FW: [WTNN] World Tibet Network News -- February 17, 2011
Alex Bunjes
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Issue ID: 201/02/17Compiled by Nima Dorjee
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Contents
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1. Nephew of Dalai Lama killed by SUV during Walk for Tibet in Florida
2. JIGME NORBU A tribute by TN Shakabpa
3. Nepal police seize ballot boxes in Kathmandu's Tibeta community for
second time
4. Groupon pulls controversial Tibet SuperBowl ads
5. Indian authorities clear Buddhist leader in probe
6. The Karapa Conundrum (Wall Street Journal)
7. 16th Karmapa gave me my name
8. I the Karmapa Lama an agent of Beijing or a political scapegoat?
9. The fallacy f Karmapa's Chinese links
10. 'New Chinese law aimed at wiping out Tibtan identity'
11. India has more claim over Tibet than China
12. Daai Lama uses donations to fund hospital
13. An Exile's Long Journey
14. ndia's Tibetan betrayal
15. Otero raises Tibet refugees ID issue
16. Nepal cracks down on Tibet war veterans welfare group
17. US raises ibetan issue with Prime Minister
18. Harvard Law School Grad Runs For Tbetan Office
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1. Nephew of Dalai Lama killed by SUV during Wal for Tibet in Florida
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Palm Coast, Fla.‹ The Associated Press
Published Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 1:39AM EST
Th Dalai Lama's nephew was killed along a Florida coastal highway
during on of his long treks to bring awareness to the Tibetan struggle
for indepndence from China, officials said.
Jigme K. Norbu was hit after dark Monday on the side of the unlit
highway by an SUV. A Hihway Patrol accident report said Norbu, 45, was
walking on the white line in the same direction as traffic, on the
southbound side ofa highway that runs the length of the state's
Atlantic coast.
The driver, 31-year-old Keith R. O'Dell of Palm Coast, was not chrged.
He and a passenger, his 5-year-old son, were not injured.
Polic released few other details. Mr. Norbu, who lived in Bloomington,
In., and was active in a Tibetan rights group there, had started with
others Monday on a Valentine's Day ³Wal for Tibet² meant to cover some
300 miles from St. Augustine south to West Palm Beach, according to his
group, Ambassadors For World Peace.
Mr Norbu was dead when emergency services arrived at the scene, about
25 miles south of St. Augustine on State Highway A1A the report said.
A phone listing for the driver could not immediatel be found.
On Tuesday, a vase holding seven roses stood at the accident site on the
side of the wo-lane highway. There are no street lights on the side of
the road whereMr. Norbu was walking. A bike path runs along the other
side of the stret, in front of a community center.
³It is pitch dark, pitch dark. You can't see anything. There is no
illuminationhere,² said 60-year-old Debbie Clark, who lives a half mile
from where M. Norbu was killed.
Mr. Norbu, the son of the Dalai Lama's late brother, Taktser Rinpoche,
has done similar walks sveral other times, including 900 miles in 2009
from Indiana to New ork.
That walk marked the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan rebellion
against Chinese rule that resultd in the exile of his uncle, who is
Tibet's top spiritual leader.
In northern India, officials at the Dalai Lama's office in Dharmsala
could not immediately be reached and the Tibetan government-in-exile had
not commented as of late Tuesday.
Mr. Norbu's late father was a high lama who was abbot of a monastery
when the Chinese invaded. Thebrothers fled into exile following the
1959 uprising.
Mr. Rinpoche, ho died in September 2008 at 86, was a professor of
Tibetan studies at Iniana University in Bloomington while serving as
the Dalai Lama's U.S. representative.
The Dalai Lama hs visited Bloomington several times. The city about 50
miles southwest of Indianapolis is home to the Tibetan Mongolian
Buddhist Cultural Center ad Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple.
China claims Tibet as part of its territry, but many Tibetans say
Chinese rule deprives them of religios freedom. Beijing accuses the
Dalai Lama of pushing for Tibetan autonomy and fomenting anti-Chinese
protests.
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2. JIGME NORBU A tribute by TN Shakabpa
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By Tsoltim N. Shakabpa
Jigme Norbu
He ure did do
What he could do
To stage a coup
'Gainst China's Hu
He walkd and walked
For Tibet talked
And never balked
Though he was mocked
And often stalked
H's a hero
Without ego
Like in Cairo
He dealt a blow
To Hu, our foe
Though he is gone
We must go on
Now we must spawn
And carry on
Till fredom dawn
Copyright: Tsoltim N. Shakabpa - 2011
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3. Nepal police seize ballotboxes in Kathmandu's Tibetan community for
second time
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ICT report, February 16, 2011
On February 13, 2011, Nepal poice in riot gear shut down local
elections for the leadership of a Tibean community group. The police
action was the latest police harassmnt of Nepal's long-staying Tibetan
community and underscores Nepalese uthorities¹ effort to prohibiting
what it perceives as "anti-China" activities by ibetans in its
territory.U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and lobal
Affairs, Maria Otero, who serves concurrently as the Special Coordiator
for Tibetan Issues, was visiting Kathmandu at the time. During her
visit, Otero met with Nealese officials and reportedly expressed the
continued support of the U.. Government for the safety and welfare of
Tibetan refugees in Nepal (seeICT report, 'High-level U.S. visit shows
commitment to Tibetan refugee issues in Nepal').
The communty group, Chushi Gangdruk, principally looks after the
welfare of veterns of the Tibetan resistance force that battled the
Chinese People's Libeation Army from 1958 until 1974.
According to ICT sources in Kathmandu, on Sunday, February 13, Kathmandu
police raided three locations where voting for the leadership of Chushi
Gangdruk was taking place: Swoyambhu, Jawalakhel and Boudha.Regular
elections in the Chushi Gangdruk organization have taken place for many
decades, and members responsible for the elections worked with care and
discretio to avoid provoking authorities. Local police in Boudha who
checked on he gathering when voting began at 9:00 a.m. voiced no
objection to the roceedings.Nonetheless, around 10:00 a.m., a van
arrived at the voting all carrying police wearing riot-gear, guns and
batons, and was accompanied by a truck that is typically used totake
people away for detention.
A member of the Chushi Gangdruk electio committee was asked to explain
the gathering: "We are voting for our ocal community representatives so
that when someone is sick we can tak them to the hospital or when
someone dies we can take the corpse to the graveyard.We helppoor and
homeless people, and we clean the streets and look after the evironment
in our community. We are refugees and not have such a governmet to look
after us.Only community members do these jobs.We are here today,
eleting our community representatives in a democratic way."
A police officer involved in theraid told the members of Chushi
Gangdruk that Tibetan refugees are notallowed to hold elections for any
reason, and that the raid was ordered by the CDO (Chief District Officer).
At this point, it became impossible to carry on voting and a policeman
tookthe ballot box and walked away.When the police officer was asked b
the Tibetan election committee member if it would be possible to have
the confiscated ballot box returned, the polce officer responded that
it would be impossible and that the box would b locked away along with
the Tibetan ballot boxes that were confiscatd last year. Several police
officers stayed until 5:30 p.m. presumably to ensure that the election
would not resume.
In the two other loctions, Swoyambhu and Jawalakhel, the voting had
concluded before policearrived at approximately 10:30 am.
On October 3, 2010, Kathmandu police confiscated ballot boxes and shut
down votin sites where members of Nepal's Tibetan community were
participating i primary elections for the Tibetan government-in-exile,
based in Dharamala, India (see ICT report, 'Nepalese police seize
ballot boxes from Tibetan exileelection').
Nepal's "one China policy" is frequently invoked by auhorities as the
reason to shut down community activities in the Tibean community that
had previously been allowed, such as the Chushi Ganruk elections and
celebrations of the Dalai Lama's birthday.Many Tibetansbelieve that
Nepalese authorities are working against them at the behest of the
Cinese government. The link between China's aggression against Tibetas
and Nepalese police actions has contributed to an environment of fear
nd insecurity in Nepal's Tibetan communities. Only Tibetan refugees ho
arrived in Nepal before 1989 are provided resident status by the Nepl
government, a classification that significantly limits their social,
economic, political and civil rights. As one Tibean living in Kathmandu
told ICT, "Tibetans feel as though we areinvisible, as though we have
no right to exist" (see ICT report, 'A fagile welcome: China's
influence on Nepal and its impact on Tibetans'.
Press contact:
Kate Saunders
Director of Communications, International Campaign for Tibet
el: +44 (0) 7947 138612
Email: pr...@savetibet.org
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4. Groupon pulls conroversial Tibet Super Bowl ads
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* By Lindsay Powers
Fri Feb 11,2011 2:51pm EST
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Deal-of-the-day website Groupon has
pulled its cotroversial Super Bowl ads that made light of Tibet's
oppression against Cina's Communist regime.
"One thing is clear -- our ads offended a lot o people," admitted
founder Andrew Mason on the company's blog Thursday.
"We hate that we offended people, and we're very sory that we did --
it's the last thing we wanted," Mason added. "We've litened to your
feedback, and since we don't see the point in continuin to anger
people, we're pulling the ads."
Several of the company's spos, which were directed by Best in Show's
Christopher Guest, will continue to air on Friday because they were
previously scheduled.
"We thought we were poking fun at ourselves, but clearly the execution
was off and the joke didn't come through," Mason added. "I personally
take responsibility; although we worked with a professional ad agency,
in the end, it was my decision to run the ads."
"Our ads highlight the often trivial nature of stuff on Groupon when
juxtaposed against bigger world issuesŠ " he went on. "To those who were
offended, I feel terrible that we made you feel bad. While we've always
been a little quirky, we certainly aren't trying to be the kind of
company that builds its brand on creating controversy -- we think the
quality of our product is a much stronger message."
In the Tibet ad, Timothy Hutton seriously recounts the country's human
rights issues before the camera pans out to see him dining in an upscale
restaurant. He enthuses, "But they still whip up an amazing fish curry!"
Cuba Gooding Jr. mentions the dwindling number of whales before
promoting discounted whale-watching cruise and Elizabeth Hurley talks
about imperiled Amazon rainforests -- before bringing up a deal on
Brazilian wax ("not all deforestation is bad").
Mason said the company thought the ads would "bring more funding and
support to the highlighted causes." Groupon expects to "net over
$500,000" for the charities -- and says his company will match up to
$100,000.
Greenpeace biologist John Hocevar (the founder of Students for a Free
Tibet) blogged on Groupon that he supported the ads.
"Greenpeace is happily participating in the campaign," he wrote. "The
truth is that the 'Save the Money' campaign and the commercial are
really helping us save the whales."
HomeAway also re-edited one of ad campaign that featured a flying baby
smashing up against a wall. The new ad shows a spokesperson safely
catching the infant, handing it to mom and announcing, "Just a test baby."
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5. Indian authorities clear Buddhist leader in probe
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The Associated Press \
Friday, February 11, 2011; 9:05 AM
NEW DELHI -- Indian authorities on Friday cleared Tibetan Buddhism's
third most important leader in a probe into $1.35 million in cash
discovered last month at his headquarters in northern India, a news
report said.
Rajwant Sandhu, the top civil servant in Himachal Pradesh state, said
the money found during a raid on the Karmapa's monastery had been
donated by his followers, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
The Karmapa had no links to the money since the affairs of his trust are
managed by his followers, Sandhu said.
"The Karmapa is a revered religious leader of the Buddhists and the
government has no intentions to interfere in religious affairs of the
Buddhists," PTI quoted her as saying.
Sandhu could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Karmapa, 24, left Tibet in 2000. Since then, he has been living at
the monastery in Sidhbari, just outside Dharmsala, which has been the
headquarters of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile since the
top spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled the Himalayan region in 1959.
Last week, state police probing the case said the Karmapa's followers
violated Indian tax and foreign currency laws in collecting the donations.
Police and revenue officials searched the Gyuto Tantric Monastery and
twice questioned Ugyen Thinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, and his aides
about the source of the money.
The raid was unprecedented and particularly surprising since the Karmapa
is revered by Tibetans and Buddhists across India. India has gone to
great lengths to provide asylum to Buddhist leaders who have fled Tibet,
including the Dalai Lama.
The Karmapa Office of Administration adamantly denied Indian media
reports that the Buddhist leader might be a Chinese agent sent to India
to control exiled Tibetan Buddhists who have made their home there.
China's government reviles the Dalai Lama, accusing him of pushing for
independence for Tibet and sowing trouble there. A boy named by the
Dalai Lama as the second-highest Tibetan spiritual leader, the Panchen
Lama, in 1995 disappeared shortly afterward and China selected another boy.
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6. The Karmapa Conundrum (Wall Street Journal)
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The Karmapa's defection was the biggest failure of Chinese policy in
Tibet for the last 50 years.
Tsering Shakya
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704858404576134003825177000.ht
ml
Anyone following the Indian media's obsession this month with a Buddhist
monk would think the stories came from the pages of a cheap spy novel.
Last month, India's police found $1.6 million in cash in various
currencies‹including Chinese yuan‹at the north Indian monastery of Ogyen
Trinley Dorje, who as the 17th Karmapa is one of the most important
spiritual figures in Tibetan Buddhism.
The Karmapa's office has explained this as cash donations from Tibetans
in China. Still, over the past week, many in India have fervently
accused the Karmapa of being a Chinese spy. Tibetans in India have just
as fervently defended their religious leader.
The accusations have been leveled not just by the media, but also by
senior and influential political figures. B. Raman, a former
intelligence officer and top bureaucrat in the Indian government, writes
that the Karmapa's "escape to India was probably under a long-term
Chinese intelligence operation to use him to influence events relating
to Tibet after the death of the Dalai Lama." Mr. Raman here refers to
the defection of the Karmapa in 2000 from Chinese-controlled Tibet to
India.
These accusations reflect New Delhi's growing anxiety about its strained
relationship with Beijing. But India must also appreciate that Tibetans
aren't any friendlier with Beijing than they were when the Dalai Lama
fled Tibet in 1959 and found asylum in northern India.
What are these Indian suspicions? First, there are doubts that the
Tibetan community in India could pose a liability. After all, after the
death of the present Dalai Lama, couldn't these Tibetans, under the
influence of this Karmapa, become a Trojan horse‹abandon their political
struggle and run into the open arms of China? The underlying assumption
here is that Tibetans are blind followers of religious leaders. To
outsiders, Tibetans' emotional response to the latest media coverage
confirms that their piety borders on religious fundamentalism.
But this suspicion makes it seem as if Tibetans are more loyal to a
spiritual leader than they are to the idea of Tibet. What Tibetans want
is a nation of their own. The mass protests in Lhasa in March 2008
weren't simply religious; they were a manifestation of people craving
their own secular representation.
Second, and more specifically, the Karmapa's lack of vocal opposition to
Beijing since his defection, as well as the Chinese government's
reluctance to demonize him as they do the Dalai Lama, has raised
eyebrows in India. The fear is that the Karmapa could well turn out to
be a Chinese agent and turn other Tibetans in northern India into
Chinese agents too.
But the same could be said of all senior Tibetan lamas. None of them
makes frequent anti-Chinese speeches or leads political campaigns,
because this has always been a task for the Dalai Lama. In any case, if
the Karmapa were a planted agent, wouldn't the Chinese have encouraged
him to camouflage himself as some firebrand activist? And why would
Beijing even pick a Tibetan to be a spy? Tibetans in India usually don't
have citizenship, or access to New Delhi's top echelons of power.
In fact, the thought that the Karmapa's 2000 escape was part of some
"long-term Chinese operation" is completely misguided. Since 1959, the
single most important failure for Chinese policy in Tibet has not been
the protests but the Karmapa's defection.
When Beijing installed him as a boy in 1992 in the Tsurphu monastery,
the traditional abode of the Karmapas, it was a major propaganda coup.
The Chinese intended for him to stay in Tibet and endorse their message
of stability and unity. Now that he has fled, not a single senior
Tibetan lama remains under the Communist Party's control.
It's understandable that any story involving $1.6 million in cash would
make for a sensation in India. For the press, it revived a prejudice
held in India in the days before liberalization, when capital controls
were tight, that foreign currency equaled criminality. It also may have
seemed out of place for Tibetan refugees in India to have all this cash.
But times have changed. The flow of foreign cash in India is no longer
suspicious in itself. And Tibetans now have great access to both global
remittances and donations.
If India wants to point a finger here, it should point it at itself.
Tibetan refugees can rarely become Indian citizens and hence face
complex regulations regarding the international transfer of money. That
they often have no choice but to resort to cash dealings is an open secret.
New Delhi should help change this, because these donations won't stop
anytime soon. In fact, these donations come not just from the West, but
also increasingly from Tibet. The Karmapa has thousands of followers
there who, because of an improving Tibetan economy, have more disposable
income to offer as remittances to family members or donations.
The funny thing is that even Beijing is suspicious about these
remittances and donations from Tibet to Tibetans on the other side of
the border. Neither China nor India is happy. And it's the lamas who are
caught in the middle.
Mr. Shakya is a professor at the Institute of Asian Research, University
of British Columbia, Canada.
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7. 16th Karmapa gave me my name
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Karma Paljor,IBN-CNN
<Karma Paljor is a news anchor with Indian TV IBN-CNN>
February 5, 2011
He gave me my name. The 16th Karmapa has long gone, but he has always
been my spiritual guide. I can recall almost all of our visits to his
monastery in Rumtek, Sikkim. And I can never forget his warm smile and
laughter from my first memory of the Karmapa as a 5-year-old child.
He used to have an aviary, where many rescued and donated birds were
kept. My father - who belonged to the animal husbandry department in the
government - used to volunteer in looking after the birds and cattle of
the monastery. Once on my visit to the monastery, I was amused to see a
tiny little bird resting on Kamapa's hand. A monk later told me that all
dead and dying birds are brought to him for special prayers... "They die
in peace in his hand," the monk had told me. I never saw Karmapa perform
miracles or magic, and he used to laugh at people who asked him to
predict their future. Yet, there was magic all around him. He always
told people to practice dharma, the dharma of kindness and giving.
Once I was told that my grand uncle, who once bought a lottery ticket in
his younger days, prayed to His Holiness and kept the ticket next to his
picture so that he won the lottery. But he never won, so the lottery
went to the bin, alongwith a much abused picture of the Karmapa. His
next audience with His Holiness followed soon, and I was told that a
very amused Karmapa kept asking my uncle if he felt let down by him.
On a bright sunny day (Dec 20th 1981) we said goodbye to the 16th
Karmapa, in Rumtek. It was also a day when we saw a rare rainbow around
the sun, just as his funeral pyre was lit. It was shot by some American
filmakers.
It took a long time for the monks to locate the next reincarnation. Good
news came in the form of Ogyen Trinley Dorje, born to a nomadic family
in Eastern Tibet. After a thorough selection process, he was enthroned
at the Tolung Tsurphu Monastery in Central Tibet on September 27, 1992.
At the age of fourteen, and after a few years of training, the 17th
Karma escaped Tibet and arrived in India on January 5, 2000. The love
and devotion I feel for my spiritual guru has made me follow his every
step with my enthusiasm, with a hope that he will return to Rumtek
monastery once again. There he will be with his people, people who truly
love him.
The recent turn of events around the Karmapa have disturbed me and the
people around me no end. As a journalist I am supposed to have a
balanced outlook, a pragmatic approach to 'news'. But faith shakes you
sometimes, and makes your response an emotional one. I questioned every
story, every leak from the so called, "intelligence sources". But news
is news. I have fought with my editors, questioned my reporters... But
again, news is news.
The News
Ogyen Trinley Dorje was fourteen years old when he reached India. And
the police claims, especially those made by Himachal DGP Minhas, of the
Karmapa's alleged Chinese links seems straight out of a spy thriller.
The Chinese must have a fantastic indoctrination system to make a
14-year-old believe in their plans and then send him to India to create
unrest. If you have watched Angelina Jolie's, Salt, then you will know
what exactly I am talking about.
The Karmapa has been in India for 10 years now, and his every move has
been documented. Even the details of his meetings with foreigners are
noted down for future reference. If he indeed had links with the
Chinese, then I have a question to ask the police. Why did they take
such a long time to find this out? They are clearly incompetent. If he
indeed is a spy, then all his followers, all the people who support him
from Ladakh to Sikkim to Arunachal, must be jailed for treason.
The careless leaks have only damaged and dented the deep trust and
angered the peace loving Buddhists living in the sensitive border area
with China. Please visit Sikkim, the one gateway to China and witness
the anger and sadness within every individual. Every unsubstantiated
allegation is only taking the people further away. They ask, "Would the
government of India have raided a temple or a mosque?"
"No one cares about the sensitivities of the hill people, they are an
unattractive vote bank!" The most clinching evidence the police claims
is the 11 lakh Chinese Yuan, "fresh and serially numbered". They say the
money was passed on possibly by the Chinese to buy property. The
Chinese, who the DGP thinks so advanced to be able to indoctrinate a
14-year-old into their spy network, would certainly have a better plan
than passing on 11 lakh in Chinese Yuan to their secret agent, knowing
very well that this is not an accepted currency in India.
Would they really have been so careless? Do other religious institutions
not receive donations in serially numbered notes?
It is a well known fact that the Karmapa's monastery had sought
government permission to receive foreign exchange from FCRA as foreign
donations. During this time they also declared offerings in foreign
currency they were holding.
The alleged land deals which are being reported are also shrouded in
mystery, there is very little information on where all this land is
spread. But it is a well known fact that the Kagupa monastery sought
land from the Himachal Pradesh Government to build a monastery. There
are documents to prove this. There was even a joint security inspection
by the police and the Tibetan government in exile.
The trouble is with the too many allegations that are flying around,
most of which are unsubstantiated. I just hope sense prevails, and the
Karmapa can finally return to his home in Sikkim.
The Facts:
The headquarters of the Karma Kagu office has compiled a list of answers
to the allegations that have been made. The official website of His
Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje is maintained by the
Kagyu Office. www.kagyuoffice.org
Fact 1: The Karmapa Office of Administration has been seeking to deposit
its donations in foreign currency for years. Under the Indian law,
foreign currency can only be deposited in a bank by a trust or other
registered institutions that have received government permission to do
so, known as FCRA permission. The Karmapa Office of Administration
created a trust called the Saraswati Charitable Trust, which repeatedly
applied for permission but was never granted the same to deposit foreign
currency. It thus created another trust, Karmae Garchen Trust, whose
application for FCRA permission to deposit foreign currency was
submitted last year and is still pending. With no legitimate means of
depositing or exchanging this foreign currency, the money was left to
pile up over time, awaiting the day when it could be legitimately
deposited.
Fact 2: The Chinese Yuan represents less than 10 per cent of the total
amount of foreign currency seized. The Chinese Yuan is the national
currency used in Tibet and across mainland China. Tibetans from Tibet
generally leave donations in Chinese Yuan. So do Buddhists from mainland
China. The Yuan seized by police include Chinese Yuan notes ranging from
1 Yuan notes to larger bills, reflecting that they come from multiple
individual sources.
Fact 3: The Chinese Yuan was only one of over 20 different currencies
found. The presence of donations in Yuans as well as other currencies
reflects His Holiness' status as a world spiritual leader with a diverse
international following that includes Tibetans and Buddhists from
mainland China, whose national currency is the Yuan. It is customary for
groups to pool their money and make collective donations. In Chinese
culture, it is especially common to offer new notes when making
donations to high abbots and senior spiritual leaders.
Fact 4: Written records of all cash donations are maintained. Donations
made by devotees are placed by his attendants in a donation box. At
regular intervals, the box is opened and the cashier and a group of
other office staff sort and count the donations. The cashier carefully
notes the total in each denomination, and painstaking records are kept
of the amounts. The cashier opts to store the foreign currency openly in
a dormitory room he shares with other monks, rather than in the office,
which receives a larger footfall.
Fact 5: Millions of international disciples regularly leave unsolicited
donations in the currencies of their home country when they come to see
His Holiness the Karmapa. HH the Karmapa is the revered leader of the
Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and the object of devotion and
trust of millions of followers from all over the world. During December
2010 alone, His Holiness granted personal audience to thousands of
devotees from 44 distinct nationalities, including American, British,
German, Japanese, and Chinese. It is customary to leave donations of
gifts such as fruit, incense or cash, as symbols of devotion to His
Holiness the Karmapa, and as a means of supporting his many charitable
activities.
Fact 6:HH's role is to lead the sect spiritually and he has no role in
the day-to-day management of the sect. The Karmapa reincarnation lineage
has a 900-year-old history of engaging in a vast range of spiritual
activities, from teaching 'dharma' to rigorous meditation to composing
philosophical texts. HH is completely and utterly uninvolved in the
handling and management of cash. The Tsurphu Labrang, known now as the
Karmapa Office of Administration, has existed for hundreds of years to
allow the Karmapas to devote their time and energy to their role as
spiritual leaders. It manages all the worldly affairs of the Karmapa,
including handling the donations and administering the finances. In this
way, the Karmapa has been left free to fulfill his solemn duties as a
spiritual guide to countless followers and leader of a large Buddhist
order.
Fact 7: The Indian government was fully informed of the plans to buy
land in Dharamsala to build a monastery for HH the Karmapa. HH has been
hosted in a temporary residence in Dharamsala by another Tibetan
Buddhist sect since his arrival in India in 2000. The Karmae Garchen
Trust was seeking to purchase the land in its own name for the purpose
of building a permanent residence and monastery for His Holiness, whose
current living quarters measure 15'x15'. When the Karmae Garchen Trust
identified suitable land near His Holiness' current temporary residence
in Dharamsala, it informed the office of the District Collector of
Dharamsala and sought their approval to proceed with the purchase.
Fact 8: The Indian government had granted preliminary approval of the
land purchase. Under the Land Reform Act, any non-Himachali and
non-agriculturist requires sanction by the state government before
purchasing land. The Karmae Garchen Trust sought and was granted
preliminary approval by the relevant state government offices. The
application was accompanied by a strong letter of support from the
Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration
of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They obtained both - an essentiality
certificate and a no-objection certificate - from the Town and Country
Planning Department of the Himachal Pradesh government, indicating state
government approval to proceed with the plans to purchase the land.
Fact 9: The INR 1 crore (approx. $ 215,000) seized in the car of an
Indian hotelier belonged to the seller of the land, rather than the
Trust. The two men were arrested in a car with the money. The two men
were agents working for the land seller, who had been given a partial
payment due for the land. These agents had accepted payment in Delhi and
signed a receipt from Rabgay Chusong, the monk who handles the financial
matters for the Karmapa Office of Administration. Currently, only Rabgay
is in custody and will be in remand until the February 5, after which we
will post bail.
The seller demanded payment in cash for the land, which is legal and
commonly practiced for various other capital assets as well in India.
Since the Karmae Garchen Trust did not have such cash on hand, cash
donations in Indian rupees were gathered from donations made during the
Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya, and delivered to Delhi by the Karmapa Office
of Administration.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Is the Karmapa Lama an agent of Beijing or a political scapegoat?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese cash seized from the monastery of one of the most important
figures in Tibetan Buddhism has stirred fresh intrigue
o Brahma Chellaney
o guardian.co.uk, Thursday 10 February 2011 15.27 GMT
The Karmapa Lama at his monastery in Dharamsala, India, where large sums
of Chinese cash were seized in a police raid. Photograph: Reuters
The seizure by police of large sums of Chinese currency from the Indian
monastery of the Karmapa Lama one of the most important figures in
Tibetan Buddhism has revived old suspicions about his continuing links
with China and forced him to deny that he is an "agent of Beijing".
The Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, and the Karmapa Lama are the three
highest figures in Tibetan Buddhism, representing parallel institutions
that have intermittently been at odds with each other throughout their
history. And China, seeking to tighten its grip on Tibet, has worked to
control the traditional process of finding the reincarnation of any
senior lama that passes away.
Thus, in 1992, China helped select the seven-year-old Ogyen Trinley
Dorje as the 17th Karmapa Lama, installing him at Tibet's Tsurphu
monastery the Karmapas' ancestral abode, which was almost destroyed
during the cultural revolution. He became the first reincarnated "living
Buddha" to be recognised and ratified by Communist China.
But then, in 1999, Dorje staged a stunning escape to India via Nepal,
attracting the world's attention, but also deep suspicion, because of
the apparent ease with which he and his entourage managed to flee. The
Dalai Lama has hosted him at the Gyuto monastery in Dharamsala, India,
ever since.
Earlier, in 1995, China installed its own Panchen Lama after its
security services abducted the Tibetans' six-year-old appointee, who has
simply disappeared, along with his family.
Now, China is waiting for the current Dalai Lama who is over 75 and
has had bouts of ill health in recent years to pass away, so that it
can anoint his successor, too. But the Dalai Lama, the charismatic face
of the Tibetan movement, has made it clear that his successor will come
from the "free world", thereby excluding Chinese-ruled Tibet. This has
set the stage for the emergence of two rival Dalai Lamas, one chosen by
China and the other by the Tibetan exile movement.
In fact, the Chinese-appointed Karmapa Lama has a doppelganger Karmapa,
who has set up shop in New Delhi. With both the Karmapas in India, the
Indian government has sought to maintain peace by barring the contenders
from the sacred Rumtek monastery in the Indian Himalayan state of Sikkim.
Against this background, the discovery of large sums of Chinese and
other foreign currency has ignited a fresh controversy over Dorje. While
his supporters have staged protests against the police raid and
interrogation of their leader, Indian officials have expressed
apprehension that China may be funding Dorje as part of a plan to
influence the Karmapa's Kagyu sect, which controls important monasteries
along the militarised Indo-Tibetan border.
According to Xu Zhitao, an official at the Chinese Communist party
central committee's united front work department, the allegation that
"the Karmapa [may be] a Chinese agent or spy shows that India is keeping
its mistrustful attitude toward China". But such an attitude seems
warranted: Xu's Tibet division is tasked with overseeing monastic
institutions, inculcating "patriotic" norms among monks and nuns
through re-education when necessary and infiltrating the Tibetan
resistance movement and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries on both sides of
the Indo-Tibetan frontier.
Communities in the Himalayan region have historically been closely
integrated. But, with Tibet locked behind an iron curtain since the 1951
Chinese annexation, the economies and cultures of the entire Himalayan
region have weakened. Tibetan Buddhism, however, still serves as the
common link, with the Karmapa's Kagyu sect a powerful force on the
Indian side.
The cash haul has reopened the question that arose in 1999: Was China
behind Dorje's flight to India, or is he a genuine defector who simply
got fed up with living in a gilded Chinese cage?
China had several possible motives for staging his "escape", including a
desire to strengthen his claim to the title at a time when the rival
contender (backed by important interests in India, Bhutan and Taiwan)
appeared to be gaining ground. Had Dorje remained in Tibet, he could
have lost out to his rival, because the 280-year-old Rumtek monastery,
the Kagyu school's holiest institution, is where the sect's all-powerful
"black hat", the symbolic crown of the Karmapa believed to be woven
from the hair of female deities is located.
China would also have drawn comfort from the fact that, within the murky
world of intra-Tibetan politics, its anointed Karmapa, oddly, had the
Dalai Lama's backing. Historically, the Dalai Lamas and Karmapa Lamas
vied with each other for influence until the Dalai Lama's Gelug school
gained ascendancy over the Kagyu order. According to Tibetan tradition,
however, the Dalai Lama has no role in selecting or endorsing a Karmapa.
The Dalai Lama in this case gave his approval for purely political reasons.
The previous Karmapa Lama died in 1981, and the controversy over his
successor that has raged ever since also epitomises a struggle for
control of the $1.5bn in assets held by the Kagyu order, the richest in
Tibetan Buddhism. With control of the Rumtek monastery embroiled in
rival lawsuits, the New Delhi-based Karmapa has, not surprisingly,
greeted the recent cash seizure as "exposing" his Chinese-appointed rival.
Significantly, in contrast to its increasingly vituperative attacks on
the Dalai Lama, China has not denounced (or de-recognised) its Karmapa,
despite his flight to India signalling its failure to retain the loyalty
of a supposed puppet. The Mandarin-speaking Ogyen Trinley Dorje, now 25,
occasionally criticises the Chinese government, including its efforts
"to create this ethnic conflict" in Tibet. Nevertheless, China has
refrained from attacking him, making clear that it wants him to return
eventually.
And the ongoing Karmapa saga, with its shadowy politics and intrigue,
could turn out to be only the opening act a foretaste of what may come
when two duelling Dalai Lamas emerge after the incumbent passes from the
scene.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
9. The fallacy of Karmapa's Chinese links
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guest blog: Thinley Topgyal,
<Thinley Topgyal is a Delhi based lawyer>
IBN-CNN Thursday , February 03, 2011
The assumption that the Karmapa will create a China-friendly chain of
monasteries in the Himalayas by using Himachal Pradesh as a staging
point for anti-India campaigns is a fallacy.
The monasteries which dot the Himalayan region from Arunachal to Sikkim,
West Bengal, Uttaranchal to Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh belong to
different sects of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. There is no
homogeneity as each of the four schools have their own spiritual leader
and are not dependent on each other. However, all schools by and large
owe allegiance to the Dalai Lama, the supreme spiritual and temporal
head of Tibet.
To take the analysis a little further: Arunachal, our eastern most
border state has a large Buddhist following belonging mostly to the
Geluk sect (known widely as the "Yellow Hat Sect"). The Geluk sect is
headed by the Ganden Tri Rinpoche who is elected to this position. (The
Dalai Lama is a member of the Geluk sect but is not the Head of the
Geluk sect).
Arunachalis have time and again protested China's claim to their land as
part of China's territory and protested the Chinese claims vociferously,
even as the mandarins in South Block have made meek diplomatic noises
but have not told the Chinese to lay off in no uncertain terms.
The next important state, Sikkim, has been a part of India since 1975.
The Karmapa lineage's relations with the Sikkimese people date back to
the time of the 12th Karmapa, Changchub Dorji (1703-1732) when the two
Karma Kagyu monasteries of Ralang in South Sikkim and Phodang in North
Sikkim were established. The Old Rumtek monastery was established
thereafter. The Karmapa has overwhelming support here but the people
have been peacefully and patiently waiting for over 10 years for the
Karmapa's return to Rumtek. Scores of representations have been made to
all manner of constitutional authorities.
Finally, on 26th September, 2010 a spontaneous, peaceful rally was
attended by tens of thousands in the capital city of Gangtok.
Accompanied by mantra-chanting monks, the rally reverberated with
lilting and soulful tune of ritual musical instruments and the robust
sound of the kettledrums. Perhaps the sound has still not reached the
ears of our fate deciders in New Delhi. Yet, no anti-India slogans have
been raised and Sikkim continues to be one of the most peaceful states
in India.
In the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, there are monasteries
belonging to the Drukpa Kagyu, Nyingma, Sakya, and the Karma Kagyu
schools. While Darjeeling may be seeking statehood separate from the
State of West Bengal, they are not seeking separation from India.
While other monasteries in Uttarachanchal, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh
may profess the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, they are not exactly
hotbeds of anti-India elements. They are a peace-loving, compassionate
lot, proud to be part of this vast nation called India.
To those in the security establishment who perceive a larger conspiracy
and a China-sponsored hand in the Karmapa's activities, as a proud
Indian, who belongs to the border State of Sikkim, I would say: please
apply your minds to protecting India in other ways. We are not gullible
enough to promote or appreciate your fantasies borne out of paranoia.
Indians in the Himalayan region are not treacherous beings and to see
them as willing allies in an effort to destabilize India is simply
preposterous. The Karmapa is not running the local office of the Chinese
security establishment.
The Karmapa lineage is 900 years old this year. The 17th Karmapa, Ugyen
Trinlay Dorji, is a shining beacon and hope for the present age. Let us
not trash his character and destroy our own moral fibre. If we do that,
we are no better than the people who attempted to destroy the Tibetan
nation and her people and committed untold misery.
The sooner our security agencies recognize the fallacy in the assumption
that the Karmapa is an agent of our adversary, the better for our country.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10. 'New Chinese law aimed at wiping out Tibetan identity'
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naresh Kumar Sharma, TNN, Feb 14, 2011, 07.13pm IST
DHARAMSALA: The new Chinese law which would come into effect next month
banning reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist monks in
Tibet was aimed at wiping out the Tibetan identity and its rich culture,
said exiled Tibetan government based here on Monday.
The new law which stipulates Buddhist monks in Tibet to seek permission
from Chinese communist regime for reincarnation has been ironically
described by Chinese state administration for religious affairs as an
important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation.
However, the de facto Prime Minister of Tibet Samdhong Rinpoche,
speaking to TOI said that the new Chinese law coming into effect next
month framed to ban reincarnation of Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Lamas
was not surprising and unexpected at all. He said that China had been
for a long time engaged in working out various methods and formula to
finish the two major Tibetan religious institutions-Dalai Lama and
Panchen Lama. He said that these two institutions are very important for
Tibetans.
He said that the new Chinese law was nothing but a ploy to take control
of Tibetan religious institutions. He said that China was perhaps
waiting for the departure of the Dalai Lama as it believed that his
departure would resolve the problem of Tibet itself.
Rinpoche said that China believes that by choosing its own Dalai Lama as
it did in the case of appointing its own Panchen Lama with the new law
coming into force would help them to control Tibetans living in various
parts of the world including here (Dharamsala) which was not the case at
present.
The de facto Prime Minister of Tibet said that it was wishful thinking
on the part of Beijing to believe that if the Dalai Lama leaves the
scene it would make things easier for it (China) to control the Tibetan
struggle and movement for its cause as per its own convenience. He said
that the Tibetan issue creates lot of pressure on China at global level,
a fact though not accepted by Chinese. He said that Tibetan struggle
could not be stymied with one individual (Dalai Lama) not on the scene
as it was struggle of a nation.
However, he said that departure of the Dalai Lama would defiantly have a
significant bearing on the Tibetan struggle as it could make Tibetans
especially youth agitated and could resort to violent means owing to
lack of leadership.
About the Karmapa monastery issue, he said that if huge haul of foreign
currency including Chinese Yuan had been accumulated illegally must be
investigated thoroughly to extract t the truth about it. He said that he
believes that Karmapa staff had been responsible for the money found to
be kept at monastery in illegal manner. Regarding suspicions being
raised about Karmapa being Chinese agent or spy, he said that he
(Karmapa) was not so smart and competent to indulge in such sort of
activity. When asked that how the Karmapa managed to run away from Tibet
(China) in dramatic circumstances in January 2000, Rinpoche said that he
(Karmapa) he took advantage of snow while escaping from there.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11. India has more claim over Tibet than China
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
TNN, Feb 11, 2011, 03.59am IST
JODHPUR: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on Thursday that
India has a reason to have a claim on Tibet more than China. He said
this in reference to the closeness of the Tibetans with India as he said
that the Buddhist religion has its roots in India and it is still
practiced abundantly along the border right from Ladakh to Arunachal
Pradesh. He was addressing a gathering of Tibetan community during his
third day of Jodhpur visit on Thursday. He sought the continuous support
of India in the struggle of Tibetans terming this to be an issue of
India as well.
He said the Tibetans owe India a lot as this nation has never
disappointed them in standing by them. Striking a comparison between
India and China, he said that though China is a fast-developing country
marked by rapid pace of economic growth, it is devoid of any sort of
freedom and morality, which has miserably failed to maintain the
communism. On the contrary, India takes a lead from China here in terms
of protection of civil rights and freedom and is the most successful and
stable democracy in the world. Giving the examples of Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Sri Lanka,Burma and Bangladesh, the spiritual leader said
that despite having surrounded by such unstable countries, India has
succeeded in maintaining the democratic and human values.
Addressing the gathering in his mother tongue, Dalai Lama called upon
them for sticking to their roots and remain determined for keeping their
culture, traditions and values alive. "Though it is a huge challenge
with a long struggle ahead, we are finding support with the many
countries including China, where the intellectuals have started
understanding us and have started lending years to our voice," he said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Dalai Lama uses donations to fund hospital
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5 FEB, 2011, 02.31PM IST,IANS
DHARAMSALA: A Right to Information (RTI) plea has revealed how Tibetan
spiritual leader the Dalai Lama uses donations - with at least Rs.1
crore going towards setting up a hospital in Himachal Pradesh.
Information gathered by RTI activist Lawan Thakur of Mandi town Friday
showed that the Dalai Lama has donated Rs.1 crore to a trust setting up
a multi-speciality medical college and research institute in Palampur
town, some 40 km from his official palace here.
Apart from his own contribution, the Dalai Lama's appeal to his
followers here and abroad resulted in further donations of over Rs.1.5
crore to the trust, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party vice president and
former chief minister Shanta Kumar.
According to information obtained by Thakur, the spiritual leader
donated Rs.50 lakh twice -- on Jan 9, 2003 and Nov 29, 2003 -- to the
Vivekananda Medical and Research Trust .
On the appeal of the Dalai Lama, four people settled in New York donated
around Rs.1 crore on a single day to the trust.
Thakur told IANS that G.V. Hurag, Le Ce Yuan, Moon Chung Wang and Harish
Wey sent the money Nov 2, 2002. "However, the origin of the donors has
not been revealed in the RTI response," he added.
Similarly, US residents Muriyar Clans contributed Rs.1.2 million Nov 2,
2002, Kajooey Rawey Rs.480,000 Dec 10, 2003, and Lagi Hey Rs.226,900 Jan
12, 2004 to the trust.
Dharamsala-based Tibetan NGO Ko Tibetan Religion donated Rs.39,76,870
Sep 16, 2004.
Shanta Kumar said: "Some of the donations were received from abroad by
the trust on the appeal of the Dalai Lama to his followers."
The foundation stone of the multi-crore Vivekananda Medical College and
Research Institute was laid in 1992 and it's likely to be completed in
the next three years.
Thubten Samphel, secretary of the department of information and
international relations of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA),
told IANS: "The Dalai Lama does a lot. He donates liberally to
universities for studies on world peace, compassion, non-violence and
promoting human values. He donates in India a lot, and abroad too."
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Communist rule
in 1959. His Tibetan government-in-exile is based at McLeodganj, near
this Himachal town.
It is not recognised by any government. Over 94,000 Tibetans live in
India today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13. An Exile's Long Journey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tragedy in Crimson: How the Dalai Lama Conquered the World but Lost the
Battle With China
By Tim Johnson
Nation Books, 333 pages, $26.99
By ELLEN BORK
During his state visit to Washington in January, Chinese Communist Party
General Secretary Hu Jintao reiterated China's claims to Tibet and
Taiwan as "core interests." Mr. Hu's concern might seem odd, considering
that the summit was devoted to difficult economic issues and North
Korea. Taiwan seems for the moment beyond Beijing's reach, while Tibet
is firmly under its control.
If Beijing's leaders feel compelled to assert claims to Tibet and
Taiwan, it is because these places are not merely territorial
interests‹they are ideological, even existential, challenges to
communist rule.
In "Tragedy in Crimson," Tim Johnson, a former Beijing bureau chief for
the Knight-Ridder and McClatchy newspaper groups, reports on‹as his
subtitle has it‹"How the Dalai Lama Conquered the World but Lost the
Battle With China." The exiled leader is revered by Tibetans and by
politicians and celebrities around the world, but he is still under
siege by the Chinese Communist Party, 60 years after China invaded Tibet
and eventually drove him into exile.
From his base in India, where he has lived since 1959, the Dalai
Lama‹the political and spiritual leader of Tibet, believed by Tibetan
Buddhists to be the 14th reincarnation of the Boddhisattva of
Compassion‹has watched as the CCP attacked Tibetan religion and culture.
The Potala, the seat of Tibetan political and religious authority, was
converted into a kitschy tourist attraction. The Chinese also
implemented massive building projects to facilitate an influx of Han
Chinese and People's Liberation Army troops and the extraction of
natural resources.
As Mr. Johnson notes, if a similar campaign of cultural annihilation
were unleashed today, it would provoke intense international reaction.
For a time, in the 1960s, it did. Legal experts and the United Nations
judged that Tibet's sovereignty and human rights had been violated. The
U.S. trained Tibetan resistance fighters in the 1950s and '60s but
abandoned them when President Nixon decided, for strategic reasons, to
establish diplomatic relations with China.
Tibet's prospects might seem grim. The Dalai Lama takes a different
view. He is no Pollyanna and has expressed his "thinning" patience with
the unproductive dialogue between his representatives and the Chinese
government. However, he believes that the end of Chinese Communist rule
will come sooner rather than later, and that Tibetans and Chinese can
live together. He even tries to communicate directly with the Chinese
people‹through, for example, an online discussion last year arranged by
the writer Wang Lixiong. And Chinese dissidents like the jailed Nobel
Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo have made a vital, albeit repressed
challenge to official policy on Tibet.
In the meantime, the Dalai Lama pursues an international campaign. Mr.
Johnson tracks him from Dharamsala‹the remote town in northern India
that has been a Tibetan-exile home for half a century‹to foreign
capitals and other locales, where the Dalai Lama has attracted support
in the U.S. Congress and in human-rights organizations and on college
campuses, not to mention in Hollywood. The campaign began in earnest in
the 1980s, and the attention it drew succeeded in elevating Tibet as a
U.S. foreign-policy priority.
The preternaturally optimistic Dalai Lama has found that exile has its
advantages. "If I am considered most holy person in Potala, waste of
time," he has said. He acknowledges the positive influence of living in
democratic India and of traveling to the U.S. and other democracies.
Under his leadership, Tibet's government in exile‹the Central Tibetan
Administration, which handles many affairs of the 150,000 Tibetans
displaced from their homeland‹has democratized. In October, Tibetans in
India, Nepal, the U.S. and Europe voted in the first round of elections
to replace Lobsang Tenzin, a monk with the religious title, Samdhong
Rinpoche, as the leader of the CTA. The final round will be held next
month.
Achieving democracy, the Dalai Lama believes, will be viewed as one of
the Tibetans' greatest achievements. Beijing sees it as a threat and has
interfered with the balloting in Nepal and Bhutan. The Chinese have also
resorted to using communist ideology to increase pressure on the Dalai
Lama: At a recent party meeting, Hu Jintao reportedly argued that ethnic
Tibetans' efforts to distinguish themselves from Han Chinese constitute
a dangerous "special contradiction" in Marxism.
The development of Tibetan democracy in exile also presents a challenge
for the U.S. American foreign policy on Tibet has limited goals, chiefly
to support cultural and religious preservation efforts and the fruitless
dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government. Under the
Obama administration, support for Tibet has declined noticeably. The
president postponed a meeting with the Dalai Lama out of deference to
Beijing, and last year a State Department report to Congress subtly
diminished the importance of Tibet in U.S.-China relations and implied
that the Dalai Lama lacks support within Tibetan society.
Washington's practice of avoiding political matters in its Tibetan
policy will be put to a test when the Dalai Lama, now 75, dies. The
ostensibly atheist CCP has already announced its intention to control
the identification of the next Dalai Lama, even issuing "guidelines on
reincarnation" that emphasize the need for patriotism and loyalty. For
his part, the Dalai Lama has said that his reincarnation will be found
in a "free country" because a reincarnate continues the work of his
predecessor.
That work has yielded considerable achievements, including democracy in
exile and the preservation of Tibet's culture and religion. "It is hard
to imagine how a Tibetan leader could have risen more suitably to the
times and challenges," Mr. Johnson writes, in clear admiration of the
Dalai Lama's resilience and moral purpose. Indeed, the story of "Tragedy
in Crimson" contains many elements of triumph.
‹Ms. Bork is the director of Democracy and Human Rights at the Foreign
Policy Initiative.
Copyright 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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14. India's Tibetan betrayal
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Or how Vallabhbhai Patel's advice was ignored
Sunanda K Datta-Ray / New Delhi February 12, 2011, 0:46 IST
Sardar Patel would have approved. His stern visage, appropriately but
accidentally flanked by portraits of the fresh-faced young Orgyen
Thinley Dorjee, the 17th Karmapa Lama, overlooked dozens of monks in
saffron and yellow, with an occasional glint of brocade, squatting under
a Jantar Mantar signboard proclaiming proprietorially, Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel. The next line, Smarak TrUst was not visible.
They came from Ladakh and Sikkim, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Arunachal
Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Many waved the national
tricolour emphasising their Indian Buddhist identity, some flaunted
Buddhism¹s multicoloured standard, others held pennants of swirling blue
and yellow representing the Karmapa¹s Karma Kagyu school. Placards
refuted media allegations against him. A press release explained the
monks¹ assembly on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was to pray for the
Dalai Lama and the Karmapa Lama, for ³the speedy elimination of all the
obstacles being encountered by His Holiness the Karmapa Lama² and for
India¹s peace and prosperity.
It was a feast of sight and sound. The altar rose in delicately
ornamented tormas (ceremonial cake offerings) in pale shades of pink and
blue. Butter lamps twinkled, and long brass and copper horns with ornate
silver encrustations blared out their resonance over the swelling volume
of a hundred deep male voices chanting in Tibetan.
I spotted P Namgyal, former Congress MP from Ladakh, in smart gala-bandh
signing petitions at a makeshift desk. Bustling about in black
ankle-length baku was another former MP, Sikkim¹s portly Karma Topden,
who had also been India¹s ambassador to Buddhist Mongolia. But the
absent Vallabhbhai Patel¹s was the dominating presence for the gathering
would not have been necessary if he had been heeded. Tibet may not have
fallen, the Karmapa would not have had to flee, policemen and junior
officials would not have made him their target, and ignorant TV
anchormen would not have repeated their slanderous propaganda.
Patel warned Nehru in June 1949 that though Tibet had ³long been
detached from China², the Communists would ³try to destroy its
autonomous existence² as soon as they had consolidated their power.
India should prepare ³for that eventuality². Offence being the best
defence, as they say in boxing, a Chinese magazine accused Nehru three
months later ³of aiding imperialist designs for the annexation of
Tibet². Peking Radio repeated the charge in vitriolic language.
Highlighting the danger to India, Patel wrote to Nehru again the
following November after the Union Cabinet had acquiesced in China¹s
conquest. His letter pointed out that ³the Chinese government has tried
to delude us by professions of peaceful intentions ... At a crucial
period they managed to instil into our Ambassador a false sense of
confidence in their so-called desire to settle the Tibetan problem by
peaceful means ...² While China¹s action was ³little short of perfidy²
India¹s inaction was a betrayal.
³The tragedy of it is that the Tibetans put faith in us; they chose to
be guided by us; and we have been unable to get them out of the meshes
... of Chinese malevolence ... It appears that we shall not be able to
rescue the Dalai Lama Š². Patel sought an early meeting with Nehru to
discuss ³Chinese irredentism and Communist imperialism².
There was no meeting. But he told a public rally in Delhi, ³A peaceful
country like Tibet has been invaded and it may not survive. There has
been no aggression from its side. The whole border becomes exposed to
danger. We should, therefore, be vigilant². Patel would heartily have
endorsed the Karmapa¹s reasons for fleeing Tibet and his tribute to his
³second homeland², as quoted in the press release I was given with a
white silk khada (scarf). ³The Indian government, in contrast to
Communist China, is a free country, a democratic country that is based
on the rule of law.²
I saw nothing in the media about this dazzling show with a serious
purpose. Why? One of the organisers had a pithy explanation. ³The media
doesn¹t believe in the power of prayer,² he replied. ³They would have
taken notice if we had thrown stones!²
Tailpiece
A strapping unshaven man in windbreaker, trousers and boots sidled up to
me to ask who Karma Topden, conspicuous in his baku, was. Then he wanted
to know my ³shubh naam². Tit for tat, I asked where he was he from.
³Express TV² he mumbled hesitantly. Never heard of it, I said, in my
broken Hindi and asked if he was a cop. The man grinned in relief at not
having to keep up a pretence that strained his capability. Intelligence,
not intelligent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
15. Otero raises Tibet refugees ID issue
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
KOSH RAJ KOIRALA
KATHMANDU, Feb 15: Visiting US Under Secretary of State for Democracy
and Global Affairs Maria Otero has expressed concern with Prime Minister
Jhalanath Khanal about the problems faced by Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
At a meeting held at Singha Durbar Monday afternoon, Otero also urged
the government to treat Tibetan refugees as per the international human
rights obligations.
Prime minister´s foreign relations advisor Milan Tuladhar said Otero put
forth the problems faced by Tibetans refugees living in Nepal in the
meeting.
Otero, who arrived in Kathmandu on a three-day visit, said that children
of Tibetan refugees living here for several years had been facing
problems due to lack of identity cards.
According to Tuladhar, Prime Minister Khanal said that they have been
dealing with the issue of Tibetan refugees as per the international
human rights obligations. "We will deal with the issue taking into
account the concerns of our immediate neighbors -- China and India," he
quoted the prime minister as saying.
After the meeting Otero told media persons, "We made it clear that this
is an important issue for us and that we are concerned about. And we
will proceed to look at it very carefully."
The meeting also dwelled on the issue of Bhutanese refugees living in
Nepal. Otero suggested to the prime minister to take initiatives to
resume dialogue with Bhutan to address the problems.
During the meeting, Otero extended best wishes from US President Barack
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Prime Minister Khanal
and expressed the view that his government will be able to establish
consensus for completing peace process and drafting new constitution.
Otero had inquired about the expansion of cabinet, integration and
rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants and progress made in the
direction of promulgating new constitution.
Earlier in the day Otero also visited Tibetan Reception Center in
Kathmandu and also met with Tibetan refugee leaders to know about the
problems and hardships they face in Nepal.
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16. Nepal cracks down on Tibet war veterans welfare group
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2011-02-17 14:30:00
Kathmandu, Feb 17 (IANS) The Nepal police has cracked down on an
organisation looking after Tibetan resistance fighters, who fought a
long guerrilla war against the Chinese invasion and annexation of their
country in the 1950s and 1960s, without any provocation, a rights group
said.
Police in riot gear Sunday shut down local elections for the leadership
of the Chushi Gangdruk, a Tibetan community group principally looking
after the welfare of veterans of the Tibetan resistance force that
battled the Chinese People's Liberation Army from 1958 to 1974, the New
York-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said Thursday.
According to ICT, Kathmandu police Sunday raided three locations where
the voting was taking place: Swoyambhu, Jawalakhel and Boudha -- areas
in Kathmandu valley with a concentration of Tibetan refugees.
Around 10 a.m., a van arrived at the voting hall in Boudha and police
wearing riot-gear and carrying guns and batons said the raid was ordered
by the chief district officer on the ground that Tibetans were
prohibited from taking part in any election.
A member of the Chushi Gangdruk election committee, whose name was not
disclosed, said the voting was to choose local community representatives
so that 'when someone is sick we can take them to the hospital or when
someone dies we can take the corpse to the graveyard'.
The organisation said it helps poor and homeless people, cleans the
streets and looks after the environment in the Tibetan community.
The ballot box was confiscated and police monitored the area till
evening to ensure that fresh elections could not be held.
Ironically, the new crackdown came even as the US Under Secretary of
State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Maria Otero, who is also the
special coordinator for Tibetan Issues, was on a three-day visit to
Kathmandu to look into refugee issues.
During her visit, Otero had met Tibetan refugees and urged Nepal's
government to allow them free passage to India without restrictions.
She had also pledged the continued support of the US government for the
safety and welfare of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
Last year, Nepal's police also prevented Tibetans from taking part in
elections to the government-in-exile of Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in
Dharamshala in India.
ICT said Nepal's 'One China policy' is frequently invoked by authorities
as the reason to shut down community activities in the Tibetan community
that had previously been allowed, such as the Chushi Gandruk elections
and celebrations of the Dalai Lama's birthday.
'The link between China's aggression against Tibetans and Nepalese
police actions has contributed to an environment of fear and insecurity
in Nepal's Tibetan communities,' it said.
Under Chinese pressure, Nepal has also refused to recognise as refugees
those who arrived after 1989, significantly limiting their social,
economic, political and civil rights.
Tibetan refugees are also not allowed to register marriages and the
birth of children.
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17. US raises Tibetan issue with Prime Minister
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Added At: 2011-02-15 12:28 AM
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: Visiting US under secretary of state Maria Otero today raised
the Tibetan refugee issue with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and
urged him to follow the international practice of providing safe transit
for trans-country refugees.
Otero also raised the problem of refugee identification in Nepal as they
have been taking refuge here since mainland China invaded Tibet in 1959.
³She expressed concern about the Nepal government policy with regard to
Tibetan refugees arriving in the country as well as identification of
refugees who have been living in Nepal for decades,² The prime
minister¹s foreign affairs adviser Milan Tuladhar said.
Otero, who is the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, had visited
the Tibetan Refugee Transit Centre in Kathmandu on Sunday with the
American Ambassador to Nepal, Scott H DeLisi to talk with Tibetan
refugees, some of whom are awaiting clearance of passage to Dharmashala
of India, where their spiritual leader Dalai Lama operates the Tibetan
government in exile.
Sources said the refugees spoke to American officials about their
vulnerability, including Nepal government¹s increasingly assertive
policy towards the issue of their transit to Dharmashala, upon China¹s
request.
PM Khanal responded to Otero saying that the Government of Nepal has
been treating Tibetan refugees as per universal law and obligations,
stating it was a very Œsensitive¹ issue for Nepal. ³The PM did not make
any commitment on the issue,² Tuladhar said.
During the half-hour-long meeting, the issue of Bhutanese refugees also
figured. PM Khanal stated that Nepal stands by the choice of Bhutanese
people to return to their home. Otero had discussed the issue with
Indian and Bhutanese authorities just before arriving in Kathmandu on
Saturday.
³We believe that the Bhutanese refugees deserve the right to return to
their motherland,² Tuladhar quoted the prime minister. Otero advised him
that resumption of dialogue wih Bhutanese authorities would be better to
address the issue permanently.
Nepal is home to some 20,000 Tibetan and over 100,000 Bhutanese
refugees. But, more than 40,000 Bhutanese refugees have already adopted
the US and seven other first world countries as home as per the UN third
country resettlement plan.
Asked whether she raised the issue of refugees in Nepal, Otero said, ³It
is an important issue for us. We believe we will proceed to look at it
carefully.² She said America will be a ³strong partner and supporter² in
Nepal¹s peace and constitution drafting process.
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18. Harvard Law School Grad Runs For Tibetan Office
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By CAROLINE M. MCKAY, CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Harvard Law School graduate and research associate Lobsang Sangay is
hoping to lead a government with no borders and no jurisdiction in the
country it says it represents. After an eight-month campaign traveling
to settlements across the world, Sangay hopes to become the next prime
minister of the Tibetan government in exile.
Sangay, the first Tibetan graduate of Harvard Law School, came to
Cambridge on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he earned both his J.D. and
LL.M. While Sangay said that being the first Tibetan to graduate from
the Law School is an honor, he added that the barrier could have been
broken much earlier.
Sangay said that he hopes his success at Harvard will inspire young
Tibetans to pursue higher education so that they can ³continue to more
effectively provide leadership in the Tibetan movement and community at
large.²
He added that his education at Harvard helped equip him to serve the
Tibetan community.
³Exposure to diverse views, ways of thinking, and how leaders conduct
themselves have definitely helped me become both an individual and an
academic, as well a leader,² he said.
Sangay said that conversing with Chinese students had been especially
helpful.
³Meeting hundreds of Chinese students helped me understand their
perspective and also equipped me in sharing the challenges in the
present occupation of Tibet,² Sangay said.
Professor of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp
said he has known Sangay since Sangay came to Harvard more than a decade
ago and that Sangay has ³always been very active within the Tibetan
community in Boston² as well as in the broader Tibetan movement.
³He used to be very hardline, [with a] pro-independence Tibet mindset,²
van der Kuijp said about Sangay when he first arrived at Harvard. ³But
in the meantime he¹s mellowed quite a bit.²
Van der Kuijp said that Sangay‹like the Dalai Lama‹now realizes that an
independent Tibet probably isn¹t going to happen in his lifetime, and
that there are other more effective ways to push for improved life for
Tibetans.
According to van der Kuijp, Sangay has been ³very active² in trying to
encourage discussion and debate on campus by gathering Tibetans to
discuss the region¹s future, and by bringing Tibetans together with
Chinese officials to encourage mutual understanding in each group-¹s
positions. Sangay organized and participated in five such conferences on
campus.
Although Sangay has been active on campus in facilitating conversations
between Chinese officials and Tibetan activists, neither he nor the
government he is campaigning to run is allowed to enter Tibet. Centered
in Dharamsala, India, the government operates completely outside of
Tibet, and has jurisdiction over and is elected by a voting population
of refugees in Tibetan colonies around the world.
The government employs over 400 individuals at its headquarters, and
over 700 staff members in Tibetan settlements across the world,
according to Sangay. The government also sustains a parliament and a
judiciary, which overhears civil and administrative cases within the
Tibetan community.
Before the campaign, Sangay traveled to different Tibetan settlements to
give lectures and hold workshops. He said that while Harvard paid for
his academic trips, all trips related to his candidacy have been covered
by the campaign. The Tibetan population, though scattered, is small, and
Sangay said it only takes a month and a half to visit all the
settlements across the world.
Since last August, Sangay has split his time between the campaign and
Cambridge‹his home since 1995. If Sangay wins the election, he will have
to resign his position at the Law School and move permanently to India,
a step Sangay called a ³compromise one has to make.²
³It¹s a duty for a cause, for a movement. I¹ve always worked for Tibet
and the Tibetan people, now I¹d be physically moving to India,² Sangay
said. ³These are minor challenges compared to the sacrifices made by
Tibetans in Tibet.²
‹Staff writer Caroline M. McKay can be reached at
caroli...@college.harvard.edu.
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