Tibet Intergroup Blog

WARNING TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT: DEATH OF THE DALAI LAMA’S BROTHER

Exhausted after his recent journey to Europe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was briefly hospitalised in order to rest. Thupten Jigme Norbu, his elder brother, also known as Taktser Rinpoché, died on 5 September 2008. Thupten Jigme Norbu was born in Taktser, a small mountain village in the Amdo region of Tibet. At the age of 3 years he was recognised by the former Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Taktser Rinpoché. At the age of 9 years he was taken to the monastery of Kumbum, where the founder of the Gelugpa school, Tsong Khapa, was born. At 27, he was chosen as the Head of the Monastery, and Kumbum was one of the first places to be invaded by the army of the Popular Republic of China. The army kept Thupten Taktser Norbu assigned to residence, and insisted that he denounce his young brother, the Dalai Lama, then aged 15 years. Instead, Norbu went to Lhassa and warned his brother of the threat of Chinese invasion. Norbu himself fled China in 1950 and tried to warn the world about the atrocities and actions of the PRC in Tibet.

He worked continually for the Tibetan cause, and was representative of the Tibetan government in exile in Japan and also in the USA. He has written several books and given numerous lectures on the Tibetan cause. In 1979, he founded the Tibeto-Mongol Buddhist Cultural Centre, and co-founded the Tibet Independence Movement.

The death of Norbu, committed partisan for the independence of Tibet, and the hospitalisation of the Dalai Lama, partisan for the middle way in negotiations with China, sounds a warning bell to the Chinese government to rapidly find an arrangement with the moderates. The Dalai Lama has called for an urgent meeting on Tibet because of “the serious situation inside Tibet”, as provided for in Article 59 of the Constitution of Tibet. This meeting will take place between 17 and 22 November in Dharamsala, and will be attended by Tibetan Ministers, parliamentarians and officials, as well as representatives of NGOs, experts and intellectuals.

Chronique de France-Tibet, Bouddhisme Actualités, October 2008

Statement by Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Enyoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and I had the honour of briefing His Holiness the Dalai Lama immediately after our arrival yesterday from China. Kalon Tripa, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, joined us in the briefing. We also briefed the Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Dolma Gyari, this morning. The Speaker, Mr. Karma Choephel, is currently on an official visit.

On 4 May 2008 in Shenzhen, China, we met with Executive Vice Minister Zhu Weiqun and Vice Minister Sithar of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party. We would like to express our appreciation to the hosts for accepting our suggestion to hold this informal meeting in Shenzhen as well as agreeing to a meeting of principals without aides. Executive Vice Minister Zhu Weiqun and Vice Minister Sithar were our counterparts for the last several years. This long relationship made it possible to have open and frank discussions in a friendly and respectful atmosphere, despite the prevailing tense and grave situation in Tibet.

Our main purpose of seeking this urgent informal meeting was to discuss the critical situation in Tibet. There were strong and divergent views on the nature as well as the causes of the recent tragic events in Tibet. These views were expressed in a frank and candid manner. On our part we rejected categorically the accusation made against His Holiness the Dalai Lama of instigating the demonstrations and unrest in Tibet. Instead we made it clear that the events in Tibet are the inescapable consequences of wrong policies of the authorities towards the Tibetans, which goes back several decades. The recent crisis in Tibet is a clear symptom of eepley felt grievances and resentment of the Tibetans with these policies. The task at hand is to address the legitimat concerns of the Tibetan people in a realistic and construcitve way.

We have stressed the importance of ending the current repression throughout Tibet. We have called for the release of prisoners, to allow those injured to be given proper medical treatment and give unfettered acces to visitors, including the media. We have also called for an end to the "patriotic re-education" campaign which is deeply resented by the Tibetan people.

We also rejected the accusation that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is sabotaging the Olympic Games 2008. On the contrary, we made clear that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consistently and unambiguously suppoerted the Beijing Olympic Games right from the beginning.

Despite major differences on important issues both sides demonstrated a willingness to seek common approaches in addressing the issues at hand. In this regard, each side made some concrete proposals, which can be part of the future agenda. As a result an unterstanding was reached to continue the formal round of discussions. A date for the seventh round will be finalised soon after mutual consultations.

We welcome the recent statement of President Hu Jintao that his government is "serious" about the dialogue and his acknowledgeing that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is being "conscientious and serious". This statement is encouraging at a time when there is growing skepticism about China's sincerity in resolving the Tibet issue through dialogue.

08 May 2008, Dharamsala

Imprisonment of human rights activist Hu Jia - A bad omen for the Olympic Games

Press release: Brussels, April 3rd, 2008

This Thursday, after only a one-day trial, the Chinese human rights activist and cyber-dissident Hu Jia was sentenced to three and a half years of prison for criticizing the ruling Communist Party as well as an alleged incitement of subversion of state power.

Thomas Mann, President of the Tibet Intergroup of the European Parliament (EPP-ED Group), strongly condemned this verdict: "China shows once more how little it respects human rights. Free speech is a value that we cannot cherish highly enough. The fact that diplomats and journalists were refused admittance to the trial demonstrates that Beijing has not learned anything," the CDU-MEP said.

Thomas Mann pointed to the emergency sitting of the European Parliament on January 17th, where the plenum condemned the arrest of Hu Jia and unanimously passed a resolution demanding his immediate release.

"For years, Hu Jia has passionately devoted himself to the fight for human rights. I especially want to point to his participation at our press conference on human rights in Brussels in October 2007 through a live broadcast. That was very courageous," Mann added.

The President of the Tibet Intergroup appealed to Beijing to finally realize that a politics of systematic restriction of human rights is ostracized by the world community. The conviction of Hu Ja should further reduce the chances to smoothly conduct the Olympic Games. "I appeal to the International Olympic Committee to insist that the Chinese comply with the commitment they made when they were awarded the Olympic Games: that they will improve the human rights situation."

President of the Tibet Intergroup: Events in China are cultural genocideEuropean Parliament is urged to actLet Tibetans participate at the Olympic Games!

Press release: Brussels, March 18th, 2008

Thomas Mann, the President of the Tibet Intergroup of the European Parliament, has fiercely condemned the most recent Chinese excess of violence against Tibetans. Around one hundred of them have died up to this point. These targeted arrests and killings by the Chinese authorities are a "cultural genocide".

According to Thomas Mann, Beijing attempts to turn the "gathering of the youth" into a propaganda show, presenting the illusion of an ideal world that does not exist. "The Tibetans have been provoked intentionally by leading   the Olympic Torch Relay through their homeland, all the way to the peak of Mount Everest. I believe that communist China's treatment of minorities and its true face as a totalitarian regime will become apparent during the worldwide media-attention of the Olympic Games. That's why a boycott would not lead us very far."

The hope of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that awarding the games to China would open up the country and improve the human rights situation, has not been fulfilled. At his speech on Tiananmen Square last year, IOC-President Jacques Rogge did not even once mention the situation of human rights. Apparently, China concluded that also the Olympic community practices a "culture of looking away". Thomas Mann urged the IOC as "worldwide active civil society organization to not only fulfill its sporting but also its social responsibility. I recall the European Parliament Tibet-Conference in November 2007 in Brussels, where Olympic champion Dieter Baumann called on the IOC to let Tibetan athletes march under the Olympic flag."

Thomas Mann suggests a similar initiative as was practiced at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, where the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony was lit by an Aborigine, the athlete Cathy Freeman. Back then the IOC pointed towards the social and cultural repression of the Aborigines in Australia and made an impressive contribution to international understanding.

The Christian-Democratic Member of the European Parliament, Thomas Mann (EPP-ED), has appealed to the President of the EP, Hans-Gert Pöttering, to intervene against the violence of the Chinese regime in Beijing. Furthermore, the EU Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, should place the brutal course of action of Chinese security forces against the Tibetans high up on the agenda of the EU-China-Dialog. Mann advocated an emergency-debate of the European Parliament and the passing of a pertinent resolution.

Thomas Mann MEP, President of the Tibet Intergroup

 
Background Information:
Thomas Mann, Member of the European Parliament, has been President of the Tibet-Intergroup of the EP (approx. 100 members) since 1999. The TIG organizes regular meetings in the European Parliament, where exile-Tibetans as well as international experts provide information on social, cultural and religious questions. The Tibet-Intergroup substantially influences the European Parliament's human rights resolutions.

The Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Forty-Ninth Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day

On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people's peaceful uprising in Lhasa on 10 March 1959, I offer my prayers and pay tribute to those brave men and women of Tibet who have endured untold hardships and sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Tibetan people and express my solidarity with those Tibetans presently undergoing repression and ill-treatment.-I also extend my-greetings to Tibetans in and outside Tibet, supporters of the Tibetan cause and-all who cherish justice.

For nearly six decades, Tibetans in the whole of Tibet known as Cholkha-Sum (U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo) have had to live in a state of constant fear, intimidation and suspicion under Chinese repression.-Nevertheless, in addition to maintaining their religious faith, a sense of nationalism and their unique culture, the Tibetan people have been able to keep alive their basic aspiration for freedom. I have great admiration for the special characteristics of the Tibetan people and their indomitable courage. I am extremely pleased and proud of them.

Many governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals across the world, because of their interest in peace and justice, have consistently supported the cause of Tibet. Particularly during the past year, governments and peoples of many countries made important gestures that clearly expressed their support to us. I would like to express my gratitude to every one of them.

The problem of Tibet is very complicated. It is intrinsically linked with many issues: politics, the nature of society, law, human rights, religion, culture, the identity of a people, the economy and the state of the natural environment. Consequently, a comprehensive approach must be adopted to resolve this problem that takes into account the benefits to all parties involved, rather than one party alone. Therefore, we have been firm in our commitment to a mutually beneficial policy, the Middle-Way approach, and have made sincere and persistent efforts towards achieving this for many years. Since 2002, my envoys have conducted six rounds of talks with concerned officials of the People's Republic of China to discuss relevant issues. These extensive discussions have helped to clear away some of their doubts and enabled us to explain our aspirations to them. However, on the fundamental issue, there has been no concrete result at all. And during the past few years, Tibet has witnessed increased repression and brutality. In spite of these unfortunate developments, my stand and determination to pursue the Middle-Way policy and to continue our dialogue with the Chinese government remain unchanged.

A major concern of the People's Republic of China is its lack of legitimacy in Tibet. The principal way to lend weight to their position is for the Chinese government to pursue a policy that satisfies the Tibetan people and gains their confidence. If we are able to achieve reconciliation by treading a path of mutual consent, then, as I have already stated many times, I will make every effort to win the support of the Tibetan people.
   
In Tibet today, due to the Chinese governments numerous actions, driven as they are by a lack of foresight, the natural environment has been severely damaged. And, as a result of their policy of population transfer the non-Tibetan population has increased many times, reducing native Tibetans to an insignificant minority in their own country. Moreover, the language, customs and traditions of Tibet, which reflect the true nature and identity of the Tibetan people are gradually fading away. As a consequence, Tibetans are increasingly being assimilated into the larger Chinese population. In Tibet, repression continues to increase with numerous, unimaginable and gross violations of human rights, denial of religious freedom and the politicisation of religious issues. All these take place as a result of the Chinese governments lack of respect for the Tibetan people. These are major obstacles the Chinese government deliberately puts in the way of its policy of unifying nationalities which discriminate between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. Therefore, I urge the Chinese government to bring an immediate halt to such policies.

Although the areas inhabited by Tibetan people are referred to by such different names as autonomous region, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties, they are autonomous in name only; they actually have no real autonomy. Instead, they are governed by people who are oblivious of the regional situation, and driven by what Mao Zedong called Han chauvinism. As a result, this so-called autonomy has not brought the concerned nationalities any tangible benefit. Disingenuous policies that are not in tune with reality are causing enormous harm not only to the respective nationalities, but also to the unity and stability of the Chinese nation. It is important for the Chinese government, as advised by Deng Xiaoping, to seek truth from facts in the real sense of the term.

The Chinese government severely criticises me when I raise questions about the welfare of the Tibetan people before the international community. Until we reach a mutually beneficial solution, I have a historical and moral responsibility to continue to speak out freely on their behalf. However, it is common knowledge that I have been in semi-retirement since the political leadership of the Tibetan Diaspora has been directly elected by the general Tibetan populace.

China is emerging as a powerful country due to her great economic progress. This is to be welcomed, but it has also provided China an opportunity to play an important role on the global stage. The world is eagerly waiting to see how the present Chinese leadership will put into effect its avowed concepts of "harmonious society" and "peaceful rise". For the realisation of these concepts, economic progress alone will not suffice. There must be improvements in observance of the rule of law, transparency, and right to information, as well as freedom of speech. Since China is a country of many nationalities, they must all be given equality and freedom to protect their respective unique identities if the country is to remain stable.

On 6 March 2008, President Hu Jintao stated: The stability in Tibet concerns the stability of the country, and the safety in Tibet concerns the safety of the country. He added that the Chinese leadership must ensure the well-being of Tibetans, improve the work related to religions and ethnic groups, and maintain social harmony and stability. President Hus statement conforms to reality and we look forward to its implementation.

This year, the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of the Olympic Games. I have, from the very beginning, supported the idea that China should be granted the opportunity to host the Olympic Games. Since such international sporting events, and especially the Olympics, uphold the principles of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, equality and friendship, China should prove herself a good host by providing these freedoms. Therefore, besides sending their athletes, the international community should remind the Chinese government of these issues. I have come to know that many parliaments, individuals and non-governmental organisations around the globe are undertaking a number of activities in view of the opportunity that exists for China to make a positive change. I admire their sincerity. I would like to state emphatically that it will be very important to observe the period following the conclusion of the Games. The Olympic Games no doubt will greatly impact the minds of the Chinese people. The world should, therefore, explore ways of investing their collective energies in producing a continuous positive change inside China even after the Olympics have come to an end.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my pride in and appreciation for the sincerity, courage and determination of the Tibetan people inside Tibet. I urge them to continue to work peacefully and within the law to ensure that all the minority nationalities of the People's Republic of China, including the Tibetan people, enjoy their legitimate rights and benefits.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Government and people of India, in particular, for their continuing and unparalleled support for Tibetan refugees and the cause of Tibet, as well as express my gratitude to all those governments and peoples for their continued concern for the Tibetan cause.

With my prayers for the well-being of all sentient beings.

The Dalai Lama
10 March 2008

N.B. Translated from the Tibetan



Tenzin D. Sewo (Mr)
Special Assistant to the
Envoy of H. H. the Dalai Lama

The Tibet Bureau
Place de la Navigation 10
CH-1201 Geneva
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T +41 22 738 79 40
F +41 22 738 79 41

tenzin@tibetoffice.ch / www.tibetoffice.ch
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(The Tibet Bureau, Geneva is the sole official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in Dharamsala, India for Central and Eastern Europe)

2008 - Good Year for Tibet

The Tibetan cause is at a crucial moment for the future of Tibet. It is nearly 60 years since the People's Republic of China invaded Tibet, and after countless and terrible violations of human rights, a genocide having entrained a huge demographic deficit of the Tibet people, and the destruction of an ancient culture, the Olympic Games will signal the entry of China into the concert of nations. Nevertheless, the Olympic hymn risks sounding false, and migtht even signal the start of a boycott, if the situation of human rights in China and Tibet does not improve.

It cannot be ignored that the Cinese government is the object of a complaint in the Spanish courts of genocide against the Tibetan people. It cannot be forgotten that relegious liberty is made ridiculous in Tibet, as for example the imprisonment of great Tibetan masters such as Bangri Rinpotché and Tenzin Delek Rinpotché. Neither can we forget the disappearance of Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, the young Panchen Lama, kidnapped in 1995 after being recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is nearly 73 and has suggested that his successor should be elected by Tibetans in exile and in Tibet. The official Chinese oppostion to this process suggests a hidden agenda on the part of the Chinese government. One can suppose that the replacement of the Panchen Lama aims at the nomination by China of a Dalai Lama, after the death of the 14th in line.

In this context, is ist conceivable for democratic nations to celebrate the Olympic spirit without the start of negotiations between the Tibetan government in exile and the Chinese government? Can the nations that have so far neglected to help resolve the question of Tibet continue to ignore the fate of six million Tibetans and risk of the disappearance of a unique culture, so rich in humanity?

How can these negotiations come about? One way would be to follow the movement that started in 2007, with a series of official reception being held to receive the Dalai Lama at the highest level. The Austrian Chancellor received the Dalai Lama as did the Austrian President, and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who courageously persisted in face of Chinese pressure. Not only did the President of the United States receive the Dalai Lama, but the US Congress also presented him with a gold medal. Since the French President Nicolas Sarkozy has received Mouammar Khadafi, could he not also receive the Dalai Lama when he comes to France in August 2008?

The Dalai Lama has called for the transformation ot Tibet into a peace zone between China and India, which is of course in the interest of the world and its inter-dependant economy. It is in this spirit, for peace and reconciliation, that we can wish that 2008 will be an excellent year for Tibet and the world.

Chronique de France-Tibet, Bouddhisme Actualtés, January 2008

The Dalai Lama ready to name his successor

During a recent visit to Japan, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that if the Tibetan people want to conserve the system of the Dalai Lama, one oft the possibilities he envisaged was to choose the next Dalai Lama himself whilst he was still alive. The successor could be elected democratically amongst the most eminent Tibetan Buddhist monks, or named directly by the actual Dalai Lama.

"If China should choose my successor after my death, the Tibetan people would not be able to offer him support because he would not be considered Tibetan", said the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan people worry what will hapen after the present 72 year old Dalai Lame dies.

The Chinese government has recently decreed that all reincarnations of living Tibetan Buddhas should obtain official authorisation from the Chinese communist government. In 1995, the Chinese government authorities arrested a boy of six years old chosen by the Dalai Lama as the future Panchen Lama, second in the Tibet Buddhist hierarchy. China then designated its own candidate, who pledged allegiance to the government in place in Beijing.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was born into a peasant family. At the age of two years, he was noticed by monks designated to seek the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, and confirmed this choice by identifying a prayer necklace and other relics belonging to the precedent Dalai Lama.

Bouddhist Actualités, January 2008