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His Holiness the Dalai Lama

14/11/08 04:41:11, Special Message of HH The Dalai Lama for Tibetans In and Outside Tibet ťť

9/11/08 09:27:49, In Pune, Dalai Lama Stresses On Gandhian Values ťť

31/10/08 23:14:30, Dalai Lama Begins Week-Long Japan Visit ťť

28/10/08 12:18:16, Clarifications on H.H. the Dalai Lama's Remarks ťť

26/10/08 09:56:13, H.H. the Dalai Lama Visits Upper TCV School ťť

21/10/08 03:35:28, Dalai Lama Receives Overwhelming Welcome From Well-Wishers ťť

18/10/08 02:51:46, H.H. the Dalai Lama Leaves Hospital ťť

10/10/08 02:37:38, Media Statement ťť

7/10/08 01:04:24, Message of H.H. the Dalai Lama To Those Affected by Tibet Earthquake ťť

25/9/08 04:38:10, Teaching Programs Begin In Dharamsala ťť

Phayul Latest News

20/11/08 02:43:00, No Independence for Tibet, Doors for Talk Open: China ťť

20/11/08 00:10:00, Crash and Burn ťť

18/11/08 23:33:00, Gyalo Thondup reconfirms Deng Xiaopings offer on Tibet talks ťť

18/11/08 23:19:00, Undercover Tibet Film Honored in London ťť

19/11/08 01:52:00, Tibetan Woman Cadre Sentenced to Five Years in Prison: reports ťť

19/11/08 00:17:00, A letter from a Tibetan inside Tibet ťť

18/11/08 05:04:00, TIBET: A democratic state without a territory ťť

18/11/08 03:11:00, Roadmap of Tibetan Independence: Wang Lixiong ťť

18/11/08 02:09:00, In Beijing, author treads fine line as she tells Tibet's story ťť

16/11/08 20:57:00, Special Meeting: a new Middle Way based on Rangzen ťť

17/11/08 06:35:00, Policy shift not a focus of exile Tibetans Meeting ťť

17/11/08 04:39:00, Suitability of Middle Way Path: A Brief Analysis ťť

15/11/08 22:13:00, Press Briefing of the Tibetan Envoys - Summarised Memorandum ťť

15/11/08 23:16:00, Tibetans protest as China takes part in economic summit ťť

15/11/08 00:07:00, Tibetans Protest Visiting Chinese Vice Minister ťť

ATC Tibet News

18/11/08 07:46:42, Media Coverage Of The Dharamsala Summit ťť

12/11/08 05:59:37, Top Tibetan Academic to Visit Australia - Free Public Talks ťť

7/11/08 10:32:14, Australian Journalist's Report From Tibet ťť

7/11/08 06:18:45, ICT Expects Strong Support For Tibet From Next US President ťť

31/10/08 08:40:44, EMAIL ACTION: Where is Dhondup Wangchen? ťť

30/10/08 08:58:36, Australia, World Must Now Strengthen Their Resolve Over Tibet ťť

28/10/08 07:59:08, Dalai Lama Signals Strategy Shift With China ťť

24/10/08 10:34:20, Monk Tortured, Film Maker Remains In Detention ťť

Tibet Will Be Free

19/11/08 17:07:15, An Open Letter by Tibetan Students in the UK ťť

Mao Tsetung once said, “Where there is oppression, there is resistance” and in 2008, Tibetans risked everything to speak out. The Uprising in March has been the strongest message to the outside world from Tibetans inside Tibet since 1959.
The special meeting in Dharamsala from November 17th - 22nd that has been called by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a unique platform to revitalize the movement. Thus, we Tibetan students in the UK would like to voice our suggestions at this crucial time to the international Tibetan community and the public.

Tibetan efforts have long been characterized by sincere moves and sacrifices. Therefore we are asking: Did the Dalai Lama’s envoys carry out eight rounds of meetings with Chinese government officials over a period of 6 years, only to have Zhu Weiqun Vice-Minister of the United Front Work Department say in a televised press conference in Beijing “If one day, [the Dalai Lama] really seizes power, he will without any compunction or sympathy carry out ethnic discrimination, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.” ?

However, one thing is undeniable: Tibetans inside and outside Tibet have never been this united! According to Einstein, the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The Chinese government’s behaviour and demands are unreasonable so how can we reason with them? This time let’s reveal our true feelings. It’s our basic inherent right to express our feelings as a nation irrespective of history.

We are proud of our achievements in exile and of our democratisation process. For the special meeting in Dharamsala, we, the Tibetan students in the UK, hope for an outcome that will emphasise the solidarity we feel with our brothers and sisters inside Tibet. They inspire and guide us. We are here for them.

For the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGIE) we have the following suggestions:

Increased transparency
The lack of transparency in the dialogue process with the Chinese government since 2002 has led to confusion. The special meeting has been called in a state of emergency and at what appears to be the end of the dialogue. Increased transparency, communication and participation would truly be democracy in practice.
TGIE’s Agendas should be circulated and meetings should be held in each Tibetan community in order to give feedback. We are asking the international community to recognise the TGIE, but a real democracy encourages the political participation of the people. If Tibetans were more involved in the political decision making process, they would truly respect the TGIE which increases political credibility.

Respect and Empower Tibetans from Tibet
There are no Tibetans born in exile who know the Chinese system as well as Tibetans from Tibet. With regard to their inside knowledge and Chinese language skills, the views and opinions of Tibetans from Tibet should come first.
Tibetans from Tibet should be given more prominent roles in TGIE and TGIE decision making processes. It would increase political effectiveness and create more homogeneity in the exile community.

Youth Empowerment
As common practice, democratic political parties have groups and departments especially for the youth. TGIE should engage with young Tibetans who will be the future leaders of the movement. Youth groups affiliated with TGIE could interact with youth groups of political parties in their own countries. Furthermore, linked with increasing transparency and empowering youth, TGIE should offer internships in all their administrative departments all over the world. TGIE should fund more scholarship programmes for Tibetans to study outside of India.

For the general public we have the following appeal:

Take the Tibetan issue seriously as a political issue that goes beyond any single person or single theme! Tibet is an issue that relates to political relations of countries with China, the environment, security in Asia and thus in the rest of the world. Therefore, as a political issue, governments all around the world should be lobbied to urge China to withdraw their troops from Tibet, stop the re-settlement of Han Chinese to Tibet and to allow exile Tibetans to travel freely to Tibet and vice-versa, directly allow exile Tibetans to support Tibetans in Tibet financially and to grant equal opportunities and rights to Tibetans in all three regions of Tibet.

For all young Tibetans we have the following message:

We are young Tibetans and amongst us are the future leaders of our movement. In our future professions we have to incorporate Tibetan issues whenever possible. Take inspiration from Tibetan voices such as Woeser, Jamyang Kyi and the tens of thousands of Tibetans who rose up. The day will come when we will have to take the Tibet movement into our own hands. We will be confident, ready and more than capable. Deeply inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we have grown up shaped by the ideal of non-violence and compassion. This is a great honour and advantage for us and for all young Tibetans.

We, the Tibetan students in the UK, feel it is time to tell the world that we are one people and one nation! China must listen to the wishes of Tibetans. We are a young generation, in it for the long haul and we will continue until Tibetans in Tibet are content and satisfied with their lives. We want to tell the world that we are the positive change and that, standing in solidarity with our Tibetan brothers and sisters, we are ready to shape history.

Where there is oppression there is resistance.

London, 16th November 2008

(The views expressed above are the views of the Tibetan students in the UK.)

16/11/08 17:00:00, Letters to Norzin Wangmo by Jamyang Kyi ťť

15/11/08 20:51:00, Festival of Tibet,27th and 28th November 2008 ťť

15/11/08 01:53:11, Justice Too Long Delayed: A Humble Injis Take on the Dharamsala Meetings ťť

by Josh Schrei

“I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was “well timed”. For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see… that justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
– Martin Luther King, writing from jail in Birmingham Alabama, 1963

As a non-Tibetan, I know for a fact that I will not be present at the upcoming meetings in Dharamsala to discuss the future of the Tibet movement. Nor should I be. The future direction of the Tibet movement does — and should — rest solely on the shoulders of the Tibetan people. But as someone who has supported Tibet for many years — 2008 in fact being the 25th anniversary of when I, as a wide-eyed child, had the great fortune to meet His Holiness in Bodh Gaya — I hope Tibetans will permit me a few words on the subject. An outsiders words, yes…. but I hope they can provide something of value.

Recently, I have heard rumblings within the movement among Tibetans and TSGs that the entire context of the Dharamsala meeting is basically a set-up by the Chinese — that the timing of Beijing’s recent press conference indicates that they want nothing more than for Tibetans to abandon the Middle Way and finally admit to being the secessionists they are. Dr. Lobsang Sangay, in his recent article on Phayul, states that if the meeting “resolves to cut off dialogue and pursue independence, then the Chinese side could claim a Kodak moment and say We told you so! “

First off, pursuing independence does not automatically lead to cutting off dialogue, as Mr. Sangay seems to suggest. I would argue — and have argued for the last five years — the exact opposite: the only reason the Chinese government has been engaged in dialogue with the TGIE is precisely because the Tibetan people have unrelentingly pushed for independence. The Chinese have not been at the negotiating table because of the inherent “rightness” of the Tibetan position, they have been at the negotiating table because they have been terrified over what the independence movement would do in the leadup to the Olympics. Now that the Olympics are over, guess what? No negotiations.

So sure, of course its a trap. Everything the Chinese government does is a trap. Every approach they take to Tibet is made from the fundamental position of a dictatorial regime wanting to maintain power over its colony. This enemy was exposed a long time ago. Why then do we spend so much time trying to “figure them out.”? The question here is not whether the Chinese government will agree to something — anything — if only we offer them exactly the right political concessions, or whether Beijing will somehow parlay Tibetan radicalism into international support for their position on Tibet — the question fundamentally is whether the position of the Chinese government should affect Tibetan strategy whatsoever. And to answer my own rhetorical question, no it shouldn’t. So Beijing held a press conference denouncing His Holiness as a splittist and rejecting the Middle Way? What else is new?

The enemy is unchanging. They have — as they always will — delayed justice (through false negotiations) specifically so they can now deny justice (by finally rejecting the middle path once and for all…again).

The question is, in the face of an unchanging enemy, what does one do?

In his article, Dr. Sangay says that “experts have concluded that any non-violent movement must adhere to three principles in order to succeed: unity, planning, and discipline.” All due respect to Dr. Sangay, but there’s a mighty big principle missing from this statement. Action. Experts in nonviolence may not in fact agree that unity is a necessary principle for success — the Civil Rights movement made tremendous gains while Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King were at odds over strategy — but I know of no historical example of a nonviolent movement that has succeeded without concerted, unrelenting, passionate, inspired action. Action forces negotiation.

In the words of Dr. King, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

He wrote these words as he sat in his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. This famous letter was directed towards his fellow people, some of whom thought that the time was wrong for action, the time was wrong for protest, the time was wrong for him to break the law. Dr. Sangay asserts that nonviolent movements do not succeed unless the exact environmental conditions are right for their success. I think Dr. King would strongly disagree. Nonviolent movements that believe they can succeed — truly believe they can succeed — that relentlessly, constantly, brashly, and brazenly push for their goals, no matter the opposition they face, no matter the odds, no matter the timing, succeed. That is a time honored truth.

Tibetans, you dictate the terms. Your protest, your pressure, your belief, your unrelenting desire for freedom, for Rangzen, that is what dictates the terms. True freedom movements succeed despite the environmental conditions, despite the timing, against all odds, precisely because they never listen to the pundits, they never listen to those who say “now’s not quite the right time,” or “you’re not doing this in exactly the right way,” or “let’s not be rash.” Generally, those pundits are the ones who get left by the wayside while the Dr. Kings and the Gandhis of the world make history. If my newly elected President, Barack Obama, had spent time changing his tactics and strategy in order to respond to every political trap his Republican rivals set for him along the way, if he had altered his message every time the wind blew, he would not be where he is today. Instead, he stuck to what he wanted to achieve. He took the path of steadfastness and resolve. And he won. He said: “When I am President,” for the same reason we say: “When Tibet is free.”

I am not going to use this article to advocate what the TGIE’s position on independence should be. I’ll leave that to the meeting — and I agree with Dr. Sangay that it would be a shame if those in the meeting spent all the allotted time debating Rangzen vs. Middle Path. The closest I’ll come to a position in this article is to say that regardless of the TGIE’s position, those Tibetan people who want independence absolutely must continue to advocate for it, more strongly now than ever. To be blunt, you never get what you want if you ask for something else. And whatever the outcome of the situation in Tibet, the Rangzen movement plays the most vital of roles. It is what keeps Hu Jintao awake at night. It is what forces the Chinese to take notice. It is what has and what will continue to cause negotiations.

Am I falling into Beijing’s trap? Perhaps. But whats the alternative? There is simply no way that all Tibetans present at the upcoming meeting will respond to this perceived trap by unanimously agreeing on the Middle Path. We all know there are too many Rangzen warriors out there for there to be a collective decision on autonomy. And all it takes is one Rangzen advocate for the Chinese to point fingers back at His Holiness and accuse him of being a splittist and we are right back in the same position we’ve always been.
But lets say by some miracle the meeting unanimously agrees on The Middle Path. The big problem, the massive elephant in the room here, is that the Chinese Government government themselves have — methodically over the last five years and resoundingly with the most recent press conference — completely rejected the Middle Path. So where does that leave the Middle Path? Not in a position of strength. Not in a position to force real negotiations.

The enemy is unchanging.

To me, the lesson here is simple. The only alternative, in this struggle, in life, in the world, is to passionately, courageously, and unapologetically go after what you want. Go after what you want, with all your heart and the entire force of your will, spirit, and character. And what awaits on the other side of your profound struggle for freedom is what Martin Luther King called… the promised land.

We’ve all seen it. Blue skies over the high white peaks. Sweet plumes of juniper smoke rising above the Jokhang on a crystal clear day.

Anything short of this, anything short of the promised land, is justice denied. And Tibetans, it is about time for some justice. Your unrelenting pressure on the Chinese government is working. It will continue to work. To quote the overquoted yet highly appropriate words of a man who just sailed into the highest office in the world despite the timing, despite the odds, despite the critics, despite an entire legacy of history against him, a man whose political journey was made possible not by those who accepted concessions but by those before him who demanded, unrelentingly demanded, their fundamental right to freedom … Yes you can.

The author is based in New York city, he is a former producer of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and former Chair of Students for a Free Tibet.

14/11/08 21:25:02, Zhu Weiqun Receives a Saucy Reception from Tibetans in London ťť

London 14/11/08

Tibetans and supporters gave Zhu Weiqun, Vice-Minister of the United Front Work Department which oversees Sino-Tibetan talks, a noisy reception when he visited London. Having visited the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) earlier this morning, Zhu Weiqun headed for Chatham House in St James Square, London for a ‘round-table’ discussion on the recent failure of the eighth round of talks since 2002.

On 10th November, Zhu Weiqun delivered a stinging attack on the Dalai Lama in a televised press conference held in Beijing. Despite the Dalai Lama making explicitly and plainly clear that he seeks ‘meaningful autonomy’ for Tibet, not independence, the Dalai Lama has been repeatedly criticised by Chinese government officials who seem to have no intention of sincerely pursuing dialogue. Referring to the Dalai Lama's 'Middle Way' approach the Vice-Minister asserted, "We will not accept independence, half independence or covert independence." The dialogue seems to be in tatters following Zhu's statement that the current Chinese administration in Tibet is "perfect," adding, "there is no other way."

Tibetans, dismayed by the Chinese government’s continual refusal to approach the dialogue process in good faith gathered and angrily shouted slogans throughout the duration of the ’round-table’ discussion. A passing Chinese FedEx employee briefly disrupted the protest when he stormed towards the Tibetan protesters in search of a confrontation. Failing to provoke a reaction, he took one Tibetan man’s national flag and snapped the flagpole, receiving a police caution for his provocative behaviour. However, the biggest surprise for Zhu and his entourage was provided when a Padma Dolma, a Tibetan student walked out into the road with a Tibetan flag, in front of the Chinese diplomats. Simultaneously, three other Tibetans covered the windows of the van in blood (tomato ketchup), banging on the glass and shouting slogans such as ‘Zhu Weiqun, liar, liar!’ The Tibetans then left the scene to the applause of many of the nearby British public. One of the protesters, Pema Yoko explained; ‘Tibetans will not stand down to the Chinese government and today we Tibetans in London showed them this, just like our brothers and sisters in Tibet. We showed the London public that the Chinese government is responsible for the bloodshed and death of hundreds of Tibetans in a brutal crackdown after the protest in Tibet in March this year.’

Tibet supporters also condemned the Chinese government's latest wave of hard-line rhetoric. "To spuriously blame the Tibetan side for the collapse of talks was patently false, but to accuse the Dalai Lama of plotting 'apartheid' and 'ethnic cleansing' in Tibet is both ludicrous and deeply offensive to all Tibetans," said Terry Bettger, Campaigns Coordinator of Students for a Free Tibet UK, "rhetoric like this only serves to embarrass Chinese diplomacy on the world stage, and exposes the absolute lack of sincerity the Chinese government have shown to talks with the Dalai Lama's envoys.

To see a video of the action please go to: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eSswiWovIE4

13/11/08 06:33:20, MIDDLE WAY METAMORPHOSIS ťť

12/11/08 10:08:36, RANGZEN: THE CASE FOR INDEPENDENT TIBET (2008 edition) ťť

11/11/08 11:48:18, Put Rangtsen Back on the agenda again Tsewang Norbu ťť

10/11/08 14:17:44, An Open Letter to Barack Obama ťť

From Alice Walker

November 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear.

And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate.

One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other peoples enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander-in-chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, hate the sin, but love the sinner.

There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a peoples spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to work with the enemy internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless care-taking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,

Alice Walker

Alice Walker is the author, most recently, of We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness and Devil’s My Enemy.

10/11/08 12:53:00, They - by Jamyang Kyi ťť

Radio Free Asia - Tibetan news in English

21/11/08 04:59:03, Sichuan Court Jails Tibetans ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, China Warning Over Tibet Talks ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Undercover Tibet Film Honored ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Dispatch from Dharamsala ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetan Exiles Meet to Chart New Course ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetans Take Stock After Talks ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Security Tight in Lhasa ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Dalai Lama's Health Ă˘ÂÂImprovedĂ˘ÂÂ ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetan Monks Arrested Over Blast ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetan Youths Sought After Blast ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Dalai Lama Tries New Tack ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetan Translators Plan New Guild ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetan Government Workers in Clash ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Tibetans Jailed For Blasts ťť

21/11/08 04:59:03, Woeser: Her Life in Pictures ťť

Tibet Custom

20/11/08 03:12:35, Ă˘ÂÂTibetans Will Continue To Demand their Legitimate Rights from ChinaĂ˘ÂÂ ťť