TIBETAN BULLETIN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CENTRAL TIBETAN ADMINISTRATION VOLUME 20 - ISSUE 4 JULY - AUGUST 2016 FOCUS Celebrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 81st Birthday **** FEATURE Monkey Year Tse-chu Ceremony Observed at Tso-pema **** WORLD PRESS A Writer’s Quest to Unearth the Roots of Tibet’s Unrest **** Last Page Tent and Plywood Rooms Available for Rent During Kalachakra Teaching www.tibet.net/en/tibbul His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking during the first day of teachings at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, HP, India on August 29, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Phende/DIIR His Holiness the Dalai Lama with five oracles of Tibet during celebrations of Guru Padmasambhava’s birth at Orgyen Herukai Nyingma Monastery at Tso Pema, (Rewalsar) HP, India on July 14, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Phuntsok/OHHDL His Holiness the Dalai Lama with local religious leaders cutting the cake present- ed to him during celebrations honoring his 81st birthday at Drepung Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on July 6, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL www.tibet.net/en/tibbul FOCUS 9. Celebrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 81st Birthday 10. Celebrations Mark 81st Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Dharamshala TIBETAN 12. Shillong Celebrates 81st Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama BULLETIN Tibetan Bulletin is an official bi-monthly journal of the Central Tibetan 14. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 81st Birthday Celebrated in Russia Administration. FEATURE 20. Monkey Year Tse-chu Ceremony Observed at Tso-pema 22. His Holiness the Dalai Lama Visits the Villages of Saboo and Stok 24. Fourth Great Summer Religious Council at Thiksey Monastery Signed articles or quotations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Central 26. His Holiness the Dalai Lama Visits Islamia Public School, Tibetan Administration. Contributions Buddhist Nunnery and Shia Shrine at Leh Ladakh are welcome and may be addressed to the editor, Tibetan Bulletin. However the publisher regrets its inability to return unused articles unless they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope WORLD PRESS with adequate postage. 27. US Condemns Demolition of Tibetan Buddhist Institute by China Tibetan Bulletin is distributed free of charge. To subscribe please email the - Indian Express circulation manager or see back cover. 28. A Writer’s Quest to Unearth the Roots of Tibet’s Unrest Editor Jamphel Shonu - New York Times Email: [email protected] 29. Support Dalai Lama for Return to Tibet: Lawmakers to Barack Obama Asst. Editor Tenzin Phende Tenzin Saldon - Indian Express Layout & Design 30. China’s Communist Party Names New Chief for Tibet in Party Reshuffle Tenzin Phende - The Canberra Times Circulation Manager Tenzin Rabka Email: [email protected] Last Page Tibetan Bulletin is published by: 30. Tents and Plywood Rooms for Rent During Kalachakra Teaching Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamshala - 176 215 H.P. India Tel: +91-1892-222510 / 222457 REGULARS Vol. 20, Issue 4 News From Tibet & Exile ......4 JULY-AUGUST 2016 Contact ................................. 31 Quotes ............................32 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE 28th Task Force bet’s role in Sino-Indian security and diplomacy practices through the talks relations vis-à-vis Tibet to explore the of Indian and Tibetan experts and hoped Meeting on ‘tricks and trade’ of international di- the knowledge will come handy when Negotiation Held plomacy and advocacy in the face of she starts her job. China’s growing economic and political The 28th meeting of the Tibetan Task leverage in international politics. DIIR earlier organised a similar training Force on Negotiations was held in in Washington DC in 2015 with a spe- Dharamshala from 15 - 16 July. Dr Shashi Tharoor, former Foreign Sec- cial focus on diplomacy practices in the retary Lalit Mansingh, Nirupama Rao, United Nations and other international The two-day meeting included candid Shyam Saran and Shivshankar Menon organisations. The current training is discussions on the political develop- are among the prominent Indian political specially designed in keeping with the ments in China and on issues relating to figures who shared their expertise in in- dynamics of international diplomacy the future of dialogue with the PRC lead- ternational diplomacy in general and in vis-à-vis Tibet’s standing in the current ership. It also noted the developments in China dealing in particular with respect international political landscape. the international political landscape to the Tibetan issue. Tulku Tenzin Delek Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, who Mr Thupten Samphel, Director of Tibet Rinpoche’s Niece chaired the two-day meeting, reiterated Policy Institute, Former Kalons Tashi the Tibetan leadership’s commitment for Wangdi, Dongchung Ngodup and Tem- Nyima Lhamo the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan pa Tsering, Information Secretary Tashi Speaks to Press issue through dialogue. “The Tibetan Phuntsok and International Relations leadership remains firmly committed to Secretary Sonam Norbu Dagpo are Ti- The UN, EU & Human Rights Desk of the Middle Way Approach, and strongly betan resource persons for the training Department of Information and Inter- believes that the only way to resolve the and covered topics such as China’s in- national Relations, facilitated a press issue of Tibet is through dialogue,” he terpretation of ancient Tibetan history, conference for Ms Nyima Lhamo – late said. Tibet in UN and EU, Relations between Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s niece, at Tibetans in Tibet and CTA, 17-point Lhakpa Tsering hall on 28 July. The Task Force on Sino-Tibetan Nego- agreement, Indo-Tibetan relations, tiations was constituted to help recom- CTA’s presence in South Africa, and Nyima Lhamo, 26, who recently es- mend policy matters and strategies to Core responsibilities of Office of Tibet. caped to India from Tibet, spoke about find a peaceful and mutually acceptable the situation before and after the death of negotiated resolution to the issue of The training also covered media man- Rinpoche, and the ongoing grim situa- Tibet. agement strategy, Introduction to Bud- tion in Lithang pertaining to Rinpoche’s Second International dhism, CTA’s fiscal efficiency and bud- case. getary management and the resource Diplomacy and persons include Indian media person- Addressing the press conference, Nyima Advocacy Training alities Mr Karma Paljor and Ms Indrani Lhamo said she confronted many chal- Bagchi, Ven Dorje Damdul, Director of lenges and problems inorder to share the Concludes Delhi-based Tibet House and Mr Kel- suffering of her late uncle Tulku Tenzin sang Lhundup, senior accountant of Delek Rinpoche and of Tibetans inside A five-day training in International Di- Department of Information and Interna- Tibet. “Despite all the challenges and plomacy and Advocacy was organised tional Relations. hardships, I managed to escape Tibet. by Department of Information and In- My uncle Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche ternational Relations (DIIR) for a select The interactive sessions that followed suffered immensely and passed away in staff of the Central Tibetan Administra- the presentation by the resource speak- Chinese prison. Likewise many Tibet- tion from 18 - 22 July at Manesar, Hary- ers widely reflected concerns pertaining ans have suffered and continue to suf- ana. to mobilizing and winning international fer under the repressive Chinese rule. opinion in favor of ‘Tibetan narratives’ My hope is that the Chinese allegation About 35 participants, representing the against China’s aggressive propaganda against Rinpoche be thoroughly inves- Offices of Tibet, staff of the Department on its Tibet policy in various interna- tigated in accordance with Chinese and of Information and International Rela- tional forums. International law, and the Chinese au- tions and other departments of CTA, thorities to reveal the true circumstances took part in the training. Underscoring the significance and time- that led to Rinpoche’s death.” ly relevance of the training, Ms Tsering The five-day training extensively cov- Tsomo who is soon to be posted as a Recounting the details of circumstances ered some vital topics including India’s staff in one of the Offices of Tibet said, during the time of Rinpoche’s death, role in Sino-Tibetan issue, United Na- the training is highly “empowering” in Nyima Lhamo narrated, “Soon after tions, Chinese outreach diplomacy, Ti- that it helped her understand different we were informed of Rinpoche’s death, 4 TIBETAN BULLETIN JULY - AUGUST 2016 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE around 300 Tibetan people gathered at and one of the most prominent Tibetan Meeting’ organised at Sherab Gatsel the Lithang county office to demand for political prisoners. He died under mys- Lobling, Dharamshala. return of Rinpoche’s body to perform terious circumstances on Sunday, 12 final rituals. After repeated appeals, the July 2015, while serving a life sentence Education Kalon Mr Ngodup Tsering local Lithang county officials finally al- in Chuandong prison in the southwest- of Central Tibetan Administration, Mr lowed nine people to appeal at Chengdu ern Chinese Provincial city of Chengdu. Karma Chungdak, Director of Sambhota county office.” Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was widely re- Tibetan Schools Society (STSS), Mr vered by Tibetans for his efforts to pro- Tenzin Dorjee, head of Academic section Although Nyima was not among the tect the degradation Tibetan culture and of Department of Education, executive nine people, who were allowed to ap- religion from the onslaught of repressive staff of Sambhota Tibetan Schools peal at Chengdu, she somehow managed Chinese policies. He was also known for Society and Department of Education to reach Chengdu and staged protests his efforts to safeguard Tibet’s fragile along with heads of various Sambhota against the local police authorities de- environment by advocating against ille- Tibetan schools were present at the manding for the return of Rinpoche’s gal mining and pollution of river waters inaugural ceremony of the meeting. A body. Nyima revealed that only after she in Tibet.