Tibetans Implore His Holiness to Assume the Role of Ceremonial Head of State

[Tuesday, 24 May 2011, 7:57 p.m.]

from: www.tibet.net

DHARAMSHALA: The landmark Tibetan National General Meeting which successfully concluded today unanimously approved a proposal to beseech His Holiness the Dalai Lama to assume the role of ceremonial head of state.

The 4-day meeting attended by Tibetans across the world deliberated the draft amendments to the Charter on the devolution of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s political and administrative powers to the democratically elected Tibetan leadership.

The meeting also endorsed a proposal to request His Holiness to accept the inclusion of the new Preamble and responsibilities assigned to him in Article 1 in case if he turns down the proposal on his ceremonial role. The Article 1 makes him the protector and symbol of the Tibetan nation.

The two proposals will be presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 25 May. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will address the delegates on the same day.

The meeting also discussed other amendments to the Charter, which include the executive powers assigned to His Holiness in Article 19. The 9 provisions under Article 19 would be pass on to the Kashag and the Parliament.

The Parliament will meet for a special session from 26 – 28 May to give its approval to the amendments.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama then ratify the Charter.

In his closing remarks, Mr Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, said the general meeting has sent a very strong signal to the Chinese government that the Tibetan people are united on the fundamental issues of Tibet.

He underscored that the newly elected Kalon Tripa and the new members of Parliament will have even greater responsibilities to shoulder in the near future.

Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche delivered his closing statement on an auspicious note by announcing the prophesy of the State Oracle of Tibet, Nechung, that His Holiness the Dalai Lama would live up to 113 years. His Holiness will live up to the predicted age if the Tibetan people could successfully maintain morality, unity and enhance their collective merit, Kalon Tripa told the delegates.

Over 418 delegates representing Tibetan communities living across the world, including Asia, the United States, Europe and Russia, participated in the meeting.

Tenzin D. Sewo
P. O. Box
CH-8036 Zurich
Tel/Fax +41 43 536 29 09

Tibetan Youth Congress calls off Indefinite Hunger Strike

by Tsewang Rangzen

on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 7:00pm

The Tibetan Youth Congress decided 25 days ago to embark on an indefinite hunger strike aimed at highlighting the grave situation in Kirti monastery and the situation of the political prisoners in Tibet. We also made specific demands in relation to the same at the time. Our demands included:

Immediate withdrawal of the “patriotic re-education” campaign and Chinese troops from Kirti Monastery and to unconditionally release all political prisoners including those arrested recently from Ngaba.

Access for Tibetan Youth Congress delegation to assess the situation of political prisoners inside Tibet.

We appeal world governments and non-governmental organizations to recognize and support the historical status and struggle of Tibet as an Independent nation.

Since we began this hunger strike campaign, we have continued to receive pleas from inside Tibet, indeed from Ngaba region itself – where Kirti monastery is located – requesting us to end our hunger strike. They convey that, “Under the Chinese occupation in Tibet, aside from ordinary Tibetans who are consistently oppressed, the intellectuals, artists and writers are equally targeted if not worse. Given such circumstances, Tibetans in the free world should not jeopardize their lives and should stay healthy and call off this hunger strike.” These requests – sent from our brothers and sisters inside our occupied homeland and from the Tibetans in exile all over the world– touched us deeply.

Twenty-five days after we began our hunger strike, our demands are not yet met. The situation continues to be grave. This is not surprising. Those who have harshly and heartlessly oppressed our people in Tibet for the last over fifty years, and continue to detain and torture anyone they suspect of supporting the just yearning for a free Tibet, cannot be expected to act otherwise.

Our campaign has received overwhelming support and encouragement from Tibetans, friends of Tibet and supporters all over the world particularly by various officials from Embassies and High Commission. We had the current Kalon Tripa Professor Samdhong Rinpoche call on the hunger strikers as well as the Kalon Tripa-elect, Dr, Lobsang Sangay la and Kalon and Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, Mr. Tempa Tsering la. A message from His Holiness conveyed by the Kalon Tripa expressed concern regarding the health of the hunger strikers and the letter from the Kashag stated that “the campaign has already generated ample attention, solidarity and support and requested the strike be called off”.

Today we had a prestigious visit to the site of the hunger strike headed by Ms Anne Vaughier Chatterjee, Attache, European Union Delegation to India, officials from various Embassies and High Commission such as UK, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Poland who firmly requested that this hunger strike be called off due to the deteriorating health of the executive members and .

They also handed us a letter signed by members of the European Parliament including, Heidi Hautala, Chair of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Laszlo Tokes, MEP Vice-President of the EP responsible for religious dialogue, Edward McMillan-Scott, MEP Vice-President of the EP responsible for human rights and democracy and Gagriele Albertini, MEP Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

It said, “We the members of the European Parliament are fully committed to defending human rights in the world and understand your demands and fully support your ongoing peaceful struggle against the oppression of the Chinese government…” “…In the light of the above, we hereby reiterate our commitment to keep the issue of Tibet high on our agenda. We also believe that it would be of vital importance to send EU delegation as well as support independent journalists enter the region…”

In view of staunch requests from the delegation of European Union and their assurance for a continued support for Tibet in particular the issue at Ngaba Kirti Monastery coupled with pleas from our brothers and sisters inside Tibet, we have decided to indefinitely call off the hunger strike today. With a very heavy heart and tears in our eyes, the Tibetan Youth Congress calls off this fast however, we pledge that we will not cease to fight for a Free Tibet. If anything, our resolve today is even stronger than it was 25 days ago. We thank the many people in Tibet, in India and all over the world, who offered support to us in this hunger strike and support the just cause of Tibet.

—
Asia Regional Coordinator
International Tibet Network
Jogiwara Road, P.O. Mcleod Ganj – 176 219
Distt Kangra, Dharamsala
H.P. INDIA

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Why the Dalai Lama Matters to Americans?

Bhuchung K. Tsering

http://weblog.savetibet.org

May 18, 2011

One of the privileged opportunities that I have when working for the International Campaign for Tibet is being deputed to assist in the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the United States. In the Tibetan spiritual context, it is not only an honor but a blessing for me to be anywhere close to His Holiness and to be able to see and hear him on a daily basis. This is an opportunity that many Tibetan people, particularly those in Tibet today, can only dream about.

His Holiness just finished a very meaningful visit to California, Minnesota, Texas, Arkansas and New Jersey, about which you can read on www. dalailama.com or www.tibet.net.

While his religious stature is certainly a draw, it is the simplicity of his messages that seem to resonate well with people at all levels of American society. During this visit, the audience at his public talks, who constituted students, educators, scientists, politicians, all reacted positively to his call for just being a good human being. Even journalists, who are bound to be skeptics, took the opportunity of a press meet in Newark, New Jersey, to virtually get his advice on how to cope with the social problems in their countries, be it Mexico or Japan. His call for the promotion of inner values or secular ethics in the wholesome development of an individual has now become a serious topic of research by major American educational institutions.

His message of optimism with the youth of the 21st century is something that will continue to impact American society. At a time when many Americans take their lives for granted in this country, with all its amenities and freedoms and only have a pessimistic view of the country, the Dalai Lama encourages them, as he did at different places during this visit, to take a broader view and to count their blessings. I thought his sharing of his own personal experience, which he did a couple of times, was particularly effective. His statement “At 16, I lost my freedom, at 24 I lost my country” brought a sense of reality quite a few times during this visit.

His view that all individuals, whether an ordinary person or a leader, are the same at the fundamental human level is not just preaching but a way of life for him. He exemplified this during his trip, whether it was meeting a 11-year old boy reporter at a press meet in Minneapolis, President George W. Bush in Dallas, a security guard at the stadium in Fayetteville, or Martin Luther King II, the son of Martin Luther King Jr., in Newark.

His Holiness also displayed his ability to appreciate the simple joys of life during this visit. In Fayetteville, his hotel was on the campus of the University of Arkansas. At few occasions, he took the time to let the people there know that he greatly enjoyed the large trees nearby and the early morning singing by birds in the trees.

During this visit, the Dalai Lama discussed topics ranging from secular ethics to healing to democracy to peace. But most of all, he reminded the American people to appreciate their situation and to find positive meanings in their lives. I think this is why the American people feel the Dalai Lama still matters.

EU High Representative Lady Ashton expresses concern on Kirti Monastery situation

[Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 2:03 p.m.]

BRUSSELS: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, Lady Ashton, has expressed concern over the situation at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba region of Tibet in her letter to MEP Provera who had called on her last month urging to promptly condemn the crackdown in order to prevent further human rights violations in Tibet.

“I am very much concerned by the reports of deaths, beatings and mass detentions of monks at the monastery. The European Union Delegation in Beijing has attempted to gather facts concerning this incident, but has been unable to do so as it appears that the Chinese authorities have sealed off the monastery and all foreigners have been expelled from the area. The delegation will nevertheless continue to attempt to obtain more information about the situation on the ground,” she said.

“The European Union has repeatedly urged the Chinese authorities to allow Tibetans to exercise their religious, educational and cultural rights,” EU High Representative further noted.

“The European Union will raise the situation at Kirti monastery in its future contacts with the Chinese authorities, and will urge them to refrain from the use of force in dealing with the situation at Kirti monastery and to allow Tibetans to exercise their cultural and religious rights without hindrance,” Lady Ashton said.

Kirti Monastery in Ngaba region has been under undeclared martial law situation since 16 March following to the self-immolation of Phuntsog, a 21- year- old monk from the monastery in protest against the Chinese Government’s repression. Two elderly Tibetans have died as a direct result of severe beatings by Chinese police as they, along with other senior citizens attempted to stop Chinese police from taking around 300 monks to an undisclosed location. A wave of arrest has taken place in the recent days.

Kashag Congratulates Kalon Tripa-Elect Dr Lobsang Sangay

Thursday, 28 April

Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche and his cabinet colleagues have congratulated Dr Lobsang Sangay on being elected as the next Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration.

DHARAMSHALA: In a congratulatory message, Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche said: “I and my fellow members of the Kashag would like to extend our congratulations to Dr Lobsang Sangay for winning the election with an overwhelming majority.”

“As the present change in leadership coincides with a significant transition in the exile polity, we place great hope and feel at ease to have a young, educated, honest and determined new Kalon Tripa,” Kalon Tripa said.

“We wish him success in all future endeavours and at the same time extend our felicitations,” he added.

Dr Lobsang Sangay, a senior fellow of Harvard University, won 27,051 votes (55 percent) in the final round of polling held on 20 March. Out of 83,990 registered voters, 49,184 cast their ballots.

Dr Sangay will take charge as the new Kalon Tripa after the incumbent Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche’s five-year tenure ends on 14 August 2011.

In 2001 the Tibetan parliament, on the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, amended the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile to provide for direct election of the Kalon Tripa (Chairman of the Cabinet) by the exile populace. The Kalon Tripa, in turn, nominates the other Kalons (cabinet members), and seeks the parliament’s approval for their appointment.

“I view my election as an affirmation of the far-sighted policies of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and another important step towards the realization of his vision of a truly democratic Tibetan society. I believe the success of the recent Kalon Tripa and Chitue elections and the active participation of the Tibetans in the elections is a significant moral victory,” Dr Sangay said after winning the election.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation and extend my deepest support to the people in Tibet who continue to show tremendous courage even in the most difficult of situations. Our hearts and minds are steadfastly with them,” he said.

“I urge every Tibetan and friends of Tibet to join me in our common cause to alleviate the suffering of Tibetans in occupied Tibet and to return His Holiness to his rightful place in the Potala Palace,” he added.