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Top image caption: Lobsang Wangyal proudly brandishes his Indian passport, which will allow him to vote in the upcoming Indian elections. As more Tibetans gain Indian citizenship, the Tibetan leadership’s control over their lives will begin to wane.

One of the most difficult aspects of life as a refugee must surely be the uncertainty that accompanies such an existence. This uncertainty reflects a lack of control over one’s life – where do I live? How will I get money? What work can I do? Who will take me in? Where will I raise my kids? Hence in most refugee communities around the world, the predominant trait that drives the life of a refugee is the determination, willingness and desire to get out of such a state.

When the Tibetan community is analyzed, it is very difficult for any honest individual to classify the community as refugees. As a result of 60 years of publicity and awareness-raising, and thanks to the reputation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan exile community is one of the most famous and most wealthy so-called refugee communities around the world.

The Tibetan Parliament in Exile in Dharamsala, North India. The men and women who occupy this building often have more than one passport, and own properties in other countries. The Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay, for example, owns a home in the United States with a fully-paid mortgage. Is it any wonder the leadership want their people to stay as refugees in the eyes of the world, when it has been such a lucrative scheme?

A casual visit to any of the Tibetan settlements makes this plainly obvious. The homes are large, some with swimming pools, and in their well-manicured gardens sit large cars. Side by side to these large homes are huge golden temples filled with jewels and offerings, large statues and precious relics, and surrounding the settlements are bountiful farms to produce food for the world’s wealthiest refugees. This is in stark contrast to the hundreds of millions of Indians all around them, who struggle to get enough to eat every day.

 

Tibetans Today

But it is precisely this situation that the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) are reluctant to leave behind, and precisely why after 60 years the CTA (the Tibetan leadership based in Dharamsala) continue to falsely refer to themselves as refugees. This life of luxury and wealth, which is not seen in any other refugee community in the world, has been funded for six decades by many countries who wanted to help them preserve their religion and unique way of life. But here are some points everyone needs to seriously consider:

  • After so many years of financial and moral support, how can anyone still be a refugee? How can anyone be happy to call themselves a refugee after six decades of exploiting other people’s goodwill towards them? Perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, it would have been easy to believe the CTA kept their people as refugees and refused to allow them to become citizens of other countries because they wanted to keep alive the hope of returning to their homeland. But after so many years and so little progress on the Tibetan cause, how can the CTA continue to justify enforcing the refugee mentality on their people, instead of helping them put down roots and improve their lives?
  • Today, there is definitely nothing about the Tibetan community that is actually refugee-like. Of the approximately 150,000 exiled Tibetans, a large group of them have naturalized into the USA, Europe and Australia as citizens. The remainder who live in India languish in a state of limbo – not wealthy enough to go to Western countries to seek refuge, they are also not Indian enough to access all the rights and privileges afforded to Indian citizens. What’s more, if they try to, their own Tibetan leadership sabotages their efforts to improve their lives.

A home for retired staff from the Tibetan leadership. Most Indians can only dream of living in such a home. What other supposedly besieged refugee community in the world provides such comfortable living quarters for their staff?

  • History has shown that the CTA keeps the Tibetans as refugees because it serves their own interests. In their corruptness, they became spoiled from the funding they received for free from many generous, well-meaning nations who believed their refugee sales pitch. The evidence of this? The fact that as of 2012, the CTA has received over US$2bil in funding but the settlements, while wealthier than many other refugee communities, certainly do not reflect US$2bil worth of investment. There have been accusations from long-term Tibet supporters of financial mismanagement and wasteful aid and spending.
  • It is clear that the CTA fields the refugee card because it denotes poverty, separation, disease, insecurity, torture, hunger, sickness and human rights abuses. The refugee card is an easy way to tell the public, without requiring much explanation, exactly why they should give their hard-earned money to the Tibetan leadership. Tibetans however, do not fit into any of these categories because they do not face any of these problems, unlike other refugees. Tibetans have schools, hospitals, shops, restaurants, businesses, and can send their children to Western countries to further their education. They have huge tracts of land, own hotels, operate tour agencies, hire and rent cars and buses. Do the refugees of Syria, for example, all have that?

Playing the refugee card has been a lucrative business for the Tibetan leadership. This is Dharamsala in North India, where the Tibetan leadership is based. This is not how most people would imagine refugees to be living.

  • Their actions indicate that the CTA thinks fielding the refugee card works in their favor. Once they stop being identified as refugees, and once they become citizens of any country, their Free Money Tap is switched off and the flow of easy cash into their pockets will dry up. So it is not that the CTA actually cares about their people’s welfare or the preservation of the Tibetan culture. In actuality, it would be more accurate to say that the CTA is afraid of their people naturalizing into any nation because when the number of refugees shrink, it will reduce their opportunities to exploit their people’s situation, in order to line their own pockets with more money.

 

Everyone Is Not Created Equal

The CTA’s reluctance for their people to take on citizenship from other countries would be easier to bear if they were reluctant towards all citizenships, but this is not the case. Shockingly, the CTA continues to have double standards towards who can naturalize as a citizen and who may not. In essence:

  • The Tibetan leadership appears to be practicing race-based politics. Tibetans who wish to naturalize as American, European or Australian citizens are encouraged; Tibetans who have no way of getting to those countries and instead seek to become Indian citizens, are lambasted and accused of being traitors to Tibet. In fact, the CTA intentionally creates obstacles and difficulties for Tibetans who wish to seek Indian citizenship, but they create no such obstacles for those hoping to get to the US, Europe or Australia.

This Tibetan man carries both his green Tibetan tax book (which allows him to vote in Tibetan elections) and his American passport. As time goes on, and as more exiled Tibetans leave the Tibetan settlements for other countries, the Tibetan leadership’s control over their people will wane as Tibetans get a taste of real freedom outside the purview of their leadership.

  • What this highlights is the Tibetan leadership’s racist belief that it is good to be American, European and Australian, but it is bad to be Indian. And what is shocking about that is the fact that India, out of all the nations in the world, has been the kindest to the Tibetans, being the very first to take them in as refugees in 1959. Without India’s kindness, the Tibetan community would not have had safe haven when they fled into exile; without India’s kindness, the Tibetan community would not even exist today.
  • How come Tibetan-Americans are considered Tibetan and they are not accused of abandoning the Tibetan cause, but Tibetan-Indians are insulted as traitors to Tibet? Why does the CTA consider Tibetan-Indians to be less “Tibetan” than Tibetan-Americans? The simple reason for this disparity is that the CTA considers Tibetan-Indians to be less desirable than Tibetan-Americans.

As the old adage goes, beggars cannot be choosers and if they were real refugees, would the CTA really care who their people gained citizenship from, as long as their people received refuge and a safe place to live and raise their kids?

And although the Tibetan leadership have been insulting India as a second-rate option for citizenship, the Indian government continues to be kind to the Tibetan community. After 60 years of generosity, the Indian government are still making it easier and easier for Tibetans to become Indians. Understanding that not all Tibetans can go to Western countries to improve their lives, but that Tibetans in India deserve opportunities too, India has been making it possible for more Tibetans to receive Indian citizenship, and therefore improving their access to greater employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

 

What It All Boils Down To

It is therefore a good thing that Tibetans will be participating in the upcoming Himachal Pradesh elections, and getting more involved in Indian affairs. The fact is that India has been very kind to the Tibetans and it is time for Tibetans to contribute to India through their votes. Of course the Tibetan leadership will not be happy with this and would prefer to keep their people in an insular state of blissful ignorance, focused only on Tibetan affairs. To allow their people to become aware of the workings of the wider world, is to broaden their people’s opportunities beyond the control of the leadership.

At the end of the day, it is not whether someone is Tibetan-American or Tibetan-European or Tibetan-Indian. What it really boils down to is that the Tibetan leadership are motivated by money and power, and by keeping their people as refugees, they have access to an easy income stream from the donations people funnel to Tibetan refugees. When Tibetans start becoming Indians, when they start participating in local elections and when they identify with the laws and activities of their host nations, the CTA loses control because now, their people have options. And what these options really translate to is the option not to listen to the CTA because if the Tibetan leadership is too oppressive in the future, the Tibetans now have another citizenship to fall back on.

Hence losing their refugee status which they use to get money basically means the CTA falling flat on their faces; without their refugee status, they have no money and without their refugee status, they have no Tibetans to control. What we are witnessing is, in effect, the beginning of the end of the CTA as more and more Tibetans wake up to the abuse and exploitation they have suffered under their leadership for the last 60 years.

 

Tibetans excited about voting in
Himachal Pradesh polls but exiles voice worries

Click to read the full report

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55 Comments

55 Comments

  1. sierra

    November 4, 2017 at 1:34 am

    The moment the Tibetans in the settlements obtain their Indian voting rights and soon their Indian passports, they will no longer be subject to the controlling fists of the CTA. The CTA will also lose these contributors to the coffers. Double whammy!

  2. Tsering from Switzerland

    November 4, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    The Central Tibetan Administration of Dhasa is losing more control. The Tibetans becoming Indians is bad news for Dhasa. Good news for the people. 😖

  3. christine victor

    November 4, 2017 at 11:14 pm

    The CTA is capable of “harvest” their people to get their pocket rich! 60 years of separatism in India and all they repay the India kindness is to categories India as second class to them. Now with more Tibetan born in India, their sentiment towards India is more than Tibet China. CTA is losing their grabs on their own people. How long CTA can full their peoples?

  4. Eli Buchen

    November 5, 2017 at 4:05 am

    60 years is a very long time for a community to remain refugees, and as this article states, India is super kind to the Tibetan in allowing the Tibetans to find a foothold in India.

    How does the Tibetan repay the Indians, there is not much in the news of about that at all, and certainly the Tibetans being prevented at many angles to receive Indian citizenship is another slight to the Indian government and society. Becoming an Indian citizen brings much opportunities for the Tibetans as well, so CTA stopping their people from taking on Indian citizenship reeks much of self interests.

    On top of that, CTA brings kinds of problems to the Tibetan community, with the Dorje Shudgen issue, Two karmapa issues, Kagyu vs Drukpa, etc and issues never get resolved it keeps on piling up with the time.

  5. Dondrup Shugden

    November 6, 2017 at 12:59 am

    Enough is enough of cheating, lying and not caring by CTA for the Tibetans in exile.

    The Tibetan cause of reclaiming Tibet, China is not going to happen as nothing is being done by CTA.

    Learn the advantages of no suppression, no refugee status and stability to make a future for you and your children. Wise up all Tibetans.

  6. Tokyo Dalai Lama watcher

    November 6, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    Their Tibetan ‘president’ Lobsang Sangyi is useless and accomplished nothing except using Dalai Lama’s contacts to find money to pay off the mortgage of his house in USA. The Tibetans are very resentful of this. He also obtained US citizenship and thousands of Tibetans are stateless in India. He is ‘set’ for life. Those are what he accomplished. But for the Tibetan people directly he has done nothing. People are waiting for his term to be over and retire him because he has been a time waste. They regretted voting for him due to ignorance. 👎

  7. Amber Sonam

    November 6, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    The CTA has been trying very hard to keep the Tibetans under control without much or none exposure and opportunities. They have spent the last 60 years confining the Tibetans and using them as their chip for more financial aids from the West.

    Actually, by now, people should see through the CTA pathetic and lame tactic to corrupt more money for their own use. If they choose to continue to donate, it would means:
    1. They are blinded by the CTA’s marketing strategy
    2. They will be benefited by donating to the CTA – a commission and rebate from the donation

    Otherwise, why would anyone wanted to donate to the CTA who is proven to not manage finances effectively and never transparent about where the sum goes?

  8. L Lhundup

    November 7, 2017 at 11:05 am

    More and more Indians have been asking, sometimes out of jealousy, when these permanent refugees who seem to in many cases live a better life than poorer Indian citizens themselves, are going to become tax and nation-contributing citizens of India.

    Why is it after about 60 years, the Tibetans in exile still get away with “perks” such as not paying tax and have not aligned themselves with India interests in the international landscape, such as being the thorn in the important India-China ties.

    Why is it that after constitutionally determining that Tibetans are allowed to get India passports and by default citizenship, the Tibetan government in exile who should be celebrating this milestone, is instead standing in the way of the further human development of Tibetans in India by making it difficult for Tibetans to get India passports?

    Why is it that Lobsang Sangay, as the leader of the Tibetans in India, is holding an American passport instead? Is India not good enough for him? Why is he not grateful to mother India?

  9. Emily

    November 7, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    If I’m not mistaken the settlement lands were leased. They are not freehold land given to the Tibetan refugees permanently and absolutely. In which case, wouldn’t time be running our for them? And, if that is the case, is the CTA trying to keep as many refugees around as possible so that they can argue for the Indian government to extend the lease on humanitarian grounds?

    Whichever way you see it, it stinks. As L Lhundup asked. “Why is it that Lobsang Sangay, as the leader of the Tibetans in India, is holding an American passport instead? Is India not good enough for him? Why is he not grateful to mother India?”

  10. Doreen Park

    November 8, 2017 at 8:18 am

    The Tibetan Leadership is adamant about keeping the Refugee status of the Tibetans in Exile. As long as they remain refugees in the eyes of the donors who have over the last 60 years given out to the Tibetan Leadership as much as $US 2 billion in donation,it “profits” them no end as they continue to stretch out their hand to take more and more from the foreign donors.This donation was given out to them with the understanding that it would be used to help raise the living standards of the Tibetan refugees.Unfortunately all the millions and billions of dollars have gone to line the pockets of the corrupt Leadership and their friends!

    This wealth has translated into making the Tibetan Leaders and their cronies and supporters wealthy. This group has been living it up in their exile community in India -owning huge property and broad tracts of land. This group are only refugees in name only. They have become citizens and hold passports of Western countries as well as own homes to go to in these Western countries. They frown upon Indian passports and citizenship, ungrateful people who had been given shelter and a safe haven when they had needed it most. Instead of being grateful and adopting Indian citizenship and helping to grow and develop India,they are now even obstructing their poor stateless fellow Tibetans in Exile from obtaining Indian citizenship, preferring them to remain refugees so they can continue to control them and also for them to continue stretching out their hands to donors for more money to line their pockets further!.

  11. untomable

    November 8, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    👍 I am happy & all my hope/ wish to all the Tibetans peoles in India no more statues as REFUGEE, 60 years already…. please CTA , no more REFUGEE ok !!!! whatever the Tibetans in this world holding what Nationality or Citizenship. The beautiful cultural & beliefs will no change, the only change is we no more as REFUGEE 🕯

  12. You are not a refugee anymore

    November 9, 2017 at 10:33 am

    Since Tibetans are getting citizenship and voting in India, they are not refugees anymore and should not ask for refugee status help and funds anymore. It’s time for Tibetans to wake up and work and earn their own keep. 😍

  13. Andrea Keating

    November 9, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    This article really hits the nail. The CTA has been getting away with their scheme of taking advantages of their people. I am glad that DS.com is doing something to help those Tibetans that are exploited by their leaders. I feel sorry for those who are trapped in such situation. Will definitely share this with my friends. Please do not make use of your own people CTA!!

  14. Namgyal Wangchuk

    November 14, 2017 at 3:56 pm

    Dharamshala Tibetan Settlement Officer appeals for peace
    By Lobsang Wangyal
    McLEOD GANJ, India, 14 November 2017

    Sensing the momentum gathering around a mass demonstration in Dharamshala against Kashag’s continuous silence over its decision to sack Penpa Tsering as the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in North America, the Tibetan Settlement Officer in Dharamshala has issued an appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony.

    Calls for a demonstration were made after the Kashag (Cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) ) refused to divulge details of the reason for expelling Representative Penpa Tsering.

    Kashag issued an announcement about the termination of Penpa Tsering’s duties through their website on 7 November, stating that he will end his duty on 30 November, and the current CTA Education Minister Ngodup Tsering will replace him.

    The Kashag stated “dereliction of duty” as the reason, and said that three warnings had been served, but that Penpa Tsering didn’t show any improvement in his conduct.

    The actual nature of the warnings was also not clear when the officiating President of the CTA convened a press conference on 9 November.

    Penpa Tsering on the other hand denied any wrongdoing.

    Settlement Officer Dawa Rinchen said in his appeal message that since Dharamshala being the seat of the Dalai Lama and of the Central Tibetan Administration, he urged people to respect the sanctity of the place.

    Speaking to Tibet Sun, Rinchen said that he envisaged a demonstration on the 27th of this month, but couldn’t have any estimate of its size.

    The 27th came to be the date for demonstration after an activist in NYC suggested it through his article published on Tibet Sun.

    He said, ”There’s so much talk and discussion about the issue and preparations for the protest. Many people are seen registering and others giving donations towards this event.”

    President of CTA Lobsang Sangay, who is on a European tour, spoke on 13 November about the issue in Norway, but he also refused to give details as to why Penpa Tsering was suspended.

    He said that it is the prerogative of the Kashag to appoint and terminate representatives and staff members of CTA. Kashag is not required to explain the reasons for their termination.

    Some Tibetans in the United States are saying they would stop paying the annual tax to CTA (record maintained through the “Green Book”), and people in New York are calling for a boycott of an event in New York on 10 December, the Tibetan Rally for Peace and Non-violence, which is to be attended by CTA President Lobsang Sangay and Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile Khenpo Sonam Tenphel. It is to be held at United Nations Plaza, led by North American Chithues and is organised by North American Tibetan Associations.

    However, Penpa Tsering has appealed in a video message to people in New York City and nearby areas to attend the event.

    Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/11/14/dharamshala-tibetan-settlement-officer-appeals-for-peace

    ____________________________________________________

    Tibetan unity in peril: Call for massive street protest in Dharamshala
    By Mila Rangzen
    NEW YORK CITY, US, 11 November 2017

    Like most Tibetans, including those who voted for Sikyong Lobsang Sangay in the 2016 election, I am shocked by what Sikyong Lobsang Sangay did to former speaker Penpa Tsering — the Dalai Lama’s Chief Representative posted in Washington DC. He fired Penpa Tsering a few days ago for no reason other than political revenge.

    Penpa Tsering was Lobsang Sangay’s opponent in the 2016 Sikyong election, and a tough one at that. Penpa Tsering is the only Tibetan statesman who can stand up to Lobsang Sangay and speak the truth to his face for the good of our cause and our community as a whole.

    Stand up he did, in and outside the Parliament. With humility but firmly. Roughly twenty-eight thousand Tibetans in our small exile community voted for him.

    Recognizing Penpa Tsering’s capability, experience, and integrity, the Dalai Lama’s private office recommended Penpa Tsering as the right man for the Representative job. Sikyong had no choice but to relent. Also, to appear to be burying the election grudge and the regional hatchet, that was the best bet he had. No need to point out that Lobsang Sangay is a Khampa man and Penpa Tsering is an Amdo/U-Tsang man. Track the source of the conflict. It will help the reader understand the Tibetan domestic politics. To turn a blind eye because it makes you feel uncomfortable is, in fact, an endorsement for negative regionalism to continue.

    When the media asked for elaboration on why Sikyong fired him, the response from him and his subordinates was shocking. Sikyong, laughing sarcastically, avoided the question by telling the media to talk to the Cabinet Secretary. The secretary simply said Sikyong fired him because it is in his power to do so according to the exile charter. No specific reason was given.

    The Deputy Sikyong Youthok Karma Gelek responded, at an only 10-minute-long press conference, by saying that Sikyong had served three warning notices to Penpa Tsering to mend his ways in the past one year and that he was not respecting Sikyong. When pressed for what precisely wrong did Penpa Tsering do, Youthok became overbearing and left.

    CTA, where is the transparency?

    The Dalai Lama publicly rebuked both the candidates in Dharamshala in April 2016 for stirring regional tensions among the Tibetan community during the election. Both the candidates publicly apologized. And so, we believed the matter got settled there and then. Sangay even delivered tons of speeches on the importance of Tibetan unity.

    But to our dismay, Lobsang Sangay proved us wrong. The man is still in the election campaign mode despite being in office again for almost two years. This firing on unfounded grounds is an attempt to tarnish the image and reputation of Penpa Tsering. How vindictive can Sikyong get? This is absolutely unacceptable, and it also goes against the very teaching of the Dalai Lama.

    Penpa Tsering said on Voice of America that he was served only one warning notice, and that too without any explanation. Sikyong also denied Penpa Tsering his right to explain his position. Sangay revealed his actual colours. Also, the removal of Penpa Tsering from the office is a slap in Dalai Lama’s face, and a kick to the rear of the twenty-eight thousand Amdos and U-Tsangs who voted for him.

    What can we do now?
    When we think an issue is this important, we are left with no choice but a massive protest. Protesting can help raise public awareness and prevent a cheap political vendetta that can ruin the Tibetan unity thus far achieved.

    I call for the Tibetans to come out in thousands at Gangkyi on 27 November 2017 at 10 am sharp, and do the following.

    Picket by holding up large signs at the Cabinet building and demand detailed explanation for the firing of Penpa Tsering. Gather first at McLeod Ganj and march to Gangkyi, demanding the reinstatement of Penpa Tsering to the office. Hold a vigil at night in memory of Penpa Tsering’s dedication and service to our community. Do sit-ins at the Cabinet building lobby until the demand is met. Resist threats and violence with resolute non-violent action. Be the peace warriors!

    Organise a core group of U-Tsang Association and Amdo Association if the Cholsum Association fails to do so. Assign roles to members pertaining to media coverage, permits, equipment, safety, transport, signs, and placards.

    Gather as many people as you can to help out on the day. Remember to contact them the night before to remind them about the protest. Put the word out through emails, posters and flyers, local media, social media, word of mouth, and any other way you can.

    Organise speakers for they can inspire and educate the Tibetan public, but keep the speeches short and powerful.

    Thunder into the streets! Pound sense into the head of Sikyong! Lead by example, not by ego!

    Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2017/11/11/tibetan-unity-in-peril-call-for-massive-street-protest-in-dharamshala

  15. j

    November 15, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    There is always in-house fighting among the CTA. You can see their time is coming to an end. The Indian government is allowing Tibetans to take Indian citizenship finally. As more Tibetans naturalize as Indians, they will gradually lose their allegiance to the not beneficial CTA. They will not need or depend on the CTA for anything. In this way CTA will lose more control of the Tibetan ‘refugees’ in India. You can see the useless CTA start to lose out and degenerate further and then close down. Many Tibetans are waiting for this.😖 The Indian government is gradually in this way dissolving the ineffective CTA after 50 years in India. 😖

  16. Jamyang Konchok

    November 15, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    There is always in-house fighting among the CTA. You can see their time is coming to an end. The Indian government is allowing Tibetans to take Indian citizenship finally. As more Tibetans naturalize as Indians, they will gradually lose their allegiance to the not beneficial CTA. They will not need or depend on the CTA for anything. In this way CTA will lose more control of the Tibetan ‘refugees’ in India. You can see the useless CTA start to lose out and degenerate further and then close down. Many Tibetans are waiting for this.😖 The Indian government is gradually in this way dissolving the ineffective CTA after 50 years in India. 😖😕😟😔

  17. Tenzin Ngawang

    November 17, 2017 at 8:27 am

    What will happen now

    Growing public anger as Kashag reluctant to give clear statement on NA Rep. row

    DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 16: Following the announcement to relieve North America CTA mission representative and former Speaker Penpa Tsering from his position on Nov. 7, there has been a general sense of dissatisfaction among sections of the community with some even suggesting protests and boycott of events where President Sangay is scheduled to attend. 

    While the Kashag asserts that the issue was handled as per the binding rules and with rightful authority, the handling of the situation, many say, has rolled back on President Sangay’s campaign claims of transparency and unity. An official announcement and a press briefing by Kashag have not mentioned a clear reason for Penpa’s ousting other than vague reference to dereliction in his role there and hints at insubordination.

    Officiating President Ven. Karma Gelek Yuthok told the media last week that the Kashag need not give a clarification over the transfer or firing of any staff and that the issue is an “internal matter”.

    The growing impasse between the public and Kashag’s (cabinet) reluctance to give a clear explanation over the cause of Penpa’s ousting has escalated over the last week. A New York based individual going by the name of Mila Rangzen has called for a non-violent mass protest at the end of the month here in Dharamshala, prompting the settlement officer here to issue a public appeal, urging peace and order in the community. 

    Dharamshala settlement officer Dawa Rinchen told Phayul, “While I have no knowledge of when and how many people are going to hold a protest, my prerogative is to avoid any incidents here in Dharamshala where His Holiness the Dalai Lama resides where the CTA is based and subsequently where the eyes of the international community is transfixed on. Hence I appealed the public to maintain peace here.”

    Sporadic posts and videos on social media sites such as Facebook and WeChat expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of the situation calling for a transparent approach to the matter by President Sangay led Kashag. A Tibetan nitezen Tsering Chomphel wrote on Facebook, “I personally think transparency is the first rung of so called democracy ladder. In today’s world, we cannot and should not trust any individual or group blindly. If PT is innocent this time, he needs to speak out. It’s not about PT or Kashag. It’s about peoples trust. People will surely lose trust and interest in our politics if things are not made clear this time.” 

    Tsering Samdup, a Tibetan sweater seller, said that it would be inappropriate if the Kashag issues a clarification simply because some section of the community demands it. “The concerned individual here is Penpa Tsering and if he denies Kashag’s decision and seeks clarification then Kashag might be obliged to give one. Otherwise, there is no need to clarify.”

    Another nitezen opined that three advisory letter/directives were enough caution by the Kashag. Tenzin Kunkyab wrote, “He got fired after three written warning (three yellow cards) after that they pulled red card, I don’t see any wrong with that unless PT himself have some explanation.” Penpa Tsering however claimed he only received one letter prior to his termination letter and has maintained he is not at fault.

    Some people have even called for more dramatic action to boycott the ‘Solidarity with Tibet rally for peace and non-violence’ on 10th December in New York where President Sangay is scheduled to attend. Penpa Tsering, the outgoing representative urged Tibetans in North America to participate in the event with the broader sense of the Tibetan issue at mind and not divisive politics.

    Meanwhile the Tibetan President who is currently on an official visit to northern Europe indicated that the Kashag might not budge and give a clear-cut answer on the issue. He said that Penpa Tsering has accepted the Kashag’s decision to remove him from the Washington office and his cabinet’s decision to remove and appoint liaison officers abruptly, is neither unprecedented nor illegal. 

    The NA office remains the most crucial position in the hierarchy of outposts of the Tibetan polity. The new man in that seat, Education minister Ngodup Tsering today said he has gotten the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his new role in Washington.

    http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39805&article=Growing+public+anger+as+Kashag+reluctant+to+give+clear+statement+on+NA+Rep.+row

    Citing Fatigue, Dalai Lama Appoints Personal Emissaries
    November 16, 2017 12:29 PM

    WASHINGTON — The Dalai Lama says he has appointed emissaries to attend international engagements or speak on his behalf indefinitely.

    Citing increasing physical fatigue, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader made the comments while meeting with a group of international youth leaders brought to Dharmsala, India, by the Washington-based Institute of Peace.

    “I’m 82 years old, and since last year [my] feeling of tiredness has been much increased,” he told the group during video-recorded meetings last week.

    Because he may not be able to maintain a regular international travel schedule, he said, the president of Tibet’s current government-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, along with prominent Buddhist scholar and former prime minister in exile, Samdong Rinpoche, would act as his official emissaries.

    These “trusted friends, they know my thinking,” he said. “Our work, continuously, should be more active [and internationally engaged], so in these two persons,” he said, pointing to Lobsang and Samdong, “I have full trust.”

    Looking to the dialogue moderator, USIP President Nancy Lindborg, the Dalai Lama said: “If your side … or your government’s side” has concerns, “then these two persons, either one, can participate as my representative or my personal emissary.”

    Penpa Tsering, representative for the Office of Tibet in Washington, which represents the Tibetan government-in-exile, downplayed the significance of the Dalai Lama’s statement.

    “I think this was more of a general statement,” he told VOA. “His holiness is sometimes too tired to travel, and his April visit to the United States has been suspended indefinitely, but he will continue to travel in India, and Europe is only a seven hour flight.”

    Adding that Lobsang’s presidential term is limited to five years, and the fact that Samdong has long served as a kind of unofficial deputy to the Dalai Lama, he said the November 6 comments do not represent a major diversion or change in Dharmsala’s official representation on the world stage.

    Symbol of Tibet
    However, Carole McGranahan, a University of Colorado anthropologist and historian of Tibet, says although prioritizing the Dalai Lama’s health requires a reduction in his international travel schedule, his physical absence from global engagements cannot be substituted via proxy.

    “So much of the goodwill and attention Tibet receives in the world is due to his holiness, and specifically due to his personal interactions with world leaders and with the large audiences he draws around the world. His deep wisdom, his humor and charisma, his serious attention to pressing world issues, and, of course, his model of compassion and leadership, make a deep impression on people,” she told VOA’s Tibetan Service via email.

    “For so much of the world, the Dalai Lama is the symbol of Tibet. Will his trusted emissaries be able to achieve the same effects? Of course not, as no one can truly stand in for the Dalai Lama,” she wrote. “They will be able to represent him, but no one can embody the message of Tibet as he does. His holiness’s stepping back from international travel will signal a new era of Tibetan diplomacy in the world.”

    Robert Barnett, director of the Modern Tibet Studies Program at Columbia University, says the decision may be a signal to Beijing.

    “Of course, there’s always the possibility that this move is intended as a post-19th Party Congress signal to Beijing of increased openness to a resumption of talks, or possibly even a response to a request from there,” he said. “It certainly should make Zhang Yijiong happier,” he added, referring to Communist Party’s Tibet working group chief, who told reporters on the sidelines of a party congress that there could be no excuses to meeting the Dalai Lama.

    “Except that it seems unlikely that warhorses of that type can ever be appeased,” Barnett said.

    In the United States, a California-based Tibetan monk named Tenzin Dhonden, who chairs the non-profit Friends of the Dalai Lama and was secretary of the Dalai Lama Trust, a charitable organization chaired by the Dalai Lama, has acted as a gatekeeper between the Dalai Lama and American philanthropists, scholars, celebrities and donors.

    Late last month, Dhonden, who falsely named himself Personal Emissary of Peace for the Dalai Lama in 2005, was suspended from the trust over corruption allegations.

    This story originated in VOA’s Tibetan Service. Pete Cobus contributed original reporting.

    https://www.voanews.com/a/dalai-lama-appoints-personal-emissaries/4118315.html

  18. Ngawang Wangchuk

    November 17, 2017 at 9:01 am

    The difference between China and the CTA style of reception

    https://youtu.be/Na3lcejmqZ4

  19. Yeshi Phuntsok

    November 18, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    —-LATEST GOSSIP—-

    While Presidents are meeting Presidents to create better economic ties… our is creating momos and now they are rotten! Great work Sangay!

  20. Ngodup Tsering

    November 20, 2017 at 7:26 am

    WHEN WILL THE CTA THINK ABOUT THEIR PEOPLE
    —-

    Kashag’s charges unacceptable: Representative Penpa Tsering

    By Lobsang Wangyal

    ON THE WEB, 19 November 2017

    Penpa Tsering refused to accept the Cabinet’s ten charges against him, and said he will challenge all of them after he leaves office on 30 November.

    He also hinted at filing a case in the exile Tibetan Supreme Justice, saying the charges are unacceptable as he hasn’t committed any mistake.

    In a clear demonstration of the power of the people, the Cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) finally issued a clarification as to why Penpa Tsering had been terminated of his duties as North America Representative. Ten reasons were given, but each would surely be scrutinised and analysed.
    Details of warnings remain unclear

    Penpa Tsering’s sacking was announced on 7 November. As the news shocked the Tibetan world, the demand for reasons of the ousting mounted on the Cabinet. Questions asked by journalists received no comments from the Cabinet and the President of the Central Tibetan Administration.

    Due to popular demand from the press and the public, a press conference was convened after two days. At the conference, the officiating President of CTA Karma Gelek said that Penpa Tsering was sacked due to “dereliction of duty”, and stated that three warnings had been sent to him in the last one year, with the last one being sent in July. Gelek refused to say what the warnings were about.
    On 18 November, CTA President Lobsang Sangay during his visit to Norway said, without giving any details, that the revelation would paint a bad image. He added that it was not required for the Cabinet to reveal the reasons for the ouster, as it was the Cabinet’s prerogative to appoint and suspend any staff subordinate to it.

    As pressure from the public mounted, Kashag came out with the ten-point explanation. However, the ten reasons given didn’t seem to support the severe picture painted by Sangay.
    The nature of the warnings still remained unclear, as well as the specific rules Penpa Tsering was supposed to have violated.

    *Penpa Tsering clarifies his stand*

    When contacted for explanation about the ten points, Penpa Tsering said that the Kashag has hacked together these ten points so they could say that there were ten reasons to dismiss him.

    Sticking to his claim of not having committed any mistake, he said, “I still stand by my earlier statement that I haven’t committed any mistake, and I do not accept any wrongdoing. But I am leaving office because that’s what Kashag (Cabinet) has ordered.”

    “I cannot publicly discuss the issue now as I am still bound by the rules. I will be free to speak after 30 November, and I will challenge all the ten points one by one,” he said by phone.

    He claimed that he received only one letter from the Cabinet that was stated as “the last warning” in July, which concerned the information that the USD 1.5 million dollars from Tibet Fund used to purchase DC office building was a loan.

    He said that as reported in Tibet Sun, the issue of the 1.5 million dollars came up during the meeting of the representatives after the 5/50 Conference. “There is no truth in how Kashag has framed the charges, but I will explain about the details after leaving the office.”

    “I didn’t get any any other warning letters. And the letter that said ‘last warning’ only mentioned about the loan issue. And now there are ten points accusing me of dereliction of duties. All the points they have mentioned were events that happened before the ‘last warning’ they sent.”

    However, he said that he did receive two letters from the Department of Information of the International Relations, but they were not warning letters.

    “One was about the appointment of Chinese liaison officer Kunga Tashi at the Office of Tibet in Washington, DC. I clarified that he would be appointed upon approval from Kashag, rather than I announce him as having appointed.

    “Let alone any warning about that issue after I clarified, there was no follow up on that.”
    With regard to the second letter, he said, “The other letter that I received from the Department was about a group of Shugden followers welcoming President Xi Jinping to the US in April. I was questioned about not sending a report about that. I replied to that, and if I clarify, it takes time to find out the details about who the people. But we send a report after we got all the information we could gather.”

    https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/11/19/kashags-charges-unacceptable-representative-penpa-tsering

  21. Ngawang Tharpa

    November 20, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    This is the kind of Tibetan leadership we have? It’s time for a new change!!!

    Tibet Fund recorded 1.5 million USD as loan for legal purpose: President Sangay responds on ‘loan-gate’
    [Monday, November 20, 2017 19:36]
    By Tenzin Dharpo

    DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 20: The Tibetan President currently on an official tour in Canada on Sunday responded to queries on the “loan” of 1.5 million USD dollars from Tibet Fund, saying the non-profit organization had to record the amount as loan due to legal and regulation-bound reasons but is not a loan.

    President Sangay said that an agreement between Tibet Fund and Central Tibetan Administration recognize the amount to be a contribution to purchase the property that did not have to be paid back in the future but instead will be collateralized as payment for the lease for the office space by the Tibet Fund. Tibet Fund subleases office space at the Office of Tibet’s Washington DC office.

    The issue became a crucial element in the ousting of the North America representative and former Speaker Penpa Tsering by Kashag (cabinet).

    The Kashag among its 10 reasons, cited an incident of trust deficit when Penpa Tsering questioned President Sangay whether a sum of 1.5 million USD was a loan to Tibet-Fund. The Sangay led Kashag on Saturday released a clarification, which stated, “Sikyong clearly explained that it was not a loan, but an amount that Tibet Fund had contributed and did not expect to be paid back. Despite Sikyong’s clarification and without consulting and seeking guidance and approval from Kashag and DIIR, Representative Penpa Tsering reported to CTA auditors that a loan payment for OoT DC office was outstanding.”

    The financial statement of Tibet Fund for the year 2015 available on the organization’s website, clearly recorded a same amount of 1.5 million USD under Fixed Asset as “Loan receivables” that year.

    The auditor’s report also mentioned in the footnote that on, “March 31, 2014 the Fund entered into a $1,500,000 Loan Agreement with The Office of Tibet to purchase a building that will then be partially subleased by the Fund. The loan is partially collateralized by a lease agreement between the Fund and The Office of Tibet in an aggregate amount of $425,000. The loan matures on March 31, 2043 at which point the balloon payment of $1,500,000 will be due. The interest rate is 1% and the interest income for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $15,000. The amount outstanding as of December 31, 2014 is $1,500,000.”

    The President told Tibetans in Toronto that repeated incidents of underperformance and questionable actions by the NA rep. Penpa Tsering led to his termination. “The Kashag could not trust Penpa Tsering in Washington DC office following multiple incidents that eroded the trust and expectations placed on him,” the President said. The Kashag stated that growing “trust and performance deficit” as well as “insubordination” as key reasons to remove the incumbent NA representative of the Washington CTA mission.

    Former Speaker Penpa Tsering in response told a Tibetan media agency that he will respond to the allegations soon after November 30. Some Tibetans carried out peaceful protest at the venue of the public event with placards that read, “We are not protesting against our government, all we ask is the truth.”

    The Washington CTA mission remains the most crucial position in the hierarchy of outposts of the Tibetan polity. Education minister Ngodup Tsering will take charge of the office beginning next month.

    Source: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39817

  22. Lobsang Dolma

    November 23, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Heart advice for the U-Tsang People

    The Modus Operandi to silencing us:

    “Your freedom of expression is a bad example to the Tibetan youth.”

    ——

    MY HEART ADVICE TO MY DEAR U-TSANG PEOPLE PART II
    NOVEMBER 22, 2017 (WILD JEPA)

    This is Tibetan domestic politics, not Tibet-China politics. So, keep the debate in context.

    Their modus operandi in silencing us is this:

    (1) Your criticism will create division within our community along regional lines. But when Khampas do it, either people claim it as their fundamental rights, or they will just ignore it. Shugden activists (99% are Khampas) talked shit about the Dalai Lama and CTA on youtube for years, and nobody lifted even a finger. Why this double standard? Why is it wrong for a non-Khampa Tibetan— who has not sold his soul to the Chinese— to blow a whistle?

    (2) This “division” will upset the Dalai Lama, and he will not live long. If something happens to him, then you are responsible. Don’t do it near the CTA and HH. You are a Shugden follower.

    (3) Such criticism will make our enemy glad and our brethren sad. Why are we doing this to ourselves?

    (4) We are an exile community and not an independent country so don’t copy the West. Shame on you!

    (5) If you want to criticize, do so to the Chinese. When you do, they tell you to do the Middle Way, not the Rangzen way!

    (6) Your freedom of speech hurts our unity. Stop comparing our society to others because we are refugees.

    (7) Your freedom of thought is disturbing the minds of our people and the peace in our community.

    (8) Your freedom of expression is a bad example to the Tibetan youth.

    (9) Freedom of speech has limits. Why are you doing the work of Chinese–our enemy? You are one brainwashed idiot.

    (10) You are hurting the Tibetan cause.

    (11) You are anti-Dalai Lama, anti-CTA, anti-Tibetan, anti-Gaden Phodrang, un-Tibetan, un-Buddhist, CCP agent

    (12) If you want to protest, then go to the Chinese embassy.

    (13) One scare tactic they use quite successfully is “The ghosts of regionalism from the 60s up to 90s will revisit our small community and the Dalai Lama will be upset.

    Bottom line is STF! Follow the Chota Supreme Leader! Follow him blindly!

    Their objective is to create fear, guilt, and shame in you, so you get paralyzed even to react, and that’s when they gain total control over you with ease. Our job is not to behave slavishly. No response can be more fitting than this! Their deflection tactic for criticism will fail!

    Anytime you criticize a Utsang leader, Khampas will tell you ” You are an honest upfront brave man!” But when you criticize a Khampa leader they will tell you,” I thought you were brave and honest, but you are not! You are rude! You are regional!

    Dear U-Tsangs, I understand it is not easy for you to come out of your deep slumber. For centuries, we practiced pacifism after having been inspired by Buddhism. But the price we pay for pacifism and meekness is the erosion of our pride, courage, unity, and determination. It is psychologically harmful to our children. No more nyamchung crap!

    Sing this new prayer with the same Tsemay younten tune, and you will get the message.

    Tsemay younten gyatsoe pel nga shing

    Nyamchung go la dho tar shak sha rey

    Jigten dodhang dhinday yin na

    Dhue nam yang khur thuppa mindhuk !

    When my nine-year-old son Gyakhab Rangzen asked me one day out of the blue “Daddy, why are our U-Tsang people so meek? “

    At first, I was taken aback at his observation. Regaining my composure, I told him “Son, we are not cowards. We had a central government, and so we abandoned tribalism for unity long ago. We are used to peace for long, and hence we forgot the art of war. And to protect our skin, we now do become selfish not realizing that it is harder to break a dozen arrows than one. Remember, we U-Tsangs once unified the whole of Tibet and conquered distant lands through war. We were warriors once. History is the witness. We can be warriors again”.

    He hugged me with his chest puffed up with pride and confidence. I will never forget that day because I was the happiest daddy and he was the proudest son in the whole world, and we both are hardcore U-Tsangs.

    Yes, in pacifism, we become rats. And when the rats get disoriented with fear they will attack the victim, not the perpetrator because it is safe and comfortable. We allow Khampas to use U-Tsangs to attack our own. Remember Yapchen Passang Tsewang attacked our hero Dawa Tsering with false allegations. Who can forget it?

    Tenpa Yarphel and his ilk bullied him for fifteen years over the Yongling school despite losing the battle legally many times. They also brought up false murder allegations against Penpa Tsering to bring him down to ensure the victory of their root guru Lobsang Sangay. What U-Tsang attacked Khampas so mercilessly with such hate and jealousy raging in their eyes in the past six decades? None.

    We respected them for their courage, straightforwardness, decisiveness, resoluteness and the help they render to their tribe. But what have we got back? Nothing but negative regionalism, intimidation, hatred, jealousy, bullying, exploitation, discrimination, insults, death threats, and assaults. Nothing but attacks after attacks!

    Now we begin to witness our patience has both depth and limit. Always remember, when a Khampa hurls outrageous allegations on a U-Tsang, our leadership is silent. But when a U-Tsang fights back, the administration goes reciting the mantra,

    “Om, Unity! Unity! Unity!”

    Call me names or do what you can, I will not budge an inch so should you not. Let the sky fall; I don’t give a damn. If regionalism and disunity are suffering–let both, not one–suffer!

    I will never ever abandon the death-bed advice that my father gave me long ago, “Even if you are reduced to a life of slums and misery, never sell your soul to the Red China who is responsible for the loss of our country and our dignity. Fight if you can as a Tibetan for nothing less than total independence. But if Khampa regionalism urinates on the head of U-Tsangs, then you should stand up first and fight as a hardcore U-Tsang! And lead others by example. When in international politics, play your Tibetan role: When in Tibetan domestic politics, play your U-Tsang role. ”

    Vow not to shove shit in to the mouth of a U-Tsang who served you butter and honey!

    Vow not to kiss the ass of a Khampa who urinated on your head!

    If you stick to these two vows then you are a U-Tsang who will earn the respect and votes of all other U-Tsangs.

    Don’t forget November 27, 2017 Monday 10 am sharp!

    Blast the Kashag building with slogans !

    P.S. If you know of corruption or injustice at high levels and if you have facts, evidence, photos, audio, videos, contact me–the Tibetan WikiLeaks at [email protected]

    https://wildjepa.com/2017/11/22/my-heart-advice-to-my-dear-u-tsang-people-part-ii/

  23. Ngawang

    November 24, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    Fellow Tibetans were taken as tool but not human to gain personal interest, by Tibetan leaders. So sad. This is not a government of the people, but government of money. They serve the money not the PEOPLE/😞😢

  24. Kunga Namgyal

    November 25, 2017 at 5:32 am

    Hahaha… no Hollywood for we got Tibetanwood LOL. Good job Tibetan Leadership. Penpa not letting you off the hook Sangay. Karma comes back.

  25. Rakesh Chandra

    November 25, 2017 at 6:51 am

    We gave Tibetans citizens, a place to stay, protection, and respect. Look what we get in return

  26. Badrapa

    November 25, 2017 at 7:44 am

    😧 Whole Nepal say Buddha born in Nepal, but DL says this is nonsense. DL lied and this is very shameful.

    💻 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxUI3_d6hQU

  27. Angry Nepali

    November 25, 2017 at 8:15 am

    This Nepali woman is extremely upset with the Dalai Lama. Listen to her here बुद्ध भारतमा जन्मेका हुन भन्ने दलाइ लामालार्इ बेलायतबाट इशा गुरुङले दिइन कडा जवाफ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoiHkF5Nz7Q. The whole world respected the Dalai Lama but not anymore. He has gone mental and is total wrong. People donated thousands of dollars and kept the Dalai Lama’s pictures in temples and houses and had great respect. But now no more. Dalai Lama has upset people all over the world and should be very careful what he says in the future.

  28. Tibetans Go Back

    November 25, 2017 at 8:25 am

    See this.

  29. Tibetans Go Back

    November 25, 2017 at 8:27 am

    Tibetans must read.

  30. Ngodup Tsering

    November 27, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    Penpa Tsering is gone and now maybe Dhardon wants his cushy job in USA. So she gotta be nice to her big boss Sikyong to get this job.

  31. Amdo Shapale

    November 28, 2017 at 12:00 am

    This Kalon visited Jonang Temple, why he didn’t visit a Dorje Shugden temple?

    Chorig Kalon Attends Special Conference on Jonang Tradition

    November 25, 2017
    Published By Jamphel Shonu

    DHARAMSHALA: Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok, Kalon of the Department of Religion and Culture, Central Tibetan Administration, today attended a special conference on the evolution of Jonang tradition and its present status at Duekhor Monastery near Norbulingka institute. The conference was organised by Jonang wellbeing Association.

    The chief guests at the conference were Kalon Karma Gelek Yuthok and Gyalwang Gyaltsab Rinpoche. Other guests at the conference include settlement officer Dawa Rinchen and representatives from non governmental organisations.

    Kalon Karma Gelek Yuhtok also inaugurated a compilation book of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s speeches and teachings published by the Jonang Wellbeing association.

    Tsangyang Gyatso, President of Jonang wellbeing Association, explained that the objective of the Special conference was to revive and spread awareness about the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism, and to acquire equal religious status as other schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

    http://tibet.net/2017/11/chorig-kalon-attends-special-conference-on-jonang-tradition/

  32. Ngodup Tsering

    November 28, 2017 at 4:53 am

    The Dalai Lama said that he cannot change his religion to enter into the Hindu temple. He wants to visit the Hindu temple, but he cannot change his religion. Only those of Hindu faith can enter this temple. He tried to enter by saying indirectly make an exception. But the Hindu priest said no. Even for the Dalai Lama, a big celebrity, the rules cannot be changed. It would have been nice if the priest did change the rules because the temple is to be visited by all and blessings are for everyone.

    Similarly, Dorje Shugden people cannot change their religion so they cannot enter the Dalai Lama’s temple. So the situation is exactly the same. It would be nice if the Dalai Lama himself can change his rules too.

    Ngodup Tsering

    Dalai: Why Puri temple doors shut for non-Hindus?
    Minati Singha| TNN | Updated: Nov 22, 2017, 02:35 IST
    BHUBANESWAR: Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Tuesday questioned the practice of not allowing non-Hindus inside the Puri Jagannath Temple premises while criticising the Christian missionaries for trying to convert people of other faiths.
    “During my last visit to Odisha in 2010, I wished to go to the Jagannath Temple in Puri. I have a practice of visiting holy places wherever I go. I go to local places of worship like churches, gurdwaras, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples and mosques. I have made pilgrimages to Jerusalem (the holy city of the Jewish), the Syrian Christian Church and the Muslim sacred rock,” the Dalai Lama told TOI in an interview on Tuesday. He was responding to a question on the state’s unique Jagannath culture.
    The Dalai Lama, who is here on a two-day visit, said he cannot change his religion to enter the Jagannath Temple. “When I wanted to enter the Jagannath Temple in Puri, they said only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. So, in order to make a pilgrimage to the Jagannath Temple, I have to become a Hindu, which is very difficult,” said the Nobel laureate.
    The Dalai Lama also questioned conversions by Christian missionaries. “I never say Buddhism is the best religion. I never try to promote it in non-Buddhist countries and in Christian countries like Europe and America. I admire Christian brothers and sisters but don’t like it when they try to convert people. Being secular, like India, is a very practical and wonderful approach,” he said.
    Reacting to the Dalai Lama’s comment, Jagannath Temple priests said not allowing non-Hindus inside t is an age-old tradition. “Non-Hindus have not been allowed into the temple for centuries and the rule cannot be changed,” said Ramkrushna Das Mohapatra, president of the Daita Pati Nijog (an association of priests).
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/dalai-why-puri-temple-doors-shut-for-non-hindus/articleshow/61746509.cms

  33. Ngodup Tsering

    November 28, 2017 at 4:54 am

    Picture caption:

    Sign in Sarnath that barred Shugden practitioners from a Gelug Monastery

    What the Dalai Lama said:

    “When I wanted to enter the Jagannath Temple in Puri, they said only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. So, in order to make a pilgrimage to the Jagannath Temple, I have to become a Hindu, which is very difficult,” said the Dalai Lama ~ ya we knew that long ago

  34. Ngodup Tsering

    November 28, 2017 at 4:55 am

    Picture caption:

    A Gelug monastery in Sarnath bans Shugden practitioners from their monastery and teachings

    What the Dalai Lama said:

    “When I wanted to enter the Jagannath Temple in Puri, they said only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. So, in order to make a pilgrimage to the Jagannath Temple, I have to become a Hindu, which is very difficult,” said the Dalai Lama ~ ya we knew that long ago”

  35. Chokyi USA

    November 30, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    Prominent Buddhists in North America welcome the suspension of the Dalai Lama’s Personal Emissary of Peace, Tenzin Dhonden. Although it is not official that Tenzin Dhonden has been permanently replaced as he has hired a New York legal firm to reclaim his position on the trust, a temporary replacement has been appointed as the organisation’s “acting secretary”. It is unfortunate that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is surrounded by officials who seemed to be self-serving. This incident, and the sudden removal of Penpa Tsering are series of scandals that continue to expose more corruption and abuses within the top Tibetan leadership circle. Look at the article below.

    Controversial monk and Dalai Lama aide replaced amid corruption accusations
    Rory Carroll in Los Angeles
    Wednesday 29 November 2017 12.19 GMT
    Prominent Buddhists in North America are welcoming the apparent downfall of the Dalai Lama’s self-styled “personal emissary of peace”, a Tibetan monk who befriended celebrities and billionaires but has been accused of bullying, celebrity worship and corruption.
    The Dalai Lama Trust has replaced Tenzin Dhonden as its executive secretary with a temporary appointment following claims, which the trust has said they are investigating, that Dhonden abused his position as a gatekeeper to the Buddhist leader.
    It is not known what the outcome of the trust’s investigation is or whether they have reached any conclusions. Dhonden has vigorously denied the corruption accusation, which was made by a Seattle-based philanthropist. He has not publicly responded to the other allegations.
    If permanent, his replacement by the trust would be a severe blow to Dhonden, who from his base in La Jolla, near San Diego, California, built a network of wealthy supporters, including the eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and the Seagram heiress Sara Bronfman.
    The Guardian revealed last month that the 53-year-old had been suspended pending an investigation into allegations from a Seattle-based technology entrepreneur that Dhonden extracted unjustified payments from him between 2005 and 2008, in return for setting up an event with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama’s personal secretary said the monk had been suspended pending a “conclusion” to the allegations.
    Dhonden strongly disputed the allegations and hired a venerable New York legal firm, Patterson Belknap, to defend his reputation and reclaim his position on the trust.
    But last week Dhonden’s name disappeared from the trust’s website and a trustee, Tashi Namgyal Khamshitsang, took his place as the organisation’s “acting secretary”.
    It is not known in what circumstances he has left his position as secretary of the trust. It has made no public comment about the new appointment or the status of its investigation into Dhonden. The trust and the Dalai Lama’s office did not respond to requests for information for this article. Emails to Dhonden’s attorneys asking about his fate and future plans also went unanswered.
    Prominent Buddhists in North America with connections in Dharamsala, the hill town in India which hosts the Dalai Lama and other exiled Tibetans, have welcomed the trust’s appointment of a new secretary, a decision said to have been taken at a board of trustees meeting on 10 November.
    The accusations against Dhonden shone a light on his role as a bridge between Dharamsala and Dalai Lama supporters in Hollywood, Silicon Valley and elsewhere.
    “I would like to join many others in expressing my deep gratitude to you all for stepping in to protect the precious reputation and legacy of His Holiness through effecting the recent transition of the leadership of the Dalai Lama Trust,” Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama’s principal English translator, said in a letter to trustees seen by the Guardian.
    Jinpa, a former monk who has translated and edited about a dozen books by the Dalai Lama, wrote that it had been “painful” to see the spiritual leader’s name and legacy snagged by “unnecessary distractions … and discordant messages” which he said reflected “celebrity orientation”.
    Jinpa’s letter did not name Dhonden but said that under his stewardship the trust had alienated allies with “embarrassing” and “bullying” behaviour. “Most sadly, the Trust has unfortunately acquired a reputation of being authoritarian, confrontational, petty, and uncaring, characteristics so far removed from His Holiness’ personal ethics.”
    His questionable values, arrogant disposition and objectionable behavior have generated confusion and anxiety.
    In a phone interview Jinpa said the letter had been intended just for trustees but confirmed its contents. The Dalai Lama, who is the trust’s chairman, took a “very firm” stand once alerted to the allegations, he said. “I think his highness was clearly disturbed by the allegations.”
    The criticism is a marked contrast to praise for the monk’s “equanimity” and “pure goodness” in a 2015 San Diego Union Tribune profile. The article said he was a diligent emissary for the Dalai Lama.
    Other prominent Buddhist figures, however, share Jinpa’s satisfaction at the apparent fall of a monk who grew up in Dharamsala and moved to the US in 1991, where he helped organise celebrity-studded public events and private audiences for wealthy donors during the Dalai Lama’s visits to the US.
    “His questionable values, arrogant disposition and objectionable behavior have generated confusion, anxiety and extensive unhappiness for many years, impeding the work of His Holiness in North America and jeopardizing his reputation,” Marty Krasney, director of the San Francisco-based Dalai Lama Fellows, wrote in a letter to the Dalai Lama’s private office, and copied to trust board members, which the Guardian has seen.
    Krasney thanked the board for taking action to “protect” the Dalai Lama and to keep his vision and message “untarnished”.
    Richard Grace, a Napa vineyard owner who has been friends with the Dalai Lama for more than 20 years, also wrote to the Dalai Lama’s office to welcome the decision.
    Grace initiated the push against Dhonden after attending an 80th birthday celebration for the Dalai Lama in 2015 in Anaheim, near Los Angeles, which featured a golden cake, dancers in tight bodysuits and celebrities previously unassociated with Buddhism – “insulting” elements he blamed on the monk.
    Krasney and Grace persuaded Daniel Kranzler, a Seattle-based entrepreneur, to meet the Dalai Lama face to face in June and lay out allegations that Dhonden had demanded payments in return for ensuring the spiritual leader appear at a large event which Kranzler hosted in Washington state in 2008.
    Dhonden has not responded to requests for comment but vehemently rejected wrongdoing via his attorneys. They said last month that Kranzler’s allegations related to events that “occurred nearly a decade ago, are largely inaccurate and otherwise relate to conduct that is not unlawful, unethical, or even inappropriate”. They added that the allegations were “designed to falsely and unfairly tarnish” Dhonden’s reputation and that any payments he received were for legitimate work.
    In a phone interview last week Grace, a former marine, claimed Dhonden loyalists in Dharamsala had insulated the Dalai Lama from complaints and that action was overdue.
    A California university administrator who liaised with Dhonden over Dalai Lama events, and requested anonymity, said colleagues gave the monk a coarse nickname for his perceived obsession about inviting celebrities regardless of whether they had any interest in Buddhism or Tibet.
    Some critics also blamed Dhonden for organising an event in Albany in 2009 hosted by Nxivm, a controversial self-help organisation that has been compared to a cult, a description adherents reject. The event was initially cancelled after an outcry but then went ahead, giving a misleading impression that the Dalai Lama endorsed Nxivm, according to Dhonden’s detractors.
    Leading Nxivm adherents include Sara Bronfman, a wealthy heiress with a longstanding interest in Buddhism whom Dhonden has befriended, according to several sources.
    The monk is also close to Pierre Omidyar, the eBay founder, and his wife Pam, travelling in their private jet, visiting their estate in Hawaii and facilitating meetings with the Dalai Lama, according to people who have attended some of the meetings. The couple has a longstanding interest in Buddhism.
    Bronfman and the Omidyars did not respond to requests for comment.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/29/tenzin-dhonden-dalai-lama-corruption-celebrity-investigation?CMP=share_btn_fb

  36. Namdrol

    December 6, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    Kashag’s allegations “false, incomplete and manipulative,” says former NA envoy P. Tsering
    [Wednesday, December 06, 2017 12:59]
    By Tenzin Dharpo
    DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 5: The former North America representative Penpa Tsering refuted all the allegations against him saying they are “false, incomplete and manipulative,” at a press conference here today. He said that while the executive body of the Central Tibetan Administration led by Dr. Lobsang Sangay has the authority to terminate him, he rejects the allegations which he said was an “attempt to malign his image.”
    The row over the termination of Penpa Tsering’s tenure in Washington office began on Nov. 7 when the Kashag made a public announcement that former education minister Ngodup Tsering will be the new NA envoy. Later the Kashag made public a 10-point statement which cited growing “performance and trust deficit” as well as “insubordination” by Penpa Tsering.
    The former Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile today said that he couldn’t respond sooner to the allegations as he was bound by regulations not to speak out while being a staff of the CTA. He shared a 97-page document that included official correspondences, some of which appeared confidential.
    In response to the Kashag’s allegation of ‘trust deficit’, he said that it was the Sangay led Kashag which portrayed reluctance in trusting him. Tsering said two additional Directors for the TCDF (Tibetan Community Development Fund), including a close aide of the President, were added just two months into his tenure and that he was kept in the dark on matters related to US government funding under the PRM and USAID initiatives despite reaching out to President Sangay on the matters. He also said that his office was not notified on a few occasions when the President or a member of the cabinet visited the North America on official schedule.
    Penpa Tsering said that he categorically refutes ‘lack of performance’ allegation as he had left no stones unturned as far as output of his office is concerned. Responding to the charges of failure to set up key meetings with officials of the US government, he said that his office had approached concerned offices through official mails but that the meetings could not materialize due to scheduling conflicts. He added that closure of the bank accounts was a political move that no one could have avoided, he said while addressing the allegation over the warning by a prominent bank to close several accounts under the OoT. He backed his claims with copies of the correspondence to the media. “Was any of my predecessors charged for not being able to set up meetings for the President?” Tsering questioned.
    The former NA envoy also said he does not accept the “insubordination” allegations against him. Addressing the incidents cited by the Kashag, he said Chinese liaison officer Kunga Tashi’s appointment was not finalized and he told the public that such appointment was subject to Kashag’s.
    On the loan debacle concerning the Tibet Fund and OoT, the former Speaker said the President first raised the issue in the ten point statement and that any problems arising out of it for the CTA or chaos amongst the public will be the responsibility of the Kashag.
    He shared a copy of the “Promissory note,” an internal agreement between the OoT and Tibet Fund. He said that the non profit organization continued to show the amount of 1.5 million USD as loan despite the President’s insistence that “it was not a loan” and that such back door agreements with an organization based in a foreign land is a breach of the Tibetan Charter’s article 6 where compliance to the laws of the host nation is stressed clearly. Penpa Tsering said it was his duty to question such discrepancies and does not consider such acts as insubordination.
    Through the three hours fifty-minute press conference, the former NA envoy reiterated that he had not breached any rules and regulations of the exile Tibetan administration and called on the Kashag to speak out on any specific breaches.
    http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39878&article=Kashag%E2%80%99s+allegations+%E2%80%9Cfalse%2c+incomplete+and+manipulative%2c%E2%80%9D+says+former+NA+envoy+P.+Tsering

  37. Namdrol

    December 6, 2017 at 3:26 pm

    Penpa Tsering challenges Cabinet to prove charges against him
    By Lobsang Wangyal
    McLEOD GANJ, India, 6 December 2017
    Penpa Tsering responded Tuesday to the Cabinet’s charges against him regarding his termination from the post of Representative of the Dalai Lama in North America. He presented a 97-page document which contained arguments refuting each point, and claimed that the charges were intended to blacken his reputation.
    He challenged the Cabinet to prove their allegations with documentation, and said that failing to respond, he will take further action.
    “I am a human being. I have family and friends. Even they will be dragged down because of the charges against me. I will not let this issue go scot-free,” Penpa Tsering said during a press conference that took more than three hours.
    He said that he didn’t start the fire, and that the current commotion in the Tibetan community was a result of the actions of the Cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration led by its President Lobsang Sangay.
    He repeated his previous statements that although he did not accept the Cabinet’s accusations, he did accept the termination order, as it was the Cabinet’s prerogative to terminate the services of the Representatives.
    Penpa Tsering said that Sangay initially approached him for an appointment as the Representative in Belgium, a post the liaises with the European Union. But later, he was told that he has been appointed the North American Representative based in Washington DC.
    He felt there was a fissure even before going to DC to take over the position. He said that he met with Sangay in Delhi to seek his guidance, particularly to follow up on any CTA funding intiatives. Previous Representatives had the responsibility to manage the US government funds provided through the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). He felt that Sangay disconnected him from these responsibilities, signalling a lack of trust right from the beginning.
    The 10 points and rebuttals
    The Cabinet issued a 10-point clarification on 18 November of the reasons for Penpa Tsering’s termination on 7 November. Penpa Tsering said that the ten points were forced to create some reasons for his dismissal.
    The first point was an introduction stating that there was a growing trust deficit, under-performance, and insubordination. A few days before issuing the 10-point document, the Kashag said that three warnings were served, but Penpa said that he received only one.
    With regard to point two, which accused him of not submitting any formal reports, he said an order had been issued by the Department of Information and International Relations of the CTA to submit reports only on 20 April 2017. He showed documentation proof to that. He further said that the accusation that no reports were sent during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US was in early April, prior to the DIIR’s letter.
    Point three cited as a case of insubordination, his announcement of Kunga Tashi as Chinese Liaison Officer in New York, and he said this lacked any truth. “I didn’t announce him as an appointee. I told the people of New York that approval has been sought from the Cabinet, once approved he will be appointed.”
    “I have made this clear through the DIIR, and when they got the picture clear, I never got any further inquiries about that.”
    Point four concerned “not following DIIR’s mandatory standing order” and not reporting “Dholgyal-related activities.” He said that the welcome rally by some Dholgyal followers to Xi Jinping had been reported to the Secretary of the Department of Security of the CTA, and further, that the accusation of not following DIIR’s order to send reports was after the event, as Xi was in the US in early April, and DIIR sent the order to all the Representatives on 20 April.
    The juxtaposition of the Dholgyal’s welcome to Xi in April and the Dalai Lama’s visit to the US in June are precarious, and raises the question of the coorelation of the two events. “It feels like a design to look for faults in order to terminate me had already been happening.”
    The fifth point accused Penpa Tsering of being “unable to schedule any such meetings for Sikyong” with Speaker of the House, or the Majority Leader of the Senate, or even with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
    To this, Penpa Tsering stated that the documents would speak for themselves. He showed several documents to prove that he contacted and tried to schedule meetings, but because of scheduling conflicts of the US leaders, no meetings materialised. “We had short notice of Sikyong’s visit, and we were unable to resolve schedule conflicts. Would it be right to blame me for these things which are out of my control.”
    He questioned how many of his predecessors from 2011 had scheduled meetings of Sangay with US leaders. “Have they been warned about not arranging meetings?”
    Challenging the accusation of “negligence raising funds” in point six of the Cabinet’s reason, Penpa Tsering said that there was a new Donald Trump administration, and many new contacts to be made. But despite that, his requests to State and Foreign Operations ranking members helped to get continued funding assistance for Tibetans from the US government.
    To point seven, the “closure of five bank accounts” of the Office of Tibet in Washington, Penpa Tsering said that due to political reasons, CitiBank announced the closure of the five accounts. “There wasn’t anything we could do about the closure.”
    “We informed the DIIR Secretary, and acted promptly as per Sikyong’s order to disperse funds to other Offices of Tibet. Sikyong’s claim that a huge loss in tax had occurred was a lie, as there wasn’t any loss in tax. The closure was not due to my negligence. The closure notice came all of a sudden for political reasons.”
    He further added that Sikyong was misinforming the public, and providing incomplete information and twisting the facts.
    Regarding the 1.5-million-dollar issue raised in point eight, which stated “the amount was not a loan”, but an amount that Tibet Fund had contributed and did not expect to be paid back, Penpa Tsering said that the accounting of Tibet Fund shows the amount as a loan every year.
    The Office of Tibet building was purchased for 2.6 million dollars in August 2014, with a contribution of 1.3 million dollars from Ganden Phodrang and a 1.5-million-dollar loan from Tibet Fund.
    Penpa Tsering said that Tibet Fund continued to show 1.5 million as a loan, but there wasn’t any documentation showing that the Office of Tibet is liable for repayment of the loan.
    During the audit of the accounts of the Office of Tibet, Penpa Tsering asked the auditor how best to solve this issue so that there would not be a problem in the future. The auditor told him that he would ask his senior in Dharamshala about finding a solution.
    However, the matter appeared in the audit report. Sikyong then summoned the Auditor General twice for showing the issue in the audit report. Penpa Tsering was charged by Sikyong for instigating the auditor to mention the loan issue in the audit report, failing which he would not sign the report. “I never thought it would become an issue. I was only trying to find a solution. The charge that I will not sign the audit report if the issue was not mentioned was a lie. The auditor could be asked, and what I said to the auditor could be asked to all the staff members of the Office of Tibet.”
    “If raising such an issue was seen as insubordination, then why should there be meetings? If we are not able to raise issues and are to just follow orders, wouldn’t that be an autocracy, not a democracy?”
    Concerning point nine, Penpa Tsering accepted that he had a long chat one evening with Dhardon Sharling, the DIIR Secretary, but denied the Cabinet’s charge that “he tried hard to convince a female Kalon nominee against working with Sikyong.”
    He said, “all those present should be asked about what he had said during the gathering.”
    The tenth point was a summary of the firing of Penpa Tsering and of providing for his replacement.
    https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/12/06/penpa-tsering-challenges-cabinet-to-prove-charges-against-him

  38. Namdrol

    December 6, 2017 at 3:27 pm

    The Dalai Lama Wants to Return Home
    BY P. STOBDAN ON 04/12/2017
    Is India bracing for the potential fallout?
    The impact of the 19th Communist Party of China congress and affirmation of President Xi Jinping as China’s ‘most powerful’ leader in decades seems already to be having a bearing on India – especially on the ‘Tibet Issue’ that deeply intersects with the boundary problem. Is India bracing for the potential fallout?
    There may be more to the Dalai Lama’s desire to return home than meets the eye. The Tibetan leader’s November 23 statement – “The past is past, Tibetans want to stay with China” – carries a serious political overtone, coming as it does immediately after the 19th party congress and the Doklam standoff between India and China.
    The Dalai Lama’s statement that he is “not seeking independence for Tibet and wishing to stay with China” is not new; however, his declaration that “he would return to Tibet at once, if China agrees” has sparked fresh speculation of a possible rapprochement with Beijing.
    The sign of rapid thawing strangely comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing. Most likely, Trump wouldn’t have made Tibet a pressure point in his dealings with Beijing; rather he would have dumped the Dalai Lama (whom the US fostered for over half a century) on the altar of a better trade deal and for securing China’s commitment to exert more pressure on North Korea. During the trip US officials made to Dharamshala prior to Trump’s visit, this prospect would probably have been discussed.
    The inevitability of this change was clear when the US had started faltering on Tibet even earlier, when Barack Obama had to welcome the Dalai Lama through the back door of the White House, signalling Washington’s inability to withstand Beijing’s pressure.
    Trump was not even inclined to embrace the issue, as he refused to meet the Tibetan leader and instead proposed zero aid in 2018 to the Tibetans, reversing the decades-old American policy. The State Department has also not appointed a special coordinator for Tibet.
    Surely it couldn’t have been a coincidence that a week after Trump’s China visit, the Dalai Lama abruptly selected two personal emissaries (for an indefinite period) to represent him in all ‘global engagements’. He has cited increasing physical fatigue, but the decision to appoint two “trusted friends” – former ‘prime minister-in-exile‘ Samdong Rinpoche and current president of the ‘government in exile’, Lobsang Sangay – was meant to send a calibrated signal to China.
    Anyway, the Dalai Lama has been working on a new plan – 5/50 vision – that envisaged a five-year strategy for returning to dialogue with China, but preparing for a 50-year struggle if needed – along the “hope for the best and prepare for the worst” proverb. The 5/50 strategy reaffirmed his middle way approach (Umaylam) as a realistic political means of realising the dual aim of his early return to Tibet and fulfilling the aspirations of the Tibetan people.
    Appointing personal emissaries satisfies China. Beijing has been emphatically asking the Dalai Lama to stop travelling to Western capitals, if talks are to be resumed. At the 19th party congress, the Tibet Work Forum chief told reporters that international figures have no excuse for meeting with the Dalai Lama. Recently, the Dalai Lama even had to abort his planned visit to Botswana, citing physical “exhaustion”.
    Within this rapidly-unfolding scenario, the Dalai Lama appears to have sent Samdong on a discreet visit to Kunming (China). Samdong’s visit, starting from mid November, must have been facilitated by no less than You Quan – newly-appointed head of the United Front Work Department that overseas Tibetan affairs. You Quan, who formerly served as party secretary of Fujian, is a close associate of President Xi. He had earlier successfully dealt with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan’s business communities.
    Clearly, Samdong’s visit forms part of the first five-year plan to engage with China, while Lobsang Sangay’s 17-day tour to Europe and Canada is meant to sustain the struggle for the next 50 years, if the first plan fails.
    Will the talks succeed now? In the past, Chinese leaders stymied the Dalai Lama’s desire to return to Tibet. But there is a distinct possibility that it may bear fruit this time.
    First, Xi, widely known to have a soft spot for Tibet, hitherto kept his own approach close to his chest, fearing resistance from hardliners. Unlike others, he held the view that the prospects for solving the Tibet problem would peter out once the Dalai Lama is no more. Xi now finds himself in a perfect position to resolve the issue as no other Chinese leader could do in the past, for he also stands to gain personally both in political and moral terms, to become the most credible leader in China’s history.
    Second, the Dalai Lama too long hoped for Xi to change tack, as he hailed him as “realist” and “open-minded” in contrast to his predecessors. In fact, the Tibetan leader has admitted to having received positive signals from top Chinese officials, especially from the moderate elements as streams of Han Chinese flocked to meet him during Xi’s first term. In May this year, the party was shocked to find their own party members clandestinely funding the Dalai Lama.
    But, most critically, Tibetans living inside Tibet may have pressured the Dalai Lama to seize the opportunity and resolve differences during Xi’s second term, before the window for a deal closes a few years from now.
    With time running out fast, the Dalai Lama can be anything but hopeful. He has been steadily losing international support in the face of China’s rise as a world power. No longer does any country dare to receive the Dalai Lama officially.
    Apart from his own ageing, the Tibetan leader faces the challenge of keeping his flock together. For example, the delay in reaching a solution causes anxiety, uncertainty and division among his people. Even inside Tibet, rising frustration and hopelessness have been highlighted by people resorting to self-immolation. The number stands at 149 so far.
    And so, in what must be an embarrassing climb-down for the exiled Tibetan leaders, all they can do now is settle for the cause of “development”, besides hoping that the Chinese will not resort to repression of the Tibetan people.
    Therefore, in a way, we are likely witness the curtains finally being drawn on Tibet’s quest for an independent state. Tim Johnson knew this when he aptly titled his book Tragedy in Crimson: How the Dalai Lama Conquered the World but Lost the Battle with China.
    And finally, for India, the question is whether New Delhi has any role to play in this rapidly-evolving scene, and if so under what political parameters. There is no sign of anyone having even considered the impact of this. But to be cautious, any Sino-Tibetan deal would seriously risk undercutting India’s position on the boundary dispute with China.
    Seemingly fretful about impending developments, the Dalai Lama now finds himself walking a political tightrope by espousing reconciliation between India and China, “living peacefully by putting the differences aside”. He maintained a hands-off position and tried not to get drawn even into the Doklam standoff – instead calling for a peaceful solution. One hopes he is successful this time.
    P. Stobdan, a former Indian ambassador, specialises in Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian and Uighur affairs.
    https://thewire.in/201726/dalai-lama-india-china-tibet/

  39. Namdrol

    December 6, 2017 at 3:27 pm

    Dalai Lama’s Envoy Samdhong Rinpoche Discreetly Visited China
    December 5, 2017 by TJ editor
    In one of the hottest news unfolding recently is that His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s personal emissary, the former Prime Minister of Tibetan government in Exile, His Eminence the Samdhong Rinpoche is being said to have made a discreet visit to China! Besides the discussions going on in the Social media, an article in a major online media suggests the same.
    “In a rapidly-unfolding development, the Dalai Lama may have sent his envoy Samdong on a discreet visit to Kunming (China). Samdong’s visit, starting from mid November, must have been facilitated by no less than You Quan – newly-appointed head of the United Front Work Department that overseas Tibetan affairs. Quan, who formerly served as party secretary of Fujian, is a close associate of President Xi. He had earlier successfully dealt with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan’s business communities.” suggested the report in The Wire.
    However, there are no any official information available about the visit. The article which titled as ‘The Dalai Lama Wants to Return Home’ suggested that the Dalai Lama appointing the emissaries and lessened foreign visits recently have significantly pleased China.
    “Appointing personal emissaries satisfies China. Beijing has been emphatically asking Dalai Lama to stop travelling to Western capitals, if talks are to be resumed. At the 19th party congress, the Tibet Work Forum chief told reporters that international figures have no excuse for meeting with the Dalai Lama. Recently, the Dalai Lama even had to abort his planned visit to Botswana, citing physical “exhaustion”.” added the report.
    Besides the article also suggested the while the former prime minister’s visit to China meant the working at the Five year’s plan to resolve the Tibet issue while the incumbent Prime Minister Dr. Sangay’s foreign visit during the same period meant the forming of sustaining the for the next fifty years if the need be for the struggle. This discusses about the Five-Fifty policy being endorsed by the Tibetan Administration.
    The article also noted that there is some hope in this juncture over the dialogue in view of the fact that the Chinese President Xi is reportedly known for having a soft side for Tibet while His Holiness himself has called President Xi has being open minded and a realist leader. However, the facts are yet to be seen and the past is very bitter as far as the dialogues despite having held more than ten rounds of talks having held between the two!
    http://www.tibetanjournal.com/index.php/2017/12/05/dalai-lamas-envoy-samdhong-rinpoche-visited-china/

  40. Namdrol

    December 7, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    Tibet Fund confirms 1.5 million USD loan to grant agreement
    [Thursday, December 07, 2017 18:23]
    By Tenzin Dharpo
    DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 7: Non-Profit organization Tibet Fund in a statement on Wednesday said that the 1.5 million USD provided by the organization for the purchase of the Office of Tibet property is a “loan” which however was “expected and hoped” to be forgiven in the future. “We are issuing the statement to clarify Tibet Fund’s position on the loan issue,” the statement read.
    Tibet fund said they “entered into a $1,500,000 loan agreement with the Office of Tibet on March 31, 2014,” and that, “the loan was scheduled to be repaid in thirty years.” The organisation also mentioned that the agreement was “consistent with customary legal practice in New York.”
    Tibet fund cited an official correspondence from the organization’s Chairman to the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) dated July 6, 2017 stating, “At the time the loan was made, both the Board of Tibet Fund and the CTA hoped and expected that at some point the loan would be forgiven and the full amount would then be deemed outright grant from Tibet Fund to the CTA, although the specific timing of this grant was never discussed or agreed. It was certainly our hope that after some number of years and experience working together, the board would feel that the time right to confer the loan to a grant.”
    However, the non-profit organization wrote that the conversion of the loan into an “outright grant” is condition upon the CTA honoring the terms and condition of the loan and where the relationship between CTA and Tibet is “one of mutual respect and support”.
    On Dec. 5, former North America envoy Penpa Tsering said that the agreement between the two parties concerning the 1.5 million USD, a part sum used to purchase a 500 square feet office space for the OoT in Washington was not as per laws of the host nation. Penpa Tsering said that the act was in violation of the the article 6 of the Tibetan charter where compliance to the laws of the host nation is stressed. A copy of the “promissory note” between Tibet Fund and CTA was shared by Tsering to the media yesterday.
    The acting-President Yuthok Karma Gelek today told Tibetan media that the Kashag maintains that the amount of 1.5 million USD is not a loan.
    Tibet Fund is an organization that is reliant heavily on US government funding and is essentially a social service outfit based out of New York, US, that has been involved in uplifting various spheres of the exile Tibetan community in the Indian sub-continent and in the west.
    http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39888&article=Tibet+Fund+confirms+1.5+million+USD+loan+to+grant+agreement

  41. Namdrol

    December 8, 2017 at 11:52 am

    After Trump in China, Will Any Country Officially Receive the Dalai Lama?
    December 6, 2017 Jigme Wangchuk
    The United States has always been an outspoken ally of the Tibet cause; at least it seemed to be until it showed a sign of corrosion in the last 10 years. China’s economic boom and its far-reaching impact in international affairs have risen astoundingly amidst growing call for human rights intervention in Tibet. The support for Tibet is dwindling as has been made apparent by His Holiness’s remark.
    The Dalai Lama recently announced that he would indefinitely be absent from all international events and declared Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche and Prime Minister Dr. Lobsang Sangay as his two emissaries. The undertone of this decision seems to make it clear that the Dalai Lama has reached an understanding with Beijing, one that would fall in line with his vision of autonomy for Tibet.
    An article by The Wire has drawn conclusions on how the Dalai Lama has panned out his policy for the Tibet cause in the future. News article pertaining to power politics and fading call for the Tibet cause have sprung up after Donald Trump’s visit to China – not without a reason. Trump has made it clear that he will not invite His Holiness to the United States like most of his predecessors. He also suggested zero dollars in aid to the Tibet cause.
    China’s supposed involvement in the ousting of Zimbabwean president Mugabe highlights its political influence around the world. And with United States and the rejection by Botswana, it seems unlikely that no country will officially receive the Dalai Lama without offending China and paying a possible price for it. It would be erroneous to speculate that the Dalai Lama has surrendered his influence and nullified the Tibetan freedom struggle. With more and more countries reclining on China and lucrative trade relations for its people, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Dalai Lama wants development for Tibetans in Tibet too.
    But as far as the Dalai Lama’s travel is concerned, he will be limiting his presence to India where the Tibet cause will be fostered until that moment when India will embrace the exhaustive slogan “Hindi-China Bhai Bhai.”
    http://www.tibetanjournal.com/index.php/2017/12/06/trump-china-will-country-officially-receive-dalai-lama/

  42. Tenzin Monlom

    December 13, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    The Dalai Lama has banned the Dorje Shugden practice, yet millions around the world are exercising their democratic rights by practicing Dorje Shugden, so the CTA should not segregate and discriminate against them.

    The Dalai Lama has banned the Rangzen (Tibet Independence) movement, yet many are exercising their democratic rights by continuing to pursue for Tibet’s independence.

    Video: Rangzen people are more dangerous than Dorje Shugden people by Prof Samdhong Rinpoche: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn62-WmDFg4

    The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) are very defiant, within days after the Dalai Lama said that “Tibetans want to stay with China”, the TYC has announced it will take out a nationwide campaign in India calling for independence for Tibet. Shouldn’t the Tibetan leadership in Dharamsala and Dalai Lama take action against the Rangzen people? Dalai Lama has expressed that he wishes to visit Tibet and see the 6 million Tibetans before he passes. The only way to do this is to become friends with China. If that is the case, if Rangzen activist protest against China, would this not jeopardize his wishes? Tibetans are always saying they owe so much to the Dalai Lama and if this is so, shouldn’t they help the Dalai Lama return to Tibet by becoming friends with China? The first step is that the Dalai Lama and his exiled govt (CTA) in Dharamsala, North India, must start using the China flag. Show some concessions. Make China happy. If Dalai Lama wants to be an autonomous state of China under China, he has to be sincere by using the China flag first. After all, all the world leaders are now refusing to meet on official terms the Dalai Lama. Dalai Lama is being banned from more and more countries. More heads of state are scrambling to make friends with China and not Dalai Lama. To be friends or friendly with Dalai Lama will bring no economic benefits to their countries. China is the largest economy in the world now and is still growing. By being friends with China, many countries will benefit their economy and that is the first priority of all world leaders.

    More leaders are not meeting the Dalai Lama and his popularity is dropping. Even if Tibetans want to use violence to overcome China, it will be impossible. Six million Tibetans cannot withstand the might of the 1.2 billion Chinese in warfare. The best route is the Dalai Lama’s middle way which is to become an autonomous state under China and he can return to Tibet to visit and see his followers who are waiting for him. All countries should not use Dalai Lama as a trump card to irritate China because of the competition with China. It is better to be friends with a super-power such as China.

    Tenzin Monlom

    Tibetan youth plan march for freedom
    NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 08, 2017 22:18 IST
    by Suhasini Haidar
    New Delhi must review its policy… after Doklam, people of India realise what is going on: group leader
    Days after the Dalai Lama said that “Tibetans want to stay with China”, the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest group of youth activists among the refugee population, has announced it will take out a nationwide campaign in India calling for independence for Tibet, highlighting the growing divide within the community in India.
    The march, called the “Bharat Jagran Yatra”, will also coincide with the arrival of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who is attending the Russia-India-China (RIC) meeting in Delhi. The External Affairs Ministry declined to comment if the march would affect the talks in any way, but a senior government official who handles Tibetan refugee matters said the government “isn’t too worried”.
    While the TYC has carried out protests in the past, this is the first time it is attempting a march of this scale. “There is a sense of frustration among our people who have lived for 50 years in exile. We have to educate people about the need for an independent Tibet and why it is important for India, given Chinese intrusions at the border, as well,” TYC president Tenzin Jigme told The Hindu, outlining plans for the march beginning December 10 from Dharamshala, Chennai and Salaugara in West Bengal, to travel to 150 towns and cities.
    Among the TYC’s demands are that India must “review its policy” and support Tibetan independence. “We must seize the moment, as after Doklam, people of India realise what is going on. Already several [Indian] leaders have spoken of reviewing India’s policies [on Tibet],” Mr. Jigme said.
    India recognises the Tibet Autonomous Region as part of China, and has reiterated that there has been no change in the official “One-China” policy. However, since 2014, the NDA government has toughened its stand on supporting the Tibetan community, beginning with an invitation to the ‘Sikyong’ or leader Lobsang Sangay to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
    Dalai Lama’s visit
    Analysts say the government has also increased security for the Dalai Lama, and will be facilitating another visit by him to Arunachal Pradesh shortly, which China has always objected to.
    However, the larger concern at present is over the growing divide between the Dalai Lama’s leadership, which advocates the Umaylam or middle-way approach that calls for more autonomy for Tibet within China, against the Rangzen or independence demand pushed by the TYC and their followers in the Tibetan diaspora. At a speech in Kolkata last month, the Dalai Lama said Tibetans “will have to look into the future” and seek development, not independence, following which his official envoy, Samdhong Rinpoche, reportedly visited China.
    “This Umaylam-Rangzen schism has been growing since elections were held last year,” says Jayadev Ranade, former Cabinet Secretariat official and author of a new book, Cadres in Tibet.
    Mr. Ranade, who has closely watched the Tibetan community in India, estimated to be between 1.5 lakh and 4.5 lakh, adds, “For us in India, the concern is about any law and order issue that would come out of it.”
    (With Vijaita Singh)
    http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/tibetan-youth-plan-march-for-freedom/article21340159.ece

  43. Namdrol

    December 14, 2017 at 2:22 am

    Tibet wants to stay with China, says Dalai Lama
    TNN | Updated: Nov 24, 2017, 15:42 IST
    KOLKATA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on Thursday that Tibet did not seek independence from China but greater development.
    Speaking at an interactive session hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce here, he said, “We are not seeking independence… We want to stay with China. We want more development.”
    He added, “Tibet has a different culture and a different script… The Chinese people love their own country. We love our own country.”
    He said, “From Yangtze to Sindhu rivers, major rivers … come from Tibet. Billions of lives are involved. Taking care of the Tibetan plateau is not only good for Tibet but for billions of people.”
    He also lauded India’s “spirit of religious tolerance”, adding that there were “problems sometimes because of politicians trying to manipulate that”.
    He took a dig at the average Indian’s laziness as well — describing them as “lazier than the Chinese”.
    “I think Indian people are lazy but that may be due to the climate. But India is more stable and can play a role in the world stage,” he added. “India has a tradition of living together. (It is) a living example of different traditions being carried together,” the Buddhist monk said, adding: “I can proudly state the same about Tibetan culture.”
    India should combine modern education with basic human values rooted in its traditional teachings, he said. “This could pave the way for peace in the 21st century+ after the violence that has prevailed in the last 100 years,” said the monk. “Religion, too, has become a lip service and failed to bridge the divide between humans,” he added, blaming politicians for often using it in a wrong way.
    “India is rich in traditional teachings. These, rather than just religion, can help bring people together. If modern India can combine newage education with lessons on inner values in a secular way, then the country can head in the right direction. Modern education is a bit too materialistic,” he said.
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tibet-wants-to-stay-with-china-says-dalai-lama/articleshow/61775261.cms

  44. Namdrol

    December 16, 2017 at 1:18 am

    CTA would like to downplay Samdhong Rinpoche’s private visit to China. The fact is, in order for him to go, he needs permission of India government, China government and Dalai Lama. For someone as high profile as him and who has criticised China for decades to be even allowed to go to China shows you that he is not going there for excursion, holidays or just to meet relatives. It will definitely be something official. Since he is going as the envoy of the Dalai Lama, it is definitely to negotiate with the China government regarding Tibet’s autonomy and Dalai Lama’a returning back, it could not be anything else. Therefore it is important for CTA and all Tibetans and their supporters to stop criticising China so that the negotiation goes through smoothly, and there will be a positive resolution for Tibet and a chance for the Dalai Lama to visit China and Tibet. The irony is, after Samdhong Rinpoche visited china, he is not accused to be colluding with China government for Tibet, HE HIMSELF is going to China. So there is no point in accusing Dorje Shugden people of befriending China, because the Tibetans exiled leaders are going to China themselves now.

    Cautious Sangay says Samdhong Rinpoche made a “private visit” to China
    [Friday, December 15, 2017 16:51]
    By Tenzin Dharpo
    DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 15: In the much speculated development over the visit of former Tibetan Kalon Tripa (then called Prime Minister), Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche to China, Tibetan President Dr. Lobsang Sangay said that the close aide of the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama did visit China. “It was at most, a private visit”, Dr. Sangay said on Thursday in New Delhi.
    The head of the exile Tibetan government (known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration), while responding to a question at the Prof. ML Sondhi Memorial Lecture in New Delhi said that he did not get any official confirmation on the front from Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche.
    “He (Prof. SR) is yet to brief me officially, so I don’t know the details. But it’s out in the papers. But I think we should not read too much into it.” Dr. Sangay is seen responding in a video clip shared by Tibet TV of the Q&A session at the event.
    On Dec. 4, a former Indian Ambassador and columnist P.Stobtan wrote that Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche made a “discreet visit” to Kunming, China and met You Quan, head of the United Front Work Department that overseas Tibetan affairs. He also wrote that the Dalai Lama’s ‘right-hand-man’ and one of Xi Jinping’s closest aide met in November in Kunming, China.
    The Tibetan Prez, however, said that Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche went to Wutai-Shan mountains in Shanxi Province, just about 350 kms from Beijing, for the meet. The Wutai-shan mountains seem especially apt considering the holy Buddhist sites there and the fact that Dalai lama was reported to have expressed his wish to visit the same for a religious pilgrimage in the late 1990s.
    While the issue was widely discussed in the Tibetan community and Tibetan media with regards to resumption of dialogue between China and Tibet, the official confirmation for the same has not surfaced. The Dalai Lama’s private office has not made any disclosure on the incident.
    The Tibetan President also said that such developments should not be taken too seriously with regards to resolution of the Tibet issue as the previous nine rounds of dialogue between the Tibetan envoys and their Chinese counterparts have not borne result and further caused “regression” when it comes to the Tibetans exercising restrain in the global arena.
    http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39926&article=Cautious+Sangay+says+Samdhong+Rinpoche+made+a+%E2%80%9Cprivate+visit%E2%80%9D+to+China

  45. Namdrol

    December 16, 2017 at 1:35 am

    CTA would like to downplay Samdhong Rinpoche’s private visit to China. The fact is, in order for him to go, he needs permission of India government, China government and Dalai Lama. For someone as high profile as him and who has criticised China for decades to be even allowed to go to China shows you that he is not going there for excursion, holidays or just to meet relatives. It will definitely be something official. Since he is going as the envoy of the Dalai Lama, it is definitely to negotiate with the China government regarding Tibet’s autonomy and Dalai Lama’a returning back, it could not be anything else. Therefore it is important for CTA and all Tibetans and their supporters to stop criticising China so that the negotiation goes through smoothly, and there will be a positive resolution for Tibet and a chance for the Dalai Lama to visit China and Tibet. The irony is, after Samdhong Rinpoche visited china, he is not accused to be colluding with China government for Tibet, HE HIMSELF is going to China. So there is no point in accusing Dorje Shugden people of befriending China, because the Tibetans exiled leaders are going to China themselves now.

    ‘Former Tibetan government head visited China recently’
    Posted at: Dec 15, 2017, 2:07 AM; last updated: Dec 15, 2017, 1:58 PM (IST)
    Ajay Banerjee
    Tribune News Service
    New Delhi, December 14
    The Sikyong (head) of the elected Central Tibetan Administration, Dr Lobsang Sangay, in New Delhi confirmed that his predecessor Prof Samdhang Rimpoche did visit China recently. He, however, warned, “Don’t read too much into it. At most it’s a private visit and it’s too early to say anything.”
    He was answering a question by former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal on the sidelines of the Third ML Sondhi Memorial Lecture. Sangay delivered the lecture on ‘Tibet holds the key to Beijing’.
    Sondhi was an IFS officer who quit and won a Lok Sabha election in 1967 from Delhi on a Jana Sangh ticket.
    Sangay said India should make Tibet the lynchpin in changing Beijing, saying Tibet must be declared the “core issue”.
    “Either you transform China into a liberal democracy or it transforms you,” he said. Citing Norway and Denmark as examples of the transformation, he said the two nations had abandoned the cause of Tibetans to mend ties with China.
    Sangay, who spoke at the United Nations two days ago, warned India, saying: “China is already in Nepal. They have come to Doklam.” He repeated Mao’s words on Tibet being the “palm of China” and Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and North East Frontier Agency (NEFA, modern Indian province of Arunachal Pradesh) its five fingers. Mao, former Chairman of the Communist Party of China, had asserted it is China’s responsibility to “liberate” them all.
    On being asked if he agreed with the recent book, ‘China’s India War — Collision Course on the Roof of the World’, by Bertil Lintner, which said China had prepared for war in 1959, Sangay said: “China prepared for the 1962 India-China war in 1954 when it agreed to only a five-year renewal of the India-Tibet trade pact. In 1959, Tibet was attacked.”
    Sangay said: “China is worried as it now has the largest Buddhist community of 300 million — more than the 82 million strong Communist Party.”
    BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, who was the chief guest at the memorial lecture, said: “Maintaining good relations with China is the government’s priority. At present, negotiations are on between Tibet and China. Whenever required, India and its people will stand by them (Tibetans).” On the India-China standoff, he said: “Doklam is not over yet.”
    http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/dalai-lama-headed-to-china-on-pvt-visit/513541.html

  46. Chering Dorje

    December 23, 2017 at 9:51 am

    India and China realized the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas, and held daylong talks to prevent border disagreements. This move shows the commitment of both giants to foster better relations with each other, seeking mutually acceptable resolutions. This is the article:
    India, China hold talks on long-running border dispute
    BY Ashok Sharma | AP
    NEW DELHI, India, 22 December 2017
    India and China on Friday discussed ways to prevent a repeat of a recent face-off between their armed forces at a Himalayan plateau where their borders meet and agreed that resolving their boundary disagreements served the interests of both countries.
    Relations between the two Asian giants have often been strained, partly due to an undemarcated border. They fought a month-long border war in 1962 and have been trying to settle the boundary since the 1980s.
    The two sides agreed Friday that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it was necessary to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry said at the end of daylong talks.
    The Indian side was led by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Chinese delegation by Special Representative Yang Jiechi. The two had met in Beijing in July on the sidelines of a meeting of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) summit.
    “The talks were positive and focused on bringing out the full potential of the closer developmental partnership between the two countries,” the statement said. “They re-emphasized their commitment to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question at an early date.”
    The latest confrontation took place where India and China’s border meets that of Bhutan. It started in June when Indian troops moved in to stop China from constructing a road in the Doklam region in Bhutan. Both countries agreed to pull back their troops on 28 August.
    The border dispute continues to bedevil relations between the giant Asian neighbours — armed with nuclear weapons and with 2.6 billion people between them — despite a recent warming of economic relations.
    Each side accuses the other of occupying its territory. China claims some 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 square miles) of territory in India’s northeast and cites the region’s cultural affinity with Tibet as evidence that the area is part of what it calls “southern” Tibet. India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin plateau in the western Himalayas.
    Friday’s was the 20th meeting between the two sides on the border issue since mid-1980s.
    https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/12/22/india-china-hold-talks-on-long-running-border-dispute

  47. Ngodup Tsering

    January 8, 2018 at 11:27 am

    After looking at several contradictory reports regarding the alleged Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche’s visit to Kunming, China, one should wonder why Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche had to deny his four-day visit to China after such visit was confirmed by Dr. Lobsang Sangay and now by a former Indian intelligence officer. If Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche had the best intention to promote the Dalai Lama’s middle way, then why he needs to deny this visit? After all the Sino-Tibetan relationship has been stagnant since 2011, the fact that Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche was able to secure a meeting with Chinese government officials should have been a great success for him, instead of becoming another source of controversy.

    Former Indian Intelligence Claims Samdhong Rinpoche Visited China
    A former Indian intelligence officer claims in an article that the former Kalon Tripa or the Prime minister of Tibetan government in exile, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche had a four-day China visit in November last year. The article by the former RAW officer says that Dalai Lama’s envoy would have met senior Communist party leaders during the visit.
    Samdong Rimpoche’s visit to China materialised against the backdrop of strained India-China relations consequent to the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam, says former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade according to the article in the Rediff.com.
    “Samdong Rimpoche, who was nominated a month earlier as the Dalai Lama’s envoy for talks with the Chinese authorities, would certainly have met senior Communist party leaders during his four-day stay in Kunming, capital of China’s Yunnan province.” added the report claiming that the two-term Kalon Tripa (‘prime minister’) of the Tibetan administration-in-exile and one of the Dalai Lama’s most trusted advisers had quietly travelled to China in late November 2017.
    The report also suggested that the Rinpoche would have met with the You Quan, a former party secretary of Fujian province whom Chinese President Xi Jinping appointed director of the united front work department in November or Zhang Yijiong, executive vice minister of the UFWD.
    As China still do not recognise the Central Tibetan Administration, functioning as the Tibetan government in exile, president Lobsang Sangay has not accompanied the Rinpoche in the China visit added the article by the former Indian intelligence.
    The former prime minister of Tibetan government in exile, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche however had earlier rubbished of the China visit when asked about whether he had made a China visit as being speculated and told that the news about his visit to China has no truth and it was nothing more than just media speculations.
    http://www.tibetanjournal.com/index.php/2018/01/07/former-indian-intelligence-claims-samdhong-rinpoche-visited-china/

  48. Thamchod Nyingma

    January 9, 2018 at 10:38 am

    China’s economic prowess is not to be underestimated. Leaders from various countries seek economic collaborations with China, who has been contributing to the world’s economic growth, especially in the past decade. The Indian Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) report highlighted the lack of opportunities in India for growth and advancement as the causes for Tibetan youth to willingly betray their host India and work as spies for China. Tibetan youth clearly have difficulties to survive in India as CTA failed to create sufficient jobs for the Tibetans in exile. This is a reality and we will see more and more trend like this and eventually Tibetans seeking improvement in their quality of life and intellectual advancement will leave India and ‘return’ to China.

    China recruiting “disgruntled” Tibetan refugees to spy on India: Intelligence Bureau
    Friday, January 05, 2018 19:56
    By Tenzin Dharpo
    DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 5: Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) has reportedly said that China is recruiting Tibetan refugee youth in the Northeastern parts of India to provide strategic information in exchange for monetary gains.
    The IB, India’s internal intelligence agency, has issued a string of alerts that China is approaching Tibetan refugees settled in northeast India to provide strategic information about the area.
    According to The Print, a comprehensive report submitted to the central government will include how China had been targeting “disgruntled Tibetan refugees” in the region for the past two years and how many of the recruits have already left for China.
    An unnamed source from the IB was cited as saying “young Tibetan refugees” from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and other parts of northeast India have been recruited as spies. “It appears to be China’s strategy to make a base in India to create a channel, through which it can constantly receive relevant strategic information,” the source told The Print.
    The same source also described the newer generations of Tibetans to be “volatile and vulnerable” whose desperation caused by unemployment and wish for a good lifestyle is tapped by China who assure money as well as job and education for their kids. 
    In addition to the report to be sent to Ministry of home affairs, the local police in the north east states have also been notified of the threat and may result in “scrutiny of Tibetan refugees” there soon.
    There are five Tibetan refugee settlements in the Northeast India; Choepheling- Miao, Dhargyeling –Tezu, Tenzigang- Bomdila and Tuting-Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh and Kunphenling- Ravangla in Sikkim as well as smaller pockets of Tibetans in Sonada and Darjeeling area overseen by the exile Tibetan government here in Dharamshala, known as the Central Tibetan Administration. 
    http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=40007

  49. Tsering Ngodup

    January 9, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    Samdhong Rinpoche’s November visit to China is brought up again in this article because it may have implication to India’s politics. At the moment, it is not clear yet as to what transpired during Samdhong Rinpoche’s 4-day visit to China and how the development may impact the progress of Tibetan cause or India-China relations. The confusion and curiosity related to this visit have increased a notch after Samdhong Rinpoche denied that this visit even occurred. It is very likely that the public may speculate further about Samdhong Rinpoche’s real intention behind the visit and why he was hiding it, and the speculation could run wild and impose a new risk to the Tibetan cause and India China relations. Therefore, it is best for Samdhong Rinpoche to clarify this matter once and for all.

    Tibet developments may put pressure on India
    Samdong Rimpoche’s visit to China materialised against the backdrop of strained India-China relations consequent to the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam, says former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade.
    There have been important developments relating to Tibet since the Chinese Communist Party congress ended in Beijing on October 25, 2017 and the two months thereafter.
    All of them have implications for India and some could potentially put India under sustained pressure.
    The first was the indication that the Chinese Communist Party’s central committee’s united front work department, which is responsible for supervising non-Communist parties and ethnic minorities including the Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions, was preparing to take fresh initiatives.
    This was the dramatic ‘leak’ that Samdong Rimpoche — a former two-term Kalon Tripa (‘prime minister’) of the Tibetan administration-in-exile and among the Dalai Lama’s most trusted advisers — had quietly travelled to China in late November 2017.
    Samdong Rimpoche, who was nominated a month earlier as the Dalai Lama’s envoy for talks with the Chinese authorities, would certainly have met senior Communist party leaders during his four-day stay in Kunming, capital of China’s Yunnan province.
    There is speculation that Rimpoche could have met You Quan, a former party secretary of Fujian province whom Chinese President Xi Jinping appointed director of the united front work department in November or Zhang Yijiong, executive vice minister of the UFWD.
    If Rimpoche met Chinese leaders, this would be the first acknowledged contact between an envoy of the Dalai Lama and Chinese Communist officials since negotiations between the two sides were suspended in 2010.
    China’s official media has, however, not yet mentioned a visit by a senior leader to Kunming during this period.
    Dr Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (head) of the Central Tibetan Administration, obliquely confirmed that Professor Rimpoche had visited China. He was replying to a question posed by former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal on the sidelines of the M L Sondhi memorial lecture in New Delhi on December 14, when he cautioned ‘Don’t read too much into it. At most, it’s a private visit and it’s too early to say anything.’
    It is pertinent that Lobsang Sangay — who is the other envoy nominated by the Dalai Lama for talks with the Chinese — did not accompany Samdong Rimpoche probably because China continues to adhere to its policy of not recognising the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala. No relaxation has been noticed in China’s policies towards Tibetans or Tibet so far.
    Samdong Rimpoche’s visit also materialised against the backdrop of strained India-China relations consequent to the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam and threats made at the time by China through its official media.
    It comes too in the wake of an international conference convened by the Tibetan administration-in-exile in October 2017 to finalise a long-term action plan, including revival of Tibetan Buddhism in the Indo-Himalayan border belt.
    At the same time a securitisation of Tibet is taking place. Following up on Xi Jinping’s work report to the party congress — which for the first time devoted an entire section to poverty alleviation — the Tibet Autonomous Region has launched a campaign to tackle poverty and simultaneously enhance security.
    It has decided to build ‘well-off border villages’ along Tibet’s ‘borders with India, Nepal, Bhutan and other neighbouring countries to ensure the security of the borders and maintain stability’ in the region.
    The State-owned Global Times newspaper on December 25, 2017 asserted that ‘confronting separatism remains a challenge for the region. Raising living standards for local residents is a fundamental way to guard against activity sabotaging China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’.
    ‘Tibet’s rural poverty alleviation,’ the newspaper added, will help maintain stability in the border areas’.
    Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns in the TAR are being co-opted to sensitise people and ensure that Buddhism serves socialism.
    Additionally, the decision to bring the people’s armed police force (PAPF) directly under the central military commission with effect from January 1, 2018 puts Tibet under the direct control of the people’s liberation army (PLA).
    Xi Jinping had earlier appointed PLA officers loyal to him as the commander and political commissar of the PAPF.
    Since the PAPF is deployed in strength in Tibet’s main towns, rural countryside and border areas, the PLA officers — who are now being re-inducted into the party standing committees at the provincial and county levels — will have an enhanced role.
    In addition to deploying PAPF troops when civilian authorities request assistance, the PLA officers will have a greater role in military-civil coordination and be directly involved in building the ‘well-off border villages’.
    Each of these villages is to be connected by road, thereby facilitating military movement along the border with India.
    Finally, the TAR leadership is being encouraged to push the Belt and Road Initiative and Bangladesh China India Myanmar Corridor with Tibet’s neighbours.
    To promote the BRI and BCIM, China has announced it will expand TAR’s road network from 82,000 kms to 89,000 kms by 2020.
    Chinese officials have earlier pointed out that there are 70 road links between China and Nepal and there have been suggestions of a new China-Nepal-India Corridor.
    The aim will be to build pressure on India by creating public opinion, including by co-opting Tibetans, to endorse the BRI and China’s plans of connectivity.
    Jayadeva Ranade, a former Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, is presently President, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.
    http://m.rediff.com/news/column/tibet-developments-may-put-pressure-on-india/20180107.htm

  50. Dekyi Wangmo

    January 13, 2018 at 10:45 am

    Instead of creating employment opportunities, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has nurtured a culture where Tibetans expect handouts and foreign aids to get by. As a result, they created a new generation of Tibetan refugees who are volatile and vulnerable, and always depend on others to help them out of circumstances. Now, Tibetan refugees in India do not even hesitate to compromise the security of their host country, India, who has been so kind to them, in exchange for monetary gain.

    China luring Tibetan refugees in India to work as its spies, Intelligence Bureau warns
    ANANYA BHARDWAJ | 5 January, 2018
    IB issues alert that many refugees settled in northeast India are being paid and offered jobs by China in exchange for strategic information.
    New Delhi: Amid rising India-China tensions along the Line of Actual Control, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has issued a string of alerts warning that Tibetan refugees settled in northeast India are being approached by China to provide strategic information about the area.
    While China has reportedly managed to convince a number of young Tibetan refugees to work as its spies in exchange for money, it is aiming to recruit many more, IB sources told ThePrint.
    According to the alert, based on which a detailed report will soon be submitted to the government, China had been eyeing disgruntled Tibetan refugees in the region for the past two years. Sources said that many of the refugees it has recruited have already left for China.
    “We received an alert stating that young Tibetan refugees settled in areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and other parts of northeast India are moving to China. We learnt that China is trying to recruit the refugees as spies in the area,” a source said. 
    “It appears to be China’s strategy to make a base in India to create a channel, through which it can constantly receive relevant strategic information.”
    The local police in the concerned states have also been sounded out about the alert. A report is being prepared and will be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, following which a scrutiny of Tibetan refugees in the area may start.
    “The present generation of Tibetan refugees is very volatile and vulnerable. While they wish to have a good lifestyle, they do not have any job opportunities. This is what the Chinese took advantage of to plant their spies,” the source said.
    “The Chinese reportedly not only promise them good money in exchange for information, but also a good job and education for their children in China. However, it is still not known as to how many refugees the Chinese have been able to mobilise.”
    Asked about the IB alert, a Home ministry official said: “It may be a possibility. We will look into it.”
    https://theprint.in/2018/01/05/china-luring-tibetan-refugees-india-to-spy-intelligence-bureau-warns/

  51. Yodon chela

    January 18, 2018 at 10:17 am

    China has been liberal towards Buddhist practitioners including those who are practicing Shugden deity. In fact, there are 250 million Buddhists in China currently, almost three times more than communist party members. On the contrary, the Tibetan leadership in exile continues to discriminate against Shugden practitioners and politicizes the Shugden controversy to their benefit instead of promoting harmony among Buddhist practitioners. How ironic that the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) continuously criticizes China for their human rights issue, and yet the CTA fails to respect even the most basic human rights of other people, freedom of religion.

    Three times as many Buddhists as Communists in China: Dalai Lama’s Tibet wish may require rapprochement with former adversaries
    01/16/2018 07:27 am ET
    By: Martin Desai, Contributor
    Journalist and financial investigator
    Whilst China technically remains a communist country, it has over the last two or three decades relaxed draconian Mao-era rules, for example by opening the door to private sector capitalism and by allowing individuals to practice a religion of their choice, so long as it is not to be perceived as a potential threat to the stability of the state or of the Communist Party.
    There are now almost three times as many Buddhists in China as there are Party members. An official communiqué released in July this year estimated the membership of the Communist Party of China at just under 90 million. Meanwhile, the State Bureau of Religious Affairs estimates there are some 250 million Buddhists in China, more or less evenly split between Tibetan Buddhism and Han Buddhism, and 200,000 registered Buddhist monks.
    Chinese authorities monitor religious adherence closely, and are extremely sensitive to any challenge, real or imagined, that certain religions may represent. While the Chinese regime’s approach to Buddhism has been liberal – for example, no bans have been issued and open religious expression is permitted – it clearly takes the religion’s influence seriously, given its importance in Chinese society.
    Above all the regime fears religious divisions or unrest, as evidenced by the swift outlawing of the Falun Gong movement and imprisonment of its leaders after a series of demonstrations by Falun Gong members prompted fears that the group’s swelling support could one day rival the Party. The regime is also acutely sensitive to the possibility of what it sees as external interference – especially on the delicate subject of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.
    A particularly divisive issue for the Buddhist community, both within Tibet and abroad is the devotion to the Dorje Shugden deity, a 400-year old practice that began in the 17th century and has become a major practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Critics of Shugden devotion say worship of the deity promotes divisions among the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, all of which share the same fundamental philosophy, and whose differences lie in their interpretation of the extensive collection of Buddhist scriptures and the emphasis they place on various aspects of Buddhist philosophy.
    At the origin of the controversy lie a number of ambiguous declarations from the current (14th) Dalai Lama. On the one hand, he has appealed for non-sectarian cooperation among all branches of Tibet’s religions. However, he has also effectively excluded Shugden practitioners from such cooperation despite once regarding Dorje Shugden as an enlightened being and authoring one of the most popular liturgies to this deity. Some Shugden devotees have claimed that these ambiguous declarations amount to a de facto ban on their practice and this exclusion is tantamount to being exiled in their own communities. The Shugden de facto exclusion has already existed for two decades since it was initiated by the current Dalai Lama and has slowly stirred disunity in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China and among the exiled Tibetan communities.
    In 2014 the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet, which is chaired by the actor Richard Gere, said it had obtained a ‘directive’ from the Communist Party Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in China in February 2014 whose title translates as, “Some opinions on dealing correctly with the ‘Gyalchen Shugden’ issue”[1].
    The International Campaign for Tibet’s evaluation of the directive accuses China of seeking to gain a political advantage from the controversy. Entitled “China’s new directive on (the) controversial Shugden spirit in Tibet in (a) further bid to discredit Dalai Lama”[2], even the title of the critique dispels any expectation of objectivity.
    While the Chinese position is that the authorities are aiming to guarantee the right of all Tibetans to choose who and how they worship, the directive issued by the Communist Party Committee of TAR is couched in rather divisive language. It calls the Shugden controversy “an important front in our struggle with the Dalai clique” and “a deceitful ploy by the 14th Dalai’s clique to split the country…”
    The Chinese directive was made in response to the de facto religious ban implemented by the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Government in Exile, and to their suspected destabilizing activities inside the TAR. The directive proposes educational and law enforcement measures to be implemented inside the TAR to mitigate the risk of division and unrest that the controversy may cause. Tashi Tadchen, a representative of the European Dorje Shugden Society which was set up to create awareness of the supposed ban, says that following the exiled Tibetan leadership’s edict against the Shugden practice, there have been frequent clashes which at times have led to loss of lives between those who feel obliged to follow the Dalai Lama’s decree and adherents of the Shugden practice.
    The directive mirrors Chinese fear of discord within Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism in general. What it does not do, despite the International Campaign for Tibet’s claims, is take a specific position on Shugden devotion outside the TAR. In spite of the content of the directive, the Exiled Tibetan Government and related NGOs around the World have repeatedly used it as evidence to attest that Shugden practitioners are “spies of the Chinese Communist Party.”
    A late 2015 report from the news agency Reuters looking into the Shugden controversy relied heavily on the Communist Party Committee of TAR directive, and especially the International Campaign for Tibet’s interpretation of it, as solid evidence that China is financing various Shugden groups in the West, in particular the International Shugden Community (ISC) which has seen strong support from individual members of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) and Tibetans living in the West. The NKT has meditation centres around the world and has been vocal in its public opposition to the Dalai Lama’s position.
    Even so, no concrete evidence has ever been supplied. However, whilst the intended objective is unclear, the Dalai Lama’s Shugden exclusion has created unrest amongst Tibetans inside the TAR. This is precisely what China fears. China sustains a “One China” policy to maintain stability and prosperity of the state. Any divisive conflict in the TAR such as the Shugden split, does not augur well for it’s objectives. This is not an objective the exile Tibetan Government necessarily shares and its ability to influence affairs in the TAR is one of it key bargaining chips.
    What we have, in effect, is both sides calling for unity while at the same time continuing to bicker. The Communist Party of TAR has certainly sought to politicise the rift, as the Dalai Lama and his supporters also appear to have done. The Dalai Lama’s comments have served to alienate Shugden devotees from other Tibetan Buddhists, and are somewhat jarring when considered alongside his calls for unity in the Tibetan diaspora. Shugden adherents have insisted that if indeed the exiled Tibetan leadership believes that the Communist Party of China is leveraging this issue, then a simple pronouncement by the Dalai Lama declaring an end to the de facto ban would have the effect of rendering it harmless.
    Could the time now be ripe to call for closure of hostilities? The Dalai Lama has recently expressed a desire to return to his Tibetan homeland, a wish that would have no chance of fulfilment without a significant thawing of China’s attitude towards Tibet’s spiritual leader.
    Harmony among Tibetan Buddhists is in the interests of both sides. Moreover, having said in November 2017 that “Tibetans want to stay with China” and that he would return to Tibet at once, if China agrees, the Dalai Lama has flagged a willingness to try and overcome the longstanding political impasse. In addition, a high ranking emissary of the Dalai Lama, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche – former Prime Minister of the Tibetan exile Government – was nominated in the autumn as the Dalai Lama’s envoy for talks with the Chinese authorities and is believed to have held secret meetings with senior Communist party leaders.
    Given that one of His Holiness’ early reasons for his criticism of Shugden worship – that it “harms the life of the Dalai Lama” – no longer seems justified given his longevity and continuing fair health, a rapprochement with Shugden acolytes may be a good starting point if his desired return to Tibet is to be anything more than a pipe dream.
    [1] http://www.savetibet.org/the-official-line-on-shugden-translation/
    [2] http://www.savetibet.org/chinas-new-directive-on-controversial-shugden-spirit-in-tibet-in-bid-to-further-discredit-dalai-lama/
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/three-times-as-many-buddhists-as-communists-in-china_us_5a5dedb8e4b003efadb6b0d1

  52. Tenzin Tsomo

    January 22, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    Lobsang Sangay’s dismissal of Penpa Tsering with various accusations backfired, contrary to Lobsang Sangay’s expectation. Now, Tibetans are protesting and expressing their loss of trust in his leadership. Lobsang Sangay has to clarify a lot of things to the public, including the USD1.5 million loan with Tibet Fund. Tibetans are now beginning to see Lobsang Sangay’s true colours and are speaking up against him now.

    Sikyong Sangay, the ball is in your court now!

    By Mila Rangzen
    KOLLEGAL, India, 20 January 2018
    On 5 December 2017 former speaker Penpa Tsering made a detailed clarification rejecting every allegation, categorically, that Sikyong Sangay lobbed on him on 6 November 2017. But to Sikyong’s shock, the 10-point grenade of accusations didn’t burst on PT. It just refused to do so. It backfired.
    Sikyong’s attempt to tarnish the image of a dedicated public servant for both political and personal reasons has failed. With the vigilance and quick action from the public, the humble Tibetan people have spoken! The grenade burst back on Sikyong in the form of protest and loss of trust in his leadership.
    Sikyong never imagined even in his dreams that the Tibetan public would one day rise and speak truth to power right in his face. Terminating PT is the enormous miscalculation Sikyong made after being in office for nearly two years in his second term, and he is now paying the price.
    Many, including those who voted for Lobsang Sangay, are now beginning to see him as a shallow, fake, narcissistic, crooked, unreliable, cowardly, small-minded, touchy, egotistical, arrogant, greedy, deceptive, unappreciative of criticism, irresponsible, vindictive man, and also a sack full of outrageous lies. These are the characteristics of a wicked conman that HH abhors and does not wish to see in any human being, let alone Sikyong whose office is tied to the destiny of the six million Tibetan people.
    1. The claim that LS gave the representative post to PT by recalling his friend Kaydor Aukatsang to Dharamshala even before his tenure was numbered is a lie. The fact is that Gaden Phodrang was not happy with Kaydor’s performance in general and his election controversy in particular, so LS had no choice but to recall Kaydor and appoint Ngodup Tsering in his spot. This decision was taken long before LS posted PT to Washington DC. Yes, LS decided to name PT to the post of representative in Brussels. But that decision had to change later, and the credit goes to Gaden Phodrang, not Lobsang Sangay.
    2. What hurt Sikyong’s ego most was when PT, like an honest statesman, suggested that there should be a payable record with Office of Tibet when there exists a receivable record with the Tibet Fund regarding the $1.5-million loan. This process, he argued, sits well with both the accounting practices and the local laws. Article 6 of the exile charter states that the local laws must be respected at all cost. However, LS violated this critical article in the charter, as usual with a straight face.
    3. Narcissistic. LS asked former MP Koren from Europe to submit a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for him. Remember the picture of himself with Buddha in the background on a thangka hanging on the wall beside his desk? Thangkas are usually reserved for Buddhas and bodhisattvas. He has no shame in hanging such a thangka in his office. 
The irony is that he prefers to call himself Senge “Lion” instead of Sangay “Buddha.” When it was found out that his actual name is spelled Sangay in Tibetan in his Green Book, he insisted and changed to call himself Senge rather than Sangay. Also, his portrait photo lined up on par with HH during elections. His framed picture was carried by well over 60 supporters at the JFK airport recently, an act that is usually reserved for a religious figure like the Dalai Lama. This is all coming from a remote control in LS’ hand. Sangay wishes to be listed as a Nobel laureate alongside the Dalai Lama. He’s a dreamer, but that’s LS for you. How can he even think of competing with His Holiness?
    4. Egoistic. LS also asked MP Pema Chazoetsang from the US to submit his name for the Templeton nomination, a prize worth around $2 million which is usually awarded to a scientist who is prepared to say something nice about religion.
    5. Vindictive. LS terminated PT because PT raised questions with facts and compelling reasons whenever his duty required him to do so. You rarely see this kind of leader in our community except for MP Dolma Tsering who stands her ground and speaks up and grills powers that be. I salute her from the bottom of my heart because our community needs more leaders like her.
    6. Can’t stand criticism. The fact is he is a highly vindictive person. He can’t stand criticism let alone appreciate it. That’s the height of childishness sitting in the character of a man whom we expect to lead us through these dark times.
    7. About two months after the election was over on 20 March 2016, HH gave LS a dressing-down in front of the staff of Gaden Phodrang, Penpa Tsering, and the Justice Commissioners. His Holiness reminded him that he was telling everybody he met that LS was his political boss to create a decent image (but LS gets carried away as usual) of the Sikyong on both the domestic and global stages so that the Tibetan cause could benefit from it. But when LS blatantly indulged in lie after lie and falsehood after falsehood, HH asked him point-blank what was the point in HH continuing to live any longer if the man he praised publicly is full of lies. 
The entire dressing-down episode took only minutes. LS was the only one who refused to keep a copy. He merely wanted to feign ignorance of the contents if people demanded a copy of the same. He wept after the Speaker and Justice Commissioners left in front of HH. He wept perhaps realizing his outrageous lies could cost him his political career any time. Had HH dressed him down in public that would be the end of LS not only as a leader but even as an individual. HH can’t keep LS at a distance because he is an elected leader and it would look bad on the Sikyong if HH did, although the nature of his personality warrants otherwise. This is the problematic position HH is in. Long ago one of my brothers was a monk, carrying Nechung in a trance, at Namgyal Dratsang, HH own monastery. And with a connection in the right place, it is not hard to find a reliable, eyewitness source of information.
    8. It was LS who leaked the secret visit Samdhong Rinpoche made to China recently. Why? To put that on his list of achievements if any. To boost his political image, he makes sure the Tibetan public and the media are not left in the dark even on this secret visit of the former president! LS tipped off Indian intelligence anonymously, and Indian intelligence passed it to an Indian journalist who wrote about it first.
    If the current nightmare is to end soon, then it’s time Sikyong either declares PT’s clarification a bag of lies, or answers his conscience honestly and offers an apology to PT in public. The ball has been in Sikyong’s court for more than 40 days now. But there has been no response whatsoever from Sikyong. PT did not accept even a single accusation as real, and if Sikyong continues to remain silent, then it only means the truth is on PT’s side. Sikyong should also immediately apologize for deceiving the Tibetan public and creating chaos and rift in our community.
    Failing this, PT will have no choice but to leave no stone unturned in seeking justice, and that could include the taking of Sikyong to the Tibetan court and possibly the US court too on defamation charges. The clock ticks now!
    PS: Two pieces of good news! LS cannot come back in 2021. To do so, he has to win 30 votes in the Parliament. Both U-Tsang and Amdo parliamentarians won’t let that happen! PT is eligible to fight in the Sikyong election in 2021!
    https://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2018/01/20/sikyong-sangay-the-ball-is-in-your-court-now

  53. Pema Wangchuk

    January 24, 2018 at 11:00 pm

    His Holiness the Dalai Lama is again, expressing his wish to visit China. This is not the first time His Holiness mentioned about visiting or returning to China. In fact, His Holiness made a strong statement in November 2017 that he “would return to Tibet at once, if China agrees”. Could this be another sign from the Tibetan leadership that rapprochement with China is happening soon?

    Dalai Lama Waiting For A Pilgrimage Visit to China One Day
    By TJ editor
    January 23, 2018
    The Buddhist spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the course of teaching at Bodh Gaya today told that he is praying for a pilgrimage visit China’s Mount Wutai one day. His Holiness concluded the Diamond Cutter Sutra teachings specially dedicated to the Chinese disciples presently attending in Bodh Gaya on Tuesday.
    While explaining about the significance of the holy place in China, Wu Tai Shan, the five peaked mountain, His Holiness told that he is praying to have an opportunity to visit the holy place to receive the blessings of Manjushri.
    “China has a special connection with Manjushri, and Wu Tai Shan—the Five Peaked Mountain is the sacred place associated with him. If you Chinese can do the practices of these two, Manjushri and Sarasvati, it will be of special benefit to you. Meanwhile, I pray that one day I may visit Wu Tai Shan to receive Manjushri’s blessings—and you can pray for that too. To make your having come to Bodhgaya worthwhile, try to develop an understanding of emptiness and cultivate a good heart.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama explained at the third and last day of teachings for the Chinese disciples in Bodh Gaya today.
    The Tibetan spiritual leader fled from Tibet in 1959, following the military coup by the People’s Liberation Army of China and sought refuge in India since then. Over the last six decades, the Tibetan exile community thrived to rebuild a national struggle and His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been very optimistic that he will be able to return to Tibet within his life time.
    Since His Holiness’s arrival to Bodh Gaya since the beginning of this month, he has conducted three series of teachings to thousands of devotees gathered at the holy place. While the first teaching was organised at the request of his Indian devotees, the third teaching was specially dedicated to the disciples from the Mainland China.
    The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama is expected to stay in Bodh Gaya till the beginning of February, there will be public talk Education for Universal Ethics in Schools and Colleges to students from private and government schools at the Kalachakra ground on Thursday.
    http://www.tibetanjournal.com/index.php/2018/01/23/dalai-lama-waiting-pilgrimage-visit-china-one-day/

  54. Pasang Tashi

    January 29, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    Dorje Shugden practitioners have been victims of unfounded blame for more than half a decade, with news reports initiated by the Tibetan leadership, alerting the public that Shugden fundamentalist groups posed huge security threat to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as they were covertly backed up by China. The reality is that terrorists are out to harm His Holiness, with two bombs found amid His Holiness’ tight security, thanks to the intensive combing operation by Indian police. The Central Tibetan Administration should stop spreading lies that Shugden practitioners or more absurdly, Shugden practice imperil the life of the Dalai Lama, and pay more attention to real threats such as this.

    One Suspect of Bodhgaya Blast Appear to Be Nepali Origin, JMB the Terror Group

    January 29, 2018 | By TJ editor
    Five suspects in the Bodhgaya blast have been picked out from the video footage in the CCTV cameras installed around the Mahabodhi temple and the police believes one of them to be of Nepali origin. Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terror group is being suspected as the primary outfit behind the Bodh Gaya incident and less likely for the Students Islamic Movement of India or Indian Mujahideen’s hand.
    Gaya police is seeking the assistance of investigating agencies across the country to find out the identity details of five suspects they have found from the CCTV video footage. While the pictures of the five suspects are being circulated among the agencies by Gaya police, an officer informed that one of the suspects appears to be of Nepali origin.
    “The officer, who requested anonymity, said that one of the five suspects appeared to be of Nepali origin. Their movements have been traced with the help of CCTVs. One of the suspects abandoned a bag containing explosives near gate number four of the temple. Another bomb was planted near the Tibetan monastery.” said the report in the Telegraph.
    According to the investigations, JMB could have activated a module in Bihar to carry out the attack, suggesting that the attack was controlled from West Bengal. There is a call made from Bihar to West Bengal after planting the three bombs in Bodh Gaya is what has led the investigators to believe that the JMB could be behind the incident.
    “The officer said the evidence strongly indicates JMB’s involvement in the failed terror attack, which had aimed to kill Buddhist monks and foreigners present in Bodh Gaya to listen to the sermons of Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. ” said the report in Times of India.
    http://www.tibetanjournal.com/index.php/2018/01/29/suspects-bodhgaya-blast-appear-nepali-origin/

  55. Tsering

    March 3, 2018 at 6:19 am

    Comic drawn by Tendor, a prominent Free Tibet activist.

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