon Tripa at the Kashag Secretariat.

Photo: Tibet Net

Dharamshala, India: - The politicalleader of the Central TibetanAdministration (Kalon Tripa), DrLobsang Sangay Wednesady, 16thNovember presided over a meeting ofheads of major Tibetan schools andeducation department officials todiscuss how to strengthenadministration, bring innovation andimprove academic standards in theschools.In accordance with the presentsituation, the day-long meetingdiscussed a three-point agenda - (1)Review of schools' administration tobring improvement and innovation (2)Review of teaching methodology andcurricula to improve basic educationstandard, quality and result (3) Reviewof teachers' qualification, their welfareand nurturing to bring furtherimprovement and changes.Kalon Tripa reiterated that education forTibetans remains his administration'snmber one priority and said efforts wouldbe made to generate professionals in theTibetan community.Dr Lobsang Sangay recounted hismeeting with His Holiness the Dalai Laaduring which the latter told him of hisimpression of Tibetan children's lack ofconfidence and openness as compared

to other children. "After his visit to aschool in northeastern India, HisHoliness was impressed with children'sopenness and confidence in asking andanswering questions. On the contrary,he felt sad that these qualities are lackingin Tibetan students," Dr Sangay said."To find new ways to overcome theseproblems and bring changes, I conveneda meeting of school principles in New Delhiearlier this year. I found out that mny of theprinciples are taking esponsibility to workout new methods to make furtherimprovement. But this doesnot happen inevery school due to lak of co-ordinationamong them," Kalon Tripa said.He said the recommendations from boththe school principles and directorswould be collected in written form,which would act as a guideline for ourschools. If necessary, we would invitescholars to get their opinion andexpertise, he added.Recounting how education helped himto stand on his own feet, Dr LobsangSangay said education is of paramountimportance for both short-and long-termbenefit for an individual, family andsociety.Education Secretary Ven YuthokKarma Gelek and other concernedofficials attended the meeting.

...More Monks Arrested inEastern Tibet

Gedun also became a monk as a child,and is currently studying in thefourth class for the Karmapa degree.Ven Lobsang Yeshe and Ven KanyakTsering, of Kirti monastery inDharamshala, India, told The TibetPost that the situation in Ngabaremains tense, with huge numbers ofmilitary in deployment, and manysoldiers wearing Tibetan dress inorder to spy on locals.Increased restrictions include thebanning of private vehicles from mainroads.On November 20, the GandenNgamchoe celebration, which marksthe anniversary of the death of JeTsongkapa, was held as usual at

...... Continues From Front Page Ngaba Kirti monastery. During thefestival, monks pledged to stayawake all night in prayer.However, this year no electric lightofferings were made in the temple.Instead, monks and laypersonsoffered butter lamps and chantedfreedom slogans in memory of thoseTibetans who have self-immolatedthis year.Police and soldiers in plain clothesinfiltrated the crowd and largenumbers of security forces weredeployed at the monastery gates,where ten special military vehicleswere also lined up. Over 200government personnel remainstationed at the monastery, keepingwatch over the monks.

Exile Tibetans shout slogans against the Chinese government during a march in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Themarch was to raise the issue of the recent acts of self immolations by Tibetans in Tibet and crackdown on monasteries. Photo: AP

6 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala The Tibet PostTPI INSIDE TIBET

A 44-year-old Man ‘Disappears’ inTaktse County, Eastern Tibet

By Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibetpost International

Lhaten arrested at Taktse County Primary School on November 1.

Footage of Nun’s Self-Immolation andSubsequent Outcry Emerges from Tibet

...... Continues From page 1.

By: Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet

One sequence shows Choetsostanding upright as flames engulf herbody. Other footage includes: Tibetans'response to the self-immolation,including nuns protesting andchanting, "Freedom to Tibet";thousands of Tibetans at a candlelightvigil early on the morning of Choetso'sfuneral;Chinese security forces converging onNyitso Monastery."This footage confirms reports that10,000 Tibetans gathered at Tawu'sNyitso monastery in a mass outpouringof support and prayers for PaldenChoetso," said Tawu Lobsang Jinpa, aformer political prisoner from Tawu whoescaped to India last February."Her ultimate act of non-violent protestgalvanized the entire community toopenly and publicly offer their respectsand solidarity, in spite of China'smilitary clampdown in the region."In Tawu, the crackdown continuesalthough many Chinese soldiers arepatrolling the town in civilian clothesto stop the world from seeing theseimages."Surveillance cameras have beeninstalled around the monastery tomonitor the monks' every move."Tenzin Dorjee, executive director ofStudents for a Free Tibet, commented,"his is an extremely difficult time forTbetans everywhere. This footagesows not only the desperation butalso the determination of Tibetans tofight for their freedom at any cost."We fear the situation will cntinue toescalate and more Tibetan lives willbe lost if the Chinese government

does not lift its repressive measuresand commit to a just and lastingresolution to this spiralling crisis inTibet."Tibetan sources report that, followingher self-immolation, Palden Choetso'sbody was taken to Nyitso Monastery.Her funeral was held early on themorning on November 6.Tawu town is located in Kardzeprefecture , in the Tibetan province ofKham . It is an area long known foractively resisting Chinese rule."We urge world leaders to respond tothe crisis in Tawu immediately withbold multilateral pressure on theChinese government," said TenzinJigdal, program director of Studentsfor a Free Tibet India."The Tibetans in these videos haverisked everything to have their voicesheard. Their actions must be a wake-upcall that China's repression will onlystop if the world intervenes now."Editorial: The Tibet Post International(TPI) believes it is generally againstmedia ethics to publish or link to anyimage which shows human death,especially when the deceased may beconsidered, for whatever reason, tohave lost their human dignity.However, given Palden Choetso'sapparent motive for her self-immolation, and the urgent need for theinternational community to understandand act upon the desperation of thecurrent situation in Tibet, TPI haspublished the links below.TPI believes that no human death whichdoes not occur due to natural biologicalcauses should be considered normaland that, therefore, images of suchdeaths should never becomenormalised.

We are aware that there are people inthis world who take pleasure orsatisfaction, for whatever reason, inviewing such images and disseminatingthem as 'entertainment' on video-sharing websites.We therefore request that, if you decideto view the footage of Choetso's death,you do so with a sense of caution,reflection and compassion.We also request that any other mediaoranisation which publishes suchfootage considers the issues involvedin doing so.To view the footag, follow these links:Compilation, low resolution: go online.Compilation, high resolution: go onlinePlden Choetso's self-immolation (shortclip): go online.Palden Choetso's slf-immolation (longclip): go online.Protest by nuns from Geden ChoelingNunnery on the main road into Tawutown, following the self-immolation(sources in Tawu say 300 nuns joinedthe protest march): go online.Candleliht vigil by an estimated 10,000people, early in the morning Choetso'sfuneral: go online.Khata offering, prayer ceremony andcandlight vigil: go online.Monks from Nyitso Monasteryconducting prayers for Palden Choetso:go online.W have also received video footage ofmonks preparing Palden Choetso'sfuneral as Chinese security forces arriveat the monastery. However, the footagecontains clear images of some of themonks' faces, and we are thereforeunable to link to the video, in case thiswere to lead to the identification andarrest of the monks by the Chineseauthorities.

Dharamsala: -The Tibetan Centre forHuman Rights and Democracy todayreported that a 44-year-old Tibetan manfrom Shingtsang village in Taktse county,eastern Tibet 'disappeared' on November1.The man, Lhaten, received a telephonecall at around 15:00 from a female Chineseteacher at Taktse County Primary School,asking him to fetch his son who wasstudying there.When Lhaten reached the school,several policemen dressed as civilianswere waiting for him. Answering queriesfrom Lhaten's relatives, the

schoolgatekeeper later reportedly saidthe police took Lhaten away in a blackcar.Lhaten was suspected of havingconnections with Dhondup Wangchen,a Tibetan film-maker who is serving asix-year prison sentence, having beencharged with 'subversion' for making thedocumentary Leaving Fear Behind,ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Lhaten, a farmer and sole familybreadwinner, lived with his wife PassangChoedon and their three children.Currently, there is no information abouthis health or whereabouts.

Panchen Lama's Search Cttee ChairPasses Away, Feared Poisoned

By: CTA- Tibet Net

Jadrel Jampa Trinley Rinpoche. Photo: TPI/file

Dharamshala, India: - Jadrel JampaThinley Rinpoche, the president of the11th Panchen Lama's search committee,who remained missing after serving a six-year imprisonment since 2002 forallegedly disclosing secrets of the caseto the outside world, has died at the ageof 72, according to reports coming outof Tibet.On 17 July 1995, he was taken intocustody and sentenced to 5 years inprison when he rejected the Chinesegovernment's plan impose their ownchoice of the Panchen's Lamaincarnation.Jadrel Rinpoche served his jail term inChuandong prison in China's Sichuanprovince from 1995 - 2002, during whiche once sat on a hunger strike to protesthe Chinese government's unjust verdict.The Chinese government violated its onlaw by keeping Jadrel Rinpoche in secretdetention even after the latter completedhis prison term without committing anyadditional crimes. His whereabouts hasremained unknown since the completionof his imprisonment in 2001/2002.The report of Jadrel Rinpoche's death,apparently due to poisoning, was reealedin a tape by his close associate, who is ahigh official working in the Associationof Tibetan Buddhism. The revelation hascorroborated the fact of why hiswhereabouts remained unknown fornearly 10 years.Jadrel Rinpoche was born in 1940 in

amling in Shigatse and was the directorof the Democratic ManagementCommittee of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.Last November, another senior Tibetanofficial of the search committee, JampaCungla, succumbed to his illnesssustained after being denied medicalasistance during the long period ofincarceration and house arrest. Jampahungla's involvement in the search forEleventh Panchen began in 1989 when hwas appointed as the secretary-generalof the committee headed by JadrelRinpoche. From 1990 he made greateforts in assisting Jadrel Rinpoche in the

search process.Gehun Choekyi Nyima, the six-year-oldboy identified by His Holiness the DalaiLma as the 11th Panchen Lama,disappeared on 17 May 1995. The Cinesegovernment later admitted to holding theboy and his family in "protectivecustody".Despite repeated appeals to gain accessto the boy, no international agency orhuman rights organisation has beengranted contact with the young PanchenLama or his family. To date, their well-being and whereabouts remainunconfirmed.

Tenzin Seldon Was AmongRhodes Scholarship Winners

Tenzin Seldon, an achievement for Tibetans in America

By Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet Post International

Dharamshala, India: - A Tibetan studenthas been awarded .one of 32 Rhodesscholarships On November 20, TenzinSeldon (21) was granted one of theworld's most prestigious scholarships tostudy at Oxford University in the UK,commencing October 2012.Seldon (21) is currently pursuing anundergraduate degree in comparativestudies of race and ethnicity at StanfordUniversity in the USA. The scholarships,which average around US$ 50,000 peryear, cover all expenses for two or threeyears of study. The winners wereselected from 830 applicants, endorsedby 299 colleges and universities."This is a historic moment for mycommunity and my people," Seldon saidafter four Stanford juniors recently werenamed 2011 Truman Scholars. "It's beyondme and my achievements. It speaks to theachievements of how far the firstgeneration of Tibetans in America hascome. It is a testament to activists around

the world who have faced a lot of cynicismfor the work they do and the danger theyexpose themselves to."After her awardwas announced, Seldon wrote on herFacebook page, "Couldn't do it withoutfaith, conviction, friends, family, and thepeople of Tibet! You inspire me everysingle day!"Having grown up in the hilltops ofDharamshala, northern India, she isdeeply passionate about educationalinequality, refugee and immigrationpolicies, China-Tibet relations, andinternational affairs. Seldon is a fellow atthe Center for Compassion and AltruismResearch and Education, and is a leaderof its student group, ProjectCompassion.Seldon's other accomplishementsinclude serving as regional coordinatorfor Students for a Free Tibet in three USstates, and serving as San FranciscoTeam Tibet Executive during the 2008Beijing Olympics.

30 November , 2011 DharamsalaThe Tibet Post 7TPI TIBETAN CULTURE

Danish and Norwegian Politicians Meetwith Tibet’s Political Leader

By: YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post International

Dharamshala: - Twelve young Tibetanshave self-immolated in eastern Tibetsince 2009, in acts of protest againstChinese repression and to demand thereturn of His Holiness the Dalai Lamaand religious freedom in Tibet. Thecurrent situation still remains tense ineastern Tibet as some recent reports tellof pamphlets distributed and posted inNgaba, eastern Tibet.Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the newly electedTibetan political leader is making anemergency visit to European states. InNorway and Denmark, he met withseveral politicians to seek a solution tothe current Tibetan problem. MrRaymond Johansen, General Secretaryof the Norwegian Labour Party, on 24November, welcomed Dr. Sangay at theparty's head office in Oslo, theNorwegian capital. Mr Johansen saidhe was very glad to meet with theTibetan leader, according to a reportfrom the official media of the CentralTibetan Administration.During their one-hour meeting, KalonTripa briefed him on the Central TibetanAdministration and the current situationin Tibet. Mr Raymond Johansen, whovisited China last year, informed theKalon Tripa that he has been closelyfollowing the Tibet issue and will

continue his support for the dialoguebetween the Tibetans and the Chinesegovernment to find a negotiatedsettlement on the Tibetan issue.Dr. Sangay also met with Mr OlemicThommesen, the leader of theNorwegian Parliamentary Group forTibet and Mr Ulf Erik Knudsen, amember of the Parliamentary Group forTibet, as well as the Foreign AffairsCommittee. Kalon Tripa wasrespectfully welcomed by the two MPsin the Parliament's meeting hall used forreceiving dignitaries.Due to the ongoing Parliamentarybudget session, the many other MPswho had wanted to meet the electedTibetan leader could not attend themeeting.Mr Thommesen and Mr Knudseninformed the Kalon Tripa of Parliament'sstrong support and sympathy for theTibetan struggle and praised the non-violent path the Tibetans have taken.They assured the Kalon Tripa that theywould raise the Tibetan question withparliament.Following the meeting with theParliamentarians, Kalon Tripa washosted for lunch by relevant officialsfrom the Norwegian Ministry of ForeignAffairs. Over lunch, Kalon Tripa DrLobsang Sangay briefed the MFA

officials on the current situation in Tibetand the changes within the CTA. KalonTripa also thanked the Norwegiangovernment for their sincere support forthe Tibetans.On the morning of 25 November, KalonTripa Dr Lobsang Sangay arrived inCopenhagen, Denmark, where he andhis delegation were received bysupporters and representatives from theTibetan Community and The TibetSupport Committee of Denmark. KalonTripa's first engagement for the day waswith organisations that fundeducational projects of the CentralTibetan Administration. Officials fromthe Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairsalso participated in this meeting.At the conclusion of this meeting,Kalon Tripa and his delegation traveledthe short distance to the DanishParliament for a meeting with fourParliamentarians who are members ofeither the Foreign Policy Committee orthe Foreign Affairs Committee.KalonTripa informed the Parliamentariansabout the democratic system of theCentral Tibetan Administration andalso briefed them about the self-immolation cases in Tibet. Kalon Tripainformed the Parliamentarians that theproblem of Tibet will not disappear.Tibetans will keep standing up for theirrights.Ms Sara Olsvig, a member of Parliamentfrom the Inuit Ataqatigiit party inGreenland, expressed concern aboutthe news she had read about Tibetrecently. Greenland has had goodexperiences with self-government andthey always try to communicate thisinternationally. She said that "we wantto lend our support to Tibet".Kalon Tripa's penultimate appointmentof the day was a meeting with the boardand members of the Danish TibetSupport Committee. The Danishparticipants then discussed how theycould work for government statementsregarding the self-immolations in Tibet.Kalon Tripa emphasised the urgencyof this question as a reason why hehad decided to embark on his presenttour of the US and Europe.

By Brionie Pereira, The Tibet Post International

Dharamshala, India: - On Feb 1, 2012,the fourth annual Festival of Tibet kicksoff in Brisbane, with a jam-packed 5 dayextravaganza of music, film, concerts,panel discussions, workshops on artmeditation, healing and dance.Festival of Tibet sets to create a spiritualatmosphere of cultural learning andunique hands-on experiences, whereone will benefit from a first-hand,intimate experience of the Tibetanculture, through a variety of mediums.The Festival, sponsored by PerfectPotion, will take place at BrisbanePowerhouse from February 1-5, 9 am - 9pm daily, in order to raise funds for theTibetan Children's Villages in India.The line-up features Tibet2Timbuk2, apopular Tibetan music group, GesheJamyang, a Buddhist psychologist, theTashi Lhunpo Monks of Tibet, and wellknown Tibetan artists and healers. Inaddition, there will be a performance of"Mystical Tibet" by the Camerta of St.John's choir from Brisbane and SalvatoreBattaglia, the owner and founder ofPerfect Potion, will conduct aninformative panel discussion with aTibetan doctor and qualifiedaromatherapist on "Remedies forHappiness".Workshops will be conducted onmandala art, chakra healing, Tibetanhealing, calligraphy, ritual dance andhand mudras along with a MorningMantra Meditation class with Tibetanmonks.The festival guarantees a myriad of

activities and entertainment foreveryone.Buddhist psychologist Geshe Jamyangwill impart wisdom on the art ofhappiness in a public talk titled"Compassionate Mind: Path toHappiness".One will be inspired by an intimateglimpse into the experiences of a youngTibetan family struggling to reconciletheir traditional way of life with amodernising world n the feature film'Summer Pasture', which will screen onthe opening night.Festival creator Tenzin Choegyal hassaid the event is designed to celebrateTibetan culture, whilst considering anddiscussing important issues being facedby the Tibetan people."The festival is not only entertainingand educational it is a great cause asproceeds from the event go towards theTibetan Children's Village in India,which is a non-profit institution for thecare and education of orphaned anddestitute Tibetan children in exile," MrChoegyal said."With an extra two days for this year'sfestival we have been able to add somemore special workshops and eventswhich are sure to cater for everyone".Perfect Potion's managing director SalBattaglia said sponsoring the Festivalof Tibet was a wonderful opportunityas Perfect Potion supports the effortsof Tenzin Choegyal to create awarenessof the unique Tibetan culture anddiscuss current trends and issues.

A Glorious Celebration ofTibetan Culture

Festival of Tibet 2012 sponsored by Perfect Potion at the Brisbane Powerhouse nextFebruary the 1st to the 5th, 2012. Photo: TPI

Chinese Scholar Disapproves Regime'sRepressive Policies on Tibet

Dharamshala: - Expressing her supportand solidarity with the people of Tibet,a prominent Chinese research scholarliving in Sydney has strongly criticisedthe Chinese government's repressivepolicies on Tibet for the last six decades.In an article, Dr Chen Hongxin, aresearch scholar of Chinesecontemporary politics, described therecent self-immolations by Tibetanssince March as a way of protest againstthe Chinese government's wrong policyon Tibetans and their religious belief."At least six Tibetans have died as aresult of self-immolation, and they havecalled for religious freedom, the returnof His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibetand freedom in Tibet," noted the article,parts of which were translated intoTibetan by an Australia-based Tibetannamed Lhadhey Namloyag.Dr Chen also wrote about criticalquestions that people might raised why"happy and prosperous Tibetans" are

By Tibet Net

24 hour hunger strike in Sydney7th March 2006… Dr Chen Hongxin(centre), prominentChinese dissident and Law Professor Yuan Hongbin(left)and former Chinese diplomat Mr

Chen Yonglin(right). Photo: (Epoch Times)

ending their lives through self-immolations. Why the Tibetan monkswho respect life and practice Buddhismfor millenia by renouncing ill-feelings,are now burning themselves to death

one after the another?"The answers underlying thesequestions lies in the truth of past 60years which will bring tears in theeyes of the international community.

In fact, through successivegenerations, the Tibetans have notonly etched their history, but alsoexposed the Chinese government'spropaganda through peacefulprotests," she wrote.The article contained criticism ofChina's draconian measures towardsthe Tibetan monastic community."Despite reconstruction of Tibetanmonasteries in 1980s, the authoritiesimposed restrictions on the admissionof Tibetans into monasteries, made"patriotic education", which involvesdenouncing His Holiness the DalaiLama, a compulsory subject for monksto study. In their White Papers, theChinese government has claimed ofvarious freedom and happy lifeenjoyed by the Tibetan people.""But in reality, in the so-called "happylife in Tibet", there was a long periodof repression and unlawful measuresof imprisonment of Tibetans," thearticle noted.Dr Chen further wrote about her

impression of Mr Xi Jinping's visit toLhasa this year. "During his visit toLhasa, the future Chinese president,Xi Jinping, not only did not meetTibetans, but did not even visit amonastery. On the contrary, he met withofficials from the police, army, politicaland judicial authorities. This act hasexposed the Chinese government'sintention of brutal and repressivepolicy on Tibet," she wrote."Since they rose against the force andoppression of the communist Chinesegovernment in 1950s, the Tibetanpeople have persistently kept theirstruggle for their distinct land andfaith, and to keep alive theirthousands-year-old culture andidentity. The Tibetans willcontinuously keep alive their strugglethrough many generations to come,"the article noted."As 2011 is nearing its end, thesacrifices made by the Tibetans thisyear will be etched in Tibet 'sremarkable history," Dr Chen wrote.

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay (C) with Mr Olemic Thommesen, the leader of Norwegian ParliamentaryGroup for Tibet and MP Mr Ulf Erik Knudsen in Oslo, Norway, on 24 November 2011.

8 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala TPI BUDDHISM The Tibet Post

East Meets West: An American’sPerspective on BuddhismBy Colleen McKown, The Tibet Post

Mr. Eric Traub, the Buddhist from San Francisco, US with Tibetans monk friends, Tenzin (left) and Choejor at Drepung Monastery,South India. Photo: TPI

North Carolina, US: - One does notsee many foreigners at DrepungLoseling Monastery, located atMundgod Tibetan settlement in thesouth Indian state of Karnataka. It isa remote place, populated bythousands of maroon-robed monks -monks debating, monks chanting,monks eating chowmein and fried rice,monks drinking chai, and youngmonks going to school.While the occasional tourist comesfor a day trip to snap photos, theplace has a considerably different feelto, say, Dharamshala in northernIndia. Being the home of His Holinessthe Dalai Lama, Dharamshala drawsan international crowd comprisingeveryone from dreadlocked hippiebackpackers to school groupvolunteers and families with youngchildren. Mundgod, on the otherhand, feels truly authentic. In fact,the area is sometimes dubbed ‘LittleTibet’. This authenticity sometimesproves challenging for the foreigntraveler, especially in the monasteryarea. While attempting to buy a bottleof water or asking how muchsomething cost, for example, thiscorrespondent often berated herselffor not learning some Tibetanbeyond the common greeting ‘TashiDelek’.Imagine my surprise, then, when aWesterner dressed in shorts and apolo shirt walked out of the room nextto mine. “You’re American!” heexclaimed. “It’s been a long time sinceI heard an American accent.”Eric Traub leaves his home inCalifornia to travel to India severaltimes a year, spending five-weeksessions studying Tibetan Buddhistphilosophy at Drepung Loseling.He agreed to speak with me about histhoughts on Buddhism, whatBuddhist teachings can offer theWest, and the Tibetan polit icalsituation.Traub commented that once, whilelooking at an online world map, hecalculated that his two homes are onalmost exactly opposite sides of theworld. This is fitting, he explained,because the life he lives in Californiacouldn’t be more different than thelife he lives in Mundgod. Traub, anentrepreneur, lives with his wife andthree daughters in Marin County, awealthy suburb of San Francisco. Hehas founded and run successfulcompanies in healthcare, technology,and education.A committed Tibetan Buddhist, hegladly puts aside his suits, white-tablecloth dinners with influentialwriters and businesspeople, high-speed internet and beautiful home tolive in a small, simple room inMundgod, rigorously studyingBuddhist philosophy and livingwithin the monastic community.His teacher, Geshe NamgyalWangchen, is a high lama who is alsothe teacher of the next Dalai Lama’stutor. “I am very fortunate,” saidTraub.Traub has been engaged, as he putit, in “an aggressive pursuit of truth”since age 17. Early in his career, heworked for a large organization thatpromised answers to fundamentalhuman questions. He eventuallyfound, however, that the organizationwas “more corrupting than beneficial

to human values”.“I am well-read and well-studied inmany fields,” he told me. “While ithas some value, I abhor most self-help. Most of it is counterproductive.The gains people make are oftenshort-term and then direct them off-track towards still more unhappinessin the end.”“I felt like there was something thatwas not being said - the giant missingpiece right in the middle of it all.”He found that something in TibetanBuddhism. He had always had aninterest, but in 2003 he attended oneof His Holiness the Dalai Lama’spublic talks in San Francisco andmade a commitment to become astudent of His Holiness.Traub said the vows he took at theteaching were vows he was alreadyliving by and that, to him, theteachings of the Gelug tradition ofBuddhism seemed like teachings healready believed. “It felt l ikesomething that was already there - itjust had to be uncovered. Takingvows brings something implicit ineach of us and makes it explicit in theform of a pledge to live it. Vows aren’trestrictions - they’re a gift offreedom.”“I’m a bit of a spiritual elitist, Isuppose. I only want the real, the trueteachings,” laughed Traub. He takesissue with big sweeping programsthat promise huge self-transformationin a short space of time. He seesBuddhism, rather, as a “documentedscience with specific formats” thatleads to true and lastingtransformation of human nature itself.“The Buddha said to test theteachings lie a scientist, and I do testthem, one b one, as I learn. They arereliable without fail. Buddhism isabout liberation from the most centralaffliction - the habit of ‘self’."Traub’swife and children are also Buddhist,and he told me his family integratethe principles of Buddhism into theireveryday lives.“Our family is committed to each other.

Americans with the teachings, liftedout of the Buddhist framework andexpressed in a secular context which isapplicable to their lives.Traub does not feel that Americans needto actually convert to Buddhism toaccess teachings that can helptransform their lives. “Even HisHoliness, who speaks worldwide onBuddhist principles like compassionand peace, does not advocate forpeople with different belief systems tobecome Buddhist. I want to distill outwhat can be of benefit to people’severyday concerns and livingsituations.”Traub wants to focus on practicalteachings that relate to people’s innerlives and outer needs. He feels that, asan American who understands the wayWesterners think, he can help peoplecomprehend often-misunderstoodBuddhist concepts.“I want to transmit the meaning of theteachings through people’s culturalear,” he said, adding that Buddhismteaches us to “renounce attachments,”for example, but that people oftenmisinterpret this concept. Traubbelieves people assume this means theycannot have what they want, but thatthis is a wrong understanding. Peoplecan have whatever they want, heexplained, but they should not believethat attaining these wants will makethem complete - it is attachment to theirdesires that causes pain.In Traub’s view, the fundamentalteachings of Buddhism - choosinghappiness, abandoning mental andemotional obscurations, and freeingoneself from affliction - can greatlybenefit those who feel lost in the midstof economic and societaltransformation.Tibetan Situation Traub has immenserespect for and devotion to HisHoliness the Dalai Lama. He has hadthe opportunity to meet the spiritualleader four times. “There is no otherhuman being like him in memorablehistory. No one is more universallytrusted, loved, and respected. No onehas met with more world leaders.”As to the Tibetan political situation,he has hope that things will change.While he doesn’t see Tibet being acompletely independent entityimmediately, he said, “There is no doubtthat Tibet will be open again. TheTibetans will be able to go home.”“There is something in us, a moralgood,” he said. He believes that it willtake an event that really lights the fuseinternationally - something even moreatrocious than what is alreadyoccurring.“Boycotting China is not possible, butit will take some sort of internationalpressure, some form of economicdemand,” he said. He thinks morepeople will have to pressure theirpolitical leaders, and a president - mostlikely an American president - will haveto take stand, to make a strongerstatement. “There is no chance thatTibet will not be open again to Tibetans,and that His Holiness will be allowedto return. The only question is, when,how long? How many moreinjustices?”Traub believes the Tibetan peoplecould not have a better spiritual leaderto guide them through their time of exile.“His Holiness is living proof ofeverything the Buddha taught. He isnow the Living Buddha and, personally,I believe, the 14th Dalai Lama is thegreatest of all the Dalai Lamas.”

We need each other,” he said,explaining that, in Westernpsychology, people are often taughtthat they should not need anyoneelse - that needing others can be seenas a weakness in American society,where individualism is excessivelyvalued.Traub believes that people arefundamentally dependent on oneanother, and his family bases theirlives on this interdependence and ontotally open communication.“We have also redefined ourapproach to resources, looking atwhat we need in a month or a year,and what we can give. Instead ofmoney being the key to sustainability,we leverage resourcefulness andcommunity interdependence.”Traub’s youngest daughter attendsa school run by a former Buddhistnun. When deciding whether to sendher there, he and his wife Clare feltthe tuition fees were much too high.“We decided to do a value-for-valueexchange,” he said. Clare, a Waldorf-trained teacher, offered to help out atthe school in exchange for part oftheir daughter’s tuition. The trade-off was favorable to both parties, asClare’s work there greatly enhancedthe quality of education for all thechildren.Traub believes that a transformationis occurring in America - a sweepingshift that will permanently changepeople’s relationship to value andresources.The current structure of Americansociety, he said, is based oninstitutions and corporations, nothuman beings. “The corporatesystem is designed so that no oneperson is held accountable for theiractions. People are not willing to livethis way anymore.”The rule of insti tutions andcorporations has rendered mostpeople powerless, he continued,which is something people will notstand for.“Humans can stand a lot. But if you

take away their personal efficacy, theirpower to influence the course of theirown lives, they will find a way to fightback.”Traub cited the recent revolutions inLibya and Egypt, and the Occupymovement (an international protestmvement, primarily directed againsteconomic and social inequality), asnarguable evidence of people’sunwillingness to remain powerless.Speaking of recent cases in which lawschool graduates have sued their lawschools due to their inability to findjobs afer graduation, he saidAmericans have already startedvoicing their discontent. While hefinds this particular exampleridiculous, he believes it is thebeginning of a greater trend. “Therewill be riots in America by nextsummer,” he said.Traub is in constant dialogue withother tinkers in many fields, andbelieves that a fundamental shift isoccurring in the way people live.People are talking about developinglocal currencies, he said, engaging incooperative buying, and sharing onecar between several families.When asked whether he thinksAmerica is moving towards a communalsociety, he replied, “No, but I do thinkwe are moving towards a society ofcloser-knit communities.”People may also start living incommunities with people who share thesame values, he continued. For example,that could be Christian neighborhoods,Buddhist neighborhoods, New-Ageneighborhoods, neighborhoods full ofpeople who enjoy watching footballt o g e t h e r . e c o - s u s t a i n a b l eneighborhoods, he thinks, will becomeincreasingly widespread.“Interdependence isn’t just a Buddhistconcept or New Age philosophy - it’sbecoming an economic necessity.”During this time of transition andextraordinary inter-connectedness,Traub feels Buddhist teachings willbenefit others in the West. He plans tostart an enterprise that familiarizes

TPI OUTSIDE TIBETThe Tibet Post 930 November , 2011 Dharamsala

Tibetans Must fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama'sWishes: Dr. Sangay

By Tibetan Official Media. Tibet Net

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay addressing the Tibetan community in Zurich. Photo: Swiss Tibetan community

Zurich: We must keep in mind theinterest of fellow Tibetans in Tibet, saidthe political leader (Kalon Tripa) of theTibetan government in exile, Dr

Lobsang Sangay, during his addressto the Tibetan community inSwitzerland and Liechtenstein. He alsosaid that Tibetan people must fulfil HisHoliness the Dalai Lama's wishes.Over

600 Tibetans attended the address bytheir new political leader yesterdaymorning (Sunday) in Zurich.He spoke at length with sadness of theself-immolation by 11 Tibetans in Tibet

- their individual sacrifice to highlightthe struggle for the survival of Tibetanculture and identity under China'sbrutal rule. The present politicalleadership by the Kalon Tripa is thecontinuity of the historic and legitimatepolitical leadership of the Tibetanpeople, said Dr Sangay.The unanimous support by the TibetanParliament members in approving thenomination of the six Kalons sent agood message to the Tibetan peoplein Tibet that both the Kashag andParliament can work together for thecommon interest of Tibet, he said.Before the start of Kalon Tripa'saddress, the Tibetan community'scultural group sung the Tibetannational anthem. This was immediatelyfollowed by one minute silence inmemory of the Tibetans who self-immolated in Tibet to highlight thepresent desperate situation in Tibet.During the two and half hour addressfollowed by questions and answers,Kalon Tripa said, "We are most gratefulto India. We must never forget India'skindness."The Swiss Tibetan FriendshipAssociation hosted a lunch in honourof Kalon Tripa. In his brief address tothe group's board members and sectionleaders he extended Kashag's "heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for theirsupport."In the afternoon, the Tibetan YouthAssociation of Switzerland organised atown-house-style-meeting. The meetinghall was completely packed with manyTibetans waiting outside the hall.The recent change in the Tibetancommunity witnessed the hand-over

of responsibility by the older Tibetangeneration to the younger generation."We must fulfill His Holiness the DalaiLama's wishes and ensure that the hardwork done by the older generation isaccomplished," he said.Kalon Tripa said all young Tibetansshould feel proud to be a Tibetan andmust endeavor to serve the Tibetancommunity.He once again emphasized his keymessage of better education for theyounger generation."We need to improve the foundationand environment in our schools," hesaid.His education policy and the recentmeetings with Tibetan schoolprinciples and administrators havestarted a debate on this importantissue.He told the Tibetan youth inSwitzerland that they must endeavorto become more professional in theireducational studies. While elaboratinghis Tibet Core program, he encouragedthe youth to volunteer their service tothe Central Tibetan Administration aswell as join the Swiss governmentservices.Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangayarrived early Sunday morning at Zurichairport from New Delhi. Rikon TibetanMonastery's Abbot, Mr TsetenSamdup Chhoekyapa, His Holiness theDalai Lama's representative, vicepresident of the Tibetan community,presidents of the Tibetan Women'sAssociation and Tibetan YouthAssociation in Europe and 50 Tibetanswelcomed Kalon Tripa during his firstEuropean tour.

Dharamshala, India: A Japanese firm,Daiwa Securities Group, recently createdpresDharamshala, India: A Japanese firm,Daiwa Securities Group, recently createdpresumable confusion and embarassmentamong Chinese authorities as the firmpresented a map on which Tibet wasshown to belong to India, as did the non-Tibetan part of China's Yunnan province.The map was part of a business proposalto the People Insurance Company of

China (PICC) who only found the errorafter the actual interview. Subsequently,PICC officials have asked Daiwa toremake the map and to offer a formalappology.According to newssitewww.wantchinatimes.com the matter wasalso reported to the China SecuritiesRegulatory Commission as well as theChina Insurance Regulatory Commissionwho are now considering their next move

Japanese Security Firm:Tibet Not Part Of China

in this politically sensitive issue.The Japanese company itself put theerror down to "negligence", but severalsecurity experts have expressed doubtsthat the alternative map could be excusedas merely "unprofessional".umableconfusion and embarassment amongChinese authorities as the firm presenteda map on which Tibet was shown tobelong to India, as did the non-Tibetanpart of China's Yunnan province.The map was part of a businessproposal to the People InsuranceCompany of China (PICC) who onlyfound the error after the actualinterview. Subsequently, PICC officialshave asked Daiwa to remake the mapand to offer a formal appology.According to newssitewww.wantchinatimes.com the matterwas also reported to the China SecuritiesRegulatory Commission as well as theChina Insurance RegulatoryCommission who are now consideringtheir next move in this politicallysensitive issue.The Japanese company itself put theerror down to "negligence", but severalsecurity experts have expressed doubtsthat the alternative map could beexcused as merely "unprofessional".

This is not the actual photo of the map, only an archive photo of Tibet Map: File

10 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala The Tibet PostTPI PRESS FREEDOM

Peace and Freedom Through Music, Poem andDocumentaries

events will be held including thebasketball , art ist ic gymnastics,e q u e s t r i a n , s h o o t i n g ,t r a m p o l i n i n g a n d P a r a l y m p i carchery.Tenzin Dakpa, a local Tibetan inWoolwich , who co-hos ted thefinal meeting with Lhamo Tso,paid a moving tribute to her. Hesaid, ‘Lhamo Tso and DhondupWangchen's family have made as ignif icant contr ibut ion to theT i b e t a n p e o p l e ' s s t r u g g l e .D h o n d u p Wa n g c h e n d o e s n ' tdeserve to be in Chinese prisonfor simply making a documentaryfilm that we have seen today. Ihave seen Dhondup's film manytimes now. Lhamo Tso is a realmessenger of the Tibetan politicalp r i soners in T ibe t and we a l lshould support her call for help.'The local Tibetans assured LhamoTso that they would write to theChinese Ambassador in the UK asw e l l a s t h e B r i t i s h F o r e i g nSecretary with the further pledget o s u p p o r t t h e c a m p a i g n o fDhondup Wangchen's release onmedical parole.Lhamo Tso was very appreciative ofthe support and solidarity that herfamily has received since DhondupWangchen's arrest from peoplearound the world, who still continueto show their concerns about hishealth condition. She was also verytouched by fellow Tibetans in the UKfor showing their solidarity with herfamily and also giving her monetarygifts. She assured her compatriotsthat the gifts she received would befully given to the families of Tibetanpolitical prisoners in Tibet.Whilst paying her gratitude to allthose individuals and groups whohosted her during speaking-tour inEngland and Scotland, Lhamo Tsosaid, "I thank on behalf of my wholefamily to Tibet Society and theirmembers for enabling a verymotivating visit. Dhondup would bevery inspired if he learned about thelevel of support for him in UK."Lhamo Tso left for Zurich on 23rdNovember 2011.

by Tsering Passang, The Tibet Post

Mr. Tsering Pasang with Lhamo Tso, wife of imprisoned Tibetan filmaker, Dhondup Wangchen in London, UK during a talk organisedby UK Tibet Society. Photo: TPI/Tsering Pasang

London, UK: Lhamo Tso, wife ofTibe tan f i lmmaker DhondupWangchen , campaigns fo r herhusband ' s re lease in UK andEurope. Lhamo Tso, a mother offour, lives in Dharamshala whilst herhusband i s se rv ing a s ix -yearsentence in Chinese pr i son inXining, north eastern Tibet. Theyhave not had the chance to speakor meet face to face for four years.Her young children are studying inTibe tan re fugee schools innorthern India and they all badlymiss him. Whilst looking afterDhondup's parents in Dharamshala,Lhamo Tso supports her familythrough baking and selling Tibetanbread.Last month, Lhamo Tso travelled toSwitzerland where she attended thethird anniversary of the Tibetan FilmFestival. The festival organisershave dedicated their annual eventto Dhondup Wangchen and hiswork wi th the in ten t ion ofencouraging the emergence of moreTibetan filmmakers in the yearsahead . Af te r speak ing to thedelegates dur ing the RegionalMeeting of European Tibet SupportGroups in Nice, in the south ofFrance, convened by InternationalTibet Network earlier this month,Lhamo Tso flew into London on 6thNovember where she was greetedby Frederick Hyde-Chambers andPhilippa Carrick, Tibet Society'sChairman and Chief Executive.At T ibe t Soc ie ty ' s inv i t a t ion ,L h a m o Ts o m e t w i t h B r i t i s hForeign Office and governmentofficials in London. She also hadm e e t i n g s w i t h a n u m b e r o fMembers of Parliament (MPs) atWestminster as well as Membersof Scottish Parliament (MSPs) inEdinburgh. Lhamo Tso has calledfor their urgent support for therelease of her husband and hismedical treatment.Dhondup was arrested on 26thMarch 2008 in eastern Tibet, andwas subsequent ly tor tured and

Wife of Jailed Tibetan FilmmakerSeeks Support of World Community

imprisoned for making a Tibetandocumentary film. He contractedHepatitis B whilst in prison. On 28D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 , t h e C h i n e s eauthorities charged the Tibetanf i l m m a k e r w i t h ‘ i n c i t i n gseparat ism' and ‘subversion ofstate power.' In his film, Dhondupt r a v e l l e d a c r o s s t h e T i b e t a nplateau seeking ordinary Tibetans'views on the then 2008 BeijingOlympic Games, Chinese policiesin Tibet and the Tibetan people'sdevotion in His Holiness the DalaiLama.During her 16-day UK speaking-tour, Lhamo Tso spoke to over fiveh u n d r e d s c h o o l c h i l d r e n a n dt e a c h e r s , T i b e t s u p p o r t e r s ,d e f e n d e r s o f h u m a n r i g h t s ,i n d e p e n d e n t f i l m m a k e r s ,businessmen and lawyer workingfor Ministry of Justice. She alsom e t w i t h n e a r l y a h u n d r e dTibe tans l iv ing in Edinburgh ,Newcastle, Bristol and London.Lhamo Tso said that the Tibetansin Tibet do not enjoy freedoms ofexpression and thought. She saidthat her husband did not commitany crime that deserves a six-years e n t e n c e f r o m t h e C h i n e s eauthorities in Tibet. The family'sm a i n c o n c e r n i s t h e h e a l t hcondition of Dhondup Wangchen.She said that the family's mainwish is to secure proper medicaltreatment for Dhondup and hisearly release from prison.Af t e r t he f i lm sc reen ing a t apr imary school in London, aneight-year old child remarked thatthe Chinese authorities' treatmento f D h o n d u p Wa n g c h e n w a s‘unfair' and ‘evil.'On the eve of her departure toS w i t z e r l a n d f o r f u r t h e rengagements , Lhamo Tso wasgiven a farewel l d inner a t therecently opened Kailash MomoTibetan eatery in Woolwich afterher final meeting with some fortyTibetans in the London Boroughof Greenwich. The Borough is amajor venue for London's 2012Olympic Games, where 12 sporting

Dharamshala, India: - The Kashag(cabinet) of the Central TibetanAdministration last Friday, Novembersent its heartfelt congratulations toMr Peter Slipper on becoming the27th Speaker of the AustralianParliament."We would like to express ourheartfelt congratulations on yourelevation to the post of Speaker ofthe Australian Parliament's House ofRepresentatives," the Kashag said inits congratulatory message."The Central Tibetan Administrationappreciate the fact that you, in yourcapacity as Deputy Speaker of theParliament, co-hosted a visit byHisHoliness the Dalai Lama to the

Kashag Congratulates NewSpeaker of Australian Parliament

Mr Peter Slipper with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Dharamshala. (file photo)

By Tibetan Administration Official Media. Tibet Net

Australian Parliament in June 2009.The Central Tibetan Administrationfondly remembers your visit to theDharamshala as part of the firstAustralian All-Party ParliamentaryGroup for Tibet to visit Dharamshalain July 2009", the Kashag said."Tibet today is under martial law allbut in name as been evidenced by the11 Tibetans who self-immolated in therecent months. In this regard, weappeal to you to use your uniqueposition for the speedy resolution ofthe issue of Tibet" the Kashag said.Mr Peter Slipper became the 27thSpeaker of the Australian ParliamentHouse of Representatives on 24November 2011.

for centuries.Borges brings his readers face-to-facewith some of these remarkable people,who live in one of the most fragileenvironments on earth and face arapid induction into the 21st century,whilst trying to retain that which theyhold most dear - their TibetanBuddhist practice and culture.For over 30 years, Borges has beendocumenting indigenous and tribalcultures, striving to create anunderstanding of the challenges theyface. His work is exhibited in museumsand galleries worldwide and hisaward-winning books, which havebeen published in four languages,include Tibetan Portrait, EnduringSpirit, and Women Empowered.He has also hosted televisiondocumentaries on indigenouscultures for Discovery and NationalGeographic channels.

New Book Documents Life andCulture on the Plateau of Tibet

By Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet Post

CULTURE ON THE EDGE

Dharamshala, India: - A new bookTibet: Culture on the Edge, by award-winning American photographer PhilBorges, documents the environmental,developmental and cultural issues ofthe Tibetan Plateau.Known as the 'water tower of Asia', theTibetan Plateau is heating up twice asfast as the global average. Its glaciersare the source of the major rivers thatsupply the water needs of some twobillion people in India, Pakistan, Chinaand Indo-China.Today these glaciers are rapidlydisappearing. This climatic changealong with recent unprecedenteddeve lopment on the p la t eau -roads, railways, airports, dams andcommunication technology - israpidly changing the lives of thedeeply devotional nomads, monksand farmers who have lived there

previously had to depend on publicdonations from monasteries to fundtheir daily expenses.According to Chinese officials, the planwill also ensure that more informationis disseminated through books,magazines and TV, published in theTibetan language.Xinhua, China's state-run news agencyhas claimed that a compensationscheme is in the works, to helppreserve wildlife by reimbursingherders for livestock eaten by wolves,thus preventing the wild animals fromgetting killed.Lobsang Sangay, the newly-electedPrime Minister of Tibet's government-in-exile, recently told the theWashington Post: "It is clear that theroot of the self-immolations is thecontinuing occupation of Tibet."Protests and demonstrations havesprouted up all over the globe insupport of Tibet.The international community hasawakened towards the injustices beingcommitted under Chinese rule inEastern Tibet, further attested by thedesperate actions of its native monks.Recently, at the APEC in Honolulu, USSecretary of State severely criticizedBeijing's policies towards Tibet, urgingthem to immediately make amends.The announcement of the ChineseCommunist Party Chief comes at anopportune time; now more than ever,China is confronted with the urgencyto repair its image in the world-view.In the meanwhile, Chinese officialscontinue to throw accusations atTibet's spiritual leader, His Holiness the

Dalai Lama. Over the weekend, ChenQuanguo was reported to have said,"His plot of Tibet independence andseparatism has never changed".According to the international media.China also announced that "one or twospecial agents" will be sent by the localgovernment even to temples with lessthan 20 monks.Since 1989, China has launched severalwater diversion projects in Tibet, theworld's largest water reservoir and theorigin of Asia's 10 major river systems.In November 2010, they startedconstruction work to divert theTsangpo, along with the Sutlej. Thereare reports that China's state-ownedelectric power companies signedcontracts to develop hydro-power onthe rivers in Tibet.It has been reported that there is a two-pronged motive behind these waterprojects: internal economiccompulsions and the desire to acquireexternal dominance.So far, China has avoided signing anybilateral treaty to do with the utilisationof water resources and has beenbarraged by 263 NGOs in opposition toits dams and diversion projects on theMekong river. These NGOs believe thatChina is using water resources in Tibetas a political tool, moreover- the delicateecology of Tibet, Nepal and India wouldsuffer greatly from such invasiveindustrialization of the water sources.Nevertheless, China continues to plyoccupied Tibet with its insidiousstrategems in an effort to gain political,economic and cultural dominion underthe guise of so called "stability for Tibet".

China Offers Aid to Monks in the Wake of Self-Immolation Fiasco

By -Brionie Pereira, The Tibet Post

Armed Chinese paramilitary force deployed in Ngaba county, eastern Tibet, 19th October 2011. Photo: TPI

Dharamshala, India: - According toChinese state control news reports,China announced its plans to giveTibetan monks welfare benefits in anattempt to improve "stability" at aconvention of the Tibetan branch ofthe Chinese Communist Party.Tibetans monks will apparently begranted pensions, medical insuranceand living allowances from the Chinesegovernment in Tibet.

The announcement made byCommunist Party Chief in Tibet, ChenQuanguo, Monday, 14th Novembercomes after a flood of self-immolationsall over the severely oppressed Ngabaand Karze counties of Eastern Tibet-acts that haved divulged the discontentof peace-loving Tibetans to the world.It is claimed that "the government willtake great pains to ensure that publicservices such as electricity, water,

telecommunications, radio and TVstations are provided to the localmonasteries," Quanguo was quoted assaying by the Global Times newspaper.He added that there would also bepersonal help, including allowances, formonks and nuns living in Eastern Tibet.Reports claim that maintaining stabilityis the primary motive of the plan, whichcould help nearly 50,000 people,especially monks and nuns who

Peace and Freedom Through Music, Poemand Documentaries

By Nitesh Mohanty, The Tibet Post

Event organised by the organisation in association with Friends of Tibet at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and at Kitab Khana,Mumbai from November 9-10, 2011. Photo: TPI

Mumbai, India: -Nitesh Mohanty ofThe Root - a company that platformsartistic expression with a socialagenda - reports on 2 Days for Tibet,a cultural evening he organized inassociation with Friends of Tibet,which ran from November 9 to 10 atthe Tata Institute of Social Sciences,Mumbai The HippyThe evening kicked off on a musicalnote with Billy Salisbury - AKAUndercover Hippy - who sendsmessages of love, peace, equality,justice and freedom through hismusic.Billy dedicated a couple of his songsto Tibet (and to the mindless worldof war and hatred that we live in).His songs provoked us to lookwithin rather than blaming the worldoutside for the wrongs aroundus.The ReadingThe stage was set for TenzinTsundue to take us into the pages ofKora - the seventh edition of hishand-stitched book of poetry.Tsundue began with stories of theChinese nationalists who escapedthe wrath of the communists beforesettling down as the noodle sellersof Kalimpong.He spoke about the Tibetanrefugees, who would often camp inBombay, selling woolen sweatersduring the winters.He remembered the Bombay of hiscollege days, when his decision tomove to this etropolis was "an act ofrebellion".Tsundue attributed his interest in

poetry to the literary greats like AdilJussawalla, Nissim Ezikiel, ArunKolatkar, Ranjit Hoskote, DomMoraes, Jerry Pinto and Dilip Chitre,who inspired and shaped the writerin him.Tsundue read out three poemsreflective of life as a Tibetan refugee.He closed the session with anunpublished poem about the Tibetannew year - Losar - recollecting thefeelings of agony and ecstasy thatcome around every year.The poem conveyed hopes and

expectations, trials and defeats, themundane and the memorable.During the post-reading Q&A,Tsundue eloquently answeredquest ions about the Tibetanstruggle for freedom, and spoke onthe new prime minister's stand withinthe democrat ic community ofTibetans living in exile, how newstrickles out of the heavily guardedwalls of the ‘roof of the world', andthe vital role India could play insecuring its future with Tibet as its

neighbor, as opposed to China.The evening could have easi lystretched into the night, but we hadto draw curtains across the venue'swide red walls, on which was written,"The woods are lovely, dark anddeep, But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep."There couldn't have been a bettermetaphor for Tsundue and theTibetan struggle for freedom.We wrapped up the session byselling copies of Tsundue's Kora and

Undercover Hippie's album Why WeFight.Screening Of The Sun BehindThe Clouds By the time we wereready to start our film screening onthe second of our 2 Days for Tibet,we had a packed room with no placeto move. I read out the director'snote, written by Ritu Sarin andTenzing Sonam.The letter raised concerns about thecurrent s i tuat ion in Tibet , andrequested that everyone cometogether in support of Tibet 'sstruggle for freedom.The viewers - students from the TataInstitute of Social Sciences - weregenerally not very aware of the Tibetissue, hence the film was a revelationto many. They watched i t withsurprise, shock and disbelief.After the screening, everyone waseagerly awaiting to hear from TenzinTsundue, who spoke about theTibetan struggle from the time thefilm was made - in 2008 - to thepresent day.He recounted the recent acts of self-immolation by young Tibetan monksand nuns, and the desperate call forinternational help and attention fromthe ‘roof of the world'.Tsundue also spoke on the path ofnon-violence as a method of wearingChina down.To conclude the event, Friends ofTibet and The Root campaignersdistributed reading materials onTibet , to help the s tudentsunderstand the real i t ies of thecountry 's social , cul tural ,environmental and his tor icalsignificance.

30 November , 2011 DharamsalaThe Tibet Post TPI PEACE EVENT 11

Burning Desire For Freedom:Times' Tibet StoryBy YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post

His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet addressing during a special event being held at the mainTibetan temple in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala, India, 8th August 2011. Photo: TPI/file

Dharamshala, India: - Despite strongobjections from China, His Holinessthe Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader ofTibet, left Dharamshala today toaddress the Global BuddhistCongregation in New Delhi onNovember 30.Indian officials say a meeting betweenIndian and Chinese diplomats hasbeen canceled, after China attemptedto interfere in India's internal affairs.The Buddhist Congregation is nowinto its second day, with religiousscholars debating the finer points ofBuddhist philosophy and morality.Yesterday, China reportedly objectedto His Holiness' attendance andwarned India to cancel the conference,which is being attended by around 900Buddhist scholars and others from 46countries.Speaking from Beijing, Chinese foreignministry spokesperson Hong Lei said,"We oppose any country thatprovides a platform for his anti-Chinaactivities, in any form."The Global Buddhist Congregationhas been organized by the AsokaMission, to commemorate the 2,600thyear of Sambobdhi Prapti (theenlightenment of the Buddha).His Holiness the 17th Karmapa UgyenTrinley Dorjee addressed theconference's second day. Speaking onthe Buddhist view of the environmentand the natural world, he stressed theimportance of a clear understandingof nature and the interdependence ofall things.He added that environmentalproblems are man-made - a result ofhuman self-centeredness.Speaking atone of the conference venues, HotelLalit, Mr Tempa Tsering, therepresentative of His Holiness theDalai Lama in the Indian capital NewDelhi protested against China'sattempts politically colour a religiousevent, saying that India "has done theright thing" by refusing to cave in.He commented, "The conferencedelegates have no other motive thanto bring Buddhist scholars togetherto discuss Buddhist philosophy andshare experiences of how the Buddhistteachings can help humanity."India is a free, democratic society.China is a closed society. That's whythey are reacting in a paranoid manner.

"His Holiness the Dalai Lama has beena guest of India for the last 52 years. Itwould have been unusual if HisHoliness, who is regarded the worldover as a spiritual leader and the headof Tibetan Buddhism, will not attendthis conference."The Asoka Mission has also objectedto the politicization of the event byChina. Its president, Lama Lobzang,said, "The world is dealingwith...violence, social and economicdisparity, environmental degradationand discord between and withincommunities and nations.Among the countries represented atthe conference are Taiwan, SouthKorea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia,

Laos, Thailand, Mongolia, Bhutan,Nepal and Myanmar.According to the 2001 census report,India, where the Buddha attainedenlightenment, is home to nearly eightmillion Buddhists.His Holiness the Dalai Lama is alsoscheduled to give a talk on The Powerof Compassion in Delhi, as part of thePenguin Annual Lecture Series, to beheld at the India Habitat Center onDecember 3.He will then leave for Gyurmey Tantricmonastery, in Gurupura (Hunsur), togive teachings on the Commentary onthe Five Stages by Nagarjuna, writtenby Panchen Lobsang Choegen, fromDecember 5 to 7.

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Contributors for this EditonKeary Huang TaiwanMathew Singh Toor IndiaCarly Selby-James AustraliaCornelius Lundsgaard Denmark

Samuel Ivo UKBrionie Pereira India

Colleen McKown USTsering Passang UKSusan Hogan USTashi Tsering UKYC. Dhardhowa IndiaSangay Dorjee IndiaPema Tso India

Nitesh Mohanty India

I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Tibet's Political Leader To Address Brussels Summit On Tibetan Autonomy

By: YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post

According to Ms Rigzin ChoedonGenkhang, special assistant at theOffice of Tibet in Brussels, Belgium, DrSangay will visit the city fromNovember 27 to 29, "on the invitationof the European Parliament's TibetIntergroup, where he will be the keynotespeaker at the Tibet conference onGenuine Autonomy."During this visit, Dr Sangay, who willbe joined by Mr Penpa Tsering, thespeaker of the Tibetan Parliament, isscheduled to meet leading politicians.He will address the Foreign AffairsCommittee at an extraordinary meeting,senior research fellows of a major thinktank, representatives of a key mediagroup, and members of the Tibetancommunity.On November 28, he will be received atthe Brussels Press Club, where he willbrief journalists on the situation in TibetA Harvard scholar, Dr Sangay assumedoffice at the Central TibetanAdministration in August this year,

following the devolution of politicalauthority by His Holiness the 14thDalai Lama last May.Before departingfor Europe himself,Speaker PenpaTsering attended both a conference onwater management in Delhi and theTibetan Parliament-in-exile's internalconclave. He also held a meeting withmembers of the All Party Indian

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Tibetan Political Leader Leavesfor 12-day Visit to Europe

Dharamshala, India: - The politicalleader of (Kalon Tripa) CentralTibetan Administration (CTA) DrLobsang Sangay left DharamsalaSunday, 20th November for a 12-dayvisit to Europe from 21 November - 2December, the Tibetan official media'Tibet Net' said.Prior to leaving Delhi for Europe, DrSangay will attend a conference ofAsian youth leaders in New Delhi on

19 November.Kalon Tripa will visit seven Europeancountries including Switzerland,during which he will meet membersof parliament, political analysts,support groups and the media. Hewill also meet and speak to membersof the Tibetan communities based inthese countries.Kalon Tripa will return to Dharamsalaon 5 December.

Parliamentarians Forum for Tibet(APIPFT).From November 23 to 25, he visitedVienna, where he met parliamentarians,foreign office officials, members of themedia, and pro-Tibetan activists.On November 26, Mr Tsering will meetmembers of the Tibetan community inHolland.

Kalong Tripa is on seven day tour in Europe. Photo: TPI

Kalon Tripa, Dr. Sangay Meets WithSwiss Senior Foreign Officials ?

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay with Swiss MP Maya Graf in Bern. Photo: Tibet Net

By Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet Post

Zurich: The Swiss foreign ministryhas said that the spate of self-immolations in Tibet this year and thedesperation they express are “veryworrying”.The statement, which was issued onMonday during a visit by Dr LobsangSangay - Kalon Tripa (political leader)of the Central Tibetan Administration- stressed that the human rightssituation in China, and especially inTibet, is a regular subject ofdiscussion between Switzerland andthe Chinese authorities.Dr Sangay briefed foreign ministryofficials in Bern on the 12 self-immolations in Tibet since 16 March,saying, “Human beings, if given achoice, would choose to live, but thevery desperate situation in Tibetunder the Chinese rule has led to thetragic situation in Tibet today.”He expressed his appreciation andgratitude to the government andpeople of Switzerland, and to the RedCross, for their support of the Tibetanpeople since the 1960s.Switzerland was the first countryoutside Asia to officially acceptTibetan refugees. Today it has thelargest Tibetan community in Europe.Dr Sangay commented that theTibetan people have once againendorsed the ‘middle way’ approachby electing him.He said that, during his 16 years atHarvard University in the USA, he

had organized five conferences withscholars from China, two of whichwere attended by His Holiness theDalai Lama.He added that such dialogue“requires endurance, patience andcompassion,” but that, “Over timepeople change - we need to create anenvironment for this change.”Dr Sangay had a separate meetingwith Mrs Maya Graf, vice-presidentof the Swiss parliament’s Tibet Group.Addressing the media, Mrs Graf saidthat any free trade agreement betweenSwitzerland and China must includethe issues of human rights and theenvironment.Dr Sangay added that those countrieswhich trade with China have seen fewbenefits and that, rather, they nowface trade deficits. He called on thosecountries to speak up on human rightsmore forcefully.He did, however, emphasize that theTibetan people have nothing againstthe Chinese people or China as anation.“We are against the hard-linerepressive policies by the Chinesegovernment,” he said. Tibetan peopledeserve freedom – religious, humanrights and expression.”Tomorrow, Dr Sangay will leave forthe German capital, Berlin, where hehas a series of appointments with themembers of the German parliament. Hewill also address the Tibetancommunity there.

12 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala The Tibet PostTPI TIBET IN EXILE

His Holiness the DalaiLama’s Message......The role of these threefold trainings inthe Buddha's life highlights theirimportance in our daily practice. To beable to carry out these practices, wehave to study the Buddha's teachingscontained in the Tripitaka.In an increasingly interdependentworld our own welfare and happinessdepend on many other people. Otherhuman beings have a right to peaceand happiness that is equal to our own;therefore we have a responsibility tohelp those in need.Today, in a new millennium, our worldrequires us to accept the oneness ofhumanity. Many of our world'sproblems and conflicts arise becausewe have lost sight of the basichumanity that binds us all together asa human family. We forget that despitethe superficial differences between us,people are equal in their basic wish forpeace and happiness. Part of Buddhistpractice involves training our mindsthrough meditation. But if our trainingin calming our minds, developingqualities like love, compassion,generosity and patience, is to beeffective, we must put them intopractice in our day-to-day life.Even asour world continues to developmaterially, there is increasing need forsimilar progress in our sense of innervalues. The 20th century was a centuryof war and violence; now we all needto work to see that the 21st is a centuryof peace and dialogue. We Buddhistscan contribute to this by learning fromthe world's other religious traditionsand sharing with them the ditinctivequalities of our own tradition.There is great emphasis on the practiceof love and compassion in theBuddha's teaching, as in the teachingsof other spiritual traditions, but it isimportant to recognise thatcompassion and love are fundamentalto relations between sentient beingsin general and human beings inparticular. I believe that we should nolonger talk about Buddhist ethics,Hindu, Christian or Muslim ethics,because these values are universal.Buddhism does not explain the virtueof values such as honesty andintegrity in a way that is different fromhow Christianity or Islam or any otherreligious tradition explains them.

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absence of absolutes, whetherdescribed as a transcendent being, asan eternal, unchanging entity, or as afundamental substratum of reality.Both Buddhism and science prefer toaccount for the evolution andemergence of the cosmos and life interms of the complex interrelations ofthe natural laws of cause and effect.From the methodological perspective,both traditions emphasize the role ofempiricism.For example, in the Buddhistinvestigative tradition, among the threerecognized sources of knowledge -experience, reason and testimony - itis the evidence of the experience thattakes precedence, with reason comingsecond and testimony last. This meansthat in the Buddhist investigation ofreality, at least in principle, empiricalevidence should triumph overscriptural authority, no matter howdeeply venerated a scripture may be.Even in the case of knowledge derivedthrough reason or inference, its validitymust derive ultimately from someobserved facts of experience.Theprimary motive underlying theBuddhist investigation of reality is thequest to overcome suffering andperfect the human condition; thereforethe Buddhist investigative traditionhas been primarily directed towardsunderstanding the human mind and its

Therefore, in recent years, I have foundit more appropriate to talk about theneed to fster what I call secular ethics.I refer to these values as secular ethicsbecause believing in one religion oranother or notbelieving in one at alldoes not affect our need for them. Thebasic foundation f umanity iscompassion and love. This is why, ifeven a few individuals simply try tocreate mental peace and appinesswithin themselves and act responsiblyand kind-heartedly towards others,they will have a positive influenceintheir community.I believe Buddhismdoes have a special role to play in ourmodern world. This is because, unlikeother religious traditions, Buddhismuniquely propounds the concept ofinterdependence, which accordsclosely with fundamental notions ofmodern science. We can think ofBuddhism in terms of three maincategories - philosophy, science andreligion. The religious part involvesprinciples and practices that are ofconcern to Buddhists alone, but theBuddhist philosophy ofinterdependence as well as theBuddhist science of mind and humanemotions are of great benefit toeveryone. As we know, modernscience has developed a highlysophisticated understanding of thephysical world, including the subtleworkings of the body and the brain.Buddhist science on the other hand,has devoted itself to developing adetailed, first-person understanding ofmany aspects of the mind andemotions, areas still relatively new tomodern science. Each therefore hascrucial knowledge with which tocomplement the other. I believe that asynthesis of these two approaches hasgreat potential to lead to discoveriesthat will enrich our physical, emotionaland social well-being.Although Buddhist contemplativetradition and modern science haveevolved from different historical,intellectual and cultural roots, I believethat at heart they share significantinterests in common, especially in theirbasic philosophical outlook andmethodology. On the philosophicallevel, both Buddhism and modernscience share the same view on the

various functions. Our aim in seekingways of transforming our thoughts,emotions and their underlyingpropensities is to find a morewholesome and fulfilling way of living.So a genuine exchange between thecumulative knowledge and experienceof Buddhism and modern science canbe deeply interesting and potentiallybeneficial as well.In my own experience, I have feltdeeply enriched by engaging inconversations with neuroscientistsand psychologists on such questionsas the nature and role of positive andnegative emotions, attention, imagery,as well the plasticity of the brain. I amgrateful to the numerous eminentscientists with whom I have had theprivilege of engaging in dialogues thathave continued over the years throughthe auspices of the Mind and LifeInstitute, which initiated annualconferences that began in 1987 at myresidence in Dharamsala, India.Of course, most people feel their ownform of religious practice is the best. Imself feel that Buddhism is best forme. But this does not mean thatBuddhism is best for everyone. Whatis important is wat is suitable for aparticular person or group of people.Religion, for most of us, depends onour family background and where wewere born and grew up. I tink it isusually better not to change that.However, the more we understand eahother's ways, the more we can learnfrom each other.By declaring my rspect for all religiousfaiths, I do not advocate attempting tounify our various traditions. I firmlyelieve we need different religioustraitions to meet the needs and mentaldispositions of the great variety ofuman beings. All the major religioustraditions make the betterment ofhumanity their main concern and all ofthem carry a similar message. Whenwe view them as essential instrumentsfor developing good human qualitiessuch as compassion, tolerance,forgiveness and self-discipline, we canappreciate what they have in common.I am convinced that the mostsignificant obstacle to inter-religiousharmony is the lack of contact betweendifferent faith communities andconsequently, the lack of appreciationof their mutual value. However, intoday's increasingly complex andinterdependent world, we have toacknowledge the existence of othercultures, different ethnic groups, and,

of course, other religious faiths.Whether we like it or not, most of usnow experience this diversity on adaily basis.Even amongst the various Buddhisttraditions that have come about indifferent times and places, there arethose who look to the collection ofscriptures preserved in Pali as theirsource and those who look to theSanskrit tradition. I believe that timehas now come to communicate freelywith one another, those in the Palitradition engaging in dialogue withthose in the Sanskrit tradition. Afterall, all our different branches come fromthe same common trunk and roots. Asa Tibetan Buddhist monk, even todayI consider myself a student of theNalanda tradition. The way Buddhismwas taught and studied at NalandaUniversity represents the zenith of itsdevelopment in India. If we are to be21st century Buddhists it is importantthat we engage in the study andanalysis of the Buddha's teachings, asso many did then, instead of simplyrelying on faith.Therefore, the study and practice ofthe Buddha's teachings is necessaryto preserve and promote them. TheSangha played a pivotal role in thisduring the Buddha's time, and I amhappy that the tradition continues tothis day. Consequently, it is importantfor members of the monasticcommunity to abide by their vows tosustain the purity of the BuddhaDharma.In the past, given the nature of thedifferent backgrounds under whichthe Buddha Dharma flourished in ourdifferent societies, there have notbeen many opportunities forBuddhists to come together and todiscuss issues of common concern.This congregation has provided amuch needed crucial opportunity.Now and in the future we need toencourage and foster an exchange ofknowledge and experience among ourdifferent traditions and improvecommunications amongst us. I hopethis will be the first of many suchocasions that will enable us to fosterbetter understanding and contributemre effectively to human happinessand peace of mind throughout theworld. On the occasion of the 2600thanniversary of the Buddha'sattainment of enlightenment inBodhgaya, I offer my gretings to thiseminent Global BuddhistCongregation.

Dharamshala, India: - In a letter to thePrime Minister of Thailand, HerExcellency Yingluck Shinawatra, thespiritual leader of Tibet, His Holinessthe Dalai Lama expressed his sadnessand concern about loss of many livesand damage to property caused bythe recent unprecedented floods inand around Bangkok. His Holinessoffered his condolences to thefamilies that have lost loved ones andprayers for the deceased and othersaffected by the devastating floods.As a token of sympathy and concern,a donation is being made from TheDalai Lama Trust to support reliefwork.

Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Expresses ConcernOver Flooding in Bangkok

His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet offering prayers in Dharamshala, India. Photo:TPI/File

His Holiness Visits Buddhist Sites inJammu and Kashmir

His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivering a speechin during a special ceremony being held in Dharamshala,India on 8th August 2011. Photo: TPI/file

By Brionie Pereira, The Tibet Post

Dharamshala, India: - Tibet's spiritualleader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama willbe arriving in Jammu and Kashmirtoday, in order to visit a few Buddhistlandmarks on the outskirts of the city.His Holiness will first visit Amabaran,an ancient Buddhist place in theAkhnoor border belt. "We expect himto address an expected gathering of50,000 people at Ambran," HealthMinister ham Lal told reporters onTuesday.The Nobel Peace Prize laureate will alsoimpart wisdom to a group of schoolchildren in Akhnoor, and inaugurate aphoto exhibition in Kala Kendra on theAmabaran Buddhist site.In view of His Holiness' visit, Directorof Tourism, R S Mehta convened ameeting with the representatives ofTravel, Trade and Hotel Associations

to discuss necessary arrangements andsecurity measures to ensure his visitgoes smoothly.Banners, hoardings andadvertisements were put up to create

an atmosphere of utmost welcome forthe Nobel Peace Prize laureate. TheBuddhist leader's visit will give a much-needed boost to pilgrim tourism in theJammu division.

30 November , 2011 DharamsalaThe Tibet Post TPI H.H. THE DALAI LAMA 13

China Urged to Ease Situation in Tibet,Warns of More Self-immolations

By: YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post

Tibetan students for Delhi, the capital of India with banners and flags gathering to show their strong solidarities with Tibetans insideTibet. Photo: TPI/File

Dharamshala, India: - The currentsituation still remains tense in easternTibet as some reports tell of pamphletsdistributed and posted around the KirtiMonastery and the market place inNgaba town of eastern Tibet, which

state that if Chinese policies at themonastery and in the town continue,"many more people will be prepared togive up their lives in protest." ExiledTibetans in India strongly urged theChinese government to end itsrepressive policies that restrict the basicfreedom of Tibetans to practice their

religion.We are "deeply saddened and movedby the recent tragic acts of self-immolation by Tibetans in Tibet. SinceMarch 2011, there has been 11 cases ofself immolation in Tibet. The Kirtimonastery in Ngaba County in easternTibet has been the site of eight self-

immolations this year. There has beenthree cases of self-immolation in Karze,Sichuan Province- two in TawoMonastery and one in KarzeMonastery," said Delhi Tibetan People'sSolidarity Movement.The current situation in Ngaba has beenextremely tense since the first self-immolation in March this year: localsources report that there are still highnumbers of armed security personnelin the town and increased numbers ofsoldiers deployed outside the town.Locals describe the town as being"completely under military control"."We represent the free voice of thedesperate yet bold non-violent calls byyoung Tibetans inside Tibet to alert theworld to the ongoing atrocities beingcommitted by the People's Republic ofChina. We are gravely concerned aboutthe deteriorating situation inside Tibet,which is leading Tibetans to feel sodesperate and frustrated that they aretaking to such extreme acts. Postersappearing around Kirti Monastery andNgaba County have warned that if thepresent situation continued, many morepeople are prepared to give their livesin protest," they said, in a statementissued Monday.The People's Solidarity Movement willhold demonstrations everyWednesday starting from 16thNovember 2011 in solidarity with theplight of the Tibetan people insideTibet and "particularly those whohave sacrificed their lives as an act ofprotest against the oppressive Chineseregime.""In the aftermath of the Tibetanpeople's mass uprising in 2008, Chinesegovernment has increased its military

presence and reintroduced its patrioticre-education campaign particularly inthe monasteries in Tibet,' it said. TheSolidarity Movement Tibetans arebeing forced to denounce their mostrevered leader His Holiness the DalaiLama and are being denied their basicright to freedom of religion, assemblyand expression.The statement said "More than 500Tibetans and supporters from all overDelhi will assemble at the Teen MurtiCircle in Chanakyapuri on November16, 2011 to appeal to the Chineseleadership and take out a protest marchclose to the Chinese Embassy. Thevenue and the time of the protest willremain the same every Wednesday."Delhi Tibetan People's SolidarityMovement's Call for Action:--Strongly urge the People's Republicof China to respect the fundamentalright of the Tibetans to freely practicetheir religion.--Strongly urge the People's Republicof China to review its existing policieson the Tibetans in order to have a trulyharmonious society.--Strongly urge the People's Republicof China to end the "Patriotic Re-education" campaign in Tibet.--Appeals to international governmentsand the UN to call on China togenuinely uphold international humanrights standards and norms.--Calls on China to allow internationalindependent fact-finding delegationsand media to visit the affected areasand in particular Kirti Monastery inNgaba region.--Seek completewithdrawal of Chinese military andsecurity personnel from the KirtiMonastery.

By YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post

Ms Melissa Parke MP, (C) Mr Micheal Danby MP (L) and Mr Laurie Ferguson MP, (R). Photo: TPI/File

Dharamshala, India: - Three Australianpoliticians - Mr Micheal Danby, MrLaurie Ferguson MP and Ms MelissaParke MP - have expressed their strongconcern over the ongoing human rightsviolations in Tibet. They have calledon the Chinese government to end itsrepressive policies, which restrict thebasic freedom of Tibetans to practicetheir religion.On November 21, Ms Melissa Parkebecame the third Australianparliamentarian in the last month todraw attention to the crisis in eastern

Tibet, expressing her deep concern overthe recent spate of self-immolations byyoung Tibetans.Ms Parke said she hopes the Australiangovernment will continue to call onChina, via bilateral human rightsdialogue, to enter into meaningfulnegotiations with Tibetanrepresentatives and address theunderlying causes of ethnic tensionsin Tibet.She noted that economic developmentmust accommodate the protection ofthe unique linguistic, cultural andreligious identity of the Tibetan people.

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Australian Politicians Condemn HumanRights Violations in Tibet

"I am saddened and deeply concernedabout the recent instances of self-immolation by young Tibetans ineastern Tibet," said Ms Parke."Ten Tibetans have set themselves onfire since March, in a desperate bid tobring attention to the severe repressionof Tibetan religion and culture."Five young Tibetans, including onenun, have died as a result of theirinjuries. The condition andwhereabouts of the remaining four areunknown."Seven of the Tibetans are linked toKirti monastery - an important Tibetan

religious institution which was activeduring the uprisings of 2008."The first immolation took place onMarch 16 - the third anniversary of aprotest at Kirti monastery during whichChinese forces shot and killed 13Tibetan monks."China reacted by further increasingsecurity, stepping up ‘patrioticeducation' campaigns and restrictingthe religious activities of the monks."This has resulted in an escalatingcycle of protest and crackdown, andthe ongoing level of repression hasdriven these young Tibetans to a finaldesperate act."We have already seen the first self-immolation outside the Ngaba area, inthe Tibetan town of Kardze. Unless theissue is addressed, there is a danger ofthese fatal protests spreading further."I hope the government continues tocall on China, including through thebilateral human rights dialogue, to enterinto meaningful negotiations with theTibetan representatives to address theunderlying causes of ethnic tensionsin Tibet, noting that economicdevelopment must be accompanied bythe protection of the unique linguistic,cultural and religious identity of theTibetan people."On November 14, Mr Micheal DanbyMP - chair of the Joint StandingCommittee on Foreign Affairs, Defenceand Trade - and Mr Laurie FergusonMP - Chair of the Human Rights Sub-committee - called on the Chinesegovernment to cease its heightenedrepressive measures against the monksat Kirti monastery.

Mr Danby spoke in parliament lastweek, saying, "The crackdown onTibetan monks since the 2008 uprisinghas been brutal and repressive."The Chinese authorities are usingextreme force in a crackdown at Kirtimonastery, enforcing the ‘patrioticeducation' campaigns and placing anindefinite ban on religious activities atthe monastery."Earlier this year, 300 monks from themonastery were taken away for ‘legaleducation', for taking part in ademonstration."The crackdown on the monks at Kirtimonastery exemplifies the widercrackdown across Tibet against anyexpression of Tibetan identity throughtheir religious practice."This process of eliminating Tibetancultural heritage and the removal ofmonks from the monasteries is in directviolation of the freedom of religion andbeliefs."On October 19, the Australiangovernment raised its concerns with theChinese government in both Beijingand Canberra over the self-immolationsand called on China to address theunderlying causes of tension in Tibet."This situation requires urgentattention in order to prevent these fatalprotests from spreading further,"continued Mr Danby."At the same time, China must addressthe underlying resentment towards theChinese government's policies, whichthe Tibetans believe to threaten thesurvival of their distinct culture. Aresolution of the situation will not onlybenefit the Tibetans, but also the long-term stability of China."

14 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala The Tibet PostTPI HUMAN RIGHTS

Dharamshala, India: - MountainCleaners are a group of dedicatedenvironmental is ts who arecommitted to cleaning up India, littleby little, through a combination ofdirect action, liaison and awarenessraising.Founded in 2009, in the north Indianstate of Himachal Pradesh, their firstproject at the mountain plateau ofTriund, above Dharamshala, provedthat having a waste system in placeis affordable and massivelybeneficial for the environment, localresidents and tourists.Mountain Cleaners are nowextending their operations to othermountain camps, trekking routes,pi lgr image s i tes and touris tdestinations, including Bhagsu andMcLeodganj - the home of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama.Jodie Underhill, the group's founder,came to Dharamshala in 2009, towork volunteer at the TibetanChildren's Village (TCV) school. Shenow sponsors two children at TCVChauntra.Ms Underhill told TPI, "We believeour model is simple and complete.We are not just about picking uprubbish and cleaning an areatemporari ly. Instead we workalongside local people, governmentorganisations, NGOs, businesses,tourists and schools, to providesustainable solutions, ensuringrubbish is disposed of correctly andas much of it as possible is reusedor recycled."Mountain Clearners' volunteers areinternat ional - including local

Indians, and Indian and foreigntourists.In a series of special reports to markWorld Environment Day in June thisyear, Thinley Namgyal, the MountainCleaners' only Tibetan employee todate, told TPI, "When my friends askme what I do, I make a point ofexplaining that we need morevolunteers. Every day I talk aboutthis. I don't know why they haven'tcome yet - I am trying all I can."Ms Under-hill echoed this, saying,"Volunteering is a great way to getexperience, gain new skills and boostyour confidence, whilst meetinginteresting and inspiring people."The number of Indian volunteershas rocketed this year but we are stillstruggling to involve the TibetanCommunity." We are all living here together inDharamshala...[His Holiness theDalai Lama] often speaks of theenvironment and I 'm sure heappreciates our initiatives to keepthis area clean."Mountain Cleaners currently face acrucial challenge - to raise sufficientfunds to continue their work.The group employs three membersof staff, who empty the dustbins inBhagsu, collect waste from around60 businesses and households andmaintain the children's playgrounds.Money is also needed to pay for themules that bring waste back fromtheir weekly collection hikes, and tofund the i r ‘Chi ldrens Days 'educat ion programme andcommunity clean-ups.In order to achieve this, they arecompeting in Spark the Rise - a

platform initiated by the Indianmultinational Mahindra Group topropel innovat ion ,entrepreneurship , and posi t ivechange in India.Mahindra is giving a total of 52awards , ranging f rom monthlygrants of Rs 4 lakh to a top prize of

Mountain Cleaners Call for Tibetans’Support in Environmental Works

Mountan Cleaners' collections photos in Dharamshala around, Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI

By: Matthew Singh-Toor, The, The Tibet Post

Rs 40 lakh. The awards are decidedby a public voting system, throughSpark the Rise's website."We have an amazing opportunity,"said Ms Underhill, "and all we needis for people to support us by votingand spreading the word."We're doing this because we love

Himachal, but unless the people getbehind us and show us their supportwe can't help."To vote for Mountain Cleaners' Sparkthe Rise bid, go online.For further information on MountainCleaners and how to get involved,go online.

Brussels, Belgium: - On the first day of histhree day visit to the European Capital ofthe Kalon Tripa since assuming office ofthe Central Tibetan Administration wasjoined by top Tibetan officials and membersof the Tibetan Parliament in exile. The daybegan with a lunch hosted by the TibetanCommunity in honour of the Kalon Tripawhere all the ex-board members since the

founding of the Tibetan Community inBelgium in 1995 were also present.In the after-noon, Kalon Tripa met with therepresentatives of the Benelux Tibet SupportGroups and Belgium based Buddhist centersto express them his appreciation for theirconsistent support to the Tibetan cause andto inform them of the policy priority of hisadministration. He also briefed them on therecent crisis in Tibet and on the devolution

of political authority by His Holiness theDalai Lama to the elected leadership thisyear whereby their support was now evenmore appreciated.According to Ms Rigzin ChoedonGenkhang, special assistant at the Office ofTibet in Brussels, Belgium, Dr. LobsangSangay was joined by Speaker of the TibetanParliament in exile Mr. Penpa Tsering, KalonDicki Chhoyang of the Department of

Information & International Relations andVenerable Thupten Wangchen & Ms.Chungdak Koren, member of the TibetanParliament in exile representing Europe.Kalon Dicki Chhoyang la also took theopportunity to address the delegatespresent in her fluent French and thankedthem for having chosen to support theTibetan cause rather than any other causeand that it very much touched her. In themeantime, she reminded them of theimportance of unifying their strengths andcoordinating their actions in order to getthe expected impact and visibility. She alsostressed the importance of involving andworking together with the TibetanCommunity present in their regions.In the evening Kalon Tripa and Speaker ofthe Tibetan Parliament met with the BelgiumTibetan Community and representatives ofthe Netherlands Tibetan Community. Over1000 Tibetans from across Belgiumcommuted to hotel Radisson in Antwerpento listen to their democratically electedleaders. The event started with the singingof Tibetan National anthem followed by oneminute silence in memory of the Tibetanswho self-immolated recently.Speaker Penpa Tsering la spoke at lengthon the amendments made to the charterfollowing the devolution of politicalauthority by His Holiness the Dalai Lama tothe elected leadership, its consequences,

implication of Chinese policies in Tibet andthe recent wave of self-immolations in Tibet.Dr. Sangay informed the audience of hisrecent visit to the US and other Europeancountries where the respectivegovernments and Parliamentarians hadshown strong sense of concern on therecent crisis in Tibet. His Holiness the DalaiLama handed over the political authority tothe elected leadership with a certain level oftrust and we must strive hard and live up tothe expectations of His Holiness the DalaiLama, said Kalon Tripa.Dr. Sangay further said, the present politicalleadership by him is the continuity of thelegitimate political leadership of the Tibetanpeople and that he along with his cabinet isdedicated to work hard in preserving andtaking forward the legacies of the oldergeneration.Kalon Tripa also emphasized the importanceof education of the younger Tibetans whichis also the priority policy of his office. Theday ended with a dinner hosted hosted bythe Belgium Tibetan Community.Kalon Tripa arrived to Brussels on the 26thevening from Paris where he was receivedby Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, Ms. RigzinChoedon, OOT, Brussels, President & Vice-President of the Tibetan Community andRepresenatives of Regional Tibetan YouthCongress, Chushi Gangdruk and Chinese-Tibetan Friendship Society.

Tibetan Political Leader Addresses TibetSupport Groups in Belgium

Mountan Cleaners' collections photos in Dharamshala around, Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI

By: Matthew Singh-Toor, The, The Tibet Post

30 November , 2011 DharamsalaThe Tibet Post TPI ENVIRONMENT 15

Dharamshala, India: - KelsangGyaltsen, The Dalai Lama’s envoy atthe Tibet Inter-Group Conference onGenuine Autonomy in Brussels,Belgium, yesterday issued astatement entitled The Sino-TibetanDialogue: State of Play andPerspectives, in which he accusedChina of lacking the political will toresolve the Tibet issue throughnegotiation.During the conference, which washosted by the European Parliament,Mr Gyaltsen said Tibet has becomea prison, overseen by a totalitarianregime.Citing Sino-Tibetan dialogue since2002, he said the Tibetan leadership-in-exi le has sought genuineautonomy for the Tibetan peopleunder a single self-governing organ,within the framework of theconstitution of the People’s Republicof China (PRC).However, he continued, China hasconsistently maintained an attitudeof no recognition, no reciprocity, nocommitment, no concession and nocompromise.Mr Gyaltsen emphasized theimportance of an internat ionalpresence in China, in order to have arestraining influence on the Chineseauthorities and security forces, andto provide some form of protectionto Tibetans inside Tibet.He then out l ined the Tibetanleadership’s instructions to theTibetan delegation:- To create the necessary conduciveatmosphere and condit ions formaintaining and deepening contact.

- To use every opportunity to dispelmisunderstanding andmisconceptions about the positionand views of the exiled Tibetanleadership.- To reiterate and explain the fact thatHis Holiness the Dalai Lama and theTibetan leadership-in-exile do notseek separation and independencefor Tibet.- To state clearly our demand forgenuine autonomy for the Tibetanpeople within the framework of thePRC.- To propose confidence-buildingmeasures in areas of mutual interest.- To stabilize the dialogue processby increasing the number of themeetings with an agreed-uponagenda and timeframe.Mr Gyaltsen quoted China’s labelingof the eighth round of discussionsin November 2008 as a demand for“disguised independence”, and itsstand that the Dalai Lama does nothave the right to speak in the nameof Tibetan people.He said these pronouncements wereunfortunate, and that Tibetans donot have, as of yet, a sincere andwil l ing partner for an honestdialogue.He continued that none of the Tibetleadership-in-exiles ' requests -including their pleas to lift the banon possession of His Holiness DalaiLama’s image and to allow exiledTibetan to visit those living withinTibet - have been considered.Speaking on the current situation inTibet, and with reference to theeleven self-immolations there in the

past few months, Mr Gyaltsendisclosed that the Tibetanleadership-in-exile have been urgingtheir Chinese counterparts to meetand discuss ways to calm the stateof despair.However, he said, they are stillwaiting for a positive response fromBeijing.He continued, “The policies of theEuropean Union towards the causeof Tibet and China have just as mucha bearing on the outcome of thistragedy.“The Chinese leadership must be

made to realize that the issue of Tibetcannot be suppressed and silencedunless it is properly addressed andresolved.”Referring to the modern world as“highly interdependent”, MrGyaltsen emphasized the importancethat a “strong and unified message”should come from members of theinternational community.In today’s heavily interdependentworld, he said, it is not in the handsof Chinese leaders alone whether theTibetan people will in the future beable to enjoy a life of freedom and

dignity, or be compelled to live undercontinued brutal repression.Since direct contact with the PRCwas re-established in 2002, SpecialEnvoy Gyari Lodi and EnvoyKelsang Gyaltsen have had nineofficial rounds of discussions andone informal meeting with Chineserepresentatives.The last meeting was held in Beijingin 2010. Since then, and despite theTibetan leadership-in-exi le’srepeated requests to hold anothermeeting, there has been no positiveresponse.

GENEVA: A group of UN expertshas voiced grave concern overheavy security measures on theTibetan monasteries in and aroundKirti monastery in north-easternTibet 's Ngaba county, stressingthat the Tibetan people's religiousfreedom should be respected andgua ran t eed by t he Ch inesegovernment.“ In t imida t ion o f t he l ay andmonas t i c communi ty mus t beavoided, and the right of members

of the monastic community, and thewider community to freely practicethei r re l ig ion, should be ful lyrespected and guaranteed by theChinese Government,” stressedthe UN Special Rapporteur onfreedom of religion or belief, MrHeiner Bielefeldt, noting that therecent deployment of secur i tyfo rce s i s r epo r t ed t o i nc ludeofficers in riot gear, soldiers withautomatic rifles, and trucks andarmed personnel on the streetsleading to the monastery.Further measures are reported to

inc lude s ecu r i t y r a id s andsurveillance within monasteries,with police presence inside andoutside monasteries to monitorr e l i g ious ac t i v i t i e s . “Suchres t r i c t i ve measu res no t on lycurtai l the r ight to freedom ofre l ig ion or be l ie f , bu t fur therexacerbate the existing tensions,and are counter-productive,” MrHeiner Bielefeldt said.His comments were echoed by theSpecial Rapporteur on the rightsto freedom of peaceful assemblyand of association, Mr Maina Kiai,who warned that “such measuresseriously impede the exercise ofthe r i gh t t o a s soc i a t i on o fmember s o f t he monas t i ccommunity.”The UN Special Rapporteur on theright to freedom of opinion andexpress ion, Mr Frank La Rue,added his voice expressing his“deep concern about allegations ofrestrictions to Internet access andmobile messaging services withinNgaba coun ty, a s we l l a sjournalists’ lack of access to theregion.” In his view, “rather thant ak ing such measu re s , t heGovernment should instead listento and addres s the l eg i t ima teg r i evances o f t he monas t i ccommunity.”

The heavy secu r i t y measu re sadopted have resulted in increasedtens ions be tween the Chineseauthorities and members of themonastic community, in particularsince March 2011, a period whichhas seen an escalation of protestsby both lay persons and membersof the monastic community, callingfor religious freedom. The severere s t r i c t i ons on f r eedoms o fr e l i g ion , exp re s s ion andassociation, have led to hundredsof monks reportedly leaving themonas t e ry, w i th many be ingarrested or subjected to enforceddisappearance.The UN Work ing Group onEnfo rced o r Invo lun t a ryDisappearances reiterated its deepconcern over the whereabouts ofall those who have been subject toenforced disappearances in China,including a group of over 300monks of Kirti Monastery whosefate or whereabouts still remainunknown.“Any enforced disappearance isunacceptable and such practicesare in violation of internationallaw,” said the Chair-Rapporteur ofthe Working Group on Enforced orInvoluntary Disappearances, MrJeremy Sarkin, expressing concernthat a proposed revision to the

Chinese Criminal Procedure Lawwi l l l ega l i s e en fo rceddisappearances in the country.“Th i s he inous p rac t i ce i s no tpe rmi t t ed unde r anycircumstances. No except ionalcircumstances whatsoever may beinvoked to just i fy an enforceddisappearance,” Mr Sarkin added.Another UN exper t panel , theWork ing Group on Arb i t r a ryDe ten t ion , exp res sed conce rnabout the recurring practice ofarbitrary arrests and detention ofmonks in the a rea of S ichuanprovince. “No individual can bea r r e s t ed on t he g round o fpeacefully exercising the rightsand freedoms guaranteed underinternational human rights law,”stressed Mr El Hadji Malick Sow,the Group’s Chair-Rapporteur.The Independen t Expe r t onminority issues, Ms Rita Izsák, alsocalled on the Chinese authoritiesto fully respect and uphold therights of minorities including theirr igh t s to f ree ly p rac t ice the i rreligion and culture. “Allegationssuggest that this is far from thecase in this region and I urge theGove rnmen t t o cease anyrestrictive practices and refrainf rom any use o f v io l ence o rintimidation,” she said.

China Lacks “Political Will” to Resolvethe Tibet issue: Envoy

UN Experts Voice Grave Concern Over Severe Restrictions onMonasteries in Tibet

By: Rajeshwari K, The Tibet Post

Tibetan Official Media: Tibet.net

Copyright Photo European Parliament

16 30 November , 2011 Dharamsala The Tibet PostTPI CHINA-TIBET TALKS