TIBETAN BulletiN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CENTRAL TIBETAN ADMINISTRATION VOLUME 23 - ISSUE 3 MAY - JUNE 2019 Focus Riga Declaration and Dharamshala Declaration in Support of Tibet **** Feature His Holiness the Dalai Lama ushers religious harmony at ‘Celebrating Diversity in the Muslim World’ Conference **** World Press The 17-point Agreement – What China promised, what it really delivered and the future? **** www.tibet.net/en/tibbul www.tibet.net/en/tibbul Focus 12 His Holiness the Dalai Lama thanks Tibet supporters at the 7th World Parliamentarian Convention on Tibet 13 The Riga Declaration: 7th World Parliamentary Convention on Tibet TIBETAN 14 6th All India Tibet Support Groups Conference Makes a BulletiN Resounding Start in Dharamshala, 21 Indian States Participate Tibetan Bulletin is an official bi-monthly 15 Declaration of the Sixth All India Tibet Support Groups journal of the Central Tibetan Administration. Conference 17 11th Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace Concludes with Strongest Representation of Tibetan Buddhist Tradition Feature 18 His Holiness the Dalai Lama ushers religious harmony amongst Muslim communities at ‘Celebrating Diversity in the Muslim World’ Conference Signed articles or quotations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Central 19 After Rare Visit to Tibet, US Envoy Urges China to Resume Tibetan Administration. Dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama Contributions are welcome and may be 20 “There is certainly no doubt that I would live for over hundred addressed to the editor, Tibetan Bulletin. years” : His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Tenshug, Dharamshala However the publisher regrets its inability to return unused articles unless they are 21 His Holiness the Dalai Lama Congratulates Prime Minister accompanied by a self-addressed envelope Modi with adequate postage. 21 CTA President Congratulates PM Modi and India on ‘Conducting Tibetan Bulletin is distributed free of World’s Biggest Democratic Event’ charge. To subscribe please email the circulation manager or see back cover. 22 His Holiness the Dalai Lama Graces the First Non-Sectarian Buddhist Conference on Kalachakra Tantra Editor Tenzin Saldon 23 His Holiness the Dalai Lama Bestows Avalokiteshvara Email: [email protected] Empowerment on Holy Sagadawa Asst. Editor World Press Tenzin Phende 24 Google defeats shareholders on ‘Dragonfly’ censored search in Layout & Design China Dorjee Tsering 25 China, Pakistan, Saudi Worst for Human Rights; Mostly Mus- Circulation Manager lims at the Receiving End – US Reports Norbu Wangdue 26 To restore calm in Hong Kong, try democracy Email: [email protected] Tibetan Bulletin is published by: 26 Human Rights Organisation Calls on Congress to Investigate Department of Information and Genocide in China International Relations, 27 China’s Tiananmen reckoning Central Tibetan Administration, 29 The 17-point Agreement – What China promised, what it really Dharamshala - 176 215 H.P. India Tel: +91-1892-222510 / 222457 delivered and the future? Vol. 23, Issue 3 REGULARS MAY - JUNE 2019 News From Tibet & Exile ......4 Contact ................................. 31 Quotes ............................32 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE China Sentences Nine Tibet- factories. However, TCHRD noted that cally challenged person. The fourth un- ans Demanding Land Rights in their arrests were reported by Chinese identified person was later released but state media only in November 2018. Wangchen, Lobsang and Yonten are still Rebgong The authorities reportedly compensated being held at the county police station. the factories annually for the According to news reports, the local po- loss of business but the pay- lice confiscated their cell phones. Police ments to the village stopped, also prevented the family members of which then led to the villag- Wangchen, Lobsang and Yonten from ers’ call for the return of their visiting them, while informing that the land, stated TCHRD. three will be sentenced in about 15 days. TCHRD has also released Just four days before their detention, images of a petition dated Tibetans worldwide marked the 30th 21 February 2017, with 24 birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama on signatories complaining the 25 April. On 17 May 1995, the Chinese overdue compensation for government abducted Panchen Gedhun seven years which was en- Choekyi Nyima—six years old at the dorsed and supported by the time—after His Holiness the Dalai Lama Village Committee. publicly announced him as the 11th Pan- A Chinese court has sentenced nine Ti- chen Lama. He has not been seen since. betans for creating an informal organiza- Tibetans Detained in Karze for tion urging authorities to return commu- Praying and Calling for Pan- In attempt to muzzle peaceful nity land taken by authorities in Rebgong County, Malho (Chinese: Huangnan) Ti- chen Lama’s Release call for Panchen Lama’s release, betan Autonomous Prefecture, in the tra- China hands heavy sentence to ditional province of Amdo. They were Sershul Tibetan and kin sentenced around mid-April for three to seven years. The nine Tibetans, identified by the Ti- In yet another example of China’s betan Centre for Human Rights and De- heavy-handed employment of law en- mocracy, are Gendun Soepa, Choesang, forcement to crackdown on peaceful Bhende Dorje, Tashi Tsering, Sonam acts of protest and targeted attempts to Gyal, Dhargye, Shawo Tsering Khajan muzzle free expression, a Tibetan youth Gyal, and Dukbum Tsering. They were convicted for starting an informal or- ganization which the Rebgong County Court held “illegal” and for engaging in “forced business transaction”, “extor- tion and deceit” and for “disturb[ing] Chinese authorities have detained four social order by mobilising support from Tibetans for praying for the release of the public”. the Panchen Lama in Serchul County, The court accused the nine Tibetans of Karze (Chinese: Ganzi) Prefecture in the having “maliciously obstructed the gov- traditional Kham province of Tibet. On 29 April, one of the detainee, a ernment’s land acquisition work and nor- and his aunt from Sershul in Tibet’s Kar- 20-year-old Tibetan named Wangchen mal construction operations, committed ze were handed prison terms of four and prayed and called for the release of the serious crimes that constitute a crime of half years and one year and three months 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi gathering people to disturb social order,” respectively for observing a peaceful act Nyima and for his reunification with His reported the Centre on its website. of prayer and for sharing information Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tibet. They The nine Tibetans, all residents of Horg- connected to the act. were on a week-long clean-up drive on yal village in Rebgong, Malho were de- According to latest reports surfacing a mountain close to a Sershul monas- tained in July 2018 and formally arrested from Tibet, the Sershul County Peo- tery when Wangchen reportedly recited about a month later in August for running ple’s Court in Sichuan’s Karze yester- prayers and shouted slogans during an a campaign “to reclaim community land day sentenced a young Tibetan named offering of prayer flags on the mountain. expropriated by local government for a Wangchen to four and half years in pris- On their way back at around 10:30 AM failed business enterprise” – where three on on charges of “leading a conspicuous local time, the local police arrested and brick factories were run in exchange for protest in public against the law of the detained Wangchen and his friends Lob- lease payments to the village that ended land”. sang, Yonten, and a fourth man, a physi- in 2011 after the government closed the Wangchen’s aunt Acha Dolkar was sen- tenced to one year and three months im- MAY - JUNE 2019 TIBETAN BULLETIN 3 NEWS FROM TIBET & EXILE prisonment on charges of “leaking state their website, Human Rights Watch list- ing their freedom of expression, and de- secrets” and “endangering the welfare of ed more than 80 Tibetans who have been manding the Chinese authorities of their the state”. incriminated and sentenced to long-term rights and freedom in Tibet. Link to the According to experts on China and hu- imprisonment by the Chinese authori- pictures of 80 political prisoners serving man rights, charges of “leaking state ties. “Tibetans who did nothing more long sentences. secrets” are commonly used by Chinese than call peacefully for their human legal institutions to violate people’s rights to be respected have been unjustly China Orders Primary and Mid- right to privacy, freedom of expression sentenced to long prison terms,” Sophie dle Schools in Amdo Golog to and information and specifically to de- Richardson, China director at Human Stop Teaching in Tibetan tain Tibetan and Uighur dissidents. Rights Watch said in the report. Ten days ago, Wangchen shouted slo- Of the cases detailed by Human Rights gans of prayers calling for the release Watch, the majority are Tibetans who of the 11th Panchen Lama, the highest have been arrested and sentenced in spiritual leader after the Dalai Lama and connection with the 2008 pan-Tibet the reunion of His Holiness the Dalai peaceful protests, while 10 others were Lama and the Panchen Lama during a sentenced in connection to Tibetan self- ceremony of hanging of prayer flags on immolation protests. It is evident that a hill near the Sershul Monastery. these Tibetan political prisoners were Wangchen, along with three others were imprisoned under dubious or trumped- detained by the local Chinese police on up charges by Chinese courts such as their return to the base of the hill. “endangering state security”, “separat- During the hearing at Sershul court on ism” and “leaking state secrets”. The 7 May, Wangchen was seen walking list of cases includes human rights de- unsteadily, leading some observers to fenders, prominent environmentalist, believe he had been tortured in custody. religious figures, monks, and profes- No one was allowed to get close to him sionals amongst others, with an aver- to look for signs of trauma, RFA reports.