FW: [WTNN] World Tibet Network News - December 15, 2010

[Alex Bunjes]

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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Issue ID: 2010/12/15
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Contents
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1. His Holiness the Dalai Lama clarifies statement on retirement (TibetNet)
2. The Concept of Oneness of Humanity (TibetNet)
3. Do as the Dilli-wallahs do (The Economist)
4. Dalai Lama arrives on 8-day visit of Sikkim (PTI)
5. Chinese PM Visit Rankles some in New Delhi (All Voices)
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1. His Holiness the Dalai Lama clarifies statement on retirement
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Wednesday, 15 December 2010

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has clarified his recent statement on taking complete retirement, saying that the call does not mean he will forget about the Tibetan struggle.

DHARAMSHALA: “More than 99 per cent of Tibetans in and outside Tibet trust me, so I have the moral responsibility to serve them. My call for complete retirement does not mean that I will forget the Tibetan struggle. I am a Tibetan and every Tibetan has the moral obligation to carry out our own struggle,” His Holiness told reporters in Kalimpong yesterday. (watch video)

His Holiness said some Tibetans living inside Tibet express anxiety and confusion over his retirement plans. “I want to hand over the ceremonial role such as signing of legislatures and documents to the democratically elected leadership. But some Tibetans inside Tibetan are anxious and confused that the Dalai Lama is now no longer interested about the Tibetan struggle. No, it is not,” he said.

He reiterated that efforts to resolve the issue of Tibet would remain one of his three commitments.

He spoke about his efforts to bring democratic reforms in Tibet before 1959 and later in exile.

Since my childhood I always admire the system of democracy. In 1952, I started reform committee and some reforms were carried out. Then after 1959 while in exile we had set up own organisation set up as the Central Tibetan Administration. We started the process of democratisation and put in place elected political leadership in 2001.

“I always tell the elected Tibetan leadership to take full responsibility as if there is no Dalai Lama and they are doing it,” he said.

(Based on report filed by Sheja Editor Kelsang Khudup from Kalimpong)

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2. The Concept of Oneness of Humanity
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Wednesday, 15 December 2010
 
His Holiness the Dalai Lama talking to reporters during a press conference in Kalimpong in India's northeastern state of West Bengal on 14 December 2010


DHARAMSHALA: As the world faces a new reality of interdependence – be it the issue of global ecology or economy – we really need a spirit of oneness of the entire humanity, said His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a meeting with the press in Kalimpong.

“Usually, I share with people that we must develop a sense of big “we”. The century-old concept of “we and “they” created big demarcation, and also the “destruction of them” and “victory for us” kind of concept is now outdated,” he said.

“The destruction of neighbour is destruction of yourself because the whole is part of we,” His Holiness said while emphasising that the promotion of the concept of oneness as his number one commitment.

His Holiness then underlined his commitment on the promotion of human values.

The ultimate source of happiness and happy society does not depend on material facilities, power, fame, but rather it comes through warmheartedness. This basic human value is the ultimate source of happiness at the level of  individual, family, community and finally the whole world, he said.

Common ground for world religions

His Holiness the Dalai Lama underscored the role of world's religions in today's world that is beset with many man-made problems despite enormous advancing material development.

“There has been an overall material development advancing throughout the world, but still we are facing many man made problems,” His Holiness said.

He said all the different religious faiths carry same message to help the humanity. “All the major religious traditions inspite of their different philosophies have the same potential to bring inner peace through the practice of compassion, love, forgiveness, tolerance and self-discipline. They all have the same potential to help the humanity,” he said.

He said all the religious faiths must set themselves first as models of finding inner peace. “Close relation and harmony among the different traditions is very essential, otherwise people will say how could provide us peace of mind if they fight among themselves. So firstly, the religious faiths must demonstrate the genuine harmony and peace among themselves by practicing the teachings. Mutual respect among different faiths with genuine spirit of spiritual brothers and sisters, which he said is very very necessary, he said.

He said the world religions share a common ground to work together for the happiness of humanity. “There may be big differences in philosophical views, but it is really necessary to have such divergent views for finding different approaches towards the promotion of love, peace and compassion. We really need to develop genuine harmony on the basis of mutual respect, understanding and admiration,” he added.

(Based on report filed by Sheja Editor Kelsang Khudup from Kalimpong)

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3. Do as the Dilli-wallahs do
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The Economist
Dec 15th 2010

WEN JIABAO, China’s prime minister, may be smiling through gritted teeth during his brief trip to India from December 15th to the 17th. His first visit in five years cannot do much to hide the persistent tensions between the two countries—indeed his hosts seem disinclined to play them down.

Earlier in the week Mr Wen’s ambassador to the country, Zhang Yan, said bluntly at a public meeting in Delhi that bilateral ties were important but “very fragile”, easily damaged and “difficult to repair”. That seemed to be a message to India to rein in protesters and opinionated members of the press during the Chinese prime minister’s trip. It got short shrift. The Indian foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, shot back at the same meeting that her “Chinese friends” should be prepared to be “increasingly exposed to the vibrant...noisy nature of our democracy”.

It may soon become clear what that means. Tibetan exiles were reported to be converging on Delhi on December 15th, readying a protest against the arrival of the Chinese leader. At the same time the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader for whom India is a home in exile, was poised to begin a trip to the tiny north-eastern state of Sikkim, squeezed between Nepal and Bhutan on the border with Chinese-run Tibet, the sort of journey that is almost guaranteed to raise Chinese ire.

Sensitivities are evident on both sides. Indians fret that China is becoming ever more assertive along their 4,000km-long shared border. They see evidence that China has dropped its official policy of neutrality over Kashmir—for example by deploying soldiers and construction workers to Pakistan-run parts of the territory, and by refusing to issue visas (or only ones stapled into passports) to Indian Kashmiris visiting China. They fret that a series of large Chinese dams on rivers that flow from Tibet into India, Nepal and Bangladesh will give China a strategic advantage over the downriver countries. And they note, despite nearly five decades of peace since China invaded over disputed border areas in the Himalayan regions, including Arunachal Pradesh (which China now calls “Southern Tibet”), that incursions over the frontier continue.

More broadly, Indian foreign-policy hawks point to a variety of signs that China is asserting itself in South Asia. In Pakistan, India’s bitter rival next door, China has been helping to build nuclear-power plants, strategic roads and ports. In Sri Lanka and Myanmar, too, China is stepping in with substantial aid and cheap loans, establishing warm ties with governments shunned by the West (although India has been warming relations too). The hawks say that India has been the victim of cyber-attacks that almost certainly originated in China. And last week India came under intense diplomatic pressure (which it resisted) to refuse to attend the Nobel ceremony in Oslo, where the peace prize was awarded to a jailed Chinese human-rights activist.

Bilateral trade is booming (China is now India’s largest trading partner, with the trade likely to be worth a record $60 billion by the end of this financial year), although it remains wildly unbalanced: China is running a surplus that will near $20 billion this year. In any case, grumble the critics, the ties are neo-colonial: over 70% of Indian exports are of raw materials, whereas China sells back finished goods. Indians grouch that the Chinese have been slow to open up their enormous markets to Indian services (banking aside), while cheery talk of agreeing a free-trade deal sends shivers down the spines of India’s inefficient manufacturers. Nonetheless, deals could yet be announced this week to boost Indian exports to China. In turn, China is hoping that at least one of its banks will be allowed to operate in India.

Yet China, too, has some cause for hesitation towards India. The big democracy has been cosying-up to the United States in the past few years, as America has given support for its nuclear programme and for its bid to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. India has also started reaching out to fellow democracies in Asia—notably Japan, South Korea and some South-East Asians—which are anxious that China is growing more nationalistic and willing to throw about its military weight in the broader region. From China, it may look as if India is joining a chain of countries that might, in time, try to contain its regional ambitions.

But not all is gloomy. India’s government, though anxious not to be pushed around, is also keen to avoid confrontation. It wants to draw more Chinese investment, especially in much-needed infrastructure, and to send more valuable Indian exports to its big neighbour. Indian school children will apparently soon be offered a chance to study Chinese languages as part of their curriculum and China has said it wants to help rebuild an old Buddhist university, Nalanda, in India. And India and China can point to evidence of deft political co-operation in international negotiations, for example in the formation of a joint position in climate-change talks. Some of Mr Wen’s smiles, in other words, may turn out to be genuinely warm.

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4. Dalai Lama arrives on 8-day visit of Sikkim
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Gangtok, Dec 15 (PTI) The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama arrived at Sikkim today on a eight-day visit.

He was received by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and his cabinet colleagues at the Pelling Helipad in West Sikkim.

The Sikkim government has banned slaughter of animals in the state during Dalai Lama''s eight-day stay.

After his arrival at Pelling Helipad the monks from Pemayangtse Monastery, which is considered one of the most holiest monasteries in Sikkim, conducted ''Sherbang'', a traditional Buddhist ritual of dance and prayer, for Dalai Lama, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Thousands of people had come out to see the Tibetan spiritual leader and receive his blessings.
He was then escorted to the Pemayangtse Monastery from where the spiritual leader flew to Tashiding Monastery. He will be staying at Tashiding Monastery till December 17.

On December 18, Dalai Lama -- Tenzin Gyatso -- will visit the town of Ravangla in south Sikkim to address a congregation of people at the Tibetan settlement here. On the same day he is scheduled to visit the Ralong Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim.

On December 19, Dalai Lama will fly to Gangtok where he is scheduled to address a seminar. He will leave for Dharamsala on December 22.

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5. Chinese PM Visit Rankles some in New Delhi
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New Delhi : India | Dec 15, 2010
By Nathaniel Hines
allvoices

Not everybody smiles warmly upon Wednesday's, December 15, 2010, arrival of Chinese Prime Minister Wen JiabaoWen Jiabao in New Delhi, India. Hundreds of exiled Tibetans marched in protest as India serves a home to thousands of Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama – the Tibentian spiritual leader. The Dalia Lama has been residing in the northern town of Dharamshala since his flight from Tibet in 1959.

Although the governments of India and China are attempting to forge a stronger economic relationship, the Tibetan Youth Congress said it's goal of organizing Wednesday's protest was to highlight China's occupation and oppression of Tibet, a mountain region that has been a regular source of unrest for Beijing authorities.

"The conditions of Tibetans in Tibet and the situation of political prisoners have become extremely critical," the TYC said in a statement to media outlets. "History shows that occupation and oppression never lasts forever and until that day comes and to hasten the arrival of that day, we will keep our fight alive."

The TYC differs somewhat from the political strategy professed by the Dalai Lama. The TYC urges complete independence for Tibet, while the Dalai Lama has continuously strove for autonomy for the region under Chinese rule. China views the long-standing media battle with the Dalai Lama as the most effective, accusing the Dalai Lama of surreptitiously inciting unrest and wanting to split up China by covertly pushing a pro-independence agenda for Tibet. Decades of on-off negotiations between Tibetan exiles and the Chinese government have made no tangible progress.

Wen visits at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and plans another meeting with India's President Pratibha Patil and India's ruling congress party chief Sonia Gandhi. While the diplomatic mission will focus on bilateral cooperation in economics and trade, the two member of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) will also discuss border issues – which is in its 14th round. The two countries began to discuss border issues in the 1980s. To maintain peace and stability in the border area, the two sides signed agreements in 1993 and 1996.

Protest organizers said they plan to continue demonstrations against Wen's visit until the premier leaves on Friday.

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