TIBETAN BulletiN The Official Journal of the Central Tibetan Administration Volume 25 - Issue 1 January- February 2021

News from and Exile

Exile Tibetans Hold Preliminary Election for and Members of 17th Tibetan Parliament

*****

Feature

His Holiness the Dalai Holds Virtual Conversation with Mayors on Kind and Compassionate Leadership

*****

Focus

Central Tibetan Administration Strongly Rejects Chinese Government’s False Accusations

www.tibet.net/en/tibbul www.tibet.net/en/tibbul

News From Tibet and Exile 04 Exile Tibetans Hold Preliminary Election for 2021 Sikyong and TIBETAN Members of 17th Tibetan Parliament BulletiN Tibetan Bulletin is an official bi-monthly 05 A Tibetan Tour Guide Dies from Prison Injuries in Driru, Tibet journal of the Central Tibetan Administration. 06 Sentenced a Tibetan to 13 years in 2013, News Emerges amid Clampdown

07 UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet Discusses Tibet at Virtual Meeting

08 Japanese Parliamentarians Reaffirm Support to Tibetans at General Meeting Signed articles or quotations do not 09 Czech Parliamentary Group for Tibet Reaffirms Continued Support necessarily reflect the views of the Central for Tibet on Tibetan Losar Tibetan Administration.

Contributions are welcome and may be addressed to the editor, Tibetan Bulletin. Focus However the publisher regrets its inability 10 Sikyong Welcomes Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of US to return unused articles unless they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope 11 Election Commission Declares Result of Preliminary Election of with adequate postage. Sikyong and Members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Tibetan Bulletin is distributed free of charge. To subscribe please email the 14 China Warns Tibetan Internet Users of “Strike Hard” Campaign circulation manager or see back cover. for Dissenting Acts Editor 15 Central Tibetan Administration Rejects China’s False Accusations Jamphel Shonu Against the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) 2020 Email: [email protected]

Feature Circulation Manager

Norbu Wangdue 22 His Holiness the Holds a Virtual Conversation with Email: [email protected] Mayors on Kind and Compassionate Leadership Tibetan Bulletin is published by: Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, World Press Dharamshala - 176 215 H.P. Tel: +91-1892-222510 / 222457 30 China Tries to Disrupt Tibetan Parliamentary Elections Vol. 25, Issue 1 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2021

Regulars News From Tibet & Exile ...... 4 Contact ...... 31 Quotes ...... 32 EDITORIAL

China Attempts to Mislead International Community on Human Rights Despite the large-scale violation of hu- human rights is applied to China, China However, in February 2021, there ap- man rights by the Chinese government, falls woefully short of the international peared a small crack on this digital wall. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi was standard. Even in the case of the Inter- The crack, albeit brief and temporary, invited to address the 46th session of the national Bill of Rights, of which China revealed the diversity of opinions and ’ Human Rights Council is a signatory, it is still far from being the compassionate nature of China’s on 22 February. In the address, Wang Yi implemented in any of China’s provinc- everyday citizens toward the brutal poli- proposed a ‘people-centered’ approach es let alone the ethnic minority regions. cies of the Communist party. to human rights and described Tibet and Tibetans and Uyghurs continue to face East Turkestan as ‘shining examples’ of individual as well as collective human This crack on the digital wall appeared human rights progress in China. This ad- rights abuses in terms of faith, language, after Clubhouse, a new social media app dress at the UN Human Rights Council, as well as basic political rights like arrived on the tech horizon. The popu- the highest pedestal of global human equality before the law. For the Chinese larity of the app in China and in the rest rights, by a Chinese state official is not government, legality is governed less of the world was so sudden and rapid only a mockery of the UN’s ideals but by legal codification but by extralegal that the censorship machinery in China his statement also belies the real human norms such as ideology, party and the couldn’t respond swiftly. This allowed a rights situation inside Tibet and other continuing policy of state intervention few days of uncensored communication parts of China. in personal and cultural domains instead between Mandarin Chinese speakers of judicial action. from the mainland and those from the Since the founding of the People’s Re- rest of the world to speak their minds. public of China in 1949, the issue of hu- As such, Chinese foreign minister Wang man rights have bedeviled the Chinese Yi’s address at the UN Human Rights The app saw people from the Chinese government. China’s brutal suppression Council is an affront to the genuine as- mainland join those from Taiwan, Hong of human rights in its minority regions pirations and sufferings of the Tibetans, Kong, the global Chinese diaspora and like Tibet and East Turkestan, and lately Uyghurs and other oppressed people in anybody else who was interested in dis- in Hong Kong, have made China into a China and elsewhere. Rather than being cussing diverse topics ranging from the constant target of global human rights shining examples of human rights prog- politically charged to other mundane organizations and the international com- ress, Tibet and East Turkestan are shin- topics. The app became so popular in munity. In order to avoid this interna- ing examples of human rights violation China in such a short span of time that tional condemnation, China has lately with complete disregard to international on multiple Chinese ecommerce sites, tried to redefine human rights in -a So law and liberal values. invite codes were reportedly being sold cialist formulation. In this formulation, for as much as 400 Yuan. economic prosperity is described as the Clubhouse Moment: A Brief Crack in fundamental pursuit of human rights, the Great Firewall of China This brief crack on the wall, unsurpris- taking precedence over everything else. ingly, came to an end after a few days. Another event in the last two months However, for that brief moment, Chinese This attempt at redefining human rights that drew attention towards China was people within China proved that they are by putting an economic spin by China the sudden popularity of Clubhouse, an as diverse and dynamic in their aspira- is deeply problematic and misleading. invite-only app that briefly connected tions as well as expressions as any other. Human rights is a set of values derived netizens from inside and outside China. It was reported that while some argued from international consensus, and eco- This moment signified a brief crack in for the rights of the people to express nomic development is just one among China’s massive censorship wall. their opinions, some expressed sympa- the cluster of values that constitute hu- thy for the situation in East Turkestan. man rights. China’s selective interpreta- One of China’s most effective tool to tion of ‘human rights’ to suit their po- control its citizens has been the Great The main takeaway from this whole litical agenda is an attempt to mislead Firewall of China, otherwise known Clubhouse episode was that it helped the global community from the stages as the Golden Shield Project. The debunk the image of the Chinese pub- of the highest and most reputable lib- Great Firewall is a digital wall that lic as a servile monolithic mass that is eral organization in the world. This prevents China’s 1.4 billion people in complete agreement with the Chinese politically-motivated attempt at rede- from speaking freely online. Due to government’s repressive policies. It ex- fining human rights should not disguise this lack of authentic voice from in- posed the possibility that even within the essential fact that in international side China, Chinese people are often China, there is strong opposition among law, human rights should constitute misrepresented by the state media as a Han Chinese citizens to China’s repres- the whole spectrum of political, civil, giant monolith, without any diversity sive policies. social, economic, and cultural rights. of opinions or nuances in aspiration. Jamphel Shonu If the whole set of values that constitute Editor JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 3 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE EU Calls Upon China closed doors. In May 2018, a Chinese (iii) To employ the eight centuries old court in Yulshul sentenced Tashi unique Tibetan traditional method in to Ensure Tashi Wangchuk to five years in prison and an searching and recognizing the next Da- additional five years of deprivation of lai Lama. Wangchuk’s Release is political rights. ‘Unconditional’ Exile Tibetans Hold After Tibetan language rights advocate Information on Tashi Wangchuk’s health Preliminary Election Tashi Wangchuk’s release from five- could not be ascertained at this moment year imprisonment arbitrarily imposed except for his lawyer’s tweet. for Sikyong and by the Chinese government, the Members of 17th European Union issued a statement Despite the Chinese Constitution calling upon “the Chinese authorities guaranteeing the right to use and Tibetan Parliament to ensure that Mr Wangchuk’s release is develop minority languages and as unconditional and that he is able to enjoy enshrined in the international human his fundamental freedoms, including rights law, to ensure the protection of freedom of movement and residence.” native languages critical to maintaining culture and identity. In practice, Tibetans The EU has also urged the authorities face restrictions on freedom of religion to conduct a thorough investigation or belief, and freedom of education in into allegations of mistreatment, torture a minority language. It often incurs and abuses on Mr Wangchuk while in punishment in the form of detention, disappearances and deaths in detention. detention.” Incumbent Sikyong Dr. cast his vote in the 2021 Sikyong and 17th Tibetan parlia- The statement further said: “The EU calls Asian Buddhist mentary elections at Gangchen Kyisong, Dharam- for the immediate and unconditional Conference Endorses shala, 3 January 2021. Photo/Tenzin Jigme/CTA release of all those currently imprisoned The Tibetan exile community came out in connection with the exercise of their Incumbent Dalai in droves to vote for their next Sikyong rights and fundamental freedoms. Those and members of 17th Tibetan parliament in detention have a right to a fair trial Lama’s Sole Authority in the preliminary elections of 2021 held and due process, and to decent treatment, on Next Incarnation on Sunday, 3 January. free from torture and ill-treatment while The Executive Council meeting of Asian in prison. The European Union will Across Dharamshala, the capital of the Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) continue to engage with China on human , a total of 14 polling which was held in Sri Lanka in January rights issues.” stations were set up in accordance with passed a resolution for the future status the Covid-guidelines. of the Dalai Lama institution. Tashi Wangchuk was wrongfully sentenced to five-year imprisonment for Despite the ensuing challenges of the Kalon Karma Gelek Yuthok, raised the giving an interview to The coronavirus pandemic, the preliminary issue of the Chinese government’s inter- Times about the Chinese policies of round of the 2021 general elections re- ference on the recognising of reincarna- of Tibetan language and the flected an extraordinary level of partici- tion of the Dalai Lama in the meeting. need to protect the Tibetan language, has pation, most notably among the younger been released after completing his term. generation of Tibetans. Following three points with regard to the In January 2016, he was arbitrarily future status of Dalai Lama Institution detained following the release of a Soon after the polls commenced in Ti- have been unanimously supported by documentary by . betan communities across the globe, members of ABCP’s executive council: While in detention, he was subjected selfies of voters with their inked fingers to torture and repeatedly beaten during and posts encouraging eligible voters to (i) To continue the Institution and interrogations. exercise their rights swamped social me- Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in the dia platforms. future; In January 2018, the 35-year-old Tibetan human rights defender was falsely The 2021 general election for Sikyong (ii) The incumbent XIV Dalai Lama charged with “inciting separatism” after of the 16th and members of the to be the sole authority of how the next being arbitrarily detained for more than 17th Tibetan Parliament is the third di- reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should two years. Representatives from the rect election of the Tibetan leadership return, and the never to , Canada, the European since the complete devolution of politi- recognize any Dalai Lama reincarnation Union and the United Kingdom were cal authority by His Holiness the Dalai candidate chosen and installed by the all denied entry to the trial held behind Lama in 2011. Chinese government; and

4 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE “The Tibetan democracy-in-exile re- from research fellows on a variety of Parliamentary flects the true aspirations of our brothers topics centred on the Tibetan issue from and sisters inside Tibet,” said the incum- international current affairs to the Indo- Delegation Meets BJP bent Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay. China conflict and its relevance to the Tibet cause. National “By this, we are sending a clear message President J.P. Nadda to Beijing that Tibet is under occupation Information Secretary Ms Chime Tsey- but Tibetans in exile are free. And given ang, and TPI Director Mr Tenzin Lek- a chance, an opportunity, we prefer de- shay presided over the discussion, at- mocracy.” tended by the head of Human Rights desk, China desk, concerned staff from Despite the hardships faced by the ex- the Department of Security, representa- ile Tibetan community including an tives from Sarah College of Higher Ti- increasingly scattered population, the betan Studies and various Tibetan NGOs Tibetans under the leadership of His Ho- in adherence to the local COVID-19 liness the Dalai Lama and the Central guidelines. Tibetan Administration has over the last Tibetan Parliamentary delegation meets BJP six decades successfully transformed TPI Director Tenzin Lekshay explained President J.P Nadda into a fully functioning democracy that the objective of the programme which A Tibetan Parliamentary delegation is lauded by many as a paragon of virtue is to foreground the Tibetan issue and led by Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi for exile communities. bring together the authors of the 9 ar- Phuntsok, and comprising of Parlia- ticles from the journal to elucidate on mentarian Serta Tsultrim, Parliamentar- In what could be viewed as an extraor- their writings and promote further dis- ian Khenpo Kada Ngodup Sonam, and dinary trajectory of the young Tibetan cussions among the research fellows. Parliamentarian Lharampa Gowo democracy in exile, tens of thousands Lobsang Phende met the National Presi- of Tibetans worldwide came out to ex- He added that due to the pandemic re- dent of the Bharatiya Janata Party Shri ercise their franchise to elect their future strictions, the invitation had to be limited Jagat Prakash Nadda on 18 February. political leaders. The democracy in ef- to relevant departments, organisations fect is truly a testament to the vision and and research institutes. “Foreground- The BJP National President J P Nadda farsightedness of His Holiness the Da- ing Tibet” seeks to highlight the Tibetan has come to attend the BJP state execu- lai Lama who progressively distanced issue as much as possible, and offers a tive meeting at D’Polo hotel in Dharam- himself from the political role, steward- platform to Tibetan scholars to pool their shala This is his first visit to Dharamsha- ing the Tibetan exile community into a resources, and promote discourse on Ti- la after his appointment as the President thriving democracy. bet and international perception. of BJP.

Tibet Policy Institute He urged Tibetan research scholars ev- Over the past few years, the 16th Tibet- Convenes Roundtable erywhere to send their writings on the an Parliament-in-Exile has had several Tibet issue in the relevant areas of reli- meetings with Shri J. P. Nadda who has Discussion on gion and culture, language, tradition and been a firm supporter of Tibet. history for publication by TPI. In addi- “Foregrounding Tibet” tion, he stressed the quality of writing, A Tibetan Tour Guide sharing that TPI was engaged in efforts Dies from Prison Inju- to distribute the journals at schools and libraries in colleges, research centres ries in Driru, Tibet based in India and abroad.

Annually, TPI publishes 2 journals, one each in English and Tibetan. Writers are responsible for the contents published TPI Director Tenzin Lekshay introduces the objec- tive of the programme. Photo/Tenzin Dalha/TPI without external influence from TPI head. In conclusion, Director Tenzin The Tibet Policy Institute (TPI), the Lekshay said Tibetan scholars writing premier research institute of CTA or- from the cultural insider’s perspective ganised a roundtable discussion on 24 help push forward the Tibetan move- February on the theme “Foregrounding ment and honours the distinct culture to Kunchok Jinpa, aged51. Tibet” based on its English-language be passed down to the future generations A Tibetan tour guide serving a 21-year journal published in December 2020. therefore Tibetan youth are urged to pro- sentence in Chinese jail died in early The journal is a compilation of articles duce writings on the Tibetan issue. February due to prison injuries, reported

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 5 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE

Human Rights Watch (HRW). was a former monk at the Gom Gon- Chinese authorities for peaceful inde- sar (Choekor Jampaling) in pendence protests in November 2019. Kunchok Jinpa, 51, passed away on 6 Driru. After traveling to India in Octo- February in a hospital in Lhasa after be- ber 1989, he studied at the Jangchubling Six other Tibetans, including four monks ing transferred there from prison. He had monastery in Dehradun for 18 months. and two laymen, have been sentenced suffered a brain hemorrhage and was Later, he studied at Tibetan Children’s up to 5 years in prison for the same pro- paralyzed. According to HRW, Kunchok Village School, Suja, and graduated tests that occurred in Dza Wonpo town, Jinpa was detained by the Chinese au- in 1996. He returned to Tibet in about Sershul county, Karze (Ch: Ganzi) Pre- thorities on 8 November 2013 without 1998. Proficient in four languages;- Ti fecture in Tibet’s traditional prov- his family’s knowledge. In 2013, hun- betan, English, Hindi and Chinese as ince. dreds of Tibetans were detained from well, he worked as a tour guide. He was Driru county after a series of peaceful a strong advocate of education and eco- Tenzin Nyima, also called Tamey, was protests against China’s compulsory nomic development. initially detained along with three other flag-flying campaign where the local -Ti monks Kunsal (20), Soetra and Tsultrim betans were forced to fly Chinese flags According to Human Rights Watch, his (both around 18) two days after hun- from every house. Kunchok was one of final communication on WeChat was in dreds of hand-written leaflets calling for those detained. He was later convicted April 2013 where he wrote: “I am now Tibet’s independence were found scat- of leaking state secrets for sharing infor- at the bank of a river. There are many tered outside a local government office mation to foreign media on protests in people behind me watching me, and I on 7 November 2019. On 21 November, his region and sentenced to 21 years in am sure to be arrested. Even if they ar- Yonten and Choegyal, two other young prison. rest me, I am not afraid, even if they kill men from Dza Wonpo were detained af- me, I have no regrets. But from now on, ter staging a similar protest and posting Expressing deep sadness and concern, I will not be able to give reports. If there related videos on WeChat. Choegyal’s President of Central Tibetan Adminis- is no word from me, that means I have younger brother Nyimey was detained tration, Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay been arrested.” on 18 November 2019 for expressing remarked, “the tragic news of Kunchok his solidarity with the 7 November pro- Jinpa’s death due to torture and mistreat- Last month, Tenzin Nyima, a teenage test by fellow monks from Dza Wonpo ment while in Chinese prison comes monk from Dza Wonpo, Sershul county, Gaden Shedrup Monastery, and online barely a month after a similar death Karze (Ch:Ganzi) died on 19 January af- post criticising Chinese policies in the of 19-year-old Tenzin Nyima. China’s ter he was severely beaten and tortured region. pervasive use of torture on prisoners of by the Chinese authorities. conscience is not unknown to the world. The protests took place as the forcibly There are hundreds of Tibetans illegally In August 2020, Lhamo, a 36-year-old resettled nomads and local Tibetans in held and tortured for their defiance of mother of three from Driru county, Nag- the area were pressured by the local of- China’s rule over Tibet.” Sikyong Dr. chu died due to torture in Chinese custody. ficials to acclaim the Chinese -govern Lobsang Sangay urged for international Young Tibetan Monk ment’s “poverty alleviation” program. intervention and said, “The international community and UN human rights ex- Dies from Beatings in UK All-Party perts must intervene and investigate these cases of arbitrary detention, con- Chinese Custody, Six Parliamentary Group viction without due process, torturing Others Sentenced in for Tibet Discusses and killing of Tibetans by the Chinese government”. Dza Wonpo, Tibet Tibet at Virtual Meeting According to HRW, in November 2020, the authorities moved him from prison to a hospital in Lhasa in serious condi- tion. On 29 January, his family members learned of his serious condition when six of his family members were called to the hospital to donate blood, according to our source. However, they were not al- lowed to meet him in the hospital. 19-yr-old Tenzin Nyima before his imprisonment in Kunchok Jinpa died on 6 February. He Chinese jail. A 19-year-old Tibetan monk from Dza All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet in the was a resident of Village No. 5 in Chak- Wonpo has died on 19 January, after be- UK’s virtual meeting. tse township in Driru county, about ing severely beaten and tortured by the 300 kilometers north of Lhasa. He

6 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE A virtual meeting of All-Party Parlia- and activities of the Office of Tibet. He China Sentenced a mentary Group for Tibet in the UK spoke on the recent passage of the Tibet Parliament hosted and chaired by hon- bill and added that Tibetans all over the Tibetan to 13 years in ourable RT. Tim Loughton, MP and world are grateful for that. He informed Co-chair of APPGT UK was held on 22 about him attending a virtual meeting 2013, News Emerges February. organised by APPGT, Lithuania on 5th amid Clampdown March 2021. Various UK Parliamentarians like Chris Law, MP and Co-chair of APPGT, Nav- He also informed the meeting about Of- endu Mishra, MP, Lord Alton of Liv- fice of Tibet along with Tibet support erpool, Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Wera groups are preparing for COP26 confer- Hobhouse MP, representatives from the ences and invite Mandie from ITSN to Tibet support groups, and chairperson of elaborate on this. All MPs presented in the Tibetan Community in Britain joined the meeting were very supportive of this the virtual meeting. considering the importance of Tibet’s environment conservation. MP Chris The meeting saw the re-election of of- Law suggested ways to access space ficers of APPGT UK. MP Chris Law MP during the COP26 and advised to con- and Chair Tim Loughton were elected as tact him later. Co-Chair and MP Navendu Mishra MP was elected as the Vice-Chair of APPGT. Mr. Frasi also talked briefly about the The chair then invited John Jones from ongoing general election of Tibetans to give an overview of the and about the ending of Sikyong Dr. An undated photo of Namdak who has been serv- ing 13 years prison sentence since 2013. current situation in Tibet. Mr. Jones Lobsang Sangay’s tenure in May. Hon. reported about the current situation of RT. Tim Loughton and hon. Chris Law More than seven years ago, a Tibetan Tibetan political prisoners in Tibet and expressed due respect and appreciation man from Kham Driru in Nagchu, “Ti- particularity highlighting in detail the Sikyong for his hard work and for their bet Autonomous Region” was sentenced recent death of Kunchock Jinpa, a tour friendship. They expressed their wishes to 13 years in prison. Namdak was sen- guide in Tibet, who died in a Chinese to meet Sikyong before the end of his tenced around July 2013 for aiding Ti- prison after spending 7 years impris- tenure to convey best wishes for the fu- betans escaping to India. He has been onment and tortured. MPs raised ques- ture. imprisoned in Chushul prison located tions about the current situation of Tashi less than 50 km from Tibet’s capital Wangchuck, Tibetan language rights Finally, Mr. John Jones reported the Lhasa. The news got out only now. advocator in Tibet, and how they get ac- meeting about the Tibet support group’s cess to information inside Tibet. campaign: Diplomatic boycott of Bei- According to our source, at that time, jing 2022 Olympic and support they are there were six-seven more Tibetans The chair RT. Tim Loughton updated on receiving from MPs and government of- from Driru were sentenced along with Tibet (Reciprocal Access Bill) and in- ficials and meanwhile he requested sup- Namdak, all to 13 years imprisonment. formed about producing the bill again in port from the members. However, details including their names the House of Common in May and the and charges are not clear at the time. possibility of introducing a broader bill MP Wera Hobhouse conveyed her sup- to invite more support and pass govern- port and suggested a lobby link with Namdak was the last known to be suf- ment legislation. Members raised ques- IPAC would be beneficial. fering from appendicitis but the Chinese tions and discussed the bill. authorities have told his family that they will look after his condition. The Chi- Representative, Mr. Sonam Tsering nese authorities then barred his family Frasi reported that the upcoming 10th members and relatives from visiting him March Tibetan national uprising day Compasion is the in prison for the past two years, most will be commemorated online given radicalism of our likely to conceal details of his medical the ensuing pandemic. He said that Ti- condition from getting out. betan Community in Britain with Free time. Tibet and other Tibet support groups are Namdak, aged around 34, is suspected to organising recorded and online virtual - His Holiness be in a serious health condition. He hails programme this year and urged the MP’s from Meri village, Tsala township, Driru to include their statements and recorded the Dalai Lama county, Nagchu prefecture. video messages in the programs.

Mr. Frasi then updated news on Tibet

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 7 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE Japanese Parliamentar- strongly feels the issue of Tibet must be OOT Taiwan brought to the international level. ians Reaffirm Support Celebrates Losar with a Veteran journalist and president of one to Tibetans at of Japan’s influential think tanks, Ms Book Launch by General Meeting Sakurai Yoshiko, commended the US Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche government’s adoption of Tibet law and added that Japan too should stand against China’s hegemony and intrusion into Japanese territory.

She said the Japanese parliamentarians must act to fulfil the obligation to pro- tect the values of democracy, freedom, human rights that the people of Japan Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche and Representative Dawa cherish and uphold. Tsering launch a book composed by Executive members of the All Party Japanese Par- Representative Dawa Tsering. liamentary Support Group for Tibet meeting in The Office of Tibet, Taiwan headed by Dr. Arya Tsewang Gyalpo, Representa- Tokyo, Japan, 19 February 2021 Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche commemorat- Japan’s All-Party Parliamentary Support tive of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in ed the Tibetan New Year with a book Group for Tibet convened its general Japan, briefed the Law Makers on three launch composed by Representative meeting at the House of Representatives’ major points: 1) Current situation in Ti- Dawa Tsering. office auditorium to discuss the Tibet is- bet; 2) the US Tibetan Policy and Sup- sue and to strengthen its support to the port Act, and 3) the future action plans. The book titled ‘The land in my dream Tibetan peoples` struggle for justice and He spoke on the Chinese government’s and conscience’ published by Gangjong human rights in Tibet. 49 Japanese par- policy to ban the Tibetan language in the Publication is a compilation of compo- liamentarians attended the meeting. schools, meddling in the administration sitions written by Representative Dawa of the , increasing restric- Tsering. The book aims to deconstruct In his opening remarks, Mr Nagao Ta- tions and surveillance on the movement China’s false narrative on Tibet and kashi, General Secretary and Member in Japan, arbitrary arrest, torture and offers a series of speeches and clarifi- of House of Representatives announced death of Tibetans. cations issued at various conventions the good news that the world’s largest on Tibet. The book also introduces the parliamentary support has now reached Dr. Arya apprised the Japanese parlia- unique Tibetan culture and religion with 99 members with an increase of 6 new mentarians on key points of the passage historical facts. Japanese parliamentarians. of the 2020 Tibetan Policy and Support Act by the US government. Addressing the gathering of some 70 Mr. Shimomura Hakubun, Chairman of Tibetans, Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche said, the Parliamentary Support Group and He spoke on eight priority action plans “The only proper way to celebrate Losar Member of House of Representatives to deal with pressing issues facing Tibet is by committing ourselves to fulfil the established the members’ responsibility and the international community such as wishes and aspirations of His Holiness to act on the issue of Tibet and human the threat of climate change in Tibet, a the Dalai Lama and to cultivate his rights. threat to the protection of universal val- teachings into practices”. ues like freedom, human rights, democ- The Chairman announced the racy and rule of law as a result of the Rinpoche advised the Tibetans to pro- Government`s fund of 29.60 million Chinese government’s policies. mote the teachings and the core commit- Yen as a part of ODA (Overseas Devel- ments of His Holiness Dalai Lama to the opment Aid) to India which will benefit After a brief question and answer ses- people of Taiwan. He further congratu- the welfare, water and sanitation and sion, the Law Makers further deliber- lated Rep. Dawa Tsering on the book other health projects in Tibetan refugee ated on the need to raise awareness on launch. settlements in Himachal Pradesh and the Chinese government’s human rights Uttarkhand. The Ministry of Foreign Af- violations in Tibet, Mongolia, Uyghur In conclusion, Representative Dawa fairs official confirmed that it was a part and Hong Kong at international level. Tsering extended his appreciation to all of an ODA to improve living conditions those who supported and contributed in rural India. The Japanese version of CTA’s White during his service and urged for continu- Paper titled ‘Tibet was Never a Part of ous cooperation and support. He said while working in close coordina- China, But Middle Way Approach Re- tion with parliaments around the world mains a Viable Solution’ was distributed For detailed news visit: to support the cause of freedom, democ- to all the Japanese parliamentarians and www.tibet.net racy, rule of law and human rights, he the staff during the meeting.

8 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 For more details visit: www.tibet.net NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE New US resentative Tsering sent a felicitation let- CTA Commemorates ter to Secretary Blinken on January 28th Administration Affirms upon his nomination and urged him to India’s 72nd appoint a Special Coordinator with at Timely Appointment least an Under Secretary’s rank as soon Republic Day of a Special as possible. The Central Tibetan Administration congratulated India and its people on the Coordinator for Czech Parliamentary 72nd anniversary of its Republic Day Tibetan Issues Group for Tibet Reaf- celebrations. Keeping Covid 19 pro- Secretary of the US State Department, tocols and scoial distancing measures Antony Blinken on Thursday, 4 Febru- firms Continued Sup- in mind, a brief ceremony was held at ary affirmed his commitment to appoint port for Tibet on the Kashag secretariat on Tuesday, 26 a Special Coordinator for Tibetan issue January. The ceremony was attended by sin an exclusive interview with Radio Tibetan New Year Kalons, Secretaries, and senior leader- Free Asia’s Tibetan Service. ship of the Central Tibetan Administra- tion. When questioned about the new US Ad- ministration’s role by Radio Free Asia, Officiating Sikyong Kalon Ven Karma Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Gelek Yuthok, greeted the people of In- that the Special Coordinator for Tibetan dia on the occasion and said: issue will be appointed in a timely man- ner and it will be committed to empow- “On behalf of the Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet, I would like to con- ering allies to press Beijing for engag- Czech Parliamentary Group for Tibet ing in dialogue with His Holiness’s gratulate and extend our warmest greet- representatives. The spokesperson also The Czech Parliamentary Group for ings to the government and people of In- stated that the US is committed to sup- Tibet reaffirmed its continued support dia on the 72nd Republic Day of India” port human rights for Tibetans living for Tibet while conveying greetings for under Chinese rule, promote religious Tibetans on Losar (Tibetan New Year), “It is a great achievement for a large freedom, and advocate for Tibet’s envi- year of Iron-Ox 2148. populace country like India to go on the ronment. path of Republicanism and to be rela- On behalf of the Czech Parliamentary tively very successful so far. India sets a “We urge Chinese authorities to respect Group for Tibet, Honorable Senator Pre- great example for the rest of the world”. the human rights of Tibetans, and the mysl Rabas and honorable Frantisek Ko- preservation of Tibet’s environment as priva, Chamber of Deputy, the Co-chairs Kalon expressed his appreciation and well as the unique cultural, linguistic, of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, gratitude to India for its generosity and and religious identity of Tibetan tradi- send the groups’ Losar greetings for all consideration rendered toward the cause tions,” the State Department spokesper- Tibetans. The group wished “success of Tibet for more than 61 years. He son said. for the cause of Tibet” and reaffirmed wished success and development for In- their commitment to extending contin- dia and its system of governance. The spokesperson further stated, “The ued support for Tibet. The group assured United States supports meaningful au- their support until Tibetans are allowed Kalon further added, China is neither a tonomy for Tibetans” and all appropri- to have a genuine autonomy as proposed democracy nor a republic although they ate tools (such as visa restrictions and in the Middle Way Approach. claim to be the People’s Republic of financial sanctions) will be utilized to China. hold any relevant Chinese officials - ac The Parliamentary Group also congratu- countable. The new administration un- lated Tibetan leadership and people for “I don’t think China is a republic coun- der President Biden will also push for the successful passage of the US Tibetan try in any way because a minimum con- access to Tibetan areas. Policy and Support Act of 2020. This dition for being a republic is the power achievement will be “instrumental for should lie with the people and people’s Representative Ngodup Tsering wel- the Tibetan cause”, said the Parliamen- representatives should be running the comed the statement as extremely posi- tary Group. country. Since there is really no elect- tive and thanked the new President and ed representative in China so I doubt Secretary of State on behalf of the Cen- Czech Parliamentary Group for Tibet whether China is truly a republic”, he tral Tibetan Administration. All the ma- was officially reinstated in 2018, and said. jor points that have been taken up with currently, it is the largest group in the For detailed news visit: the US Administration are being ad- Czech Parliament as well as the largest www.tibet.net dressed, stated the Representative. Rep- parliamentary group for Tibet in Europe.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 9 FOCUS Sikyong Welcomes Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of US Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the demo- ferred to job postings. It also mentions bour and the Commissioner submits to cratically elected political leader of the the ‘the similarity of the Tibet Autono- Congress a report outlining such a deter- Tibetan people welcomed the US’ re- mous Region system to that in the Xin- mination; newed bill to ban forced-labour products jiang Uyghur Autonomous Region’ and from on 22 February. the ‘coercive practices or rights abuses’ • Authorize the President to ap- that are taking place in the Tibet Autono- ply targeted sanctions on anyone re- The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention mous Region. sponsible for the labour trafficking of Act, a bipartisan bill-prohibiting im- Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic mi- ports of goods made with forced labour As such, the bill mandates a “rebuttable norities; in China was introduced on Thursday presumption” that the goods imported by Congressmen James P. McGovern, from Xinjiang are made with forced • Require financial disclosures Chair of the Congressional-Executive labour and thus are strictly prohibited from the U.S. publicly traded businesses Commission on China and Co-Chair of from entering the US unless evidence to about their engagement with Chinese the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commis- the contrary is presented. The bill also companies and other entities engaged sion, Chris Smith, Thomas R. Suozzi, gives the US President full authority to in mass surveillance, mass internment, Vicky Hartzler, Tom Malinowski, Mike sanction anyone found responsible for forced labour and other serious human Gallagher, and Jennifer Wexton. labour trafficking in any part of the Peo- rights abuses in the XUAR; ple Republic of China. Welcoming the landmark bill, Sikyong According to the press release of Con- • Directs the Secretary of State to thanked Congressman McGovern and gressman McGovern’s office, the - leg submit to Congress a public determine the co-sponsors for reintroducing the islation is an updated version of H.R. whether the practice of forced labour or bill in the House that not only prohibits 6210 that passed in the House of Rep- other human rights abuses targeting Uy- imports from Xinjiang but ensures Chi- resentatives on 22 September 2020, by a ghurs and other Muslim minorities in the na’s accountability in its long-standing vote of 406-3. XUAR constitute crimes against human- repression of Uyghur Muslim minority ity or genocide, and directs the Secretary and Tibetans who have been forced into Bill Summary to develop a diplomatic strategy to ad- a network of mass labour camps. dress forced labour in the XUAR; and The legislation would: Besides recognising a system of illegal • Require a strategy report from mass internment camps targeting Uy- • Prohibit all imports from the the Forced Labor Enforcement Task ghurs and Muslim minorities, the bill Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Force (established by the United States- recognises the ‘military-style education’ (XUAR) of China unless the Commis- Mexico-Canada Agreement Implemen- and ‘vocational training’ that the Tibet- sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Pro- tation Act) and regular updates on the ans in the tection can certify that the goods being steps taken to enforce the import pro- (TAR) are forced into in the name of imported to the U.S. are not produced, hibition on forced labour made goods ‘poverty alleviation’ before being trans- either wholly or in part, with forced la- from the XUAR. First Phase of COVID-19 Vaccination Rolled Out

Various Frontline Healthcare workers from Tibetan health care centers across India have started to get the vaccination after India began its vaccination drive on 16 January 2021.

On 18th January 2021, Nine Tibetan Frontline Healthcare workers of Delek Hospital and one from the Department of Health, CTA became the first Tibetan batch to get the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine at Zonal Hospital, Dharamsala. Thereafter health care workers and front liners of Tibetan health care centers at, Mundgod, Odisha, Bir, and Miao received the vaccination.

A total of 81 Healthcare Frontline workers of Mundgod DTR Hospital, Ganden Jangtse, and Loseling Hospital got their first shot on 20th January 2021 at Pala Primary Health Centre.

On 21st January 2021, 10 Frontline workers of Miao hospital and 11 health workers of Odisha, Menlha hospital got vac- cinated at Miao Community Healthcare Centre and Chandragiri, Community Health Center respectively. And 11 Frontline Healthcare workers of TPHC Bir received their first shot at Bir Community Health Centre on 22nd January 2021.

10 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FOCUS

Election Commission Declares Result of Preliminary Election of Sikyong and Members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile In a press conference chaired by the candidates each from four schools of book details including copies of the first Chief Election Commissioner Wangdu and Bon religion, 6 and last page, brief biography in Mon- Tsering, and additional commissioners, from North & South America, and Eu- lam 2 font 14 (not exceeding 300 words) Geshema Delek Wangmo and Sonam rope & Africa. 3 candidates are short- with a recent passport-sized photo. Gyaltsen, the Election Commission listed from Australasia (excluding India, declared the results of the preliminary and Bhutan). See the results be- Those seeking to withdraw their candi- round of election for the Sikyong and low. dature may do so by writing to the Elec- members of the 17th Tibetan Parlia- tion Commission by 16 February. With- ment-in-Exile on Thursday, 18 February. The Election Commissioner further an- drawal of candidature won’t be allowed nounced that Sikyong candidates should once the final list is announced. Click As enshrined in Article 67 (3) of the confirm their candidature between 8– here to read the original announcement Election Rules and Regulation, that “the 15 February 2021 by submitting a letter in Tibetan. In case of discrepancies, treat Election Commission, after giving twen- of confirmation to the Election Commis- the original in Tibetan as authoritative. ty days to withdraw candidature, should sion through the local Election Commis- shortlist not more than six candidates for sion. The letter of confirmation should The electoral process for the final round Sikyong from the preliminary election” contain the candidate’s name, age, date of election for Sikyong and members and “Article 49 (1) (A) of the electoral of birth, Green book number, brief bi- of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile rules and regulation,” which states that ography in Tibetan Himalayan font 16 will be announced on 21 March 2021. “the election commission after giving (not exceeding 18 Lines) with a recent 30 days to withdraw candidature, should passport-sized photo in colour. According to the Chief Election Com- shortlist candidates not less than thrice missioner, the preliminary election in the number of stipulated seats in the Candidates of the Tibetan Parliament-in- January saw a record voter turnout of respective constituents of the Tibetan Exile should submit their letter of con- 76.78 per cent, which he said was the Parliament from the preliminary elec- firmation from 8 February 2021 and not highest turnout rate till date. Tibetans tion”, the Election Commission declared later than 15 February 2021. The letter from 26 countries went to the polls 30 shortlisted candidates each from the of confirmation should contain the can- through the facilitation of 57 local Elec- three traditional provinces of Tibet, 5 didate’s name, age, date of birth, Green tion Commissions around the world.

Chief Justice Commissioner Greets Tibetans on Losar, Tibetan New Year 2148

Chief Justice Commissioner Sonam Norbu Dagpo, greeted Tibetans on Losar, the Tibetan New Year which fell on 12 February this year. He said:

As we welcome Tibetan new year, Losar 2148, the year of Iron-Ox, I on behalf of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission express our fervent greetings to the most revered leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Great , religious leaders and representatives of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetans in and outside Tibet.

I also extend greetings to our brothers and sisters in the Himalayan region who are also celebrating the new year.

May this year brings prosperity, good health and realisation all the noble aspirations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

May the cause of Tibet be resolved to the just aspirations of Tibetans inside Tibet. Once again, I extend my heartfelt greet- ings on Tibetan new year. Losar Tashi Delek.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 11 FOCUS Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay-led CTA Grateful to the United States for Enactment of Landmark Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2020 of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the courage and solidarity of six mil- lion Tibetans inside Tibet. We have been pushing for this for the last few years. This historic win for Tibet and the Tibetan people wouldn’t have been possible without the steadfast support and contribution of key sponsors, co- sponsors and everyone who has been in this journey throughout and beyond”, said Dr Lobsang Sangay and went on to list the names of the individual who has helped turn the vision into a reality.

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay and members of the 15th Kashag. The President, as well as the entire Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay convened of self-governance with democratic CTA’s officials and staff, express its a gathering of CTA officials including institutions to choose their leaders. gratitude and appreciation to Speaker Chief Justice Commissioner, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker of Tibetan Parlia- Another historic development in the bill Mitch McConnell, Minority leader of ment, Kalons; heads of autonomous is the formal acknowledgement of the Senate Senator Chuck Schumer for their bodies, Members of Tibetan Parliament, CTA as the legitimate representative re- constant support and Rep. Jim McGov- and senior staff to explain the - lobby flecting the aspirations of Tibetan people ern, Co-sponsor Chris Smith, Sena- ing process that culminated in the pas- around the world. TPSA explicitly states tor Rubio and Co-sponsor Ben Cardin sage of the landmark Tibetan Policy “…as of the date of the enactment of this for their ‘extraordinary leadership’. and Support Act which was signed into Act, the Central Tibetan Administration Likewise, Senator Jim Risch, Chair of law by US President Donald Trump. is the institution that represents and re- Senate Foreign Relations Committee, flects, to the greatest extent, the aspira- Senator Bob Menendez, Representa- In September and November, President tions of the Tibetan diaspora around the tives Eliot L. Engel and Michael Mc- Dr Sangay left for the US with the sole world, and the Sikyong is the President Caul, Chair and Co-Chair of the House purpose to lobby the US Congress to of the Central Tibetan Administration.” Foreign Affairs Committee Committee push the bill which had been stuck at for equally assisting in pushing the bill. the United States Senate Foreign Rela- Less than a week after the unanimous tions Committee since May 2020. After passage of the bill by Congress, US In addition, President Dr Sangay ex- much deliberation and effort, the bipar- President Donald Trump signed the presses his appreciation to key staffers tisan bill was unanimously passed by Tibetan Policy and Support Act of involved who provided significant help the US Congress on 21 December 2020. 2020 into law, a historic move that and support throughout the process. The forged a new era in the US Tibet pol- staffers include Reva Price of Speaker’s Built on the historic Tibet Policy Act icy. Read more about the bill here. office — Senior Advisor to Speaker -Pe of 2002, the bipartisan Act reaffirms losi, Jennifer Hendrixson-White — Se- the rights of Tibetans to choose a suc- Most importantly, as President Dr San- nior House Foreign Affairs Committee cessor to their spiritual leader His Ho- gay noted, the enactment of the Ti- Staffer, Brian of House Foreign Affairs liness the Dalai Lama, sending a clear betan Policy and Support Act of 2020 Committee, Bethany Poulos-Foreign message that Chinese officials who amid the alarming situation inside Affairs Advisor for Senator Rubio’s of- interfere in the succession or rein- Tibet sends a powerful message of fice, Michael Schiffer-Senior Senate carnation process will be subject to hope and justice to the six million Ti- Foreign Relations Committee staffer, targeted financial, economic, and- vi betans inside Tibet like never before. among others. sa-related sanctions, including those Military drill in Tibet’s capital Lhasa contained in the Global Magnitsky Act. days after the US enacted the TPSA President Dr Sangay also acknowledges bill was indicative of the fact that the the ICT, RTYC, SFT, Tibetan-American The Act commends His Holiness the message of the bill was heard loud and associations, particularly in New York Dalai Lama for his decision to imple- clear by the top echelons of China. and , and all community mem- ment democratic governance and also bers who vigorously lobbied on the Hill commends the Tibetan exile commu- “The Tibetan Policy and Support Act to gain support for the bill over the years. nity for successfully adopting a system of 2020 is a tribute to the great legacy

12 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FOCUS OOT, -DC and Finance Department Rights of Tibetans in Hold E-chatrel Workshop Nepal Raised at Ne- pal’s Third Universal Periodic Review In the 37th session of Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Coun- cil that began on 18th January, the UN member states on Thursday, 21 January reviewed the human rights situation in Nepal making it Nepal’s third review.

During the session that was held virtu- ally, the status of Tibetan refugees in Nepal was raised amongst other human rights issues in Nepal. The delegation from the United States raised and urged the government of Nepal to “register and verify” all Tibetans “followed by The virtual workshop in progress. the issuance of identity documents with the formal rights to work and access to As per the notice issued by the Finance sang Dorjee Aukatsang’s direction as services”. Department, CTA on 15 December well as public opinion. A joint initiative 2020, the Office of Tibet, Washington of the Finance Department and TCRC, it The delegate further urged Nepalese DC and the Finance Department jointly was finalized in 2020 and is operational government to “implement” and up- held a virtual workshop for Greenbook now. hold Gentlemen Agreement and ensure duty bearers from Tibetan associations. “safe passage” of Tibetan new arrivals It was followed by the Finance Depart- “through its territory” and “implement On the morning of 24 January, Green- ment staff’s briefing on the greenbook any legal agreements with China con- book contributors from 32 Tibetan asso- update process and accounts-related de- sistent with the principle of non-refoul- ciations and 4 others participated in the tails. Participants raised their doubts and ment”. 3-hour long virtual training and Q & A clarified them and expressed their satis- session. faction with the workshop. Responding to comments and recom- mendations placed by the member At the outset, Representative Ngodup The virtual workshop was arranged by states, a delegate from Office of Prime Tsering, Office of Tibet-DC, addressed the Office of Tibet’s Tibetan Liaison Minister and Council of Minister of the the participants and said that the initia- Officer Deputy Secretary(CTA) Tenzin Government of Nepal, Mr Shanker Das tive is in keeping with the times, and it Tsepak. Bairagi, reaffirmed that Nepalese extra- strives to connect the government with dition lawfully ensures the principle of the people while making it more effi- non-refoulment. cient for both. At present, merely 10,000 of the total population of 30,000 Tibetan While referring to the status of refugees make Greenbook contribu- It is under the greatest in Nepal, he said refugees are “treated tions, therefore he stressed the need to adversity that there exists well” on the basis of Nepalese “humani- drive it upto at least 50% in the future the greatest potential for tarian tradition”, and Nepal will “con- and thanked all the members for their doing good, both for tinue to display” the humanitarian tradi- tireless efforts and urged them to - con tion. tinue to strive harder than ever going oneself and others. forward. In his final remarks, Mr Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Government of Nepal’s Minis- Further, he introduced the background - His Holiness the Dalai ter for Foreign Affair, expressed Nepal’s of the project which had first started in Lama commitment in addressing the genuine 2003 with TCRC’s work on the applica- concern and implementations of UPR tion led by Director Namgyal Lhekshay recommendations in a “coordinated, co- and had gained momentum in 2013-14 operative and result-oriented manner.” under the then NA Representative Kel-

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 13 FOCUS China Warns Tibetan Internet Users of “Strike Hard” Campaign for Dissenting Acts In a recent notice, the Chinese authori- undermine national unity. curity Department, Tibet Autonomous ties in “Tibet Autonomous Region” an- Region Internet Information Office, and nounced criminal prosecutions against 3. It is not allowed to join network Tibet Autonomous Region Communica- individuals who use online communica- groups that organize, plan, and imple- tions Administration tion tools to engage in activities against ment secession, undermining national the . unity and national unity, and other il- November 24, 2020 legal and criminal activities, and make, The notice dated 24 November was copy, review, and disseminate informa- The restrictions are also imposed in oth- publicly posted about a week ago, on tion that promotes, incites secession, and er Tibetan areas. 24 December 2020, which said that the undermines national unity. authorities would “strike hard” against China, the world’s worst abuser of In- offenders “in accordance with law”. 4. It is not allowed to use instant mes- ternet freedom, has imprisoned a num- saging tools, social forum software, etc. ber of Tibetans living inside Tibet for An English translation of the notice is as to contact organizations or persons that using the online platform to share their below: endanger national security to carry out opinions in the past. Tibetans are under activities that split the country or under- surveillance at all times both online and Notice of the Tibet Autonomous Region mine national unity. offline. Any talk of politics or critique of on not using information networks to state policy is considered an act of sepa- implement activities to split the country 5. Do not engage in supporting activities ratism; any post related to His Holiness and undermine national unity that endanger national security, such as the Dalai Lama are grounds for a charge providing funds, state secrets, and intel- of religious extremism. Tibetans are also In order to further advance the gover- ligence information. strictly discouraged from contacting the nance of the Internet according to law, outside world. and severely crack down on the use of 6. Do not accept tasks from organiza- information networks to split the coun- tions or personnel that endanger national The Chinese party-state, with the aim of try and undermine national unity, illegal security to carry out separatist and sabo- maintaining “social stability”, outlawed and criminal activities, in accordance tage activities. many social media platforms and search with the “Criminal Law”, “The Law on engines such as Google, Facebook, and Public Security Management Penalties”, 7. Do not promote or support organiza- Twitter which allowed for more freedom “The Cybersecurity Law”, and “Com- tions or personnel that endanger national of speech and information. In contrast, puter Information” in accordance with security in various forms. China has created its own platforms the “Notice on the Twenty Prohibitions such as WeChat and Weibo, where the of Network Communication Activities 8. Do not distort facts, spread rumors, or search results are restricted to match in the Tibet Autonomous Region” and spread false information to provoke eth- Party lines. Suspicious individuals are other laws and regulations, such as the nic relations and undermine ethnic unity. reported if they engage in activities such Measures for the Administration of the as critiquing the party, debating human Security Protection of Networks and 9. It is not allowed to distort hype, attack rights, or advocating for Tibetan culture. International Networks, it is now pro- and defame the party and the govern- hibited to use information networks to ment by creating various social conflicts implement prohibited activities that split or using hot and sensitive events, and in- the country and disrupt national unity as citing disturbing public order. follows: “A truly compassionate 10. All other activities deemed by laws attitude toward others 1. It is prohibited to publish and spread and regulations as being aimed at split- does not change even if information that distorts history, down- ting the country and undermining na- they behave negatively plays national consciousness, uses reli- tional unity are not allowed. gious content, religious activities, etc. to or hurt you.” attack the party and state policies, and For those who commit the above illegal slander the socialist system. and criminal activities on the Internet, the criminal offender shall be held- ac - His Holiness the Dalai 2. It is not allowed to provide virtual countable in accordance with the law. Lama private network (VPN) and technical support or help for others to visit or Notice is hereby issued by browse overseas websites that promote, instigate the secession of the country, or Tibet Autonomous Region Public Se- 14 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FOCUS Central Tibetan Administration Strongly Rejects Chinese Government’s False Accusations Against the Landmark Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2020 The Central Tibetan Administration isation, economic and environmental and respect fundamental freedoms, hu- (CTA) strongly rejects the false accusa- development, and the politicisation of man dignity, religious freedom for every tions made by the so-called “People’s the sacred traditional system of the re- one of their citizens. Moreover, through Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region” incarnation of religious leaders, includ- the enactment of the Tibetan Policy and on the landmark Tibetan Policy and Sup- ing His Holiness the Dalai Lama. These Support Act, the US has made a global port Act 2020 of the United States gov- exacerbated conditions in Tibet and statement that the international commu- ernment. China’s failure to solve the fundamental nity will not accept China’s interference problem facing its illegal occupation of in the selection of His Holiness the Da- Days after the United States government Tibet in over more than 60 years have lai Lama’s succession and will oppose enacted the Tibetan Policy and Support compelled the enactment of the Tibetan China’s human rights abuses in Tibet for Act, China’s state media reported that Policy and Support Act. Just to set the as long as they continue. this rubber-stamp body “expressed its record straight, it is important to iterate strong indignation and firm opposition here that Tibet historically was never a In view of this, it is in China’s own inter- to the passing of the US act on Tibet”. part of China and remained an indepen- est to accept the Middle Way Approach The “People’s Congress” alleges that the dent nation until the invasion by troops envisioned by His Holiness the Dalai Tibet bill “grossly interferes in China’s of the People’s Liberation Army of Lama and adopted by the CTA as the of- internal affairs and gravely violates the China in 1949/50. There can be no argu- ficial policy towards restoring freedom fundamental principles of international ment that on the eve of China’s military for Tibetans in Tibet. Through dialogue, laws and basic norms governing inter- invasion, which started at the close of the MWA seeks to achieve a coexistence national relations” and “maliciously dis- 1949, Tibet possessed all the attributes between the Tibetan and Chinese people torts Tibet’s social development, makes of independent statehood recognised un- where Tibetans enjoy genuine self-rule groundless accusations, denigrates Chi- der international law: a defined territory, within the constitutional framework na’s ethnic and religious policies, and a population inhabiting that territory, of the PRC and are able to restore and interferes in the normal reincarnation a government, and the ability to enter preserve the unique Tibetan language procedure of living Buddhas under the into international relations. The Chinese and cultural heritage as well their once- pretext of human rights and religion”. military takeover constituted aggression pristine environment. There is a growing against a sovereign state and a violation chorus of support from all corners of the Forefronting “People’s Congress of Ti- of international law. Today’s continued world for the nonviolent and solution- bet Autonomous Region” to condemn occupation of Tibet by the PRC govern- oriented approach of the Tibetan people TPSA 2020 is nothing but a frail attempt ment, with the help of several hundred and their legitimate rights to chart their to represent the voice of the people as thousand troops, violates international own future and to pursue their aspira- is practised in a true democracy which law and the fundamental rights of the tions. With the inclusion of the Middle in the case of China is widely known to Tibetan people. Way Approach in the TPSA, the US be farcical. It is a common fact that the has set an important precedent for other Tibetan people have no meaningful par- As such, China’s attempt to discount the countries to address the Tibetan people’s ticipation in the deliberations of “Peo- importance and purpose of the US act struggle for freedom. ple’s Congress of TAR” or its decision fails to convince the international com- making. On the contrary, Tibetans are munity and more importantly the Tibet- The historical truth and current reality of afforded such positions only to rubber- ans inside Tibet who continue to remain Tibet cannot and will not be distracted stamp Communist Party decisions. the direct victims of China’s iron-clad by the cacophony of Chinese propagan- rule. If anything, China’s own atrocious da and political machinations. In light of Secondly, the Tibetan Support and Pol- track record in trampling upon the hu- the urgent need to preserve the Tibetan icy Act of 2020, which is a major revi- man rights of the Tibetan people, the culture, heritage and identity, we remain sion encompassing substantive issues of increasing attempts to undermine the committed to combating these disinfor- Tibet to the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, Tibetan religious freedom and the ap- mation efforts with facts and truths. addresses the urgent, deteriorating hu- palling state of language rights is a testa- man rights, religious freedom, and en- ment to its misrule in Tibet. This natu- We felt it necessary to address these is- vironmental and other challenges faced rally invalidates its own arguments. sues in a concise report shedding light by the Tibetan people inside Tibet. The on the traditional origins of Tibetan deteriorating human rights situation in The TPSA simply demands that the Buddhist reincarnation system, the ram- Tibet amounts to cultural genocide and Chinese Communist Party act as every pant human rights violations in Tibet and suppression of rights under the guise of other responsible ruling regime, that is the ongoing destruction of Tibet’s ecol- developmental policies such as urban- to address problems faced by its people ogy. The ongoing global pandemic has JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 15 FOCUS exposed that China’s restriction on free quality, it was never accepted by the Ti- has said. flow of information and lack of transpar- betans in reality. ency is not a mere “internal matter”, but His Holiness has instead clarified that has consequences of global magnitude. The PRC government’s repeated insis- high of the Tibetan Buddhist tra- tence on interfering in the Tibetan rein- ditions, the Tibetan public, and other This report serves as a reminder, once carnation system is not only irrelevant concerned people who follow Tibetan again, to the PRC government that the but also without historical basis. Its Buddhism, will decide whether the Da- CTA will continue to speak truth on be- claims over the reincarnation system is lai Lama institution should continue or half of the Tibetans inside Tibet whose politically-motivated to provide a pre- not. voices remain muzzled by its repression. text for controlling the selection of spiri- tual leaders of Tibetan Buddhism and to “When I am about ninety I will The Spiritual and Traditional appropriate their legitimacy in tradition- consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Authority over Tibetan Bud- al Tibetan society. As a self-proclaimed Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, atheist and materialist regime, it has no and other concerned people who fol- dhist Reincarnation System justifiable reason to interfere in the Ti- low Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate Rests Solely with the Tibetan betan reincarnation system. whether the institution of the Dalai Lama People should continue or not. On that basis The PRC government has destroyed we will take a decision. If it is decided almost 90 percent of more than 6,000 that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama The Chinese government’s so-called Tibetan monasteries and has forced to should continue and there is a need for People’s Congress of the Tibet Autono- disrobe thousands of Tibetan Buddhist the Fifteenth Dalai Lama to be recog- mous Region’s (TAR) recent claim over monks and nuns. It also refuses to allow nised, responsibility for doing so will Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation system, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries to func- primarily rest on the concerned officers particularly on the selection of the next tion in traditional ways by instituting of the Dalai Lama’s Gaden Phodrang Dalai Lama, is completely baseless and state-sanctioned “Monastery Manage- Trust. They should consult the various condemnable. The onus of selecting Ti- ment Committees”. Regulations such heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions betan Buddhist Tulkus, including the as the infamous “Order no. 5” which and the reliable oath-bound Dharma next Dalai Lama rests solely on the Ti- requires reincarnated lamas to be reg- Protectors who are linked inseparably betan Buddhist people and institutions. istered and certified by the Chinese to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They No other government or entity, least of government is one such attempt by the should seek advice and direction from all the Chinese Communist Govern- Chinese government to coerce Tibetan these concerned beings and carry out the ment, can claim to determine or interfere Buddhist Tulkus to achieve their politi- procedures of search and recognition in in the selection process of the next Da- cal goals. It is a clear indication of China accordance with past tradition. I shall lai Lama or any other Tibetan Buddhist systematically undermining Tibet’s age- leave clear written instructions about Tulkus. This sacred and unique Tibetan old culture and traditions to sinicise Ti- this. Bear in mind that, apart from the Buddhist tradition should be carried for- betan Buddhism and Tibetan culture. reincarnation recognised through such ward based solely on the centuries-old legitimate methods, no recognition or spiritual tradition of the Tibetan people, Regarding the next Dalai Lama, His Ho- acceptance should be given to a candi- as it has been since its inception. liness the 14th Dalai Lama himself has date chosen for political ends by anyone, stated clearly in a promulgation made in including those in the People’s Republic The PRC government bases its claims September 2011 that the Chinese gov- of China.” on the Tibetan reincarnation system ernment has no right to meddle in the on the rare political interference of the reincarnation system. After China’s invasion of Tibet, almost Qing emperors in the selection of Ti- all of Tibet’s spiritual leaders including betan Buddhist reincarnations. How- “It is particularly inappropriate Bon religion came to exile following ever, this claim belies historical reality. for Chinese communists, who explicitly His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Over the The reincarnation system is a centuries reject even the idea of past and future years, the spiritual heads hold regular old Tibetan tradition that has existed in lives, let alone the concept of reincar- conferences to discuss the state of Ti- Tibet since the Second Karmapa of the nate Tulkus, to meddle in the system of betan religion inside and outside Tibet. Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Bud- reincarnation and especially the reincar- Successive conferences of the Tibetan dhism was recognised as the reincarna- nations of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen spiritual heads have unanimously reject- tion of Karmapa Du-sum Khenpa in the Lamas. Such brazen meddling contra- ed the Chinese government’s interfer- 13th century. The role of the Qing in dicts their own political ideology and re- ence in the selection of Tibetan Buddhist the selection process as claimed by the veals their double standards. Should this reincarnations. In the last conference of PRC is highly exaggerated. The Golden situation continue in the future, it will be Tibetan spiritual heads in 2019, the spir- Urn system (Ser-bum) was imposed on impossible for Tibetans and those who itual heads of all traditions of Tibetan the Tibetans by the Qing in the late 18th follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to Buddhism and Bon have unanimously century. Since it lacks Buddhist spiritual acknowledge or accept it,” His Holiness passed a resolution stating: 16 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FOCUS

indicate that China has no role in the traditions – most evidently the system “The authority of decision con- selection of the next Dalai Lama or the of Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation – lan- cerning the way and the manner in Tibetan reincarnation system. The only guage, culture, environment, and even which the next reincarnation of the XIV reason that a self-proclaimed atheist marriages. Dalai Lama should appear solely rests government is interested in the Tibetan with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama reincarnation system is because of the B.1 Freedom of Religion himself. No government or otherwise fact that the Chinese government knows will have such authority. If the Govern- that it cannot rule Tibet without the le- The Chinese constitution guarantees the ment of the People’s Republic of China gitimising influence of the Dalai Lama right to freedom of religion and prohib- for political ends chooses a candidate over the Tibetan people. Their claims its any discrimination based on one’s re- for the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan people over the Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation ligion. However, such rights exist only will not recognise and respect that can- system is purely motivated by political on paper as the ground reality showcases didate.” ambitions. It knows that to effectively the actual opposite in Tibet. Like many control the heart of Tibet and the soul of other fundamental human rights, the Ti- The Conference of the Tibetan Spiritual its people, it needs to occupy and colo- betan people are not only deprived of Heads also passed resolutions stating: nise the Tibetan people’s spiritual realm religious rights but are persecuted for in addition to its control of territorial Ti- exercising their freedom of religion and “this Special General Meeting bet. By making a claim on Tibetan spiri- beliefs, religious practices, observation prays with a single-minded devotion, tual authority, China is trying to wrest of religious festivities and customs. and in a single voice, that for as long control over the soul of Tibet. Therefore, as sentient beings remain extant on the the recent Tibetan Policy and Support The Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism Snowland of Tibet, the lineage of succes- Act (TPSA) made into law by the United has been a top priority and rule by con- sive reincarnations of His Holiness the States which bars the interference of the trolling the reincarnation system serves Dalai Lama may continue with impera- Chinese government in the succession as a master plan for China. The Chinese tiveness for the sake of the dharma and of Tibetan Buddhist leaders is an early government’s assertion of its role in the the sentient beings of this land.” indication of how the world would react recognition of the Eleventh Panchen to China’s interference in the spiritual Lama more than 25 years ago attests to “That this Special General Meet- tradition of Tibet. The law is a timely this political ambition. More recently, ing is of the position that with regard to reminder that the spiritual authority over passing regulations on “ethnic unity” re- the process for the discovery and recog- Tibetan Buddhist traditions including quiring religious institutes to “persevere nition of the reincarnation of His Holi- the Tibetan reincarnation system lies on the path of sinicising religion” and ness the Dalai Lama, the entire task and solely with the Tibetan people and not criminalising expression with sanctions power lies in His Holiness Himself and the Chinese government. for those who have “irresolute stances the duly empowered responsible offi- and attitudes on the fight against sepa- cials of the Gaden Phodrang Trust of the China’s Continued Grave Hu- ratism”. Dalai Lama and in no way in any other man Rights Violations in Tibet entity, be it any nation, any government, B.2 The Continued Enforced any organisation of whatever descrip- Disappearance of the Eleventh tion, or any private individual.” China’s claims of Tibetans enjoying so- cial and economic progress is not sup- Panchen Lama “That this Special General Meet- ported by facts. As a matter of fact, the ing is resolute in rejecting outright the prevailing situation inside Tibet is one of When Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was efforts made and still being made by the ever-increasing repression where free- recognised as the Eleventh Panchen in the process for dom of religion, expression and other Lama at the age of six, he and his entire the discovery and recognition of reincar- fundamental human rights are increas- family were abducted by the Chinese nations in Tibetan Buddhism in general ingly threatened. This is evident from government on 17 May 1995. Chadrel and especially its coercive Order No. 5 the continuing crackdown in Tibet, and Rinpoche, the head of the Search Com- declared in 2007 on the question of the more recently the 155 known self-im- mittee appointed by the Chinese au- recognition of reincarnations of tulkus molation protests by Tibetans in Tibet. thorities, was also detained, and his fate and lamas in Tibetan Buddhism through remains unknown. This year marks the which it sought to plot its interference The constant assertion of its Sinicisation 26th year of enforced disappearances of in the recognition of the reincarnation policy in every aspect of Tibetans’ lives Tibet’s Eleventh Panchen Lama, Gedhun of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and this in Tibet has aggravated the human rights Choekyi Nyima, his family members and resolution has been unanimously so ad- violations. In fact, all that China has Chadrel Rinpoche. The United Nations’ opted.” been doing in the last several decades human rights experts and government is attempting accelerated Sinicisation of officials have repeatedly called on China The statements of His Holiness the Da- Tibet, be it Tibet’s religion and religious over the years to reveal the whereabouts lai Lama and the Tibetan spiritual heads of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 17 FOCUS but have only received non-committal re-education” are stark violations of re- Committee called on China to preserve responses. On several occasions, includ- ligious freedom. A case of a suicide of Tibetan language by encouraging its use ing at the United Nations, China has a nun who was evicted in May 2019 to in education and other fields. made tacit admissions. For instance in avoid undergoing “patriotic education” a statement given by Baima Wangdui, emerged in early 2020. During the state- In most cases, is a pre- representative of “TAR” delegation at a led demotion of Larung Gar in 2016, requisite in acquiring a respectable job. hearing held on 8 May 2018 at the Cana- three nuns committed suicide in protest Tibetan students graduating with spe- dian Parliament’s Subcommittee on For- to the forced eviction and demolitions. cialisation in Tibetan language are de- eign Affairs and International Develop- prived of any job prospects. Many young ment, said, “he and his family members Elderly and retired Tibetans are restricted Tibetan graduates remain unemployed do not want to be interrupted by an ex- to go on kora, a religious circumambula- as recruitment examinations in Tibet re- ternal environment.” For more than 25 tion of holy sites. Tibetan children are quire a good command of the Chinese years, Tibetans, their supporters, and in- also restricted to participate in religious language. Basic public services, includ- ternational human rights groups, includ- activities during their school breaks, and ing bank transactions or travel tickets ing the UN Committee Against Torture, the admissions of novices to monaster- are printed in Chinese, making travel the UN Committee on the Rights of the ies and nunneries are highly curtailed. difficult for Tibetans even within Tibet. Child, the Special Rapporteur on Free- Authorities in Tibet also enforced re- The systematic onslaught on the Tibetan dom of Religion or Belief and the Work- strictions on religious observance and language is targeted towards destroying ing Group on Enforced Disappearance, expressions of faith, including prohibi- the identity of the Tibetan people. Resis- have called for information on the Pan- tion on participating in religious events. tance to discriminatory language policy chen Lama’s wellbeing and whereabouts Even celebrating holidays such as Losar, results in persecution. Those who voice but no verifiable response has been pro- the Tibetan New Year, are also truncated concerns over such state policies and vided. The Panchen Lama remains one of its religious significance. Instead, Ti- advocate for the conservation of Tibetan of the world’s longest-serving political betans are compelled to display portraits language are arrested and sentenced, as prisoners. of Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders was the case in Tashi Wangchuk and on their altars and forced to make offer- Sonam Palden who were arrested in More recently, five UN independent ex- ings and prostrate, a religious practice of 2016 and 2019 respectively. In February perts issued a joint letter in June 2020, reverence reserved only to Buddha and 2019, Tsering Dorjee was arrested for expressing concern over “the contin- high lamas. talking about the importance of Tibetan ued enforced disappearance of Gedhun language education over the phone with Choekyi Nyima, and the regulation of B.3 Bilingual Policy and the On- his brother in India. reincarnation of Tibetan living Bud- slaught on Tibetan Language dha against the religious traditions and Tibetans in Tibet have absolutely no practices of the Tibetan Buddhist”. The China claims that Tibetans who are con- freedom of expression. Expressing any UN experts demanded China to “pro- sidered as one of the 55 “ethnic minori- disagreement or grievances against the vide prompt and detailed information” ties” under PRC enjoy language rights. authorities result in them being detained, on Panchen Lama while endorsing “to Yet through China’s bilingual policy, tortured, falsely charged with “separat- allow an independent monitor to visit Tibetan language has been replaced by ism” and sentenced to lengthy prison him to confirm his whereabouts and the Chinese Mandarin as the medium of terms. In the last decade, at least 155 extent to which he is able to enjoy and instruction in schools in Tibet. China Tibetans have self-immolated in protest exercise his rights.” implements policies such as the bilin- against China’s repressive policies in gual education policy that systemati- Tibet. The Tibetan self-immolators have The Chinese authorities’ direct interfer- cally target the Tibetan language, further called for freedom, human rights and the ence in the management of Tibetan mon- suppress the learning and teaching of Ti- return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. asteries and nunneries through “Monas- betan language and hence marginalises tery Management Committees” have the Tibetan language. Tibetan monaster- B.4 “Interethnic” Marriage further intensified China’s control over ies which are secondary sites for learn- the monks and nuns’ daily routine and ing Tibetan language have been banned China’s promotion and incentivising of religious practices, as well as its sup- from receiving Tibetan students to teach marriages between ethnic Chinese and pression of their freedom of movement, Tibetan language. In 2018, the UN Com- Tibetans seek “assimilation” of Tibetan privacy and security among others. mittee on the Elimination of All Forms identity, language and culture through of Racial Discrimination expressed con- marriages. In August 2014, Chen Quan- The demolition of the world’s largest cern that “Tibetan language teaching in guo, the highest Chinese official in Tibetan Buddhist institutes such as the schools,” in Tibet has “not been placed charge of the “Tibet Autonomous Re- famous Larung Gar and Yachen Gar, on an equal footing in law, policy and gion” at the time ordered a run of stories while forcefully evicting thousands of practice with Chinese, and that it has in local newspapers promoting mixed practitioners and putting them in in- been significantly restricted.” The UN marriages. For weeks, government-run ternment camps to undergo “political 18 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FOCUS newspapers in the “TAR” featured sto- Dza Wonpo, along with several others. surveillance and censorship policy con- ries and images of happy mixed mar- The protests took place as the forcibly tinue to upgrade in response to the crisis riages in which the children are shown resettled nomads and local Tibetans in inside Tibet. Technologies such as the to love both cultures and speak in both the area were pressured by the local of- facial recognition and profiling obstruct Tibetan and Chinese. A 2014 report by ficials to endorse the Chinese -govern free flow of information through censor- the Communist Party’s research office ment’s “poverty alleviation” program. ship, this is aimed to monitor Tibetan in “TAR” said mixed marriages had Further, the demolition of Larung Gar people and their online activities. Every increased annually by double-digit per- and Yachen Gar and the ensuing expul- contact made between Tibetans inside centages for the past five years, from sion of over several thousands monks Tibet and abroad are closely surveilled. 666 couples in 2008 to 4,795 couples and nuns was carried out to make way Any “sensitive information” posted on in 2013. , then the Party for tourist attraction projects. social media such as issues concerning Secretary of “TAR” who chaired Ethnic language rights, devotion to His Holi- Intermarriage Family Forum on 18 June Under the guise of “poverty alleviation”, ness the Dalai Lama, Covid-19 pan- 2014 implored party and government of- over half a million Tibetans were put demic, and others which the Chinese ficials to act as “matchmakers.” through coercive military-style labour state deems as “illegal” and “separatist” training and labour transfer policy in are punished. In one such known case, The “Ethnic Unity” regulation passed the “TAR” in just the first seven months 10 Tibetans in Lhasa were arrested for in January 2020 requires “all levels of of 2020. These rural Tibetans, mainly alleged spreading of “rumors” about the government, companies, community or- nomads and farmers were subjected to Covid-19 breakout in March 2020 on ganisations, villages, schools, military “centralised military-style vocational WeChat. Tibetan singers Khando Tseten, groups and religious activity centres training”. Forced to move away from Tsego and Lhundrup Dakpa were sen- [to] be responsible for work on ethnic their centuries-old sustainable livelihood tenced in 2020 while Lhamo was tor- unity,” while the Seventh Tibet Work style, Tibetan nomads and farmers are tured to death for sending money abroad Forum in August 2020 emphasised on made to hand over their herds and land and for possessing a picture of His Holi- national unity as well. As the “Ethnic to government-run cooperatives and ness the Dalai Lama. Unity” regulation states, those “harming then turned into wage labourers. In the ethnic unity” by “taking part” or “dis- forced relocation and mass housing pro- In a recent report, Chinese government cussing separatism” and jeopardising grams from 2006-2012, Chinese govern- has announced criminal prosecutions “social harmony” will face criticism and ment has pushed over 2 million Tibetan against internet users in Tibet for dis- punishments. These policies and regula- nomads into concrete housing. With no senting activities online. According to tions are solely aimed at diluting Tibetan socio-economic support to sustain them the notice, internet users are only al- unique culture and identity. in the long run, this drives many young lowed to use the online platform to people to lead a lifestyle fraught with praise the Chinese government’s policy B.5 Economic Development criminal tendencies and poverty. and propaganda. Any online activities and “Poverty Alleviation” aimed “to split the country” are bound While there is some degree of economic to be penalised. The Chinese government’s statistical development, the situation inside Tibet claims of “poverty alleviation” and “de- is far from the “socialist paradise” that velopment” do not present the current China presents to the world. Moreover, Lack of Environmental Justice reality of Tibetans inside Tibet. China’s Tibetans are not the true beneficiaries in Tibet Undermines People’s of the various development projects promotion of “right to development” Ecological Protection Efforts is prioritised over other human rights, and implementations in Tibet. On the mainly civil and political rights. The contrary, these “development” projects are to serve the Communist Party of The increasing rate of environmental development projects in the so-called degradation and the scale of ecological “TAR” and other Tibetan regions as ad- China’s own interests. The infrastruc- ture development in Tibet that the PRC destruction in Tibet is largely due to lack ministered by PRC are carried out at the of proper Environmental Impact Assess- cost of Tibet’s ecology and people. The has trumpeted facilitated effective -po litical control over Tibet and ushered in ment (EIA) and Social Impact Assess- so-called poverty alleviation that has ment (SIA) prior to any major mineral been forced on Tibetans has caused great the mass migration of Chinese people to Tibet, threatening the Tibetan culture, resource extractions, hydropower dam misery and resentment among the local building and road or railway line con- population. Tenzin Nyima or Tamey, language, identity, environment and the very existence of the Tibetan people. struction activities in the region. The a 19-year-old Tibetan monk from Dza Chinese government’s inability to un- Wonpo in Sershul died on 19 January derstand local ecological conditions, 2021, due to the local Chinese authori- B.6 Surveillance and unwillingness to listen to local environ- ties’ beatings and torture. Tenzin Nyima Censorship mental concerns and blatant disrespect was detained on 9 November 2019 after for local traditional belief in the sacred- pro-independence protests erupted in The Chinese government’s intensive ness of mountains and lakes have made

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 19 FOCUS

Tibetans in Tibet utterly helpless. ther degradation and destruction. Another extremely important issue the TPSA highlighted is the possible impact Such a sense of helplessness simmer- The historical enactment of the Tibetan of an increasing number of large dams in ing from continued refusal to acknowl- Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA) Tibet in recent years. The policy warns: edge Tibetan people’s wishes and griefs is a clear recognition of the global eco- by the Chinese government has forced logical importance of the Tibetan Pla- The construction in Tibet of large many Tibetans to take desperate mea- teau as well as an acknowledgement of hydro-electric power dams intended to sures, particularly since 2008 as the Chi- the lack of environmental justice in Ti- be used in part to transmit power to Chi- nese government increased its repres- bet under Chinese occupation. nese provinces outside of Tibet, as well sion across Tibet. as other infrastructure projects, includ- The Section 4 of the Act – Policy Re- ing the -Tibet railroad, may also There were at least three reported self- garding the Environment and Water Re- lead to the resettlement of thousands of immolations ( on 20 sources on the Tibetan Plateau– begins Tibetans and transform the environment. November 2012, Konchok Tsering on 26 by highlighting the global and regional November 2012 and Tsultrim Gyamtso ecological importance of the Tibetan A new trend of fervent competition to on 19 December 2013) in Amchok in plateau. The policy states: build ever bigger dams in Tibet in recent Northeastern Tibet between 2012 and years is threatening both the river eco- 2013 as a desperate measure to protest The Tibetan Plateau contains system on the Tibetan Plateau as well as against mining on their sacred mountain glaciers, rivers, grasslands, and other the lifeline of 1.8 billion people in Asia. Gong Ngon Lari. They have, in letters geographical and ecological features There is an obvious but a well-disguised left behind, expressed “unbearable sense that are crucial for supporting vegeta- nexus between the Chinese Communist of agony” caused by mining on their sa- tion growth and biodiversity, regulating Party leadership and dam construc- cred mountains as the reason for their water flow and supply for an estimated tion companies in China, which both sacrifice. 1.8 billion people. fuel and sustain a new trend of build- ing mega dams in Tibet, despite its im- A similar desperate measure was taken The policy also adds: mense ecological risk and social cost. on 16 August 2013 during a large peace- ful protest against mining on sacred Traditional Tibetan grassland The year 2021 will see the completion of mountain Garwa Choejad in Zatoe, in stewardship practices, which can be 1.2 GW Suwalong Hydropower Dam, the northern Tibet. Sokpo Choedup, who key to mitigating the negative effects of largest hydel dam in Tibet, and also the was part of the peaceful protest gathered warming on the Tibetan Plateau, are un- partly completed 295-meter tall Liang- at the mine site, stabbed himself in an dermined by the resettlement of nomads hekou (3000 MW) Hydropower Dams. instant and frantic reaction to an exces- from Tibetan grasslands. Lianghekou would emerge as the tallest sively brutal suppression by Chinese embankment dam in Tibet and the third paramilitary forces. According to people This rightly condemns the Chinese gov- highest earth-filled dam in the world. who visited him in the hospital, Sokpo ernment for their lack of respect for Ti- Choedup said, “I felt a sense of helpless- betan Nomads and their traditional way The Suwalong hydropower dam, the ness, as there was no one we could go of life and its positive role in environ- biggest in Tibet, officially began its con- for justice.” mental conservation. The Chinese gov- struction in 2016 and is expected to be ernment has removed more than two mil- completed by 2021. The dam built by The prevailing sense of helplessness and lion nomads from their land and pushed China Huadian Corp is located on the lack of institutional mechanisms to seek them into large-scale settlements with border between Markham and Bathang justice in Tibet under Chinese occupa- limited medical, educational or busi- in southeastern Tibet, at the lower range tion has forced many Tibetans in Tibet ness opportunities to support a dignified of the Drichu (Yangtze River) before to look for justice and support from out- and sustainable life. Tibet’s rangeland it flows into China. The location of the side China. Tibetans in Tibet are making covers approximately 70 percent of its dam has historically seen many earth- enormous sacrifices for the ecological total area. The alpine grassland at high quakes and landslides. The devastat- protection of the world’s highest and altitude covers, in turn, 60 percent of the ing landslide in Bolu in South-eastern largest plateau — a plateau which not total Tibetan rangeland. Pastoralism on Tibet on 3 November 2018, which only feeds and sustains almost all of the Tibetan plateau involves adaptation blocked the Drichu, the longest river in Asia’s largest rivers but also greatly in- to a cold environmental condition at el- Asia for 10 days, is only about 215km fluences the global climatic conditions. evation above the limit of cultivation. upstream of the Suwalong dam site. The Central Tibetan Administration and Nomads have not only prospered but The river blockage from the landslide Tibetans spread across over 40 countries protected the plateau from further degra- quickly led to inundation of much of have been trying to bring to light the im- dation by living an eco-friendly and sus- Bolu in Palyul and caused flash floods mense risks and efforts Tibetans in Tibet tainable life for more than 8,000 years. in many regions located along the river. undergoes to seek environmental justice They are the actual stewards of the vast and protect the Tibetan Plateau from fur- grassland. Tibet has seen an unprecedented number 20 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FOCUS of floods and landslides simultaneously nyi, Ngonde, Dragtog, Jathang, Drugal hydel dams were planned on the 1600km occurring across the region since 2016. Chukha in Tawu and Nyakchukha were stretch of Yarlung Tsangpo before it en- The increased cases of natural disasters seriously affected. A local resident of ters into India with Zangmu (510MW) are partly due to continued rise in tem- Nyakchukha said in his statement in and Gyatsa (320MW) already complet- perature and increase in precipitation, 2015 that the dam construction com- ed, Dagu (640MW) and Jeixu (560MW) but the situation is greatly aggravated by pany provided no work opportunity for under construction, Lengda received per- excessive construction and resource ex- the local residents and that the Tibetans mission recently and more to begin soon traction activities. The intensity and the were prohibited from wandering any- as part of China’s 14th Five Year Plan. frequency of such disasters is most likely where near the dam construction site. to increase in the coming years, putting The alarming pace of issuing permits as immense risk on any major dam projects. The immediate effect of the dam- con well as constructing mega dams in Ti- struction was the loss of thousands of bet without any public participation and The Lianghekou Hydropower dam is homes, but the long-term impact could consultation is apparently in stark con- currently being built on the Nyakchu be even greater as the dam would gradu- trast to the official rhetoric about green (Yalong River) near Nyakchukha town ally inundate vast areas of fertile farm- development being propagated in Tibet. in eastern Tibet. Even though the dam lands, grazing areas, forest, sacred sites construction officially began in 2014, and disturb local ecological balance. Large dams inevitably lead to inunda- the preliminary constructions were car- tion of vast areas of land around it for ried out as early as 2009. A recent video Unlike in the 1960s, the large Hydropow- water storage, leading to massive loss clip, verified from local sources, clearly er Dams are no longer considered eco- of vegetation and wildlife habitat. Dams shows that people of Nyakchukha were friendly and sustainable. According to a also induce seismic activity, landslides in horror as they saw the river going paper published on 5 November 2018 by and sudden change in local ecosystem. completely dry near Nyakchukha Town. Proceedings of the National Academy of The partly-completed Lianghekou Hy- Sciences (PNAS), countries in Europe Consequently, the rapid pace of build- dropower dam, located only a few ki- and stopped building ing mega dams in Tibet in recent years lometres upstream from Nyakchukha large dams since 1975 due to its negative will not only affect the Tibetan people town, is blamed for the sudden drying social and environmental impacts. The and its fragile environment but will also up of the river as the dam likely has paper also stated that such dams have have catastrophic consequences for 1.8 begun storing water for operation of damaged river ecology, displaced mil- billion people in Asia, whose lives de- its first generator. Even though a paper lions of people, and have both contrib- pend on a healthy flow of the Tibetan published in 2014 by Ertan Hydropower uted to and impacted by climate change. rivers. With the impending threat in Development Company, which con- sight, the Tibetan Policy and Support structs the dam, has officially stated that However, in Tibet, the Chinese govern- Act 2020 rightly calls for a “collabora- about 4,925 people would require to be ment is on a dam-building spree on most tive effort with Chinese and internation- resettled due to the dam construction, of the major rivers in Tibet such as Gyal- al scientific institutions to monitor the but local Tibetans claim that the actual mo Ngulchu (Salween), Zachu (Me- environment on the Tibetan Plateau” forced relocation of Tibetans in the re- kong), Drichu (Yangtze), Nyakchu (Ya- as well as to encourage formation of “a gion is much greater. Homes in Drong- long) and Yarlung Tsangpo. A total of 11 regional framework on water security”.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 21 FEATURE

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Holds a Virtual Conversation with Mayors on Kind and Compassionate Leadership sider and plan for the future. Today, we are all part of a global economy and, because of technological developments, the world is becoming smaller. We have to consider the needs of the whole world and the whole of humanity because we are all the same in being human. And we have to live together.

“I feel I am just another human being, a part of the world in which I live. There- fore, I’m never lonely. I think of who- ever I meet as being the same as me. We don’t need to be introduced. If they have two eyes, one nose and a mouth, I think of other people as being human like me.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, moderator for the conversation on Kind and Compassionate Leadership welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama joining online from his residence in Dharamsala, HP, India on “When I first came to India, I reflected January 27, 2021. Photo by Ven Tenzin Jamphel on the close links between this country Source: dalailama.com bringing together 74 mayors represent- and my homeland. As the Prime Min- ing 19 countries. He stated that we can ister has said, India is the land of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama participat- rise above challenges when we embrace Buddha. And even today, we can benefit ed in a virtual conversation on ‘Kind and compassion. from adopting the tried and tested an- Compassionate Leadership’ as invited cient Indian principles of ‘ahimsa’ and by by Sasha Havlicek. As CEO, Institute With his opening words, His Holiness ‘karuna’, non-violence and compassion, for Strategic Dialogue, she explained declared that, whenever he can, he em- as the basis of a more peaceful world. that the organization she leads has been phasizes the oneness of humanity. “We working to oppose hate and misinforma- are all the same as human beings,” he “As I often say, to achieve world peace, tion. went on. “Scientists recognise that we we need peace of mind within ourselves. are social animals with a strong sense However, destructive emotions disturb With this in mind it launched the Strong of community. We depend on each other our peace of mind. Those who concern Cities Network (SCN) to work to over- and we take care of each other for our themselves predominantly with mate- come polarization and extremism. It has very survival. rial development think of happiness delivered training to city officials, civil and well-being only in terms of physi- society leaders, company leaders and “We face many problems, many of cal health and yet our mental health is faith leaders in deradicalization and re- which are our own creation. But we crucial too. Ancient Indian tradition ac- integration, particularly aiming to break limit ourselves by thinking too much of quired a rich understanding of the work- down the concept of ‘othering’, the hab- me, of my needs, my family’s needs, the ings of our minds and emotions and we it of seeing people in terms of ‘us’ and needs of my community and the needs can still call on this knowledge today. ‘them’. of my nation. However, since we are re- sponsible for so many of the problems “It recommends first examining what This event was the result of partnership that confront us, it’s reasonable to think disturbs the mind and then consider- between SCN and the United States that we can also solve them. ing what counters those disturbances. It Conference of Mayors (USCM) led by turns out that self-centred attitudes and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. Hav- “Above all, we must cultivate a sense misconceptions about the nature of self licek thanked His Holiness for his par- of the oneness of all human beings. We are at the root of the destructive emo- ticipation today and introduced Mayor must recognise that in comparison to tions that disturb our minds. So, when Fischer as today’s moderator. that, differences of faith and of national- we see, as quantum physicists have also ity are secondary. observed, that things do not exist as they Mayor Fischer professed it was an hon- appear, our misplaced thoughts are re- our to be with His Holiness once more. “Like other animals we have an array duced. And although this information He thanked Sasha Havlicek and Tom of sense consciousnesses, but what sets is to be found in religious texts, it can Tait, former Mayor of Anaheim for us apart is our intelligence. We can con- definitely be redeployed in a secular,

22 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FEATURE academic context. We can all learn how to tackle destructive emotions and culti- vate positive qualities.

“We must try to incorporate understand- ing of the workings of our emotions and the ways to tackle them into our educa- tion system. If we are kind and compas- sionate, we’ll be honest. That leads to trust, stability and friendship. Now, do you have any questions?”

Mayor Fischer introduced Mayors of North American cities, as well as from other parts of the world who put their questions to His Holiness. Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles, began by ask- Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco, Zamboanga, Philippines, playfully putting on her mask as His Holiness ing how to heal division. His Holiness the Dalai Lama recommends following the advice of experts, including wearing masks, as he answers her told him it’s important to focus on our question during their online conversation on Kind and Compassionate Leadership from his residence in feelings of closeness to one another. He Dharamsala, HP, India on January 27, 2021. Photo by Ven Tenzin Jamphel noted that since America is regarded as bridge the divides that have opened up force has gone. Since no one can com- leader of the free world, and has spe- in many places. His Holiness stated that pletely eliminate their enemies, we have cial relations with Europe, to think of biased views should give way to feel- to learn to live together. And it’s better ‘America first’ is inappropriate. America ings of harmony and respect. He pointed that we live together happily with smiles should take the whole world into ac- out that all the world’s major religious on our faces. count. traditions flourish peaceably, side by side in India. He added that as contact “Canada was one of the first countries Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco, Zambo- increases, the tendency towards isola- to accept a group of Tibetans and they anga, Philippines wanted to know what tion breaks down. He voiced a sense of are happy and well settled. People tell lessons we can learn from the pandemic. optimism, suggesting that if religious me that, in general, the local communi- His Holiness told her first of all that he is and civic leaders, scholars and scientists ties where Tibetans live admire them for very concerned about it and prays every met more often they could contribute to their humility and hard work.” day that the pandemic should come to an making things better. end. “I really admire the researchers who Councillor Jørgen H. Kristiansen, Kris- are investigating the virus, as well as the Mayor Visar Ganiu, Skopje, North tiansand, Norway enquired about links doctors and nurses who are caring for Macedonia asked how local government between war, conflict and poverty. His the sick, often putting their own health can help dispel disinformation about Holiness told him he thinks wars take at risk. We have to learn from what the covid-19. His Holiness told him how place less for economic reasons than for experts tell us. We have to follow their necessary it is for experts to explain the political and ideological ones. He cited advice to be cautious, to wear masks and situation in a truthful way. As the world the Vietnam war as an example. observe social distancing.” becomes smaller, holding meetings for this purpose becomes easier. Although military conflict is reducing, His Holiness told Mayor Andy Berke, His Holiness pointed out that poverty is Chattanooga, USA that people in local Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Calgary, Canada not. He stressed the urgency of reducing communities should work together. He sought advice about helping people live the gap between rich and poor on both mentioned his admiration for the spirit together better and also mentioned that local and global levels. He mentioned of the European Union (EU) where his- this year will mark the 50th anniversary a growing trend in support of denucle- toric enemies have put the past behind of the first Tibetans coming to Calgary. arization. Many people now envisage a them and chosen to cooperate with each His Holiness acknowledged the need world without nuclear weapons and the other instead. He suggested that the rest to address racism and rising hatred. He threat they present. of the world can learn from the EU’s ex- pointed out that when you look at things perience and emphasize closeness rather from a wider perspective it’s easier to His Holiness told Mayor Bill Peduto, than distance. The time has come to focus on unity. Pittsburgh, USA that wider contact was work together, to meet and discuss what the only way to heal the divisions caused needs to be done. “Things are improving,” he declared, by self-righteous anger and hatred. Some “but efforts to correct misunderstand- foolish people may cling to divisive at- Councillor Sarah Hamilton, Edmonton, ings must continue through education titudes. They need to be helped to un- Canada sought guidance on ways to and personal contact. The time for use of derstand the reality of what we all have

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 23 FEATURE in common. His Holiness reiterated that and personal contact. The time for use of His Holiness agreed with Mayor Leo- frustration and confusion arise because force has gone. Since no one can com- luca Orlando, Palermo, Italy about the of ignorance and that can be dispelled by pletely eliminate their enemies, we have importance of compassion and frater- education and sound information. to learn to live together. And it’s better nity. So many problems humanity faces that we live together happily with smiles are rooted in a sense of ‘us’ and ‘them’. His Holiness told Mayor Andy Berke, on our faces. He observed that theistic religions like Chattanooga, USA that people in local Judaism, Christianity and Islam consid- communities should work together. He “Canada was one of the first countries er that we all come from one creator so mentioned his admiration for the spirit to accept a group of Tibetans and they we are all like brothers and sisters. It’s of the European Union (EU) where his- are happy and well settled. People tell a powerful idea linked to a message of toric enemies have put the past behind me that, in general, the local communi- loving kindness. them and chosen to cooperate with each ties where Tibetans live admire them for other instead. He suggested that the rest their humility and hard work.” Non-theistic religions like Buddhism, of the world can learn from the EU’s ex- Jainism and some Hindu traditions em- perience and emphasize closeness rather Councillor Jørgen H. Kristiansen, Kris- phasize instead the importance of com- than distance. The time has come to tiansand, Norway enquired about links passion. His Holiness remarked that we work together, to meet and discuss what between war, conflict and poverty. His all need compassion because we all have needs to be done. Holiness told him he thinks wars take to live together and help each other. place less for economic reasons than for Councillor Sarah Hamilton, Edmonton, political and ideological ones. He cited Mayor Greg Fischer thanked His Holi- Canada sought guidance on ways to the Vietnam war as an example. ness for the inspiration he always pro- bridge the divides that have opened up vides. He also thanked Sasha Havlicek in many places. His Holiness stated that Although military conflict is reducing, and the Mayors who had taken part in biased views should give way to feel- His Holiness pointed out that poverty is the conversation. He ended with some- ings of harmony and respect. He pointed not. He stressed the urgency of reducing thing he’s learned from His Holiness: out that all the world’s major religious the gap between rich and poor on both “If you want others to be happy, practise traditions flourish peaceably, side by local and global levels. He mentioned compassion. If you want to be happy, side in India. He added that as contact a growing trend in support of denucle- practise compassion.” increases, the tendency towards isola- arization. Many people now envisage a tion breaks down. He voiced a sense of world without nuclear weapons and the “I very much appreciate the work you optimism, suggesting that if religious threat they present. are doing to promote compassion,” His and civic leaders, scholars and scientists Holiness responded. “Compassion is in- met more often they could contribute to His Holiness told Mayor Bill Peduto, dispensable. We must also continually making things better. Pittsburgh, USA that wider contact was consider the oneness of humanity. I ap- the only way to heal the divisions caused preciate all the mayors who have joined Mayor Visar Ganiu, Skopje, North by self-righteous anger and hatred. Some us today. Although one individual’s abil- Macedonia asked how local government foolish people may cling to divisive at- ity to change the world may be limited, can help dispel disinformation about titudes. They need to be helped to un- mayors, as community leaders can bring covid-19. His Holiness told him how derstand the reality of what we all have change about. This is a cause for hope. necessary it is for experts to explain the in common. His Holiness reiterated that We must keep up our efforts. I look for- situation in a truthful way. As the world frustration and confusion arise because ward in this 21st century to seeing a hap- becomes smaller, holding meetings for of ignorance and that can be dispelled by pier world where everyone wears a joy- this purpose becomes easier. education and sound information. ful smile. Thank you.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Calgary, Canada sought advice about helping people live together better and also mentioned that this year will mark the 50th anniversary “If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your of the first Tibetans coming to Calgary. best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you His Holiness acknowledged the need with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, pa- to address racism and rising hatred. He pointed out that when you look at things tience and understanding.” from a wider perspective it’s easier to focus on unity. ― His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“Things are improving,” he declared, “but efforts to correct misunderstand- ings must continue through education

24 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 FEATURE

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Offers Sympathy and Support to the People of Uttarakhand

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written to Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to tell him that how sad he is about the loss of life, and also how concerned he is about those who are still missing, as a result of the recent glacial burst in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

He wrote, “I offer my condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and pray for them. I also pray for the safety and well being of those who are still missing.

“I understand that both the Central and the State Governments are engaged in rescue work and are doing their utmost to provide relief to people affected by this calamity. As a gesture of solidarity with the people of Uttarakhand, I have asked the Dalai Lama Trust to make a donation towards the relief and rescue efforts.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama Congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris of the United States. In these challeng- just to people in your country, but also ing times, I am confident that you will to many others who look to the United contribute to shaping a more peaceful States for leadership. world in which those suffering from hunger, disease and violence may find “Madam Vice President, I hold the firm help. The need to address these issues is conviction that women are more em- indeed pressing. pathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others, qualities I first learned from my “Once again, I take this opportunity loving mother. There is also scientific to express our gratitude for your long- evidence that when it comes to compas- His Holiness the Dalai Lama offered his congratu- standing support for the Tibetan people. sion, women are more sensitive to oth- lations to US president Joe Biden and It has been our good fortune to have en- ers’ pain. It is inspiring that there is a Vice President Kamala Harris. joyed the friendship and encouragement growing recognition of the importance of the American people and their leaders and value of women’s leadership. I feel His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote to in our endeavour to protect and preserve that if more of our leaders were women President Biden on 21 Jnauary to offer our ancient Buddhist culture, a culture of the world would be a more understand- profound congratulations on his becom- peace, non-violence and compassion.” ing and peaceful place. ing President of the United States of America. His Holiness concluded, “I pray for your “Since my childhood I have admired the success in meeting the challenges that United States of America, a nation that “As someone deeply concerned with lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspi- has been a beacon of hope for so many the ecological crisis our planet faces,” rations of all Americans and in contrib- around the world in their wish for lib- he wrote, “I am so pleased that you are uting to a more peaceful and harmonious erty, democracy, religious freedom and elevating the issue of climate change to world.” the rule of law.” your highest priority and that the United States is rejoining the Paris Climate Ac- His Holiness the Dalai Lama also wrote His Holiness ended his letter by telling cord. Global warming is an urgent threat to Vice-President Kamala Harris to offer the Vice President that he prays for her to the whole world and to the survival of his congratulations to her. and for President Biden as they under- our species. take the enormous task of fulfilling the “I have no doubt that your commendable hopes and aspirations of the people of “May I also commend you for other background in public service will enable their great nation. measures you are taking towards the bet- you to make valuable contribution to the terment of the United States of America. people of America. I have long been an admirer of your For detailed news visit: great country, the bastion of liberty, de- “I am particularly pleased that you are mocracy, religious freedom and the rule www.tibet.net the first woman in the history of your of law. The whole world places its hope country to be holding this position. It is in the democratic vision and leadership a tremendous source of inspiration not

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 25 WORLD PRESS The United States and China Are Fighting Over the Dalai Lama’s Reincarnation Plans

By Kelsang Dolma, published in Foreign Policy, 23 February 2021 foreign ministry spokesperson, immedi- ately released a statement admonishing the United States for interfering with China’s “internal affairs.” Zhao cited the CCP’s Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas, otherwise known as State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5, to justify China’s outrage; the CCP in 2007 issued the Kafkaesque “Order No. 5,” a decree that dictates that Buddhist temples must file a reincarnation application and ob- tain approval from several government agencies for upcoming reincarnations— all in the name of protecting religious freedom. China demonstrated further insecurity when the Chinese Embassy in India, inflamed by the triumphant Indian media coverage of the TPSA, sourly ac- Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (center) is helped as he walks on a visit to the sacred Bodhi tree cused the Indian media of advocating at the world heritage Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, India, on Dec. 25, 2019. the new act. STR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES For Westerners, the Dalai Lama is a No- The dalai lama lineage spans centuries, bel Peace Prize winner. For Tibetans, But the most politically significant pro- but the power and status of the role he’s a spiritual leader. But for the Chi- vision is the assertion that the Dalai La- exponentially increased through for- nese government, he’s a “wolf in monk’s ma’s reincarnation process should be left mal relationships between Mongol rul- robes” and a “splittist.” Those insults solely to the Dalai Lama’s and Tibetan ers beginning around the 16th century. have sped up since this past December, Buddhist community’s wishes, and that Through these alliances, both parties when it was reported that the contentious Chinese officials who interfere in the found mutual benefits; the dalai lama omnibus U.S. spending bill included a process will face Magnitsky sanctions. gifted Mongol rulers culture and pres- peculiar provision: the Tibetan Policy tige, and the Mongol rulers allowed the and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA). That strikes at the core of one of Bei- dalai lama to amass political clout in jing’s political-theological claims over Tibet. By wielding a role that interred Introduced to their respective legislative Tibet; the argument, repeatedly made by spiritual and political aplomb, the da- bodies by Democratic Rep. James Mc- Chinese officials, that only the Chinese lai lama played a significant role in the Govern and Republican Sen. Marco Ru- Communist Party (CCP), cast as the le- cultivation of Tibetan Buddhism in the bio, the TPSA supplants the similarly bi- gitimate successor of earlier dynasties, domestic and international sphere. partisan Tibetan Policy Act of 2002. The can determine the Dalai Lama’s succes- new act is an overdue update. It covers sor. In the same way as China claims The fifth Dalai Lama, known as “The a range of issues, including emphasizing that its territorial boundaries are defined Great Fifth,” oversaw the construction environmental protection of the fragile by the furthest reach of the Manchu- of the Potala Palace and the consolida- Tibetan plateau, which is often referred ruled Qing Empire, it argues that it is tion of the school of Tibetan Bud- to as the Third Pole because of its mas- the successor of the role that Qing em- dhism. In the power struggles among the sive ice fields; encouraging the United perors, looking to legitimize their own clashing empires of the Qing dynasty Nations Guiding Principles on Business relationship with Buddhism, played in and Central Asian leaders in the 18th and Human Rights for American busi- recognizing Tibetan leaders. century, the seventh Dalai Lama was nesses engaged in Tibet; conditioning established as the head of the Tibetan the establishment of new Chinese con- When then-U.S. President Donald government. Manchu ambans—an of- sulates in the United States on an estab- Trump signed the omnibus spending ficial role somewhere between regional lishment of a U.S. consulate in Lhasa; bill, the TPSA became the new main commissioners and ambassadors—were and acknowledging the role of the Cen- legislative measure guiding U.S.-Tibet stationed across Tibet, but they largely tral Tibetan Administration. policy. Zhao Lijian, a bellicose Chinese acted as observers, not governors. When

26 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 WORLD PRESS the Qing dynasty collapsed in the early betan government-in-exile in Dharam- Buddhism in order to destabilize the di- 20th century, the ex- shala, the 14th Dalai Lama relinquished aspora Tibetan communities, for disrup- pelled the Manchu observers and for- his political role to the democratic insti- tion would weaken morale; disunion of mally declared Tibetan independence. tution in 2011. Despite his political abdi- diaspora Tibetans would give China the cation, the Dalai Lama remains both an chance to elevate its propaganda. Nev- Of course, Tibet was not Shangri-La. In- enemy of the Chinese government and ertheless, 340 Tibetan community lead- ternal politics involving the lamas, min- an icon for Tibetans and non-Tibetans, ers and representatives at the 3rd Spe- isters, and monasteries created a cloud due to his legacy of nonviolent, compas- cial General Meeting, which was hosted of distrust in the central government. sionate struggle. by the Tibetan government-in-exile in And the hesitance of Great Britain, In- 2019, passed resolutions resoundingly dia, and Russia to fully recognize Tibet In the past few years, many have specu- rejecting any Chinese interference in as an independent government helped lated on the Dalai Lama’s next reincar- Tibetan reincarnation. In the future, the embolden China to invade Tibet in the nation, or whether he would have one CCP will bombastically parade around 1950s. The powerful monastic commu- at all. Supporters worry about the Da- its artificially ordained dalai lama, but it nity, determined to prioritize the culti- lai Lama’s aging, as he is currently 85, will be a weak farce. vation of Tibetan Buddhism and their but he has promised he will try to live own power, eschewed the creation of a as long as 113 years—a particular age Before the TPSA passed in the House Tibetan military. So when the People’s that was prophesied by an 18th-century of Representatives by a vote of 392- Liberation Army stormed in from east- lama. Though the Dalai Lama has not yet 22, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ern Tibet to Lhasa, the imbalance was completely confirmed the reincarnation gave a speech on the House floor. She palpable. Tibet’s status rapidly deterio- question, evidence points that the dalai remarked that, “If we don’t speak out for rated—under duress, the 14th Dalai La- lama tradition will endure. Throughout because of com- ma’s representatives signed off Tibet’s the years, the Dalai Lama has stated that mercial interests, then we lose all moral de facto independence in China via Mao the next reincarnation will likely be born authority to speak out for human rights Zedong’s Seventeen-Point Agreement, a outside of Tibet, and he has suggested in any other place in the world. And I’ve document that promised religious free- the possibility of a female dalai lama. said on this floor, ‘To those who take the dom, the authority of the dalai lama, The 14th Dalai Lama has affirmed that repressive Chinese government’s side, and gradual CCP reforms. Mao swiftly the dalai lama lineage will continue if we ask: What does it profit a man if he reneged on these policies among many the majority of Tibetan people wish for gains the whole world and suffers the others. it to continue. At the 14th Tibetan Re- loss of his soul?’ I urge a strong vote for ligious Conference in November 2019, this legislation and support the Tibetan Tibetans resented their loss of freedom Tibetan religious leaders and represen- people as they seek to defend their cul- and the devastating Maoist policies. tatives of the major schools of Tibetan ture, their identity and their pursuit of a Fights erupted between Tibetans and Buddhism adopted a unanimous resolu- future of freedom and dignity.” Chinese soldiers, which led to the mas- tion urging the Dalai Lama to continue sive 1959 uprising, when Tibetans gath- the reincarnation tradition. The desire for religious freedom tran- ered around the Dalai Lama’s palace and scends borders. The U.S. government’s loudly called for Tibet’s independence. The Chinese government will try to ap- support for the TPSA is profound for The escalating violence concerned the point a puppet dalai lama. The Dalai , and that sentiment Dalai Lama and his advisors. After con- Lama has not been the first major Bud- also resonates for Buddhists at large sulting with an oracle, the young Dalai dhist figure whom the CCP has tried to and non-Buddhists around the globe. Lama fled Tibet and into exile in India. co-opt—the Chinese government kid- Time and time again, Tibetans have un- napped Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the willingly become the canary in the coal Though the CCP disparages the Dalai 11th Panchen Lama (a lama rank that mine of Chinese totalitarianism; the U.S. Lama as a “splittist,” he and his repre- is only second to the Dalai Lama’s), government’s decision to emphatically sentatives have repeatedly and explicitly when he was just 6 years old in 1995. support the Dalai Lama’s true reincarna- stated that they merely desire self-de- His whereabouts today are unknown. tion process exemplifies solidarity that termination for Tibetans in Tibet while The Chinese government’s replacement should be replicated by other countries. remaining under China’s rule. The Dalai Panchen Lama serves as a saccharine Lama’s representatives have met with figurehead, and Buddhists have rejected Chinese representatives nine times. But his appointment. in the face of preconditions imposed by Choose to be optimistic, it feels the CCP, such as the requirement that The CCP’s efforts to interfere in the 14th better. the Dalai Lama “admit” that Tibet has Dalai Lama’s reincarnation are more always been an integral part of China, than a power play—this is a one-sided - His Holiness the Dalai Lama a stalemate has ensued; Tibetan leaders antagonism, in which China is attempt- will do anything save concede to ahis- ing to undermine the Dalai Lama. The torical drivel. After establishing the Ti- CCP is attempting to control Tibetan

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 27 WORLD PRESS

The Cost of Celebrating Mother Language Day in Tibet

By Karma Tenzin, Asia Times. February 22, 2021. language the second on Chinese lan- guage. The Model 1 education system lacked proper facilities, trained teachers and resources. This policy is implement- ed during the primary grades and after that all subjects are taught in Chinese.

A wave of resentment against this edu- cation and language policy has been ex- pressed on the streets by students and in articles written by many Tibetans.

In Tibet, parents face the dilemma of choosing between the Chinese language and the Tibetan language. While the for- mer provides greater survival opportuni- ties for a child, the latter is about the sur- vival of their identity and preservation of the linguistic culture of Tibet. Chinese paramilitary police patrol near the iconic Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. Photo: AFP / Johannes Eisele For the past 70 years, the Chinese gov- ernment has employed every possible On February 21, 1952, in what was then burned and reading and learning of the trickery to destroy the Tibetan language East Bengal (renamed East Pakistan in Tibetan language was considered back- environment and to build a more Sini- 1956 and Bangladesh in 1971), many ward. This led to 10 lost years in Tibet as cized population who are loyal to the students were martyred for voicing their teaching the language was banned. Communist Party regime. concerns and the protection of mother language, Bengali, under the govern- Finally, schools in Tibet were reopened, Denying Tibetans the use of their mother ment of the Dominion of Pakistan. Ben- but much of the curriculum was on the tongue is against international human gali students sacrificed their lives for life of Chairman Mao Zedong and the rights. As a member of the world com- language protection and for the sake of greatness of Communism. Those years munity, the Chinese government needs future generations in their own home- were marked by a deliberate marginal- to reconsider its policy on the Tibetan land. ization of Tibetan tradition and culture. minority and protection of its language. Five decades later, February 21 was de- Teaching of Chinese language was made Tsering Shakya, in his 1999 book Drag- clared International Mother Language compulsory in almost every corner of Ti- on in the Land of Snows: The History Day by the United Nations Educational, bet. The brightest Tibetan students were of Tibet Since 1947, clearly captured the Scientific and Cultural Organization selected to travel to China. They were situation during the Cultural Revolution. (UNESCO). It was a tribute to the lan- chosen for further studies and consid- He writes, “On the surface it seemed guage movement started by Bengalis ered the foundation for Tibetan society. that Chinese had succeeded in assimilat- and the ethno-linguistic rights of people Later they returned to Tibet with limited ing the Tibetans: All expressions of Ti- around the world. skills in their mother tongue. betan identity and culture was forbidden For the past few years, thousands of with the exception of the language, now In Tibet, however, a person called Tashi teachers (Han Chinese or other non-Ti- the only marker of Tibet’s separateness Wangchuk was sentenced in 2018 to betans) have been sent to teach in Tibet- from China.” five years in prison for speaking up on an areas without any knowledge of the the protection of his mother language, Tibetan language and traditions. People Currently in Tibet, the only marker of which is in fact enshrined in the Consti- who had knowledge of the Tibetan lan- Tibetan identity is the Communist Par- tution of the People’s Republic China. guage and traditions were not given any ty’s onslaught against the Tibetan lan- proper teacher’s training. guage, and as in the case of Tashi Wang- The Chinese government has used many chuk, voicing one’s concerns and even strategies to Sinicize Tibetan people’s The so-called Bilingual Education Pol- celebrating Mother Language Day could identity. During the Cultural Revolu- icy in Tibet led to introduction of two land one in prison. tion, thousands of sacred texts were models, the first focuses on the Tibetan

28 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 WORLD PRESS Time to Stop Tibet From Being a Taboo Word

By Claude Arpi, Daily Guardian, 4 February 2021

While working on this subject for a new website, I realised how much ef- fort the British invested in Himalayan and Tibetan studies. One can find hun- dreds, if not thousands of research pa- pers, exploration reports, maps, notes, books, etc. on the geography, history, anthropology, culture, religions as well as strategic studies of the mountainous northern frontiers of India; this includes the remarkable studies of the borders by botanists Frank Kingdon-Ward and nat- uralists Frank Ludlow who drew maps for their government.

The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Capital of Tibet. The arrival of the Chinese People’s Lib- eration Army on the plateau in 1950-51 In 1998, when George Fernandes, then tise on China in India.” and the ‘ratification’ of the Communist Defence Minister, affirmed that “China presence in Tibet in April 1954 (through is India’s enemy number one”, he was Let us hope that it translates into ‘solid’, the infamous Panchsheel agreement) put politely asked by his own government not hazy academic studies, like the ones a stop to all these researches (academic to keep his thoughts to himself; the last of the past. or otherwise); it was/is an unnoticed thing that the Vajpayee government tragedy. wanted was to get “bad relations” with In the meantime, the Indian Army, al- the powerful northern neighbour. The ways more down-to-earth than the man- In March 1959, the Dalai Lama took policy then was to “engage” China. darins of South Block (though the Army refuge in India and he was told by the HQ is also located in South Block), is Prime Minister: “No politics on Indian Twenty years of the engagement policy working on a ‘Tibetology’ programme soil!” No question of studying Tibet have not paid any dividends. However, for its officers. According to The Times anymore. since the beginning of the confrontation of India, the top brass is studying “a in eastern Ladakh and the spread of the proposal for its officers to study Tibetan In 1962, the ‘silk roads’ across the Hima- Chinese virus all over the planet, the history, culture and language on ‘both layan passes were closed, not reopened ‘official’ mindset has started to change, sides’ of the Line of Actual Control and till today (except for three minor land including in India. Experts and thinkers the international boundary as part of the ports in Nathu-la, Shipki-la and Lipule- now believe that one should study Chi- measures being discussed to counter the kh-la). As a result, no serious studies na; it is happening late in the day, but as propaganda and spread of influence by were undertaken, or even encouraged; the saying goes ‘better late than never’. China.” the leitmotiv being: “We should engage China, not upset Beijing”. Hopefully Addressing the 13th All India Confer- This is a most welcome move, though something will change now with AR- ence of China Studies, External Affairs it should have taken place several de- TRAC’s initiative. Minister S. Jaishankar recently admit- cades ago. It appears that it was initi- ted: “There is no question that we need ated during the Army Commanders’ However, there are several difficulties. to invest more deeply in the study of Conference last October; it will now be The first one is that there is a dearth of China. It’s salience in the global order is taken by the Army Training Command scholarship on the subject due to the self-evident; and recent decades if any- (ARTRAC) in Simla. An Army official ‘black-out’ put in place by India’s diplo- thing have only heightened that promi- told The Times of India: “Army officers macy. Nobody has been encouraged to nence. That it is a proximate neighbour are generally well-versed with Pakistan. study Tibet and the Himalaya, other than of India only makes stronger studies an But similar expertise in China and the on the question of refugees’ rehabilita- even more compelling case.” Chinese psyche is lacking. Officers who tion or human rights. really understand China are very few in The minister added; “it is naturally to number. Tibetology fares even worse. After being involved in the issue for de- our advantage that there is solid exper- These deficiencies need to be plugged.” cades, I feel that the new scheme should

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 TIBETAN BULLETIN 29 WORLD PRESS be called “Himalayan and Tibetan Stud- The most serious problem is the taboo tive psyche, though it would have an ies”; there are many reasons for this. around the ‘T’ world (‘T’ for Tibet). immense historical value today to show One is that for millennia, the Himalaya For decades the word could not be pro- that India and Tibet had a different -re has been a bridge between the Indic and nounced by well-thinking politicians lation than the one being portrayed by Tibetan civilisations with the great phys- and babus; it has translated into the com- China. ical barrier witnessing constant contacts plete confiscation of the history which between two cultures which shared an remains locked up in the vaults of South The Political Officer (PO) was the Gov- aspiration for deeper values in life. Is Block. ernment of India’s eye over the entire not the blue-throated Shiva still living Himalayan region. From the seasonal on Mount Kailash? Shockingly, the records of the relations Indian Trade Agency (ITA) in Gartok in between India and Tibet have disap- Western Tibet, to the ITA in Gyantse and Contacts between the Tibetan plateau peared; all the historical records kept in Yatung, the Indian Mission (and later and the subcontinent existed in an an- Gangtok between 1889 and 1975 in the Consulate General) in Lhasa, all corre- cient past. Unfortunately, scientific -in Office of the Political Officer for Tibet, spondence passed through Gangtok. terdisciplinary studies are mainly being Sikkim and Bhutan cannot be traced. conducted in China, which has its own Though South Block probably has cop- ideological bias. Very little is done on A few months after the merger of the ies of some of the Sikkim Papers, the en- the Indian side, with many government Himalayan state with the Union of In- tire set is not traceable. It is a tragedy for restrictions due to the proximity of the dia, four lakhs of files, pertaining to the researchers and it would undoubtedly border; will it be now encouraged? period between 1890 and 1975, were help strengthen India’s case in the pres- dispatched to Delhi. In early 1976, ent circumstance; it should be the basis There are many others reasons for link- six truck-loads arrived in Delhi under of any serious ‘Tibetology’ studies. ing the Himalayan and Tibetan studies: CRPF escort. Since then, nobody wants Whether historical, anthropological, to know where these Sikkim Papers are The question is: Can the mindsets spiritual and perhaps more importantly or if this archival treasure still exists; for change and the ‘T’ word stop being ta- today, strategic. some, it may represent something which boo? Let us hope for the best. should be eradicated from the collec-

China Tries to Disrupt Tibetan Parliamentary Elections

- Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter.org In 2011, the Dalai Lama moved to trans- the current Sikyong, the highly respect- several countries Tibetans reported to form the Central Tibetan Administra- ed Harvard scholar Lobsang Sangay, Bitter Winter that they do have evidence tion (CTA) into a full-blown democratic cannot seek a third term. Sangay will that Chinese spies tried to watch the pro- government. Tibetans who are able to be remembered for his activity in the cess and note the names of those who register and vote—currently, those re- United States, which led to the passage voted. siding abroad, hopefully one day those and signature by President Trump of the in Tibet too—elect 45 members of the Tibet Policy and Support Act (TPSA) The most serious disruption of the elec- Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE). The and 2020. The TPSA provides inter alia tions happened in Nepal, after a Chinese president of the CTA, called Sikyong, is that the United States will oppose any high-level delegation visited the Hima- also elected directly by Tibetans abroad. attempt by China and the CCP to choose layan country on December 27, alleg- the next Dalai Lama and claim he is the edly to help resolving problems between The TPiE includes ten members from reincarnation of the current one, will im- the different factions of the local Com- each of the old Tibetan provinces—U- pose sanctions on the Chinese officers munist Party. Tsang, Dhotoe, and Dhomey—;­­ two involved, and will only accept a Dalai for each of the four main schools of Lama recognized by the Tibetan Bud- After this visit, the Nepalese police tried Tibetan Buddhism—Gelug, , dhist community and its elected political to prevent the elections by confiscating Kagyu, and Sakya— and two for the representatives. the ballots and arresting five Tibetans, pre-Buddhist Bön religious community; including a journalist of Radio Free five from the diaspora outside India, Ne- The first round of the Tibetan elections Asia. pal, and Bhutan, i.e., from Europe, the has been completed, and results will be Americas, Australia-New Zealand, and announced on February 8. The second Clearly, whoever wins, the elections the Asian countries not part of the Indian round will be on April 11, and the TPiE deliver a powerful message in favor of subcontinent. will gather on May 14 and elect its head. democracy and freedom, which the CCP cannot tolerate. The Sikyong can remain in charge for a In India and other countries, the elec- maximum of two terms. This means that tions went on smoothly. However, in

30 TIBETAN BULLETIN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 Tibetan Media Sheja (Official Tibetan monthly) Tibet Bulletin (Official Chinese bi-monthly) Department of Information & International Department of Information & International Relations, Dharamshala-176215, HP, India Relations, Dharamshala-176 215, HP, India Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Web: www.bod.asia Web: www.xizang-zhiye.org

Tibetan Freedom (Official Tibetan weekly) Department of Information & International Relations, Dharamshala-176215, HP, India For detailed news visit: TIBETAN Email: [email protected] www.tibet.net Web: www.bod.asia BulletiN

Contacts for the Central Tibetan Administration INDIA Needs you Department of Information & International UNITED KINGDOM Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, The Office of Tibet, 1 Culworth Street, London, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala - 176 215 NW8 7AF, U.K. Tel:+44-207-722-5378, H.P., India Tel: +91-1892-222510/222457 Fax:+44-207-722-0362 Email: [email protected] Fax: +91-1892-224957 Email: [email protected] www.tibet.com www.tibet.net An Appeal FRANCE Bureau of H.H. the Dalai Lama, 10-B Ring Road, Bureau Du Tibet, 84 BD Adolphe Pinard, 75014, Tibetan Bulletin promotes awareness and Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 110 024, India Paris, France, Tel:+33-1-46-565-453, provides facts of the situation in Tibet and Tel:+91-11-26474798, Fax:+91-11-2646-1914 Email: [email protected] Tibetans in exile. Published bi-monthly Email: [email protected] and distributed free around the world, we www.tibetbureau.in BELGIUM Bureau du Tibet, 24 Avenue des Arts, are looking to increase our readership and Chief Representative (South Zone), No. 7, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32-2-280 4922 improve the Tibetan Bulletin with your kind Sampangiramaiah Garden, Srinivagalu Tank, Email: [email protected] help and suggestions. Viveknagar Post, Bangalore-560047 Karnataka, India Tel:+91-080-5506842 / 5506843 AUSTRALIA If you have enjoyed this issue and would like Fax:+91-080-5506966 Tibet Information Office, 8/13 Napier Close, Dea- to help achieve our aims of dissemination of Email:[email protected] kin, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia Tel: +61-2-6285- news and views about Tibet, we would be 4046 Fax: +61-2-6282-4301 most appreciative of your donation. NEPAL Email: [email protected] The Office of Tibet, Tibetan Refugee Welfare Of- www.tibetoffice.com.au fice, Gaden Khangsar, Narayan Gopal Marg-270. Help us to publish your favourite journal on Lazimpat, Ward 2, P.O.Box No. 310, RUSSIA Tibet. Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4419903/4420799 Tibet Culture & Information Centre, Fax: +977-1-4411660 Email: [email protected] Korn # 110, POB # 7, St. Bolshaya Novodmitrovs- Kindly address your donations to: kaya - 14 Moscow 127015, Russia UNITED STATES Tel: +7-495-786-4362 Fax: +7-495-685-11-32 a) For Cheques and Drafts from within The Office of Tibet, 1228, 17th Street NW, Wash- Email: [email protected] India: Tibetan Administrations Welfare ington, DC – 20036, U.S.A. Tel: +1-212-213-5010, www.savetibet.ru Fax: +1-703-349-7444 Society (TAWS) Email: [email protected] www.tibetoffice.org SOUTH AFRICA Office of Tibet, P.O. Box. 16812, Lyttelton 0140, b) For Money Order: Department of BRAZIL Republic of South Africa. Tel: +27-12-664-1193 Information and International Relations Tibet House Fax: +27-12-664-1194 Alameda Lorena, 349 Jardim Paulista, Email: [email protected] Sau Paulo, SP, 01424-001 Brazil, South America www.officeoftibet.com Name: ______Tel: +55(11)989635128 Address:______Email: [email protected] TAIWAN Tibet Religious Foundation of H.H. the Dalai Lama ______SWITZERLAND 10th Fl. 4 & 5, No. 189, Sector - 2, Keelung Rd., The , Place de la Navigation 10 Taipei, Taiwan (ROC) City:______PostCode______1201 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41-22-7387-940 Tel: +886-2-2736-0366 Fax: +886-2-2377-9163 Country: ______Fax: +41-22-7387-941 Email: [email protected] www.tibetoffice.ch Email: ______

JAPAN Liaison Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tibet House Nishi Ochiai 3-26-1 Shinjuku-ku, Postal Address: Tokyo 161-0031, Japan Circulation Manager, DIIR, Tel: +81-03-5988-3576, Fax: +81-03-3565-1360 Central Tibetan Administration, E-mail: [email protected] www.tibethouse.jp www.mwa.tibet.net Dharamshala 176 215, H.P., India Registration No.: 16193

QUOTES

“We face many problems, many of which are our own creation. But we limit our- selves by thinking too much of me, of my needs, my family’s needs, the needs of my community and the needs of my nation. However, since we are responsible for so many of the problems that confront us, it’s reasonable to think that we can also solve them.”

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama During a Virtual Conversation with US Conference of Mayors’s 89th Winter Meeting on 26 January 2021.

“Religious traditions, local communities, different languages and modes of writing are all recognized and the people they belong to are happy to be part of India. This sets an example to the whole world. People with different languages and cultures can all live together and the Indian Police are protectors of the ‘ahimsa’ and ‘karuna’ that underlie this sense of belonging.”

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama During a Virtual Conversation with Indian Police Foundation (IPF) on 17 February 2021.

“We always accept that India has done the most for Tibetans because the largest number of Tibetans are here, all the monasteries and cultural institutions that were destroyed in Tibet were rebuilt here, and we have revived our civilisation here.”

- CTA President (Sikyong) Dr Lobsang Sangay During an Interview WION TV News Channel on 4 February 2021.

Edited by Jamphel Shonu Printed and Published by the Secretary, Department of Information & International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala - 176215, H.P, INDIA Printed at Narthang Press, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala - 176215, H.P, INDIA