SFOT NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2002

TIBETAN LAMA CELEBRATES 13TH BIRTHDAY IN CAPTIVITY

International Tibet Independence Movement, April 22, 2002 Fishers, Indiana  On April 25th, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, The Panchen Lama, will celebrate His 13th Birthday while in captivity. Throughout the world, Buddhists and Tibetans will honor this day though they prefer to celebrate it with Him in front of His throne at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet. Such a wish, however, is only a dream because The People's Republic of China (PRC) abducted this holy child in 1995 when He was six years old. Gendhun Choekyi Nyima has been missing since May 17, 1995 and He has not been seen by anyone, including representatives from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, or the U.S. State Department.

The PRC repeatedly claims "Tibetans enjoy their religious and human rights." This is far from the truth. Tibetans have no right, for instance, to see their beloved young Lama. Tibetans have a saying, "In the sky, there is the Sun and Moon. On the earth, there are The Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama." This statement clearly communicates the deep respect and regard Tibetans hold toward these two Lamas. Now, Tibetans are unable to view their Moon. They have lost their Moon for seven years.  Of late, there has been extensive news about various mothers and fathers crying because of the suffering of their children and other loved ones. The devastating tragedy of September 11, the Afghanistan war, the Israel-Palestine war have blatantly brought such pain to our attention. Everyday we witness images of parents weeping for their children. Imagine what it is like for Gendhun Choekyi Nyima's parents who are also being held captive by The PRC? How do they feel? What is their pain? How would we feel if our own child was abducted?

This year three important Tibetan political prisoners have been released: Ngawang Choephel, Chadrel Rinpoche, and Tanak Jigme Sangpo. This indicates some very minor improvements on the part of The PRC in terms of human rights for Tibetans. Why has Gendhun Choekyi Nyima not been released? Perhaps, those of us in the free world have failed to put enough pressure on our own governments and The PRC. It is also conceivable participants in the Tibet movement must strengthen their collaborative efforts to help release Him. Lastly, maybe we need to better promote His disappearance. The International Tibet Independence Movement firmly believes one day, The PRC must release Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, The Panchen Lama. The PRC cannot keep this child for His entire life, or for as long as they restricted The 10th Panchen Lama. Why? China is a part of the world and the world is demanding and waiting for His release.

It is time Gendhun Choekyi Nyima be able to obtain His religious education from His Tibetan teachers both inside and outside of Tibet. Further, we all want our Panchen Lama's mother tongue to be Tibetan not Chinese.  On this auspicious Birthday when Gendhun Choekyi Nyima becomes a teenager, the International Tibet Independence Movement strongly requests that The PRC release The Panchen Lama, His family, and everyone else involved in His discovery. This organization also respectfully asks members of the world community to strengthen your resolve and campaigns to release this important child. For further information about The Panchen Lama or Tibet, visit www.rangzen.com

The International Tibet Independence Movement (www.rangzen.com) was founded on March 19, 1995 by Thubten Jigme Norbu (Oldest Brother of The Dalai Lama and Retired Professor at Indiana University) and Dr. Lawrence Gerstein (Professor at Ball State University and President of ITIM) to secure Tibet's independence through non-violent methods. It is based in Fishers, Indiana.

*Panchen Lama Postcard Kits Available By Emailing [email protected]

Nevada Union Opens Local Chapter of Student's For A Free Tibet

Ethan Cameron, a senior at Nevada Union High School, recently organized the Nevada Union's local chapter of Student's For A Free  Tibet.  Ethan met with Joseph Guida about the organization and first scheduled event..

Q: Ethan, When and why did you first come up with the idea to organize a local chapter of SFT?

Ethan: I started in late January of this year. The main reason is, I'm a big fan of the Beastie Boys and they are a large voice in the Tibetan Freedom Movement. I was watching a video of theirs and saw a Students For a Free Tibet website. I checked it out. I became aware of what has been going on in Tibet. The more I learned about the more it became apparent that something had to be done.  I decided to start a chapter of SFT. I went to the Executive Council of NUHS and requested permission to start the group at NU. They approved and within a week we started. The first meeting had 13 people and the second meeting had 30.

Q: What has the local chapter been planning?

Ethan: We have been circulating petitions to free the Drapchi 14 (14 nuns incarcerated in Drapchi prison in Lhasa). Many local stores have accepted the petition; e.g., Pine Street Market, Asylum Down, Yabobo, Java John's, Golden Flower, and Harmony Books in  Nevada City. We presented a Concert for a Free Tibet on Saturday, May 25th in Pioneer Park. We had speakers, booths of information and five local bands performed. All involved donated their services.

Q: What's next?

Ethan: For me it's the end of the school year. In the fall I will either go to college or volunteer for an organization working for the social good in Chiapas Mexico. What I'd love  to do is go to Dharamsala and help the Tibetan Refugees. SFT at NUHS will be carried on next year by Justin Reynolds, Maggie Lickter, Elise Morgan and Chelsea Kauk.

TASHI DELEK TO THE ANANDA VILLAGE

This year, Ananda's Living Wisdom School summer play will be the Life of Yogananda. For the third year in a row, Ananda will donate the funds raised from the play to to Sierra Friends of Tibet.  Don't miss this special event at the Expanding Light's Lotus Lake amphitheater, August 2nd and 3rd.

SFOT MISSION STATEMENT

The Sierra Friends of Tibet's purpose is to raise awareness of Tibet; to advocate self-determination for the Tibetan people; to end the illegal occupation, the destruction of the natural environment, the eradication of Tibetan Culture, and the continuing genocide of the Tibetan people by the Chinese Communist government. We promote a peaceful resolution of these issues.

Sierra Friends of Tibet (SFOT) places all the donations we receive in an SFOT bank account (checking and savings). The money is used for the paper, printing, and mailing of this newsletter. The money is also used to sponsor visit of Tibetan monks and/or nuns to our area and to put on events (promotion, etc.). If we do have enough funds we will support other Tibetan causes. Not a single penny goes to the editor of this newsletter, or to any officer or member of SFOT. We are not yet a non-profit organization, but we are continuing to make it one of our main goals.  Please visit our website at www.sierrafriendsoftibet.org. Please send us your email. It is an efficient and cost effective way to tell you what we are doing and also bring you more Tibetan information.

Sierra Friends of Tibet core people are Joseph Guida, Bill Drake, Tammis Vaatviet, and Melanie Sullivan. There are at least 20 more peoples who do all they can to help and assist.  Please visit our website at  www.sierrafriendsoftibet.org.  Please send your email address to [email protected].  We are presently building our email database.  This is an efficient and cost effective way to tell you what we are doing and also bring you more Tibetan information.

Sierra Friends of Tibet has given $1000.00 to partially fund tuition for two Tibetan youth to attend high school in Northern California. We promised $2000.00 before the new school year starts. The two boys are boarding and studying at Rio Lindo Academy in Sonoma County.  

Thanks to our members and everyone who has financially donated to Sierra Friends of Tibet without whom we would not have been able to do this. If you want to help us raise the remaining $1000.00 please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call (530) 272-4725 or (530) 265-7737.

CALIFORNIA-TIBET RELATIONSHIP COULD BE DISASTEROUS FOR TIBETANS

Washington, D.C.  The International Campaign for Tibet called on the California government not to consider establishing a sister state relationship with the Tibet Autonomous Region until the Tibetan people are able to exercise basic rights and benefit from such a relationship.

On Wednesday, May 29, the Chinese-appointed Governor of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Lekchog (sometimes spelled Lekchoe or Leqgog), visited Sacramento to discuss a sister state relationship with government officials.

"Establishing a sister state relationship with an occupied territory rife with human rights abuses is more likely to consolidate China's authoritarian rule there than benefit the Tibetan people," said John Ackerly, President of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).

"Establishing a sister state relationship with Tibet would be an affront to all Californians who are concerned about human rights and Tibet," said Tenzing Chonden of Los Angeles who represents North American Tibetans in the Tibetan exile parliament.

Governor Lekchog and his delegation are visiting in an effort to build economic and political ties between California and Beijing's puppet government in Tibet. The visit is sponsored by the California International Relations Foundation, a non-profit corporation providing assistance to the California State Senate to develop ties with foreign governments.

In 2000, the California International Relations Foundation sponsored an official visit of the governor of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which resulted in the establishment of a sister state relationship with California driven predominantly by business interests.

Many of Tibet's natural resources have been exploited for the benefit large state-owned or quasi state-owned Chinese companies. ICT supports a broad array of international humanitarian and development initiatives in Tibet but has opposed several large-scale extractive industries which were unlikely to bring substantial benefit to local people.

"We encourage economic development and trade investment that benefits the Tibetan people and abides by ethical guidelines so as not to marginalize Tibetans, either economically or by bringing even greater numbers of Chinese migrants into Tibet," Mr. Ackerly said.

Within the hard-line Communist political spectrum in Tibet, Governor Lekchog is considered to be somewhat moderate as a compliant leader trusted by Beijing. His delegation will also visit an exhibit in Cupertino called "Tibet Culture and Commerce," which is being protested by a number of Tibetan rights groups. Lekchog's visit comes amidst continuing Congressional concern over Beijing's destructive policies in Tibet. Three resolutions and a major Tibet bill  the Tibetan Policy Act  have been introduced in the 107th session, with strong support in both chambers.

DALAI LAMA FEELS FINE AFTER MONTH OF REST, READY TO TRAVEL AGAIN

DHARAMSALA, India, May 15 (AFP) - Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Wednesday he was in good health and would go ahead with a trip abroad after taking a month of rest following a bowel infection.

The 66-year-old Nobel Peace laureate, appearing in full vigor, said he felt "absolutely fine" after a "quite serious" illness.

The globetrotting Tibetan leader went into retreat April 13 at the exiled Tibetan leadership's base in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala, canceling all public appearances including a trip to North America.

The Dalai Lama said he would travel at the weekend to Australia and New Zealand. But officials here said Australia has made clear no government official will meet with the Dalai Lama. They accused Canberra of bowing to Beijing, noting that Prime Minister John Howard was due to travel to China on Tuesday.

The Dalai Lama fell ill in late January while attending a Buddhist festival in Bodhgaya, the eastern Indian city where the Buddha is believed to have reached enlightenment. He received a week of treatment for a bowel infection at a Bombay hospital, which discharged him with a clean bill of health but advised him to rest.  The Dalai Lama said he was helped in his recovery by receiving get-well letters from inside Tibet. "We have been living in separation for the last 43 years but our souls are one," he said.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.  His health is a matter of serious concern for the Tibetan movement worldwide, which fears a leadership vacuum when the high-profile spiritual leader dies.

CHINA ARRESTS ANOTHER SPIRITUAL MASTER IN TIBET

KHAM, EASTERN TIBET--On April 7, 2002, Chinese authorities arrested Venerable Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a highly-revered Tibetan spiritual teacher, and four of his attendants, after accusing the five men of masterminding recent bomb blasts in Chengdu and Beijing.

"Venerable Tenzin Delek Rinpoche has been involved in bringing spiritual renaissance to Tibet for a number of years. The arrest of such a highly-revered spiritual teacher will only serve to alienate the Tibetan people further," said Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Chairman of the Cabinet of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Fifty-year-old Tenzin Delek Rinpoche has established nine monasteries, a home for the elderly, and a school in Eastern Tibet, each of which provides free food, shelter, and schooling for underprivileged Tibetans.

Chinese authorities have reportedly attempted to arrest Tenzin Delek Rinpoche on two previous occasions, accusing him of "hosting the flag of lamaism and religion" and "building monasteries without permission from the government." Sources in Tibet maintain that the most recent charges against Tenzin Delek Rinpoche are fabricated, implying that his arrest is a result of his steadfast loyalty to the Dalai Lama.

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's arrest comes just weeks after the Chinese Government's very public release of prisoners Ngawang Choephel and Tanak Jigme Sangpo before the world, and in particular, before the United Nations Rights Commission in Geneva. However, the arrest of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche shows that despite such token gestures, the Chinese Government continues to arrest Tibetan religious figures and crack down heavily on religious freedoms throughout Tibet.

TANAK JIGME SANGPO, TIBET'S LONGEST SERVING POLITICAL PRISONER,

IS RELEASED

April 3, 2002 (ICT) -- Tanak Jigme Sangpo, Tibet's longest serving political prisoner, was released in Lhasa on March 31, 2002. The 76-year-old Sangpo was reportedly released on medical parole and is currently staying with his niece, Pema Chozom a retired teacher, in Lhasa. Chozom had often visited Sangpo when he was in prison.

The release of Sangpo was expected for some time, particularly after Chinese government officials began to send signals to members of Congress that they were prepared to let Sangpo out for medical treatment. However, the Chinese authorities said that Sangpo did not wish to be released. It is not known under what conditions Sangpo may not have wished to be release, if at all.

"The International Campaign for Tibet welcomes the release of Tanak Jigme Sangpo," International Campaign for Tibet President John Ackerly said. "He represents the indomitable spirit of the Tibetan people and we hope that the Chinese authorities will not re-arrest him if he openly speaks with visitors," Ackerly added.

"While the release of individual prisoners is vital, if China keeps arresting other Tibetans to be used as bargaining chips, the cycle of human misery in Tibet will remain unchanged," said Ackerly.

The Swiss government and the United States had taken an active interest in the case of Sangpo. In addition to the State Department, Congressman Tom Lantos was among those who took a lead on Sangpo's behalf. During his visit to China in January this year, Lantos took up Sangpo's case with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing.

In a statement upon hearing of Sangpo's release, Lantos said, "I am grateful that the Chinese released Tanak Jigme Sangpo from captivity on humanitarian grounds, and am relieved that the ailing Tibetan can enjoy his sunset years in freedom.  I urge the Chinese to make further progress in releasing political prisoners and restoring the human rights of its citizens," Congressman Lantos said.

Sangpo's release comes as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights is having its annual session in Geneva. China's treatment of the Tibetan people was raised by several governments, which called for satisfactory autonomy and self-determination in Tibet. It also comes as the European Union's Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, who is currently visiting China, called for the resumption of dialogue between the Chinese leadership and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

BOOK REVIEW:

How to Practice, the Way to a Meaningful Life, by the Dalai Lama  (c2002, 223pp., $20 hardback) Contributed by Bill Drake, founding member of SFOT.

In How to Practice, the Dalai Lama offers teachings helpful to spiritual seekers of all paths, whether they are beginners on their spiritual  journey or more advanced. Just like it's author, this little book s full of practical wisdom and inspiration.   In his forward, translator Jeffrey Hopkins gives a clear summary of this important  new book: "[The Dalai Lama] draws on a long tradition of spiritual practice in Tibet and on his own experience to offer suggestions on how to practice a spiritual path that will lead to mental clarity and emotional transformation. In this way, he shows how life can be made meaningful." In his own words, His Holiness notes that the book's intention is "to describe specific Buddhist techniques for gaining mental peace and a greater capacity for compassion within the framework of working to overcome what Buddhists consider to be wrong notions about how beings and things exist."

The book focuses on the three aspects of spiritual practice: developing a foundation based on morality, attaining concentrated meditation (the book includes meditation instruction), and achieving wisdom. The text is full of helpful insights and instructions related to daily practice. At the same time, it lucidly explains some of the most essential concepts related to Buddhism, such as the four noble truths, dependent-arising and emptiness. Each chapter ends with a summary for daily practice.

The insights and techniques the Dalai Lama presents are like gold but the author reminds us that change is gradual. "You will need to practice these techniques day by day," he writes. The promise of steady, daily practice, however, is clear: "As you transform your mind, you will transform your surroundings."  (Thanks to Harmony Books of Nevada City for loaning SFOT a copy of the book to review.)

Tibetans Develop Rug Industry in Nepal   

This is the first is a series of articles contributed by Tammis Vaateit, founding member SFOT & owner of WindHorse Rugs in Grass Valley.

Prior to the influx of refugees from Tibet, Nepal had no carpet industry as such, and little or no commerce in new Tibetan rugs was done outside of Tibet.  Groundwork for what has become Nepal's most substantive source of hard currency income and the industry which employs more people than any other was initiated in 1961.  The Jawalakhel Handicraft center of Patan was established through the combined efforts of  His Majesty's Government of Nepal, Swiss Aid, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This was the first resettlement camp and carpet production center formed in  Nepal. The development of this sustainable industry has provided income and employment for Tibetans and Nepalese alike.

Currently, there are 53 refugee settlements (35 in India, 11 in Nepal, and 7 in Bhutan.)  In 24 of these settlements, carpet and handicraft production is the second source of employment after agriculture.  It is the highest generator of income. The Department of Home of the Tibetan Government in Exile runs businesses that support the carpet manufacturing enterprises.  Wool procurement, yarn production, yarn dyeing, and export of carpets and handicrafts are some of these businesses. While carpet manufacture predominates, other handicrafts include hand-woven textiles, tailored goods, knitting, incense making, wood carving, painting, and metal crafts.  The importance of diversification is recognized in an effort to weather fluctuations in  markets.

 

In the early days, private enterprise was discouraged as it competed with the settlement cooperative efforts. The trend has employment and industry.  The policy of the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) is now to encourage it, and loans and other supports for private enterprise are being made.  Many Tibetans living independently of the settlements have established carpet production and export businesses.   This is a viable enterprise that contributes to the preservation of the Tibetan culture in a fundamental way. 

To be continued