May 2022

འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་གསར་འཕྲིན།

Contact

A Digest of Tibetan Issues and News from Inside and Outside Tibet RGD No. HPENG/2013/51798 | Volume: XXIV Issue:04| May 2022

Abducted Monk Forced to Translate Buddhist Texts into Chinese

by Staff Reporter Tibetan poet and writer Gendun Lhundrub who disappeared more than a year ago is now reported as being held in a detention centre in Siling (Ch: Xining) according to a report by Radio Free Asia Tibetan service. The former monk from Rongwo monastery in Rebgong County in the Amdo province was arrested by the Chinese authorities on December 2, 2020, since then there has been no information as to his whereabouts.

“We have learned that Gendun Lhundrub, whose whereabouts remained unknown until now, is being detained at a detention centre in Siling,” said RFA’s source who Continued on page 3

UN High Commissioner’s Visit a Whitewash?

by Ray Sorensen and Mary Trewartha The visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to China on May 23 - 28 has caused great concern and deep disappointment to Tibetans and Tibet supporters, as well as human rights groups worldwide. In advance of the visit, and despite much lobbying, she was criticised as her itinerary did not include a visit to, nor any discussion of, Tibet. Her visit has been described as a “whitewash” and she is being criticised as condoning China’s actions in East Turkestan [Ch: Xinjiang], and their treatment of the ethnic Continued on page 4, 5

US Special Coordinator for Tibet Visits Tibetans in India and Nepal

by Staff Reporter The United States Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, Special Coordinator for Tibet Issues, arrived in Dharamahala, home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-exile, on May 17 for a two-day official visit, to confirm and discuss US support for the Tibetan issue. The US Joe Biden administration appointed Under Secretary Uzra Zeya as the Special Coordinator for Tibet affairs in December last year and this is her first official visit to Tibetan communities since her appointment.

Continued on page 7

DO YOU READ THE PRINTED CONTACT? It has been a pleasure to post you your copy of Contact each month and to know we are contributing to bringing the news to so many people. We are now reviewing whether to continue to print Contact, or to make it a solely online resource. We need to know how many people read the printed copy: printing and postage costs are becoming prohibitive and we want to assess the need for it. Please let us know whether you wish to keep receiving the printed copy, or would be happy to read it online - and please do reply! If you don’t, we will assume you don’t read it so it’s a vote to stop producing it! Please email us at editor@contactmagazine. www.contactmagazine.net

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DO YOU READ THE PRINTED CONTACT? It has been a pleasure to post you your copy of Contact each month and to know we are contributing to bringing the news to so many people. We are now reviewing whether to continue to print Contact, or to make it a solely online resource. We need to know how many people read the printed copy: printing and postage costs are becoming prohibitive and we want to assess the need for it. Please let us know whether you wish to keep receiving the printed copy, or would be happy to read it online - and please do reply! If you don’t, we will assume you don’t read it so it’s a vote to stop producing it! Please email us at editor@contactmagazine.

Contact News

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For more information about Lha, please visit: www.lhasocialwork.org Lha Charitable Trust, Institute for Social Work & Education Lha Charitable Trust Lha contacts: office@lhasocialwork.org (0) 98823-23455 / 1892-220992 Please also see Lha’s additional websites: www.tibetnature.net www.samdhongrinpoche.com www.contactmagazine.net Contact Newsletter is published monthly by Lha Charitable Trust. It has been a popular source of news and information on Tibetan issues, and the Dharamshala community, for 22 years and is acknowledged in Lonely Planet and other international travel resources. It is available free of charge and distributed around Dharamshala, Delhi and various diplomatic missions in India. Copies are sent to Tibetan schools, settlements, offices and NGOs in India and abroad. Contact is updated daily on our website www.contactmagazine.net and Facebook page. Contact is registered under the Registrar Office of the Newspaper, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India; registration number HPENG/2013/51798.

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Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 2

“I write this as someone who lost his freedom at the age of 16, then lost his country at the age of 24. Consequently, I have lived in exile for more than 50 years during which we Tibetans have dedicated ourselves to keeping the Tibetan identity alive and preserving our culture and values. On most days the news from Tibet is heartbreaking, and yet none of these challenges gives grounds for giving up. One of the approaches that I personally find useful is to cultivate the thought: If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it. In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, you do not need to be overwhelmed by it. The appropriate action is to seek its solution.

Then it is clearly more sensible to spend your energy focussing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem. Alternatively, if there is no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point in being worried about it, because you cannot do anything about it anyway. In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you. This formula, of course, implies directly confronting the problem and taking a realistic view. Otherwise you will be unable to find out whether or not there is a resolution to the problem Taking a realistic view and cultivating a proper motivation can also shield you against feelings of fear and anxiety. If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively with less fear or worry, not being afraid of what others think or whether you ultimately will be successful in reaching your goal. Even if you fail to achieve your goal, you can feel good about having made the effort.

But with a bad motivation, people can praise you or you can achieve goals, but you still will not be happy.”

Exerpt from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Countering Stress and Depression published on www.dalailama.com

Contact Magazine Managing Director : Dorji Kyi Editor-in-Chief : Jenny James Editor : Tenzin Samten Circulation Manager : Tsering Wangdue Designed by : Karma Ringzin Topgyal Published by Lha Charitable Trust Email:editor@contactmagazine.net Facebook: ContactNews Instagram : tibetan_news_brief Printed at Imperial Printing, Dharamshala Phone:01892 -222390 Email: ippdsala@gmail.com

News Features Abducted Monk Forced to Translate Buddhist Texts into Chinese Continued from page 1

lives in the Tibet Autonomous Region, adding, “His family members are still not allowed to see him, and no information about his condition has been revealed.”

Gendun Lhundrub, who is around 47 years old, is reportedly undergoing China’s political re-education programme under which he is required to translate Tibetan Buddhist scripts into Mandarin Chinese. The source also informed RFA that the Chinese Communist Party requires monasteries to teach Buddhist studies solely in the Chinese language. Thus China’s sinicisation drive has been extended beyond school education, where Tibetan language schools are being shut down and children in primary schools are taught through the medium of Chinese instead of Tibetan.

RFA’s sources have reported that there are still no details about Gendun Lhundrub’s, trial but it is believed that the writer is being kept in a special detention centre and “his life is not under threat”.

Gendun Lhundrub was arrested while on the way from Rongwo Monastery to Rebgong County to attend a dialectics session; a witness saw him “being forcibly taken into a black car”. He has not been by anyone since then. His family was informed at very short notice about his trial on September 27 and since then no details about the trial or his whereabouts

have been revealed.

Prior to his arrest he had attended a workshop on the sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism in Rebgong County which had been organised by the authorities. During the workshop he raised questions, asking, “… how does one sinicise Tibetan Buddhism?” which resulted in a verbal altercation between the facilitator and himself. His arrest took place shortly after this workshop.

A previous report published by RFA suggested that his arrest was connected to his questioning of the authorities who ordered him to help translate Tibetan Buddhist texts into Mandarin Chinese.

Two months before his arrest, Gendun published a book entitled Khorwa and urged fellow Tibetans to support it.

He claimed that the book presents the truth as it is without bowing to orders. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has reported that a Tibetan language website that Gendun administered was shut down, amongst many others administered by Tibetans.

Gendun, also known by his pen name Lhamkok, is a prolific writer who has published numerous books since 1994. He is a highly revered intellectual who is known for his active involvement in the preservation and promotion of the Tibetan Language in the Rongwo Region. He was born in a nomadic family in 1974 in Rebgong County.

Long Life Prayer Offering to His Holiness the Dalai Lama

by Staff Reporter Members of the Sakya Tibetan Buddhist tradition offered Tenshug, a long life prayer to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Tsuglakhang, the main Tibetan Temple in Dharamshala, on May 25 with a crowd of thousands gathered in the temple’s courtyard. The offering ceremony was led by the hierarchies of both palaces, the Dolma Phodrang and Phuntsok Phodrang, and headed by Sakya Dagtri Rinpoche.

Sakya Dagtri Rinpoche greeted His Holiness before he entered the temple and the two were welcomed by a group of dancing drummers as His Holiness rode in the recently installed lift up to the temple veranda.

His Holiness took his seat inside the temple and was offered kataks, Tibetan silk greetings scarves, in a welcome by the Sakya Lamas. Everyone present recited the mantra of White Tara, followed by the recitation of the long life prayer; His Holiness was then offered the statues of the deities of longevity, White Tara, Amitayus and Ushnishavijay, before being offered a bowl of long life pills.

The incumbent 43rd Sakya throne-holder, Sakya Trizin, the Gyana Vajra Rinpoché, recited prayers requesting His Holiness to live long and offered him a large golden mandala. Ratna Vajra Rinpoché, the 42nd throne-holder also prayed for His Holiness’s longevity while presenting

him with a statue of White Tara, a volume of scripture and many other religious objects.

His Holiness responded saying, “I’ve received the Hévajra and Lam-dré—Path and Result—teachings from Chopgyé Trichen Rinpoché. Each Tibetan Buddhist tradition has its own unique teaching and these are the teachings unique to the Sakyas. I do the Hévajra practice every day, so I may be counted as among the line of Sakya practitioners.”

Addressing the gathering, His Holiness said, “thank you for this long life offering. If I don’t live long, there’s a chance the Tibetan people’s wish and aspirations will not be fulfilled. For this reason I pray that I will live to be more than a hundred and I ask you too to make the same prayer.

“Tibet is our own land and Sakya is a place characterised by the grey earth of the Ponpori Hills. We Tibetans are upholders of Buddhist traditions including the Vajrayana.

You too preserve teachings of both Sutra and Tantra. I request you to keep these traditions alive,” continued His Holiness.

His Holiness concluded by saying, “I’ve known Sakya Dagtri Rinpoché since he was very young and I commend the service he has granted people and the Buddha dharma over all these years.”

Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 3

News Features UN High Commissioner’s Visit a Whitewash?

Continued from page 1

minority Muslim Uyghur population there.

Bachelet’s itinerary included a visit to the province of East Turkestan where human rights organisations have accused China of detaining more than a million Uyghurs - a campaign the United States has labelled “genocide”.

However, prior to her visit, the US State Department expressed doubt that the Chinese government would grant the necessary access for Bachelet to conduct a complete and unmanipulated assessment of the human rights environment in East Turkestan.

The Chinese government agreed to Bachelet’s visit on the condition it would be “friendly” and not framed as an investigation and on her arrival in China, Bachelet told an audience of mostly Beijing-based diplomats, that her tour would not be an “investigation”.

Concern expressed in advance of Ms Bachelet’s trip In advance of the trip, Tibet support and human rights groups warned of the potential for damage posed by the trip. The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)* warned that Bachelet’s “friendly” visit could embolden China in its efforts to assimilate Tibetans and other nonHan groups. It could also use this visit as an excuse to reject access to future investigations, and in a press release ICT Executive Director for Germany, Kai Muller, said such trips should not take place if there is a risk the Chinese government could exploit it for propaganda purposes.

The Central Tibetan Administration issued a statement saying that while it welcomed the forthcoming visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to East Turkestan, it was “deeply dismayed” by the High Commissioner’s lack of response to the CTA’s appeal that she include Tibet in her visit, and that her “silence on China’s human rights abuses in Tibet is deeply concerning”.

Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries issued a communiqué saying, “We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in China, particularly in Xinjiang and Tibet” and added, “we urge China to fully respect human rights” and demanded that China allows “immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang and Tibet for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her potential

Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 4

visit to China.” The Group of Seven represents the world’s seven largest “advanced” economies, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Fallout in the wake of the visit On completion of her visit, Michelle Bachelet issued a statement which has outraged Tibet supporters and human rights advocates. They are describing her visit as a “whitewash” and say she is condoning China’s actions in East Turkestan and their treatment of the ethnic minority Muslim Uyghur population there, and say they are“deeply disappointed” that she did not insist on visiting Tibet and has made only passing reference to Tibet in her statement.

On Tibet, her statement says “On the Tibet Autonomous Region, it is important the linguistic, religious and cultural identity of Tibetans be protected, and that Tibetan people are allowed to participate fully and freely in decisions about their religious life and for dialogue to take place.

I discussed education policies in the Tibet Autonomous Region and stressed the importance of children learning in their own language and culture in the setting of their families or communities”.

Ms Bachalet spent two days in Kashgar and Urumqi in East Turkestan where she met the Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Governor and the ViceGovernor in charge of public security, among others. She visited Kashgar prison and the Kashgar Experimental School, a former Vocational Education and Training Centre (VETC) as well as meeting virtually a “number of civil society organisations working on issues relating to Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and other parts of China”.

She said her visit was “informed by the work of the UN human rights mechanisms on China over many years”.

Regarding East Turkestan, she spoke of “raising questions and concerns, and admitted she was “unable to assess the full scale of the VETCs” and said the Government had assured her that the “VTEC system has been dismantled”.

She mentioned China’s “tremendous achievements” in the field of poverty alleviation and universal health care and many other general issues. She spoke of “enriching” interactions with non-government organisations. She welcomed China’s “stated aims” and “commitment” in Continued on page 5

News Features UN High Commissioner’s Visit a Whitewash?

Continued from page 4

regard to human rights and their Human Rights Action Plan of China. She went on to say that she shares “the concerns of a number of UN human rights mechanisms about laws and policies to counter terrorism and radicalism and their application Ms Bachalet said, “We agreed to establish regular engagement between the UN Human Rights Office and the Government of China […and] to establish a working group” which will “allow for structured engagement of my Office with China on a number of human rights issues”.

China’s state media has reported, “The Saturday statement dismissed the rampant disinformation on the Xinjiang region and was also a slap to the US and some Western countries, their media and anti-China forces.”

The International Campaign for Tibet has responded, saying the visit has given a “political victory to the

Communist regime” and describing her passing comments on Tibet as “utterly unacceptable” in a statement saying, “The high commissioner’s failure to report truthfully and without fear on the human rights situation in China is a gross dereliction of her duty. Bachelet has handed the Chinese government a political victory. In failing to acknowledge the evidence showing China’s systematic human rights violations aimed at the destruction of the cultural identity and the very lives of Uyghurs and Tibetans, Mongols, and many others, the high commissioner has emboldened China and further disempowered civil society actors.Bachelet’s only two sentences on the situation in Tibet are utterly unacceptable and severely erode human rights standards and institutions.” *The International Tibet Network is a global coalition of Tibet-related non-government organisations. Its purpose is to maximise the effectiveness of the worldwide Tibet movement.

Call to Postpone UN High Commissioner’s Visit to China

by Mary Trewartha In advance of Ms Bachelet’s visit to China, a coalition of more than 220 groups published an urgent demand that Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner, immediately postpone her imminent visit to China, warning that “the upcoming visit risks aiding Beijing’s attempts to whitewash repression against Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolians and others”.

The coalition is led by Tibetan, Uyghur, (the ethnic minority Muslim Uyghur population of East Turkestan, or Xinjiang), Hongkongers, Southern Mongolian and Chinese democracy groups; they say that the visit risks Ms Bachalet “walking into a propaganda minefield laid out by the Chinese Communist Party”.

They report that, to date, she has not met “any of the affected communities despite multiple requests and the overwhelming evidence of genocide and rampant human rights abuses (including widespread torture and sexual abuse) nor has she met with wider civil society organisations for specific briefings on Beijing’s crackdown” and continue, saying “Ms Bachelet has also ignored all offers to meet survivors from the Uyghur camps, Tibetan former political prisoners or Chinese democracy activists linked to the Tiananmen Square Massacre. She has simultaneously remained silent on the unprecedented statement by over 50 UN experts calling for ‘urgent’ and ‘decisive measures’ to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of those living under Chinese rule”.

The coalition says in their statement that she has “failed to raise any concern about the situation in occupied Tibet, which has not been mentioned as a visit location, despite being ranked as the least free place in the world for the second

year in a row. Hong Kong and Southern Mongolia are also missing from her list of visit locations though both places have witnessed historic protests and subsequent crackdowns on human rights and freedom in the past two years.”

The statement continues, “Tibetan, Uyghur, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolian and Chinese communities are urgently calling for crucial guarantees that they expect to be met ahead of Bachelet’s visit, including: • Release of the the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report on serious human rights violations in East Turkistan; • Assurances of secure meetings with independent civil society organisations, human rights defenders and survivors of China’s human rights abuses including groups in the diaspora, in advance of the visit; • Transparency about the measures taken to date to ensure unfettered access to all areas including Tibet, East Turkistan, Southern Mongolia and Hong Kong.”

The coalition’s lead signatories are: – China Against the Death Penalty – Free Tibet – Hong Kong Watch – International Campaign for Tibet – International Tibet Network – Southern Mongolian Human Rights Center – Students for a Free Tibet – Tibet Action Institute – Tibet Initiative Deutschland – Tibet Justice Center – Tibetan Youth Association in Europe – Uyghur Human Rights Project – We The Hongkongers

Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 5

News Features Missing for 27 Years: Call to Release Panchen Lama

by Staff Reporter Tibetans, supporters and rights groups across the world marked the 27th year of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, the second highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama. On May 17, 1995, the Chinese government abducted Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a six-year-old, along with his parents and his teacher, Chardrel Rinpoche, soon after he was recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama – making him the world’s youngest political prisoner. He has not been seen since despite continued international calls for his release and information about his wellbeing.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan Government-in-exile, issued a statement to mark the day in which they recounted that despite the repeated calls from a number of countries, parliaments and international right groups – including the United Nations – to provide credible information about his whereabouts and wellbeing, China has not responded [other than to say he is “living a normal life” and wants to be left in peace].

“The continued disappearances of the Panchen Lama, his family members and Chadrel Rinpoche is not only a violation of civil rights of individuals but also an infringement of the collective rights of the Tibetan people since the right to appoint a religious leader is recognised by international law as an essential aspect of freedom of religion and belief,” said the CTA in their statement.

On this 27th year of the forced disappearance of the Panchen Lama, five Chilean parliamentarians released an appeal letter calling for the immediate release of “Tibet’s 11th Panchen Lama who is now 33 years old”. The five parliamentarians are Vlado Mirosevic, Luis Malla, Sebastian Videla, Alejandro Bernales and Ana Gazmurri.

The German Parliamentary Group of Tibet also called upon China to end the abduction of the Panchen Lama, which the group calls a “heinous crime” by China.

Highlighting China’s continuous denial to give information on this case, Honourable Michale Brand, Chairman of the German Parliamentary Group said, “the world cannot watch this continued crime being committed by China without reacting” reports tibet.net In Dharamshala, the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) organised a day’s hunger strike protest against the Chinese government, calling on them to immediately

Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 6

release the 11th Panchen Lama. Acknowledging the international support for this case TWA said, “We express our gratitude to all the international organisations, Tibet support groups and everyone for their continued support and efforts to seek justice for, and the release of, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.”

In Mungdod Tibetan Settlement in South India, Karnataka state, a group of 15 Tibetan activists embarked on a three-day bike rally from Mundgod Tibetan Settlement to Bangalore City to raise awareness about the missing Panchen Lama.

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) joins Tibetans in demanding that the Chinese government answer the question: Where is the Panchen Lama? ICT also urged governments, journalists and people of conscience everywhere to pressure the Chinese government to provide “proof of the Panchen Lama’s safety and well-being— including proof he is still alive […] Although Tibetans in exile celebrated the Panchen Lama’s 33rd birthday last month, neither he nor his parents have been seen in public since China abducted them in 1995”.

On May 17, the Australia Tibet Council launched their report Overcoming Obstacles: Protecting Tibetan Religious Identity in the New South Wales State Parliament in Sydney to mark the 27th anniversary of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The report narrates China’s destruction and sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism; it was launched by Jamie Parker, member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and local Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Meanwhile, the man appointed by the Chinese government as the Panchen Lama in place of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, Gyaltsen Norbu, who is not recognised

by Tibetans, is touring Tibet, visiting monasteries and meeting monks there, reports Xinhua the Chinese state news agency. He was installed by China soon after Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s abduction; he lives in Beijing and has been appointed as member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, and President of the Association’s Tibet branch.

On May 20, the Australia Tibet Council launched their report Overcoming Obstacles: Protecting Tibetan Religious Identity in the New South Wales State Parliament in Sydney to mark the 27th anniversary of the forced disappearance of 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The report narrates China’s destruction and sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism; it was launched by Jamie Parker, member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and local Representative of HH the Dalai Lama.

News Features US Special Coordinator for Tibet Visits Tibetans in India and Nepal Continued from page 1

It is also her first meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the newly elected Tibetan leader, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) also known as the Tibetan Government-in-exile, and the first opportunity for her to interact with Tibetans working in various non-government institutes, and to visit schools and monasteries.

“A high-level visitation from the US such as this one signifies the latter’s momentous support for the Tibetan issue,” said the CTA’s official website.

Uzra Zeya and her delegation were granted a special audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his residence, along with the Sikyong Penpa Tsering. “I am President Biden’s special coordinator for Tibetan issues and I am honoured to be received by you,” said Uzra Zeya while conveying greetings from the US President Joe Biden and the American people. She expressed their gratitude for His Holiness’s message of peace for the world and offered good wishes for the good health of His Holiness. The delegation briefed His Holiness on the United States’ continued commitment to support the preservation of Tibetan culture, religion, language and identity.

Expressing his happiness to meet the Special Coordinator for Tibet, His Holiness applauded the rich tradition of democracy and freedom in the US and India and shared his

four main commitments in life, the promotion of universal values, the promotion of religious harmony, the preservation of Tibet’s culture and environment and the revival of ancient Indian wisdom. His Holiness added “it is clear that despite decades of effort by Chinese communists to change the minds of Tibetans, they have completely failed”. He continued, saying that “meanwhile the mindset of the Chinese people is also rapidly changing and “Socialism and Marxism are now gone”.

Ms Zeya later met members of the Tibetan Parliamentin-exile, visited the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) and the Tibet Museum, as well as meeting members of Tibetan civil society.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticised Zeya’s visit to Tibetan leaders, saying that the US appointment of the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is interference in China’s internal affairs. “The US should earnestly abide by its commitment that Tibet is a part of China and not supporting Tibet’s independence,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, adding that the “so-called Tibetan government-in-exile is an out and out separatist political group. It is a grave violation of China’s Constitution and law.”

Following her visit to Dharamshala, Ms Zeya and her delegation of four members left for a three-day official visit to Nepal where they met Tibetan refugees living in Nepal and learned about the problems faced by them.

Tibetan Woman Beaten and Tortured in Prison

by Staff Reporter Norzin Wangmo, a Tibetan political prisoner from Kham Kyegudo in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was sent home from prison in poor health in March. She was beaten and tortured while in prison and has suffered multiple serious injuries. She is allowed to receive treatment at home, but not to visit hospitals and continues to be under surveillance, reports the Tibet Times.

Wangmo was sentenced to a three-year prison term by the Chinese authorities in May 2020 and sent to a women’s prison in Kyegudo where she was beaten and tortured to such an extent that the authorities have sent her home temporarily. The Tibet Times reports that on May 2 she was transferred from a women’s prison in Kyegudo to Chumarleb County (also written as Qumarleb County) police station, where her family was summoned to come and pick her up, accompanied by three police officers.

She had sustained injuries during continuous beatings with an electric baton during her time in jail and her whole body was severely bruised. She is currently unable to walk without support, according to Tibet Time’s report.

The Chumarleb People’s Court sentenced Norzin

Wangmo to three years in prison in a secret trial which took place in May 2020; she was charged with disclosing news of the self-immolation of Tenzin Sherab which took place on May 27, 2013 in Chumarleb county.

In recent years, many Tibetans have suffered at the hands of the authorities for not accepting their forced accusation of “leaking state secrets” and “influencing the separatists” and have received beating and torture while in prison. There are repeated cases of the deaths of Tibetan political prisoners in prison, or of their being sent home before the end of their prison term because of their deteriorating health resulting from their treatment in detention. There are also cases of released prisoners dying at home shortly after their early release from prison. People are often sentenced on a charge of “separatism” – a term which the Chinese government uses to refer to any sort of dissent, and for contact with Tibetans living in exile.

Norzin Wangmo is a former resident of Trindhu (also written as Chindu) County who married and settled in Chumarleb county in Yushu, living a nomadic life. Her husband’s name is Nyima and they have three children aged between two and five years old.

Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 7

News Features Canada Welcomes Sikyong, Angering China

by Staff Reporter The Chinese Embassy in Canada has objected to the Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan appearance of Sikyong before the Canadian House of Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Government-in-exile, is in Canada meeting Canadian International Development, reports the Chinese state Tibet supporters, parliamentarians and members of the media the Global Times quoting a Chinese Embassy Tibetan communities in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa spokesperson as saying, “The ‘Tibetan Government-incity; this follows his official visit to the United States last exile’ is a separatist political organisation with the aim month. of achieving ‘Tibet independence’. It completely violates On May 5, Sikyong appeared before the Canadian the Chinese constitution and laws and is not recognised House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign by any country in the world. As the leader of the Affairs and International Development. He testified on the organisation, Tsering is a downright anti-China separatist case of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, whose purpose of visiting is to sell the idea of ‘Tibet who disappeared 27 years ago when he was abducted by independence’ and advance the internationalisation of the Chinese, and on the Tibet-related issues.” status of Tibet, with an The same representative analysis of the situation continued, saying that as it is at present under the Tibetan GovernmentChinese occupation. in-exile has no right to Speaking of Gedhun represent Tibetans inside Choekyi Nyima he said, Tibet and that Tibetans “We know that this is inside Tibet “enjoy social a political decision by stability and economic the Chinese government prosperity […] The because this also concerns reincarnation of the Dalai the reincarnation of His Lama and Panchen Lama Holiness the Dalai Lama […] has to be conducted because there is reciprocal in accordance with Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Zeekyab Rinpoche with Canadian MPs recognition of the the historical system, Photo: Tibet.net incarnation between Dalai religious rules as well as Lamas and Panchen Lamas”. He continued, saying, “even within China’s rules and laws”. now if you go to Lhasa, you will not see the pictures of Zeekyab Rinpoche, the Abbot of Tashi Lhunpo the Chinese appointed 11th Panchen Lama, but you will Monastery, who is with Sikyong in Canada also testified see the picture of the 10th Panchen Lama” – this referring to the Committee and presented a five-point appeal to Gyaltsen Norbu, the boy appointed by the Chinese as which included a request to the Committee to pass a Panchen Lama after abducting Gedhun Choekyi Nyima motion urging the Canadian government to mandate and who is not recognised by the Tibetan people. their ambassador to China to meet the 11th Panchen Sikyong responded to a question from MP Garnett Lama in China and to ascertain his whereabouts and Genuis regarding the repression of the Tibetan language, wellbeing. They also requested that this would be a stressing the degradation of the language over time under precursor to securing the Panchen Lama’s early release. the Chinese régime and saying that there is no freedom They suggested that the Canadian Parliament observe the of language in Tibet. He continued, “When [Chinese Panchen Lama’s birthday as a way of drawing attention President] Xi Jinping came into power, it’s now one to the situation. nation, one language and one culture. Under this policy, Sikyong and Zeekyab Rinpoche, together with the Chinese Communist Party is striking at the very root Namgyal Choedup, Representative of His Holiness the of our identity, which is our language.”

Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet in the United States, Regarding the issue concerning the resumption of the attended a welcome reception at Parliament Hill in Ottawa Sino-Tibetan dialogue, Sikyong urged the Committee to organised by the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet pass a motion calling for the resumption of the dialogue and attended by many parliamentarians. Sikyong thanked adding, “Under President Xi, things look [so] dire that Canadian Members of Parliament for their support and even hope for negotiations in the immediate future seems said that Canada is the country with the second highest remote”. population of Tibetans in the diaspora community.

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News Features His Holiness Launches the Monlam Grand Tibetan Dictionary

by Staff Reporter His Holiness the Dalai Lama launched the new Monlam Grand Tibetan Dictionary in the courtyard of Tsuglakhang, the main temple in Dharamshala on May 27. The Dictionary was compiled by the Monlam Tibetan IT Research Centre based in Dharamshala. The Centre works on research and

We shall be more than willing to share this knowledge with our Chinese brothers and sisters in the hope that doing so will promote peace between us,” said His Holiness.

He continued, “Our culture originated in India, and today we have all sorts of means to make it better known.

I think there would be great benefit in combining aspects of ancient Indian knowledge with modern science. I’m looking forward to discussing how this might be done with educationists and others in Delhi. The most important element is understanding the workings of the mind and emotions, which leads to peace of mind and in the longer run to peace in the world.

“Chinese hardliners misapprehend the value of our religion and culture. Publication of this dictionary, which is already being translated into Chinese, can go some way to educating them.

“We woke up to the potential of our knowledge and culture when we came into exile and we have worked with courage and determination to keep them alive. I’m only one person and I’ve done what I can, but all of you gathered here can contribute to this too,” concluded His Photo: OHHDL Holiness.

Venerable Lobsang Monlam, curator of the Monlam development of softwares relevant to the Tibetan language.

Addressing the gathering, His Holiness said, “We Grand Tibetan Dictionary explained that the 223-volume Tibetans have a rich religious and cultural tradition. While dictionary was compiled by 200 people from both inside we were in Tibet, we were not aware of how it compared and outside Tibet. The project took nine years to complete with other traditions, but once we came into exile we and was supported by the Dalai Lama Trust. The dictionary is also available in 37 apps became aware of and a fully-fledged website. how precious our Ven Monlam said that heritage is. It’s a with more than 395,000 practical tradition at entries, the Dictionary the core of which are is one of the largest methods for tackling dictionaries in the world, negative emotions adding that it reveals and cultivating peace the vast depth of the of mind. In my own Tibetan culture. He said daily practice I focus that completion of the on the awakening dictionary is an historic mind of bodhichitta achievement that will make and cultivating an a substantial contribution understanding of towards the preservation of emptiness, which Tibetan cultural traditions. together bring me Photo: OHHDL “Inside Tibet, the deep inner peace.

“Today, Chinese communist hard-liners criticise Chinese are trying to eliminate our language and culture, Tibetan culture without really understanding what it’s but here in exile we are making even greater efforts to keep about. We may be unable to send these 223 volumes to them alive,” said Ven Monlam The launch ceremony was also attended by Sakya China at present, but in Taiwan there will be people who Gongma Rinpoché, the 42nd and 43rd Sakya Trizins, can appreciate what kind of culture we have preserved.

“We are not seeking total independence from China, but and the head of the Bön Tradition and the officials of the we need to be able to keep our religion and culture alive. Central Tibetan Administration.

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News Features China Targets Children and Young People in their Sinicisation Drive

by Staff Reporter The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)* and Asian Dignity Initiative (ADI)* have released a joint report, Sucked Our Marrow: Tibetan Language and Education Rights under Xi Jinping, which demonstrates the devastating consequences for education and language rights resulting from the Chinese policies that are experienced in Tibet under Chinese regime.

The report details Xi Jinping’s governments’ policies

of deliberately targeting children and young people in their drive to annihilate the Tibetan culture in breach of fundamental human rights and their own constitution.

“Children and young people have become primary targets in Xi Jinping’s campaign to build a ‘modern’ education system in which Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese based on the Beijing dialect) enjoys a higher status and power than minority languages, violating constitutional guarantees for regional autonomy and the principle of equality and non-discrimination,” said the report.

Tibetan monastic institutions are also being forced to teach in Putonghua.

Citing the examples of the closing down of the private educational institutions that promote the Tibetan language and culture in Tibet, including those previously approved by the state, the Dharamshala-based rights group expressed “concern over the speed at which the private schools are being closed and Putonghua national curriculum imposed as it amounts to an attack on the cultural ecosystem that serves as the last bastion of Tibetan cultural heritage in the seven decades of Chinese occupation”.

TCHRD have released a press statement to launch their report saying, “The right to education is recognised as a fundamental human right indispensable for realising other human rights. […] it is increasingly evident that Chinese laws and policies cannot protect the right to use minority languages because they are part of a broader nationbuilding strategy geared towards creating a zhonghua minzu (Chinese National) identity with a single language

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and identification with the Chinese nation-state.”

The report stated that China is aggressively pursuing the concept of “Chinese National”, introduced into the Chinese Constitution in 2018, as a tool to forcibly assimilate minority nationalities into the larger Han Chinese population of 1.2 billon.

TCHRD urges the international community to request a visit to Tibet by UN human rights experts on education and language rights, to enable them to make an assessment of the quality and availability of Tibetan language teaching and its use within Tibet, and to call on China to issue a standing invitation to UN independent experts to conduct official visits in Tibet and other parts of the Peoples Republic of China.

“China must guarantee the right to self-determination and create concrete conditions to enable Tibetans to exercise genuine autonomy as provided for in the People’s

Sengdruk Taktse students performing morning prayers at the school Photo: TCHRD

Republic of China’s Constitution and Law on Regional National Autonomy,” said TCHRD. *TCHRD is a non-government Tibetan human rights organisation who monitors, documents and conducts research on the human rights situation in Tibet, and provides that information to the international community.

Their partner on this report, the Asian Dignity Initiative (ADI), is a non-government organisation from the Republic of Korea dedicated to defending the human rights of marginalised people in Asia. *ADI is a South Korea based non-government organisation dedicated to defending the human rights of marginalised people in Asia.

News Features Tibet Support Groups Worldwide Collaborate

by Staff Reporter Sixty representatives of Tibet support groups and Tibetan non-government organisations across the world gathered in Barcelona, Spain for the first-ever cross-regional meeting organised by the International Tibet Network (ITN)*. It was aimed at strengthening the Tibetan struggle and took place from May 27 to 29.

The purpose of the meeting was to maximise the effectiveness of the worldwide Tibet movement. The meeting was attended by representatives from 18 different countries including countries in Africa, Europe and Asia as well as the United States. During the three-day meeting, participants took the opportunity to discuss and deliberate various issues through a series of talks and workshops led by prominent activists, experts and scholars of the Tibetan movement, as well as regional and cross-regional planning and networking.

Among the speakers were Sophie Richardson, China Director of Human Rights Watch; Lhadon Tethong, Director of the Tibet Action Institute; Kate Saunders, journalist, researcher and specialist on Tibetan issues as well as a Tibetan sociologist who has spent 30 years working in Tibet in the field of education and who contributed to the report that exposed China’s operation of mandatory boarding preschools across Tibet, reports Tibet.net, the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.

Since ITN’s inception in 2000, the organisation has organised annual regional meetings in different capitals of the world; this three-day meeting in Spain is the first since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is a great pleasure to host the Cross-Regional Meeting at Casa del Tibet Foundation in Barcelona. The meeting provides a platform for meaningful discussions and the finding of practical solutions and I am very happy to see so many young Tibetan activists and Tibet supporters collaborating for the Tibetan cause,” said Thubten Wangchen, Director of Casa del Tibet and Member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile representing Europe.

“This has been our first ever CrossRegional Meeting, and we went in with the hopes of bringing Tibet Groups and supporters together in person to share their experiences with the movement in their own countries and regional contexts,” said Mandie McKeown, Executive Director of the International Tibet Network as reported by ThePrint. *The International Tibet Network is a global coalition of Tibet-related non-government organisations. Its purpose is to maximise the effectiveness of the worldwide Tibet movement.

The Network works to increase the capacity of individual member organisations, develops coordinated strategic campaigns and encourages increased cooperation among organisations, thereby strengthening the Tibet movement as a whole.

New College Admission Rules for Tibetans

by Staff Reporter In Tibet, students applying to join colleges and universities are now required to meet extra conditions unrelated to their educational qualifications as stipulated by the Tibet Autonomous Region’s 2022 Regular College Admissions Regulations published last month.

Among the standard set of rules listed, Bitter Winter, an online magazine on religious liberty and human rights, has reported that in Section 12 of the regulations under the title Ideological and Political Morality Assessment, “it is explained that being an outstanding student is not enough to be admitted to a university in Tibet. Actually, ‘ideological and political morality’ is the ‘main’ standard for admission”.

The report continues, saying that the academic authorities “shall make a comprehensive appraisal of the examinee’s political attitude and ideological morality, and be responsible for its authenticity”.

The Bitter Winter report explains that universities are required to make sure that candidates have never supported

“in words or in deeds” movements or activities that “endangers the unity of the motherland or national unity.”

The report further added that “Tibetans understand that these activities and movements are all forms of support for the Dalai Lama” and that the Chinese Communist Party refers to these as “the separatist Dalai clique”. The Regulations also state that the candidate should not be involved in “xie jiao” (“illegal” religious movements). “But if the candidates are proficient in ‘Marxist theory’, they are eligible for a preferential lane for admission,” said the report.

A separate news report was published by Voice of America Tibetan service on May 16 following the news of the self-immolation protest by the popular Tibetan singer, Tsewang Norbu. The report states that students at the Tibet University in Lhasa were made to sign a “No Suicide Commitment”; the Chinese authorities regard selfimmolation protests as suicide and the commitment form advises students to contact teachers or family when such thoughts occur.

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Tibetan Headlines May 25: Ratoe Kyungla Rinpoche Ratoe Kyungla Rinpoche, the renowned Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhist scholar and teacher, has died aged 100 in Dharamshala. He was born in Tibet, recognised as the reincarnate lama of Ratoe Monastery at an early age and completed his monastic education in Tibet. He founded the Tibet Centre in New York where he was director and teacher of Buddhism for over 30 years. He also founded Ratoe Monastery in Mundgod, India.

May 17: Border Tensions China is building a bridge across Pangong Lake in Ladakh in north India on the border with Tibet. The 500 metre bridge is situated south of an area which, originally in Indian territory, has been occupied by the Chinese since the border war in 1962. The bridge will facilitate access for Chinese troops to the disputed area; India’s response is to boost its defence capabilities in the area.

May 24: Tibetan Monks Blamed The Chinese authorities are forcing local monks to take responsibility for the destruction of the 99-foot-tall Buddha statue in Drago county in Kham Kardz in December last year. At the time the authorities ordered the destruction, now they are requiring the monks to sign affidavits claiming responsibility, reports Radio Free Asia. The statue and 45 prayer wheels were built and paid for by local Tibetans with official approval.

May 17: Germain Aid A delegation from German Aid to Tibetans (GAT), one of the major relief support agencies, is in Dharamshala, led by their President Heide Meyer, to discuss their various projects in India. Ms Meyer gave assurance of GAT’s continued support. “Our main concern is the education of the children and the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion” she said, adding that they would not forget “the elderlies”.

May 24: New Brussels Representative Ms Genkhang Rigzin Choedon has been appointed as the new Representative for the Office of Tibet in Brussels, taking over from the outgoing Representative Mr Tashi Phuntsok on his retirement after 42 years service. Ms Rigzin Choedon has worked for more than 12 years in the Office of Tibet, Brussels.

May 16: His Holiness’s Vesak Message In HH the Dalai Lama’s message for Vesak, the Buddhist celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death, he reiterated that Buddha advised scholars and monks to thoroughly examine his teachings and not accept them merely out of respect. His Holiness said that he himself recites In Praise of Dependent Arising every morning and reflects on the interdependent nature of things and the altruistic spirit of enlightenment.

May 23: Congratulations HH the Dalai Lama has written to the new Australian Prime MinisterElect Anthony Albanese to congratulate him on his election victory and wish him every success saying, “We Tibetans have been honoured to enjoy the support of the Australian people and their respective leaders in our effort to preserve our Buddhist cultural heritage.”

May 21: Tibetan Voices The award winning Queens Memory Project - a community record of New York - is set to feature Tibetans in an episode of their podcast Our Major Minor Voices. Tibetans living in Queens, New York city will be featured in both Tibetan and English as part of a programme introducing Asian-American communities in Queens. The episode, Mother Tongue, was produced by filmmaker Tenzin Tsetan Choklay, co-founder of Dharamshala-based Drung Filmmakers’ Collective.

May 21: Tourism Subsidies Coupons are being issued to tourists in a move to boost tourism in Tibet, reports Xinhua the Chinese state news agency, this despite claims by China that there are record numbers of tourists visiting Tibet. Coupons worth 30 million yuan (about US$4.4 / £3.6 million) were provided to reduce ticket prices along with subsidised fares, tariffs and fees.

Subsidies are normally offered only during winter months.

May 19: Religious Content Censored The Chinese-administered Tibet Autonomous Region Cyberspace Administration has announced more restrictions on the content of social media videos and live webcasts. Authorities are authorised to punish those who violate and use content deemed to be “illegal” or “social threats”. Among many vague and broad uses of the term “punishable”, included are “undermining national religious policies”, “promoting harmful information about religion” and “spreading xie jiao (“illegal” religious movements) and feudal superstitions”.

May 19: Tibetans Evicted Tibetans living in Atsok Gon Dechen Choekhor Ling Monastery and the nearby village in Tsolho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture are being evicted by the Chinese authorities to make way for a planned hydropower station, despite requests to reconsider the eviction, reports Radio Free Asia. It is unknown whether compensation is being paid, or whether the monastery, which was built in 1889 and is home to 157 monks, will face shutdown.

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May 16: Fate of Ancient Kingdom The collapse of the 700-year-old Guge kingdom in western Tibet in the 1630s was caused by environmental factors reports the South China Morning Post. It was previously believed that the collapse followed a war with neighbouring Ladakh but a new study by scientists from China, the United States and the Netherlands found that a four-degree Celsius temperature drop contributed to diminished crop production and the kingdom’s downfall.

May 16: 170 Detained More than 170 nomadic Tibetans were detained in Cheudru Village in Gade County on May 10 and then questioned individually concerning disagreements over the Chinese government’s orders that grazing lands be confiscated. Tibet Watch, the UK-based research and advocacy group, reports that their 50-year grassland use certificates were deemed to be out of date and their grasslands confiscated and placed under government control. The 170 had opposed this directive.

May 16: Tightened Security Security has been tightened in Lhasa ahead of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday in July to head off any expressions of allegiance by Tibetans to their spiritual leader. Security checkpoints have been set up on all street corners and Tibetans are subject to random searches and phone checks. Drones are being used to monitor Tibetans’ movements. Tibetans regularly defy the ban on observing significant cultural and historical days.

May 16: Bharat Ratna Former Indian diplomat Shashi Tharoor has added his name to those public figures demanding that HH the Dalai Lama be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Dr Tharoor said in a video statement that he has known His Holiness for 40 years and is “fascinated” by his “extraordinary spiritual wisdom, compassion, and “rather jolly” sense of humour.

May 13: Musician Dies in Tibet Following Tibetan singer Tsewang Norbu’s self-immolation on February 25, Voice of America Tibetan reported that his father Choegyen committed suicide after continuous harassment and threats from the Chinese authorities.

There are no details about the time and place of Choegyen’s death, but VOA reports that Choegyen was a lyricist, composer and performer with Nagchu prefecture’s Performing Arts Association for many years, inspiring and teaching his son Tsewang Norbu.

Tibetan Headlines May 13: Lobbying for Tibet Sonam Frasi, Representative of the Office of Tibet in London, visited Dublin, the capital of Ireland, where he met Senator Malcolm Byrne of the Seanad, the Upper House of the Irish Parliament, along with other Parliamentarians. Meanwhile in Canberra, Australia, Representative Karma Singey met Czech Republic Ambassador Tomas Dub. As well as briefing the parliamentarians, both representatives met members of the local Tibetan communities during their visits.

May 6: Arrested Palsang, 24, from Darlak County in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was arrested in November last year shortly after posting on the messaging app WeChat indicating his support for the use of the Tibetan language. He was kept in Darlak County for 15 days before being taken to Xining City; his family has been given no information about his whereabouts and condition. News has only now emerged from Tibet of his detention.

May 11: Settlement Officer Election The preliminary round of elections for the new Settlement Officer for Dharamsala have taken place with five candidates, including the present Settlement Officer Kunga Tsering. The four other candidates are Kunchok Migmar, Tashi Dorjee, Sonam Phuntsok and Thinlay Jampa, the final round will be on May 24. While SOs in Dharamshala are elected, most other SOs are directly appointed by the Central Tibetan Administration.

May 6: Child Snatched Chinese police have snatched Kundol Sangmo, a five-year-old girl, and separated her from her mother, reports the UK-based research and advocacy group Tibet Watch. She was taken from her mother Dekyi, who was working at the time as a street cleaner in Takla Klar Town, Purang County in the Tibet Autonomous Region on April 28. The police accused them of violating Covid-19 regulations. There is no news of her current whereabouts.

May 10: Monks Take their Vows His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended the Mahakala Puja and Gelong Ordination (vows for fully ordained monks) in TsuglagKhang, the main temple in Dharamshala, and in his residence. His Holiness addressed the monks saying, “You must feel fortunate for this momentous opportunity to render your service to the Dharma by becoming an ordained Gelong.”

The Mahakala Puja is a ritual for eliminating obstacles.

May 5: Tibetan Couple Arrested Loga, 36 and his wife Youtso, from Gyalser County in Dartsedo City in Kham in eastern Tibet, were arrested on April 17 at around 3 pm local time on suspicion of being in contact with relatives living in exile.

They were taken to the county police station and refused a visit from their family, reports Tibet Watch. Currently there is no information as to their whereabouts.

May 10: Tibet Festival Japan “Tibet Festival Japan”, a five-day online festival, was held in Japan from May 1–7 to coincide with the Japanese Golden Week holiday and organised by Tibet House Japan. The festival included talks and teachings, with an introduction to Buddhism, meditation instruction and emotional and stress management instruction. There were also demonstrations of making Tibetan butter tea and thentuk, and traditional and modern Tibetan songs.

May 5: Honorary Doctorate Tenzin Rigdol, a well-known Tibetan artist, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by his old university, the University of Colorado College of Arts and Media (CAM) who described Rigdol as one of the world’s most prolific and contemporary Tibetan artists, and who reflects CAM’s three values of creativity, excellence and discovery. In 2011 Rigdol made news with his highly acclaimed art project of transporting 20,000 kg of Tibetan soil to Dharamshala.

May 9: Tibetan Railway Project Construction of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain tunnel - a major tunnel for the Yunnan–Tibet Railway project connecting China with Tibet - has been completed, reports the South China Morning Post. The tunnel is located near Lijiang city in Yunnan province. The SCMP reports that the entire Yunnan-Tibet Railway construction is scheduled to be completed by 2030.

May 4: Tibetan Town Twinning 76 towns across Europe have adopted towns and villages inside Tibet over the years and a book, Thank You Europe For Adopting Tibetan Communes in solidarity with Tibet, has been released to celebrate and publicise this project. The book was launched at a ceremony at the Office of Tibet in Paris, attended by members of the French Senate Tibet Support Group.

May 8: Covid-19 Warning The Central Tibetan Administration has reported a rising number of cases of Covid-19 in all areas of Tibet and subsequent problems encountered by people returning to Tibet from India and Nepal. Peoples’ Citizenship Identification Cards and Household Registration have been revoked and permission to renew has not been given, causing hardship in terms of employment, medical and hospital treatment - people have died of Covid-19 as a result.

May 3: New Representative Thinlay Chukki has been appointed as the new Representative of HH the Dalai Lama at the Tibet Bureau, Geneva. She will take up her post from June 22. She was the former Special Appointee for Human Rights at the Tibet Bureau 2019 and 2021 and has worked as a researcher at the Central Tibetan Administration’s UN-EU and Human Rights Desk. Chukki graduated from Harvard Law School with an LLM degree in 2018.

May 6: Released Rinchen Dorjee, 54, a Tibetan who was arbitrarily arrested in August last year for sharing photos of a local event on WeChat with people outside Tibet, has been released after nine months in custody, reports Tibet Watch. Police took Dorjee home on April 27 where he remains under strict surveillance. There is no news of Lhundup and Kalsang Nyima who were arrested with him.

May 6: Lithium Mining The Lakkor Tso Salt Lake in Tibet is under threat from lithium mining: Zijin Mining Group, one of the largest mining companies in the world, is set to acquire the lithium mine there. Their report states that “after the completion of the acquisition, it will decide the specific development plan”. Local Tibetans regularly protest against large scale mining and are often imprisoned and beaten as a result.

May 3: New Library A ceremony was held to celebrate the start of construction for the new Dalai Lama Library and Learning Centre at Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca City, New York state. The library will be a resource for all the written works of both present and past Dalai Lamas, as well as around 4,000 books and Buddhist artefacts. A fundraising campaign has raised $5 million for construction of the library.

May 3: Meeting with JNU Representatives of the Central Tibetan Administration Education Department met Prof Santishree D Panditthe, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. They discussed the recent fee increase which puts Tibetan students at a disadvantage as they do not generally have access to the funding available to Indian students.

Also discussed was funding for Tibetan schools and possible agreements between JNU and Tibetan schools.

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People Story Inspired to Teach

Sonam Khando is currently teaching Chinese language classes at Lha Charitable Trust. Sonam has been teaching Chinese for over four years and is well-known in the community for her service.

Contact: Can you tell us briefly about yourself?

Sonam Khando: I was born and brought up in Kham Kardze where my parents are farmers, and uneducated. However, they have made sure to educate my younger sister and me by sending us to school. I studied till ninth grade in my hometown where I got the chance to learn both Tibetan and the Chinese language.

Later I saw photos of other Tibetans in India and heard wonderful stories of India and the desire to go to India sparked in me like fire and I started insisting that my parents send me to India. I even warned them that if I can’t go to India, I won’t go to school either! Finally, my parents agreed to my request and I came to India in 2009 with a group by paying money to a group leader.

The decision to come to India was utterly mine. Immediately after reaching Nepal, seeing the place, and finding that it was not looking similar to the place I dreamt of, I slightly regretted coming all the way. But after reaching TCV Suja (Tibetan Children’s Village) school where there are many other students like me who came from Tibet, slowly I got accustomed to the new life and in fact, I had a great time in Suja.

C: How did your journey of teaching the Chinese language start?

SK: It was all coincidence. After completing my Bachelor of Honours in Chinese from the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education in 2017, I came to Dharamshala to attend a teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During that time, I saw a job post

by Tibet World, an NGO that also gives language classes and I got the job. I was planning to leave after a one-year contract. But they requested me to stay and continue to teach. This is how I started this journey and I don’t regret it at all. I think NGOs are a great place to work as it gives one a platform to meet and engage with people from different backgrounds and different cultures. In my experience, my work gave me lots of exposure and confidence, especially in facing and connecting with more people.

C: Do you also teach one on one?

SK: Yes, apart from regular classes, I also used to teach one on one. Students who are unable to come for regular classes or some have difficulty catching up in groups, they ask me to teach separately by paying for the number of hours I teach.

C: What inspires you to teach? What, if any, challenges do you face?

SK: One of my students returned to Tibet after completing his studies in India. I think he was a nursing student. He shared with me his experiences during his visit to Tibet about how difficult it was for him on a daily basis with not speaking or reading Chinese.

It is obvious that he won’t get good jobs but he also faced a daily struggle of communication. This inspired me to help Tibetans learn basic Chinese which will be helpful for them in future, even if they don’t plan to make a career out of it, it will definitely be useful when they go back to Tibet. Challenge….I would say that was during my first years of teaching, though I speak and know

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the language, I didn’t have teaching experience. So without teaching experience, I was a bit nervous and also, the students are all adult, unlike in school so it was a bit intimidating. For teaching adults, it takes patience and hard work from both the teacher and the students’ side. They need more time to understand or to learn something new. Another challenge was that my students are from different parts of the world and I don’t speak their language which became a barrier while teaching. I only speak Tibetan, Chinese and English.

C: Can you share an example of your work experience?

SK: I started my social work by voluntarily teaching Chinese language classes online for free. I believe that online education is accessible by all wherever you reside. I thought it was a good medium to help others. Whether I teach online or in the classroom, my aim was to help others. I uploaded many online classes on my Facebook account and I believed that even if it benefits one person, I am happy.

C: Any tips for those learning Chinese?

SK: One tip I would like to share is, keep reading anything in Chinese or watching movies or videos in Chinese. So you won’t forget it. Since we are not using the language on a daily basis, it is easy to forget. Just keep in touch with the language.

C: You have worked with different NGOs serving the same students for years. What changes have you seen over the years?

SK: For me as a teacher, over the years, I have gained more experience and I am more confident now that I can easily come to class and teach without any difficulty. I can judge the students better. As for the students, I noticed that those who come to learn on their own will study well, and there used to be students who are forced by their parents, they won’t concentrate or they won’t last.

C: What are your future plans? Are you planning to continue working in the same field? Or study?

SK: I have published one book in the Chinese language in September 2021 aimed for beginner level students. I have printed 600 copies and distributed them at the price of 200 INR. The books were mostly distributed in major monasteries in South India like Sera, Gaden and Drepung monasteries. I have left them in bookshops in Dharamshala too and they went well despite it being my first time attempting to write a book for language students.

Now I am working on my second book – one for an elementary level in continuation of my first book. It also has content based on my personal story. Compared to my experience for the first book, I am more confident with this second book.

Though there are many Chinese language textbooks, they are either written from Taiwan or China. My books are more Tibetan-based for Tibetan students, hoping they can relate to the content and learn.

Tibet-Related Websites News:

tibet.net - official website of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile phayul.com -Phayul is published in Dharamshala, has opinion, reviews, photos, etc contactmagazine.net - Contact magazine online news rfa.org/english/news/tibet - Radio Free Asia’s mission is to provide accurate and timely news and information to Asian countries whose governments prohibit access to a free press thetibetpost.com - Tibet Post International online news tibetexpress.net - Tibet Express online news guardian.co.uk/world/tibet - the UK Guardian newspaper’s Tibet pages scmp.com/news/china - the South China Morning Post – one of the more independent news sources in China tibetanreview.net - Tibetan Review online news

News, information and campaigning:

dalailama.com - for broadcasts of His Holiness’s teachings, his schedule and information about Tibet and the Dalai Lama tchrd.org - Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy - a non-governmental organisation and a research centre to protect the human rights of Tibetan people and promote the principles of democracy tibetanyouthcongress.org - an international non-governmental organisation that advocates full independence for Tibet from China studentsforafreetibet.org - a global grassroots group campaigning for full Tibetan independence freetibet.org: - UK-based campaigning organisation, also a good news source tibetwatch.org - Tibet Watch works with Free Tibet to promote the human rights of the Tibetan people through monitoring, research and advocacy. savetibet.org - Website of the International Campaign for Tibet and a good resource for news, campaigns, fundraising and projects tibetnetwork.org/home - a coalition of more than 190 Tibet organisations dedicated to campaigning to end human rights violations in Tibet and restoring rights to the Tibetan people tibetanjournal.com - Tibetan Journal - news, reviews and opinions rukor.org - a discussion site on Tibetan nomads and their fate bitterwinter.org - A magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China www.facebook.com/tsundue - Tenzin Tsundue’s website for up to date information on activists’ campaigns, demonstrations and activities

Writings:

highpeakspureearth.com/category/woeser - occasional translations of Woeser’s enormously popular blog – Woeser lives in Beijing and is continually harassed by the Chinese government for her courageous writings.

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Contact magazine | May 2022 | Page No 15

DHARAMSHALA CONTACTS Delek Hospital Gangkyi, Central Tibetan Administration Hours: Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, Mon-Sat Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm Emergencies: 24-hrs, daily Phone: 222 053,223 381

Mcleod Ganj Police Station: 01892 221 483 Kangra Airport: 01892 232374 Bhagsu Taxi Union: 01892 221034 Tourism Office: 01892 224430 223325 Rail Booking & Enquiry: 01892 265026 Police Superintendent: 01892 222244

McLeod Ganj Post Office Location: Jogiwara Rd Before the Peace Cafe Hours: 9:30am-1pm and 2-5pm Mon-Fri; 9:30am-noon, Sat Parcels and money orders can be sent in the mornings only Phone: 01892-221 924

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