Nepal stops exiles from marching to Tibet, 30 held

Mon Jul 28, 2008
From Reuters India



KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali police detained 30 Tibetan refugees, including nuns and monks, marching to the Tibetan border to protest against crackdowns on anti-China demonstrators.

The exiles were picked up on Sunday from the northeastern Nepali village of Jalbire, close to the Friendship Bridge which lies on Nepal's border with China and is the only international gateway to Tibet open to tourists.

"They were trying to march to Tibet and see the situation there for themselves," said Tashi Dorjee, a refugee in Kathmandu.

The march on Sunday was the latest in a series of protests by exiled Tibetans in Nepal since deadly anti-government riots broke out in Tibetan capital Lhasa and other areas in China in mid-March, to mark the anniversary of a 1959 failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Nepal, where more than 20,000 exiled Tibetans live, is the second-biggest home for Tibetans outside Tibet after neighbouring India.

Police officer Suraj Khatri Chhetri said the refugees were being driven to Kathmandu, where they would be handed over to immigration authorities.

Nepali police broke up a similar march by Tibetans this month and detained 42 exiles in the same area.

Last week, New York-based Human Rights Watch said that China was putting pressure on Nepal to crack down on protests by the Tibetans, a charge Beijing has denied.
Nepal considers Tibet part of its influential giant neighbour China.

In India, six members of the Tibetan Youth Congress began a hunger strike on Monday in New Delhi to protest against the Olympic Games, which will open next month in Beijing.

"The Chinese people deserve to host the Olympic Games, but what the Tibetans and the Chinese people deserve more now is freedom," the organisation said in a statement.

Dalai Lama preaches compassion, responsibility

by Jonathan Bastian, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

Sunday, July 27, 2008




To the Dalai Lama, they are inextricably bound to his life, his religion and his future legacy.

Consider this: Every morning at 4 a.m., the Dalai Lama rises in the pitch black and sits inside a sacred room to practice between four and five hours of meditation. Clothed only in humble red robes, he is completely alone, sitting cross-legged on the ground, contemplating the teaching and texts of Tibetan Buddhist masters.

For years, people have asked him exactly what he is meditating on. And for years, he has given them a one-word answer that is a primary tenet of Tibetan Buddhism: compassion

Yet the word “compassion” for the Dalai Lama has come to symbolize something more than mere altruism on a local scale, but rather, on a global scale.

After watching his country invaded, his monasteries destroyed and his culture dismantled by the Chinese, the Dalai Lama was forced to leave Tibet and enter the worldwide community, infusing the globe with his idealistic messages and Tibetan Buddhist ethics. This situation was summed up perfectly by famed journalist Pico Iyer, who said earlier this week at the Aspen Institute, “That Dalai Lama would always tell me, ‘I’ve lost my country, but I’ve gained the world.’”

And so it was only fitting that the Dalai Lama discussed his concept of global responsibility and compassion on Saturday morning at the Benedict Music Tent as the keynote address for the Aspen Institute’s symposium on Tibetan culture.

A century of dialogue

Capping off a week that included lectures by Tibetan scholars and practitioners, such as Bob Thurman and Sogyal Rinpoche, Saturday’s lecture began with a performance of traditional Tibetan chant and dance by Tibetan monks from the Drepung Monastery. The stage was decorated with colorful prayers flags designed by local children at the Anderson Ranch.

When the Dalai Lama walked onto the stage amid a booming standing ovation, he wore white Tibetan katak (scarf) that was also decorated by local children with red peace signs.

“I was very touched by this,” said the Dalai Lama, pointing to the scarf. “Young children’s minds are not yet spoiled. They still have a feeling of humanity.”

He then began to speak about his idea of global responsibility, which, he believes, begins not with laws or legislation, but with changing our fundamental view of the world.

“Our basic feeling of self and desire for happiness is the same,” he said. “If you look at the world from space, you see one globe. There are no real boundaries. There is too much emphasis on secondary differences — religion, nationality, ethnicity. On a basic level, we are the same. We forget basic humanity.”

This concept of universal similarities among humans, according to the Dalai Lama, must guide how we act on a global level. For example, he proposed the idea of the Americas joining together with a sense of unity, and the same for Europe.

“You have to consider your neighbor not foreign, but part of yourself,” he explained.

Moreover, the Dalai consistently harped on the importance of dialogue in terms of solving international disputes. This, of course, is a message that he has been preaching to Chinese for more than 50 years in terms of opening a discussion about the future of Tibet.

“The 21st century is a century of bloodshed,” he said. “This should be a century of dialogue.”

In terms of government, the Dalai Lama made it perfectly clear that he is a proponent of Marxism versus a totalitarian leadership or a capitalist system.

“I am attracted to the Marxist sense of lifting the lower classes,” he continued. “It is about the well being of working-class people that are normally exploited by the richer classes.”


The Dalai Lama’s discussion of Marxism, however, was not a completely extraneous or hypothetical topic.

Throughout his lecture, he repeatedly pointed to and spoke to a group of Chinese professors sitting near the front of the music tent, at times castigating the current Chinese administration, which claims to rule with socialist principles.

In essence, the Dalai Lama opined that the original precepts of the Chinese communist regime had merit in the sense that they were designed to help the lower classes. However, he claimed that this original sense of political integrity has degenerated.

“The Chinese leaders have become corrupt,” he argued. “They only think of profit, and have lost a sense of purity in the original movement.” At one point, he also referred to the Chinese government as, “totalitarian and capitalist.”

The Dalai Lama expressed concern over human rights and their standing in the Chinese constitution, which are not provided for in reality. In the case of Tibet, he claimed there is both “human rights violation and violation of religious freedom.”

As such, the Dalai Lama pleaded that the media have a “long nose,” in order to smell the truth of what exists both in front of them and behind them.

“They must inform the public clearly and openly,” he said. “Transparency is very important.”

The issue of transparency within the media has been a central in discussions about Tibet.

During last spring’s uprisings on the Tibetan plateau, foreign journalists were expelled from the country and only state-sponsored media were allowed. The government also set up a series of media tours in which they hand selected Western journalists and gave them limited access to Tibet.

Most recently, many western media outlets, such as NBC, are beginning worry about having autonomy at the Beijing summer Olympics to cover projected demonstrations that the Chinese government would rather not be televised internationally.

The essence of compassion

Towards the end of his lecture, the Dalai Lama returned to the theme that he has spent his life preaching — compassion.

According the Dalai Lama, compassion exists on two levels.

The first is on the biological level, which he said was necessary for survival, like the way a mother cares for her children.

The second level relates to training and reason, which is something that needs to be habituated, practiced and extended to on a universal level, instead just to one’s own family.

“According to science [practicing compassion] makes the body better and the immune system stronger. So many people spend their money on medicine and sleeping pills. People that have compassion don’t need these.”

The Dalai Lama’s scientific arguments in this passage are not unfounded. Throughout the week, a world-renowned professor from Stanford University spoke about a new project, “Project Compassion,” in which scientists are currently measuring the direct correlation between a compassionate mind and its positive effects on the body.

It is also important to note that in the past decade, the Dalai Lama has taken a serious interest in the connection between Buddhism and science, even saying that if certain Buddhist principles are overturned by scientific truths, they should be discarded.


Returning again to this topic of compassion, at the end of his lecture, the Dalai Lama was asked by an audience member how it can be that in such a beautiful place like Aspen, people can be so rude and cantankerous. And moreover, can the Dalai Lama teach how to resolve this issue?

Fittingly, the Dalai Lama reminded the audience that change, compassion and global responsibility begin with individuals, not just with the Dalai Lama.

“I don’t know,” he laughed. “This is your responsibility, not mine.”

"March for Tibet's Independence” Starting in Madison on July 25

FISHERS, Ind.-A 185 mile “March for Tibet's Independence” begins at 12pm at the Capitol Building (4 East Capitol Square) in Madison, Wisconsin on July 25 and concludes at China's Consulate in Chicago on August 8. The conclusion of the walk coincides with the opening of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Tibetans and their supporters from Wisconsin, other regions of the United States, and India will participate. The walk route proceeds east from Madison to Kenosha.

Wisconsin State Representatives Joseph Parisi and Spencer Black will be featured speakers at the 12pm kickoff rally being held at the Wisconsin Capitol Building.


Jigme Norbu (son of Taktser Rinpoche and nephew of His Holiness The Dalai Lama) will walk. Norbu stated, “We have not achieved my father's lifelong dream of restoring Tibet's independence. I will continue to do whatever is necessary to achieve his dream and to voice the desires of my 6 million brothers and sisters inside Tibet who only want independence and who continue to demonstrate this desire in spite of the brutal force they experience at the hands
of China's military and police.”

According to Lobsang Tenzing, President-Wisconsin Tibetan Association, “This walk will educate the citizens of our great State about the horrific conditions inside of Tibet, the cruelty of China's government, and the genuine desires of Tibetans to peacefully resolve the Tibet-China dispute. Our citizens will also learn the implications for the United States of China's rise as a super power.”

The Venerable Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan Monk, will also walk. Gyatso is in his late 70's and he served 33 years as a political prisoner of China. Since being released, Gyatso has traveled the world advocating for Tibet, and participated in many hunger strikes and walks. Gyatso will begin walking on July 27 and he will participate until the conclusion.

This is the 14th major 'March' or 'Bicycle Ride' for Tibet's independence organized by the International Tibet Independence Movement (ITIM) since 1995. ITIM walkers and bike riders have compiled 3,440 miles in more than 340 days!

The Wisconsin Tibetan Association and the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago are assisting with the coordination of this walk.

ITIM was co-founded in 1995 by Taktser Rinpoche and Professor Larry Gerstein to obtain Tibet's independence through non-violent methods. While ITIM is headquartered in Indiana, there are over 10,000 supporters of this organization worldwide.

Isabel Losada's top 10 books about the Dalai Lama and Tibet

Isabel Losada is the author of the The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment and For Tibet, With Love: A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World. For Tibet, With Love is an exploration of the old question 'What can one person do to make a difference?' as applied to the Chinese government's policy on Tibet. Here Isabel Losada chooses her top 10 books on the subject of non-violence, the Dalai Lama and the Tibet.
Isabel Losada's website
Act for Tibet website

1. The Story of My Experiments with Truth: An Autobiography by Mahatma Gandhi

We have to start here as even the Dalai Lama admits that Bapu has been an inspiration to him. As a young man, when Tibetans came to him demanding to be allowed to take up arms to protect Tibet the young Dalai Lama would imagine what Gandhi would have said to them. If you are weary of the war on terror, reading the life of Gandhi will restore your faith in mankind.

2. The Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

I wanted this on the list because of the common misconception that Mandela was violent. His fight against apartheid was non-violent for many years. They did eventually resort to bombing empty buildings - but never people. If you haven't read this astoundingly inspiring autobiography - where have you been?

3. Freedom in Exile by the Dalai Lama

The first autobiography of the Dalai Lama, written when he was a young man who had recently been driven into exile. Full of passion and, rather ironically as it turned out, hope. What I love about this book is the way it weaves the recent history of Tibet (since about 1945) with the Dalai Lama's personal story so I learned about Tibetan history but was gripped by the personal details. Like Mandela - an inspiring life. It's amazing how many people read 'little books of Buddhist sayings' that have the Dalai Lama's name on the cover and yet have no idea of the story of his life.

4. The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama with Howard Cutler

This has been compiled by a western psychiatrist Howard C Cutler in a series of long conversations with the Dalai Lama. I found Mr Cutler rather rambling but we all need to be reminded by His Holiness that peace has to be inside us before we can help anyone or anything. Happiness, personal responsibility, peace, empathy, compassion - wouldn't it be good if these were on the curriculum in our schools as they are in the Tibetan monasteries?

5. The Dragon in the Land of Snows: The History of Modern Tibet since 1947 by Tsering Shakya

If you've ever wondered why the world stood by and let the Chinese communist party walk into Tibet and destroy this ancient and unique culture - read and be horrified. The British come off as particularly culpable as we had diplomatic representation in independent Tibet. We decided to ignore that fact as it was inconvenient for us. We are still ignoring it.

6. Eighteen Layers of Hell: Stories from the Chinese Gulag by Kate Saunders

It is hard to believe that institutionalised torture goes on today in China. But reading this book, which includes firsthand accounts of life in the Laogai (Chinese labour camps) and details of medieval forms of torture, will leave you in no doubt. A hard read but certainly one of the most important books that I've ever read. You will never again want to buy a single item that says 'Made in China.'

7. The Hotel on the Roof of the World by Alec le Sueur

Very different from the book above, this is the light-hearted true story of the author's five years running a hotel in Lhasa. It makes Fawlty Towers seem an oasis of calm. He unfolds his tale with genuine wit and compassion for all points of view.

8. The Search for the Panchen Lama by Dr Isabel Hilton

You may be amused to know that the atheist Chinese government apparently knows more about the recognition of reincarnations than the Dalai Lama. This is the tale of how a young boy believed by Tibetans to be an incarnation of wisdom was arrested at the age of six and hasn't been seen since. He was detained because he was supposed to be the person responsible for identifying the next Dalai Lama. Instead there will now just be a mess, as the book explains.

9. The Dance of 17 Lives by Mick Brown

This is the story of the boy who got away. The other leading figure of Tibetan Buddhism, brought up under Chinese eyes to be loyal to the Chinese government, escaped over the mountains as a teenager and now lives in India. If you are sceptical about reincarnation, read journalist Mick Brown's extraordinary book.

10. The Bradt Travel Guide to Tibet by Michael Buckley

If, like me, you decide that you want to travel to Tibet then you need the help of a really travel guide. Tibet is a very dangerous place to travel - if the altitude sickness doesn't kill you then the roads probably will. This guide has all the usual things that you'd expect of a travel guide. It includes places to stay, cultural and historic information, maps and the best routes to take but the author of this guide has travelled in Tibet for over 10 years and knows his subject really well. Buying this guide may just save your life.

Sting, Dave Matthews, John Mayer and other's aid Tibet's struggle

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com, AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, AP Photo/Dan Steinberg


07/22/08 by Natalie Finn

Just in time for China's moment in the spotlight, some of the biggest voices in showbiz are taking another stand on behalf of Tibet.
Sting, John Mayer and Dave Matthews are among the rockers lending their musicianship to Songs for Tibet, an all-star album intended to draw more attention to the Asian province's ongoing struggle for national sovereignty.
The album, which will also feature tunes by Alanis Morissette, Moby and Garbage, will have a global release on iTunes Aug. 5, three days before the 2008 Summer Olympics get underway in Beijing. Hard copies will hit stores Aug. 12.
"We wanted to express our support for the Tibetan people and their message of peace through music, a fundamental means of expression, at a time when the eyes of the world are on China," said the Art of Peace Foundation's Michael Wohl, whose Dalai Lama-supporting nonprofit is behind the CD project.
Also on the track list are songs from Rush, Suzanne Vega, Imogen Heap, Damien Rice, Underworld and Duncan Sheik.
"The commitment and enthusiasm from such a wide group of artists has been astonishing and truly heartfelt. It's been exciting orchestrating such an historic project," album producer Rupert Hine said.
Wohl added: "This album will focus people's attention on the importance of Tibet, the gifts of its culture, and the crisis the Tibetan people are facing today."
And yes, the timing of Songs for Tibet's release was deliberate, he said.
In addition to being the culmination of four years—or lifetimes—of training for thousands of athletes from all over the world, this year's Olympics has been the most controversial since the Cold War-era Moscow Games, which the U.S. and others chose to boycott in 1980.
China has been questioned from all sides about a range of issues, from its air pollution to its human-rights record to its ties to the Sudanese government.
Steven Spielberg stepped down from his role as artistic adviser of the Beijing Olympics earlier this year in opposition to China's relationship with Sudan despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
In March, both Björk and the seemingly less controversial Harry Connick Jr. were both told to keep a lid on it—Björk after she shouted pro-Tibet sentiments during a concert in Shanghai, and Connick before he'd even sung a word.
Shortly after Björk was denounced for "turning a commercial show into a political performance," censors forced the New Orleans-bred crooner to revise his set list after certain songs on the original list were deemed off limits.
China has ruled Tibet since 1951, an arrangement that, according to critics, has resulted in widespread political, religious and cultural oppression.
As many as 250 people were reported killed during a government crackdown in March that resulted in widespread rioting. Chinese officials have said that its forces killed no more than one person, and that TIbetan rioters were responsible for at least 21 deaths.

Tibet protest kits offered to Aussie athletes

15/07/2008 1:13:00 PM. | by Dominic Brock livenews.com.au


Australia’s Olympic athletes are being offered a Tibet protest kit to wear in Beijing, including badges, stickers, temporary tattoos and a T-shirt bearing the words “I support human rights” in English and Chinese.

The Australia Tibet Council will offer the kits to athletes bound for Beijing, with the packs designed to avoid Olympic bans on controversial political statements by making no explicit reference to China’s record in Tibet.

Campaign co-ordinator Simon Bradshaw told Reuters the Council had wanted to take action since Chinese authorities suppressed massive demonstrations in Tibet in March.

"Going right back to March, people have been approaching us and asking how they can help Tibet in Beijing," Bradshaw said.

But he also warned that China could confiscate the kits, and could take action against athletes who join the protest.

“[There is] no doubt that athletes who choose to make public statements over Tibet may face consequences,” he said.

Mike Tancred from the Australian Olympic Committee has recommended athletes do not take the kit to China in order to avoid antagonising other competitors.

Nepal police break up Tibet protests, 118 held

From Reuters.com Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:26pm IST


KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters calling for independence for Tibet protested in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on Friday, and police said they took 118 demonstrators into custody for organising anti-China demonstrations.

Many were Tibetan exiles shouting "We want free Tibet" slogans. They burned an effigy of the Chinese President Hu Jintao near a consular office of the Chinese embassy in the Nepali capital.

They were then hauled into police vans and trucks and taken to detention centres. A police official said they would be freed later on Friday.

Tibetans have protested regularly in Nepal since the deadly Chinese crackdown on riots in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet in mid-March.

More than 20,000 Tibetans still live in Nepal since fleeing their homeland after a failed uprising against Beijing in 1959.