Tibet Society Newsletter March 2019 “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama News of the Tibet Society, what’s happening in Tibet and the Tibetan Exile world, and news of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Lobby Week: a Week of Events and Rallies to Support Tibet 5 March: Wreath Laying Parliamentary Reception to mark The A wreath laying ceremony was held at Future of Tibet, Heartland of Asia the Innocent Victim’s Memorial at Exhibition at the Scottish Parliament. Westminster Abbey on 5 March, This exhibition aims to raise awareness organised by the All-Party about the situation in Tibet and the Parliamentary Group for Tibet in importance of the region to the global conjunction with the environment. The reception was hosted Tibet Society. The by Linda Fabiani MSP, Speaker of the wreath was laid in Scottish Parliament, in conjunction memory of all with the Scottish Centre for Himalayan Tibetans who have Research. Mr Sonam Frasi, lost their lives as a Representative of the Office of Tibet in result of China’s London, said, “The future of Tibet to exile, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, and Mr occupation of Tibet the whole world is far more important Sonam Frasi, Representative of the since 1950 and to Office of Tibet in London as well as the commemorate the Chair of the Tibetan Community UK. 60th anniversary of the Tibetan Statements from the APPGT and the National Uprising that began in Tibet’s Tibet Society were read during the capital city Lhasa, on 10 March 1959. event. The Reverend Anthony Ball, Canon in Residence at Westminster 11 March: APPGT Abbey, and Khenpo Kadrak Ngodup The four visiting Tibetan Sonam, Member of the Tibetan Parliamentarians briefed members of the Parliament-in-exile delivered prayers to All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet mark the occasion. Khenpo Kadrak at the Houses of Parliament. The Ngodup Sonam is part of a four- than is recognised. Tibetans have meeting was chaired by Tim Loughton member Tibetan Parliamentary preserved and looked after the MP and attended by MPs Karen Lee and delegation who are currently visiting plateau’s ecology for centuries. the UK from 4-11 March. Tibetans have observed an ethical, Hon Chris Law MP (SNP), co- preservative approach to the chair of the APPGT, reiterated his mountains, lakes, rivers, its flora and continued support for the Tibet issue; fauna… [but] over the past 60 years, also attending were Rt Hon Tim China has continuously exploited the Loughton, MP (Con, and co-chair of natural resources of Tibet.” Also at the the APPG); Hon Kerry McCarthy, MP reception were Hon Patrick Harvie and Hon Karen Lee, MP (both Lab). MSP and leader of Scottish Green They were joined by members of the Party; Hon Ross Greer (Green); Hon Tibetan Community in the UK, Free Maureen Watt MSP and Hon Angus Tibet and other Tibet support groups, MacDonald (both SNP) as well as Free as well as members of the Tibet Tibet and other Tibet support groups. Kerry McCarthy. The Tibetan Society. delegation, led by the Deputy Speaker of 10 March: Rally & Cultural Evening the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, Acharya 4 March: Early Day Motion Hundreds of Tibetans and supporters Yeshi Phuntsok, briefed the meeting Sponsored by Chris Law, with 13 other attended a rally and march from about the Tibetan resistance to mark the MPs co-sponsoring Westminster to the Chinese Embassy, 60th anniversary since the Tibetan followed by a cultural evening. National Uprising of 1959 and stressed 6 March: Scottish Parliament Speakers and guests included the the need for continued support for the The Tibet Society attended a Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in- Continued on page 2 Lobby Week continued….. APPGT continued….. relationship with China by passing a Foreign Affairs Committee Tibetan cause. Tibetan Member of similar reciprocal access act that would Inquiry Parliament Mr Sonam Norbu Ratsa give the same free access for European The Tibet Society, together with the addressed questions regarding the citizens to visit Tibet as their Chinese International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), stateless nature of the Tibetan counterparts enjoy in Europe. has submitted a report to the Foreign community, notably in Nepal, where The report stated that the situation Affairs Committee inquiry into they face barriers to school enrolment, in Tibet has remained critical over the autocracies and UK foreign policy. employment and celebrating their last six decades, but that awareness of The submission explores some of cultural traditions. The British MPs the conditions of Tibetan people living the ways in which the Chinese expressed their commitment to raising under Chinese rule – including the authorities are using technologies to this issue in Parliament. The meeting tragic self-immolation of over 150 assist with repression inside Tibet and was also attended by Tibet support Tibetans – has reduced over the last what the UK government can do to groups, including Free Tibet, Tibet decade. “It’s high time that we in hinder this development, including by Society supporters and members of the Europe demand unfettered access to the securing access to Tibet. It looks at ways public. The Tibet Society is the region for our citizens in keeping with in which the Chinese government is Secretariat for the APPGT. our values and in support of a more attempting to interfere in the domestic balanced relationship with China” said affairs of the UK, saying that British March 14: European Call the report. diplomats, journalists and citizens are The Tibet Society was instrumental in The report also stated that foreign prevented from freely entering Tibet, but facilitating British support for a diplomats, parliamentarians, journalists Chinese delegations, state media and European Union call for the adoption and even UN officials are often denied tourists are able to travel without in Europe of a similar act to the permission to visit the Tibetan obstruction in the UK. recently adopted United States Autonomous Region, saying that even The submission includes recom- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. British when visits do take place they are mendations on what the UK and its partners Members of Parliament signatories highly controlled and supervised. could do to address these concerns and re- included Chris Law, Tim Loughton, Conversely, Chinese citizens visiting balance British—Chinese relations, Kerry McCarthy and Karen Lee. Europe have freedom of movement including: seeking access to Tibet; ascertain A group of Eurpopean anywhere within the European Union. the level of discrimination suffered by parliamentarians published an opinion The signatories urged European British citizens of Tibetan origin; monitor piece on 14 March in leaders to focus more on the reciprocity censorship experienced by the British press EURACTIVE.com, a platform for of freedom that Chinese people enjoy in in China and to request information on European news and politics, calling on Europe, rather than focusing only on visas granted to Chinese delegations their countries to instigate legal trade and equal access to markets for visiting Britain, to compare with visas proceedings to rebalance their foreign investments. granted to British delegations to Tibet. Panchen Lama: 30 Years Old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th government, the Chinese Communist Panchen Lama, will be 30 on 25 April. Party has stated that it, rather than He was abducted by the Chinese Tibetans, will control Tibet’s religious authorities from his home in Tibet at the affairs; including ruling on the age of six and neither he nor any reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders. members of his family have been seen This enforced disappearance is part since. of efforts by China to assert its political The BBC One Show are to screen a control over the reincarnation of Tibetan short film about Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s Buddhist leaders. case on 24 April; the film will unveil a The Panchen Lama’s location remains new forensic image of how he may look unknown. For over two decades the now, as well as looking at his case. Chinese government have denied requests Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is Tibet’s from United Nations human rights experts 11th Panchen Lama, the second highest and governments for access to Gedhun authority in Tibetan Buddhism after the Tibetan Buddhists believe in Choekyi Nyima and his family, claiming Dalai Lama. On 14 May 1995 Gedhun reincarnation, and the Dalai Lama and that he was leading a normal life and does Choekyi Nyima was recognised as the Panchen Lama have traditionally played not wish to be disturbed. Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama; just leading roles in the recognition of each In November 1995 China proclaimed three days later he was ‘removed’ from other’s reincarnation. a different boy to be the 11th Panchen his home, along with his family, by the China tightly controls religion in Lama: he is overwhelmingly rejected by Chinese authorities. Tibet and, despite being an atheist the Tibetan people. Tibet News Uprising Day Around the World UN High Commissioner for Human Tibetans and supporters around the Rights Ms Michelle Bachelet told the world marked Tibetan Uprising Day, Council on 6 March that her office was the 60th anniversary of the uprising in continuing to seek full access to carry out Lhasa in 1959, with rallies, speeches an independent investigation into numerous and marches. Parliamentarians in recent reports of enforced disappearances many countries used the occasion to and arbitrary detentions, particularly in call on China to stop their human Xinjiang – in January, a Chinese Foreign rights abuses in Tibet. Ministry spokesperson claimed that UN officials would be welcome in Xinjiang so long as they obeyed Chinese law. In a typically ambiguous official statement to the Council, China welcomed anyone “free of Women’s Uprising Day prejudice” to visit Xinjiang or Tibet but The Tibetan Women’s Association in warned of any attempts by visitors to India commemorated the 60 year undermine social stability in those regions.