Speaker welcomes signing of ‘Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020’ by US President Trump

 Speaker Pema Jungney on behalf of Tibetans in and outside Tibet and the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, expressed his deepest gratitude to US President Donald J.Trump for signing the “Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020” (TPSA2020).

Expressing his gratitude to the US President, the Speaker wrote, “This ACT officially endorses that recognition of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is the sole authority of the great XIV Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people with no interference from the Chinese Government (People’s Republic of China). This ACT also recognizes the importance of the Tibetan Plateau and the threat that climate change poses on Tibet, the US will address and closely monitor Tibet’s environment including water security and climate change. The ACT also commends His Holiness the great XIVth Dalai Lama for his great vision as a leader and for implementing a Democratic system of governance and for Tibetan people adopting it.”

“Furthermore, the ACT also forbids China from opening a new consulate in the USA until China allows a US Consulate in Lhasa, the Capital of Tibet. According to the Act, the US business companies and individuals must ensure their business activities in Tibet follow the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We are also thankful to Your Excellency for the inclusion of formalizing the funding for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet and also for the appropriations.”

“The People’s Republic of China – the government has fooled the world by different means. Most recently it has fooled the world about the deadly Coronavirus Covid – 19 which originated from the city of Wuhan in China. Due to their hiding the truth, the deadly virus spread across the world and killed millions of people and caused immeasurable damage for which China should be held accountable and punished accordingly. Your Excellency, we commend your courage in encountering China for their ruthless suffering caused to the people of the world and holding them accountable.”

“This is a historic moment for Tibetans, particularly our brothers and sisters inside Tibet and all the oppressed people in the world to rejoice and celebrate as it clearly shows that the US stands with the voiceless and oppressed people. Signing this bill into a Law (ACT) brought great hope and joy for the Tibetans particularly our brothers and sisters who are still suffering under the brutal oppressive policies of China and it not only sends out a clear message to China that the US prioritizes principle human values above everything but it also pressurizes China from refraining their false propaganda tactics relating to Tibet’s issues to the world. This bill has acknowledged that China which has been tagged as the world’s most blatant human rights violator – has taken every measure to oust Tibet from the rest of the world by restricting foreigners, particularly the journalists from reporting on its inhuman acts, illegal killings, brutal repression, persecution and arbitrary arrest to the world is a country to be sidelined for its cruel strategies towards Tibet.”

“The United States of America has been among the pioneer countries in helping Tibetans to protect its unique culture and identity by welcoming HH the Dalai Lama since 1979 followed by the adoption of the US Tibetan Resettlement Project in the 1990s, the Tibet Policy Act of 2002, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act and the most recent TPSA2020.”

President Trump is not expected to take a Bush-like view on the TSPA, which introduces stronger provisions on Tibet, plus teeth in the form of a threat of sanctions, including travel bans on Chinese officials. How the Biden Administration, expected to frame its own China policy, views TPSA remains to be seen.

Still, most US administrations, the Trump Administration included, have broadly maintained a diplomatic balance between relations with China, and support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama. The State Department has a separate section on Tibet in its annual reports on human rights and religious freedom. But there has been no real push for talks with the Dalai Lama or on the release of political prisoners.

“Over the years, the Presidents of the United States of America have consistently supported the Tibet cause and we are immensely grateful for your indefatigable support in taking strong measures against China, a government that is economically the most powerful yet having the record of worst human rights violations.”

“We the people of Tibet are very thankful to your Excellency and urge your Excellency to continue your support till Tibet regains its freedom.”

The TPSA has introduced provisions aimed at protecting the environment of the Tibetan plateau, calling for greater international cooperation and greater involvement by Tibetans. Alleging that China is diverting water resources from Tibet, the TPSA also calls for “a regional framework on water security, or use existing frameworks… to facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations that would promote… arrangements on impounding and diversion of waters that originate on the Tibetan Plateau”. While the 2002 Act said the US should establish a “branch office” in Lhasa, the TSPA ups the ante by changing that to a “consulate”. It recognises the Central Tibetan Administration, whose President Lobsang Sangay takes credit for ensuring that the Senate took up the legislation for vote.

source — CTA

China fishing in Nepal’s troubled waters, rushes senior leader to Kathmandu

Representative Image By   —  Shyamal Sinha

Amid political chaos in Nepal, China is sending a vice-minister of the Chinese Communist Party to Kathmandu to “assess the ground situation”.

The Kathmandu Post quoted two Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leaders confirming that Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, is arriving in Kathmandu on Sunday for a four-day visit.

During the visit, Guo will meet the senior leaders of both the factions of the NCP, according to sources.

Sources in both the factions of the NCP confirmed that Guo, along with his four-member team, will land in Kathmandu on Sunday morning.

Bishnu Rijal, Deputy Head of Department of Foreign Affairs of the NCP (Dahal-Nepal faction), while confirming that the Chinese side communicated about Guo’s visit to Kathmandu, denied divulging details “at this point of time”.

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the Lower House on Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s recommendation. The move has invited 12 petitions in the country’s apex court, claiming it to be “unconstitutional”, including one by former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who filed the plea on Tuesday.

After dissolving the Parliament, Oli also proposed elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021, nearly two years ahead of the schedule.

Seven cabinet ministers had submitted their resignations after the Parliament dissolution was ratified by the President.

Oli has been facing pressure from the rival factions of the NCP, led by former prime minister Dahal and Madhav Nepal.

In particular, the Chinese envoy in Nepal has been hyperactive in recent weeks, meeting the President as well as Prachanda under the garb of mundane official agendas. It is thought the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to play a big brother role in keeping the Nepal Communist Party together. India has refused to be drawn into the Nepal turmoil, with the MEA terming it as Nepal’s internal matter, though it has expressed it is keeping a watch on developments.

source – ANI

Buddhist Times News – Bhutan PM announces 7-day nationwide lockdown amid new Covid-19 cases

By  —  Shyamal Sinha

Bhutan will go on lockdown for seven days starting from Tuesday amid rising case of Covid-19 cases, announced Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering.

In a statement, Tshering announced that a nationwide lockdown will be enforced for seven days, starting December 23, adding that the lockdown will enable the government to control the spread of the disease and also discern the extent of transmission in the communities.

“In continuation to the inter-district movement restriction imposed this morning, the national COVID-19 Taskforce decided the need for a more stringent action after detection of sporadic cases in flu clinics in Thimphu and Paro, and also in Lhamoizingkha, which is evident of local transmission,” the statement read.

As per a bulletin by Ministry of Health of the Himalayan Kingdom on December 22, the total number of COVID-19 cases stood at 479 out of which 430 have recovered. Bhutan is yet to record a COVID-19 fatality.

While only designated shops within the zones and essential services will be available, all schools, institutions, offices and business establishments should remain closed.

Similarly, movement of individuals with the card within the zones and delivery of essentials will start in Thimphu tomorrow, as it completes the third day of lockdown. However, zone relaxation will not apply to houses under isolation, the statement noted.

Recently, Bhutan’s ambassador to India Vetsop Namgyel stated that India’s vaccines will be the ‘easiest to administer and transport’ as the country is ‘known to produce in bulk quantities’.

Hailing India, the Bhutan Ambassador said, “Vaccines in India are the ones which will be easiest to administer and transport. Most countries will benefit from it. India is known to produce in bulk quantities, once approved it can be rolled out quickly.”

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said that there are six COVID-19 vaccine candidates in different clinical trial stages being developed by various manufacturers in India. Besides this, three COVID-19 vaccine candidates are in the pre-clinical stage of which one of the Coronavirus vaccine candidates is in the pre-development stage being researched by Aurobindo Pharma, the official said.

source  — ANI

Buddhist Times News – Bodh Gaya Global Dialogue on ‘Sustainable Development, Heritage & Enlightenment’

By   —  Shyamal Sinha

The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today addressed the valedictory session of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) and Deshkal Society on 3rd Edition of Bodh Gaya Global Dialogue on “Sustainable Development, Heritage and Enlightenment”  through virtual mode here at Raj Bhavan.

Addressing the delegates on the occasion, the Lt Governor observed that the timeless teachings of Buddha have strong relevance even in contemporary times and are very important for thinkers and intellectuals because of the dynamic changes we are seeing in every field in today’s era.

Indians are known for their greeting to their guest in Sanskrit “अतिथि देवो भवः” Atithi devo bhava meaning “Guest is like God”. India’s culture and heritage are a rich amalgam of the past and the present.

Bodh Gaya is a cradle of Buddhism culture, Buddha teachings, and heritage and a unique location for seekers from India and abroad .

“The wisdom of Buddha, in essence, is a seed with the potential to grow and awaken the whole of humanity. Let us imbibe the wisdom of Mahatma Buddha and conserve and preserve our tangible and intangible heritage and society woven around it”, said the Lt Governor.

I am delighted to be a part of the deliberation on the important topic “Sustainable Development, Heritage and Enlightenment”. I believe that sustainable development caters both material developments of Individual, region, place as well as nourishment of the soul. In this context, our focus has to be on conservation, restoration of tangible heritage as well as dissemination of intangible legacy to kindle the center of humanity, the Lt Governor maintained.

While appreciating the efforts of the organizers for conducting Global dialogue, the Lt Governor observed that Bodh Gaya Global Dialogue is in fact a rare opportunity where people from different walks of life come together, in communion, with the spirit of oneness to promote Bodh Gaya as a World Heritage site, besides strengthening the relationship between Buddhist Pilgrimage in India and the South East Asian Nations.

The Republic of India is the seventh largest country in the world by area and, with over a billion people, is second only to China in population, although its much higher birth-rate makes it likely to reach pole position in less than ten years.

It is an extremely diverse country, with vast differences in geography, climate, culture, language and ethnicity across its expanse, and prides itself on being the largest democracy on Earth and a hub of trade in Southeast Asia. India provides a vast canvass for touring whether it may be cultural, adventure, religious, history, beach, wildlife and other forms.

The Lt Governor said that the religious places depict our beliefs, moral values, and cultural heritage and it is the responsibility of one and all to contribute their bit to preserve and redevelop them.

Highlighting the significance of Bodh Gaya, the Lt Governor said that Bodh Gaya is a source of spirituality, meditation, human welfare, and compassion.

“Bodh Gaya teaches the whole world the values of thought, analysis, faith, respect, and is a symbol of kindness and compassion for all living beings. Bodh Gaya is a cradle of Buddhism culture, Buddha teachings, and heritage and a unique location for seekers from India and abroad”, he observed.

The Lt Governor further lauded the efforts of IGNCA and Deshkal Society on various fronts for the multi-dimensional development of Bodh Gaya to strengthen relationships and build a strong and sustainable network between Bodh Gaya and South-East Asian Nations.

I am witnessing a great miracle happening for mankind through this initiative. The worshippers from Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, Japan, and eminent monks and scholars have been coming regularly to Bodh Gaya and are taking a lead in reviving and developing Southeast Asia’s rich ancient legacy, said the Lt Governor.

The Lt Governor also suggested linking Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Sarnath with eminent places in East Asia for sustainable development of our collective heritage.

The Lt Governor said as per UNESCO ‘Bodh Gaya is of Supreme Value to the World’. The efforts put in by various stakeholders during recent years have led to the promotion of Tourism along with Ecological Sustainability, Livelihood Generation, besides massive transformation has been seen in the Civil Society group regarding Urban Heritage Planning.

Recalling the teachings of Lord Buddha, the Lt Governor said the total awareness comes with an empty mind and that is the state of Buddhahood. We all have that potential of Buddhahood and all we need is a little bit more awareness in our life, in our work, he added.

“I see this occasion as an opportunity to be more spontaneous, be ourselves and live and work compassionately for others too in order to eradicate inequality in society.”

“The message of Mahatma Buddha is to awaken people and show them how to live as pure consciousness and this is what IGNCA and Deshkal Society is doing through Bodh Gaya Dialogues. Be aware, be more loving, and be more compassionate, observed the Lt Governor.”

source  —  gk news

Buddhist Times News – Bihar CM says, Buddha museum, stupa to be ready by 2021

Bihar CM says, Buddha museum, stupa to be ready by 2021

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Buddhist Times News – China’s development work going on in Tibet, India ready for any eventuality, says CDS Rawat

“China’s attempt to change the status quo on the Line of Actual Control along the northern borders amidst the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated high levels of preparation on land, sea and in the air,” the CDS said.

The Indian Army, following the Doklam stand-off in 2017, has taken measures to ensure that the situation does not escalate there any further, he maintained.

Indian forces are carefully watching the activities of the PLA at Doklam, where the armies of the two most populous countries in the world were engaged in a 73-day eyeball-to-eyeball stand-off in 2017.

“We have taken necessary action to counter anything that would be a cause of concern to our national security,” he said when asked about possible Chinese misadventures in the eastern sector, in the midst of the Ladakh impasse.

The CDS further said that the Indian Armed forces have adequate strength and reserves to counter any threat, and is looking to equip themselves with more cutting-edge technology.

“Time has come now to look at the future of warfighting, imbibing technology into our systems,” he said.

Talking about the continuous ceasefire violation by Pakistan, he said India is fully prepared to deal with it and that it is the other side that should be more concerned about carrying out such activities.

Asked whether India should have more submarines or procure another aircraft carrier, Rawat said both have their advantages and disadvantages.

“Submarines have a separate place in naval warfare, in the domination of the seas, and so does an aircraft carrier,” he said, maintaining that the Navy needs an air wing.

The country needs to utilise its large number of island territories for strengthening security along the sea lanes of communication, Rawat said.

He also said that islands can be an option for launching naval strike aircraft.

“Once we have studied all that and understood in detail, we will take a call,” he asserted.

Rawat said that the three forces — Army, Navy and Air Force — will be integrated while retaining the niche capabilities of each service.

“We strongly believe that no single force or no single service can succeed in any conflict situation if we are to face conflict with our adversaries anywhere — whether it is land, air or sea,” he said.

The integration will ensure synergised application of the country’s combat potentials, the CDS said.

“We have successfully overcome some of the misconceptions about force restructuring by allowing space to each force to develop niche capabilities based on their strengths, and thus enhance our overall combat power,” he added.

source – The Print

Buddhist Times News – His Holiness reaffirms to live to 113 years

The 14th Dalai Lama  known as Tenzin Gyatso; born Lhamo Dhondup, 6 July 1935) is the current Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader of Tibet, and considered a living buddha. The Dalai Lamas are also leaders of the Gelug school, which is the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism  and was formally headed by the Ganden Tripas. From the time of the 5th Dalai Lama to 1959, the central government of Tibet, the Ganden Phodrang, invested the position of Dalai Lama with temporal duties.

This year’s Gaden Ngamchoe [Tib: དགའ་ལྡན་ལྔ་མཆོད་] celebration brought tears of joy to Tibetans across the world as their beloved spiritual leader affirmed once again to live over 113 years.

This reaffirmation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is indeed the long-cherished aspiration of six million Tibetans, and it’s these words of reassurance that made today’s anniversary of Lama Tsongkhapa’s parinirvana all the more auspicious and ceremonious.

He said there have also been divination by Getse Pandita, who lived during the 7th Dalai Lama Kalsang Gyatso (1708–1757), had foretold that the 14th Dalai Lama would live for 113 years. Late Kathok Getse Rinpoche had confirmed the same with His Holiness.

“It is due to the unwavering faith, trust and devotion that millions of Tibetans inside Tibet have vested in me that I sincerely hope and pray to live as long as I could,” said His Holiness.

“In the past decades, I have been able to significantly contribute to the flourishing of Tibetan culture and Buddhism and it is my wish to live long enough to continue to fulfill the hopes of the six million Tibetans.”

Just like a parent with unconditional love and compassion would pacify its children, over the years His Holiness the Dalai Lama has repeatedly told his Tibetan followers, who had grown concerned over his aging health, to be at ease for he would be amidst them for a much longer time.

Many were moved to tears of joy and gratitude as they watched and shared today’s video message with family and friends, united in the joy, peace and hope that Tibetans collectively feel in the well-being of their supreme leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama escaped to India, where he currently lives in exile while remaining the most important spiritual leader of Tibet. The Dalai Lama advocates for the welfare of Tibetans while continuing to call for the Middle Way Approach to negotiations with China for the autonomy of Tibet and the protection of Tibetan culture, including for the religious rights of Tibetans.

The Dalai Lama is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1989, and the US Congressional Gold Medal in 2006. Time magazine named the Dalai Lama one of the “Children of Mahatma Gandhi” and Gandhi’s spiritual heir to nonviolence.

Buddhist Times News – His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Buddhism, Science and Compassion

His Holiness the Dalai Lama was invited to take part in a discussion this morning with members of the Einstein Forum, a foundation in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, that serves as an open laboratory of the mind. It offers an annual fellowship to outstanding young thinkers who wish to pursue a project in a field different from that of their previous research. Fellows may live at Einstein’s summerhouse in Caputh with easy access to the universities and academic institutions of Potsdam and Berlin.

Prof Susan Neiman, Director of the Einstein Forum opened the conversation, telling His Holiness how honoured and excited she and her colleagues were to welcome him today. She regretted being unable to invite him to Einstein’s house, but read a quotation from Einstein that highlighted his appreciation of the potential for collaboration between Buddhism and science. She told him that the Einstein Forum was created 27 years ago to recreate and encourage the kind of conversation Einstein used to have about science and religion, politics and social justice. She thanked Shyam Wappuluri, an Einstein Forum fellow from India for organizing the event and Amber Carpenter, another fellow, for moderating the conversation.

“Today, we are not in direct contact,” His Holiness began, “but we are able to see and talk to each other over the internet. All religions convey a message of compassion and emphasise the importance of warm-heartedness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. Many religions believe in a creator God and the notion that as children of that God, all human beings are brothers and sisters. Then, there are also non-theistic traditions, mainly in India, that regard loving-kindness as the most precious of human qualities.

“Scientists observe that we human beings are social animals with a strong sense of concern for our community, because our very survival depends on the well-being of the community. Nurturing its welfare is one of the best ways of fulfilling our own interest.

“In this context, scientists are paying closer attention to what needs to be done to develop peace of mind. One aspect is coming to understand that it is internal obstacles, destructive emotions like anger, that disrupt our peace of mind. When anger arises, your inner peace is gone. However, the antidote to anger is compassion.

“India has for thousands of years preserved a tradition of non-violence, restraint from doing harm. And this is supported by ‘karuna’ or compassion and concern for others’ well-being.

“In Buddhist tradition we don’t rely on faith to cultivate compassion and peace of mind, we employ reason. We follow the Buddha’s advice not to accept his words at face value, but to examine and test them as a goldsmith tests gold. As a result, followers of the Buddha in India, and later in Tibet, valued taking a logical, investigative approach – and this accords with a scientific attitude.

“Because he taught people of varying mental disposition at different times and places, we have to examine what he taught and evaluate it. The great teachers at Nalanda University who came after Nagarjuna drew a distinction between those of the Buddha’s teachings that could be accepted as definitive and those that require interpretation.

“Since the 8th century, when the Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen, invited a top scholar at Nalanda University, Shantarakshita, to Tibet, we have also adopted a logical approach. In addition to his treatises, we translated and rigorously studied the works of the great Indian logicians Dignaga and Dharmakirti.

“This logical training is the basis on which I have been able to hold discussions with scientists for many years. There are points of convergence between ancient Buddhist thought and the discoveries of quantum physics on the one hand. On the other, scientists are beginning to register an interest in the workings of the mind and emotions.

“Today, on this planet, we face a lot of problems derived from anger, jealousy and fear. The weapons systems, including nuclear weapons, we have employed our intelligence to develop, are a threat to peace. However, more and more people support moves not only to eliminate nuclear weapons, but to achieve a complete global demilitarization. People value and appreciate the prospect of world peace, but nothing will come of it unless we as individuals develop peace of mind within ourselves. We all belong to human society and we have to learn to contribute to it and live together.”

In his responses to questions from the audience, His Holiness touched again on the importance of finding inner peace. He confirmed that training in ways to achieve peace of mind should be part of our education. He noted that just as everyone observes a code of physical hygiene, there should be a corresponding practice of emotional hygiene. This would include understanding that compassion actively counters anger and fear.

He mentioned a Tibetan monk he knew, who spent 18 years in Chinese prisons. When this monk reported being in danger during that time, His Holiness thought he was referring to threats to his life. However, the monk clarified that he had, at times, been in danger of losing his sense of compassion for his Chinese jailers. His Holiness cited this monk as someone with a remarkable degree of peace of mind.

Scientists have found evidence to suggest that it is basic human nature to be compassionate. We receive kindness from the moment we are born. Learning to maintain peace of mind is a key factor in our own ability to cultivate warm-heartedness.

His Holiness explained that the basic nature of the mind is pure and that purity is referred to as Buddha-nature. This is what underlies the idea that we can reduce and eliminate destructive emotions and purify the mind. He clarified that the quality of our action depends on our motivation, not so much on whether it is gentle or forceful. If the motivation is positive and compassionate, the action that follows will be beneficial.

When we are angry, the object of our anger seems to be absolutely negative. However, we can counter this by reflecting that nothing exists independently in the way it appears. Experience teaches that today’s enemy can become tomorrow’s friend. The label ‘enemy’ is our mental projection.

His Holiness observed that cultivating compassion and understanding the reality that nothing exists independently as it appears are crucial factors in reducing and overcoming our destructive emotions and therefore in achieving peace of mind. This approach is referred to in Buddhist terms as combining method and wisdom.

Understanding the workings of the mind and emotions has been part of discussions he has held with scientists over several decades. At the same time, facilities for the study of science have been established in the Tibetan monastic centres of learning re-established in South India.

“We’ve learned from science,” His Holiness remarked, “that accounts in Buddhist literature referring to a flat earth or to the sun and moon as being the same size and distance from the earth are mistaken. Among Buddhist scholars, Chandrakirti criticized masters who expressed such views and I count myself as his student.”

Buddhist Times News – China takes railway route to tighten grip on Tibet

Palden Sonam

Visiting Fellow, Tibet Policy Institute for The Tribune. Read the article here.

Since its occupation of Tibet in 1950, all major infrastructure development in this region has been driven by China’s strategic calculations and security needs for consolidating its control over Tibet and secure its position on the long Himalayan borders with India, Nepal and Bhutan. From the construction of highways and bridges in the early years of its entry to Tibet, to bringing railway connections to the major cities of Tibet, including capital Lhasa, in 2006, Beijing’s emphasis on building strategic infrastructure has been consistent and consequential. In addition to cementing its grip over Tibet, the long disputes over the border with India and to some extent with Bhutan add the extra strategic impetus in spurring a strategy-oriented infrastructural spree in Tibet.

It is in this context that the recent statement of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping on the Ya’an-Nyingtri section of Sichuan-Tibet Railway is made —and, in fact, is to be analysed and understood. Xi made three key points on why the new railway matters in governing Tibet as a means for “safeguarding national unity, promoting ethnic solidarity and consolidating stability in the border.” An attempt is made here to decode Xi’s statement and analyse it in the broader political and strategic context of China’s colonial project in Tibet as well as its contestation with India.

First, Xi’s euphemism of ‘safeguarding national unity’ means to further the integration of Tibet into the Chinese system and big infrastructures, like the railway lines, are often seen as powerful tools to project power to far periphery regions and govern them from the metropolis. From Beijing’s perspective, the railway lines in Tibet not only strengthen the scale and speed of force deployment and movement of military assets in the case of a major political and security contingency in Tibet, but also its ability to exploit Tibet’s vast natural resources, such as lithium and chromite, which are abundant in the region where the new railway line crosses.

Second, to strip its political coat, ‘promoting ethnic solidarity’ implies the assimilationist role of the railways in mingling and melting Tibetans into the Chinese way of life and culture, like language and values, which has increasingly been aggressive under Xi Jinping’s power. This is because unlike the inconvenient road or expensive airway, the railway has the advantage of freighting a large number of people or goods to long distances at cheaper and faster rates. In the context of China’s assimilationist policy, the new railway connection is to play a greater role in bringing more Chinese, from miners and migrant workers to businessmen, to work and settle in Tibet — preferably in the border areas like Nyingtri.

Xi’s statement also indicates that China wants the Tibetans not only to see the railway lines as a positive development that they should welcome, but also feel it as an expression of solidarity from a supposedly advanced big Chinese brother. Here, the railway being the gift of development, and therefore, the obligational need of Tibetans to feel and appreciate the ‘Chinese generosity’. What is missing is the agency of Tibetans in choosing whether they really need a railway line and where they need it. The issue is that they not only have to accept it, but they also have to be indebted for it.

Third, the idea that the railway as an instrument to ‘consolidate stability’ at the disputed border with India does not mean maintaining stability as peace with the status quo. In fact, the expression is contradicting itself in that, if one party attempts to alter the status quo at the border, then the other will challenge it which will lead to more instabilities not only at the border per se, but also within the bilateral relationships as well as at the multilateral levels. This has indeed been the case with Doklam in 2017 and even more so with Ladakh today. The term ‘stability’ has to be understood as stable due to domination at the border rather than stability as peace agreed upon by the two nations.

Therefore, from a realistic perspective, strategic infrastructure like the railway as a tool for consolidating supremacy in the disputed territories implies both an offensive posture as well as a defence mechanism. Offensive because in the event of a border war with India, the new railway will fundamentally boost the manoeuvring capability of Chinese troops and weapons to be moved within a short time on a larger scale than it was possible before. Strategic development and strategic connections to frontier areas are meant to enhance China’s strategic advantage vis-a-vis India in order to score a long-term edge over the latter as a resolution to the boundary dispute appears to be more challenging, with leaders from both sides vowing to defend every inch of what they perceived to be their respective territories.

The defensive role comes with the huge capacity of the railway in transferring more Chinese people to work and settle in towns and villages at the border. China is constructing new towns and enlarging old ones to increase the population size at the border by forcibly relocating Tibetan nomads and farmers to Lhoka and Ngari, which are respectively adjacent to Arunachal in the east and Ladakh in the west. With the development of more economic opportunities like tourism, mining and constructions in the border areas, it also encourages Chinese settlers to put their root there to defend the motherland. In the long term, the growth of Chinese settlements at the border regions can be used as a civilian bulwark to fortify Beijing’s position on what its military can annex/control territories at the border.

In a nutshell, regardless of some of the positive side-effects of the new railway for the local Tibetans, the fundamental logic of the Chinese state, as Xi Jinping pointed out, is to integrate Tibet, assimilate its people and secure a dominant position in the boundary disputes with India.

Buddhist Times News – China cannot pick the next Dalai Lama, only Tibetan Buddhists can, says US Amb. Brownback

Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback has opposed China’s intervention in picking the next Dalai Lama saying, “The United States supports – that religious community has the right to pick their own leadership. That certainly includes the next Dalai Lama”.

The 14th Dalai Lama, now 85, had fled Tibet back in 1959 following a Chinese clampdown to the local population, and since then he resides in India. Currently, the Tibetan government-in-exile operates from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. With over 1,60,000 Tibetans living in India.

Brownback even accused China of one of the worst religious persecution situations in the world. He also mentioned the situation in China’s remote area of Xinjiang. Saying that it “will not help them in a fight on terrorism”, US diplomat said that the answer to extremism is not to lock everyone.

Ambassador Brownback was addressing the 2020 Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief where he answered some pressing religious freedom issues in the world notably China’s persecution of Uyghurs, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, and Falun Gong, etc.

With respect to the persecution of Uyghurs, Ambassador said it’s one of the worst religious persecution situations in the world today and added that China’s justification in locking up millions of Uyghurs in order to prevent terrorism is a futile effort.

“The answer to terrorism isn’t locking up everybody.  The answer to terrorism is religious freedom, allowing people to freely practice their faith, and they won’t fight you as much”, he said adding that If the Chinese weren’t so repressive against the faith they would have a more open society where its citizens will have the freedom to practice their faith in peace.

Ambassador was critical about the use of technology to persecute religious adherence in Tibet which is now being replicated in Xinjiang. He noted that such use of virtual police states to persecute religion must be stopped from spreading to other countries around the world.

On China’s repeated claim over the right to pick the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama, the US Ambassador at large asserts that the matter of reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama is the concerns of Tibetan Buddhists only and China has no ‘theological basis’ to intervene in that matter.

“The Tibetan Buddhists have successfully picked their leader for hundreds of years, if not longer, and they have the right to do that now” he added and assured that the US will continue to push back China’s claim over the issue of reincarnation.

Last year, Ambassador Brownback visited Dharmashala, the exile seat of Central Tibetan Administration where his presence made a powerful impact of hope upon the Tibetans while sending a tough message to China.

The Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom brings together leaders from around the world to discuss the challenges facing religious freedom, identify means to address religious persecution and discrimination worldwide, and promote greater respect and preservation of religious liberty for all. This event focuses on concrete outcomes that reaffirm international commitments to promote religious freedom and produce real, positive change.

source – cta

Buddhist Times News – Switzerland needs to include concerns of Tibetans, Uyghurs in its policy on China’

Representative ImageBy   —  Shyamal Sinha

Tibetans have even fewer civil and political rights than Chinese people also ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese government enforces its control on Tibet through the threat and use of arbitrary detentions and punishments, at times including severe violence. Any act deemed to threaten its rule can be made a criminal offence.

Amid rising criticism of China over its human rights abuses in Tibet, the Tibet Bureau Geneva has said that Switzerland needs to take a stronger stance on Tibet and include the concerns of Tibetans and Uyghurs in its Foreign Policy Strategy on China 2021-24.

Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic-speaking minority ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwest China .

According to a report by Tibet Bureau Geneva, Switzerland’s State Secretary Krystyna Marty held political dialogue via videoconference with China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang on November 9 focusing on economic relations, human rights situation in China as well as COVID-19 pandemic situation in a bid to foster “sustainable relations” between the two countries as noted in the press release.

During the discussions, Switzerland tabled its concerns about the “lack of respect for human rights in China”, especially the manner of treatment of Tibetans by the Chinese authorities.

The discussions were held in the backdrop of China-based Swiss Ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni’s visit to Tibet between September 7 and 11, which was the first official Swiss visit since 2017.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in its statement that the Ambassador along with other 10 diplomatic missions visited Lhasa and Shigatse wherein they addressed issues such as human rights situation with the local government.

Expressing concern over the human rights situation in Tibet, the Foreign Affairs Department had assured that “the free access of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Tibet and the protection of Tibetan human rights defenders remain core demands of Switzerland”, the Central Tibetan Administration said.

The Tibet Bureau Geneva has welcomed Switzerland’s move to include the promotion of human rights as a key component of the political dialogue and for raising the human rights situation in Tibet issue.

Switzerland is one of the first countries granting asylum to Tibetans fleeing China’s brutal annexation of Tibet. Switzerland has also been a supporter of dialogue between the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and China.

The Tibet Bureau Geneva has, however, opined that Switzerland needs to take a stronger stance on Tibet and include the concerns of Tibetans and Uyghurs in its Foreign Policy Strategy on China 2021-2024. Further, Switzerland needs to consider the calls against China hosting the Winter Olympic Games of 2022, dubbed as “Genocide Games” by Human Rights activists.

Despite reassurances by the authorities of non-implementation against Tibetans, Tibetans in Switzerland are concerned by the Swiss “secret-deal” on asylum and migration with China as under this agreement, Switzerland can invite Chinese officials to interview persons of Chinese origin to facilitate their deportation to China, the Tibet Bureau said.

It further said that this deal coincides with Switzerland’s change of stance in categorising Tibetans as “Chinese” nationals and the rejection of around 300 asylum applications by Tibetans.

Meanwhile, these asylum-seekers are also facing difficulties in their “hardship-case” applications despite submitting identity cards issued by the Central Tibetan Administration proving their ethnicity, Tibet Bureau added.

Since its forceful settlement of Tibet, the Chinese Communist Party has relentlessly pushed for the persecution of religion, especially Tibetan Buddhism. By employing its state machinery, it has executed campaign after campaign to meet its objective, each more brutal and oppressive than the last.

Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan, which ruled China, Mongolia and parts of Siberia. In the modern era it has spread outside of Asia due to the efforts of the Tibetan diaspora (1959 onwards).

In the recent past, there have been reports of incidents of surveillance and censorship on Tibetans living in Switzerland by the Chinese authorities. This has been the case in New York and Sweden as well.

source – ANI

Buddhist Times News – Dalai Lama calls for urgent climate action

By   —  Shyamal Sinha

The Dalai Lama has appealed to world leaders to take urgent action against climate change, warning of ecological destruction affecting the lives of billions and ruining the planet, including his birth country, Tibet.

As well as global climate change, industrial projects such as mining, damming and deforestation are leading to the Tibetan glacier melting at a faster rate, contributing in turn to further global warming.

Before the Chinese occupation there was almost no Tibetan industrialization, damming, draining of wetlands, fishing and hunting of wildlife. Tibet remained unfenced, its grasslands intact, its cold climate able to hold enormous amounts of organic carbon in the soil.

China has now moved millions of Tibetan nomads from their traditional grasslands to urban settlements, opening their land for the extraction of resources and ending traditional agricultural practices which have sustained and protected the Tibetan environment for centuries.

As a call to action he has brought out a new book declaring that if Buddha returned to this world, “Buddha would be green”.

In an interview for Channel 4 News and the Guardian, the Buddhist spiritual leader spoke from the Indian city of Dharamsala, where he has been exiled for six decades. He warned that “global warming may reach such a level that rivers will dry” and that “eventually Tibet will become like Afghanistan”, with terrible consequences for at least a billion people dependent on water from the plateau “at the roof of the world”.

The Tibetan plateau, dubbed the “Third Pole” and part of the “Roof of the World”, holds the third largest store of water-ice in the world and is the source of many of Asia’s rivers. Tibetan climate also generates and regulates monsoon rains over Asia.

For China’s government, Tibet’s water is another resource to be exploited, for hydro-electric power, diversion to supply people elsewhere in China, bottling as a consumer product, and even as a source of strategic influence over countries downstream who rely on water from Tibet’s rivers.

Damming has taken place or will soon take place on every major river in Tibet. These dams change water flow, create new lakes, disturb local ecosystems and have significant effects downstream, including stopping the flow of silt which makes agricultural land fertile. Dams and infrastructure such as new roads can force Tibetans from their land.

In a massive engineering project, China even plans to divert water from Tibet to feed 300 million of its own citizens.

The 85-year-old Nobel peace laureate is considered by his followers to be the earthly manifestation of an enlightened one who has chosen rebirth in order to help liberate all living beings from suffering through compassion.

Lhamo Thondup, as he was named at birth, was discovered as the latest incarnation of the Dalai Lama when he was just two years old. He uses Zoom to communicate with people around the globe these days, unable to travel or invite visitors because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He insists, as he announced in 2011, that he is retired from politics and his leadership of the struggles for Tibetan freedom from China, and that ecology is now the thing that is “very, very important” to him.

In the week the Cop26 UN climate conference was to have been held in Glasgow, he says has high expectations of world leaders, and wants them to act on the Paris climate agreement.

Free Tibet is calling for international recognition for Tibet at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow in 2021.

Help us secure a place for Tibet at COP26. Sign our petition today and in the autumn we will take your signatures to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Environmental Affairs of participating countries.

Tibetans deserve representation and a say in their own environment.

“The United Nations should take a more active role in this field,” he says. Asked whether world leaders are failing, he says: “The big nations should pay more attention to ecology. I hope you see those big nations who spent a lot of money for weapons or war turn their resources to the preservation of the climate.”

The Dalai Lama says that if he joined a political party now, “I would like to join the Green party. Their idea is very good.”

The Dalai Lama has been known to put his foot in it with inadvertent enthusiasm, such as when he said it was possible he could be succeeded by a woman, but that she should be “very, very attractive”. He later made clear that he had meant no offence and said he was deeply sorry that people had been hurt by his words.

His suggestion for how to make world leaders see sense on climate change may also raise eyebrows, but again seems to be the product of a lively 85-year-old sense of humour. The Dalai Lama chuckles as he suggests we should lock them all in a room and “pipe carbon dioxide into it until they realise what climate change really means”. He explains that “people who have a certain luxury sort of style of life in a room without proper oxygen” would realise “it is very difficult”.

The Dalai Lama says he is in favour of large-scale tree planting to help tackle climate change. He also believes meat consumption worldwide should fall dramatically, but explains that since his own decision to go vegetarian in 1965, health problems have led doctors to advise him to resume eating a little meat.

He says his greatest personal contribution to fighting climate change is education and promoting the concept of compassion. The Dalai Lama is most passionate when talking about his idea of oneness among 7 billion people. “We see too much emphasis on my nation, my religion, their religion. That really is causing all these problems due to different religions and different nations are fighting. So now we really need oneness.” He even says he can now live as one with China, which he claims is “the biggest Buddhist population now”.

Nearing the end of this life, the Dalai Lama has not publicly explained how his reincarnation should be sought, or whether a 15th Dalai Lama should be found at all. He jokes that in his next life “I may be born on the Moon or Mars. Then I will starve.”

In the past he has raised the idea of being the last in the line of Dalai Lamas, perhaps to prevent China naming a politically cooperative successor. For now, he says he wants to leave that decision to others. “As long as I live I should be useful to help other people. Then after that, not my business. These are the concerns of other people.”

His advice for the rest of us living through the coronavirus pandemic is similarly practical, crediting an unnamed Indian scholar with the idea that “If there’s a way to overcome [coronavirus], then no need to worry. If there is no way to overcome, then it’s no use to worry too much either.”

The environmental changes wrought by the coronavirus were first visible from space. Then, as the disease and the lockdown spread, they could be sensed in the sky above our heads, the air in our lungs and even the ground beneath our feet.

https://www.buddhisttimes.news/dalai-lama-calls…t-climate-action/

Buddhist Times News – Sikyong congratulates US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris

The democratically elected leader of Tibetan people Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay congratulated United States President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the 2020 US presidential election. Dr Sangay said he looked forward to a renewed policy and support on Tibet under Biden’s leadership.

“On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people, I would like to congratulate you on your election as the 46th President of the United States of America,” the Sikyong said in congratulatory message to Joe Biden.

“For decades now, the US has supported the Tibet cause on various fronts, and we are always grateful to the US and its people. However, today the concern no longer remains only for the Tibetan people; instead, today the concern is for the global democracy and the universal ideals that have come under threat from authoritarian regime such as China.”

Sikyong welcomed Biden’s recent statement avowing to meet Tibetan spiritual leader and global peace icon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, continuing a decades-old tradition followed by US presidents since George Bush Sr, and most prominently during the presidency of Barack Obama, who hosted His Holiness four times in the White House and publicly pronounced strong support for Middle Way Policy of the Central Tibetan Administration.

Sikyong also welcomed Biden’s commitment to sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet and said he particularly looked forward to a renewed US policy and support on the Tibet issue under his leadership.

“I genuinely admire your decades of service to the nation, and your victory is an affirmation of the trust people of the United States places in you and the values that you stand for… My sincerest congratulations and wishes on a successful term.”

Congratulating the first woman Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, he said her ascension to America’s second-highest office as first woman and the first woman of color is pathbreaking and her becoming the highest-ranking woman in the history of American government marks a new era for women in global politics and leadership.

Kamala Devi Harris, a daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, is set to become the highest-ranking woman in the nation’s 244-year existence, as well as a high-profile representation of the country’s increasingly diverse composition.

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last, because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities,” Harris said. “And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction. And see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they’ve never seen it before, but know that we will applaud you every step of the way.”

Black women helped propel Harris and President-elect Joe Biden to victory by elevating turnout in places like Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Those women will finally see themselves represented in the White House as Biden and Harris replace President Trump, who started his political career by perpetuating a racist birther lie about President Barack Obama and has a long track record of making misogynistic comments.

Although Harris did not emerge as a legislative force, she signed on to or introduced several bills that had little chance of passing but were nevertheless symbolic, including Medicare-for-all and other health-care reform plans. She introduced bills aimed at reducing racial disparities in health care, the economy and the criminal justice system.

Sikyong also referenced Harris’ Indian heritage, adding that it was a matter of immense pride and inspiration for Indians across the world.

‘As you work towards the imminent challenges of restoring human rights, equality and climate change around the world, we hope that you will lend your pivotal voice to the just cause of Tibet and further strengthen decades-long US-Tibet ties.’

Buddhist Times News – First Buddhist Chaitya, more stupas excavated in Gujarat’s Vadnagar

First Buddhist Chaitya, more stupas excavated in Gujarat’s Vadnagar

Nov 03, 2020
Shyamal Sinha
BREAKING NEWS, TOP NEWS
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