DHARAMSHALA: The Tibetan Torture Survivors and Rehabilitation Division of the Department of Health is currently organising an eight-day mental health workshop at Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (VIMHANS), New Delhi.

A total of 19 nurses and community health workers from various health centers under Department of Health and Delek Hospital are participating in this workshop.

This workshop primarily aims to improve their understanding of the common mental health conditions in addition to building their capacity in prevention and management of these conditions.

The resource persons include about 12 highly experienced mental health specialists from VIMHANS who are providing training in many interesting topics like child and adolescent mental health, Post traumatic stress disorders, basic counseling skills, trauma counseling, psychotherapy, addiction and substance abuse.  Additionally, Dr. Pema Dorje, who previously worked as a senior medical officer at Men-Tsee-Khang, will speak about the Tibetan medicine’s perspective of dealing with mental illnesses and its holistic approach to prevent them.

This workshop is being facilitated by Department of Health’s staff, Sonam Dolma and Tsetan Dolma.

Chinese security forces patrol a street in Lhasa, the capital of Lhasa/File photo

Dharamshala: The Tibet Policy Institute (TPI), a think-tank of the Central Tibetan Administration, yesterday released the revised version of its White Paper on Tibetan self-immolations on the occasion of International Tibet Solidarity Day.

The White Paper titled ‘Why Tibet is Burning..’ explains the fundamental reasons behind the ongoing wave of self-immolations inside Tibet and the alarming escalation in the protests witnessed in the past few months.

The revised version is available in English, Chinese and Tibetan, Russian, Czech, German, Hungarian, and Italian languages. All the translations are facilitated by the Department of Information & International Relations and concerned Offices of Tibet (OoT), especially OoTs in Geneva, Taiwan and Moscow.

“We issue this report to illuminate the deeper layers of the current crisis in Tibet. It is our hope it will motivate and assist members of the international community to urge the new leadership, led by Xi Jinping, to initiate wise new policies in regard to the Tibetan people. As we have repeatedly said, the blame for and the solution to the crisis in Tibet lies in the hands of the Chinese leadership” Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay stated in the foreword of the book.

Despite the Kashag’s repeated appeals to the Tibetan people not to resort to drastic actions such as self-immolation, over 117 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet to protest against the continued occupation and repression of the Chinese government. The self-immolators have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

Secretary Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang with the participants.

New Delhi, May 18, 2013: Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang, Secretary, Department of Home [DoH], Central Tibetan Administration paid a visit to Second Chance Programme at New Delhi today. He met 21 young Tibetans who are the recipients of the programme. He was accompanied by Chime Rigzin,  Additional Secretary and Jigmey Tsultrim, Joint Secretary of DoH.

Second Chance Programme is an initiative of Delhi and Gurgaon based organisations; Ritinjali and Pallanvanjali for students who have not been able to continue their studies in school. The students are mostly between 17 – 24 years of age. Empowering the Vision Project discovered this programme for young Tibetans. Empowering the Vision Project found this opportunity for unemployed youth through Mr. Arun Kapur who chairs the ENVISION Trust and also heads Ritinjali. In the past, Empowering the Vision has sent one person from Transit School to the programme.  

21 young Tibetans are provided free food and home during the course of 12 months of training and internship. These 21 Tibetans are from Tibetan settlements like; Kollegal, Mundgod, Mainpat, Chandragiri, Ladakh and Nepal. They have been in the programme for a month now. TechNoServe India funded some of these needy students’ travel from their settlements to Delhi.

They share their food and home with 16 non-Tibetan students. Many of these non-Tibetan students have already completed the training part of the programme and are already working with different 5 Star Hotels, Bakeries, and Restaurants. Some are also working with Fashion Designers in and around Delhi.

In the initial six months, students will be taught key skills in communication, personality development, learning, basic numerical and information technology. This programme aims to instil self- esteem and confidence in the youth. It provides age appropriate education and vocational skills to enable the youth to become constructive members of the society.

In the following six months, students will be given job specific training like; Bakery and Confectioneries, Computer Applications, Cooking, Banking and Fashion Designing. Internship and job placement support will be provided at the end of the one year programme.

Secretary of DoH wished all the participants very well and thanked Ritinjali and Pallavanjali for this wonderful programme.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking to Tibetan students during their meeting in Madison, Wisconsin on May 16, 2013. Photo/Jeremy Russell/OHHDL

[dalailama.com]

MADISON: His Holiness the Dalai Lama met privately with a group of Chinese and afterwards with a group of Tibetan students studying in the USA.

The Chinese group consisted of 51 students from Madison and Chicago, among them 10 from Tibet; 13 professors teaching in Madison and Chicago; 15 Chinese scholars and 13 Taiwanese. His Holiness held a warm and friendly conversation with them, mostly in English. He acknowledged the potential benefits to Tibetans of being part of the PRC, but also asserted Tibetans’ determination to preserve their language, religion and culture. He explained the profound knowledge of the mind, which is of value to the world, only preserved in the Tibetan tradition.

He regaled them with anecdotes from his visit to China 1954-55 and his conversations with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders. 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking during a meeting with Chinese students in Madison, Wisconsin on May 16, 2013. Photo/Jeremy Russell/OHHDL

Speaking to the Tibetan students in their mother tongue, he stressed the importance of study. He also extolled the value of Tibetan language, religion and culture. He reminded them that the literature and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism contain the most thorough and comprehensive presentation of Buddhist thought in the world. This is essentially the Nalanda tradition. What’s more, the dialectical method developed in India and maintained in Tibet, with its sharp logic and use of reason results in a mental acuity that His Holiness has found has equipped him, with no modern education, to follow the explanations and findings of modern scientists and hold his own in discussions with them. This reasoned and logical approach can be applied to other areas of study.

His Holiness acknowledged that in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries Tibet was a united, powerful nation, but that after that central rule became fragmented. However, the consistent source of Tibetan unity since then has been the shared Tibetan language, religion and culture. Therefore, he encouraged the students to keep up their Tibetan studies even while they need to conduct their academic studies in English. 

His Holiness also gave a comprehensive explanation of the background to the Middle Way Approach, emphasising that it had involved careful thought at every stage. He pointed out that it continues to attract support internationally and among informed Chinese intellectuals and thinkers. He reiterated that he has completely retired from political responsibility, but feels he retains a moral responsibility to explain such things.

As His Holiness left Deer Park, his host Geshe Sopa was there among well-wishers to see him off. His Holiness then flew to New Orleans where he was met at the airport by representatives of Tulane University and Louisiana State Senator Gary Smith.

Sikyong giving a talk at Uppsala University in Sweden

Sikyong’s maiden visit to Sweden from 15-17 May was hosted by the Swedish organization for Individual Relief – Individuell Manniskohjalp (SOIR-IM). Upon his arrival at the Arlanda airport, Stockholm, he was received by Mr. Bo Paulsson, Secretary General of the Board of IM and Ms Sofio Olsson, Regional Director South Asia of IM and by a section of the Tibetan community in Sweden (TCS).

The same evening Sikyong was invited by TCS to Langholmens Folkhogskola, where Rinzin Tsomo, President of TCS along with about 30 Tibetans and an equal number of Swedish Tibet supporters (members of Swedish Tibet Committee –STC) accorded him a traditional welcome.

Sikyong gave a talk to the gathering on democracy in exile and the current status of Tibet; and later answered the questions raised by the audience, which also included a Member of Swedish Parliament Ms. Desiree Pethrus (KD). Despite being a weekday the turnout was good which the Sikyong acknowledged in his talk. After the talk TCS hosted a dinner prepared by the Tibetans to the Sikyong.

Media coverage of Sikyong’s maiden visit to Sweden

On 16 May, Sikyong had a breakfast meeting with senior officials dealing with Asia of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sikyong apprised them about the grim situation inside Tibet and the need for dialogue to peacefully resolve the issue.

Sikyong also gave a series of media interviews, five in all, to Swedish radio and newspapers.

The new incoming Secretary General of IM Ann Svensen – who takes office in August 2013 – hosted the lunch that day. Sikyong congratulated her on her new assignment and assured his cooperation in working together effectively with her in the days and years ahead.

Sikyong met with Swedish Members of Parliament representing five different political parties inside the Parliament building including Kirsten Lundgren, Spokesperson in Foreign Affairs for the Centerparty, member Council of Europe, vice-president in political affairs. (She has tweeted a picture that can be fund on Sikyong’s twitter – plz upload the picture). He gave a brief talk on the grim situation inside Tibet and solicited their support in raising the issue in the Parliament. He thanked them for meeting with him and urged them to revive the Intergroup for Tibet in the Swedish Parliament. He apprised them of the observance of International Tibetan Solidarity Day on May 17^th every year and called on them to continue their support for the just Tibetan cause.

Later that evening Sikyong was invited to speak at the Uppsala University on the topic “Democracy in exile”. The students had exams the next day but despite this a sizeable number turned up for the talk, mostly students and few professors. The talk was followed by a very interactive Q&A session.

The next morning, Sikyong was invited to visit the Head Office of SOIR-IM at Lund, southern Sweden, where he had a detailed interaction with the concerned staff members on the status of ongoing projects financed by IM and on finding ways to strengthen the partnership between CTA and IM in the years ahead. He thanked the IM and through them to all the individual donors for supporting the Tibetan community and the Tibet cause. In the afternoon Sikyong had a luncheon meeting with the new incoming President of the Board of IM. In the afternoon Sikyong gave a talk on democracy in exile and the current status of Tibet to almost 80 invitees, including IM staff members, followed by Q&A session.

Sikyong with Kirsten Lundgren, Member of Swedish parliament, Spokesperson in Foreign Affairs for the Centerparty, member Council of Europe, vice president in Political Affairs. Sikyong met with her and other Swedish MPs inside the Parliament building. She tweeted this picture on her twitter feed.

The talk at IM was the last official engagement of Sikyong on his maiden Sweden visit. Sikyong thanked IM for organizing the visit very professionally. His maiden visit generated good media coverage most notably the publication of his lengthy interview in the largest circulating newspaper in Sweden.

Sikyong was accompanied by Representative Thubten Samdup and Assistant Tenzin Kunga during his visit to Sweden and Norway. 

Namgyal Monastery’s abbot presiding over a grand prayer service on the international solidarity day for Tibet in Dharamsala, India

DHARAMSHALA: Tibetans living across world marked 17 May as the international solidarity for Tibet, with the Central Tibetan Administration urging the Tibetans in the free world to reinvigorate their efforts to fulfil the aspirations of their brethren for freedom in Tibet.

The Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile have jointly decided to observe International Solidarity Day on 17 May every year. It symbolises international community’s solidarity with the aspirations of the Tibetan people inside Tibet who yearn for freedom and continue to stand strong in the face of great adversity. The day also marks the day when 11th Panchen Lama Gendhun Choekyi Nyima disappeared suspiciously in 1995 at the age of 6 after His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognised him as the reincarnation of his predecessor on 14 May.

Thousands of Tibetans, Indians and foreigners joined the campaign organized by the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala.

A day-long exhibition organized by the Tibet Museum entitled ‘History of Tibet’, ‘A Long Look Homeward’ and the self-immolation protests by Tibetans In Tibet against the Chinese rule drew a stream of visitors, including foreigners, Indians and a posse of journalists who are in Dharamsala to cover the Indian Premier League extravaganza.

A grand prayer service was held at Thekchen Choeling Tsuglagkhang, the main temple, to express solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet and pray for all those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet.

Following the prayer service, Kalon Pema Chhinjor and Tibetan Parliament Deputy Speaker addressed thousands of Tibetans.

In his address, Kalon Pema Chhinjor said the self-immolation protests by Tibetans inside Tibet symbolizes the failure of Chinese government to win the hearts and minds of Tibetans after more than fifty years of its invasion and rule over Tibet.

Over 117 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

He said Tibetans living in Tibet, especially writers and singers, put their lives at grave danger to express their deep resentment against the Chinese government’s policies to annihilate the Tibetan identity.

Officiating Sikyong Kalon Pema Chhinjor and Deputy Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel take part in a minute’s silence to express solidarity with and pray for all those Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet

Kalon Pema Chhinjor said His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s decision to devolve his political responsibility to the democratically-elected Tibetan leadership has won the great appreciation of the international community.

He said that the Middle-Way policy to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue with the Chinese government is supported by the Chinese people.

Kalon Pema Chhinjor strongly called on the Tibetans to remember that the international support to the issue of Tibet is solely due to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visionary leadership.  He urged the Tibetans to be responsible in their actions to ensure that these do not disturb the visions of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

He also said in strongest possible that the Tibetan writers have the freedom of speech, adding that they should also take the responsibility to ensure that their writings don’t harm the cause of Tibet.

He called on the Tibetans to make constructive contributions to the efforts made by the Central Tibetan Administration.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel said there is a continuing and the best possible support from the international community to the Central Tibetan Administration’s Middle-Way policy and their resolute adherence to a non-violent and democratic approach to resolve the problem of Tibet.

He said the disappearance of 11th Panchen Lama and his fate symbolises the continuing tragic situation in Tibet and the repression faced by Tibetans under the Chinese rule. 

Some of the Indian and foreign tourists at an exhibition on Tibet organised by the Tibet Museum

Tibetan parliamentarians, Mr Pema Jungney, Ms Yangchen Dolkar, and Ms Dhardon Sharling meeting with Governor of Assam

Political parties pledge support for Parliamentary resolution on Tibet

Guwahati, May 16, 2013: The 6-day lobby campaign in Assam concluded today at Guwahati following a press briefing by the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation at the Press Club of Guwahati. A 3-member Tibetan Parliamentary delegation called on the political leaders, bureaucrats and intellectuals, in the Indian State of Assam for stronger expressions of solidarity and support to finding a lasting solution to the Tibetan struggle.

Honourable Governor of the State, Shri J.B. Patnaik, received the delegation at Raj Bhavan on May 11. The Governor lamented the unprecedented spate of self-immolations inside Tibet and said that ‘it should stop as the stone- hearted Chinese leadership will not be moved by such acts.’ “One must survive to struggle,” said the Governor who served as the former Chief Minister of Odisha.

The Governor expressed the need for ‘expedient intervention of United Nations in the escalating crisis inside Tibet.’ Honourable Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA), Shri Pranab Kumar Gogoi reiterated the same. “Lone, isolated voices across the globe will not undo the atrocities in Tibet, instead a tenacious and resolute action from the United Nations will effectuate the effective addressing of the plight” said Gogoi.

Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Shri Bhimananda Tanti expressed appreciation for the ‘non-violent movement and the unflinching spirit of the Tibetan people.’

Over the 6-day lobby campaign in the State capital, the delegation met with Members of Indian Parliament: Rajya Sabha MP Shri Bhubaneshwar Kalita (Congress State President and also observer for the All India Parliamentary Forum for Tibet), Lok Sabha MP Shri Raman Das (BJP), Lok Sabha MP Smt Bijoy Chakravarty (BJP). Successive meetings with the leaders of the four major political parties of the State: Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), All India United Democratic Front party (UDF) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) proved successful. The delegation also briefed Shri Sarbananda Sonowali – BJP State President and former Lok Sabha MP and D. Bora -Secretariat member of Communist Party of India (CPI).

The Tibetan parliamentary delegation during their meeting with the Speaker of the Assam State Assembly

The Parliamentarians and party leaders concurred with the view that ‘India has a single, united voice on the Tibetan issue,’ and pledged steadfast support for the passing of an ‘All-Party Parliamentary Resolution on the Tibet crisis’. Assam has 21 members in the Indian Parliament with a breakdown of 14 in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha including Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who filed for his re-nomination yesterday at the State Capital.

The Tibetan delegation met with the Ministers of the State: Minister for Planning and Development, Shri Tanka Bahadur Rai, Minister for Information and Public Relations, Shri Basanta Das, Minister for Cooperation and Border areas development, Shri Siddique Ahmed.

The delegation also met with members of Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA): MLA Shri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (former Chief Minister of Assam and now party president of AGP), MLA Captain Robin Bordoloi (INC), MLA Shri Sherman Ali Ahmed, (AIDUF) and MLA Shri Monowar Hussain (AIDUF).

The other 122 MLAs of Assam with whom the delegation couldn’t engage in a direct face-to-face meeting were apprised of the campaign and its goals through a memorandum sent via priority mail.

The Tibetan parliamentary delegation addressing a press conference in Guwahati

The delegation visited the National Law College in the capital and met with the Vice Chancellor Dr. Gurjeet Singh and Registrar Kausar J Hilaly.

Since the year 2009, the Tibetans inside Tibet have resorted to a new heightened form of non-violent political protests: that of self-immolation. Since February 27, 2009 till April 24, 2013, 117 Tibetans (men, women, monks, nuns) have set themselves alight protesting the brutal Chinese rule and 100 of them have succumbed to their injuries.  They have made a clarion call for: freedom inside Tibet and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama into Tibet. Tibet today remains under virtual lockdown and a communications blackout thus exacerbating the situation.

This year the Tibetan Parliament in exile launched a massive ‘All-India Lobby Campaign’ to highlight the critical situation inside Tibet and to seek bolstered support of the Indian leaders and people while alongside calling for immediate global intervention to end the crisis inside Tibet.

While deeming the unflinching support of the Indian Government and its people towards the Tibetan people as significant, the delegation appealed the State leaders for substantial and public expressions of solidarity and support amid the unprecedented spate of self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet and the subsequent deepening crackdown by Chinese Government. The delegates also urged India to engage in urgent diplomatic actions that assert multilateral pressure on the Chinese leadership to address the true grievances of the Tibetan people inside Tibet.

Led by former speaker Pema Jungney, the delegation also includes two women parliamentarians- Yangchen Dolkar and Dhardon Sharling. The first phase of the ‘East and Central India’ lobbying campaign was held in the month of January in four Indian states: West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Four North-East States: Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya constitute the second phase of the ‘All-India Lobby Campaign.’

Press Contacts:

Mr. Pema Jungney, 9736185856, email: p_jungney@yahoo.com

Ms. Yangchen Dolkar, 9436103446, email: yang_s@rediffmail.com

Ms. Dhardon Sharling, 9418791189, email: dhardonsharling@gmail.com

We are deeply concerned about the so-called “face-lift project” that is currently underway in Barkhor and the old town area of Tibet’s capital Lhasa.

Apparently, for this project China is investing 196 million US dollar to upgrade “infrastructure” in the old town of Lhasa. However, according to recent reports, it confirms that the actual plan is to completely transform the Jokhang and Barkhor area which is of great spiritual and cultural heritage of Tibetans for more than a thousand year, into a superficial tourist spot.

Fearing this inevitability under Chinese regime, the Central Tibetan Administration in the past had pleaded many times with the UNESCO and other organizations for the inclusion of Jokhang and Barkhor area in the World Heritage list. We strongly urge the Chinese leadership to stop destructing one of the last remnants of spiritual, cultural and social centre of Tibet.  

Media contacts:

Mr Tashi Phuntsok, DIIR Secretary, +91 98050 22510
Mr Tsering Wangchuk, Press Officer, +91 98827 28337

By Edward Lucas

The West must unite to resist Chinese bullying against those who meet Tibet’s leaders