Tashi Delek America | Views on Tibet in America and beyond

China to India: Put an end to Dalai Lama n Tibetan PM-in-exile

2012-02-09T10:17:00.002-05:00

Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna was told on day 1 of his visit on Wednesday by his Chinese counterpart Yang Jeichi that India put an end to the activities of the Dalai Lama and the new Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile Lapsong Sangey as they were indulging in anti-China activities.
Even as Krishna responded reiterated that the Dalai Lama was a spiritual leader and said that India sticks to its previous stand that Tibet is part of China, Yang was not convinced. 15th round of boundary talks held last month in New Delhi ended in a deadlock after China insisted that India discuss the Arunachal swap formula.
Krishna has gone to China to extend invitation to Chinese President Hu Jintao on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit New Delhi for the fourth BRICS Summit. The summit among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is to be held in New Delhi on March 29.
The visit aims at bridging the divide between the two Asian neighbours and prepare the ground for Krishna’s visit. However, the gap appears to have only widened. On the issues of pharmaceutical companies being provided market access in China, Krishna expressed hope that China will allow it soon.
Krishna is on the three day visit of China visit. On Wednesday he also inaugurated the Indian embassy’s new $10 million, or 49-crore, 13,500 sq meters complex. Designed by Indian architect Raj Rewal, the building also houses a cultural complex and a 100-seater auditorium.
“A modern and expansive chancery clearly reflects our expectations of ties with China,” Krishna said at the inauguration ceremony. “A stronger India-China economic relationship can make a direct contribution to that goal,” he said and added “Indeed, as neighbors, the stability and predictability that we provide to the other is itself of great value.”
“As the only two nations with a population of more than a billion each, the foremost priority for both of us is to raise the quality of life of our people,” Krishna said in his speech at the ceremony.
Krishna also met with Communist Party of China (CPC) Polit Bureau member Zhou Yongkang at Beijing’s famous Great Hall of the People to improve bilateral ties.
Zhou said to Krishna, “I think it’s fair to say that with the full commitment of leaders of both countries we have traditionally enjoyed a good relationship,” and expressed satisfaction with progress in ties. He described the opening of the new embassy building as “an auspicious event in the year of the dragon”.
Remembering his visit to India in November 2010 Zhou said that there is enough opportunities and space for development of the 2.5 billion people of China and India.
Krishna also met the two Indian traders involved in a commercial dispute and assured them all possible help. Krishna requested Beijing to intervene but China remained cold to New Delhi’s suggestion.
Source credit: isikkim

Dozens of Tibetans Gather With Dalai Lama Picture

2012-01-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

Dozens of Tibetans, including monks, held up a portrait of the Dalai Lama in a community in southwestern China in an act of defiance days after other Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule.

Police in Seda county said Tuesday that officers dealt with the gathering, but declined to say whether any of the Tibetans were arrested in the incident Monday.

China is sensitive to protests by Tibetans because they threaten its control over its western region and may inspire protests in other parts of China by people with possible grievances against the government.

At least 16 Buddhist monks, nuns and other Tibetans are believed to have set themselves on fire in the past year — four this month — mostly in traditionally Tibetan areas of Sichuan province. Most have chanted for Tibetan freedom and the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

China has vilified the Dalai Lama for more than a decade, accusing him of a campaign to split the Himalayan region from the rest of China, and has tried to get monks to denounce him in political education programs held in religious institutions in Tibetan areas. The Dalai Lama says he is only seeking increased autonomy for Tibet.

Wang said police dealt with the incident, but declined to give any further details.

On Monday, fewer than 100 Tibetans gathered and held a portrait of the Dalai Lama, said the official at Seda county public security bureau in Sichuan province who gave only his surname, Wang. "The New Year festival is coming up so they want to draw attention by creating an incident," he said, referring to the Chinese New Year later this month.

An official from the Seda county government said there was no protest Monday.

Fears of protests by Tibetans were why Premier Wen Jiabao kept a trip to Nepal at the weekend secret, according to the Nepalese prime minister. Wen arrived Saturday in the tiny Himalayan nation that is home to thousands of Tibetan refugees.

"The visit was not announced, as the Tibetan activities have intensified recently," Baburam Bhattarai was quoted as saying in Monday's English-language Republica newspaper.

Tibetans in Nepal regularly protest against Chinese restrictions on Tibetan religion and culture. In November, a man wearing the robes of a Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire in the Nepalese capital, Katmandu, emulating the self-immolations in China. The most recent was on Saturday in Sichuan.

Dicki Chhoyang, a Cabinet member of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharmsala, India, said China could have expected protests because of "the large presence of Tibetans inside Nepal and the fact that China has been so forceful in influencing Nepal's treatment of Tibetans inside Nepal." She said this included restricting Tibetans' political activities and refusing to issue refugee cards to Tibetan refugees.

In response to a question Monday about why Wen's trip to Nepal was unannounced, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said it "was arranged on ad hoc basis." He said it showed the "importance the Chinese side gives to China-Nepal relations."

source credit: ABC News

Dalai Lama to Speak at WCSU in October

2012-01-17T18:01:00.000-05:00

The Dalai Lama will speak at Western Connecticut State University in October, bringing the world's unofficial Buddhist leader and one of the world's leading spiritual leaders to Western Connecticut for the first time.

This speaking engagement took nearly two years to organize, between two university professors and the Do Ngak Kunphen Ling (Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace) in Redding.

The events will be open to the public, and tickets will go on sale at a future date.

James Schmotter, Ph.D., and WCSU president, called the Dalai Lama's visit an extraordinary opportunity for the university and residents in the Danbury area to benefit from this unique learning opportunity.

"We know that his holiness will become a new friend as well when he comes to see us at the university," Schmotter said. "We have many friends, but we also have enemies _ and the one we struggle against every day is ignorance."

Do Ngak Kunphen Ling is the Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace in Redding. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and he has lived in exile from Tibet since 1959, living instead in the Indian city of Dharamsala, which is the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. For more than 50 years, he has been visiting countries around the world, meeting with religious, political and educational leaders, and in 1989 he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Dalai Lama will speak at public forums from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 18 and again from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 19. He will appear at the Feldman Arena in the O'Neill Center of the WCSU Westside campus.

The final signing arrangements were made at the Office of Tibet in New York City on Jan. 10, with Schmotter representing the university and Janine Coover representing the DNKL board.

"We appreciate the university's help and support in this effort to arrange for His Holiness's visit to the community," Coover said. Coover said she was not only looking forward to the Dalai Lama's visit, but also to working together with WCSU in the future.

Source Credit: HamdenPatch.com

Tibetan protesters fired at in China, one dead

2012-01-15T18:29:00.002-05:00

Chinese security forces on Saturday fired into a crowd of Tibetans in Sichuan Province as they tried to take away the body of a Tibetan man who died after self-immolation. This was claimed by reports from two Tibet advocacy groups and Tibetan officials in the exile government in

India.

It appeared that at least two people had been hit by gunfire, and one of those might have been killed, said Kate Saunders, spokesperson for International Campaign for Tibet, which is based in Washington.

"The International Campaign for Tibet is calling upon the international community to press the Chinese authorities to use restraint as a matter of urgency," it said in a statement.

Saunders said the group had spoken to at least two sources.

Another group, Free Tibet, said it had confirmed reports that a Tibetan woman was shot.

There were unconfirmed reports that many others were also hit, said Stephanie Brigden, director of the group, which is based in London.

But China remained silent about the incident on Sunday, with local officials declining to confirm it took place.

The violence took place in the town of Aba, known in Tibetan as Ngaba, a focal point for protests against Chinese rule and the scene of civilian deaths during a widespread Tibetan uprising in 2008. Since then, it has been the site of at least 11 self-immolations, some of them fatal.

Those setting themselves on fire have mainly been monks, nuns or former members of the clergy. The monks in Aba who set themselves on fire all come from the Kirti Monastery, where anger has grown over Chinese repression of religious practices.

The self-immolation on Saturday was the 16th since March 2011, when Phuntsog, a monk at Kirti, set himself on fire and died. The wave of self-immolations in the past year was preceded by that of one monk from Kirti in the spring of 2009.

In total, at least 12 Tibetans have died through self-immolation since 2009, if the death on Saturday is confirmed. Scholars of modern Tibet say the self-immolations represent a new and disturbing protest strategy among the clergy.

Witnesses reported that the police began beating the man after putting out his flames. "Tibetans became very angry and gathered in what seems to be an impromptu demonstration," Saunders said in an e-mail.

The Tibetan government-in-exile in India issued a statement saying 700 people had surrounded the police station after the police took away the body of the person who had set himself on fire. "China must take full responsibility for these cases of self-immolation. It is within its power to end these unfortunate incidents by adopting liberal policies for Tibet."
Source Credit: HT

Nepal detains 90 illegal Tibetan immigrants - police

2012-01-13T18:27:00.000-05:00

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal has detained 90 Tibetan exiles for illegally entering the Himalayan republic, police said on Friday, in the latest crackdown on Tibetans carried out shortly before a reported visit by the Chinese premier.

Kathmandu police chief Rajendra Shrestha said the refugees were held at Thankot on the outskirts of Kathmandu late on Thursday, while they were travelling in buses coming from India.

Local media reported that Wen Jiabao would spend about five hours in Nepal on Saturday during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai before leaving for the Middle East in the afternoon.

Beijing has released no official information about any possible visit, and Nepal government officials declined to comment on the media reports.

The premier had been scheduled to visit Nepal in December, but postponed the tour at the last minute amid speculation over security concerns and fears of Tibetan exiles organising anti-China protests. Officials said the trip was delayed due to China's "internal" reasons.

"They were detained because they failed to produce valid travel documents," Shrestha told Reuters about the Tibetan immigrants, without giving details.

Another police officer, Sudhir Raj Shahi, said all those detained were being held at a police station in the Nepali capital. "They will be freed if they produce valid travel documents. Otherwise we will hand them to the immigration department," Shahi said.

Hundreds of Tibetans fleeing their homeland arrive in Nepal every year on their way to India, where the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama lives. Nepali authorities normally hand them to the United Nations refugee agency.

Nepal, home to more than 20,000 Tibetans, is under pressure from Beijing, a key trade partner and donor, to crack down on any "anti-China" activities by the Tibetans.

Kathmandu considers Tibet a part of China and says the Tibetans are free to stay but must not engage in protests against its giant neighbour.

Two months ago a Tibetan exile set himself on fire in Nepal, in a wave of self-immolations by Tibetans, but was overpowered by others.

Beijing says the Dalai Lama is a dangerous separatist, a charge he strongly denies, insisting he seeks only genuine autonomy for Tibet through peaceful means.

Source Credit: MoneyCentral.com

Reports: Dalai Lama's security tightened on Chinese threat alert

2012-01-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

New Delhi - Security for Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been tightened after media outlets Saturday reported intelligence accounts of threats to his life from Chinese 'agents.'Indian police received information that some Chinese nationals of Tibetan origin, possibly from the Chinese secret services, were likely to enter India to gather intelligence on the exiled Tibetan government as well as cause harm to the Dalai Lama, the Times of India daily reported. The Dalai Lama is currently leading prayer ceremonies at the Buddhist holy site of Bodh Gaya in the eastern state of Bihar. Security had been strengthened in and around the venue, spokesman Lobsang Choedak told the IANS news agency.
Officials from the exiled Tibet government had also sounded an alert about the presence of Chinese spies at the rituals, whose goal there was reportedly to create trouble, the account continued.
Dalai Lama spokesman Chimme Choekyapa declined to comment on the matter.
'No problem or incident has been reported yet. His Holiness is imparting teachings to thousands of devotees,' he said.
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile since he fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule over Tibet. China accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist and inciting violence in its Tibetan Autonomous Region. The Dalai Lama says he wants greater autonomy for Tibet within China.

Source Credit: m&c news

Chinese-funded institutes raise concerns on U.S. campuses

2012-01-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

More than 300 colleges in more than 90 countries -- including about 70 institutions in theUnited States -- host Confucius Institutes, centers of Chinese language and culture education and research funded by China's government. The infusion of Chinese government funding into international universities has enabled significant expansions in language teaching, cultural programming, and China-related conferences and symposia, but it has also raised fears regarding academic freedom and independence of teaching and research. Critics have questioned why colleges would provide their imprimatur to institutes that have been described by Li Changchun, China's propaganda chief, as "an important part of China's overseas propaganda setup."

Confucius Institute at North Carolina State University
At North Carolina State University, the Confucius Institute offers non-credit language and cooking classes for local residents, as well as Chinese conversation.

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Confucius Institute at North Carolina State University

At North Carolina State University, the Confucius Institute offers non-credit language and cooking classes for local residents, as well as Chinese conversation.

Other scholars, however, describe the fears regarding

"If we had a U.S. government agency that was stating that it was a tool for U.S. government propaganda, my colleagues would be up in arms about having a center like that on campus," said Anne-Marie Brady, associate professor of political science at the University of Canterbury, in New Zealand. Brady, the editor of the recent volume, China's Thought Management(Routledge, 2011), said the space for criticism and inquiry at overseas Confucius Institutes is similar to that which Chinese citizens navigate: "They've got a lot of space, but the same kind of space that people have in China, which is that there are always no-go zones, and the no-go zones are obvious: Tibet, Taiwan, Falun Gong. And academia does not have no-go zones."

Confucius Institutes as, in their experiences, unfounded. "We've not ever had the experience of anybody telling us, 'Oh, don't talk about that,' or, 'This is a sensitive topic, avoid that,' and our position all along has been the minute that anybody does, we're done," said Ken Hammond, a professor of history and co-director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State University - which has hosted speakers who have addressed such topics as the history of Tibet and the Nationalist evacuation to Taiwan in 1949. "I wouldn't carry on a program where those constraints were placed upon me. That's not what I do. That's not why I got into this."

Source Credit: USA Today

James Blake, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson to play Tibet Benefit 2012

2012-01-05T16:14:00.000-05:00

Tibet House‘s 22nd annual benefit concert will take place at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall on February 13th. As in year’s past, Philip Glass serves as the concert’s artistic director and curator. This year, he’ll be joined by James Blake, Laurie Anderson, Dechen Shak-Dagsay, Rahzel, and others.

Tickets are now available by calling Carnegie Charge (212-247-7800) or in person at the Carnegie Hall Box Office. Benefit packages are also available through Tibet House. Proceeds will go to preserving and promoting the culture of Tibet.

Source Credit:COS

Dalai Lama Gives Audience to Tibetans from Tibet and Chinese from PRC

2012-01-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

On the morning of the January 3, 2012 at Bodh Gaya, India, the Dalai Lama gave a special audience to the 8000 Tibetans from across Tibet and the 1300 Chinese from China who had come to receive his teachings on the Kalachakra tantra.
He stated to the Tibetans that the problems that they confront will be solved one day but that they must take a long term view of things and not be disheartened by present circumstances. The Dalai Lama clarified his reasons for devolving political powers and stated that he sees the transition to a democratic rule in exile Tibetan society as a proud accomplishment, and that they should not view it as the Dalai Lama having lost spirit. The Dalai Lama said that as China opens up and becomes more informed, the Chinese will see the situation of Tibet and China in a clearer manner.
He told the Chinese in the audience that he hoped that the growing interest in Buddhism inside China will help mitigate some of the excesses of a purely materialist society, and that Buddhism's positive impact on China is also a good thing for the world in general.
source Credit: VOAnews

Tibet represents truth and it will prevail: Dalai Lama

2012-01-02T09:20:00.001-05:00

Bodhgaya The 32nd Kalachakra began on Saturday with the Dalai Lama praying for world peace and urging Buddhists who have assembled here from across nations to “use your 10 days to imbibe Lord Buddha. We are blessed to be at his land.”
Without referring to China in his address, the Dalai Lama said that people coming from Tibet would have “time to study and reflect” during the religious festival. The Dalai Lama added that he and Tibet represented truth and the truth would always prevail.

Lakhs of people — from the US to Europe to Asian countries — have congregated here for Kalachakra 2012. This small township near Gaya is virtually painted maroon with presence of Buddhists monks.

“This event is really big. We are eagerly looking forward to the Dalai Lama’s preachings,” said Nawang Choephel, a Tibetan documentary film-maker who has recently become a US citizen.

Said a photographer from Belgium, Johan Mangeslchots: “We have three monasteries in our country and the Dalai Lama has visited these a couple of times. There is an interest in Buddhism and Bodhgaya in Belgium.”

The number of people attending the religious festival can be gauged by the fact that all hotels in and around Bodhgaya and Gaya are booked and people from adjoining villages have rented out their houses. Several villagers are even staying at makeshift structures, having put their houses on rent to tourists at pretty high rates. More than 5,000 tents are occupied by visitors. While a 10x10 ft tent comes for Rs 2,000 for 10 days, a village room costs Rs 500 per day, and a hotel room can cost one up to Rs 10,000 per night. There is long queue for passes to enter the Mahabodhi temple and Kalachakra maidan. People had to wait for as long as five hours to reach the site.With Intelligence agencies cautioning about a threat to the Dalai Lama, the Kalachakra Management Committee has been cautious in issuing passes. In fact, mediapersons from around the world had to wait for long to get their passes issued by the authorities.

Mangeslchots rued, “There’s no logic or reason offered for this delay, we had to just wait.”

Not everyone was complaining though. Mala, a beggar, has come from Ranchi, with her son. “Such a big event doesn’t happen too often,” she said.
Credit source: Indian Express

Tim Tebow Finishes Above Dalai Lama In Gallup Poll Of “Most Admired” Men

2011-12-27T19:52:00.000-05:00

The polling giant Gallup released its list of the “Most Admired” men and women in America today, and unsurprisingly, President Barack Obama topped the list again in 2011. Other notable names in the mix this year included George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, the Pope, and… wait a second. Is that Tim Tebow?

Apparently so. Tebow finished “only a vote or two” outside the top 10 this year, according to USA Today. Behind the Denver Broncos’ polarizing quarterback was none other than the Dalai Lama.

Tebow won seven of his first eight games as a starter this season, leading the Broncos from the brink of death back into contention for the AFC playoffs. He’s drawn the adoration of millions, the hatred of millions more, and endless debate in the media throughout his whirlwind season at the helm in Denver.

But more admiration for the Dalai Lama? That’s lofty.

Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton were followed by reverend Billy Graham and billionaire Warren Buffett in the top five. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton topped the list of America’s most admired women.
Source Credit: Sports Illustrated

Dalai Lama Weeps for Japan’s Quake Victims as Golfers Play On: Pico Iyer

2011-12-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

The scenes around the northern Japanese city of Sendai are still shocking. Clothes set out to dry hang outside two-story houses whose first floors are entirely crushed and hollowed out; the second floors are generally untouched.
A solitary chair sits in the smashed wreckage of what must recently have been a living room. Cars can be seen floating on small rivers, and telephone poles teeter at crazy angles. Giant rectangles of scrap metal stand all along what were in January typically spotless and sleek Japanese highways, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in its Dec. 26 issue.
In November, I traveled up to the little fishing village of Ishinomaki, an hour from Sendai, with the Dalai Lama. Almost eight months after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, the sense of devastation was hard to bear.
An old wooden temple still stood firm against a hill, but the gravestones in front of it were broken or tilting over. Tidy boxed remains of the recently departed, accompanied by snapshots -- here a teenage schoolboy, there a smiling grandmother -- sat in rows by the altar, but no survivor had come to claim them, and there were perhaps no homes to take them back to.
When the Dalai Lama stepped out of his car to greet and console the hundreds who had gathered in the street to see him, women began wailing and sobbing, “Thank you, thank you.”
He told them to look forward, not back; to honor the dead with something more concrete than tears; to rebuild their community as their nation had so stirringly rebuilt itself in the wake of World War II. As he turned round, however, I noticed that the usually unshakable Tibetan was wiping a tear from his eye.

Source credit: bloomberg

2011-12-14T17:56:00.000-05:00

The Dalai Lama will be among those who will speak on human rights in Asia in PragueSunday, a Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) official said on Saturday.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will speak on 'Democracy and human rights in Asia' at a roundtable conference, the official said.

He said the conference would commemorate the first anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. "The conference will focus on the current state of democracy and human rights in Asia," he added.

Former Czech Republic president Vaclav Havel, former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner and Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi are among those who will address the conference.

This will be the ninth visit of the Dalai Lama to Czech Republic.

The Buddhist monk, known for his trademark maroon robes, has been asking China to review its repressive policies against the people in Tibet.

During his visit to Japan last month, the Dalai Lama said: "Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said publicly that China needs political reform and western style of democracy. The Chinese leadership should seriously think about it. The time of using force is gone and outdated."

The Dalai Lama, along with many of his supporters, fled Tibet and took refuge in India when Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959. His Tibetan government-in-exile that never won recognition from any country is based in the north Indian hill town.

Source Credit: TOI

Myanmar Religious Court Dalai Lama

2011-12-14T05:42:00.000-05:00

By Celine Fernandez

Associated Press
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gestures as he laughs during an event at a school in New Delhi, India.
In one of the latest signs of increasing political openness in Myanmar– and an increasing willingness to defy the wishes of China – one of the country’s most influential Buddhist monks is attempting to bring the Dalai Lama to the Southeast Asian nation.

Reverend Ashin Nyanissara, abbot of the Sitagu Monastery near Mandalay, said that the Dalai Lama wants to visit Myanmar for the first time. The Southeast Asian nation is 80% Buddhist, though it doesn’t practice the same form of Buddhism as the famous Tibetan exile.

The Myanmar abbot has approached the government for permission and hopes to get approval as early as next year. “Step by step, I will plan it,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

The odds of gaining a visa for the Dalai Lama, who is widely regarded as the spiritual leader of Tibet, are slim, experts say. China has long objected to the Dalai Lama’s overseas visits because of the publicity it brings to global campaigns for Tibetan independence.

In October, the Dalai Lama canceled plans to visit South Africa after not receiving a response for a visa request to that country, which has sought closer trade ties with China. Myanmar, meanwhile, relies heavily on Chinese investment and diplomatic support, and likely would not want to pick a fight with Beijing over the issue.

That hasn’t deterred the Dalai Lama’s fans in Myanmar, though. The plan to bring him to the country started to form last month, when the Dalai Lama told Mr. Ashin that he wanted to visit Myanmar as they both attended the Buddhist Global Congregation in New Delhi, according to the abbot.

The Dalai Lama’s spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

If Myanmar can host the World Buddhist Summit in the coming years, Mr. Ashin Nyanissara is guessing the government would have to allow the Dalai Lama to attend because of rising expectations that it is opening up to the outside world after a series of recent reforms. The Dalai Lama did not attend the last time Myanmar hosted the summit in 2004.

“As a religious leader in Myanmar, I have the right to invite all Buddhist religious leaders around the world,” he said. “I must invite His Holiness.”

The Reverend Ashin Nyanissara hopes the Dalai Lama will be able to visit Yangon’s famous golden Shwedagon Pagoda as early next year.

“I don’t know how the government may feel on this matter,” said Ko Ko Hlaing, an advisor to the Myanmar’s president, who said he could only give his own views, not the government line. “But in my personal opinion, there is only a (small) chance he could visit the Shwedagon Pagoda. As you know, China is quite sensitive on issues involving the Dalai Lama. It is no problem from religious aspect, but very controversial from political point of view.” A Myanmar government spokesman did not respond to a request for a comment.

The 74-year-old abbot said he would rather China not be part of the decision.

“I must talk to the Myanmar government only. It’s not necessary for me to talk to Chinese government,” he said. “If Myanmar’s government is going to discuss this with the Chinese Communist government …. It will be a long procedure.”
Source credit:AP

Dalai Lama to Ashton: send EU diplomats to Tibet

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

BRUSSELS - The Dalai Lama has urged foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton to keep asking China for EU diplomats to visit Tibet.

"The situation in Tibet is very desperate. It is urgent that the international community sends fact-finding delegations to the Tibetan area to investigate the situation on the ground. This will have a restraining influence on the Chinese authorities," he said in written remarks sent to EUobserver during his visit to Prague on Monday (12 December).

"Should the Chinese side reject the request, the EU could issue a strong statement of deep concern and raise the issue at international fora, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council."

He noted that China cares about its international reputation and is not immune from Arab-Spring-type events.

"As powerful as China may be, she is still part of this world and cannot escape the global trend toward more freedom and democracy. The international perception of China is of great importance to the Chinese leadership - China has the ambition to play a leading role in the world."

Ashton's diplomats say they have already made formal requests to visit the disputed region.

But China's man in charge of Tibet, vice-minister Zhu Weiqun, at a rare meeting with press in Brussels also on Monday, ruled out the possibility.

"China is an independent country and we have the full capacity to handle problems on our territory. So under no circumstances will we allow foreign fact-finding missions into the Tibetan autonomous region ... I don't believe that the interference of any foreign force could achieve anything constructive. Indeed it could very well lead to an escalation of the crisis and to wars," he told this website.

He made a veiled reference to the EU's need for Chinese financial assistance.

"EU-China relations are all the more important due to the financial crisis ... I don't see why at this point in EU-China relations the EU lets so many people point fongers at China's internal affairs. I don't recall China finger-pointing at EU affairs."

Addressing a European External Action Service (EEAS) official at the meeting, Francesco Magiello, Zhu said Ashton should rebuke MEPs for meeting with the Tibetan prime-minister-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, in November.

"I do hope that from the EU institutions some efforts could be made to persuade those people who have a habit of making irresponsible remarks against China to learn more about this issue instead of pointing fingers," he said.

The official narrative on Tibet is that China in 1951 "liberated" the region from feudalism and has over the past six decades created economic prosperity.

Zhu on Monday accused Western governments of funding the Dalai Lama's India-based movement to weaken China for strategic reasons.

He called the Dalai Lama a "savage" who gets young monks to set themselves on fire to provoke anti-Chinese feeling. He added that Chinese intelligence has evidence the head-in-exile of the Kirti monastery in Tibet, Kirti Rinpoche, organised three of the 12 recent self-immolations. He also said a "Dalai Lama group" in Taiwan recently published an article saying monks who kill themselves will be reincarnated as Buddhas.

For his part, Magiello sided with the Dalai Lama and international NGOs, such as Human Rights Watch, who see the self-immolations as a reaction to Chinese repression.

"We are concerned about the recent cases of self-immolations because these in our view seem to reflect the desperation of some Tibetan people regarding the erosion of Tibetan culture," he said.

He declined to use the Chinese formula of "so-called prime minister" for Lobsang Sangay, calling him instead the "prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile."

Dalai Lama envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen told EUobserver that China tries to pin inflammatory statements made by some exiled Tibetans on the official movement in order to discredit its non-violent credo.

When asked by EUobserver to show it a copy of the pro-self-immolation article mentioned by Zhu, the spokesman for the Chinese EU mission, Wang Xining, said: "The ... article is difficult to locate on internet. Sorry."
Source credit: EU Observer.com

Tibetan Dalai Lama arrives in Prague, meets Havel

2011-12-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

Prague - The Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, arrived in Prague for a three-day visit this morning at the invitation of former Czech president Vaclav Havel and he met Havel for an hour, Oldrich Cerny, head of the Forum 2000 foundation, said today.
The foundation is organising the Dalai Lama´s stay in Prague.
Havel thanked the Dalai Lama, his long-term friend, for arriving in the country where people love him but politicians fear him a bit, Cerny said.
The Dalai Lama told reporters when leaving the meeting that he had asked Havel to live for another ten years.
"It was primarily a meeting of two old friends and it took place in this spirit," Cerny said.
The Dalai Lama has met Havel, a well-known human rights advocate, in Prague several times, last time at a conference on the state of democracy in Asia two years ago.
This time the Dalai Lama arrived on the occasion of the Human Rights Day today.

Havel, who apparently suffered from health troubles, received a white shawl and a golden wheel, the symbol of a spiritual change, protection and the ability to overcome obstacles, from the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama said it was a great honour to him to meet his long-term friend. Havel is not only his personal friend but he considers him a friend and leader of the free world who always sides with people facing problems or being oppressed, the Dalai Lama stressed.
He Lama informed Havel about his summer decision to give up the political and administrative power, Cerny said.
It occurred formally on August 8 when the Dalai Lama handed over his powers to the democratically elected representatives of the Tibetan exile.
Cerny explained Havel´s words about Czech politicians slightly fearing the Dalai Lama by the strengthening of China´s power position in the past years since the Dalai Lama´s previous visit to the Czech Republic.
The Dalai Lama will not meet any active Czech politicians during his stay.
Within his three-day programme in Prague, the Dalai Lama is to meet Havel and they both should participate in a panel debate on China held at Charles University on Sunday.
The participants will, among others, touch upon the stances of the imprisoned Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner and dissident Liu Xiaobo.
The debate will also be attended by Iranian Peace Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, the last living co-author of Universal Declaration of Human Rights Stephane Hessel, from France, and Chinese dissident Yang Jianli.
The Dalai Lama will also give a public lecture entitled "In Search for Happiness in Uncertain World" in Prague's Congress Centre. The proceeds from the event will be donated to a Tibetan school.
source credit: //www.ceskenoviny.cz/news

Martin Sheen narrates Dalai Lama's new book

2011-12-08T17:05:00.000-05:00

(CBS) When the Dalai Lama's latest book, "Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World," hit stores this week, many Americans recognized the voice narrating the audiobook, although they knew him best as President Josiah Bartlet.

Actor Martin Sheen, who played Bartlett for years on the on the hit TV drama "The West Wing," told Reuters he thought of the work as "a very special opportunity" and found that the book's message of compassion and universal ethics resonated with his own beliefs.

A devout Catholic and social activist, Sheen, 71, said, "It doesn't say drop your religion; you can't go this path and remain a Catholic or a Protestant or a Muslim or a Jew. On the contrary, it's about your humanity. That's where we're all united. "

Sheen, who played Bartlett on TV from 1999 to 2006, is an Emmy winner and multiple Golden Globe nominee. He has appeared in more than 65 films including a star turn as Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 movie "Apocalypse Now," which brought Sheen international recognition. Born Ramon Antonio Gerard Estevez in Ohio, Sheen is the father of four, including actor Charlie Sheen and actor/director Emilio Estevez.

The Dalai Lama, who bills himself in the book as a "stateless refugee" and "India's longest-staying guest," is the author of more than 100 books but he says this is the first non-fiction focused on his secular teachings.

Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is the publisher.

source credit: CBS

China targets India for monks' stir, bilateral talks at risk

2011-12-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

Rattled by self-immolations by Buddhist monks in Sichuan, Chinese authorities are blaming the Tibetan government-in-exile in India.
NEW DELHI: Rattled by a seemingly unending stream of self-immolations by young Buddhist monks in Sichuan, China, the Chinese authorities are blaming the Tibetan government-in-exile in India as well as what they call overseas organizations, press and media institutions.

Self-immolations by monks could be one of the reasons for China to become more sensitive than usual to the Dalai Lama and the unusual pressure on India to restrict the Tibetan spiritual leader's movement.

A commentary in the official Xinhua News Agency this week reflected the growing anger over the protests by monks, and annoyance with India for not clamping down on Dalai Lama. "Besides the mastermind behind the self-immolations, the instigation by some overseas organizations, press and media institutions, the 'living Buddha' and politicians also played a part."

Chinese government called off boundary talks with India, after New Delhi refused to prevent the Dalai Lama from addressing a global Buddhist congregation. No fresh dates have been set yet by either side. The Chinese followed this up by asking West Bengal governor M K Narayanan and chief minister Mamata Banerjee to stay away from a Dalai Lama event in Kolkata last week. Startled on both occasions, the Indian government has pushed back vigorously against Chinese pressure. China is stretching the notion of what is "anti-Chinese" - by its current reckoning, every activity which includes the Dalai Lama, is, by definition, anti-Chinese.

But by these actions, New Delhi believes Beijing is changing the field of play - in all these years, China's problems with the Dalai Lama were reasonably insulated from its dealings with India. The continuing immolations, especially coming just ahead of a politically fraught leadership transition, appear to have prompted Beijing to cast the net wide - reaching for the "foreign hand". China analysts here believe Beijing's response to New Delhi may become more shrill and even condemnatory and could risk bilateral ties.

The living Buddha is known as Kirti Rimpoche by Tibetans here. He belongs to the Kirti monastery in Sichuan, having fled to Dharamsala in 1959 and has been a close associate of the Dalai Lama. The Kirti monastery has been the scene of many of the immolation bids by Tibetan monks in recent months. About 11 immolations have occurred in the Sichuan province since March, while reports of the 12th incident came in from the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).

The Xinhua commentary said, the immolations were meant to mar normalcy and the people's aspirations for stability, peace and welfare. "The monks will not be monks if they do not abide by Buddhist precepts, and monasteries will not be monasteries if they interfere with politics. Tibetan Buddhism is worried about whether it has been tarnished by these people," he said.

China has spent billions in development of TAR, even sending Han Chinese to Tibet to tilt the demographic balance and resorting to hard-line crackdowns during riots and other incidents. "It doesn't seem to be working," Indian officials tracking China observed.

Source Credit: Times of India

South Africa Admits To China Factor In Denying Visa To Dalai Lama

2011-12-07T05:43:00.000-05:00

CAPE TOWN (South Africa), Dec 7 (Bernama) -- Despite earlier denials, the South African government has now admitted that it did take into account its relations with China while denying visa to the Dalai Lama two months ago.

The China factor in the denial of visa was mentioned in an affidavit filed by the government in the Cape High Court on Tuesady, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Earlier, government officials had vehemently denied any pressure from its relations with China amid an international outcry over the controversial visa refusal which precluded the Dalai Lama from attending the 80th birthday celebration of his fellow Nobel Laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

But the Department of Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni in an affidavit said his department had taken into account South Africa's multi-billion Rand trading partnership with China when deciding on the visa.

The court was hearing an application by the leaders of two opposition parties to process "fairly and lawfully" any future visa application by the Tibetan spiritual leader within 30 days of such an application.

Apleni said Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Congress of the People President Mosiuoa Lekota had no legal standing to bring such an application, suggesting that those who had originally invited the Dalai Lama were not party to the application.

Apleni said that when visa applications from persons with the stature of the Dalai Lama were reviewed, issues such as the national interest of the country were taken into consideration.

The director-general also recalled the "backlash" that occurred when Australia and France allowed the Dalai Lama into their countries and how this had "provided some learning to the (South African) government and the sensitivities that were attendant" to allowing the Dalai into the country.

The relations with China, South Africa's biggest trading partner, as well as the role of China in getting South Africa admitted to the BRICS group had also played a role in the decision, Apleni conceded.

"(Minister of Home Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma) further took into account the fact that the deputy president (Kgalema Motlanthe) had just conducted a successful (week-long) visit to China", Apleni said, although the impact of this on the visa application was also denied at the time.

However senior counsel for Buthelezi, Anton Katz told the court that the denial of a visa to the Dalai Lama by the South African government was "unlawful and unconstitutional".

Buthelezi has invited the Dalai Lama to participate in a peace prayer event he will host in South Africa in March next year.

The case will continue on next week.

source Credit: Bernama

Tibet 'in first monk immolation'

2011-12-02T08:14:00.001-05:00

Rights groups have long criticised China's treatment of Tibetan monks
A former monk has set himself on fire in Tibet, reports say, in the latest such protest against Chinese rule.

The monk is reportedly being treated for his wounds after the protest in Changdu, known as Chamdo in Tibetan.

If confirmed, the incident would be the first self-immolation in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Activists say 11 monks and former monks have set themselves on fire this year, but the incidents have all taken place in Tibetan areas of Sichuan Province.

Access to the Tibetan Autonomous Region is tightly restricted, and information is difficult to corroborate.

Radio Free Asia reported that the monk, a 46-year-old named as Tenzin Phuntsog, had scattered leaflets and shouted slogans before setting fire to himself on Thursday afternoon.

The US-based broadcaster quoted an anonymous source living in India, and another source calling from Tibet as confirming the incident.

"[The former monk] was very frustrated by the recent imposition of restrictions on Karma monastery and by the detention of many monks. There was even talk by Chinese officials of closing the monastery," the source in Tibet was quoted as saying.

The US-based International Campaign for Tibet said accounts of the incident had also been uploaded to Facebook and micro-blogs in the Tibetan language.

source Credit: BBC

West Bengal governor ignores China's 'advice', attends Dalai Lama meet

2011-12-01T06:23:00.000-05:00

KOLKATA: In a rebuff to China, West Bengal governor MK Narayanan attended a lecture on Mother Teresa by Dalai Lama ignoring an advice from the Chinese cosulate in Kolkata.

According to reports, the Chinese consulate had advised chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor MK Narayanan to stay away from the fucntion Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.

Narayanan, however, refused to comment on the issue when asked by the reporters.

TMC MP Derek O'Brien, who attended the function, said chief minister Mamata Banerjee would definitely have been present at the function if the condition of her mother was not serious.

He said the event was a solemn occasion.

Speaking to reporters at the venue, Dalai Lama said he was not surprised to hear about the china note asking West Bengal governor and chief minister not to attend the meet.

The Tibetan leader said the matter should not be "politicised".

"I am no longer a political leader. I don't like this visit to be politicised," he said adding he had faced similar opposition from China before as well.

Source Credit: The Times of India

Dalai Lama avoids political speech at Buddhist meet

2011-11-30T20:48:00.000-05:00

New Delhi, November 30
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama today carefully avoided making any political statement lest he gets into a controversy at the global Buddhist congregation in the backdrop of the indefinite postponement of the India-China boundary talks.
The four-day conference concluded this evening with the Dalai Lama’s 30-minute valedictory address in which he spoke about different religions, disappointing many in the audience who were expecting him to at least make a passing reference to the situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
A scheduled press interaction of the Dalai Lama immediately after the concluding ceremony was cancelled at the last minute by the organisers. Perhaps, they were under instructions from the Indian Government not to allow the media to talk to the Dalai Lama.
As the Dalai Lama was leaving the conference venue, reporters sought his reaction to the postponement of the Sino-Indian border talks, the Tibetan spiritual leader smiled and said “this is a political question… no comment.’’
In his religious discourse, the Dalai Lama said Buddha’s teachings were as relevant today as they were centuries back. “All religions have the potential to create a better world…we all must follow the practice of self-discipline.’’
However, what may irritate Beijing is that the congregation decided to form a new international body, called the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), which will be headquartered in India and serve as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide. “The IBC will operate under the over-arching theme of collective wisdom, united voice and universal responsibility’’, a resolution adopted by delegates from 46 countries said.
It may be mentioned here that China sought postponement of the boundary talks which were to be held on November 28-29 here as they would have coincided with the Buddhist conclave. Beijing wanted the cancellation of the Dalai Lama’s address to the conference but New Delhi refused to do so, saying it was a meeting of religious nature. Top Indian leaders or officials, however, avoided attending the meet.
Meanwhile, Chinese delegates were conspicuous by their absence at a conference ‘Trans Boundary Rivers-Multilateral Framework for Cooperation’, organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis and an Oslo-based research institute. Two Chinese delegates - Eri Hangdan and Jianchu Xu - were to attend the conference but withdrew at the last minute.

Source Credit: The Tribune

China's moral authority hinges on finding solution to issue of Tibet, says Kalon Tripa

2011-11-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

DHARAMSHALA: In an interview with Deutsche Welle in Berlin on Thursday, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay said that China's moral authority in the world hinged upon it finding a solution to the Tibetan question.

Without morality, Beijing will be feared perhaps but it won't be respected, he said, and yet this is intrinsic to great power status.

Kalon Tripa said the self-immolations by Tibetans were an act of despair committed by desperate people and that they were in reaction to the repressive policies of the Chinese government.

"However, we do not encourage anybody to choose this form of protest," he insisted. "Life is very valuable," he said and pointed out that the Dalai Lama had also spoken out against them," Dr Sangay added.

"The self-immolations are a sign of hopelessness because many Tibetans believe that the world is no longer interested in their fate," he said, adding that any sign of support from famous people or governments was important. He said such support could once again create hope.

Dr Lobsang Sangay said he was very disappointed that South Africa had refused the Dalai Lama an entry visa in October to attend Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu's birthday celebrations. "A friend of the greatest South African leader, who worked so hard for democracy and Nelson Mandela's release, refuses him entry. That makes me very sad."

He said he had nothing against doing business with China but that one should not throw all one's principles overboard.

In the past 50 years, Dr Lobsang Sangay explained, Tibet has invested in non-violence, democracy and dialogue. If the Tibetans are dropped the message sent out to others struggling for autonomy will be devastating - that violence does not pay.

Dr Lobsang Sangay pointed out that it would be in China's own interest to help Tibet find a "middle way" for autonomy within a Chinese state structure. He even said this would work with the current Chinese constitution. "The 'one country, two systems' model is already practiced in Hong Kong and Macau. Beijing even seems willing to grant Taiwan more autonomy," he said but added that this was perhaps because Chinese people live there, whereas Beijing is wary of Tibetans.

Source Credit: Tibet.net

India-China border talks cancelled over Dalai Lama row: Report PTI | Nov 26, 2011, 07.57PM IST

2011-11-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

NEW DELHI: The reported Chinese demand for cancellation of the Dalai Lama's speech at a Buddhist congregation here next week is believed to have led to the postponement of India-China border talks scheduled for Monday.

The Chinese side is said to have called off the 15th round of the talks between Special Representatives (SR) of both the sides after India refused to accept their demand that the congregation which was to be addressed by the Tibetan spiritual leader be called off.

The Dalai Lama was to address the valedictory function of the four-day Global Buddhist Congregation, co-organised by the Public Diplomacy division of the external affairs ministry, on Wednesday.

The Indian side is believed to have conveyed to China that the xongregation was of a religious nature and not a political event and it cannot cancel it.

There was no official word on the reasons for the cancellation of the SR talks from both side.

The Chinese embassy here also declined to comment.

Chinese Special Representative Dai Bingguo was to travel to Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart Shivshankar Menon to follow up on their talks in the 14th round in Beijing in November last year.

The external affairs ministry issued a terse statement "We are looking forward to the 15th round of SRs talks in the near future and the two sides remain in touch to find convenient dates for the meeting."

Dai and Menon were expected to discuss putting in place a mechanism for border management mooted by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit to India last year. A decision to set up the mechanism was taken at a meeting Wen had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Sanya in April.

Source credit: Times of India

Tibet: Self-immolation won’t trigger China Spring

2011-11-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

Source Credit: Zeenews.com

In recent months, many Tibetan monks and nuns have set themselves ablaze to protest China's rule in Tibet. As expected, angry Chinese officials claim that the protests are sponsored by the Dalai Lama.

In an exclusive interview with Kamna Arora of Zeenews.com, Dr Dibyesh Anand, an expert on Tibet, discusses the reason behind self-immolations and evaluates the response of the Dalai Lama and China.

Dr Dibyesh Anand is Associate Professor of International Relations at London's Westminster University and the author of 'Tibet: A Victim of Geopolitics'.

Kamna: Why have Tibetans resorted to self-immolations to challenge China’s policies? What is happening in these Tibetan communities?

Dr Anand: Tibetan resistance against the Chinese rule has taken various forms, often subtle like the possession of the banned picture of the Dalai Lama in prayer rooms, but occasionally spectacular like the massive protests across the Tibetan plateau in 2008 or the recent spate of self-immolations.

Self-immolation protests should be understood in terms of continuity with a politics of resistance and not as a radical break from the past. Even though this form involves violence against one's own body, it is in the tradition of politics that avoids harming the oppressor and seeks to raise awareness and remind the Chinese government and the rest of the world that Tibetan people are facing a crisis in their everyday life. The exact causes and specific forms of state repression in this locality are unlikely to be known to any outsider for a simple reason - the Chinese government allows no independent media, researcher or observer. Limited information coming out suggests a combination of factors including an overzealous implementation of hardline policies, closing off all avenues for expressing disquiet, and a total securitisation of every aspect of life.

The Dalai Lama is more than a religious leader or a sacred figure to the Tibetans. He is the symbol of the Tibetan nation. A constant attack on the Dalai Lama by the Chinese government is seen as nothing but contempt for the Tibetan way of life and disrespect to the dignity of Tibetan people. Now, if an individual Tibetan wants to protest against this, what avenues does he have? So, a highly repressive system and desperation amongst the Tibetans to highlight the injustices they suffer create the explosive climate in which self-immolations take place. But there is another factor here - a rapidly changing social context in which self-immolation becomes an acceptable practice, in fact a martyrdom. The more individuals burn themselves in protests, the greater chances there are of additional people doing the same in solidarity unless the context and content of the Chinese rule changes.

Since the Chinese government seems to be implementing even harsher security regime in response to the renewed protests to prevent the information from spreading out of the area, the tragic situation is set to get worse.

Kamna: Who is to be blamed for this?

Dr Anand: China is a huge country ruled by a complex network of institutions. Contrary to the commonly held myth of Communist Party of China as a monolith, there are several factors involved in governing minority areas. Whether the primary fault lies with overzealous local officials or with Beijing's overall Tibet policy, it cannot be denied that China is facing a crisis of credibility in Tibetan regions. Its familiar approach of blaming the Dalai Lama for all the problems in Tibet contradicts its own denial of there being any 'Tibet issue' or its stance that Tibetans are happy members of the great Chinese motherland and the Dalai Lama is an insignificant figure.

Given the top-down system that China has, one wonders whether the top leadership ever gets to hear an honest appraisal of the approach toward Tibet. A free and independent media may have enabled the wider Chinese population to know of the tragedy in Tibet. But on the other hand, it may also have fanned a hypernationalist anti-Tibetan antagonism.

Kamna: How can Tibetans challenge China’s policies otherwise?

Dr Anand: It is tempting to buy the narrative that Tibetans have no option but to give up their life. This is the main message being relayed by exile Tibetan activists and their supporters. But this is only part of the full picture. The attitude of Tibetans inside Tibet toward China ranges from complicity to antipathy. Tibetans who work within the current system in China are not betraying their people or culture. Many of them contribute significantly in ensuring the survival of Tibetan religion and culture. They are compelled to be more creative in surviving and at the same time being subversive. Experience of living as Tibetans inside China also exposes racism and discriminatory practices held by the Han majority. There are Tibetans in different parts of China who work tirelessly to make the system more equitable and just. They do not challenge China, but seek to bring a genuine harmony between Tibetans and other ethnic groups, a harmony based on dignity and not paternalism of the majority. Their focus is on incremental change. Therefore, this radical form of protest using self-immolation is neither inevitable nor desirable.

Let me clarify why it is not desirable. Some exile Tibetans point out to the self-immolation by a young vendor in Tunisia triggering a serious delegitimation of the existing government and the start of the Arab Spring. This is a wrong example. If self-immolations lead to a moral self-reflection amongst the population in whose name the government operates, it may have some importance. In the case of Tibetan self-immolations, since the Chinese government censors all information and because the Han attitude toward the Tibetans ranges from racist chauvinism to paternalism, very few Chinese blame their government for the spate of deaths. On the contrary, if they ever find out about these protests, they are likely to be intrigued by what they consider to be excess religiosity of Tibetans because taking of one's own life for political purpose is incomprehensible to those who do not understand how unfair their government's policies are.

Kamna: Do you find Dalai Lama’s response to self-immolations satisfactory?

Dr Anand: The Dalai Lama's stance on self-immolations is clear. He has expressed his opposition to it in the past. During the recent incidents, he has repeated his position but so far avoided urging Tibetans inside Tibet to resist giving up their life. This is understandable that his urge would increase frustration amongst the radicalised activists who respect him a lot. It has to be realised that the middle-way approach of solving the problem through negotiations has achieved nothing concrete. Even if he had urged, and if the spate of self-immolations had stopped, the Chinese government would have held that as a proof that it was the Dalai Lama who was orchestrating everything in the first place. If the self-immolations continued, Beijing would have said this proves that the Dalai Lama has no influence whatsoever. Personally, I had stated publicly that even at the risk of alienating their followers, it is incumbent upon the religious leaders to request Tibetans not to adopt this dangerous form of sacrifice. It was heartening to see the Karmapa urging the Tibetans that the struggle cannot continue if Tibetans lose their lives. Karmapa thus is stating publicly what the Dalai Lama's stance has been so far. The media should desist from seeing any chasm between the two senior most religious figures in exile for both share a similarity of outlook. If this form of protest continues, the Dalai Lama should however rethink whether it is not more important to try to dissuade his followers from giving up their lives as a matter of urgency rather than emphasise the causes of this misery - the repressive Chinese policies. These protests raise questions for the exile community in general. Since the Chinese policies are likely to get harsher, is self-immolation an effective form of protest if the aim is not martyrdom by all but the future of the Tibetan people?

Kamna: How should China address the causes of Tibet self-immolations?

Dr Anand: It first needs to acknowledge that its position of pretending there is no problem in Tibet is untenable. It then has to reflect as to why after more than half a century of the so-called 'democratic reforms', more Tibetans respect and venerate the Dalai Lama than ever before. Young Tibetans who have grown up in the Chinese system are often more alienated. Why? This is because while they may see Chinese rule as economically beneficial in absolute terms, relative to other ethnic groups, they feel discriminated against. More importantly, money and development cannot buy people's loyalty when their dignity is perceived to be trampled. China can bring about a revolutionary change in Tibetan attitude toward Beijing if it starts negotiating sincerely with the Dalai Lama and endeavours to get him back to his homeland. And until that happens, less of security and surveillance and more of empathy and understanding may be helpful.