I am saddened by the Chinese Government
sentencing Liu Xiaobo, a well-known Chinese writer, to an
11-year jail term.
By sentencing Liu Xiaobo and others like him,
who use freedom of expression to publicly articulate their
opinions, the Chinese authorities have not only violated the
binding principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
but also the freedom of expression mentioned in the Constitution
of the People's Republic of China.
I urge the Chinese Government to release, as
soon as possible, Liu Xiaobo and other political prisoners who
were jailed for exercising their freedom of expression.
I offer my regards and prayers to Mr. Liu Xiaobo,
his wife and other family members.
The Dalai Lama
December 28, 2009
CTA's Response-V
Beijing Wanting to Choose Tibet's Spiritual
Leaders is a Political Tool
Introduction From the onset of China's
occupation of Tibet, the Chinese Communist Party's outlook
towards Tibetan Buddhism has been of extreme suspicion and fear.
Tibetan people's way of life and their outlook towards the world
is inextricably linked with fundamental precepts of Buddhism.
This common philosophical thread and a shared culture bind
Tibetans into a unified entity giving them a sense of national
identity. For Tibetan people this basic identity is inseparable
from their belief in Buddhist principles, which "encompasses the
entirety of their culture and civilization and constitutes the
very essence of their lives. Of all the bonds which defined
Tibetans as a people and as a nation, religion was undoubtedly
the strongest."1
Statement by Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, concerning the dialogue process with
China
My attention has been drawn to an interview
published in the Chinese media by Executive Vice Minister Zhu
Weiqun of the Central United Front Work Department of the
Chinese Communist Party on December 8, 2009 concerning our
dialogue process.
We are currently under discussion with the
Chinese leadership on the next round of dialogue and so the
timing and content of this interview are perplexing. It is my
understanding that the Chinese leadership is as desirous as our
side in continuing a discussion, which we hope will ultimately
lead to a mutually satisfactory negotiated solution to the
Tibetan issue.
The Statement of the Kashag on the Twentieth
Anniversary of the Conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His
Holiness the Dalai Lama
Today, as we celebrate the confluence of the
twentieth anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize
on His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the International Human
Rights Day, the Kashag first of all makes obeisance to His
Holiness in utter gratefulness. The Kashag, at the same time,
extends its best greetings to the Tibetans inside and outside
Tibet.
Ein Geschenk für die nationalen
Minderheiten zum 60. Geburtstag der VR China:
Ein Weißbuch und zwei Hinrichtungen
Der militärische Aufmarsch und seine Botschaft
Am 1. Oktober feierte Peking den 60. Jahrestag der Gründung
der Volksrepublik China. Die Feier war furchteinflößend.
Militärisches Gerät rollte an den chinesischen Führern vorbei,
die mit stocksteif mit stolzgeschwellter Brust dastanden.
Regierungen in aller Welt sahen diesem militärischen Muskelspiel
Chinas mit angehaltenem Atem zu. Ausländischen Firmen, die in
der Rüstungsindustrie tätig sind, lief angesichts dieses
potenziellen Marktes schon das Wasser im Munde zusammen. Sie
wurden bitter enttäuscht. Vorgeführt wurde ein beeindruckendes
Spektrum von fast 5000 hochentwickelten Waffen. Jede einzelne
davon war in China hergestellt. Die Botschaft an die Händler des
Todes war eindeutig: Es gibt keinen chinesischen Markt für
Chinas Militärarsenal. Auf diesem hochwichtigen Gebiet will
China absolut unabhängig und vollkommen autark sein.
A Gift to the Minority Nationalities on the
PRC's 60th Birthday: A white paper and two executions
The Military March and the Message
On 1 October, Beijing celebrated the People's
Republic of China's 60th anniversary. The celebration was
awe-inspiring. Military hardware rolled past Chinese leaders,
who stood tall with pride and stiff with emotion. This display
of China's military muscle was watched by governments around the
world with bated breath. Salivating at this potential market
were foreign companies who do business in the weapons industry.
They were bitterly disappointed. Almost 5000 pieces of
impressive range of sophisticated weapons were on display. Every
piece was made in China. To the merchants of death, the message
is clear. There is no China market for China's military arsenal.
In this vital area, China wants to be absolutely independent and
wholly self-reliant.
Un regalo alle minoranze etniche in occasione
del 60° anniversario della fondazione della Repubblica Popolare
Cinese: un Libro Bianco e due esecuzioni capitali
La parata militare e il suo messaggio
Il1°ottobre, Pechino ha celebrato il
60°anniversario della Repubblica Popolare Cinese. I
festeggiamenti sono stati impressionanti. Gli armamenti militari
hanno sfilato al cospetto dei leader cinesi, gonfi di orgoglio e
di contenuta emozione. I governi di tutto il mondo, con il fiato
sospeso, hanno assistito all’esibizione della forza militare
cinese. Le imprese straniere che fanno affari nel settore delle
armi e che avevano l’acquolina in bocca pensando a questo
potenziale mercato, sono stati amaramente delusi. È stata
esibita una gamma impressionante di quasi 5000 pezzi di
sofisticata tecnologia militare, ma ogni pezzo è stato
fabbricato in Cina. Per i signori della guerra, il messaggio è
chiaro: per rifornire l’arsenale militare di Pechino, il mercato
cinese non esiste. In questo settore vitale, la Cina vuole
essere assolutamente indipendente e del tutto autosufficiente.
Declaration of the 5th World Parliamentarian's
Convention on Tibet
18 - 19 November 2009, Rome, Italy
I. PREAMBLE
The Fifth World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet,
meeting in Rome on the 18th and 19th of November 2009 –
Defends the right of the Tibetan people to their own identity,
culture and way of life;
Reaffirms its strong commitment to the people of Tibet and to
the non-violent path they have chosen, under the leadership of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama;
Reaffirms the critical role played by parliaments and
parliamentary bodies in raising awareness of the difficult
situation in Tibet within governments and international
institutions and in formulating policies for the benefit of the
Tibetan people;
Recalls the four previous meetings of the World Parliamentarians’
Convention on Tibet, the resolutions and action programmes they
have generated, and the impact of the resultant activities and
initiatives;
Seeks a resolution for Tibet that guarantees genuine autonomy
for the Tibetan people within the framework of the Constitution
of the People’s Republic of China; and
Proclaims that the message of the World Parliamentarians’
Conference on Tibet is resolutely not anti-Chinese but a
statement of support for justice and truth with a sincere
conviction that the Tibetan and Chinese peoples can find a way
to coexist with mutual respect.
II. FINDINGS
The Fifth World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet,
FINDING that since the last meeting of the World
Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet in 2005 the situation in
Tibet has deteriorated due to the government of the People’s
Republic of China’s imposition of harsh measures on Tibetans and
its harder line taken toward the Dalai Lama and his pursuit of
autonomy;
MOTIVATED by the political protests that began in March 2008 in
which Tibetans across the Tibetan plateau expressed their
anguish in an unprecedented and overwhelmingly peaceful manner
in response to the continuing repressive policies of Chinese
authorities;
CONCERNED that Chinese authorities responded to the protests
with a security crackdown across the Tibetan plateau that
includes the documented detention of 735 Tibetans for exercising
rights such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly and
association;
OUTRAGED at the execution of Tibetans without following
international standards of due process of law;
RECOGNIZING that the People’s Republic of China, as it seeks to
be a responsible member of the international community, should
acknowledge that with such status come duties and
responsibilities to protect and respect those peoples under its
control pursuant to international standards of justice and human
rights as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
RECOGNIZING that the People’s Republic of China has a moral
responsibility to address the legitimate grievances of the
Tibetan people through fair administration of rule of law under
international standards of justice, respect for freedom of
religion and expression, protection of the Tibetan people’s
right to express their cultural identity and way of life, and
implementation of genuine autonomy;
ACKNOWLEDGING the recent documentation by United Nations bodies,
including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,
the Human Rights Council and the Committee Against Torture,
national governments and non-governmental organizations, of the
systemic violations of the human rights of the Tibetan people by
Chinese authorities;
ACKNOWLEDGING that the People’s Republic of China has signed and
ratified the U.N. Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, but regrets serious gaps in its implementation, which is
a root cause of Tibetan discontent;
RECOGNIZING the need for continuing support for both
long-staying and newly-arriving refugees from Tibet, many of
whom are young children, including in the areas of humanitarian
assistance, education, health, and revitalization of settlements;
CONCERNED by the environmental degradation on the Tibetan
plateau, the so-called “Third Pole,” as a result of climate
change caused by greenhouse gas emissions, the mismanagement of
natural resources by Chinese governmental and commercial
interests, and the resettlement of Tibetan nomads into fixed
communities, which separates them from their traditional
livelihood and stewardship of Tibetan grasslands;
RECOGNIZING that Chinese policies to mitigate and adapt to the
effects of climate change on the Tibetan plateau affect billions
of people in Asia, and that the involvement and experience of
Tibetans is integral to the successful implementation of climate
change policies;
RECOGNIZING the invaluable contributions, financially and in
other forms of support, by governments and citizens toward the
well being of the Tibetan people and their effort to sustain
their identity, particularly the host nation support by the
government and people of India;
RECOGNIZING that international and governmental statements in
support for dialogue in the wake of the protests that began in
March 2008 were critical in setting the stage for the rounds of
dialogue that occurred later in that year;
RECOGNIZING that in order for the negotiations between the
Chinese government and the representatives of the Dalai Lama to
be effective it is essential that the format of the negotiations
be transparent and with the involvement of appropriate
international supervision;
CONCLUDING that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, despite the
continuing occupation of Tibet, is sincere in seeking a “middle
path” solution for Tibet, not independence;
CONCLUDING that the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the
Tibetan People proposed by the representatives of the Dalai Lama
embodies his vision for genuine autonomy within the
constitutional framework of the People’s Republic of China;
CONSIDERING the experiences of the many autonomous regions
around the world, for instance Trentino-South Tyrol in Italy,
which have shown that conflicts can be overcome by respecting
the fundamental rights of distinct peoples and ethnic and
linguistic minorities and enabling them to exercise the right to
self-government while respecting territorial integrity of the
state;
AFFIRMING the value of non-violence in mitigating conflict and
misunderstanding and the potential of non-violent leadership as
embodied by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for peace and stability
in the People’s Republic of China; and
REAFFIRMING the resolutions and declarations made at all
previous World Parliamentarians’ Conferences on Tibet, including
the recognition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan
Government in exile as the legitimate representatives of the
Tibetan people.
III. ACTIONS
THEREFORE, the Convention is resolved to:
EXPRESS SUPPORT for substantive negotiations between the Chinese
government and the representatives of the Dalai Lama toward a
meaningful resolution of the Tibet issue, with the Memorandum on
Genuine Autonomy as a realistic and constructive basis for such
negotiations;
CALL ON governments to urge the People’s Republic of China to
fully respect the Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights and
freedoms and to acknowledge their right to authentically
participate in all issues regarding their present and future
well-being;
URGE national governments to acknowledge that third-party
facilitation is essential for the resumption of the dialogue and
to guarantee its transparency;
CALL ON the People’s Republic of China to ratify the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
ENCOURAGE governments to explore multinational mechanisms to
work collaboratively on the challenges of climate change in
Tibet, including with the direct participation of Tibetan
stakeholders. To this end, participants of this convention will
draft and publish an open letter expressing the key importance
of Tibet as the “Third Pole” prior to the U.N. Climate Change
Conference in Copenhagen;
COMMIT to engage relevant governments and institutions to ensure
that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is welcomed appropriately when
meeting with various government leaders and officials;
COMMIT to building capacity within national governments for
dissemination of information and the implementation of policies
on Tibet, such as the identification or establishment of an
office within the Executive Branch of government to handle Tibet
affairs;
COMMIT to identify members of an international parliamentarians
network for Tibet. The network, in consultation with the Tibetan
Parliament-in-exile, will identify a secretariat. The network
will facilitate greater coordination between parliamentary
groups, share best practices, and be sufficiently supported in
the international advancement of a near-term action plan to
include:
(1) introducing a resolution or motion in parliaments reflecting
the principal elements of the World Parliamentarians’ Conference
on Tibet Declaration;
(2) requesting a full briefing on the Tibetan policy advanced by
their governments, including in multilateral fora, in the areas
of human rights, environment, security, development and other
economic assistance and geopolitics;
(3) seeking tangible national and local governmental and private
support for programmes that provide assistance to Tibetan
communities, including inside Tibet and to long-staying and new
refugees from Tibet;
(4) engaging in parliamentary exchanges with Chinese legislators
and in outreach to Chinese constituents;
(5) visiting Tibet as part of a multi-national parliamentary
delegation with the intent of determining the situation on the
ground, including the status of Tibetan nomads and political
prisoners;
(6) organizing parliamentary hearings before the foreign affairs
and/or human rights committees with Tibetan representatives and,
if they accept, Chinese government representatives to discuss
the political and humanitarian situation in Tibet;
(7) promoting a campaign to gather the support for, endorsement
of, and signature on this declaration by parliamentarians of
democratic national and local governments, political parties,
community leaders, religious organizations, Nobel Peace
Laureates, opinion makers and all citizens of goodwill in the
world.
Members of Parliament around the World gather
in Rome to find a solution to the Tibet issue
Rome, 19 November: Yesterday,
Matteo Mecacci, the President of the Italian Parliamentary
Inter-Group for Tibet, Gianni Vernetti, the Vice-President of
the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet and the former under
secretary of State of the Italian government and Gianni Alemanno,
the Mayor of Rome, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama and
around 200 parliamentarians from around the world to partecipate
in the 5th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet.
His Holiness with the
President of the Italian Parliament
Matteo Macacci said, “I welcome
you to the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament on the
occassion of the 5th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on
Tibet. I am doing this because in the past, the Italian
Parliament espressed full support for the Tibetan people’s
struggle for human rights. Human rights i san inalienabile right
of all people. As we say in Italy, if constant and consistent, a
drop of water can dig a hole in a stone.”
His Holiness addressing the
5th World Parliamentarian Convention on Tibet
Gianni Vernetti in his address
said, “This conference is made possible because there is an
extraordinary institution, the Tibetan Parliament in exile. I
have been to Dharamsala twice. I saw its functioning. The
Tibetan people have chosen the ballot over bullets. Tibetan have
been able to achieve this because of India, perhaps the greatest
democracy in the world. Because of this, the Tibetans have
achieved what thez have achieved in exile. This is to inform you
that the Italian Parliament has passed several resolutions on
Tibet in the last 10 years and supported the Middle-Way Approach
of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
In his address, Penpa Tsering, the speaker of the Tibetan
Parliament-in-exile, said, “There are 200 participants from 29
countries, including members of the Italian Parliament. I see
that the number of parcipants has risen. The Chinese government
has put pressure on individual members of parliaments around the
world to stop them from attending this convention. This is not a
meeting of anti-Chinese forces. It is a meeting of peace and how
the issue of Tibet could be resolved peacefully. We look forward
to an action-oriented conference.”
In response, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “At a time when
we are passing through a difficult period, there are many people
who show concern and express the willingness to do something. I
appreciate the efforts of all people who come here to discuss
ways and means to discuss the Tibet problem.
“Yesterday, I visited two autonomous regions in Italy. These
autonomous regions have full freedom but yet remain within Italy.
The Chinese constitution provides certain freedoms. If these
freedoms are fully implemented, then conditions will improve.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama explained and said, “We have two
hands. Our right hand is always there to reach out to the
Chinese government. Then there is our left hand. There are many
people who want to help. To them, we extend our left hand.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “I have nothing to personally
ask of the Chinese government. Even the continued existence of
the institution of the Dalai Lama must be decided by the Tibetan
people. The issue of Tibet is the issue of the six million
Tibetans. Whether the Chinese government likes it or not, there
is a problem in Tibet. If the CCP reduces censorship, things can
be solved. If things become transparent, there will be less
problems.”
Later in the day, His Holiness the Dalai Lama at a pace press
conference explained his three commitments: promotion of human
values, inter-faith harmony and resolving the Tibetan issue.
After this short presentation, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
fielded questions from the members of the international media.
His Holiness addressing the
medias
At the plenary session, there was
a recorded message screened fro the participants from Vaclav
Havel, the first president of Czechoslavia and later of the
Czech Republic.
Richard Gere, the Hollywood actor and an important friend of
Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, read out a message of
support from Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US Congress. This
will be uploaded later on this web site.
His Holiness and Parliament's President Fini
meeting with various MPs
His Holiness speaking to the medias
His Holiness with Matteo Mecacci, the
President of the Italian Parliamentary Inter-Group for Tibet
(right), Gianni Vernetti, the Vice-President of the Italian
Parliamentary Group for Tibet (left)
His Holiness greeting the Mayor of Rome (centre)
and friends of Tibet
His Holiness the Dalai Lama visits the Regional
Autonomous Governments of South Tyrol and Trento in Italy
Rome, 17 November: “Welcome to our country, city
and home, Your Holiness” said President Luis Durnwalder of South
Tyrol. His Holiness the Dalai Lama today visited Bolzano and
Trento, the capital cities of the Regional Autonomous
Governments of South Tyrol and Trento, in Northern Italy. His
Holiness expressed his appreciation for the support from the
people and governments of the two autonomous regions.
His Holiness with President Durnwalder (center)
and members of the government of South-Tyrol
President Durnwalder asked about the situation
in Tibet. His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that the situation
inside Tibet was worst. After 10 March 2008 demonstrations
across Tibet, he had hoped that the Chinese government would
address Tibet’s real problem. Unfortunately this hasn’t happened.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama showed President Durnwalder the map
of Tibet showing all the places where peaceful demonstrations
took place in 2008. While looking at the map President
Durnwalder asked where Lhasa was. After showing where Lhasa was,
His Holiness pointed on the map where he was born in Amdo.
Despite the grim situation in Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
said things are changing. More Chinese scholars were showing
sympathy and understanding of the Tibetan struggle. Over 800
articles in Chinese have been written on the Tibetan issue and
many were written from Mainland China.
While in Bolzano as part of the Series “Meet the Nobel Laureates”
organized by European Academy Bolzano, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama in questions and answers session spoke about his childhood,
reincarnation, Tibetan Buddhism, non-violence and the Tibetan
issue.
His Holiness speaks at the European Academy
Bolzano
After meeting President Lorenzo Dellai of Trento
in the afternoon, His Holiness addressed the round table
discussion on Autonomy of Tibet. Both President Luis Durnwalder
and President Lorenzo Dellai also spoke at the conference. The
two days conference was organized by Autonomous Province of
Trento in cooperation with Department of Legal Sciences,
University of Trento and European Academy in Bolzano.
His Holiness at a conference on Autonomy for
Tibet
His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his appreciation on such
conference being organized on autonomy. He said that this kind
of conference sends a strong signal to China that the Tibetans
issue will not go away.
“We also want autonomy in People’s Republic of China. You enjoy
all the rights mentioned on paper. In our case, even though the
(Chinese) constitution mentions these rights but nothing is
implemented,” he said.
The Tibetans have few 1000 years old history. “We have developed
our own language and script, civilization. It is not from
China,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“Not a single Tibetan consider themselves as Chinese,” he said.
“Wherever I go, people say Dalai Lama of Tibet and not Dalai
Lama of China.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama also made reference
to Tibetan Buddhism and it is not called China’s Tibetan
Buddhism.
However, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said we (Tibetans) are not
seeking independence from China. And there has not been any
change in Chinese government’s position. They fear that if they
give more freedom, it will bring more trouble.
Tomorrow, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will address the 5th World
Parliamentarians’ Convention for Tibet on 18 November in Rome.
Over 200 Parliamentarians from 28 countries including over 100
Italian MPs will attend this important convention. The two days
convention will be held in the Lower House of the Italy
Parliament organized by the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for
Tibet.
Audience for Tibetans in Trento
Goodbye Bolzano
His Holiness addressing the Autonomy
conference in Trento
His Holiness arrives at the office of
Autonomous Province of Trento
His Holiness greets well wishers in Bolzano
Lunch in honour of His Holiness by Trento
government
President Lorenzo Dellai of Trento presenst
a present to His Holiness
His Holiness in discussion with President
Lorenzo Dellai
Kalon Tripa, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche at a
conference on Regional Autonomy in Trento
Photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit
to
Italy 16 - 19 November 2009
His Holiness arrives at Bolzano-Airport and received by
President of South Tyrol, Mr. Durnwalder
His Holiness with Tibetans at the Hotel in Bolzano
Press Release
His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in South Tyrol,
Italy and will address the 5th World Parliamentarians’
Convention for Tibet in Rome on 18 November
16 November, Bolzano: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in
Bolzano, the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol in Italy this
morning. President Luis Durnwalder of South Tyrol welcomed His
Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Bolzano airport. On arrival at
the hotel, both Italians and Tibetans gathered to welcome His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Tomorrow morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama
will meet with President Luis Durnwalder and the entire South
Tyrol Government. In the afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
will travel to the Autonomous Province of Trento. President
Lorenzo Dellai of Trento will host a luncheon in honour of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
In Trento His Holiness the Dalai Lama will
address the conference on Regional Self-Government, Cultural
Identity and Multinational Integration: Comparative Experience
for Tibet. Both President Luis Durnwalder and President Lorenzo
Dellai will also address the conference. The conference is
organized by Autonomous Province of Trento in cooperation with
Department of Legal Sciences, University of Trento and European
Academy in Bolzano.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the guest of the
Regional Governments of South Tyrol and Trento - an autonomous
region in Northern Italy with a special statute. On 17 November
evening His Holiness the Dalai Lama will leave for Rome.
In Rome His Holiness the Dalai Lama will address
the 5th World Parliamentarians’ Convention for Tibet on 18
November. Over 100 Parliamentarians from 28 countries will
attend this important convention. The two days convention will
be held in the Lower House of the Italy Parliament organised by
the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for Tibet.
President Gianfranco Fini, the President of the
Lower House of Italian Parliament will welcome and meet His
Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Parliament. Both President Fini
and Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno will also address the convention.
The first World Parliamentarians’ Convention for
Tibet was held in New Delhi in 1994, then in Vilnius (Lithuania),
Washington DC (USA) and Edinburgh (United Kingdom).
During His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s last visit
to Rome, Mayor Gianni Alemanno presented the prestigious Rome
Honorary Citizenship on 9 February 2009 to His Holiness.
On 19 November His Holiness the Dalai Lama will
return to India.
Contact:
Mr. Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa
Representative
Italian mobile: +39 32 80 38 53 25
Tibet issues highlighted at the UN session in
Geneva
Geneva: A non governmental organisation
today told the United Nation's Human Rights Council that the
"human rights situation in Tibet needed a special focus from the
Council".
Mr. TENZIN KAYTA speaking on behalf of Society
for Threatened drew the Council’s attention to the situation in
Tibet. He lauded the High Commissioner for Human Rights for
expressing concern over the human rights situation in Xinjiang
and Tibet. High Commissioner N Pillay in her address last week
to the Council, called upon the Chinese authorities “to respect
human rights in upholding the law” and encouraging them “to
reflect on the underlying causes of such incidents, which
include discrimination and the failure to protect minority
rights.”
Mr. KAYTA expressed great concern on the issue
of population transfer of Chinese settlers into Tibet
threatening the very survival of Tibetan culture. According to
official Chinese publications, between 1990 and 95, the total
population on the Tibetan Plateau is 10,102,000, out of which
Tibetans constitute 4,821,500, only 48 per cent. He warned that
if this trend continues and the international community fails to
intervene, the Tibetans will disappear in a sea of Chinese
settlers and of course, their rich cultural heritage completely
overwhelmed. He also drew the Council’s attention on the issue
of Chinese government’s resettlement programme of Tibetan nomads.
The UN three Special Procedure mandate holders
including Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
and fundamental freedoms of Indigenous Peoples in its joint
official inquiry to China on 3rd October 2007 stated “these (resettlement
programmes) policies have had a very adverse impact on the
traditional lifestyles and living patterns in Tibetan areas,
affecting directly the fabric of traditional Tibetan life and
devastating the economy of these communities. The implementation
of these policies contributes to the challenges that Tibetan
cultural and religious identity face today.” Mr. KAYTA concluded
by urging Chinese authorities to live up to the pledge made in
February that they would receive one Special Procedure mandate-holder
this year and also the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mr. Douglas Griffiths, Deputy Permanent
Representative, Chargé, ad interim of U.S. Mission to the United
Nation said, “We followed closely the recent disturbances in
China’s Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region and last year’s unrest
in Tibetan areas. We urge the Chinese authorities, as they work
to maintain order, to respect the safety and legal rights of all
of China’s citizens and to make efforts to find a solution to
legitimate grievances.”
In the afternoon, a parallel event was also
organised in the UN to discuss on China’s education policy in
Tibet. The panelist included Mr. Lobsang Nyima Langmo Gombatsang,
ex-middle school teacher in Tibet and Mr. Tseten S. Chhoekyapa,
Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Central and
Eastern European Countries based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mr. Langmo Gombatsang explained the evolution of
Chinese government’s education policy in Tibet. He said that
Tibetan language wasn’t in his school curriculum. All subjects
were taught in Chinese language. While in school, he like many
other Tibetan students doesn’t know how to write their names in
Tibetan. He said that it was the efforts of the late Panchen
Lama who ensured that Tibetan language was given greater
attention in school curriculum when he saw Tibetans were
deprived of Tibetan language education. He said that the Chinese
officials consider Tibetan language, culture and religion as
threat to the Chinese totalitarian regime in Tibet.
Mr. Tseten S. Chhoekyapa, Representative of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama gave an overview of human rights and
political situation inside Tibet. The documentary film “Tibet:
Murder in the Snow was screened after a short introduction by
Mr. Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon, Representative of the UNPO as
moderator of this event. Many NGOs including representatives
from foreign missions to the UN attended.
Updated: Photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit
to Prague
Rebiya Kadeer speaking at the Asian
conference
His Holiness with former South African
President de Klerk
His Holiness with Czech Prime Minister Mr.
Jan Fischers at official residence
His Holiness and former President Vaclav
Havel
His Holiness with Paula Dobriansky, Former
Under-Secretary of State for Global Affairs, U.S. State
Department
His Holiness and Nobel Laureate Jody
Williams
Former President de Klerk of South Africa,
Havel, His-Holiness and Rebiya Kadeer
A present for former PresidentHavel
Photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit
to Prague
His Holiness arrives at Prague, coming from
Bratislava
His Holiness meets Czech Human Rights
Minister
His Holiness at the residence of Prague's
Lord Mayor
With Lord Mayor Mr. Pavel Bem
His Holiness greeting Rebiya Kadeer
His Holiness addressing the Peace, Democracy
and Human Rights in Asia opening reception
His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the Jan
Langos Award and spoke on Compassion
Bratislava (Slovakia), 9 September - His
Holiness the Dalai Lama today received International Jan Langos
Award. In his acceptance address, His Holiness thanked the Jan
Langos Foundation for presenting the award to him.
“It was a great honour to receive the award of
Jan Langos, also a freedom fighter who followed non-violence”,
said His Holiness. “This award means a lot to me.” His Holiness
said he considers the award "new encouragement" for his efforts
to find a "mutually agreeable solution" for China and Tibet. His
Holiness also spoke our promotion of human value and religious
harmony.
As His Holiness the Dalai Lama was presented the award, the
audience applauded continuously and gave a standing ovation. The
award is in memory of the prominent former Slovak dissident Mr.
Jan Langos who challenged communism and totalitarian regime in
the former Czechoslovakia.
The Jan Langos Foundation said, "the
International Jan Langos Award is bestowed on His Holiness the
14th Dalai Lama in recognition of his lifelong resistance
against oppressive regime in China. Furthermore, the Foundation
wants to recognise his consistent and non-violent struggle for
human rights and promoting the principles of love, tolerance and
compassion worldwide."
Earlier in the morning, the Lord Mayor Andrej Durkovsk received
His Holiness in front of the City Hall. The Mayor said, “your
visit here in Bratislava is very important and special not only
to me but to the people of Bratislava.”
Then His Holiness the Dalai Lama opened an
exhibition on Tibet in the city centre. This exhibition will be
open for six months. While addressing the members of the press,
His Holiness said that media had a very important role to play
in promoting human value and religious harmony.
After lunch, the Vice-Chairman of the Slovakian
Parliament and leaders of the four Opposition Parties called on
His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the hotel. One of the Opposition
Party leaders said they would soon setup a Tibet Group within
the Slovakian Parliament. His Holiness thanked them for their
support.
In the afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
gave a public talk on Compassion. Over 4000 people filled the
Pasienky sports indoor stadium in Bratislava.
In all the four public engagements today and when His Holiness
returned to the hotel from the public talk, large number of
people turned out to greeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As a
sign of appreciation and solidarity they clapped their hands.
Tomorrow, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will travel to Prague, the
capital city of Czech Republic. His Holiness will address an
international conference on Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in
Asia on 11 September.
PRESS RELEASE
His Holiness the Dalai Lama to address an
international conference on Asia in Prague and receive a human
rights award in Slovakia
Geneva, 8 September: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
will today begin a five days visit to Slovakia and Czech
Republic in Eastern Europe.
The first leg of the visit will be Bratislava, the capital city
of Slovakia where His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be presented
the International Jan Langos Award on 9 September. The award is
in memory of the prominent former Slovak dissident Mr. Jan
Langos who challenged communism and totalitarian regime in the
former Czechoslovakia. The Jan Langos Award ceremony will take
place at the Pavol Orszagh Hviezdoslav Theatre in Bratislava.
The Jan Langos Foundation said, "the International Jan Langos
Award is bestowed on His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in
recognition of his lifelong resistance against oppressive regime
in China. Furthermore, the Foundation wants to recognise his
consistent and non-violent struggle for human rights and
promoting the principles of love, tolerance and compassion
worldwide."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will open an exhibition on Tibet on
9 September and in the afternoon will give a public talk on
Compassion at the Pasienky sports indoor stadium in Bratislava.
On 10 September, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will travel to
Prague, the capital city of Czech Republic where His Holiness
will address an international conference on Peace, Democracy and
Human Rights in Asia on 11 September. Nobel Laureates,
international experts, diplomats, Parliamentarians, scholars and
writers will address the conference. The one-day conference is
organized by the Prague based organization Forum2000.
Nobel Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ms. Jody Williams
and Mr. Frederik Willem de Klerk, former President of South
Africa will take part in the conference’s discussion on
Challenges for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Asia. Ms.
Paula Dobriansky, Former Under Secretary of State for Global
Affairs, U.S. State Department will moderate the discussion.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mr. Václav Havel, the former
Czech President will meet on 11 September.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will depart for New Delhi, India on
12 September morning.
CTA’s Response to Beijing’s Comments on De-militarisation
and ‘Ethnic Cleansing’
TibetNet[Saturday, September 05, 2009 13:14]
From 31 October to 5 November 2008, the two Envoys of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mr. Lodi Gyari and Mr. Kelsang
Gyaltsen, along with senior aides, visited China to present to
the Chinese leaders the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the
Tibetan People. The Chinese government rejected all the
proposals in the memorandum. They said the latest proposal was
nothing but another way of seeking Tibetan independence,
semi-independence and ‘independence in disguised form.’
A week after the rejection and to justify their rejection of the
modest and moderate proposals by Dharamsala, the Chinese leaders
went on the offensive. In an unprecedented move, the executive
vice-minister of the United Front Work Department of the CCP,
Zhu Weiqun held a press conference on 10 November. In attendance
was Sithar, a vice-minister of the United Front. To give the
impression that Beijing’s comprehensive rejection of the Tibetan
proposal had the support of the Tibetans in Tibet, Pema Thinlay,
a Tibetan who is the vice-chairman of the so-called Tibet
Autonomous Region, was hauled in to the meeting with the
international media.
At the press conference, Zhu Weiqun raised two issues that are
of concern to the Tibetan people: de-militarisation of the
Tibetan plateau and the stopping and reversal of the population
transfer into Tibet. On de-militarisation, Zhu Weiqun said,
“Fourthly, the Dalai Lama and his clique ask us to disband and
withdraw the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from the ‘greater
Tibetan-inhabited area,’ meaning we have to evacuate our forces
from our own territory… If we withdraw our armed forces, how
could it be possible for the Central Government to provide
national defense. Obviously, this is a deliberate lie!”
On the second point, Zhu Weiqun said, “Fifthly, the Dalai Lama
and his clique request, in his so-called greater
Tibetan-inhabited area, to purge all other ethnic groups other
than ethnic Tibetans…the Dalai Lama will intentionally expel and
purge these civilians affecting thousands who have been living
there from generation to generation. Such a vicious initiative
indicates to us that if one day the Dalai Lama held power and
authority in ‘Greater Tibet,’ he would immediately, without any
hesitation or mercy, exercise racial discrimination, isolation
and ethnic cleansing.”
The press conference was covered by the international media. It
was also extensively reported and commented on in the Chinese
media and duly played up. The holding of the press conference
and the detailed explanation by Zhu Weiqun of the reasons for
Beijing’s comprehensive rejection of the Tibetan proposal was to
avert any international criticism. More importantly, the press
conference was held and widely publicized for domestic reasons.
The anti-splittist rhetoric China constantly spews out has
become a potent tool for the Chinese Communist Party to remain
in power in the ongoing, sometimes loud, sometimes silent,
three-way discourse between the ordinary people and “the vested
interests on which it (CCP) depends for its power”(1) on the
nature of the political arrangement for future China. The
ordinary people are all those out in the streets every day,
crying out for justice on one issue or the other whenever their
interests have been trampled on. The vested interests are that
vast interlocking network consisting of the bureaucracy and the
business community and the patronage system that exists between
the two and the patronage system that exists within officialdom
and the market. This system has been manipulated by the vested
interests to their enormous personal enrichment. Minxin Pei, the
author of China’s Trapped Transition: The Limits of
Developmental Autocracy, calls this a “predatory state.” This is
the system the CCP supervises and is dependent on for its
legitimacy.
Zhu Weiqun’s press conference and China’s comprehensive
rejection of the Tibetan proposal and its comprehensive
mis-interpretation, so publicly, of the ideas in the proposal is
mainly addressed to these two constituencies on which the regime
draws its legitimacy and on which its power rests. The spectre
of the so-called “ethnic cleansing” and the old Tibetan proposal
for a zone of peace are repeated and highlighted because the
regime wants to deflect swelling public anger against official
corruption away from officialdom to be focused on “splittists”
and “splittist ideas.” The press conference also re-assured the
vested interests that their vast interests in Tibet are
protected and the status quo will be maintained.
Otherwise, there is no earthly reason why the Tibetans’ main
request be mis-interpreted as those of “ethnic cleansing” and
PLA withdrawal from Tibetan areas. The main Tibetan request in
the latest proposal is that Beijing must carry out and implement
the rights given to the minorities as they are enshrined in the
constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Tibet as a zone
of peace and PLA withdrawal from Tibetan areas are old Tibetan
suggestions made more than 20 years ago, nearly as old as the
economic reforms that have transformed China. Why are the
Chinese leaders citing old Tibetan proposals and ideas to reject
the latest proposal? This is like insisting that China today is
not a market-oriented society because the founder father of the
People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, vowed to make China a
socialist society based on a command economy. The inescapable
suspicion is that the Chinese leadership is not serious about
the talks. Or that Mao was not a true communist because his
mother happened to be a devout Buddhist. Otherwise, if there is
the will and resolve to solve the issue of Tibet based on the
latest Tibetan proposal, this matter can be tackled within
minutes. The latest Tibetan proposal is formulated within the
Chinese constitution, not without. The constitution gives the
right to the sovereign authority to place its armed forces where
it wants. This is something China promptly proceeded to do when
Hong Kong returned to the motherland’s lap in 1997.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s idea that in future Tibet be
transformed into a zone of peace and a sanctuary of
environmental protection is his vision for his people and the
plateau that has nourished the Tibetans for these thousands of
years. This is not a pre-condition for any talks.
To label the Tibetan request that China’s population transfer
onto the plateau and the reversal of this process as “ethnic
cleansing” is playing to the international gallery and the deep
revulsion this provokes around the world. It is also a dishonest
description of the Tibetan people’s deep concern. China’s
describes itself not as a nation state but as a multi-ethnic
state. In a multi-ethnic state, the minorities have every right
to protect and promote their culture. One way of doing this is
to establish rules and regulations that ensure that Tibetans
remain the majority in the areas they inhabit.
Such rules and regulations are established for Hong Kong to
prevent the former British colony from being swamped by people
from the Mainland. Article 22 (4) of the Basic Law of the Kong
Kong Special Administrative Region states, For entry into Kong
Hong Special Administrative Region, people from other parts of
China must apply for approval. Among them, the number of persons
who enter the Region for the purpose of settlement shall be
determined by the competent authorities of the Central People’s
Government after consulting the government of the Region.”
The Basic Law has specific rules and regulations on migrating
and settling in Hong Kong, official, business and private
visits. The Basic Law provides on a daily basis 150 One-way
Permits (OWPs) for people who wish to go on a family
reunification trips. 60 quotas are issue to children holding
Certificate of Entitlement (CoEs) who enjoy the right of abode
in Hong Kong, 30 to spouses separated for 10 years or more and
their accompanying children, and 60 to applicants belonging to
other categories. Included in other categories are spouses
separated for less then 10 years and their accompanying
children, unsupported children who need to join their relatives
in Hong Kong, persons going to Hong Kong to take care of their
aged parents and so forth.
These rules to regulate the flow of population from the Mainland
to Hong Kong have helped preserve Hong Kong’s prosperity and its
distinct identity. The same rules can be applied to Tibet. There
are more than 30 autonomous regions in the world.
In the great majority of autonomous arrangements, the state
controls customs, borders and immigration of foreign citizens.
These powers, though, can be exercised jointly or can be divided
between the state and the autonomous government. Special
attention must be paid to internal immigration and to residency
requirements because immigration can have a profound impact on
culture and can lead to cultural destruction, especially when
citizens of the larger state immigrate into the autonomous
territory.
The Holy See and the Federated States of Micronesia are
exceptions as they have full control over customs, borders and
all aspects of immigrations. While Canada has power over borders
and customs on Inuit land, the Inuit may exclude non- Inuits,
Canadians and foreigners from entering their territory. Canadian
military exercises on Inuit land require Inuit agreement.
Further, the Inuit have exclusive jurisdiction over deciding who
is Inuit. Similarly, the Navajo Nation controls entry into its
territory as well as who may reside there.
In some situations, these powers are divided between the state
and the people. For example, in Palestine, Israel and Palestine
jointly control the borders. The Hong Kong government
administers and controls customs and immigration, subject to the
ultimate jurisdiction of the PRC, while the PRC administers and
controls these matters in the TAR.(2)
This arrangement to control population flow is not “ethnic
cleansing.” If this arrangement to control, regulate and
supervise in-migration of the majority population into minority
regions is not put in place, the result will be the ethnic
annihilation of the minority nationality like the Manchus.
The tragic cases of the Manchus, the Mongols in Inner Mongolia
and the Uighurs spell the same danger for the Tibetan people.
The present-day north-eastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin
and Liaoning constitute Manchuria, the traditional homeland of
the Manchus, who were China’s last imperial rulers. Now, because
of mass Chinese migration, the Manchus are an irrelevant and
forgotten minority in what was once Manchuria. According to
China’s 2000 census, Chinese in Heilongjiang make up 95% of the
population. The Manchus are only 3%. In Jilin, Chinese
constitute 91% of the province’s population. The Manchus are
only 4%. In Liaoning, Chinese are 84% of the population and
Manchus 13%. China’s demographic bulldozing over the years of
the Manchu ethnicity and culture has resulted in the fact that,
according to a Xinhua report of 9 March 2007, there are less
than 100 elderly Manchus who could speak the Manchu language.
The same, tragic fate awaits the people of Inner Mongolia and
Eastern Turkestan or Xinjiang.
Chinese experts concluded that the natural resource of Southern
Mongolia is good for only five million people to live on.
However, there is currently a population of 30 million
inhabiting there. When the Communist Chinese rule was
established in 1947, majority of the population in most of
Southern Mongolia's leagues were Mongolian and many leagues were
populated with only Mongols. To take Sunit Right Banner of
Shiliin Gol Aimag as an example, there were only two Chinese in
the whole league in 1947, while in 1984, of the total population
of 70,000, Mongolian population became less than even one third.
There existed some control over the migration of Chinese
population into Southern Mongolia between 1950 and 1960 but
still five million strong Chinese were transferred into the
region. However, after this period no control imposed at all and
Chinese migrants moved into the region as they pleased. With
China's reform of 1980s and the transition to market economy in
the 1990s, with more Chinese investment coming into the region,
Chinese migration into Mongolia became an issue that is not
considered an "issue" Thus the Chinese migrants moved into
Southern Mongolian like locust, causing the current ration
between the Chinese and Mongolian population of 30 million
against four million. From this ratio it is not hard to predict
the future trend of population development of the region.(3)
The autonomous Xinjiang region currently has a population o 21
million, of which approximately nine million are Muslim Uighurs
and eight million are Hans. There are also 45 other ethnic
groups, but their numbers are comparatively small.
In 1949, Hans accounted for less than seven percent of
Xinjiang's population - compared to almost 40 percent today. The
Han population is concentrated in urban centres such as Urumqi,
Shihezi and Karamay, where living standards are generally much
higher than in the countryside.
Xinjiang is in fact a large, sparsely population area that has
been a site of heavy army and police concentrations since 1949,
and is used as a base for nuclear testing, military training,
and prison labor facilities. The population of 18 million
includes several Turkic-speaking Muslim ethnic groups, of which
the Uyghurs, numbering eight million, are the largest. The
percentage of ethnic Han Chinese in Xinjiang has grown as a
result of government policies form six percent in 1949 to 40
percent at present, and now numbers some 7.5 million people.(4)
Tibetans are concerned about what has happened to the Manchus
and is happening in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. The Tibetan
demand that China’s ongoing population transfer of Chinese
settlers to Tibet be stopped and reversed grows out of the fear
that the Tibetans will be reduced to a dwindling minority in
their own homeland and their culture made irrelevant and seen
only in museums. Tibetan fears about being swamped by Chinese
settlers grow out of China’s demographic attrition of Tibet,
especially after the People’s Republic of China’s takeover of
Tibet. Tibet Under Communist China: 50 Years explains.
Beijing’s policy of Sinicising Tibet by transplanting a Chinese
majority onto the plateau has been consistent since the early
period of the Communist takeover. Beijing encourages Chinese
settlers to migrate to western regions—including Tibet—by
offering discriminatory incentives, such as preferential
schooling and business opportunities and a more lenient
childbearing policy in view of “the sparse population of those
regions”.
Mao Zedong gave the first public indication of Beijing’s
population transfer policy in 1952 when he proposed a five-fold
population increase in the western half of Tibet, later named
the “Tibet Autonomous Region”.1 Mao pronounced, “Tibet covers a
large area but is thinly populated. Its population should be
increased from the present two or three million to five or six
million, and then to over ten million.”
In 1955 Chinese President Liu Shao-chi told the late Panchen
Lama that Tibet was a big unoccupied country and China had a big
population which could be settled there.
Five years later, in 1960, Premier Zhou Enlai explained, “The
Chinese are greater in number and more developed in economy and
culture but in the regions they inhabit there is not much arable
land left and underground resources are not as abundant as in
the regions inhabited by fraternal nationalities.” In that
same year, an internal Chinese document advised that “Tibet’s
population of 1.2 million” should be increased to three million
and should include settlers from China.
In February 1985 the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi announced its
government’s intention to “change both the ecological imbalance
and the population lack” not just in Tibet but also in other
“sparsely populated outlying regions”. Chinese “migration should
be welcomed by the local population, and should result in a
population increase of 60 million over the next 30 years in
those regions”. The announcement went on to say, “This is a very
conservative estimate. As a matter of fact, the increase might
swell to a hundred million in less than 30 years.”
Two years later, in June 1987, Deng Xiaoping admitted that
Chinese were being encouraged to move to Tibet because, as he
put it to Jimmy Carter, the local population “needs Han
immigrants as the (Autonomous) Region’s population of about two
million is inadequate to develop its resources”.
Then, on May 12, 1993, Beijing’s high-level secret
meeting—code-named 512 and held in Sichuan Province—envisaged
that the further flooding of Tibet with Chinese nationals would
offer the final solution to the Tibetan problem. This “solution”
is aimed at making it demographically “impossible for Tibetans
to rise as in the case of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang (East
Turkestan).
Before 1959 the government of independent Tibet estimated the
total population of Tibet—which includes Kham, Amdo and
U-Tsang—at six million. In 1959, the Chinese Government
indicated that the population of Tibet was over six
million—nearly 1.3 million inside the “TAR” and nearly five
million in Tibetan areas outside the “TAR”. Again, in 1988,
Beijing Review stated that of the total Tibetan population of
six million, two million were living in the “TAR” and four
million in the Tibetan regions outside the “TAR”.
However, data compiled from Chinese publications issued between
1990 and 1995 put the Tibetan population across the plateau at
only 4,906,500. These are rather confusing statistics. It is
fair to assume that the death of 1.2 million Tibetans and escape
of over 100,000 must have resulted in the decrease of one
million between 1959 and the 1990s. But such a steep decline
between 1988 and the 1990s is hard to account for.
In addition, it has not been possible to get reliable data
regarding the number of Chinese settlers in Tibet. Many
Tibet-watchers believe that Beijing understates the size of the
Chinese population on the plateau due to its increasing
sensitivity to international criticism. Independent research
carried out in the early 1980s showed over seven million Chinese
settlers in Tibet. Since then, there has been a very visible
increase in the number of Chinese economic migrants. However,
official Chinese publications issued between 1990 and 1995 show
only 5,280,500 non-Tibetans (Chinese and other minorities) in
Tibet.
According to these statistics, the total population of Tibet is
10,102,000, out of which Tibetans constitute 4,821,500 (48
percent). In the “TAR”, official Chinese publications of 1995
show a miniscule Chinese presence. The publications show
Tibetans constituting 2,275,000 (96.4 percent) out of the total
population of 2,360,000.12 The largely barren and inhospitable
terrain of the “TAR” explains why the proportion of Chinese
settled in this region is substantially lower than in other
parts of Tibet. Nevertheless, resident Tibetans and foreign
visitors to the “TAR” maintain that the true number of Chinese
population is many times more than the official claim. The
Alliance for Research in Tibet states: “Given significant
populations of Chinese in all TAR prefectural capitals and most
county seats, a pattern identical to that observed outside the
TAR, the true proportion of Chinese in the TAR is more likely to
be nearer that of other autonomous Tibetan areas.”
The Chinese population transfer to the “TAR” was carried out in
earnest in the 1980s when Beijing launched the campaign to “Help
Tibet Prosper”. In May 1984 Radio Beijing reported that, “Over
60,000 workers, representing the vanguard groups to help in the
construction work in the TAR, are arriving in Tibet daily
[number of days not specified] and have started their
preliminary work. They will be helping in the electricity
department, schools, hotels, cultural institutions and
construction of mills and factories.” Another 60,000 Chinese
“workers”—mainly from Sichuan Province—arrived in the “Tibet
Autonomous Region” in the summer of 1985.16 By 1985 there were
50,000 to 60,000 Chinese civilian residents in Lhasa alone; and
within three years this figure doubled.
The influx of Chinese settlers into the region accelerated
further in the early 1990s due to Deng Xiaoping’s personal
encouragement of the movement of larger numbers of Chinese
“comrades” into Tibet to “impart scientific and technological
know-how and share their scientific expertise”. In January 1991,
Beijing Review reported that about 300,000 workers were prepared
to join new construction projects in the “TAR”. In Lhoka alone
about 28,000 Chinese settlers arrived between 1987 and 1992;
some 27,000 arrived in Nagchu between 1989 and 1992; and 43,860
in Ngari between 1986 and 1992.
During this boom period, Lhasa was described by resident Chinese
entrepreneurs as the “Land of Gold”, and few were inclined to
leave. In one telling example, a Chinese official—having met
with surprising success in an informal business venture—was
prompted to send his wife back to China to sound out his friends
and relatives. She returned with 30 of her enterprising
compatriots. Around the same time, Mao Rubai, Vice-Chairman of
the “TAR” government, was quoted as saying that there were one
million Chinese settlers (excluding military personnel) in the
region.
But it is the fertile borderland Tibetan territories outside the
“TAR” which have the highest concentration of Chinese migrants.
These territories include the whole of Amdo and a substantial
portion of Kham. Official Chinese statistics published between
1990 and 1995 show the total population of these regions as
7,742,000, of which Tibetans constitute 2,546,500 (32.89
percent). The publications show the break-up of population in
these regions as follows:
Qinghai (Amdo) Province, total population 4,749,000, Tibetans
972,600 (20.48 percent). Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Kanlho
and Tibetan Autonomous County of Parig in Gansu Province, total
population 837,000, Tibetans 357,700 (42.74 percent). Ngaba
Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Karze Tibetan Autonomous
Prefecture and Mili Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan
Province, total population 1,820,000, Tibetans 1,105,000 (60.71
percent). Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunan
Province, total population 336,000, Tibetans 111,200 (33.10
percent).
Chinese settlement in these non-“TAR” Tibetan regions followed
close on the heels of the invading PLA troops in 1949. Soon
after Beijing’s military incursion, a contingent of
civilians—administrators, staff and their families—arrived in
these areas, paving the way for more civilians to establish
themselves in larger towns. During three mass migrations—in
1955, 1959 and 1965—about 175,000 Chinese entered Amdo.
Apart from these conspicuous migrations, between 1962 and 1976
Beijing sent such a large numbers of prisoners to Amdo that the
area acquired the sobriquet “China’s Gulag”. According to the
human rights activist, Harry Wu, over one million prisoners were
shipped to Amdo’s labour camps and jails which served as “human
storehouses for victims of successive Chinese purges”. Most of
the prisoners were not permitted to return to China on release.
Instead, they were given employment in 26 prison-run factories
in Amdo. Although the total number of employees in these
factories is not known, some of them have a labour force
numbering up to 100,000 each.
In the Kham area outside the “TAR”, the influx of Chinese
escalated from 1962 onwards when thousands upon thousands of
migrants from neighbouring Chinese provinces were sent there as
“builders, workers, and technicians”, particularly to work
clear-felling the region’s ancient forests in the state
lumbering industries. Beijing claims that the migrants are
needed to help develop Tibet’s economy. Tibetans, on the other
hand, see no obvious benefits from their presence; they consider
the mass migration of Chinese a drain on the economy and
insidious attempt to Sinicise their country. In this context,
the late Panchen Lama stated that, “The expense of keeping one
Chinese in Tibet is equal to that of four in China. Why should
Tibet spend its money to feed them? ... Tibet has suffered
greatly because of the policy of sending a large number of
useless people. The Chinese population in Tibet started with a
few thousand and today it has multiplied manifold.”
During Beijing’s Third Forum on Work in Tibet, decisions were
made to accelerate the integration of Tibet into China’s
economic needs. The major thrust of the strategy was “to open
Tibet’s door wide to inner parts of the country and encourage
traders, investment, economic units and individuals from China
to Central Tibet to run different sorts of enterprises.”
In recent years Beijing has conceived massive projects to help
the migration of the poor or displaced Chinese population to
Tibet. One of them is the Western Poverty Reduction Project. A
component of this project is to develop agriculture in the Dulan
area of Amdo and relocate 58,000 Chinese settlers there. In the
year 2000 the World Bank withdrew its US$40 million loan to this
project in the face of protests from Tibetans and their
international supporters. However, China is adamant to go ahead
with the project using its own finances.
The transfer of Chinese settlers into Tibet has had devastating
economic effects on Tibetans. Settlers threaten the livelihood
of Tibetans; they are central to the government’s policy of
integrating Tibet into the Chinese economy. Over the years, the
settlers have come to dominate the Tibetan economy; they own
virtually all the businesses in Tibet. In 1992 a western tourist
conducted a covert survey in Tibet. He observed that there were
12,227 shops and restaurants in Lhasa city (excluding the
Barkhor), of which only 300 were owned by Tibetans. In Tsawa
Pasho, southern Kham, the Chinese owned 133 business enterprises
whereas the Tibetans owned only fifteen. The ownership ratio was
similar in other Tibetan towns: 748 to 92 in Chamdo, 229 to
three in Powo Tramo. The situation is far worse in the urban
centres of Amdo, where, according to one British journalist,
Tibetans are reduced to “tourist curios”.
Population transfer has also greatly impacted the kind of
development that takes place in Tibet. Beijing’s subsidies, and
much of the infrastructure in place, are directed towards
maintaining a distinct, controlling Chinese community in Tibet.
This can be seen to be mainly urban, administrative, mercantile
or military, and segregated from the bulk of Tibetan
communities.(5)
It is against this background of the recent history of Chinese
settlement in Tibet that the Tibetans continue to demand that
the current Chinese population transfer be stopped and reversed.
Our demands accord with the rights given to the minority
nationalities as enshrined in the constitution of the People’s
Republic of China.
Article 4 of the constitution of the People's Republic of China
states that "regional autonomy is practised in areas where
people of minority nationalities live in concentrated
communities; in these areas organs of self-government are
established to exercise the power of autonomy...all
nationalities have the freedom to use and develop their own
spoken and written languages and to preserve or reform their own
folkways and custom." This article ensures that Tibetan people's
distinct identity based on language, religion and culture will
be preserved. But the continuing influx of the Chinese people on
to the Tibetan areas threatens the very existence and identity
of the Tibetan people. Therefore, such population transfer
should be halted so that the aims and objectives of the article
4 of the Chinese constitution can be achieved.
As for the status of those Chinese who are already in the
Tibetan areas, the two sides must decide on this issue through
the adoption of just laws. We do not expect these Chinese to be
withdrawn immediately from the Tibetan areas. We are aware of
the present ground realities and the complications involved in
such a withdrawal. However, we are against the presence of large
number of Chinese population in the Tibetan areas not because we
want to split from China, but to preserve the distinct identity
of the Tibetan people.(6)
Instead of letting out shrill cries that His Holiness the Dalai
Lama is advocating the de-militarisation of Tibet and plotting
plans for the ‘ethnic cleansing” of Tibet, the Chinese
authorities must come up with an effective medicine for China’s
Tibet headache. One medicine stares Beijing in the face.
Christian Le Miere, the editor of Jane’s Intelligence Review,
writing for Foreign Affairs, explains.
The Chinese Communist leadership aims to stifle any future
dissent in the western regions through a dual strategy of
economic development and demographic inundation. It is unlikely,
however, that Beijing will be able to subjugate six million
Tibetans and eight million Uighurs with just cash and karaoke.
Higher incomes and modern lifestyles are seen as scant
compensation for the perceived loss of more than a millennium of
cultural and religious heritage.
If Beijing hopes to find a longer-term solution to its western
problem, it will need to implement a far more radical policy.
The best approach may already exist: China could expand the
category of Special Administrative Regions (SARs), which now
exist in Hong Kong and Macau, to the country's western
provinces.
The concept of SARs was created in the 1990s, in an attempt to
appease the United Kingdom and Portugal, the two imperial powers
that previously ran Hong Kong and Macau, respectively. According
to the laws establishing the SARs, the territories are afforded
"a high degree of autonomy" and "executive, legislative, and
independent judicial power."
In addition, the SAR arrangement requires security forces to be
comprised of local citizens, while residents inside SARs are
granted protections covering freedom of speech, press, assembly,
privacy, and, perhaps most significant if such a program were to
be adopted in Tibet, religion. The checks and balances built
into the SARs' governance allows for the guarantee of these
rights far more effectively than under the Chinese constitution,
which nominally provides similar freedoms.
For China's western regions, the most appealing bylaw of the
SARs would be Article 22, which requires Chinese citizens from
outside the SARs to apply for approval from local authorities
for entry.(7)
Footnotes
(1) Will China Implode? By Isabel Hilton in The Daily Beast, 1
August 2009
(2) Autonomy and the Tibetan Perspective, published by the
Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre, New Delhi,
2005, p. 20-21
(3) A Road to Extinction: Statement of Inner Mongolia People’s
Party, 8 August 2007
(4) www.uyghuramerican.org
(5) Tibet Under Communist China: 50 Years, published by the
Department of Information and International Relations of the
Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala, in 2001 and
reprinted in 2006, p. 45 - 49
(6) Briefing paper by the Kashag for the Offices of Tibet on the
Sino-Tibetan Dialogue Process, issued by the Department of
Information and International Relations, CTA, Dharamsala, 23
August 2006, p. 4
(7) China’s Western Front: Can Beijing Bring Order to Its
Restive Provinces by Christian Le Miere in Foreign Affairs,
September-October 2009
The Statement of the Kashag on the Forty-Ninth Anniversary
of the Tibetan Democracy Day
Today marks the forty-ninth anniversary of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama's outstanding efforts to transform the nature of
Tibetan polity into a genuine democracy. On this auspicious
occasion, the Kashag — as a way of expressing its immense
gratitude to His Holiness for his gift of democracy to us
Tibetans — makes obeisance to him. The Kashag also extends its
affectionate greetings to the Tibetans inside and outside Tibet;
to the governments, parliaments, peoples and the Tibet support
groups who are supportive of Tibet and the Tibetans; as well as
to all the peace-loving people cross the globe.
During the past 49 years, a great change — political, economic
and social — has taken place across the world, including in
Tibet and China. Tibetan democracy has also kept pace with this
global trend for change and progressed over the years. The
highest organ of Tibetan democracy, the Tibetan
Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE), has been elected 14 times and the
political leadership or the Kalon Tripa twice by the general
Tibetan populace thus far. Hence, going by the conditions as set
forth in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, our democracy has
today become complete both institutionally and system wise.
Moreover, the fact that the Tibetan people at the grassroots
level are now able to effectively participate in all processes
of democracy, including the periodical elections, has become
something that the peoples and communities across the world
covet. Particularly, during the preliminary opinion poll that
was conducted in 1996 as well as during the last year's special
meeting convened under Article 59 of the charter, Tibetans at
the grassroots level freely exercised their individual freedoms
to correctly determine — without being swayed by hearsay — the
short- and long-term aspirations of the Tibetan people as a
whole. This — being a clear indication of the maturity of
democratic culture among the Tibetan people — has not only gone
a long way in fulfilling the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama but it also serves as a source of great encouragement for
those of us in the leadership. The Kashag would like to,
therefore, express its sincere appreciation to all of the
Tibetan people for this.
In order for us to attain greater heights towards true
democracy, these conditions are indispensable: education of the
people; intellectual freedom; awareness of and
understanding/tolerance among the various viewpoints, positions
and ideologies; wisdom to distinguish between what is right and
what is wrong by eschewing narrow parochialism, etc. Not only is
it important that these conditions be improved further but it is
also all the more important indeed to be able to choose
institution over individuals and duties over rights by
judiciously applying the Buddhist concept of the Four Reliances.
In today’s time, the rate at which the political, economical and
societal changes taking place globally as well as in Tibet and
China, it is difficult to predict the future about anything.
Therefore, all the Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet must
tread cautiously so that we do not make mistakes and lose
opportunities.
Last year, the Tibetan people inside Tibet, even at the great
risk to their lives and properties, took out a peaceful protest
and as a consequence, a large number of Tibetan people had to
undergo extreme torture and loss of property. No doubt their
sacrifices will not go in vain and will contribute greatly to
the realisation of the cause of Tibet. The Kashag would like to
appeal to all the Tibetans that it is important for us now to
see to it that we do not put the lives of common people in
danger and also make every possible effort not to create any
differences and animosity between the Chinese and Tibetan
nationals.
Under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan
people in exile everywhere are not only trying to improve
understanding with the Chinese people but we also express
sympathy and support to people affected by natural calamities
wherever it may be. This is in accordance with the tenets of the
Buddha’s teaching as well as the very nature of the Tibetan
people. Last year, when earthquake hit China’s Sichuan province,
the Tibetan people in exile did everything they could in terms
of offering prayers and contributing to the relief efforts.
Moreover, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his strong
desire to visit the affected areas to console and offer prayers
but he could not visit due to the political situation. Recently,
when a typhoon hit Taiwan, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
immediately sent condolence message and offered prayers for the
victims and their families. Following the request made by the
people of Taiwan, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is now there,
visiting the affected areas and providing spiritual comfort to
the people living in these areas. The spiritual service he is
conducting in Taiwan is not only aimed at the wellbeing of all
sentient beings but also at the improvement of relations between
the Chinese and Tibetan peoples.
A time has, now, come for the third generation young Tibetans in
exile, who are equipped with both traditional and modern
education, to be able to take up political responsibilities. The
Kashag believes that they will be more responsible than ever
before in the political and administrative affairs of our
society.
Finally, the Kashag prays for the long life of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama and the spontaneous fulfilment of all his wishes. May
the Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet be reunited to enjoy
the fruits of democratic freedom!
The Kashag
2 September 2009
N.B. This is the English translation of the Tibetan
original. If there are any discrepancies, please consider the
Tibetan final and authoritative.
Interview: H. H. the Dalai Lama in Swiss TV's 'Club
Sprache: English / Untertitel: Deutsch
Language: English / Subtitle: German
Message by H. H. the Dalai Lama regarding
Aung San Suu Kyi
MESSAGE
I am deeply saddened by the extended detention of Aung San
Suu Kyi to a further period of house arrest.
As a fellow Buddhist, I would like to once again appeal to
the Burmese authorities to show magnanimity and understanding by
releasing her. Doing so will not only contribute towards
reconciliation but also will be a goodwill gesture.
The Dalai Lama
August 12, 2009
Geneva, August 8, 2009
Final Document of the 2009 Sino-Tibetan Conference ‘Finding Common
Ground’ in Geneva
A Sino-Tibetan conference ‘Finding Common Ground’ was held in Geneva
from 6−8 August 2009 attended by Chinese and Tibetan scholars, educators,
writers and human rights advocates. The aims of the conference are to
inform the Chinese people and the international community that Tibetan
culture and way of life are gravely endangered and that the fundamental
human rights of the Tibetan people are seriously being violated by the
Chinese regime. In addition, the conference aims to outline effective
measures to support the Tibetan people in their struggle to regain their
freedom and to sustain and promote its unique culture. In this way, the
conference will also respond to the heartfelt remarks made by His
Holiness the Dalai Lama in His opening address.
Während seines Deutschland-Besuchs sprach der Dalai Lama mit
der Deutschen Welle über das Verhältnis zur chinesischen
Regierung und seine Hoffnung auf einen stärkeren Dialog.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's
visit to Germany and Switzerland 2009
From July 29 - August 7, 2009, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
has visited Germany and Switzerland for five days each. In
Frankfurt, His Holiness has given Buddhist teachings and
attended a symposium on global ethics
at the invitation of three organisations based in Germany,
Tibethaus Deutschland e.V., Deutsche Buddhistische Union e.V.
and Pagoda Phat Hue, a Vietnamese Buddhist community.
I am deeply saddened and concerned with the worsening
situation in East Turkestan (Xinjiang), especially with the
tragic loss of lives.
I earnestly urge the Chinese authorities to exercise
restraint in dealing with the situation in a spirit of
understanding and far-sightedness.
I offer my prayers for those who lost their lives, their
families and others affected by this sad turn of events.
THE DALAI LAMA
July 8, 2009
Déclaration de Sa Sainteté le Dalaï Lama
Je suis profondément attristé et préoccupé par la situation
aggravante du Turkestan oriental ( Xinjiang ), tout
particulièrement par la perte tragique de nombreuses vies
humaines.
J'appelle les autorités chinoises à exercer leur retenue et à
gérer la situation dans un esprit de compréhension et avec une
vision à long terme.
J'offre mes prières à tous ceux qui ont perdu leur vie, leur
famille, ainsi qu'à tous ceux qui sont affectés par cette triste
situation.
Le Dalaï Lama
Le 8 juillet 2009
Interview Dalai Lama / WELT online
"Gier macht Unternehmen krank"
20. Juni 2009, 13:41 Uhr
Er sagt, er sei ein marxistischer Mönch. Dennoch sieht der
Dalai Lama zu Marktwirtschaft und Globalisierung keine
Alternative. Reichtum sei nichts Schlechtes. Es komme nur darauf
an, wie wir ihn verwenden. Jörg Eigendorf traf das Oberhaupt der
Tibeter – und sprach mit ihm auch über Faulheit und
Wutausbrüche. [
mehr
]
Interview Dalai Lama / manager-magazin.de
"Gier, Spekulation und Intransparenz haben die Krise
verursacht"
Von Andreas Nölting, 25. Juni 2009
Das geistliche Oberhaupt des tibetischen Volkes, der Dalai
Lama, hat sich erstmals in einem deutschen Medium zu den
Ursachen der weltweiten Wirtschaftskrise geäußert. Er fordert
neue Werte für die Ökonomie und hofft, dass sich die
Marktwirtschaft ändert und mehr globale Verantwortung übernimmt.
[
mehr ]
Tibet at UN
Rights groups highlight human rights situation in Tibet at
UNHRC
Wednesday, 17 June 2009, 5:06 p.m.
Geneva: Leading human rights groups and Tibetan
representatives attending the 11th session of the UN Human
Rights Council on 11 June in Geneva raised a series of issues
concerning Tibet prior to the Council's adoption of the
Universal Periodic Review process on China.
China had rejected 50 recommendations made by the Council,
which includes denying access to Tibetan areas for the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other United Nations
bodies, diplomats and the international media.
Tibetan NGOs inform UN about appalling human rights
situation in Tibet
Friday, 12 June 2009, 3:19 p.m.
Geneva/Dharamshala: Two Tibetan non governmental
organisations have expressed their concern over the deprivation
of rights to the Tibetan children to study their history and
cultural heritage, and China's policy of repression and
indoctrinating Tibetans living inside Tibet to denounce His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The Tibetan delegates raised the issues of human rights
violations in Tibet during the second week of 11th session of UN
Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, 8 June.
Geneva: The issues of human rights violations in Tibet were
raised at the 11th regular session of the UN Human Rights
Council on human rights violations taking place around the world.
During the three-week session which has begun 2 June in
Geneva, several UN Special mandates holders will present their
reports, including cases of rights violations submitted by
victims in their respective countries.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Statement
on the 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Students'
Democracy Movement
On occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square
students' democracy movement, along with others who take an
interest in Chinese affairs, I respectfully honour those who
died expressing the popular demand for the government to be more
accountable to its people.
The students involved in the Tiananmen Square movement were
neither anti-communist nor anti-socialist. Their speaking out in
defence of the Chinese people's constitutional rights, in favour
of democracy, and taking a stand against corruption, truly
conformed to the underlying beliefs of the Chinese Communist
government. This was confidently stated by the then party chief
Zhao Ziyang. Therefore, the forthcoming 60th anniversary of the
founding of the People's Republic of China presents a great
opportunity to review the events of June 4, 1989.
Great changes have taken place in the People's Republic of
China since 1989. Today, it is a global economic power poised to
become a superpower. It is my hope that the Chinese leaders have
the courage and far-sightedness to embrace more truly
egalitarian principles and pursue a policy of greater
accommodation and tolerance of diverse views. A policy of
openness and realism can lead to greater trust and harmony
within China and enhance its international standing as a truly
great nation.
THE DALAI LAMA
June 4, 2009
CHINA'S BRUTALITY IN TIBET EXPOSED
Video Footage
(contains scenes of violence, gruesom pictures!!)
Though there are many footages of the protests taking place
throughout Tibet last year that were splashed across the world,
the following are one of the rare footages of police beating of
protestors, the suffering and death of a captive, and
Para-military presence in Lhasa, which managed to make its way
to the outside world. [
read more ]
Spanish judge requests to interrogate Chinese ministers over
Tibet
Europe News / May 5, 2009, 13:10 GMT
Madrid - Spanish judge Santiago Pedraz announced Tuesday he
had requested to interrogate eight Chinese political and
military leaders, including three ministers, about possible
crimes against humanity in Tibet.
The suspects named by Pedraz include Chinese Defence Minister
Lian Guanglie, State Security Minister Geng Huichang and Public
Security Minister Meng Jianzhu.
The others are Chinese Communist Party Secretary for Tibet
Zhang Qingli, Politbureau member Wang Lequan, Ethnic Affairs
Commission leader Li Dezhu, Lhasa Popular Liberation Army
commander Tong Guishan and Chengdu military commando political
commissioner Zhan Guihua.
Pedraz earlier accepted to investigate a complaint lodged by
several Tibet support groups, which accused China of a 'generalized
and systematic attack' against the Tibetan population following
riots in March 2008.
The repression led to the deaths of about 200 people and to
the disappearances of nearly 6,000, while 1,000 people were
seriously injured, according to the complaint.
The Tibet population was persecuted for 'motives which have
been universally recognized as unacceptable,' the judge said in
a document after hearing witnesses.
Pedraz said he could interrogate the suspects at his National
Court in Spain, or before a Chinese court.
Another National Court judge is currently investigating an
alleged genocide in Tibet in the 1980s and 90s.
Spain's National Court has investigated a string of alleged
human rights crimes in other countries, arguing that they fall
under universal jurisdiction.
Geneva, 24 April 2009: The UN Durban Review Conference was
held from 20 – 24 April in Geneva to review progress and assess
implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of
Actions (DDPA).
In 2001, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and
International Campaign for Tibet had attended the third world
conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa. However, due
to procedural manoeuvred played by China particularly on TCHRD's
accreditation, the third Prepcom decided not to take action on
applications of certain NGOS. This decision automatically
results expulsion of TCHRD as EU stated that it was a “de facto
expulsion” from the conference.
Despite the absence of the leading Tibetan independent human
rights watchdog in exile, issues of racism and discrimination
that Tibetans have been confronting under China's occupation of
Tibet since 1959 were raised by several ECOSOC status NGOs in
the final day of the conference.
Mr. Tenzin Samphel KAYTA on behalf of Society for Threatened
Peoples said “since the third Durban World Conference Against
Racism held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, one encouraging
development is that a growing number of Chinese and Tibetans are
reaching out to each other, including by establishing
associations. An increasing number of Chinese nationals are
showing deep interest into Tibetan Buddhism and appreciate the
cultural heritage of the Tibetan people.
He said “as we all know incitement is one of the greatest
sources of racism and racial discrimination, especially when the
State involved. In March 2008 when massive protests erupted on
the Tibetan Plateau, the Chinese Government quickly in a very
derogatory manner defamed that the Dalai Lama “is a wolf in
monk’s robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a beast.”
Mr. Kayta called on the UN Human Rights Council to analyse on
how it can promote intercultural and interreligious dialogues
when the Tibetan people are forced to denounce their spiritual
leaders through campaigns like the “patriotic re-education” and
the “Anti-Dalai Lama” launched by the Chinese authorities.
Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon representing the Asian Indigenous &
Tribal Peoples Network and Movement Contre le Racisme et Pour
l'amitié entre les Peuples said “The decision pertaining to the
TCHRD has no legal or moral basis.” Among other issues he said
“it must be recorded that a procedural tool was used to deny
participation of an NGO which denotes the name of a community “Tibetan”.
He asked “Is it not identification and discrimination based on
“ethnic origin?”. He further warned that “international
community must not allow repeat such action in future which
cannot legally and morally be justified.”
Dekyi Dolkar on behalf of International Campaign for Tibet
said “for Tibetans in present-day China, the intensification of
repression from the State in response to widespread popular
protests since march 2008 has led some Tibetans to liken this
period to the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. They are
witnessing a deliberate and concerted effort of incitement by
the Chinese authorities to portray Tibetans as suspicious,
ungrateful, violent and anti-Chinese or even “terrorist”, a
situation which they argue entrenches mutual distrusts, drives
the two communities further apart and of course, makes a
sustainable solution to the Sino-Tibetan problem all the more
elusive. She calls on international community not to forget
tragedy of millions of Tibetans suffered and continue to suffer
under oppressive occupation and hard-line policies of the
Chinese government.
The Chinese delegates interrupted several times when the
above three speakers read their statement.
On the last day of the conference, a group of 15 members from
Gu-Chu-Sum Association currently touring Switzerland performed a
20 minutes play at the “Geneva Book Fair”. The fair attracts
almost 125'000 visitors. The political play highlights the
torture suffered by Tibetan prisoner while in Chinese prisons in
Tibet. And the discrimination ex-political prisoners faced after
their release from prison.
Gu-Chu-Sum Association made up of former political prisoner
were invited to Switzerland by Tibetan Community in Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.
For immediate release: 22 April 2009
CTA Condemns Tibet Sentences
“The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is deeply concerned
that one Tibetan girl has been sentenced to death with a
two-year reprieve and two other girls have been given long-term
imprisonment,” Kalon Kesang Yangkyi Takla, Kalon for the
Department of Information and International Relations of the
Central Tibetan Administration, said Wednesday. “We strongly
condemn the harsh sentences arbitrarily meted out to the three
girls without truely conducting an open and fair trial,” Kalon
Kesang Y Takla said.
Penkyi, twenty-year-old of Norbu village, Dogra township in
Sakya County, has been sentenced to death for her alleged role
in the last year's peaceful protests in Lhasa by the Lhasa
Intermediate People's Court. Two other girls, Penkyi, aged 23,
of Thantoe village, Margkyang township in Nyemo County has been
sentenced to life imprisonment and 20-year-old Chime Lhamo, of
Sholtoe village, Namling township in Shigatse Namling County,
has been sentenced to jail for 10 years.
The recent verdict is totally against the claims of “China's
tremendous achievements in the promotion and protection of human
rights” during the UN Human Rights Council's periodic review of
China's human rights record. The head of the Chinese delegation
to the UN, Mr Li Baodong, said since the founding of New China
in 1949, “ a fundamental social and political system for the
promotion and protection of human rights has been established.”
Moreover, China's first national human rights action plan
stipulates that “every precaution shall be taken in meting out a
death sentence and judicial procedures for death sentences will
be stringently implemented”.
We are deeply concerned that despite these pledges, in
addition to three Tibetans who were given death sentences on 8
April, another Tibetan has been given death penalty, Kalon
Kesang Y Takla said.
The Central Tibetan Administration once again appeals to the
Chinese goverment and the international community, especially
the UN Human Rights Council to give due consideration on the
deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet.
Kalon Kesang Y Takla reiterated the Central Tibetan
Administration's longstanding appeal that China should release
forthwith all prisoners of conscience and accept an
international body to investigate the conditions in Tibet.
Contacts:
Thubten Samphel / Sonam N Dagpo
Secretary Department of Information & International Relations
Ph: 0091 1892 222510 / 224662
For immediate release Urges
Release of All Political Prisoners
CTA Concerned About Death Sentence to Two Tibetans
The Kashag of the Central Tibetan Administration is deeply
concerned that two Tibetans have been sentenced to death and two
others have been given suspended death sentences with two-year
reprieve. The Kashag's concern on this kind of arbitrary
sentences meted to Tibetans is exacerbated by the fact that
there is no due process of law and the courts in the People's
Republic of China are political instruments of the authorities.
Ever since the massive arrests that took place during the
repression that followed to crush the protests which erupted
throughout Tibet last year, the Kashag appealed to the PRC
authorities to release all political prisoners and to provide
them with proper medical treatment. The Kashag once again urges
the Chinese authorities to free all Tibetan prisoners of
conscience.
The Kashag believes that the China's massive and continued
repression of Tibetans is fuelling even deeper resentment. In
view of this the Kashag believes that the best way to resolve
the issue of Tibet is to address the just concerns of the
Tibetan people based on honesty and sincerity.
The Kashag 9 April 2009
Contacts:
Thubten Samphel
Sonam N Dagpo
Secretary Department of Information & International Relations
Ph: 01892 222510, 224662
The Kashag Announces Reshuffle of Office of Tibet
Representatives
Friday, 27 March 2009
Dharamshala: The Kashag on Thursday announced reshuffle of
representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the offices of
Tibet (OoT) in Australia and London.
Sonam Norbu Dagpo, secretary for International Relations,
Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR),
has been posted as representative at the Office of Tibet in
Canberra, Australia. Whereas, representative Tenzin Phuntsok
Atisha will take over as the secretary for International
Relations at the DIIR in Dharamsala, India.
Tsering Tashi, representative at the Office of Tibet in
London, has been posted as the joint Secretary at the DIIR.
The Kashag has appointed Thupten Samdup, a former member of
Tibetan Parliament as the new representative of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama in London.
Press Statement
China’s Serf Emancipation Day Hides Repression in Tibet
China’s decision to observe tomorrow as the so-called Serf
Emancipation Day is aggravating problems in Tibet. Tibetans
consider this observance offensive and provocative. We believe
the observance of the “Serf Emancipation Day” on 28 March is
aimed at destabilising and creating chaos in Tibet by a few
individuals with overriding self-interest. If the Tibetans,
losing their patience, took to the streets in protest, the
Chinese leaders will have the excuse to use even more brutal
force to crackdown.
Already the whole of Tibet is under heavy security clampdown,
with additional troops deployed. Despite these measures,
Tibetans, considering conditions in Tibet unbearable,
collectively and individually, are taking to the streets,
distributing pamphlets calling for freedom, bringing down the
Chinese flag and replacing it with the Tibetan flag. This year,
Tibetans did not celebrate the Tibetan New Year to mourn those
killed in last year’s crackdown on the widespread protests that
erupted throughout Tibet. In a development unprecedented in the
history of Tibet, Tibetans in Kanze in eastern Tibet have
decided not to farm their fields in a unique form of civil
disobedience to protest China’s heavy-handed rule. One monk,
Tashi Sangpo of Ragya monastery in Golok in north- eastern Tibet
was arrested on 10 March 2009, for allegedly hoisting a Tibetan
flag. He escaped his captors and drowned himself in the nearby
Yellow River. These acts and many more are the true Tibetan
attitude to “emancipation” by China.
This day will be observed by Tibetans throughout the world
and especially those in Tibet as a day of mourning. No less a
figure than Hu Yaobang, the general secretary of the Chinese
Communist Party, who visited Lhasa in 1980, apologized to the
Tibetan people and said the conditions in Tibet were worse than
pre-1959 Tibet.
The late Panchen Lama said in 1989, a few days before his
untimely death, that on the whole China’s rule in Tibet brought
greater suffering than benefit for the Tibetan people.
Since 1949/50 when China invaded Tibet, over 1.2 million
Tibetans died as a direct result of Chinese communist rule and
more than 6,000 monasteries were razed to the ground. Today, it
is hard to come across a Tibetan family that has not had at
least one member imprisoned or killed by the Chinese regime.
This day will be observed as the day when the Tibetans as a
people lost all vestiges of their basic individual and
collective freedoms.
One justification for China’s "liberation" of Tibet is that
old Tibet was feudal and repressive. This is a blatant
distortion of the nature of Tibet’s old society. In the early
mid-20th century, there was no big gap between the peasants in
Tibet and China. Moreover, the Tibetan peasants enjoyed more
freedom and better living conditions.
To prove that the old Tibetan society was repressive, the
Chinese authorities are currently organising an exhibition of
Tibetan prisons and the punishments meted out. However, the
reality is that the size of Nangze Shar Prison in Lhasa, heavily
used in Chinese propaganda, could accommodate not more than a
score of prisoners. In fact, the total number of prisoners in
the whole of Tibet before 1959 hardly crossed hundred. After the
so-called liberation and emancipation of the Tibetan “serfs”,
prisons have come up in every part of Tibet. In Lhasa alone,
there are 5 major prisons with a total prison population between
3,500 - 4,000.
The best judge of whether they have been ‘liberated” is the
Tibetan people. They vote with their feet and lives by crossing
the Himalayas to seek freedom and happiness outside of their
“liberated” Tibet. They also sacrifice their lives to inform the
world of the terrible conditions prevailing in Tibet. This was
massively demonstrated last year when a series of sustained and
widespread protests erupted throughout Tibet. If the ‘serfs” are
happy with their “emancipation”, why are they risking lives and
limbs to protest Chinese rule in Tibet.
The Kashag 27 (Cabinet)
March 2009
Contact:
Thubten Samphel / Sonam N Dagpo
Secretaries
Department of Information and International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration
Ph: 01892 222510, 222457
UN Human Rights Council Discuss Tibet
Geneva, 16 March :The UN Human Rights Council currently in
third-week of its 10th session in Geneva where numerous
international NGOs raised issues concerning serious human rights
violations taking place around the globe.
According to the agenda, this morning the Human Rights
Council began its general debate on the promotion and protection
of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and
cultural rights, including the right to development, addressing
a wide range of issues including the importance of the
prohibition of torture and the abolition of the death penalty;
ways to end discrimination against women and children; and the
need to protect cultural rights, among others.
In the afternoon during interactive dialogue, among other
NGOs, Tenzin Samphel KAYTA on behalf of the Society for
Threatened Peoples said “the report of the Special Rapporteur on
the right to food stated that: “At a general level, human
rights-based approaches to development cooperation recognize
people “as key actors in their own development, rather than
passive recipients of commodities and services”. All
stakeholders should be involved in analysis and the programmes
should focus on marginalized, disadvantaged, and excluded groups,
and aim at reducing disparity.
He further said “ when a government implement resettlement
programmes in the name of environmental protection the people
involved have been required to slaughter most of their livestock
and move into newly built housing colonies in or near towns,
abandoning their traditional way of life while agricultural
communities have had their land confiscated, with minimal
compensation, or have been evicted to make way for mining,
infrastructure projects or urban development.”
In conclusion, he said “the forced evictions of thousands of
Tibetan nomads since 2003 is a dangerous strategy because their
traditional livelihood system which is based on production of
dried cheese, butter, yak meat and procurement of medicinal
plants will now slowly be eliminated forever.”
In her statement, Dekyi Dolkar on behalf of Helsinki
Foundation for Human Rights said “we are concerned by
circumstances when those committed “to promote and protect all
human rights” engage in extra-judicial killings, mass detentions,
to the extent that the sheer scale of those detentions means
that names, locations and other data cannot be ascertained in
any meaningful way as evident from interventions by Special
Procedure mandate-holders in many cases. Such acts can occur
under conditions that resemble de facto martial law, or the
denial to independent assessment of the occurrence, nature and
extent of violations committed.
She also said “when foreign journalists, tourists, diplomats
and UN officials and experts are not officially welcomed to hide
something from an entire region and these policies encourage
government officials and security forces to act with impunity
and without restraint to merciless repression.”
She said in conclusion that “we remain dismayed by the lack
of progress by the Human Rights Council to address many chronic
human right realities and situations, including now faced by the
six million Tibetan people and the uncertain fate of 1000
individuals reported to have been detained or disappeared since
the Tibetan Uprising of March 2008.”
In this ongoing session, Tibetan participants consist of
representatives from Tibetan Centre for Human Rights,
International Campaign for Tibet and Tibetan UN Advocacy. They
have been meeting with UN officials, Government delegates and
NGOs to brief on current deplorable human rights situation
inside Tibet. A press conference was held last week in the UN
where international journalists were briefed on present human
rights situation in Tibet. The latest reports of ICT and annual
report of the TCHRD were also distributed.
The session will go on till 27 March.
The Kashag's Response to Premier Wen Jiabao's Tibet Comments
We welcome the statement of Premier Wen Jiabao expressing PRC
leadership's willingness to continue contacts and consultations
with the Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a press
conference on 13 March 2009. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is
always ready to engage with the Chinese leadership to find a
mutually acceptable solution to the problems of the Tibetan
people.
What His Holiness is seeking for the Tibetan people has
already been presented to the PRC government in writing as a
Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People by the
Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 31 October 2008 during
the eighth round of talks. The Memorandum clearly outlines the
aspirations of the Tibetan people strictly within the
constitutional principles of the People's Republic of China.
Premier Wen Jiabao appears to be trying to avoid acknowledging
this document by referring to some past statements of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
On many occasions, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has reiterated
that he is not seeking separation from the People's Republic of
China. The Chinese Premier's allegations of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama seeking separation is far from the truth. The
international community is well aware of this fact and it does
not need further clarification.
We hope that Beijing will demonstrate its sincerity in
resolving the Tibetan problem.
Samdhong Rinpoche
KALON TRIPA
Dated: 14 March 2009
50 years in Exile
The Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Tibetan people’s
peaceful uprising against Communist China’s repression in Tibet.
Since last March widespread peaceful protests have erupted
across the whole of Tibet. Most of the participants were youths
born and brought up after 1959, who have not seen or experienced
a free Tibet. However, the fact that they were driven by a firm
conviction to serve the cause of Tibet that has continued from
generation to generation is indeed a matter of pride. It will
serve as a source of inspiration for those in the international
community who take keen interest in the issue of Tibet. We pay
tribute and offer our prayers for all those who died, were
tortured and suffered tremendous hardships, including during the
crisis last year, for the cause of Tibet since our struggle
began. [
read more
]
STATEMENT OF THE KASHAG
ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TIBETAN NATIONAL UPRISING DAY
Today, 10 March 2009, is the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan
people's peaceful uprising against the repression and occupation
of Tibet by the People's Republic of China. On this important
anniversary, the Kashag pays its tribute and respect to those
brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the
national, religious and political cause of the Tibetan people in
general, and, particularly, to those who have lost their lives
during the non-violent protests carried out in the three
traditional provinces of Tibet since last 10 March. We also
express our solidarity with those Tibetans who continue to
suffer hardships, torture and repression. The Kashag also
extends its heartfelt sentiments and regards to all the Tibetans
in and outside Tibet.
Looking back on the good and bad times experienced by the
Tibetan people during the past 50 years, one witnesses numerous
unimaginable changes that have taken place. Since the occupation
of Tibet by the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese
government unleashed a series of coercive and repressive
campaigns under different forms and names, such as “suppression
of reactionaries, democratic reform, class struggle, Cultural
Revolution”, communes, imposition of martial law, infrastructure
development and Western Development Programmes. All these were
aimed at sinicising Tibet and eliminating the Tibetan identity.
That the Tibetan people endured such depths of untold physical
and mental hardships and sufferings under these campaigns are
clearly indelible in the minds of all Tibetans and, therefore,
need no repetition.
Whatever numerous methods, such as oppression, torture,
deception, propaganda and brainwashing the Chinese government
adopted, these, however, failed to change, even slightly, the
mentality and inner strength of the Tibetan people. This is
evident by the fact that people's faith in religion, pride in
Tibetan identity, and, especially their faith in His Holiness
the Dalai Lama have remained unshakeable for three generations.
This strength of the Tibetan people is not only cherished in
their hearts but is also openly expressed and continued to be
expressed, regardless of the danger it poses to their lives,
through non-violent protests such as the ones that swept Tibet
since last March. This has attracted the interest and support
from the international community, which gives new hope and faith
to the Tibetan people. These protests also constitute the most
effective response to the massive propaganda that says China has
“liberated” the Tibetan people who were ignorant and backward,
that it has brought modern development, and that, except a few
separatists, most Tibetans regard the Chinese government and the
Communist Party as the Buddha. The Kashag admires and
appreciates the courage and determination of the Tibetans in
Tibet. We believe that they will continue to keep their courage
and determination.
When nearly a hundred thousand Tibetans came into exile in
1959, they not only faced severe problems of climatic change,
language barrier and difficulty in earning livelihood, but also
became strangers without a friend. As everything was so strange
that Tibetans recalled the old Tibetan saying; “except the sky
and earth, everything else was unfamiliar.” However, soon after,
many settlements, monastic and educational institutions were
established in the host countries. Presently in India, Nepal and
Bhutan, there are total of 49 Tibetan settlements, 223
monasteries including the great monastic institutions, nunneries,
and tantric monasteries, 77 educational institutions in which
modern education blended with the traditional values are taught,
54 community health centres and hospitals, 14 aged people home.
All the facilities are in place for the Tibetans to fulfil their
individual wishes and earn their livelihood. In addition, there
are 11 Offices of Tibet around the world. The Tibetans living
around the world have successfully formed associations in their
respective countries and have been contributing towards the
cause of Tibet. There are a large number of Tibetan Buddhist
centres as a result of the widespread flourishing of Tibetan
Buddhism in the world. These Buddhist centres have helped not
only in providing immediate and long-term happiness and benefits
to many people, but also in further gaining the goodwill and
support of the international people for Tibet and the Tibetans.
There is also an increasing number of the Tibet Support Groups.
Because of the goodwill and support of the international
people and the Tibet Support Groups for the Tibetans and their
culture, their democratic governments are obliged to support the
Tibetan cause. As a result, the level of understanding of and
support for the Tibetan cause has grown considerably in the
international community. This could not, however, be
accomplished with the hard work of Tibetan exiles alone. That
this was accomplished by the grace of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama indicates the depth and purity of spiritual bond between
the Tibetan people and the lineage of the Dalai Lama institution.
The kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in appearing in
human life at this crucial period in Tibet’s history and winning
the hearts of the people throughout the world as well as his
great work and his teachings on interdependence, non-violence,
and universal responsibility given to the people of the world
have received high recognition and numerous prizes and awards,
including the Nobel Peace Prize, from individuals and
organisations, governments, parliaments, universities, municipal
councils, and NGOs in numerous countries. This has contributed
to the happiness and benefit of human beings and has been
beneficial to the Tibetan cause. The Kashag feels that this is
the appropriate occasion to remember all this.
Transformation of the Tibetan polity into a full functioning
democratic system and our just struggle into a non-violent one
are outstanding achievements. Because of this, the People’s
Republic of China is not able to ignore the issue of Tibet and
the world is compelled to take an interest in and express
support for the issue of Tibet.
As the framework of the Tibetan polity has now been
transformed into a genuine and full functioning democratic
system, it has created a firm basis for future popularly-elected
political leaders to carry on the Tibetan struggle for
generations to come until the issue of Tibet is resolved. The
Central Tibetan Administration has enough resource to meet its
administrative expenses through the voluntary tax payment from
the exile Tibetans and the Corpus Fund.
Similarly, with the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
thousands of Tibetans, generation after generation, received the
opportunity to undergo traditional and modern education.
Hundreds among them have become professionals such as scholars,
technicians, engineers, administrators, businessmen, doctors,
and nurses. Efforts are being made, more than ever before, to
keep producing more professionals in the future. The foundation
of human resource is being built for continuing the struggle for
the just cause of Tibet as well as undertaking the development
activities for future Tibet.
His Holiness’ long association with eminent modern scientists
through continued interaction has resulted in a series of
dialogue and exchange of ideas between Buddhism and modern
science, which has provided a basis for forging a strong bond
between the two.
Viewing Tibetan religion and culture and the Tibetan
language, which is the foundation of the above, as a threat, the
leaders of the People’s Republic of China have been putting
every effort to wipe these out completely. However, Tibetan
religion and culture as well as language is thriving and
spreading just not in the Tibetan community but in the world
also. The above accomplishments that can be termed extraordinary
were achieved only due to the grace of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama. We cannot repay the kindness of His Holiness in our
lifetime. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan
people’s peaceful uprising, the Kashag would like to take this
opportunity to express on behalf of all Tibetans in and outside
Tibet our gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and beseech
him to live long.
The Kashag pays its tribute and appreciation to those public
servants who have, while overcoming all the challenges, rendered,
and continue to render sincere service under the guidance of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama during this crucial period.
The Kashag, while briefly commemorating these achievements,
express our gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Kashag
would like to reiterate to the leadership of the People’s
Republic of China that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the
supreme leader and the sole spokesperson of the six million
Tibetans.
According to civilized behaviour, it is the public who choose
their representatives instead of being forced to accept one. If
the Tibetans in Tibet are given opportunity to speak up freely
without fear of retribution, the Chinese authorities would
certainly get a clear picture as to who is the leader who can
represent the six million Tibetans. Although, Tibetans from all
the parts of Tibet have made, despite having no freedom, this
very clear since March last year, the Chinese leaders have been
insensitive and foolishly stubborn to accept this. This cannot
fool the public.
It is evident that the baseless accusation of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama, severe harassment of the monks, nuns and the lay
people with the imposition of repressive campaigns such as
“patriotic re-education” and strike hard, celebration of the
“emancipation” of millions of Tibetan people as “Serfs
Emancipation Day,” a move that offends the collective sentiments
of the Tibetans, on 28 March are all aimed at destabilising and
creating chaos in Tibet by a few individuals with overriding
self-interest. If the Tibetans, losing their patience, took to
streets in protest, the Chinese leaders will have the excuse to
use overwhelming force to crackdown.
In the early mid-20th century, there was no big gap between
the peasants in Tibet and China. Moreover, the Tibetan peasants
enjoyed more freedom and better living conditions. Telling the
international community that the traditional Tibetan society was
similar to serfdom and feudalism as that which prevailed in
medieval China and Europe is a big lie. The Tibetans, who were
largely engaged in handicrafts, agriculture and pastoralism as
means of livelihood, had to pay some tax and were required to
perform collective community work. Apart from that, no undue
demand and pressure was on them. Tibetans enjoyed sustainable
livelihood without being extremely rich or extremely poor. The
Tibetan peasants belonged to three categories: state, individual
and monastic estates. Each of the estate holders, in turn,
looked after the interest of its peasants. Since the existence
of Tibet until 1959, there had not been a time when the Tibetan
peasants lost their freedom to live in fear and intimidation.
Nor did they face starvation.
Most of the Tibetan exiles and those who have escaped into
exile risking their lives during the past two decades are
peasants, nomads, craftsmen and petty business people. Only few
are the feudal lords. The participants of last year’s
non-violent protests that took place across Tibet were peasants
and nomads. There was almost no one who was the descendant of
the feudal lords. If the Tibetan “serfs” are leading a happy
life after their so-called emancipation, and if it is worth
commemorating the “Serf Emancipation Day”, then why those who
escape into exile and who participated in the massive protests
were peasants and nomads?
We are concerned about the preservation and promotion of the
valuable Tibetan religion and culture, which has the potential
of bringing benefit and happiness to all sentient beings. We
acknowledge the fact that not all aspects of our traditional
Tibetan society are good. Far from restoring, there is no trace
of the obsolete social and political system in the exile Tibetan
community.
As a part of their mass propaganda, the Chinese government
has been organising an exhibition of Tibetan prisons and the
punishment meted out. However, the reality is that the size of
Nangze Shar Prison in Lhasa, heavily used in the Chinese
propaganda, could accommodate not more than a score of prisoners.
In fact, the total number of prisoners in the whole of Tibet
before 1959 hardly crossed hundred. After the so-called
“liberation” and “emancipation” of the Tibetan “serfs”, prisons
have come up in every part of Tibet. Looking at the size of
prisons and the number of prisoners in Lhasa only, it is clear
which period in Tibetan history is the most oppressed and
darkest. In this 21st century of information revolution, the
ideology that one-lie-told-hundred-times-will-become-truth can
no longer be sustained.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama laid down, after much
consideration and deliberation, a mutually beneficial Middle-Way
policy in the early 1970s that takes into consideration the
peaceful co-existence of the Tibetan and the Chinese people and
the achievement of future aspirations of the Tibetan people
within the framework of the People’s Republic of China. This
policy was endorsed, after holding a series of extensive
discussions, by the representatives of the general public,
including the then Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and the Kashag.
In 1979, when the late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping
proposed that “except independence, all other issues can be
resolved through negotiations”, the Tibetan side was ready with
a response.
Since then with the establishment of contacts, several rounds
of talks were held and fact-finding delegations were despatched.
However, these did not bear any concrete results, and the
contact eventually broke off for over eight years. Since the
restoration of contacts in 2002, we have engaged in eight formal
rounds of talks and one informal round of talks, following the
policy of one official channel and one agenda. These talks and
contacts not only helped in clarifying the suspicions and
broadening the understanding of our respective views and
positions, but also provided an opportunity to clearly explain
the essence of the Middle-Way policy of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama.
After knowing the concerns and problems the Chinese
government expressed on the Strasbourg Proposal, we addressed
their concerns by giving a new document. This proposal as
requested by the Chinese side during the 7th round of talks is
called Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People,
which is within the scope of the Constitution of the People’s
Republic of China. This document was given to the Chinese
government on 31 October 2008 during the eighth round of talks.
This Memorandum, which has now been made public by both sides,
is the ultimate demand by the Tibetan side, after due
consideration and accommodation of Chinese concerns. Not even a
single part of the demands mentioned in the Memorandum can be
compromised, and there is no need to do so either as the
articles of the Memorandum were prepared exactly in accordance
with the provisions of the Constitution of the People’s Republic
of China and its Law on National Regional Autonomy. There is no
single demand that is not a legal.
If the Chinese side does not abide by its Constitution and
the laws, we can do nothing. However, if the current government
of the People’s Republic of China respects its Constitution and
other related laws and regulations, it must accept the
Memorandum we proposed. Calling the Memorandum a demand for
“half-independence” and “disguised independence” or “covert
independence”, without providing legal and rational explanations,
is not a statement made by a right-thinking people.
Because of the political upheaval that shook Tibet last year
and we being not able to achieve any concrete result in the
Sino-Tibetan dialogue process, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in
order to again solicit public opinion in a democratic way as to
what future course of action we should take, convened a Special
Meeting of the Tibetans in Diaspora in last November under the
provision of Article 59 of the Charter of the exile Tibetans.
About 600 representatives of the Tibetans in exile participated
in the meeting and held extensive discussions for six days. In
addition to collecting written suggestions from the exile
Tibetans, efforts were made to collect suggestions, as far as
possible, from the Tibetans in Tibet as well.
The outcome of this process was that over 80 percent of the
suggestions advocated the continuation of the Middle-Way policy.
Similarly, a majority of the Tibet Support Groups supported the
Middle-Way Approach. As we have received public mandate, we will
now pursue this policy with great confidence. We are, therefore,
ready to continue our contact and talk on the Memorandum we
proposed to the Chinese government. We will provide
clarification on the Memorandum whenever required by the Chinese
side, and continue our efforts towards achieving a meaningful
national regional autonomy for all the Tibetans. The
continuation of contact solely depends upon the action of the
People’s Republic of China, and they should assume full
responsibility for it.
We will further carry out our activities of keeping direct
contacts with the Chinese people in order for them to clearly
understand the issue of Tibet and not to be misled by the
massive propaganda of the Chinese government.
Looking at the suffering that the Tibetan people undergo as a
result of the repressive measures implemented by the authorities
of the People’s Republic of China during the last few months,
the Kashag, concerned about the likely occurrence of fresh
protests, issued statements of appeal on 29 January and 21
February 2009 to the international community, the Chinese
authorites, and the Tibetans in and outside Tibet to maintain
peace and stability. His Holiness the Dalai Lama also reiterated
the same in his message to the Tibetans in and outside Tibet
during this Tibetan New Year. While appealing to all Tibetans to
maintain peace and stability with utmost tolerance, the Kashag
urge the Chinese authorities to immediately stop the harassment
and torture of the Tibetan people. The Kashag request the
peace-loving people of the world to pay attention to the
situation in Tibet and persuade the Chinese authorities to
exercise restraint.
As per the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama that “we
should hope for the best and prepare for the worst”, all the
Tibetan people in Tibet and in exile should, while taking
lessons from our experience of past 50 years, come up with
strategies and prepare ourselves with firm commitment in
treading the path of non-violence until the truth of the issue
of Tibet is resolved.
While taking this opportunity, the Kashag would like to
express its heartfelt appreciation to the governments and the
peoples across the world, particularly India, for supporting the
Tibetans. Finally, the Kashag prays for the long life of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and the spontaneous fulfilment of all
his wishes. The Kashag also prays that the day may dawn soon
when the Tibetans in and outside Tibet will celebrate their
re-unification.
The Kashag
10 March 2009
N.B. Translated from the Tibetan original. If there are
discrepancies between the Tibetan and English, please consider
the Tibetan version as final and authoritative.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives the German Media Prize
February 10, 2009
His Holiness the Dalai Lama this evening received the German
Media Prize in Baden Baden, Germany.
“This Award from the media is of special significance,” said
His Holiness the Dalai Lama. “In democracy, freedom of press is
essential to inform the public about the truth. The truth must
been know”, he said.
On his arrival at the hotel, a traditional Tibetan welcome
song and dance was presented to His Holiness by the Tibetan
Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein’s dance group who
were especial invited for the ceremony.
As the Tibetan national anthem was sung at the start of the
German Media Prize ceremony, Tibetan national flag was shown on
large video screens on the stage. Guest wore Tibetan national
flag pins on their jacket.
During His Holiness’ address, he emphasized his three
commitments – human value, religious harmony and the Tibetan
issue. His Holiness spoke at length the importance of
determination and compassion. On the issue of Tibet, he said
that situation in Tibet was very tense.
“The preservation of the Tibetan culture is important not
only for the Tibetans but for millions of other Asian population.
It is one of the important religions of the world,” he said.
Mr. Roland Koch, the Prime Minister of the German state of
Hesse, in his eulogy said His Holiness the Dalai Lama was a
special person in the world and history. His Holiness had
managed to make people curious about the fate of Tibetans and
the nonviolent self-determination of Tibet.
He said there are sharp shooters positioned in tall buildings
and lots of security forces in uniform carrying machine guns in
Lhasa. However, we don’t see any pictures because for the last
12 months, Tibet has been closed to the media and no pictures
are being allowed out.
Mr. Koch a friend of the Tibetan leader for over 20 years is
one of the senior politicians in German. He said, “What message
will be give to the next generation, if we don’t support a
peaceful struggle.”
A 20-member jury consisting of Germany's most important and
influential media chief editors voted His Holiness the Dalai
Lama for the 2008 Award.
The award announcement said, "In a time of religious tension,
self-destructive, addiction to profit and ongoing violations of
human rights, the Dalai Lama actively advocates reconciliation,
tolerance, humility and respect. He represents the non-violent
struggle for the rights of the Tibetan people, a struggle he has
been leading for over 50 years from exile in India."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in Venice in the morning to
receive Honorary Citizenship of Venice.
Tomorrow His Holiness will return to New Delhi, India.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is honored with Rome’s honorary
citizenship
February 9, 2009
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was today presented the
Honorary Citizenship of Rome. Hundreds of people welcomed His
Holiness the Dalai Lama as the motorcade drove up the hill to
the Rome City Hall.
The mayor of Rome received His Holiness in front of the City
Hall, followed by a private meeting. Then senior Italian
Governments ministers and officials were introduced to His
Holiness including the Youth Minister, the Minister of municipal
policies and the leader of the Senate Mr Maurizio Gasparri.
His Holiness then signed the Rome’s Golden book. As His
Holiness walked into the Rome City Chamber, one could hear the
chanting of Free Tibet and people waiving of Tibetan National
flags.
The Mayor Gianni Alemanno, in his address prior to the
presentation of the Honorary Citizenship appealed to Republic of
China to resume dialogue with the representatives of the Tibetan
nation for the autonomy of Tibet. He also called on the Italian
Government to support this imitative.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama thanked Mayor Gianni Alemanno on
behalf of the six million Tibetans. His Holiness said he felt
honored and receive the award in the spirit as he received the
1989 Noble Peace Prize. His Holiness said, it was an
“encouragement to support the non-violent and it gives me
courage. I think that the Tibetans know that I am here in Rome
to take the honorary citizenship will not feel abandoned.”
His Holiness said, while this award is being presented, the
situation in Tibet is very tragic and things are extremely tense.
He said that “our way of approach to resolve the Tibetan problem
is to bring benefit to the Tibetan and the Chinese people.”
His Holiness reconfirmed his committed to his three Main
Commitments in Life - the promotion of human values, religious
harmony and as a Tibetan and the Dalai Lama his commitment to
the Tibetan issue. Prior to leaving the Rome City hall, His
Holiness briefly addressed few hundreds of people gathered at
the Piazza del Campidoglio with Tibetan flags and banners.
In the morning, His Holiness met with a delegation of about
25 members of Tibet Group in the Italian Parliament. They asked
His Holiness about the present situation in Tibet and what they
can do for Tibet. His Holiness said one ancient nation is dying
and the people of the free world had a responsibility to help.
At mid afternoon, after the ceremony at the Rome city hall,
His Holiness left for Venice.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrives in the ancient city of
Rome
February 8, 2009
His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Rome, the capital of
Italy this evening at the invitation of the Mayor of Rome. This
is His Holiness’ first visit outside India in 2009.
His Holiness welcomed by Mr. Mario Vattani, Diplomatic
advisor to the Rome's Mayor
The Lufthansa flight from Munich taxied at a special area in
the Rome airport’s security restricted area for special guest.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was welcomed to Rome by Counselor
Mario Vattani, the Diplomatic advisor to the Rome Mayor and His
Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Representative Mr. Tseten Samdup
Chhoekyapa. Then the motorcade drove to the city centre with
full police escort. The City of Rome has organized the protocol
and the security arrangement for the visit.
There were hundreds of people eagerly waiting for His
Holiness at the front of the hotel. Well wishers and members’ of
the Tibetan community including monks from different Tibetan
Buddhist Centers welcomed His Holiness. His Holiness slowly
walked through the crowd talking to people.
Inside the hotel lobby, the Rome Mayor’s office had selected
few key TV and news agencies to ask few questions to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness explained his three Main
Commitments in Life - the promotion of human values, religious
harmony and as a Tibetan and the Dalai Lama his commitment to
the Tibetan issue. His Holiness expressed his deep concern about
the present situation in Tibet. But he said that he remained
hopeful for a solution to the Tibetan issue. Tomorrow morning
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will meet with leading Italian TV,
newspapers and magazine. Over 30 members of the Tibet Group in
the Italian Parliament will call on His Holiness at the hotel.
In the afternoon, the ancient city of Rome will honor His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and political leader
with its highest honor – the Citizenship of Rome.
Press Release - February 5, 2009
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Europe
His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit Rome, Venice (Italy)
and Baden Baden (Germany) to be conferred Italian and German
honors for his contribution to global peace and rights of
Tibetans
5 February, Geneva - His Holiness the Dalai Lama will arrive
in Rome, the capital of Italy on 8 February 2009 in the first
leg of his visit to Europe. Rome and Venice will honour His
Holiness the Dalai Lama for his contribution to world peace and
human rights. In Baden-Baden, Germany, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama will be bestowed the Deutsche Medienpreis (the German Media
Prize) for his spirit of "reconciliation, tolerance, humility
and respect" and for representing "the non-violent struggle for
the rights of the Tibetan people."
This is His Holiness the Dalai Lam's first trip abroad in
2009. The visit comes as Tibetans worldwide are preparing to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan National
Uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is visiting Rome at the
invitation of its Mayor, Gianni Alemanno, to receive the
Honorary Citizenship of Rome. The ceremony will take place on 9
February afternoon. The Rome City Council had approved by an
overwhelming majority a motion in September 2008 to the
conferral of Honorary Citizenship to His Holiness for "his
international efforts to find a peaceful solution for Tibet and
for having affirmed the principles of human rights and peaceful
conflict-resolution between nations."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will then travel to Venice to
receive that city's Honorary Citizenship on 10 February. The
Venice City Council unanimously approved a resolution for this
purpose on 29 July 2008.
Media Control, one of Germany's leading market-research
companies as well as an interpreter in media-studies, analysis,
and evaluation, will present His Holiness the Dalai Lama the
Deutsche Medienpreis (the German Media Prize) on 10 February
afternoon in Baden-Baden. A 20-member jury consisting of
Germany's most important and influential media chief editors
voted His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the 2008 Award.
The announcement said, "In a time of religious tension,
self-destructive, addiction to profit and ongoing violations of
human rights, the Dalai Lama actively advocates reconciliation,
tolerance, humility and respect. He represents the non-violent
struggle for the rights of the Tibetan people, a struggle he has
been leading for over 50 years from exile in India." Previous
recipients of the German award include Nelson Mandela, Kofi
Annan, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, King Hussein of Jordan,
and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
On 11 February afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will
return to India.
Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa, Representative of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama for Central and Eastern Europe said, "His Holiness
the Dalai Lama feels honored to receive these awards in the
spirit with which he received the 1989 Noble Peace Prize."
In His Holiness the Dalai Lama Nobel Peace lecture then, His
Holiness had said, "The awarding of the Nobel Prize to me, a
simple monk from far away Tibet ...fills us Tibetans with hope.
It means that, despite the fact that we have not drawn attention
to our plight by means of violence, we have not been forgotten...
I am deeply touched by the sincere concern shown by so many
people in this part of the world for the suffering of the people
of Tibet. That is a source of hope not only for us Tibetans, but
for all oppressed peoples."
"The visit to Italy and Germany by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama comes at a time when the Tibetan people in Tibet are facing
increasing Chinese crackdown," said Chhoekyapa. "The Chinese
authorities in Tibet have launched a 42-day "Strike Hard"
campaign on 18 January 2009 resulting in the arrest of over
5,766 Tibetans in Tibet and the crackdown has created great fear
amongst the Tibetans," he added. The Tibetan leadership in exile
has asked the Chinese authorities to immediately call-off the "Strike
Hard" campaign.
In His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message to the Chinese
community on the occasion of the Chinese New Year on 25 January
2009, His Holiness said, "I hope and pray that in the coming
year the People's Republic of China will be able to create a
meaningful harmonious society by ensuring equality, justice and
friendship among all its nationalities."
Contact:
Mr. Tseten S. Chhoekyapa
Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama
0041 79 533 93 10
tseten(at)tibetoffice.ch
Press Release
His Holiness the Dalai Lama had been experiencing some mild
discomfort in one of his arms over the last three days. On the
advice of his personal physician, His Holiness left Dharamsala
early this afternoon and arrived in New Delhi. After undergoing
medical tests at Apollo Hospital, His Holiness was discharged
early this evening after having been diagnosed to be suffering
from a pinched nerve. Doctors have advised some medication. His
Holiness is spending the night in New Delhi before returning to
Dharamsala tomorrow.
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
February 2, 2009
Statement of Appeal by the Kashag on the re-launch of "Strike
Hard" campaign in Tibet
Subsequent to the very repressive and continued policies
adopted by the PRC to suppress the protest by Tibetans in all
the Tibetan regions last year, we are very disturbed to learn
that beginning 18 January 2009, the Chinese authorities in Lhasa
have launched a 42-day winter "Strike Hard" campaign in an
effort to step up vigilance against eruption of political
protests and to maintain stability in the politically restive
region of Tibet.
Credible news sources have reported about officially
sanctioned raids of Tibetan homes and hotels in Lhasa by the
Public Security Bureau (PSB) which has rounded "5,766 suspects"
for questioning. There is also report of firing incidence at
Dege Monastery on midnight of 27th January. This campaign has
taken on a political angle particularly after the March 2008
widespread uprising in Tibet and is being used as a tool to
eliminate any political dissents.
We are dismayed to learn from a recent news report that as a
result of the Chinese authorities' severe beatings and torture,
Pema Tsepak, a young Tibetan boy died on 23rd January in Chamdo
area. On 20th January, he took part in a non-violent protest
along with two other young Tibetan boys, whose fate is not yet
known.
There are further reports of increasing pressure on the
Tibetans in Tibet to celebrate upcoming Tibetan New Year (tib:/losar/)
despite their reluctance to celebrate as mark of mourning for
the fellow Tibetans who have died in the March 2008 protests. In
areas of Ngaba "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture" and Kardze "Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture", in Sichuan, the Chinese authorities even
promise financial incentives of 500 Yuan for each family and
free crackers in a drive to celebrate Tibetan Losar.
The re-launch of the "Strike Hard" campaign and
intensification of other PRC's hard-line policies will cause
much more violation of fundamental rights and freedom of the
Tibetan people. There is heightened sense of fear and
intimidation in Lhasa and in other regions of Tibet. We are very
doubtful of the PRC's intention behind re-launching of these
campaigns, including patriotic education, which will only create
atmosphere of further political unrest and, therefore, justify
the use of more repressive measures.
We ask the PRC authorities to call-off the "Strike Hard"
campaign and put an end to their hard-line policies in Tibet,
immediately. We urge and appeal to the Parliaments, Governments
and Individuals around the world to actively intervene so that
unfortunate incidences of March 2008 may not be repeated again.
We also appeal to the Tibetans in Tibet to understand that
despite the strict restriction and harsh repression, we should
maintain our calm and draw on our non-violence perseverance in
the long-term interest of our struggle. We strictly urge the
Tibetans in Tibet not to engage in violence and to avoid any
activities that will risk unnecessary imprisonment, detention
and endangering your lives. We further urge you to do your all
in preventing any animosity and clashes with Chinese people.
The Kashag (Cabinet)
29th January 2009
Contacts:
Mr Sonam N. Dagpo
Department of Information and International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration
Ph: 01892-222510, 224957, 224662
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's message to the Chinese
people on the occasion of the Chinese New Year
On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring
Festival, I extend my affectionate greetings to all our Chinese
brothers and sisters across the globe, including those living in
Mainland China.
The past year witnessed many developments throughout the
world and particularly in China, at times worrying us while at
other times filling our hearts with happiness. Besides having to
bear the brunt of natural disasters and other problems that hit
the country, China also had the proud moments like hosting the
world's greatest sporting event, the Olympic Games. The year
that ended is, therefore, marked with great changes taking place
everywhere.
These days, due to the global economic meltdown, the people
of the world in general, and of the developing countries in
particular, are plunged into an abyss of anxiety and suffering.
To pray for the end of all sufferings of humanity, as well as
for their happiness and well-being, is a responsibility that
rests on all believers.
Besides having a long history of over 5000 years and a
splendidly rich cultural heritage, China is also the most
populous nation in the world. Moreover, it is emerging as a
super power in terms of political, economic and military might.
However, China cannot perform the responsibility of a super
power in this modern and progressive world if there is no
freedom, rule of law and transparency in the country.
President Hu Jintao's policy of creating a harmonious society
is indeed laudable. Such a policy is indispensable for China as
well, if it were to make a mark globally. Harmonious society
should, however, come about through mutual trust, friendship and
justice. It cannot be brought about by brute force and autocracy.
Not only should the Chinese citizens have economic facilities,
but they should also enjoy the freedom of conscience, education
and to know what is actually happening around the world. These
freedoms are indispensable for human societies. If - in this
fast-changing modern world - one does not keep abreast of the
daily happenings around the globe, then it goes without saying
that one will be naturally left behind. In China today, popular
news outlets such as television, radio and Internet - including
the international news services like the BBC and CNN are blocked
- thus preventing its people from knowing the true information
about the world's events. I am immensely disappointed by such
negative actions of the Chinese government, which greatly hamper
the fundamental rights as well as the short and long-term
benefits of the Chinese people.
The 21st century is regarded as a century of information
revolution. And yet some countries of the world, which includes
China, impose restrictions on the free flow of information. Such
actions are anachronistic and hence there is no way that these
can be sustained in the long run. Therefore, I believe that
China too will soon become more liberal in terms of
disseminating and sharing information.
Last year, many Chinese intellectuals came out with a number
of articles and other campaign activities, calling for freedom,
democracy, justice, equality and human rights in China.
Particularly in a recent development, we saw an increasing
number of people from all walks of life signing up to an
important document called the Charter '08. This is indicative of
the fact that the Chinese people, including the intellectuals,
are beginning to demonstrate their deep yearnings for more
openness and freedom in their country. It is, therefore, a
matter for all of us to take pride in.
While once again extending my warm greetings to the Chinese
people, I hope and pray that in the coming year the People's
Republic of China will be able to create a meaningful harmonious
society by ensuring equality, justice and friendship among all
its nationalities.
The Dalai Lama
25 January 2009
Note: translated from the Tibetan original
Tibet question
The Statesman | Perspective
December 25, 2008
The West must force China to give Tibet genuine autonomy,
says Michael C Davis
After years of talking to Tibetan exiles about conditions in
their homeland, Chinese officials have made it clear that they
were not serious. Unless the international community adopts a
coordinated position on Tibet's autonomy this may not bode well
for either Tibet or for China's relations with the world.
During the March uprising in Tibet, Chinese officials were
pushed to reopen six-year-old discussions with the Dalai Lama.
Deng Xiaoping had years ago said "anything was negotiable except
independence", and Tibetans had long ago abandoned their earlier
claim to independence in favour of autonomy. With no progress
after six rounds of discussions, Deng's words rang hollow and
the Dalai Lama had largely given up on Beijing. The tragic March
crackdown moved him to try again in talks in May, July and
November. After years of talking to Tibetan exiles about
conditions in their homeland, Chinese officials have made it
clear that they were not serious about it. Unless the
international community adopts a coordinated position on Tibet's
autonomy this may not bode well for either Tibet or for China's
relations with the world. After the Olympics, however, the
Chinese remained indifferent and talks broke down. In the past
couple week, Chinese public pressure to stop European leaders
from meeting the Dalai Lama has created a problem that will
surely not go away. Though European leaders ignored such
pressure this time, the international community needs to develop
a coordinated response to reject such bullying and encourage a
Chinese rethink.
Chinese indifference was on display in the recent breakdown.
After a July Chinese request that Tibetans outline under the PRC
constitution the autonomy they seek, Tibetan representatives
produced a "Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan
People". The memorandum elaborates that Tibetan "aspirations"
for autonomy in 11 policy areas, including language, culture,
religion, education, environmental protection, utilisation of
natural resources, economic development and trade, public health,
public security, population migration and cultural, educational
and religious exchanges with other countries. All of these are
covered by existing unfulfilled national ethnic autonomy
policies enacted under Article 4 of the PRC Constitution, except
those relating to public security, migration and external
exchanges, which appear instead to track the Article 31 "one
country, two systems" Hong Kong formula.
The Chinese government has long refused to apply Article 31
to Tibet, though the language of the article offers no
justification for this. Such a model is believed to have been
fashioned after the failed 1950 Sino-Tibetan "17-point
Agreement", under which China originally committed to Tibetan
autonomy. Though a few outside critics have criticised the
Tibetan for demanding too much, no reason is offered as to why
they should accept less than genuine autonomy. Because of
China's refusal to provide a significant degree of autonomy
under its ethnic minority laws, Tibetans have proposed a hybrid
combining elements of both formulas.
Similar to Hong Kong, their proposal includes a specification
that local laws within the scope of autonomy not be subject to
central approval ~ as now required in minority areas ~ and that
the terms of their agreement with the central government not be
subject to the central government's unilateral amendment. They
further seek Hong Kong-style control over immigration into the
Tibetan areas and local public security, as well as control over
external relations in non-sensitive commercial and cultural
areas. Such autonomy is expected for indigenous peoples under
international practice, as is spelt out in the 2007 UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Tibetans have also proposed to unify contiguous Tibetan areas.
Chinese officials frequently emphasise that this would
constitute one-quarter of the landmass of the present day PRC.
These large, mostly mountainous, and often arid areas are in
fact already designated as Tibetan areas by the PRC ~ being
divided into 13 contiguous areas instead of one. This proposal,
like all others, is subject to negotiation, which China has so
far refused.
To everyone's dismay, the Tibetan memorandum only met with
Beijing's derision and became the basis for the worldwide
campaign of isolation. It seems the discussions were only
designed to smoke out and block Tibetan aspirations. In the
Chinese official statement issued on 10 November 2008, the
Tibetan request for "genuine autonomy" is treated as a request
for "a high degree of autonomy," as promised to Hong Kong. China
accuses Tibetans, in seeking such "high degree of autonomy", of
seeking "half-independence" and "covert independence". No
explanation is given why the exact same language applied to Hong
Kong means only autonomy. The Tibetans are further accused of
continuing to "collude with such dregs as "democracy activists",
and eastern Turkistan terrorists, though no evidence of this is
given. In seeking control over Chinese migration into Tibet, the
Dalai Lama is accused of "ethnic cleansing".
The exile government is characterised as a "small group of
splittists", and the meetings are cast as private meetings
designed to persuade the Dalai Lama to "give up his splitting
activities". The statement declared, "We never discussed the
so-called 'Tibet issue'" and will "never make a concession".
Despite China's dismissive attitude, a large mid-November
Tibetan exile meeting in Dharamsala, India, decided to continue
efforts at genuine autonomy ~ determined to suspend this
fruitless series of talks and find more effective nonviolent
strategies.
That this problem will persist is made clear by recent
Chinese bullying of foreign leaders not to meet the Dalai Lama.
To dissuade French and current EU President Nicolas Sarkozy from
meeting the Dalai Lama, China called off a December Sino-EU
summit slated to discuss the financial crisis. Similar bullying
tactics have targeted Germany, the UK, the US, the Vatican,
Poland, India and the Czech Republic ~ the latter being next
scheduled to take up the EU presidency.
As with the fiasco over the Olympic torch last summer,
Chinese bloggers have again called for a boycott of French goods.
While Chinese officials cautioned people to react "calmly",
their tendency to manipulate such nationalist outbursts is
transparent. They may, however, be cool to a Chinese boycott of
French goods, given the risk that Europeans could react in kind
or Tibetans could react by calling for a global boycott of
Chinese goods ~ probably a more daunting prospect for the
Chinese than for the other side. The Dalai Lama is clearly
winning the battle for hearts and minds in the West.
A recent public opinion poll on the popularity of world
leaders, commissioned by the International Herald Tribune, found
the Dalai Lama was the most respected world leader among Western
Europeans and Americans. The Chinese leader languished near the
bottom. Perhaps Beijing has not fully considered the cost of
their unseemly attacks on this revered Tibetan monk. Of course,
Western business leaders concerned about Chinese trade sanctions
stand on the other side, posing a difficult dilemma for Western
leaders. Do they have the moral integrity to meet with the Dalai
Lama in the face of China's condemnation and possible commercial
sanctions?
Coordinated effort by leaders worldwide may be the only way
to cut the cost of such political virtue. This should not be
conceived as conspiracy, but rather as an effort to maintain an
open door to the Dalai Lama and reject Chinese efforts to
isolate him. This should be accompanied by constructive efforts
to help China to better understand its international obligations
to this indigenous minority.
(The writer is a professor of law at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong)
(Reprinted with permission from YaleGlobal.com)
Kashag Welcomes UN Chief's Tibet Remarks and Reaffirms Its
Commitment to Dialogue
The Kashag welcomes the remarks made by Mr. Ban-ki Moon, the
Secretary-General of the UN, saying that "I hope the Chinese
authorities will continue to resolve all these issues through
dialogue. The dialogue started some time ago between the
representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government. I
hope this will continue in a sincere manner so that all the
concerns coming from Tibet will be resolved smoothly and
harmoniously."
These forthright remarks by the Secretary General of the
world body indicate the concerns of the international community
as whole on the current sad state of Tibet. We believe that such
remarks will serve as an impetus for the Chinese authorities to
resolve the issue of Tibet to the satisfaction of the Tibetan
and the Chinese people.
At the same time, we are dismayed by the remarks made in
response to the Secretary General's comments by the Chinese
foreign ministry's statement saying that the door to dialogue is
still open while reiterating many pre-conditions that make it
impossible for the dialogue process to move forward.
The statement said, "The key is whether the Dalai Lama
examines and corrects his political stance, abandons his
wrongful position on 'Tibetan independence' and genuinely
matches his words with actions."
In fact, this attitude of the Chinese authorities is the real
obstacle to the advancement of the dialogue process. This
attitude is the one that firmly closes the door for further
dialogue.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has committed himself to the
Middle-Way Approach since 1979. His Holiness is not seeking
Tibet's separation from China. Therefore His Holiness has no
reason to correct his political stance. All his actions
absolutely match his words. The whole world knows His Holiness
the Dalai Lama's position of not seeking Tibetan independence
for last three decades. Therefore, the PRC's assertion about
wrong position on Tibetan independence is absolutely baseless
and unsustainable. Their imagination about His Holiness’
position on Tibetan independence shows either they want to
distort His Holiness the Dalai Lama's intention for their
political purpose or their lack of will to address the problem
of Tibet. Nothing is farther from truth in saying that His
Holiness the Dalai Lama is seeking Tibetan independence or
semi-independence or independence in disguise. However, we are
confident that such obvious untruthful statement can not mislead
or fool the enlightened international community.
During the latest round of talks held in Beijing in November,
the two envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mr. Lodi Gyari
and Mr. Kelsang Gyaltsen, presented, at the instance of the
Chinese counterpart during the earlier meeting, a memorandum on
genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people. The memorandum puts
forth the Tibetan position on genuine autonomy and how the
specific needs of the Tibetan nationality for autonomy and
self-government can be met through application of the principles
on autonomy of the constitution of the People's Republic of
China. On this basis, His Holiness the Dalai Lama felt confident
that the basic needs of the Tibetan nationality can be met
through genuine autonomy within the constitution of the PRC. Now
that the memorandum has been made public, any sensible person
can verify from the document whether His Holiness the Dalai Lama
is seeking independence or semi-independence or independence in
disguise.
This is to reiterate that we are sincere in our commitment to
the dialogue process and are serious that the issue of Tibet be
resolved within the framework of the Chinese constitution for
the benefit of both Tibetans and Chinese people. Therefore, we
are always ready to have dialogue with PRC at anytime, anywhere
if the PRC authorities wish to do so.
December 18, 2008
Dharamsala
Secretary-General's press conference
Geneva, Switzerland, 12 December 2008
[unofficial transcript]
SG: Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, it is a
real pleasure to see you. I am particularly pleased to be able
to come to Geneva and share some time with you as we are coming
to the close of this year. It will be a good opportunity for us
to see what has gone and what will be lying ahead next year.
Thank you very much for taking time. I know that these will be
very busy days for all of you.
I will make a brief statement and then will be able to take
your questions.
Q: M. le Secr¨¦taire g¨¦n¨¦ral, ce ne sont pas les sujets de
pr¨¦occupation qui vous manquent, mais je voudrais aborder un
th¨¨me que vous n¡¯avez pas ¨¦voqu¨¦, c¡¯est celui du Tibet. En
avril dernier vous avez lanc¨¦ un appel pour que les
conversations s¡¯engagent entre les tib¨¦tains et les chinois.
Ces conversations sont dans l¡¯impasse. Est-ce que vous pensez
prendre une initiative pour les relancer? Merci
[Mr. Secretary ¨ | g ¨ silence | n ¨ | general, these are not
the subjects of pr ¨ | occupation that you are missing, but I
would like to address a th ¨ me that you don ¡¯ have not ¨ |
voque ¨ | C ¡¯ is that of Tibet. Last April you launched ¨ | a
call that ¡¯ s conversations between Tib engage ¨ | and some
Chinese. These conversations are in the ¡¯ impasse. Do you think
taking an initiative to revive? Thank you]
SG: This is an issue which has raised many concerns in the
international community. I hope the Chinese Authorities will
continue to resolve all these issues through dialogue. The
dialogue started some time ago between the representatives of
the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government. That was a good move,
an encouraging move by the Chinese Authorities. I hope this will
continue in a sincere manner so that all the concerns coming
from Tibet will be resolved smoothly and harmoniously.
UN CHIEF URGES CHINA TO CONTINUE TIBET DIALOGUE
Friday, December 12, 2008
GENEVA (AFP) — United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday
called on China to continue its dialogue with representatives of
the Tibetan leader-in-exile the Dalai Lama.
"I hope the Chinese authorities will continue to resolve this
issue through dialogue," Ban told journalists.
China said last month that talks on the future of Tibet had
failed to make progress and insisted it would not compromise on
the status of the Himalayan region.
"Our contacts and talks failed to make progress and they (the
Dalai Lama's representatives) should assume full responsibility
for it," said Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the
Communist Party's United Work Front Department.
But Ban said he hoped the dialogue would continue "in a
sincere manner, so all the concerns concerning Tibet will be
resolved smoothly and harmoniously."
In March, protests against Chinese rule in the Tibetan
capital, Lhasa, erupted into violence that spread to other areas
of western China with Tibetan populations.
Tibet's government-in-exile said more than 200 Tibetans were
killed in a subsequent Chinese crackdown.
Ban would not be drawn on the recent meeting between the
Dalai Lama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy which has
provoked a furious response from Beijing.
China is against any foreign leaders meeting with the Dalai
Lama, whom it accuses of seeking independence for Tibet -- a
claim the Nobel Peace Prize laureate denies, saying he wants
meaningful autonomy for the Himalayan region
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Lauds Chinese Activists Call for
Democracy in China
I am greatly encouraged by the launching of a Charter ’08 by
academics, artists, farmers and lawyers in China on the occasion
of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. Their call for political, legal and constitutional
reform is admirable.
I personally believe that President Hu Jintao’s call for a
harmonious society is a laudable initiative that can provide
space to the viewpoints being expressed by a growing number of
Chinese people. A harmonious society can only come into being
when there is trust among the people, freedom from fear, freedom
of expression, rule of law, justice and equality.
I would like to urge the Chinese leadership to consider
making efforts to bring about unity and stability in a civilized
way.
I would also like to take this opportunity to call upon the
government of the People’s Republic of China to release
prisoners of conscience, including Hu Jia, who have been
detained for exercising their freedom of expression.
THE DALAI LAMA
Friday, December 12, 2008
In occupied Tibet - appalling Human Rights situation
Turin, 10 December: As the world celebrates today 60th
anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty
International in collaboration with Region of Piemonte, Italy
organised a day long programme in which human rights activists
from Tibet, Uganda, Chile and Mexico were invited to share their
peoples’ suffering.
The speakers spoke on issues relating to killing of women in
Mexico, torture in Chile, Child soldier in Uganda and cultural
genocide in Tibet.
Tenzin Samphel KAYTA from Tibet Bureau, Geneva told the
hall-packed audience that Tibet was independent before Communist
China took control all over Tibet in 1959. Over 1.2 million
Tibetans, one fifth of Tibet population died as the direct
result of the invasion. More than 6’000 monasteries were smashed
to ground. Although Chinese constitution guarantees religious
freedom, freedom of expression etc, Tibetan people have been
deprived of these rights. Chinese government enforced patriotic
education campaign in which monks and nuns are forced to vilify
His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Possessing photo of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama is illegal. This campaign not only targeted in
monasteries but also extends to lay people.
Since Tibetan children are denied proper education in Tibet,
every year around 2’500 to 3’000 children risk their live by
crossing treacherous Himalayan Mountain to India in order to
receive better education.
Since March this year, Tibetan people inside Tibet
courageously and spontaneously roused up against Chinese
government for its 49 years of misrule and discriminatory
policies. The peaceful protestors were discriminately shot by
Chinese armed police leaving over 200 dead, over 6000 injured
and more a thousand disappeared as of today. At present, Tibet
including Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai remain under de
facto martial law. Huge military personnel have been stationed
in and around monasteries as well as in Lhasa and imposed strict
restriction movement.
Also the Chinese government have put in place heavy
surveillance on phone conversation and internet. No independent
tourist or journalists are allowed into Tibet. In such
deplorable situation, Mr. Kayta appealed to the international
community for their help to protect those helpless Tibetan
inside Tibet. Finally, he thanked the local government, Amnesty
International, Association Italy- Tibet and Tibetan sympathizers
for their wholehearted support for just Tibetan cause. The
documentary film “Leaving Fear Behind” was also screened after
the conference. Over 200 people including president of Regional
Council, town officials were present during the conference.
The Statement of the Kashag on the Nineteenth Anniversary of
the Conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the
Dalai Lama
Today, as we commemorate the confluence of the nineteenth
anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, the International Human Rights Day, and
the Himalayan Festival, the Kashag extends its warm regards and
greetings to the Tibetans in and outside Tibet, as well as to
all the peace-loving people of the world.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama this morning had breakfast
meeting with Mr. Karel Schwarzenberg, Czech Foreign Minister at
the Foreign Ministry.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
and Czech Foreign Minister, Karel Schwarzenberg boarding the
Government plane leaving for Brussels, Belgium.
In welcoming His Holiness, the Foreign Minister said, “It is
the greatest honour for us and we also need a bit of spiritual
enlightenment”.
In response, His Holiness said, “I appreciate the Czech
people, Government, President Havel, Parliament and Forum2000
for your support and always showing genuine concern and sympathy.”
“This moment in history, we are passing through difficult
moment. Tibetan Nation is passing through death sentence.
Tibetan culture is being eliminates. The Chinese Government sees
Tibetan culture as a threat”, His Holiness said.
It was a open and friendly meeting which lasted one hour.
After the meeting, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s motorcade
drove to the Prague’s military airport. From their His Holiness
the Dalai Lama flew together with the Czech Foreign Minister
together on their Government’s military plane to Brussels.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Prague, Czech Rep.
Tibet is facing a
death sentence
PRAGUE, 1 December – Tibet is facing a death sentence,
said His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his visit to
Prague, Czech Republic. His Holiness said that his faith
towards the Chinese government is thinner and thinner
and thinner but had great faith in the people of China.
Communique of the Special International Tibet Support Groups
Meeting
Monday, 1 December 2008, 12:15 p.m.
Delhi: The Special International Tibet Support Groups
Meeting, held in India, the second home of the Tibetan people,
concluded today with a strong call to action, condemnation of
the PRC’s intransigent approach on Tibet, and an expression of
solidarity with the Tibetan people at a time of crisis.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama had asked Tibet supporters
attending the Special International TSG Meeting, called by the
Core Group for Tibetan Cause, India, to “provide suggestions to
our elected leadership on the best possible course for the
realisation of the Tibetan people’s fundamental aspirations”.
The gathering followed the Special General Meeting of the
Tibetan People held in Dharamsala, base of the Tibetan
government in exile, from 17-22 November.
The Special TSG meeting opened with one minute’s silence for
those who have died in Tibet, particularly since the uprising
from 10 March 2008 onwards, and for those killed in the recent
terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
More than 100 delegates from over 30 countries expressed a
sense of urgency due to the brutal crackdown in Tibet and the
Chinese government’s recent propaganda offensive following talks
with the Dalai Lama’s representatives. Continued commitment to a
non-violent approach and support for the Tibetan people’s right
to self-determination was agreed.
Outrage was expressed at the Chinese government’s hardline
stance against the Dalai Lama, with particular reference to lack
of progress in talks with Chinese officials. Participants
pledged to support Tibetans in seeking a new framework for
engagement. They welcomed the fact that the Memorandum of
Genuine Autonomy had been made public by the Dalai Lama’s
representatives prior to the Special Meeting in Dharamsala in
November.
During lively and intense debate, many delegates pressed for
the Tibetan government in exile to reassess the Middle Way
approach (which currently seeks genuine autonomy within the
framework of the PRC) in favour of independence if there is no
substantive improvement in the Tibetans’ situation in the near
future and sincere engagement from the Chinese side.
Delegates to the Special International TSG Meeting reaffirmed
their commitment to putting the needs and wishes of Tibetans in
Tibet first. They expressed heartfelt admiration for the great
courage of the Tibetan people in their peaceful resistance
across the plateau since March. The protests are a rejection by
the Tibetan people of Chinese rule in Tibet, expressing a
resentment that has built up over nearly 60 years since China’s
invasion and reached a breaking point. Through their dissent,
Tibetans are conveying the message that the Dalai Lama and the
Tibetan government in exile represent their interests, and not
the Chinese government. The meeting expressed profound concern
over the continuing suffering of the Tibetan people, now under
de facto martial law, and the delegates’ solidarity with
political prisoners and the families of the hundreds of
disappeared.
The meeting welcomed the recent Special General Meeting of
the Tibetan People, which provided opportunities for diverse
opinions from the Tibetan community to be openly expressed and
discussed. This was an important democratic forum that should be
continued in order to strengthen Tibetan institutions and civil
society in exile. Delegates noted that while the meeting was
held in exile, efforts were made to ascertain the views of
Tibetans in Tibet, despite an intense climate of fear and
Chinese government restrictions. The Special General Meeting
re-affirmed the solidarity of Tibetans from across the Tibetan
plateau, just as Tibetans in Tibet from all three provinces (U-Tsang,
Kham and Amdo) have demonstrated strong unity in their
assertions of Tibetan national, cultural and religious identity.
Delegates highlighted the 21st century relevance to the world
of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual tradition and culture,
especially in terms of offering alternative ways forward for
conflict resolution.
The meeting re-affirmed TSG recognition of the Dalai Lama and
the Tibetan government in exile as the pre-eminent and
legitimate representatives of the Tibetan people. Delegates
agreed to continue to work to achieve formal recognition of the
Tibetan government in exile in the international community.
Delegates recognised the importance of preserving the
institution of the Dalai Lama, and acknowledged that the Dalai
Lama’s leadership extends to millions of Buddhists worldwide and
peoples of many different countries in the Himalayas, Mongolia
and beyond.
Delegates agreed to intensify their efforts in order to bring
an end to the injustices in Tibet. Advocacy work with
stake-holder governments in the region was discussed, including
protection of vulnerable Tibetans in Nepal at a time when the
Chinese government has stepped up its influence in the region.
Tibet is of tremendous geopolitical significance. Delegates also
agreed that awareness must be raised, particularly in Asia as a
matter of urgency, about Tibet’s critical importance as the
earth’s ‘third pole’ and a watershed of Asia’s great rivers
affecting millions of people.
It was noted that the Chinese political campaigns have led to
further unrest and increased tensions between Chinese and
Tibetans. There is a risk that this could intensify further in
the build-up to the 50th anniversary of the 10th March uprising
in 2009. There was particular commitment at the meeting for
developing new strategies for targeted outreach to the Chinese
people, particularly given the upsurge in anti-Tibetan sentiment
and Chinese nationalism as a result of distorted representations
of the situation in Tibet by the Chinese government.
Specific suggestions and recommendations on advocacy,
monitoring, campaign action, Chinese outreach and the dialogue
process will be presented to the Tibetan government in exile
following the meeting.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama to meet former Czech President
Havel
Prague: 28 November - His Holiness the Dalai Lama will
visit Prague, the capital of Czech Republic at the invitation of
former President Václav Havel and Forum2000 from 29 November to
1 December 2008.
This is the first visit to Europe by His Holiness the
Dalai Lama after the Beijing Olympics. After Prague, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama will travel to Brussels and to
Poland.
During the visit, His Holiness will meet
President Václav Havel and address the Tibet Group in
the Czech Parliament on 1 December. His Holiness the
Dalai Lama will give a public talk - Compassion: The
Basis of Happiness on 30 November. The
public talk’s tickets were
sold out within two days in mid November. His Holiness’
public talk will be live webcast and visit
www.forum2000.cz for details.
Italian fencer
Margherita Granbassi, who won a medal in Beijing Olympic,
will present her fencing mask to His Holiness the Dalai
Lama on 30 November in Prague. "I hope the same mask
that protected me in Beijing will help him protect his
people," said Granbassi.
Former President Havel was the first head of state to
extend an official invitation to His Holiness the Dalai
Lama after becoming the first democratically elected
President of Czechoslovak after the fall of Communism in
November 1989. In February 1990, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama visited Czechoslovak.
This is the seventh visit by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama to Czech Republic.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama extends his condolence towards
the terrorist attack victims in Mumbai
27 November 2008
His Excellency Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of the Republic of India
Prime Minister’s Office
New Delhi
Your Excellency,
I am deeply saddened and shocked by the series of deadly
attacks in different parts of Mumbai that has resulted in the
loss of many precious lives and injury to many others since last
night. I would like to convey my deep condolences to you and
through you to the members of the bereaved families as well as
to all those affected by these dastard acts.
I have always admired the resilience of the people of India
and have no doubt that they will not be deterred by such
anti-human activities. I would like to reiterate my solidarity
with the Indian people, particularly the people of Mumbai, as
you confront the menace of terrorism and violence.
With my prayers,
Yours sincerely
Dalai Lama
His Holiness the Dalai Lama meets with the Press
Date:
23 November 2008
Venue:
Main Temple, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, India
His Holiness the Dalai Lama meets with members of the
press.
Recommendations of the First Special General Meeting
Convened Under Article 59 of the Charter
The Private Office's letter addressed jointly to the Speakers
and the members of the Kashag (Cabinet), dated 11 September
2008, stated, "In order to hold an extensive discussion and
debate with regard to the Tibetan cause in the light of recent
emergency events in Tibet and the international scenario, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama wishes to convene a Special General
Meeting around November or December of this year under article
59 of the Charter. Timing and participants of the meeting should
be planned at the earliest by the Parliament and the Private
Office should be informed accordingly."
SUMMARY OF THE MEMORANDUM ON GENUINE AUTONOMY FOR THE
TIBETAN PEOPLE
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy
Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari (2nd R) and Envoy Mr Kelsang Gyaltsen
(3rd R) address media on the 8th round of talks they had held
with the Chinese leadership between 30 October - 5 November in
China. Mr Thubten, secretary for Information (1st R) and Mr
Sonam N Dagpo, secretary for International Relations and one of
the senior assistant to the envoys are present at a press
conference in Dharamsala
INTRODUCTION
During the seventh round of talks in Beijing on 1 and 2 July
2008, the Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political
Consultative Conference and the Minister of the Central United
Front Work Department, Mr. Du Qinglin, explicitly invited
suggestions from His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the stability
and development of Tibet. The Executive Vice Minister of the
Central United Front Work Department, Mr. Zhu Weiqun, further
said they would like to hear our views on the degree or form of
autonomy we are seeking as well as on all aspects of regional
autonomy within the scope of the Constitution of the People's
Republic of China (PRC).
Accordingly, during the recent eighth round of talks we
presented the
Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People to
the vice Chairman, Mr. Du Qinglin and held extensive discussions
with our Chinese counterparts on November 4th and 5th in
Beijing.
In recent days the Central United Front Work Department of
the Chinese Communist Party has issued statements about our
talks in Beijing and in particular about the content of the
memorandum we have presented to them. These Chinese statements
distort the position and proposal we have outlined in our paper.
In order to enable the public, concerned governments,
parliamentarians, non-governmental organisations and individuals
to gain a comprehensive and full understanding of the Tibetan
position on genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people, we are
releasing today the memorandum.
Our memorandum puts forth our position on genuine autonomy
and how the specific needs of the Tibetan nationality for
autonomy and self-government can be met through application of
the principles on autonomy of the Constitution of the People’s
Republic of China, as we understand them. On this basis, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama felt confident that the basic needs of
the Tibetan nationality can be met through genuine autonomy
within the PRC.
SUMMARY OF THE MEMORANDUM
The Constitution of the PRC contains fundamental principles
on autonomy and self-government whose objectives are compatible
with the needs and aspirations of the Tibetans. Regional
national autonomy is aimed at opposing both the oppression and
the separation of nationalities by rejecting both Han chauvinism
and local nationalism. It is intended to ensure the protection
of the culture and the identity of minority nationalities by
empowering them to become masters of their own affairs.
To a very considerable extent Tibetan needs can be met within
the constitutional principles on autonomy. On several points,
the Constitution gives significant discretionary powers to state
organs in decision-making and on the operation of the system of
autonomy. These discretionary powers can be exercised to
facilitate genuine autonomy for Tibetans in ways that would
respond to the uniqueness of the Tibetan situation. Given good
will on both sides, outstanding problems can be resolved within
the constitutional principles on autonomy. In this way national
unity and stability and harmonious relations between the Tibetan
and other nationalities will be established.
TIBETAN ASPIRATIONS
Tibetans have a rich and distinct history, culture and
spiritual tradition all of which form valuable parts of the
heritage of humanity. Not only do Tibetans wish to preserve
their own heritage, which they cherish, but equally they wish to
further develop their culture and spiritual life and knowledge
in ways that are particularly suited to the needs and conditions
of humanity in the 21st century.
As a part of the multi-national state of the PRC, Tibetans
can benefit greatly from the rapid economic and scientific
development the country is experiencing. While wanting to
actively participate and contribute to this development, we want
to ensure that this happens without the people losing their
Tibetan identity, culture and core values and without putting
the distinct and fragile environment of the Tibetan plateau, to
which Tibetans are indigenous, at risk.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s commitment to seek a solution
for the Tibetan people within the PRC is clear and unambiguous.
This position is in full compliance and agreement with paramount
leader Deng Xiaoping's statement in which he emphasised that
except for independence all other issues could be resolved
through dialogue. Whereas, we are committed, therefore, to fully
respect the territorial integrity of the PRC, we expect the
Central Government to recognise and fully respect the integrity
of the Tibetan nationality and its right to exercise genuine
autonomy within the PRC. We believe that this is the basis for
resolving the differences between us and promoting unity,
stability and harmony among nationalities.
BASIC NEEDS OF TIBETANS
Subject Matters of Self-government
Language
Culture
Religion
Education
Environmental Protection
Utilisation of Natural Resources
Economic Development and Trade
Public health
Public Security
Regulation on population migration
Cultural, educational and religious exchanges with other
countries
RESPECT FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THE TIBETAN NATIONALITY
Tibetans belong to one minority nationality regardless of the
current administrative divisions. The integrity of the Tibetan
nationality must be respected. That is the spirit, the intent
and the principle underlying the constitutional concept of
national regional autonomy as well as the principle of equality
of nationalities.
There is no dispute about the fact that Tibetans share the
same language, culture, spiritual tradition, core values and
customs, that they belong to the same ethnic group and that they
have a strong sense of common identity. Tibetans share a common
history and despite periods of political or administrative
divisions, Tibetans continuously remained united by their
religion, culture, education, language, way of life and by their
unique high plateau environment.
The Tibetan nationality lives in one contiguous area on the
Tibetan plateau, which they have inhabited for millennia and to
which they are therefore indigenous. For purposes of the
constitutional principles of national regional autonomy Tibetans
in the PRC in fact live as a single nationality all over the
Tibetan plateau.
In order for the Tibetan nationality to develop and flourish
with its distinct identity, culture and spiritual tradition
through the exercise of self-government on the above mentioned
basic Tibetan needs, the entire community, comprising all the
areas currently designated by the PRC as Tibetan autonomous
areas, should be under one single administrative entity. The
current administrative divisions, by which Tibetan communities
are ruled and administered under different provinces and regions
of the PRC, foments fragmentation, promotes unequal development,
and weakens the ability of the Tibetan nationality to protect
and promote its common cultural, spiritual and ethnic identity.
Rather than respecting the integrity of the nationality, this
policy promotes its fragmentation and disregards the spirit of
autonomy.
THE NATURE AND STRUCTURE OF THE AUTONOMY
The exercise of genuine autonomy would include the right of
Tibetans to create their own regional government and government
institutions and processes that are best suited to their needs
and characteristics. It would require that the People’s Congress
of the autonomous region have the power to legislate on all
matters within the competencies of the region and that other
organs of the autonomous government have the power to execute
and administer decisions autonomously. Autonomy also entails
representation and meaningful participation in national
decision-making in the Central Government. Processes for
effective consultation and close cooperation or joint
decision-making between the Central Government and the regional
government on areas of common interest also need to be in place
for the autonomy to be effective.
A crucial element of genuine autonomy is the guarantee the
Constitution or other laws provide that powers and
responsibilities allocated to the autonomous region cannot be
unilaterally abrogated or changed. This means that neither the
Central Government nor the autonomous region’s government should
be able, without the consent of the other, to change the basic
features of the autonomy.
Implementation of genuine autonomy, for example, requires
clear divisions of powers and responsibilities between the
Central Government and the government of the autonomous region
with respect to subject matter competency. Currently there is no
such clarity and the scope of legislative powers of autonomous
regions is both uncertain and severely restricted. Thus, whereas
the Constitution intends to recognise the special need for
autonomous regions to legislate on many matters that affect them,
the requirements of Article 116 for prior approval at the
highest level of the Central Government - by the Standing
Committee of National People’s Congress (NPC) - inhibit the
implementation of this principle of autonomy. In reality, it is
only autonomous regional congresses that expressly require such
approval, while the congresses of ordinary (not autonomous)
provinces of the PRC do not need prior permission and merely
report the passage of regulations to the Standing Committee of
the NPC “for the record” (Article 100).
The exercise of autonomy is further subject to a considerable
number of laws and regulations, according to Article 115 of the
Constitution. Certain laws effectively restrict the autonomy of
the autonomous region, while others are not always consistent
with one another. The result is that the exact scope of the
autonomy is unclear and is not fixed, since it is unilaterally
changed with the enactment of laws and regulations at higher
levels of the state, and even by changes in policy. There is
also no adequate process for consultation or for settling
differences that arise between the organs of the Central
Government and of the regional government with respect to the
scope and exercise of autonomy. In practice, the resulting
uncertainty limits the initiative of regional authorities and
impedes the exercise of genuine autonomy by Tibetans today.
Statement of Special Envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari, Head of the
Tibetan Delegation, following the 8th round of discussions with
representatives of the Chinese leadership
Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and I, accompanied by senior aides
Sonam N. Dagpo and Bhuchung K. Tsering, both members of the Task
Force on Sino-Tibetan Negotiations, and Kalsang Tsering from the
Secretariat of the Task Force, visited China from October 30 to
November 5, 2008. We returned to India on November 6, 2008.
The main purpose of this trip was to follow up on the
discussions held during the seventh round in July this year. We
presented a memorandum to the Chinese leadership on genuine
autonomy for the Tibetan people.
In Beijing we met with Mr. Du Qinglin, Vice Chariman of the
Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Minister
of the Central United Front Work Department, on November 4,
2008. We also had a day-long discussion Mr. Zhu Weiqun,
Executive Vice Minister, and Mr. Sithar, Vice Minister of the
Central United Front Work Department, on November 5, 2008. An
official from the Tibet Autonomous Region, Pema Trinley,
Executive Vice Governor, was also present in the Chinese side.
We had a briefing, organized by the United Front, by experts on
Chinese Constitution and the Law on Regional National Autonomy
at the China Tibetology Research Center. It was moderated by Mr.
Lhakpa Phuntsok, Director of the Center. We also visited the
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
This morning we briefed Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche,
Chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet, in New Delhi about our
discussions. As a special general meeting of the Tibetan people
is being convened later this month at the suggestion of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, we have been advised not to make
statements about our discussions before this meeting.
Our host for this visit was the Central United Front Work
Department of the Chinese Communist Party. The United Front Work
Departments of Beijing City and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous
Region were also involved with our visit. We thank them for
their hospitality.
New Delhi
November 6, 2008
Special Envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari
meeting Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference and Minister of the Central United Front
Work Department Du Qinglin on November 4, 2008 in Beijing. Envoy
Kelsang Gyaltsen is to his right and Executive Vice Minister Zhu
Weiqun is to the left of Vice Chairman Du. Credit: CTA/DIIR
Special Envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari
and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and their team at the meeting with
Executive Vice Minister Zhu Weiqun and Vice Minister Sithar and
their team on November 5, 2008 in Beijing. Credit: CTA/DIIR
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Congratulates
US President-elect Barack Obama
Barack Obama
last met His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2005 at a Senate Foreign
Relations Committee event (Photo: barackobama.com)
November 5, 2008
H. E. Barack Obama
President-elect of the United States of America
Washington, DC U.S.A.
Dear President-elect Obama,
Congratulations on your election as the President of the
United States of America.
I am encouraged that the American people have chosen a
President who reflects America's diversity and her fundamental
ideal that any person can rise up to the highest office in the
land. This is a proud moment for America and one that will
be celebrated by many peoples around the world.
The American Presidential elections are always a great source
of encouragement to people throughout the world who believe in
democracy, freedom and equality of opportunities.
May I also commend the determination and moral courage that
you have demonstrated throughout the long campaign, as well as
the kind heart and steady hand that you often showed when
challenged. I recall our own telephone conversation this
spring and these same essential qualities came through in your
concern for the situation in Tibet.
As the President of the United States, you will certainly
have great and difficult tasks before you, but also many
opportunities to create change in the lives of those millions
who continue to struggle for basic human needs. You must
also remember and work for these people, wherever they may be.
With my prayers and good wishes,
Yours sincerely,
THE DALAI LAMA
A Tibet Centre opened at the birth place of Heinrich Harrer
Knappenberg, Austria: An International Institute for
Higher Tibetan Studies’ inaugural ceremony was held on 31
October at the birth place of late Mr. Heinrich Harrer, the
author of the famous book Seven Years in Tibet. Over 350 people
including Vice-Governor of the region of Kärnten, Members of
Parliament, Mayor and various dignities were present at the
ceremony.
A message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Patron of the
institute was read by Mr. Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa, the
Representative of His Holiness based in Geneva, Switzerland.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message said, “There is a great
deal in Tibet’s religious culture, its medical knowledge,
peaceful outlook and respectful attitude to the environment that
can be of widespread benefit to others. We have been successful
in preserving these traditions so far, but in the long term we
will need the continued support of the many friends we already
have around the world and many more.”
“I am very happy to know that an International Institute for
Higher Tibetan Studies is being established under the auspices
of the Tibet Centre in Hüttenberg, Austria, with whose citizens
we Tibetans have a longstanding friendship.”
International Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies is funded
by the Kärnten regional government of Austria. The late Governor
Mr. Jörg Haider was the key supporter and instrumental in
securing five years funding for the project. Funding from a
government is first of his kind in the Western Hemisphere. The
late Mr. Haider died in a tragic car accident only three weeks
ago. He visited Dharamsala with a team from Austria.
The Institute will offers authentic Tibetan Studies and
knowledge through seminars, lectures, workshops, short- and long
term courses, cultural events and exhibitions. The main of the
institute is to bringing benefit to people's mental and physical
wellbeing as well as the development of happiness and peace in
the world. One of the other aims to bring together different
cultures and wants to foster the dialogue between different
religions. The establishment of the institute will also preserve
and promote Tibetan religion and culture.
The Institute will provide courses on Tibetan Medical &
Astrology and Buddhist Philosophy with collaboration with
Tibetan Medical & Astrology Institute, Dharamsala and Centre for
High Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India. Also, it will invite
visiting lecturers from India, Europe and America. In September,
a road show was organized about the Institute planned program
across Austria.
The courses will start in mid November. From Sept 2009, the
institute will offer diploma certificates for those students who
want to become professionals in Tibetan Massage and Tibetan
Physical Therapy as well as Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy and
Psychology.
Geshe Tenzin Dhargye, who was deputed by His Holiness the
Dalai Lama to manage the planning of the project is now the
Director of the Institute. He has been working on the project
for the last two and half years. Geshe Dhargye was earlier
involved with the Kalachakra Initiation in Graz, Austria in
2003.
In his address, Geshe Dhargye thanked the Kärnten Government
of Austria, all the political parties, various religious
organizations and the public for their support. He said two key
supporters of the project, the late Mr. Harrer and late Mr.
Haider were not present, but he was very happy that their wife’s
Mrs. Carina Harrer and Mrs. Claudia Haider were present.
The long term aim of the institute is to become a university
of Tibetan studies in Austria. For more information about
International Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies, visit
www.tibetcenter.at
Press Release
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Envoys leave for China for 8th
Round of Talks.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's envoys Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen
Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, accompanied by three senior
assistants are arriving in Beijing for the 8th round of talks
with the representatives of the Chinese leadership.
They will be in Beijing as a follow-up of the 7th round of
talks.
They will be there for about a week.
The Envoys had their final briefing from Professor Samdhong
Rinpoche, Kalon Tripa, in New Delhi.
Thubten Samphel
Secretary, Information
30th October 2008
Contact: Mr. Thubten Samphel Information Secretary,
Department of Information and International Relations Phone no:
01892; 222510,222457, 22466
Clarifications on His Holiness' Tibet Remarks in
Dharamsala on 25 October 2008
During celebrations of the 48th founding anniversary of the
Tibetan Children’s Village on 25 October here in Dharamsala, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama made some remarks on the issue of Tibet
that are now being quoted out of context in some media reports.
Consequently, to clarify the situation we are issuing the gist
of His Holiness’ remarks below as well as a separate translation
of a transcript of what he really said.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that Tibetans have long been
pursuing a path to find a solution to the issue of Tibet that
would be mutually acceptable to Tibetans and Chinese. This has
received widespread appreciation from the international
community, several governments included. More importantly, it
has gained the support of many Chinese intellectuals.
His Holiness went on to say that, unfortunately, the Chinese
leadership has so far not responded positively to our overtures
and does not seem interested in addressing the issue in a
realistic way. Beginning in March this year, a series of
protests and demonstrations erupted in Lhasa and in many other
traditional Tibetan areas. These were clearly a spontaneous
expression of the Tibetan people’s deep-seated resentment and
dissatisfaction over more than five decades of repressive
Chinese communist rule.
Since the Chinese Government has accused His Holiness of
orchestrating these protests in Tibet, he called for a thorough
investigation to examine these allegations, even offering access
to Central Tibetan Administration files and records here in
India. So far, this offer has not been taken up, but the
situation in Tibet becomes graver by the day. Therefore, His
Holiness said that it is difficult for him to continue to
shoulder such a heavy responsibility when the present Chinese
leadership does not seem to appreciate simple truth, reason and
common sense. In the absence of any positive reciprocal response
from the Chinese leadership, His Holiness feels that if he
cannot help find a solution, he would rather not hinder it in
any way. His Holiness feels that he cannot afford to pretend
that his persistent efforts to find a mutually satisfactory
solution to the Tibetan problem are bearing fruit.
Therefore, on 11 September His Holiness called a special
meeting of Tibetans from all parts of our community in exile to
engage in wide-ranging discussions with the aim of identifying
realistic and non-violent options for the future course of our
struggle. His Holiness concluded that when all is said and done
it is for the Tibetan people themselves to decide about their
collective future.
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dharamsala, 28 October 2008
Kashag Outlines Policies on Women Empowerment
Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 4:50 p.m. Dharamshala: The Kashag
(Cabinet) of the Central Tibetan Administration on Tuesday
outlined an eight-point policy to empower Tibetan women's equal
participation in the successful establishment of non-violent and
democratic Tibetan community as envisioned by His Holiness the
Dalai Lama.
The Kashag underscored the need to strengthen women's role in
the administrative and politics of the democratic Tibetan
community during this year’s democracy day celebration.
Although no gender discrimination of any kind have taken
place in the history of Tibet, the Kashag said the need to empower Tibetan women has become clearly pertinent since women
lag behind their male counterparts in taking part in
administration and politics in the exile community.
The policy will focus on providing necessary assistance and
facilities to the Tibetan nuns to undertake and make progress in
the field of higher studies in religious studies. The Kashag
will continue the on-going efforts on reviving the Bhikshuni
ordination of Tibetan nuns.
Under its new policy, the Kashag will study the number of
Tibetan women’s participation in various regional administrative
institutions such as local Tibetan assemblies, board of
directors of co-operative societies and Rawang Denpai Legul
Tsokchung and group leaders in the Tibetan settlements based in
India, Nepal and Bhutan. Accordingly, efforts will be made in
encouraging and increasing the number of their participation.
It emphasizes that the Tibetan settlements should make
efforts in having women as representatives and welfare officers.
To provide equal opportunities for school graduates in
selecting their courses for further studies and for those who
are opting for jobs, the Central Tibetan Administration will
take note of career counseling in the respective schools.
It will make efforts to implement the provision enshrined in
the Basic Education Policy for Tibetans in Exile that “priority
shall be given to female candidates for the posts of pre-primary
teacher and assistant.”
The new policy will lay special consideration on the health
of mother and child in order to develop a future posterity with
good morals and facilitate a steady growth on population.
Moreover, special workshops and necessary facilities will be
given to those women who have formed their new families to help
them become good mothers.
The policy emphasizes that girls’ team in sports should be
developed at same level as that of boys in schools.
It also underlines the need to conduct workshops for the
general public to explain the objectives of the policy to
empower women.
DIIR submits report on ‘torture against Tibetan people’
to the UN
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Geneva: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), through its
Tibet Bureau based in Geneva, submitted a report on “ the
continuing use of torture against the Tibetan people” to “the
United Nations Committee Against Torture on Violations by the
People’s Republic of China Against The People of Tibet”, on 29
September.
The report details narrative of events from 2000 to 2008,
presenting evidence of torture used against Tibetan people under
the political and religious repression imposed by the Chinese
government in Tibet.
It presents a detailed account of the Chinese government’s
violations of the convention against torture by attributing
those with ‘evidence of torture in connection with recent
protests in Tibet’, ‘torture as a common practice in Tibet even
before the March demonstration’, ‘failure of China’s legal
system to ban the use of torture’, ‘absence of independent
judiciary’ and the ‘Chinese authorities threat of disciplinary
action against lawyers’.
The report, which evaluates China’s compliance with the
convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or
degrading treatment or punishment (torture convention) with
respect to Tibet, said, “China continues to engage in widespread
and systematic violations of the torture conventions against the
Tibetan people.”
China has also failed to make genuine progress in the areas
of concern noted by this committee in its ‘1996 and 2000
Concluding Observations’, which is supported by the recent
findings of the Special Rapporteur on Torture, following his
mission to China, noted the report.
The report asked the committee to examine China’s compliance
with the Torture Convention taking into consideration the
significant events in Tibet since 2000.
It said significant measures were implemented to curtail and
repress the free practice of religion in Tibet, to deny the
Tibetan people any meaningful right of free expression, and to
marginalize Tibetans through a concerted effort to support the
influx of Chinese settlers.
These measures have been enforced through police intimidation,
arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture used to punish and
terrorise the Tibetan communities. Indeed, across a broad array
of economic, social and political rights, the Chinese government
has failed the Tibetan people, the report added.
The report is critical of the increasing repression and
economic marginalisation of Tibetans, which culminated in a
sustained and widespread series of protests – almost all
peaceful – throughout Tibet beginning on 10 March 2008.
Chinese authorities responded by detaining thousands of
Tibetans, many of whom were treated with extreme brutality both
while being detained and during their detention, shooting and
killing unarmed protesters, locking monks and nuns inside their
monasteries, imposing a heavy police and military presence in
all cities and most towns of any significant size as well as
remote nomad encampments, severely restricting travel within
Tibet, and instituting “patriotic education” campaigns within
the monasteries, the reported noted.
The Central Tibetan Administration urges the United Nations
Committee Against Torture to scrutinize China’s compliance with
the Torture Convention with particular attention to Tibet.
It also requests the committee to address the continuing use
of torture against the Tibetan people and submit recommendations
for its consideration in order to end the use of torture in
Tibet.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is back in Dharamsala after
undergoing medical tests and treatment following some discomfort
recently.
The physicians have informed His Holiness that his general
health condition is good but strongly advised him to curtail his
travel schedule. In the immediate future the physicians have
advised him to take good rest before resuming his schedule.
We are therefore cancelling his proposed travel to Europe in
October. His Holiness very much regrets the inconvenience this
will cause to the organizers of his programs as well as to those
who were looking forward to participating in them. We hope
everyone will understand the situation.
September 13, 2008
Office of H. H. the Dalai Lama
Dharamsala, India
MITTEILUNG
Seine Heiligkeit der Dalai Lama ist nach Dharamsala
zurückgekehrt, nachdem er sich aufgrund von gesundheitlichen
Beschwerden in den letzten Wochen medizinischen Untersuchungen
und Behandlungen unterzogen hatte.
Die Ärzte haben Seine Heiligkeit mitgeteilt, dass seine
allgemeine körperliche Verfassung gut sei, rieten ihm aber
dringend an, sein Reiseprogramm einzuschränken. Die Ärzte rieten
ihm, sich jetzt genügend Zeit zur Erholung zu nehmen, bevor er
sein Programm wieder aufnimmt.
Wir sagen daher seinen geplanten Besuch in Europa im Oktober
ab. Seine Heiligkeit bedauert sehr die Schwierigkeiten, die
seine Absage den Veranstaltern wie auch den Teilnehmern
bereitet, die sich auf seinen Besuch gefreut haben. Wir hoffen
auf das Verständnis aller Beteiligten.
13. September 2008
Office of H. H. the Dalai Lama
Dharamsala, Indien
Tibet Film Screened at the Ongoing UNHRC Session
Geneva, 9 September 2008 - "Leaving Fear Behind", a
documentary recently smuggled from Tibet was shown at a side
event during the UN Human Rights Council's 9th session, which
began on 8 September. The Human Rights session will look at
human rights problems around the world.
Four NGOs with UN consultative status organized the side
event. The screening of "Leaving Fear Behind" was attended by
representatives from NGOs, government delegates from Germany,
Sweden, Canada, Netherlands and Finland; and journalist. The
film maker Mr. Dhondup Wangchen and his colleague Ven. Golok
Jigme were arrested by the Chinese security officials in Tibet.
Mr. Gyaljong Tsetrin, the co-producer of the film and a
former-political prisoner appealed to people working with UN
human rights mechanisms to help secure the release of the film
maker Dhondup Wangchen and Ven. Golok Jigme.
He expressed deep concern on reports from Tibet that many
Tibetans interviewed in the film have been intimidated, harassed
and detained after the documentary was released.
Over 108 Tibetans were interviewed by the film maker and
colleagues.
Mr. Gyaljong Tsetrin said he fears for those Tibetans for
simply exercising their fundamental right to freedom expression
or opinion. He said that through the film the world must
understand how desperately the Tibetans in Tibet His Holiness
the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet.
He appealed to the international community to help Tibetans
whose struggle is guided by peace and non-violence under the
leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The briefing was moderated by UNPO Geneva Representative
Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon.
Human dignity must be respected in any society said
President Havel
“Human freedom, human rights and human dignity must be
respected in any society”, said former President Václav Havel of
the Czech Republic. He made these remarks while addressing the
Asia-Pacific Security Challenges - Implications for Europe and
the Atlantic Alliances in Prague.
In his welcome speech Czech Foreign Minister Mr. Karel
Schwarzenberg said that human rights are the corner stone of
Czech Foreign Policy. The Foreign Minister also said that his
government foster human rights a
The two days conference was held in the Czech Foreign
Ministry in Prague on 7 – 9 September 2008 and organized by the
Prague Security Studies Institute. Over 150 delegates from all
over the world attended the conference.
Mr. Anand Sharma, Indian Minister of State for External
Affairs was the keynote speaker. He spoke about Global Security
Concerns in the 21st Century. He said that Climate, Food and
Energy challenges were no longer regional but global.
Mr. Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s
Representative based in Geneva was speaker on the panel Regional
Democracy and human Rights. He said Tibet once a buffer state
between the world’s two most populated states - Tibet and China
was today a militarized zone. Even after 50 years of occupation,
China continues to ruthlessly suppress the Tibetans. He said the
merciless repression by the Chinese security forces on peaceful
Tibetan protesters in March this year, resulted in over 200
killed, 6,000 arrested and thousands injured.
Mr. Chhoekyapa emphasized that the current crisis in Tibet is
a manifestation of decades of Chinese repression - human rights
violation, cultural and political discrimination of the Tibetan
people. He expressed his deepest concern on Beijing’s policy of
the massive migration of Han Chinese into Tibet and increasing
the influential of “Chinese alcohol culture”, Mahjong game, and
pop music among the Tibetans to weaken their religious belief
and language.
“While China economically and military grows from strength to
strength, my fellow Tibetans in Tibet continue to live in fear
and discrimination. Today Tibetans are a minority and a second
class citizen in our own land and our culture is being destroyed,”
said Mr. Chhoekyapa.
In his concluding remark, he said that His Holiness the Dalai
Lama is not seeking Tibetan independence or separation from
People’s Republic of China, but a genuine autonomy for the
Tibetan people. He said that we want to save Tibet’s rich
culture, language and identity before China destroys them
completely.
Statement of the Kashag on the occasion of worldwide fasting
and prayer service on
30 August 2008
Today on 30 August 2008, the last day of the sixth month of
Earth-Mouse Year in Tibetan Calender, Tibetan Solidarity
Committee appealed the Tibetans, Tibet supporters and peace
loving people all over the world to observe a symbolic fasting
and prayer service for 12 hours. We are immensely fortunate and
grateful that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consented to take
part in person here, but due to a slight indisposition this
could not happen. However, His Holiness is observing the fasting
and prayer from Mumbai today and we convey our immense gratitude
and respect to him.
The Kashag of the central Tibetan Administration would like
to heartily thank all the Tibetans, Tibet supporters and those
believing in non-violence who are taking part to observe this
symbolic fasting and prayer service.
This activity is not a protest led by hatred, rancour and
anger but by the teachings of the Lord Buddha in all the
vehicles to refrain from harming others and do everything to
benefit others with love and compassion, which is the essence of
spiritual practice. Mahatma Gandhi has shown us with his
practical demonstration that this is only for spiritual practice
but it can very well apply to the politics for the benefits of
society and nations. Our effort of today symbolizes that this
method is effectively relevant in the post-modern world also.
Due to the consistent effort and guidance of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama to pursue non-violent methods to resolve the Tibetan
issue, it has been many years that most of the Tibetan movements
remained free from gross physical violence. This garnered
immense support from around the world for the just cause of
Tibet. Our pursuit of non-violence has not only enabled us to
keep alive the Tibetan issue but also compelled the People's
Republic of China to respond to our policy of rapprochement
irrespective of their sincerity. However, on account of some
Tibetans being not able to completely give up violence in vocal
expressions and thoughts, all our efforts till today instead of
achieving a genuine result, is stuck in a vicious circle. If all
the Tibetans have a genuine aspiration to resolve the just cause
of the Tibetan issue, we have to strengthen our commitment and
reinforce the power of non-violence. It is hard to achieve any
results in resolving the Tibetan cause unless anger of the
Tibetans subsides. Therefore, we take this opportunity to
strongly appeal to all the Tibetans and particularly to the
monks and nuns to get rid of any visible hatred and anger, and
make every effort to develop undiluted thought leading to the
cultivation of non-violence and thereby all our physical and
vocal expressions become non-violent.
By observing this symbolic fasting and prayer service if we
Tibetans are able to make way to advance a step further in
pursuit of our non-violent movement, it is worth observing.
Otherwise, if it turns into an opportunity that arouses feelings
of hatred and anger, it is then, as the saying goes, "sending
ransom to the west when the demon lies in the east".
On this special occasion, we hope that the observation of
fasting and prayer by numerous people around the world will help
the Tibetans to do away their bad karmic action and enhance
meritorious virtues. This virtue may help Tibetans to get rid of
their anger and hatred towards all sentient beings, especially
the PRC authorities who oppress and torture the Tibetans and
instead could help us to respond to them with love and
compassion. Our sincere practice of non-violence will ultimately
help change the mind of the PRC authorities to more
compassionate. We hope and pray that all will firmly believe in
non-violence. We strongly appeal to all the Tibetans to put
concerted non-violent efforts to bring natural end to the
torture and persecution in Tibet.
We pay our condolence and homage to those who lost their
lives and those who are imprisoned ,tortured and beaten in the
recent uprisings in Tibet. We pray that the lives sacrificed by
the Tibetans become worthwhile and end the torture to the
innocent Tibetans .We also pray and sympathise for the victims
of the earthquakes in Sichuan and the one in South-western Tibet
recently and the disaster caused by flood in some other part as
well.
We end with the prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's
long life and may the just cause of Tibet prevail.
The Kashag
30 August 2008
His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Join Prayers on 30 August
2008
Since arriving in Mumbai yesterday afternoon, His Holiness
the Dalai Lama underwent some medical tests. The doctors
attending on him have given assurances that there is absolutely
no cause for concern. All that he needs is a good rest.
His Holiness will therefore join from Mumbai in the 12-hour
fasting and prayers for peace and freedom that are being
organized in Dharamsala and elsewhere on Saturday, 30 August
2008 by the Tibetan Solidarity Committee.
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dated: 29 August 2008
UN experts seek whereabouts of the Panchen Rinpoche and
Tibetans arrested earlier this year
The UN’s Committee against Torture (CAT), an independent body
of experts asked China to provide a complete list of all Tibetan
detained following the March 2008 demonstration in Tibet. This
request also includes information on their current location,
convictions, etc. The independent body of experts monitors the
implementation of the UN’s Convention against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by its State
parties.
[ read more
]
The situation in Tibet is getting worse says world famous
photographer Michel Comte
The Germany’s largest newspaper – Bild with over 17 million
readers launched a photo exhibition “Pictures from Tibet” in
Berlin on the eve of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The
exhibition was organized under its campaign A Heart for Children.
[ read more ]
Grussbotschaft Seiner Heiligkeit des Dalai Lama zu den
Olympischen Spielen
Zur Eröffnung der Olympischen Spiele in Peking entbiete ich
der Volksrepublik China, den Organisatoren sowie den Sportlern
meine besten Grüsse.
Ich habe von Beginn an, seit China sich beworben hat, die
Austragung der Olympischen Spiele in Peking unterstützt. Es ist
ein Augenblick grossen Stolzes für die 1.3 Milliarden Chinesen.
Diese Spiele sollen dazu beitragen, den Olympischen Geist von
Freundschaft, Offenheit und Frieden zu fördern.
Mit meinen Gebeten und besten Wünschen für den Erfolg dieses
Ereignisses.
Der Dalai Lama
6. August 2008
What China is doing in Tibet is shameful - Italian Mayor
“What China is doing in Tibet is shameful and we must express
our solidarity with the Tibetans,” said Mayor Achille Variati of
Italian City of Vicenza. The Mayor officially received Mr.
Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Geneva
in Vicenza City Hall on 24 July.
[ read more
]
Press Release
July 17, 2008 - Office of H. H. the Dalai Lama
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibet Issue
In the light of recent news reports quoting Chinese officials
that the issue of Tibet is only about the person of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama, we would like to take this opportunity to
clarify once again that the issue of Tibet concerns the future
of six million Tibetans in Tibet and not His Holiness the Dalai
Lama. In fact, when the Chinese Government made a five-point
proposal in 1981 which included that "the Dalai Lama will enjoy
the same political status and living conditions as he had before
1959", His Holiness categorically made it clear to the Chinese
leadership that the issue at stake was the well-being of six
million Tibetans, and he personally had nothing to ask of the
Central Chinese government.
His Holiness has stated right from 1969 onwards that even the
continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lama is for the
Tibetan people to decide.
In 1992 His Holiness declared that once we are able to return
to Tibet with meaningful autonomy, he will not play any role in
the future government of Tibet, let alone seek the Dalai Lama's
traditional political position in the government. We would also
like to make it clear, especially to our Chinese brothers and
sisters that Tibetans, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, do
not even dream of restoring the old society that prevailed in
Tibet before 1959. As a matter of fact, democracy was introduced
in the exile Tibetan community in 1960 through election of
representatives to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (Parliament
in exile).
Since 2001 Tibetans in exile have an elected political
leadership and His Holiness considers himself in semi-retirement.
However, he will continue to fulfill his life-long commitment to
promote human values and religious harmony.
Following the resumption of talks with the Chinese government
in 2002, His Holiness' envoys have also conveyed at every
meeting that the issue is about the well-being of the Tibetan
people and not of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Chhime R. Chhoekyapa
Secretary to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Contact:
Mr. Tashi Wangdi: 1-347 563 5976 (USA)
Mr. Lobsang Nyandak: 1-908 821 7284
Erklärung des Sondergesandten
Seiner Heiligkeit des Dalai Lama, Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari
Vom 30. Juni bis 3. Juli 2008
besuchten der Gesandte Kelsang Gyaltsen und ich Peking.
Begleitet wurden wir von den leitenden Mitarbeitern der Task
Force ‚Sino-tibetische Verhandlungen’ Sonam N. Dagpo und
Bhuchung K. Tsering, sowie von Jigmey Passang vom Sekretariat
dieses Arbeitsstabes. [
weiterlesen
]
Statement by Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari
Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and I accompanied by senior aides
Sonam N. Dagpo, Bhuchung K. Tsering, both members of the Task
Force on Sino-Tibetan Negotiations, and Jigmey Passang from the
Secretariat of the Tibetan Task Force, visited Beijing from June
30 to July 3, 2008.
[ read more
]
S. H. der Dalai Lama
Medienmitteilung der Präsidialdirektion Bern /
15.04.2008
Der Dalai Lama besucht im Oktober die Stadt Bern
Der Dalai Lama wird am 13. Oktober 2008 auf Einladung des
Gemeinderates die Stadt Bern besuchen. Vorgesehen ist, eine
öffentliche Veranstaltung mit dem geistlichen Oberhaupt des
Buddhismus zu organisieren. [
weiterlesen ]
A Lhasa without monks
We saw some Tibetans returning home, the police had arrested
them and tortured them after the riots in march. One of them,
they have laterally cut the flesh from a whole thigh, I saw it
with my own eyes, it was in a horrible condition. He died at
home due to loss of blood and destroyed by infections within
days. They didn’t want to go to hospital because they were sure
that they would fall in the hands of those who tortured them. [
read
more ]
A rough translation in English of a news report by Mr.
Federico Rampini, correspondent of La Repubblica in Beijing
posted on 5 July.
Interviews mit Kelsang Gyaltsen, Gesandter S. H. des Dalai Lama
"Die Welt findet nur schöne Worte"
Die Frustration und Verbitterung der Tibeter wächst: Der
Sondergesandte des Dalai Lama in Europa appelliert an die
Vereinten Nationen, umgehend Beobachter nach Tibet zu entsenden.
Interview: Edeltraud Rattenhuber [
weiterlesen ]
„Kriegszustand in Tibet”
Kelsang Gyaltsen ist der Europabotschafter des Dalai Lama. Zu
Gast bei der WAZ sprach der tibetische Sondergesandte über die
Krise in seiner Heimat und ihre Unvereinbarkeit mit dem
olympischen Geist. [
weiterlesen ]
New Head of Office of Tibet Geneva
In recent years the Chinese government is exerting increasing
pressure on governments in Europe on the issue of Tibet. This
development requires more concerted efforts by the Tibetans and
our friends in Europe in order to ensure that the voice of the
Tibetan people continues to be heard and counted. As a result,
the Kashag, the Cabinet of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile has
announced the reshuffle of a number of representatives of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama at various Offices of Tibet abroad.
[ weiterlesen
]
Botschaft S. H. des Dalai Lama zum 10. März 2008 49. Jahrestag des tibetischen Volksaufstandes
Anlässlich
des 49. Jahrestages des friedlichen Aufstandes des tibetischen
Volkes in Lhasa am 10. März 1959 ehre ich und bete für die
vielen mutigen Männer und Frauen Tibets, die unaussprechliche
Härten erduldeten und ihr Leben für die Sache des tibetischen
Volkes opferten, und bekunde meine Solidarität mit den Tibetern,
die zurzeit Unterdrückung und Misshandlung erleben. Auch grüße
ich alle Tibeter in und außerhalb Tibets, alle Unterstützer der
tibetischen Sache und alle, die Gerechtigkeit schätzen. [
weiterlesen
]
Kashag reshuffles representatives of the Offices of Tibet
Wednesday,
27 February 2008, 5:05 p.m.
Dharamshala: The Kashag today announced a major reshuffle in
the post of representatives of the Offices of Tibet (OoT).
According to the announcement, Kasur Tashi Wangdi, the
representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York, will
head the new Office of Tibet in Brussels.
Former Kalon Lobsang Nyandak is appointed as the
representative of the OoT, New York.
Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, the representative in Geneva,
Switzerland, will take a new responsibility to enhance relations
and political activities in European countries, from 17 March
2008.
Mr Tsetan Samdup (Photo), a former deputy secretary at the
Oot London, has been appointed as the new representative in
Geneva. He will take charge from 18 March.
Mr Dawa Tsering, Additional Secretary at the Department of
Information and International Relations will be the new
representative at the Taiwan office.
Representative Tsegyam will be the secretary at the Office of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.
Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen to Head New Office
Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 9:36 a.m.
Dharamshala: Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, the representative of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama based in Geneva, Switzerland, will
take a new responsibility to enhance relations and political
activities in European countries.
The Kashag, in the notice issued yesterday said Envoy Kelsang
Gyaltsen will take the new responsibility, from the day when he
relieves the post of representative of Geneva’s Office of Tibet.
Video-Botschaft des Gesandten S. H. des Dalai Lama Video-Message of the Envoy of H. H. the Dalai Lama
Kelsang Gyaltsen, Gesandter S. H. des Dalai Lama für die EU
und Repräsentant S. H. des Dalai Lama in Genf, berichtet
monatlich über aktuelle Tibet-Themen in tibetischer Sprache.
Kelsang Gyaltsen, Envoy of H. H. the Dalai Lama to the EU and
Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama in Geneva reports monthly
on current issues on Tibet in tibetan language.
#1 - Februar 2008 (in tibetischer Sprache, in tibetan
language)
Themen
Topics
Tibet im Jahr 2008
Tibet in the year of 2008
Chinesisches Generalkonsulat in Zürich
sagt Feier anlässlich des tibetischen Neujahrs ab
China's Consulate in Zurich calls off
Tibetan New Year reception
Vom
6. - 16. Dezember 2007 besuchte S. H. der Dalai Lama während
knapp zwei Wochen vier Städte in Italien. Auf Einladung des Ghe
Pel Ling Istituto Studi die Buddhismo Tibetano unterweiste Seine
Heiligkeit für 2 Tage in Mailand (07./08.12.07) Nagarjuna's
Kommentar zu Boddhicitta (jangchub semdrel). Am Sonntag,
09.12.07 hielt Seine Heiligkeit einen öffentlichen Vortrag mit
dem Titel "The Way towards inner-peace and non-violence".
Zwischen 10. - 16. Dezember 2007 besuchte Seine Heiligkeit die
Städte Udine, Rom und Turin. Es fanden Treffen mit religiösen
sowie politischen Vertretern und Studenten statt. In Rom nahm Seine Heiligkeit am 8. Weltgipfel der Friedensnobelpreisträger
teil.
Das Treffen zwischen der Bundeskanzlerin und
dem Dalai Lama
Stellungnahme des Gesandten S. H. des Dalai Lama
Das
Treffen zwischen der Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und Seiner
Heiligkeit dem Dalai Lama am 23. September 2007 im
Bundeskanzleramt sorgt in der deutschen Öffentlichkeit für
intensive Diskussionen. Deutsche und chinesische
Regierungsvertreter sowie Experten und Kommentatoren beider
Länder kommen fast täglich ausführlich zu Wort.
Als Vertreter Seiner Heiligkeit des Dalai Lama in Europa
liegt es mir fern mich in die innenpolitischen Diskussionen der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland einzumischen. Aber im vorliegenden
Fall sind wir Tibeter eine direkt betroffene Partei, die bisher
kaum zu Wort gekommen ist. Aus diesem Grund bin ich dankbar über
die Möglichkeit, aus der Sicht der Tibeter das Treffen der
Bundeskanzlerin mit Seiner Heiligkeit darlegen zu können.
[ weiterlesen ]
Remarks delivered by Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen at
EP Conference on Tibet - Brussels 08.11.07
The Current Status of Discussions between His Holiness the
Dalai Lama and the Government of the People's Republic of China
Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the Parliament, ladies
and gentleman,
I feel honoured to address this important European
Parliamentarian Conference on Tibet and would like to extend my
gratitude to all involved people in organizing this timely
conference. I wish to thank especially the EP Tibet Intergroup
and its President Mr. Thomas Mann for taking the lead in
convening this forum.
Today, I am asked to brief you on the current status of
discussions between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the
Government of the People’s Republic of China. [
read
more ]
US Congressional Gold Medal an S. H. den Dalai Lama
Offizielle deutsche Website der Tibetischen Regierung im Exil
und des Tibet Bureau Genf
Mit grosser Freude darf ich Sie auf der neuen deutschen Website
der Tibetischen Exil-Regierung und des Tibet Bureau Genf
begrüssen. In den letzten Jahren nahm die Zahl der
Tibet-bezogenen Websites stetig zu. Zu allen Aspekten Tibets
findet man heute in der Online-Welt Informationen. [
weiterlesen ]
Archiv Presseartikel
Lodi G. Gyari - Oped: Turning Point for Tibet |
IHT | 03.04.08 In the last few weeks, we have witnessed an uprising against
the Chinese authorities' repressive policies on the Tibetan
plateau the likes of which we have not seen in a generation.
Beijing has responded with a crackdown on a scale never seen
before in Tibet, all just months before the Olympics are to open
in Beijing. [
weiterlesen ]
Ai Weiwei über Tibet „Es ist Zeit für die Wahrheit“ |
FAZ | 30.03.08 Der chinesische Konzeptkünstler Ai Weiwei fordert ein Ende
der Zensur in seinem Land: Hass und Wut können nur durch den
freien Zugang zu allen Informationen besiegt werden, sagt er im
Gepräch mit der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung. [
weiterlesen ]
Dalai Lama's Message to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao: Prove
Your Accusations
The Dalai Lama has said that if he were in a room with Chinese
President Hu Jintao or Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, he said he
would quote Deng Xiaoping and ask them to seek truth from facts.
Saying he had great respect for Premier Wen, the Dalai Lama told
NEWSWEEK, "I would also ask him, "Please prove your recent
accusations [that the Dalai Lama instigated the unrest in
Tibet." [
weiterlesen
]
Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation
by Some Chinese Intellectuals [
weiterlesen ]
Beijing's claims of an "unwavering stand" in support of Tibet
are groundless XINING, China: Count the ways that China has sought to bring
Tibet to heel since the People's Liberation Army rolled into the
country in 1950, brutally ending a phase of nominal independence.
[ weiterlesen
]
PRESS ORDERED TO FAN HATRED OF TIBETAN 'CLIQUE'
BEIJING — Throughout the crisis in Tibet, images of Tibetan
rioters attacking ethnic Han Chinese have been shown over and
over on Chinese television. Chinese officials have ordered the
Chinese press to "incite patriotism and hatred of the Dalai Lama
clique" among the Chinese people. [
weiterlesen ]
TIBET: TRY THE HONG KONG SOLUTION China invented the idea of two systems in one country. It
worked brilliantly. It can again
It is easy to get depressed about the trauma of Tibet and the
suppression of Tibetan cultural and political aspirations. It is,
after all, almost half a century since the Dalai Lama fled his
country. He has never been able to return and recent events make
it highly unlikely that he will in the foreseeable future.
[
weiterlesen ]
Government leader in Tibet confirms protests by monks in
Lhasa | 11.03.08 | AP
The head of China's regional government in Tibet confirmed
Tuesday that about 300 Tibetan monks staged a protest march this
week in the capital of Lhasa but said authorities diffused the
incident without arrests. [
weiterlesen ]
China warnings could be aimed at dissent: rights groups
| 11.03.08 | AFP China's warnings of a series of sinister Tibetan and Muslim
threats could be part of a campaign to silence all manner of
dissent ahead of the Olympics, rights groups and activists say.
[ weiterlesen ]
Tibet: Chinesen unterbinden Protest von Mönchen Peking
| 11.03.08 | dpa
Die chinesische Polizei hat laut Medienberichten Dutzende Mönche
bei einem Protestmarsch in die tibetische Hauptstadt Lhasa gegen
die Besetzung ihres Landes festgenommen.
[ weiterlesen ]
China schnürt Korsett für Popstars enger |
07.03.08 | Tages-Anzeiger
Nachdem die isländische Sängerin Björk an einem Auftritt in
Shanghai «Tibet! Tibet!» schrie, verschärft Chinesische Führung
die Regeln für Konzerte ausländischer Musiker. [
weiterlesen ]
Massive Kritik an
Pekings „Tibet-Entwicklung“
| 05.03.08 | Die Presse
Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen warnen vor den negativen Folgen
der neuen Eisenbahn nach Lhasa. Je näher der Beginn der
Olympischen Spiele in Peking rückt, desto mehr häufen sich die
Berichte von Nichtregierungsorganisationen über die Verletzung
von Menschen- und Minderheitenrechten in der Volksrepublik.
[
weiterlesen ]
Press Release: China’s Consulate in Switzerland calls off
Tibetan New Year reception 03.02.07 | Tibetan Community
in Switzerland & Liechtenstein
According to reliable sources the Chinese Consulate-General in
Zurich, Switzerland, has cancelled a planned reception on
February 2, 2008 on the occasion of the Tibetan New Year. The
obvious aim of the planned reception was to invite as many
Tibetans living in Switzerland and Liechtenstein as possible.
[ weiterlesen ]
Stadt wartet auf Dalai Lama | 21.01.08 |
RP Online
Mönchengladbach (RP) Am 17. Mai ist der Dalai Lama in Gladbach.
Er ist das politische und religiöse Oberhaupt der Tibeter. Die
Stadt macht sich fit für seinen Besuch. Franz Alt, der den Dalai
Lama bereits 21-mal traf, zeigte den Film „Tränen über Tibet“.
[ weiterlesen ]
Zwei Mönche aus dem Kloster des Panchen Lama begehen
Selbstmord
20.01.08 | DailyNet.de
Wie Radio Free Asia, www.rfa.org, aus Quellen in Tibet und aus
Indien erfuhr, haben zwei ältere Mönche aus dem Kloster
Tashilhunpo in der zweitgrößten tibetischen Stadt Shigatse
Selbstmord begangen, weil sie der Ausgrenzungskampagne, die von
den dort tätigen chinesischen Beamten gegen sie durchgeführt
wurde, nicht mehr Stand halten konnten. Gyaltsen Tsepa Lobsang,
71, und Yangpa Locho, 71, wurden am 8. September bzw. am 4.
November erhängt aufgefunden. Beide waren Mönche im Kloster
Tashilhunpo, dem historischen Sitz des Panchen Lama und dem
Schauplatz erbitterter antichinesischer Proteste Mitte der 90er
Jahre. [
weiterlesen ]
Dalai-Lama-Vertreter: Westen muss bei Menschenrechten
standfest sein 02.12.07 | APA
Wien (APA) - In China könne man im Vorfeld der Olympischen
Spiele in Peking von einer Verschärfung der
Menschenrechtspolitik sprechen, was Anlass zur Besorgnis gebe.
Dies erklärte der Repräsentant des Dalai Lama für Zentral- und
Osteuropa, Kelsang Gyaltsen, anlässlich seines Besuchs in
Österreich.
[ weiterlesen ]
Rongye Adrak und weitere zu langen Haftstrafen verurteilt |
21.11.07 | TCHRD
Rongye Adrak, der am 29. Oktober 2007 vom Mittleren
Volksgericht von Kardze vierer "Verbrechen", die von Störung der
öffentlichen Ordnung bis zu Staatsgefährdung reichten, angeklagt
wurde, ist einer dem TCHRD zugegangenen bestätigten Information
zufolge heute zu acht Jahren Gefängnis mit Verlust der
bürgerlichen Ehrenrechte für weitere vier Jahre verurteilt
worden. Adruk Lopoe wurde zu zehn Jahren, Kunkhen (Jamyang
Goinqen) zu neun Jahren und Lothok zu drei Jahren verurteilt.
[ weiterlesen ]
„Der Kopf des Buddhas fiel in seinen Schoss“ |
06.11.07 | Süddeutsche Zeitung
Peking – Ein Pfarrer aus Weilheim ist durch Zufall Augenzeuge
der Repression in Tibet geworden. Auf einer Reise zum Berg
Kailash in Westtibet konnte Pfarrer Robert Maier mit ansehen,
wie chinesische Sicherheitskräfte eine von gläubigen Tibetern
errichtete Buddha-Statue sprengten. Die knapp zehn Meter hohe
Statue aus Beton hatte im Dorf Darchen am Fuße des Berges
gestanden, der von Buddhisten als heilig verehrt wird. [
weiterlesen ]
Tibet feiert die Auszeichnung des Dalai Lama |
25.10.07 | TibetInfoNet
Es gibt Zeugnisse aus dem gesamten tibetischen Siedlungsraum,
also den traditionell U-Tsang, Kham und Amdo genannten Regionen,
daß an vielen Orten Tibeter die Verleihung der
US-Kongreß-Goldmedaille an den Dalai Lama am 17. Oktober 2007
gefeiert haben. Diese Ereignisse beweisen wieder einmal mehr die
Vergeblichkeit der Bemühungen seitens der chinesischen Behörden,
die Tibeter von ihrer Verehrung für ihr im Exil lebendes
Oberhaupt abzubringen. Da die Behörden befürchteten, daß die
Bevölkerung öffentlich feiern könnte, hatten sie im voraus die
Sicherheitsvorkehrungen verschärft und in mehreren Gegenden
jegliche religiöse oder sonstige festliche Zusammenkunft in der
Öffentlichkeit verboten. Viele Tibeter setzten sich jedoch über
die behördlichen Anordnungen hinweg und verbrannten Räucherwerk,
zogen Gebetsfähnchen auf und veranstalteten Feiern, worin man
den Einfluß sehen kann, den das tibetische Oberhaupt selbst nach
vier Jahrzehnten im Exil immer noch auf Herz und Gemüt seines
Volkes hat. [
weiterlesen ]
Tibet: Polizei hält Mönche im Kloster fest
|
21.10.07 | APA
Als buddhistische Mönche die Auszeichnung des Dalai Lama
durch den US-Kongress feiern wollten, schritt die Polizei ein.
Laut der Hongkonger Tageszeitung "Ming Pao" ist es in Tibet zu
mehrtägigen Auseinandersetzungen zwischen hunderten
buddhistischen Mönchen und der Polizei gekommen. Grund dafür
seien die Feiern der Mönche anlässlich der Auszeichnung des
Dalai Lama mit einer Ehrenmedaille in den USA.
Nach den Zusammenstößen wurde den rund 1100 Mönchen und
Dutzenden Besuchern untersagt, das Zhaibung-Kloster in der
tibetischen Hauptstadt Lhasa zu verlassen, berichtete die
Zeitung weiter. 3000 bewaffnete Polizisten hätten das Gebäude
umstellt. Es gab keine Berichte über Festnahmen oder Verletzte.
China hatte die Ehrung des Dalai Lama als Farce kritisiert. Bei
der Verleihung forderte US-Präsident George W. Bush das Land zu
einem Dialog mit dem geistlichen Oberhaupt der Tibeter auf.
Merkel sichert Dalai Lama bei Treffen Unterstützung zu
|
23.09.07 | AFP
Berlin (AFP) — Ungeachtet der Proteste Chinas hat
Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) dem Dalai Lama bei einem
Treffen im Kanzleramt Unterstützung bei seinen Bemühungen um die
Wahrung der kulturellen Identität Tibets zugesichert. Merkel
habe den Dalai Lama als religiösen Führer gewürdigt und ihn
ihrer Unterstützung versichert "in seiner Politik des
gewaltlosen Strebens nach religiöser und kultureller Autonomie",
erklärte Regierungssprecher Ulrich Wilhelm. [
weiterlesen ]
Sprachlos in China
|
01./02.09.07 | Neue Zürcher Zeitung, B.W.
Redlich hat sich die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Merkel diese
Woche während ihrer China-Visite bemüht, auch über heikle
politische Themen zu diskutieren. Der Mangel an Menschen-,
Freiheits- und Bürgerrechten kam ebenso zur Sprache wie die
Probleme mit der Produktpiraterie und dem ungenügenden Schutz
des geistigen Eigentums. Nichts Besonderes, sollte man meinen,
dient solche Kontaktpflege auf höchster Regierungsebene doch dem
umfassenden Dialog. [
weiterlesen
]
Wednesday,
27 February 2008, 5:05 p.m. 
Rede S. H. des Dalai Lama: