Trouble in Tibet – Second Rail Line in Occupied Tibet
I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.
‘Trouble in Tibet’. When this ‘Trouble’ is understood as that of Red China’s military occupation, the plan to build second rail line rings alarm bells.
I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.
REUTERS
World | Fri Mar 4, 2016 9:24pm EST
China to build second rail line into restive Tibet
BEIJING
BEIJING China will build a second railway line connecting restive and remote Tibet with others parts of China that will link Tibetan capital Lhasa with the southwestern city of Chengdu, the government said on Saturday. Tibet is a highly sensitive region, not just because of continued opposition by many Tibetans to Chinese control, but because of the region’s strategic position next to neighbors India, Nepal and Myanmar. In 2006, China opened the railway to Lhasa, which passes spectacular icy peaks on the Tibetan highlands, reaching altitudes as high as 5,000 m (16,400 ft) above sea level, as part of government development efforts. Critics of the railway, including exiled Tibetans and rights groups, say it has spurred an influx of long-term migrants who threaten Tibetans’ cultural integrity, which rests on Buddhist beliefs and a traditional herding lifestyle. The new railway was announced in a draft of China’s new five-year development plan released at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament and carried by the official Xinhua news agency. It gave no other details. Xinhua said it will take about 15 hours for trains to travel between Lhasa and Chengdu. “We hope that the railway will be completed as early as possible. It will provide new momentum for our development, especially the tourism,” Wangdui, mayor of Tibet’s Nyingchi city, where the new railway will traverse, told Xinhua. The Chinese government consistently denies any rights abuses or cultural disrespect in Tibet, saying Beijing’s rule has bought much needed development to what was a poor and backward region. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Eric Meijer)
THOMSON REUTERS is the world’s largest international multimedia news agency.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – SECOND RAIL LINE IN OCCUPIED TIBET. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.TROUBLE IN TIBET – SECOND RAIL LINE IN OCCUPIED TIBET. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.TROUBLE IN TIBET – SECOND RAIL LINE IN OCCUPIED TIBET. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Tibet Awareness: Nagqu- Lhasa- Qinghai Tibet Railway scene: I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Tibet Awareness: Tibet is under Occupation. Nagqu – Lhasa section Qinghai Tibet Railway. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Tibet Awareness: Qinghai Tibet Railway. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Trouble in Tibet – Second Rail Line in Occupied Tibet. Railway Line in Damxung County. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Trouble in Tibet – Second Rail Line in Occupied Tibet. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Trouble in Tibet – Second Rail Line in Occupied Tibet. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.Trouble in Tibet – Second Rail Line in Occupied Tibet. I am hoping for that day of Liberation when Tibet uses the second rail line to ensure speedy evacuation of People’s Liberation Army from occupied Tibetan territory.
Trouble in Tibet – First Self-Immolation of Year 2016
TROUBLE IN TIBET – FIRST SELF-IMMOLATION OF YEAR 2016 REPORTED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016.
Trouble in Tibet and its symptom is Self-Immolation, an act of Resistance and Self-Defense to oppose military occupation of Tibet.
FIRST SELF-IMMOLATION OF YEAR 2016 REPORTED IN TIBET
March 02, 2016.
Beijing: A Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire and died in protest against the Chinese rule, in the first such action this year, a US government-funded radio station said on Wednesday.
Kalsang Wangdu self-immolated Monday afternoon near the Retsokha monastery in western Sichuan province’s traditionally Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Kardze, Radio Free Asia reported. It said the monk called out for Tibetan independence while he burned, then died on the way to a hospital in the provincial capital of Chengdu.
Tibetan exile sources say at least 114 monks and laypeople have self-immolated over the past five years, with most of them dying. Radio Free Asia puts the number of self-immolations at 144 since 2009.
Information from the region, which is largely cut off from the rest of the province by security checkpoints, is extremely hard to obtain, and local officials are reportedly under orders to remain silent about self-immolations. An officer who answered the phone Wednesday at Kardze police headquarters and gave his surname as Li said no such incident had been reported. “We are now in a period of preserving stability. If such a thing happens, we will make it known to the public,” Li said over phone.
Radio Free Asia and other groups also reported that a 16-year-old Tibetan living in India also set himself on fire on Monday as a protest, but that he survived.
The protests are seen as an extreme expression of the anger and frustration felt by many Tibetans living under heavy-handed Chinese rule. Many protesters also call for the return of the Tibetans’ exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against Chinese forces who had occupied the Himalayan region a decade earlier.
Tibetan monks and nuns are among the most active opponents of Chinese rule in the region and the strongest proponents of Tibet’s independent identity, prompting the authorities to subject them to some of the harshest and most intrusive restrictions.
Last year, Tibet’s Communist Party chief, Chen Quanguo, demanded that Buddhist monasteries display the national flag as part of efforts to shore up Chinese patriotism. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama and others for inciting the immolations and says it has made vast investments to develop the region’s economy and improve quality of life. The Dalai Lama says he is against all violence.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – FIRST SELF-IMMOLATION OF YEAR 2016. IMAGE OF TIBETAN SELF-IMMOLATION IN NEW DELHI on MARCH 26, 2012.TROUBLE IN TIBET – FIRST SELF-IMMOLATION OF YEAR 2016. TIBETAN JAMPA YESHI SELF-IMMOLATION PHOTO IMAGE.TROUBLE IN TIBET – FIRST SELF-IMMOLATION OF YEAR 2016. SELF-IMMOLATION IS SYMPTOM OF RESISTANCE TO OPPOSE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF TIBET.TROUBLE IN TIBET – FIRST SELF-IMMOLATION OF YEAR 2016 REPORTED. TIBETANS RESIST MILITARY OCCUPATION OF TIBET.
Trouble in Tibet – The Spiritual Wickedness of Red China
Trouble in Tibet – The Spiritual Wickedness of Red China – Evil Empire – Isaiah 47: 10 and 11. TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S MILITARY OCCUPATION OF TIBET IS A SYMPTOM OF SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 100 MOST SPIRITUALLY INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF WORLD WHEN PUT TOGETHER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CURE RED CHINA’S SPIRITUAL SICKNESS.
Trouble in Tibet arrived in the form of military occupation which is a manifestation of Red China’s Spiritual Wickedness. The 100 Most Spiritually Influential People of the World put together may not be able to treat Red China’s Spiritual illness.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet tops 2016 Spiritual 100 list
Tuesday, 23 February 2016 18:13 Yeshe Choesang, Tibet Post International
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S MILITARY OCCUPATION OF TIBET IS A SYMPTOM OF SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 100 MOST SPIRITUALLY INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF WORLD WHEN PUT TOGETHER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CURE RED CHINA’S SPIRITUAL SICKNESS.
Dharamshala — The spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama again topped the 2016 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, published by Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit Magazine.
Presented annually since 2011 in the spring issue of the quarterly publication, the list – also known as the Spiritual 100 – compiles the most spiritually prominent people of the past year.
“We are delighted to share with you Watkins’ 2016 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People – spiritual teachers, activists, authors and thinkers that change the world,” the magazine said.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was recognised in front of Pope Francis and South African retired Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu who were placed second and third respectively. Others listed include German spiritual teacher and writer Eckhart Tolle (fourth), Indian American author and public speaker Deepak Chopra (fifth), Brazilian novelist and author of The Alchemist Paulo Coelho (sixth), American novelist, short story writer, poet, and activist Alice Malsenior Walker (Seventh), Australian television writer and producer Rhonda Byrne (eighth), Chilean filmmaker and director of El Topo Alejandro Jodorowsky (ninth), American talk show host Oprah Winfrey (tenth), Greek American author and co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Arianna Huffington (fifteenth) and British author and commentator known for her books on comparative religion Karen Armstrong (twentieth).
The Magazine also said that “there are plenty of newcomers on this year’s list including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, psychologist and author Daniel Goleman, physicist and environmental activist Vandana Shiva and poet and philosopher Mark Nepo.” “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
This is just one of the many often-quoted statements from His Holiness the Dalai Lama that continue to land him on top of global lists of influential and inspiring world religious leaders. For several years now, Watkins Magazine has placed the Tibetan spiritual leader at the top of their list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. He was #1 in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012. In their 2016 list, published earlier this month, the Tibetan spiritual leader is once again #1.
#21. Jon Kabat-Zinn: Also not a Buddhist per se, but Kabat-Zinn did study with a number of Buddhist teachers before developing the now wide-spread Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
#25. Sam Harris: One of the “Four Horsemen” of New Atheism, has taken up the practice of vipassana, derived from the early Buddhist tradition, and even teaches it – stripped of aspects he considers religious.
#34. Daniel Goleman: A well-known psychologist and long time scholar of meditation who has worked closely with the Dalai Lama for over a decade. One of his breakthrough books was Emotional Intelligence (1995), and later works include Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama (2003) and Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (2015).
#36 is Gary Snyder, #38 is Pema Chödrön, #50 is Robert Thurman, #65 is Thich Nhat Hanh, #66 is Jack Kornfield, #68 is Ajahn Brahm, #78 is Tara Brach, #82 is Huston Smith (another wonderful scholar of many world religions, including Buddhism), #89 is Richard Gere, #95 is Sogyal Rinpoche, and #99 is Sharon Salzberg.
The magazine states that the list is compiled based on three factors: “1. The person has to be alive as of January 1st, 2016. 2. The person has to have made a unique and spiritual contribution on a global scale. 3. The person is frequently googled, appears in Nielsen Data, and is actively talked about throughout the Internet.”
“By taking into account the amount of times that a person is googled or how many times their Wikipedia profile is viewed, the list gains a highly democratic parameter. In a sense, being googled is a form of digital voting, and illustrates just how often someone is being sought out,” it added. According to Mind Body Spirit, the list is not a competition but “is meant to celebrate the positive influence of contemporary spiritual teachers.” Watkins Mind Body and Spirit magazine is sold and published by Watkins Books, England’s oldest and largest esoteric bookshop that has been trading since 1893.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 February 2016 19:08 )
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S MILITARY OCCUPATION OF TIBET IS A SYMPTOM OF SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 100 MOST SPIRITUALLY INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF WORLD WHEN PUT TOGETHER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CURE RED CHINA’S SPIRITUAL SICKNESS.
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Lhasa River Project in Occupied Tibet
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Lhasa River Project in Occupied Tibet
Trouble in Tibet. Red China is damming Lhasa River to create about 20 artificial lakes to promote tourism. Red China is imposing trouble after trouble with no concern for well-being of Tibet or Tibetans. Tibet is no Shangri-La. Tibet is Prison Camp for millions of Tibetans.
Lhasa, Potala und Medizinberg von Osten. My Prayers to Lhasa River. Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Lhasa River Project in Occupied Tibet
The 3.5 billion yuan ($620 million) project started in March 2013 with plans to build six reservoirs along a 20-kilometer-long section of the Lhasa River as it passes through Lhasa city. The completed Dam No 3 widened the river to over 300 meters and created a water storage capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters within 3 kilometers – virtually turning the river into a lake.
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Lhasa River Project in Occupied Tibet
EXCLUSIVE: China Damming Lhasa River Into Artificial Lakes
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S LHASA RIVER PROJECT. ZANGMU HYDROPOWER STATION IN GYACA COUNTY IN LHOKA. THESE PROJECTS IMPACT ENVIRONMENT.
Prayer flags hang before Zangmu Hydropower Station in Gyaca county in Lhoka, or Shannan prefecture, southwest China’s Tibetan Autonomous Region, Nov., 23, 2014.
YESHI DORJE
February 15, 2016 7:21 PM
Tibet’s Lhasa River is being turned into a series of artificial lakes, according to Chinese state media.
Launched in 2013, Beijing’s Lhasa River Project (LRP) aims to complete construction of six dams along a 20-kilometer stretch of river that edges the city center. Unlike hydropower projects upstream from the Tibetan capital, the artificial lakes are designed to promote tourism, improve water quality, prevent sandstorms and create a “green environment.”
But some critics, including Professor Fan Xiao, a Chinese geologist with the Sichuan Geological Society, disagree. “Dams can slow down the river flow and damage the water quality,” Fan told VOA’s Tibetan Service. “The water environment capacity will decrease and more easily be polluted … flowing water is much better than still water.”
Regarding tourism — LRP’s marketing slogan is “making Lhasa enjoyable” — Fan, former chief engineer at the Sichuan Bureau of Geology and Mineral Society, calls the dams “problematic,” explaining that they will cause sedimentation, which damages water quality.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S LHASA RIVER PROJECT IMPOSES MORE TROUBLES WHILE CHINA WANTS TO PROMOTE TOURISM. SHOTON FESTIVAL AT ZHAIBUNG MONASTERY, LHASA.
Tibetan Buddhists, tourists view a huge Thangka, a religious silk embroidery or painting displaying a Buddha portrait, during the Shoton Festival at Zhaibung Monastery in Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 25, 2014.
Tibet’s tourism industry, he adds, shouldn’t require an engineered landscaping project.
“The main attraction of Tibet is the ethnic culture and natural scenery,” he said. “It’s not about building an artificial lake, which affects the environment. It affects the local people as well, since the rising water level will cause [flooding] in certain areas, including farms.”
Agricultural Impact
Also known as Kyichu, the Lhasa River is a primary source of irrigation and drinking water for Tibetan farmers in nine counties, many of which have already been affected by construction of the two major hydropower dams northeast of Lhasa, in Lhundup and Maldro Gungkar counties. Built independently of the “making Lhasa enjoyable” campaign,Drikung(Ch: Zhikong) Hydro Power Station has been operational since 2006, while Phudo (Ch: Pangduo) Hydro Power Station — also known as “Pangduo Water Control Project,” which has been described by official media as “Tibetan Three Gorges Dam” — began operation in 2014.
According to China Tibet News, construction of the two hydropower dams is estimated at over $1 billion, representing the largest engineering project undertaken in the Tibetan Autonomous Region since the 1950s-era “liberation of Tibet” — China’s term for what many Tibetans call the “invasion of Tibet.” In 2013, China Central TV quoted local officials who said these two massive dams had significantly reduced water levels and stranded fish.
Changing City
Recent years have seen the Tibetan capital sprawl across the Lhasa Valley floor, its newer southern districts connected by bridges of gleaming steel and concrete. Thieves’ Island, long known as a popular picnic and outdoor recreation spot for locals, has been rechristened “Sun Island” as part of a redevelopment scheme that appears to be positioning the parcel as Tibet’s own Las Vegas, replete with open gambling venues and what writer Tsering Woeser calls “the most open red-light district of Lhasa.” What is today known as “Old Lhasa,” the section of the city around Barkor district that surrounds the seventh-century Jokang Temple, underwent a substantial 2013 facelift that left it looking more like a movie set than an ancient Buddhist spiritual center, its traditionally dressed locals and pilgrims now looking as if they’ve landed in the wrong world.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S LHASA RIVER PROJECT. JOKANG TEMPLE, LHASA.
FILE – Pilgrims walk near Jokang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
Some critics attribute the rapid changes to Lhasa’s Communist Party Secretary Che Drahla (Ch: Qi Zhala), an ethnic Tibetan whose political career got a boost after successfully securing millions in tourism revenue for the city Gyalthan (Ch: Zhongdian). The county-level city in northwestern Yunnan province had been in a rivalry with another city competing for the privilege of calling itself the model for Shangri-La — the mythical Himalayan paradise at the center of James Hilton’s iconic 1933 novel, “Lost Horizon.” Che’s victory saw Gyalthan officially renamed Shangri-La on December 17, 2001. Similarly, Fan and fellow critics say the recent development projects are designed according to what the Chinese officials deem necessary or attractive without considering Tibet’s cultural heritage and local opinion. “This is a strategy undertaken by many Chinese cities these days,” said Fan, the geologist. “They build dams on the rivers going through cities to expand water surface and lift up water level. They think it will generate a pretty waterscape for the city. But we think it’s problematic.”
Earthquake Risk
He also says Chinese officials ignore the serious risk of triggering earthquakes. While prominent engineers and geologists have linked the 7.9 magnitude Sichuan quake of 2008 with construction of China’s massive Three Gorges Dam, bedrock micro-fracturing from the comparatively miniscule dams slated for Lhasa’s artificial lakes project nonetheless leave the Tibetan capital, which is situated in seismically active region, vulnerable. “Building big dams could bring local governments more tax revenue and GDP, which is viewed as an economic driving force,” he said, adding that such strong economic interests eclipse government concerns about natural disasters or severe environmental consequences.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S LHASA RIVER PROJECT. SICHUAN PROVINCE EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS MARCHING ON MAY 16, 2008.
FILE – Survivor carries baby on his back as he and some 1,000 other survivors make a 9-hour walk from the village of Qingping to Hanwang, after earthquake, Sichuan Province, China, May 16, 2008. According to Canadian author Michael Buckley, a longtime Tibetan river explorer, Beijing’s damming of the Lhasa River goes beyond mere landscape aesthetics. “The concern is that eventually dams will become points for water diversion,” he said, explaining that he thinks Beijing is using Tibetan rivers to satisfy mainland China’s hunger for power resources and meet water demands in other parts of the country. “If you can store the water, you can send it somewhere else,” he said. According to China Daily, the TRP’s first operational dam — counterintuitively named “Dam No. 3” — has already widened the river more than 300 meters and created a water storage capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters within a 3-kilometer range. If all six dams are of similar size, they could hold about 9 million cubic meters of water in Lhasa Valley upon completion. Environmentalists are specifically concerned about how the remaining construction will impact Salmon migration, along with other ecological disruption.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – RED CHINA’S LHASA RIVER PROJECT. DAM CONSTRUCTION ALONG LHASA RIVER INTEND TO CREATE 20 ARTIFICIAL LAKES.
Aerial image from GoogleEarth shows section of dam constructed along Tibet’s Lhasa River, October 2015.
A China Daily article quoted an individual described as Dam No.3’s project manager making assurances that the project wouldn’t harm fish migration. “The dam gate will open for the fish to propagate in due time; therefore, it won’t pose a threat to the ecology of river downstream,” the project manager said. According to China Tibet News, Chen Quanguo, Chinese Communist Party chief in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, also defended the project while visiting a site slated for dam construction. “By implementing the Four Comprehensives ideology,” he said, referring to president Xi Jinping’s philosophical directive that was unveiled in 2015, “the Tibetan mountains, valleys and rivers should be protected.” He also described the project as a “project of people’s mind … a window to show the image of the city … and to beautify the environment of Lhasa City.”
Yeshi Dorje is a correspondent with VOA Tibetan Service.
A section of the Lhasa River where Dam No 3 was built. Photo taken on July 22, 2015. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Lhasa River Project in Occupied Tibet
Trouble in Tibet – Military Occupation of Tibet is a Disaster
Whole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and Kashmir. Special Frontier Force Defends Jammu and Kashmir
News reports indicate that India and China conducted a military exercise in Chushul- Moldo sector of eastern Ladakh province of Jammu and Kashmir to enhance military cooperation in the eventuality of a disaster in border areas.
In Military Science, the term ‘Strategy’ refers to planning and directing large-scale military operations, specifically of maneuvering forces into the most advantageous position prior to actual engagement with the Enemy. Military Science uses the term ‘Tactics’ to describe arranging and maneuvering military forces in action or before the Enemy, especially with reference to short-range objectives. The term ‘Tactical’ in Military usage refers to showing cleverness and skill in Tactics while military forces are in action. This joint military drill or exercise does not qualify to be called a tactical exercise.
Man may have no control over natural disasters like earthquakes. ‘Trouble in Tibet’ is a man-made disaster. To resolve this ‘Trouble’, the occupying military force causing ‘Trouble’ in Tibet needs eviction either by using force or by using negotiation or by a Heavenly Strike to uplift Tibet from the disaster called military occupation.
Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4162 USA SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
GREATER KASHMIR Srinagar, Tuesday, 29 Rabi Al Thani, 1437 AH, 09 February 2016 CE
India, China hold military exercises in disputed Chushul
McMahon Line in Aksai Chin of Ladakh is the India-Tibet boundary recognized by India.
In September 2014, around 35 Chinese soldiers returned to Chumar in northeast Ladakh and were perched on a hillock claiming the area to be part of China while another 300 soldiers were maintaining presence close to LAC.
SHABIR IBN YUSUF LADAKH, Publish Date: Feb 8 2016 1:16AM | Updated Date: Feb 8 2016 1:16AM
Columns of Indian and Chinese soldiers held joint military exercise in Chushul Sector of Ladakh on Saturday. The area where joint exercises were held is disputed between the two countries and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian soldiers have locked horns in the area several times.
The Chinese army had camped in Chumar and their helicopters were seen dropping food packets for the soldiers. In 2015, Chumar witnessed a major stand-off. In the same year in Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) China had objected to overhead bunkers erected by the Indian side.
In September 2014, around 35 Chinese soldiers returned to Chumar in northeast Ladakh and were perched on a hillock claiming the area to be part of China while another 300 soldiers were maintaining presence close to LAC.
Pertinently, Chushul is one of the four officially agreed BPM (Border Personnel Meeting) point between Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army of China for regular consultations and interactions.
Udhampur based Public Relations Officer Ministry of Defence Col S D Goswami said: “ The first Joint Tactical Exercise between border troops of both countries was conducted in the Chushul-Moldo area on Saturday,” he said. “This is a part of ongoing initiatives being taken by India and China to ensure greater interaction between troops stationed along the Line of Actual Control and thereby ensure peace & tranquility on the border.”
Goswami said that the exercise focused on actions to be coordinated to jointly tackle aspects of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief. He said that Indian Army team of 30 soldiers was led by Colonel Ritesh Chandra Singh while the Chinese delegation of an equal compliment was led by Colonel Qu Yi. “ Lasting an entire day, the joint exercise was based on a situation of a national disaster occurring on the border and the subsequent coordination of rescue mission by joint teams of both countries,” he said.
Whole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and KashmirWhole Trouble – India conducts a military exercise with the occupier of Tibet and Kashmir
Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.
For there is ‘Trouble in Tibet’, I need help from Five Elements of Nature; I send my prayers to Earth, Fire, Sky, Water, and Air with “LUNG-TA” or ‘Wind Horse’.
Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.
The north Indian hill town of Dharmsala became the base of a Tibetan government-in-exile after their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled a Chinese military crackdown in Tibet in 1959
Tibet Awareness – Pilgrimage to Holy Waterfall. Prayer flags. Blessings of Peace and Freedom.Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.The Wind Horse (Lung-ta) carrying the “Wish Fulfilling Jewel of …The Wind Horse (Lung-ta) carrying the “Wish Fulfilling Jewel of …Tibetan Prayer flags Lung-ta flag Wind horse: Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.Paper Wind Horse called Lung-ta in Tibetan: Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.The Power of Lungta: 4/1/03 -Everest Base Camp trail, Nepal – Prayer flags and a kata scarf fly off a chorten, or rock memorial built in honor of Michael Matthers, 22, who died descending Mt. Everest on May 13, 1999. The Dallas Morning News Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.Tibetans believe prayer flags lift up and carry our wishes for …Lung-ta: Wind Horse Prayer Flag: The Wind Horse (Lung-ta) carrying the “Wish Fulfilling Jewel of …Rainbow Colors. Tibetan Wind Horse Prayer Flags: Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.Buddhist Prayer flags – 5 colors, 5 elements of basic energy. Tibetans believe that the Buddhist prayers printed on these flags whose colors represent the five elements, earth, fire, sky, water and air, are spread on wind.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DEATH OF DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG ON FEBRUARY 07, 2016 AT AGE 90 EXPOSES “INCONVENIENT TRUTH.”
For the United States, India, and Tibet, the problem of espionage is an ‘Inconvenient Truth’. Death of Political Leader Ratuk Ngawang on February 07, 2016 at age 90 again exposes the problem of espionage that overshadows ‘Trouble in Tibet’. For example, his death is reported in news media with a photo image (Ratu Ngawang & Gyalo Thondup) obtained by some unknown Chinese agent using hidden camera. The fact that Political Leader Ratuk Ngawang shared such photo images taken by hidden cameras with news media clearly establishes his collaboration with enemy agents or spies.
I worked with Political Leader Ratuk Ngawang from September 1971 to December 1974 while I served in Establishment No. 22. I lost my sense of respect for him on January 10, 1973. I was not a direct eye-witness, but on that day I learned about a disturbing incident at our Camp. I did not inquire about the precise date and time of that incident. It was about cremation of a Tibetan Buddhist monk who apparently died while he was in custody of Political Leader Ngawang. None of was serving in Establishment No. 22 at that time got a chance to see or speak to that Tibetan monk arrested by him. This monk worked in our Camp apparently performing simple, religious duties. Political Leader Ngawang was in charge of a secret, internal investigation to probe an incident that dates back to June 03, 1972 and he never shared his findings. He took several months and arrested this monk sometime before January 10, 1973. Political Leader Ngawang reported findings of his investigation after death of this arrested person. He did not request for autopsy to confirm the cause of prisoner’s death. He reported it as a natural event and immediately proceeded with cremation as per Tibetan tradition. No formal Court of Inquiry was appointed to ascertain the cause of death due to procedural reasons.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG INTERVIEWED BY INDIAN JOURNALIST TO WHOM HE SUPPLIED PHOTOS CAPTURED BY HIDDEN CAMERAS.
Eventually, in 1976 Political Leader Ngawang prematurely retired from Service with his retirement income benefits. He received official pardon and lived his life in Samyeling Tibetan Colony Manjuka Tilla, Delhi. My suspicions about Political Leader Ngawang’s collaboration with enemy agents or spies got aroused when he shared several photo images(illegally obtained using hidden cameras) with Indian journalists who interviewed him for two different stories long after 1976. Indian newspapers published those photo images.
I recognize Ratuk Ngawang’s service in support of Freedom in Tibet but he could not live up to his commitment.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG OF ESTABLISHMENT 22 DIED ON FEBRUARY 07, 2016 AT AGE 90. HE SHARED THIS PHOTO IMAGE WITH INDIAN NEWS MEDIA. HE IS STANDING LEFT(IN UNIFORM) NEXT TO GYALO THONDUP, BROTHER OF HIS HOLINESS THE 14th DALAI LAMA. PHOTO ILLEGALLY TAKEN USING HIDDEN CAMERA AT CHAKRATA, INDIA.
Ratu with Gyalo Thondup at Chakrata/file(*Phayul.com may have to disclose name of the “OWNER” of this ‘FILE’ Photo.)
DHARAMSHALA, February 9: A former soldier in the Chushi Gangdruk and one of the founding members of the Special Frontier Force, an Indian paramilitary troop comprising of Tibetan recruits, have breathed his last on February 7, 2016 at his residence at the Samyeling Tibetan Colony in Majnuka Tilla, Delhi. Ratuk Ngawang was born in Kham Lithang in 1926. A close confidante of Adruk Gonpo Tashi, the businessman who founded the Tibetan resistance army in the guise of a business group, Ratuk Ngawang rose to the top of this resistance army. Ngawang was a part of the Chushi Gangdruk troops that accompanied the young Dalai Lama on his flight to India, one of his biggest contribution to the Tibetan people.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. POLITICAL LEADER/DAPON RATUK NGAWANG DIES AT 90. PROBLEM OF CHINESE ESPIONAGE EXPOSED. HIS HOLINESS GAVE HIM OFFICIAL PARDON. HE WAS FORGIVEN BUT ‘INCONVENIENT TRUTH’ REMAINS.
Ratu Ngawang lay in rest, Family photo.
Ratu Ngawang was roped in by Gyalo Thondup to lead the Tibetan Special Frontier Force, which also came to be known as the 22, courtesy its first Inspector General Sujan Singh Uban who hailed from the 22 Mountain Regiment. Ratu Ngawang played a key role in recruitment of Tibetan youth into the newly created Tibetan regiment(**this is incorrect for recruits owed allegiance to Tibet and Tibet’s Supreme Ruler) which was a brainchild of Pandit Nehru and the CIA in tackling China. Ratu Ngawang led one of the three columns that set on foot into the marshy tracts of Chittagong in the 1971 Bangladesh war. The Tibetan participation in the 1971 war is a little known fact amongst Indian public as the Tibetans were not officially on the battlefield. Ratu Ngawang led the North Column(*** this is incorrect; Political Leader of North Column died in action, killed by enemy fire) while Pekar Thinlay and Gyato Thondup led the South Column and Central Column respectively. 51 Tibetan soldiers lost their lives in the war that gave birth to Bangladesh as a new country. “I have enrolled myself in the Special Frontier Force with an aim to fight the Chinese. I lured the new recruits by telling them that it was an opportunity to fight the Chinese. I was myself ready to die fighting the Chinese,” Ratu recalled telling his boss Sujan Singh Uban when he was asked about the possibility of the Tibetan soldiers joining the Bangladesh War in 1971, in an interview(**** This statement shows that he did not understand the purpose of joining the Bangladesh War. It gave men combat experience to prepare them for a future war to evict military occupier of Tibet). Reactions to the news of his death on social networking sites hail him as a true hero of Tibet. Ratu Ngawang la is survived by his wife Dechen Wangmo and four children. He was 90.
ILLEGAL PHOTO IMAGES TAKEN BY HIDDEN CAMERAS SUPPLIED TO INDIAN JOURNALISTS BY DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG AFTER HIS RETIREMENT IN 1976. THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER.
TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER WITH GYALO THONDUP, BROTHER OF DALAI LAMA. PHOTO APPARENTLY TAKEN IN 1971. PHOTOGRAPHED BY UNKNOWN CHINESE SPY WHO WORKED IN CHAKRATA .TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG SUPPLIED THIS ILLEGAL PHOTO IMAGE TAKEN BY CHINESE SPY TO INDIAN JOURNALIST. HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA WITH MAJOR GENERAL SUJAN SINGH UBAN ON JUNE 03, 1972.TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG ARRESTED A TIBETAN BUDDHIST MONK WHO CAPTURED THIS ILLEGAL PHOTO IMAGE ON JUNE 03, 1972. THAT TIBETAN PRISONER, SUSPECTED CHINESE SPY DIED MYSTERIOUSLY SOMETIME BEFORE JANUARY 10, 1973. DALAI LAMA WITH MAJOR GENERAL SUJAN SINGH UBAN.Ratu Ngawang (far left), former Dapon/Political Leader of Establishment 22, escorted the Dalai Lama (right) on his way to India in 1959. Seen here with Sujan Singh Uban (2nd from right), the first inspector-general of the regiment, in Chakrata, June 03, 1972. Photo taken by Chinese Spy.TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG SUPPLIED THIS ILLEGAL PHOTO IMAGE TAKEN BY CHINESE SPY TO INDIAN JOURNALIST AFTER HE RETIRED FROM SERVICE AT ESTABLISHMENT NO. 22.TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. ILLEGAL PHOTO IMAGE TAKEN BY CHINESE SPY AT ESTABLISHMENT NO. 22. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG HAD POSSESSION OF THIS IMAGE AND SUPPLIED IT TO A JOURNALIST.TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG SUPPLIED THIS PHOTO IMAGE AFTER HE RETIRED FROM SERVICE AT ESTABLISHMENT NO. 22. THIS IMAGE WAS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE.TROUBLE IN TIBET – PROBLEM OF ESPIONAGE. DAPON/POLITICAL LEADER RATUK NGAWANG SUPPLIED THIS PHOTO IMAGE AFTER HE RETIRED FROM SERVICE AT ESTABLISHMENT NO. 22. THIS IMAGE WAS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE.
Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security. The Gorichen Range, the highest mountain range of the Arunachal Pradesh separates Tibet from Tawang in India.
TIBET’S INDEPENDENCE IS INDIA’S SECURITY. People’s Republic of China claimed Indian territories of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh.
On October 22, 2010, People’s Republic of China has launched an official online mapping service and has formally claimed the entire state of ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ and Aksai Chin region of India’s Ladakh region of the State of Jammu and Kashmir as its own territory. Beijing claims Arunachal Pradesh and has named that area as ‘Southern Tibet’. The Simla Agreement of 1914, and the McMahon Treaty between British India, Tibet, and Manchu China had established the McMahon Line as the legitimate boundary between India and Tibet. Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh was under Tibetan domination during early 19th century. Tibetans consider Tawang as holy land as their Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsang Yang Gyatso ( The Precious Ocean of Pure Melody ), a great poet was born there during 1683. However, the 13th Dalai Lama had ceded this territory to British India and had agreed that McMahon Line determines the Indo-Tibetan border. During Communist China’s unilateral military attack on India in 1962, the Indian government had declared that McMahon Line as the official boundary between India and Tibet which came under China’s military occupation since 1950.
The Security of Arunachal Pradesh is better served by Tibet’s Independence. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
Birthplace of Tsangyang Gyatso, 6th Dalai Lama, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
McMahon Line in Aksai Chin of Ladakh is the boundary recognized by India. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
The McMahon Treaty of 1914 and the McMahon Line establish the boundary between India and Tibet. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
To defend Northeast India, to curb the activities of insurgents and rebels, India must support Tibet’s Independence. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
India and China have already held 13 rounds of talks to resolve the boundary issue. General Shankar Roychowdhury, PVSM, ADC served as India’s Chief of Army Staff from 22 November 1994 to 30 September 1997. In a recent article published in The Asian Age, he described problem of the future security of Arunachal Pradesh. So also, India’s Chief of Army Staff, General V K Singh while addressing a seminar on “Indian Army : Emerging Roles and Tasks” on October 19, 2010 said that China and Pakistan are “irritants” for India.
General Shankar Roychowdhury, PVSM, ADC was India’s 20th Chief of Army Staff. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
General Vijay Kumar Singh, AVSM, India’s 26th Chief of Army Staff. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
TIBET’S INDEPENDENCE IS INDIA’S SECURITY : SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE DEFENDING FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN TIBET:
Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh Suhag AVSM VSM, General Officer-in-Command, Eastern Command of Indian Army served as the Inspector General of Special Frontier Force from April 2009 to March 2011 in the rank of Major General. Tibet’s Independence is India’s Security.
TIBET’S INDEPENDENCE IS INDIA’S SECURITY. GENERAL DALBIR SINGH SUHAG AVSM VSM, INDIAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF KNOWS INDIA’S ENEMIES. TIBET’S INDEPENDENCE IS INDIA’S SECURITY.
TIBET’S INDEPENDENCE IS INDIA’S SECURITY.
China’s military occupation of Tibet in 1950 has subjected India to a variety of pressures. India will forever be subjected to pressures: militarily, politically, environmentally, and now, sharing of River waters if Tibet remains under Chinese military occupation. India, for its own Security, and for the future Security of Arunachal Pradesh needs Tibet to exist as a ‘Buffer Zone’ between India and China. Tibetan People have their legitimate Rights to defend their own Culture, Religion, Language, National Identity, Tibetan Buddhist Institutions and historical freedom to their own way of life. People of the entire Free World must come together and demand Tibet’s Independence from illegal Chinese occupation. The bilateral trade and commerce between China and India has allowed China to loot and plunder India’s natural resources without firing a bullet. China has colonized India and is exploiting its natural resources without the need for military occupation. China may not launch or initiate a large-scale military invasion of India as long as this lucrative trade in minerals and manufactured goods flourishes. However, India cannot afford to ignore this security threat and risk posed by China’s military occupation of Tibet. Tibet’s Independence would be in India’s interest and it would be India’s Security.
THE SPIRITS OF SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE:
I would invite all readers of this blog post to visit Facebook Page of The Spirits of Special Frontier Force and “LIKE” the Page to show their support for establishing Freedom and Democracy in Occupied Tibet.
All wars commence in the mind, and escalate with words. “Zhang Nan” or “Southern Tibet”, the designation bestowed by the People’s Republic of China on India’s state of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Tibet, is one such example. China now claims Arunachal Pradesh as its historic territory comprising the three southern districts of the Tawang Tract unilaterally acquired by the then British Empire after the Treaty of Simla in 1913. New demands, which were first articulated around 2005, initially concerned Tawang as a traditional tributary region of Lhasa, being the birthplace of the Sixth Dalai Lama (Tsangyang Gyatso, enthroned 1697, probably murdered 1706 by Mongol guards who were escorting him to Beijing under arrest). Subsequently, a day prior to the visit of China’s President Hu Jintao to India in 2006, Sun Yuxi, the then Chinese ambassador to India, stridently reiterated in public China’s claims to the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh in a deliberately provocative gesture designed to put New Delhi on notice of Beijing’s intention to dominate the agenda of interaction according to its own priorities. In a longer-term perspective, these needlessly provocative claims could escalate to a flash point with the potential to provoke a major confrontation between the two countries, and create an existential crisis for the entire region, a contingency for which India has to prepare itself adequately.
Indian reaction has been characteristically muted, constantly choosing to soft pedal and play down the issue — a unilateral gesture of restraint regardless of the degree of blatant provocation, which exasperated many in this country. It is seen as making a virtue out of necessity, because India has neglected to build up the requisite capabilities to adopt stronger alternatives. This is surely an unenviable position for a country seeking to promote itself as a major power for a permanent seat on the Security Council.
The present Sino-Indian equation is almost irresistibly reminiscent of the run-up to the Sino-Indian border war of 1962, and provides a fascinating playback of China’s postures at that time with its disconcertingly similar sequence of claims along the McMahon Line in North East Frontier Agency (Nefa), as well as along the Uttar Pradesh-Tibet border and in Ladakh, as relics of historic injustices perpetrated in earlier days by British imperialists. A naive and militarily ill-prepared India, with an exaggerated self-image of its own international relevance as a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, had sought to dissuade a determined China with platitudinous Nehruvian philosophies of anti-colonial solidarity, all of which were contemptuously disposed of by “a whiff of grapeshot” on the desolate slopes of the Namkha Chu and Rezang La. India’s collapse and comprehensive downsizing in short order in 1962 was primarily because it lacked military capability vis-a-vis China, a fatal flaw which has a disconcerting tendency of repeating itself when lessons of earlier debacles wear off from the country, as they seem to be doing now. “1962 redux” is slowly grinding into gear again, with end results unforeseeable, except that an enhanced replay at some stage (2020?) can never be totally discounted. India must not repeat its follies of the past because this time around it has been adequately forewarned.
To recover and reunify what it perceives as its lost territories, notably Tibet and Taiwan, the People’s Republic of China has never swerved from its other such claims pertaining to areas along the Sino-Soviet and Sino-Indian borders, besides smaller island entities in the South and East China Seas, to which has now been added the complete territory of India’s Arunachal Pradesh under its new Chinese appellation.
India has to evaluate the threat potential of the situation dispassionately but realistically, having reference to China’s demonstrated determination to set its own history in order. Tibet was successfully concluded in 1950 when the People’s Liberation Army marched into the country against a feeble and disjointed resistance, and re-established China’s authority. Taiwan has been an infructuous effort so far only because of the massive support and protection of the United States, which has guaranteed the independence of that country with the presence of its Seventh Fleet.
The border of Arunachal Pradesh, and Ladakh cannot be resolved through diplomacy and mediation (again as in 1962), India will be left with starkly limited options — either capitulation to China, or military defence of its territory. In the latter contingency, even a speculative overview would suggest that for India a full-fledged Sino-India war would likely be a “two-and-a-half front”, with Pakistan and China combining in tandem, and an additional internal half front against affiliated terrorist networks already emplaced and functional within the country. For India it would be a combination of 1962, together with all of India’s wars against Pakistan (1947-65, ’71 and ’99), upgraded to future dimensions and extending over land, aerial, maritime space and cyberspace domains. Nuclear exchange at some stage, strategic, tactical or both, would remain a distinct possibility, admittedly a worst case, but one which cannot be ignored. The magnitude of losses in terms of human, material and economic costs to all participants can only be speculated upon at present.
China is obviously very much ahead of India in military capabilities, a comparative differential which will be further skewed with Pakistan’s resources coming into play. India has to develop its own matching capabilities in short order, especially the ability to reach out and inflict severe punitive damage to the heartlands of its adversaries, howsoever distant. There would be national, regional and international repercussions that would severely affect the direct participants as also close bystanders like Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, if not countries further afield as well.
Any future Sino-Indian conflict is a doomsday scenario, straight out of Dr Strangelove, a zero-sum calculus that must not allowed to occur. China must restrain itself regarding its alleged claims to India’s Arunachal bePradesh. History has moved on — attempts to reverse it are futile.
Gen. Shankar Roychowdhury is a former Chief of Army Staff and a former Member of Parliament.
Tibet is a fascinating place for a variety of reasons; the Land, the Climate, the People, the Culture, its religion, its traditions to name a few. But, there is this ‘Trouble’ in Tibet. I am not opposed to the idea of tourism that can bring people together. To bring people together, Tibet needs Freedom from Occupation. Tibet Tourism will be meaningful if it helps to emancipate Tibetans from tyranny. I thank Ms. Elissa Garay, Cruise Critic Contributor for her thoughtful review.
The Great Trouble posed by Tibet Tourism: The Chinese national flag is raised during a ceremony marking the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, July 1, 2017. CNS/He Penglei via REUTERS/Files
Tibet Cruise Tour Tips
Dreams of touring to Tibet’s snow-capped peaks and Buddhist temples might not instinctively point you in the direction of a river cruise line, but you’d be remiss to overlook this exceptional possibility. Most river cruise companies with a presence in China combine their Yangtze River sailings (known for the scenic landscapes of the Three Gorges region and the engineering marvel that is the Three Gorges Dam) with land-based “cruisetour” extensions further into China, with visits to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai the norm. On some exceptional itineraries, Tibet tours are available too.
Mythical Lhasa (elevation 11,975′) is the main entry point and introduction to Tibet for most travelers, and well worthy of the three days’ exploration that most cruise line tours allot here.
Despite the ongoing rush to modernization and disillusioning effects of some six decades of Chinese occupation (a politically sensitive topic), Tibet remains an intrinsically spiritual place, filled with Tibetan Buddhist shrines, symbols and devotees. That mysticism is met by awe-inspiring mountain scenery and the wonderfully humble and friendly Tibetan people, many of whom spend their lives devoted to the accumulation of good karma, and have clearly made great strides to hold onto their cultural identity in the face of great hardships.
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Best Time for Tibet Cruise tours
The main Yangtze cruise season runs from April through October, which corresponds to the scheduled offerings for Tibet cruisetours, too. While the weather along the river is most comfortable — cooler and dryer, that is — in spring and autumn (April-May; September-October), the higher elevations of the Tibetan Himalayan region are most welcoming during the warmer summer months, from June through August (even if there might be some light rain showers).
Tibet Cruise tour Lines
Viking River Cruises is one of the largest inbound tour operators to Tibet, and is joined by a handful of other companies that tout Tibet cruisetour itineraries, too, including Uniworld, Avalon Waterways, Abercrombie & Kent and G Adventures.
Tibet Cruise tour Itineraries
Tibet cruise tours run 13 to 16 nights in duration, with land-based segments of the trip in Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and sometimes Chengdu, as well as a visit to Lhasa that typically takes up three or four days of the journey. Anticipate this to include a three- to five-night sailing on the Yangtze, as well. Meals, hotels, cruise, guide services and intra-China transport are typically included in the rates.
With the exception of G Adventures, all Tibet cruisetours listed here include a hotel stay at the five-star, 2014-debuted Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa, set within walking distance of the Potala Palace. The 289 spacious rooms offer a sense of place with soothing earth tones, Tibetan design accents and majestic mountain views. A spa, pool and gym round out the offerings, though at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, you’ll most likely be spending your time in their dedicated “oxygen lounge.” On other tours, Viking also uses the upscale St. Regis Lhasa Resort for lodging, while G Adventures books its guests at the reliable, three-star Dhood Gu Hotel.
Tibet Cruise tour Highlights
For more on Yangtze River cruisetour port highlights beyond Tibet, see Yangtze River Cruise Tips. For the Lhasa portion of the trip, itineraries vary slightly, but you can generally expect the following guided excursions as the core offerings:
Potala Palace: A sight to behold, both inside and out, this monumental red-and-white hilltop palace welcomes visitors to wander through the 1,000-plus-room former winter residence of Tibet’s long line of Dalai Lamas. The current version dates to the 17th-century, though the site’s significance dates back a millennium further still. Visit the living quarters here of past Dalai Lamas, the spiritual and political leaders of Tibet, who are believed to be reincarnated manifestations of an enlightened bodhisattva (unfortunately, the current Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamsala, India, since 1959). Find, too, a series of sacred shrines and chapels, with impressive imagery and statuary, as well as the astonishing, towering gilded stupa tombs that contain the mummified remains of Tibet’s previous Dalai Lamas.
Jokhang Temple: The holiest temple within Tibetan Buddhism, and a popular place of pilgrimage, this nearly 1,400-year-old temple comes filled with shoulder-to-shoulder devotees and a palpable sense of faith. Join pilgrims as they venerate religious images and ancient statues (including the highly revered Jowo Rinpoche statue of a youthful Buddha), the air thick with incense and the glow of yak-butter lamps. Don’t miss the inspiring rooftop views over Lhasa and the surrounding mountain ranges.
The Barkhor: Circling the exterior of the Jokhang Temple, this ancient pathway marks a sacred kora for Tibetan pilgrims, as they circumambulate the temple in procession, filling the street with a sense of wondrous devotion. The scene is ethereal and animated (people-watching doesn’t get much better than this), as the faithful prostrate, spin prayer wheels and chant en route. Lining the pedestrianized path, too, are a series of stalls selling bargain-ready wares: prayer flags and beads, handmade jewelry and more.
Sera Monastery: This 15th-century Gelugpa mountainside monastery is the site of a trio of monastic colleges and home to about 500 monks in training (though it once housed 5,000). Of special interest to visitors is the huge assembly hall, where just outside, on weekday afternoons, monks engage in spirited debates (complete with stomping and hand gestures) meant to test their level of study.
Tibet Museum: Overlook the Chinese propaganda (the history of Tibet is rewritten to glorify Chinese policies here), and you’ll be rewarded with close-up views of ancient Tibetan artifacts, as well as insight into local culture. Statues of Buddha, handicrafts, thangkas (paintings on cloth), musical instruments and more span Tibetan history, with certain objects dating as far back as Neolithic times.
Home Visit: Several itineraries (including Viking, Uniworld and Avalon’s) incorporate home visits to see how locals live. Our visit with Viking to a traditional Lhasa dwelling included samplings of traditional yak-butter tea (an acquired taste, for sure) and home-brewed barley beer, and a peek into the family’s elaborate home shrine (apparently, the norm throughout the country).
Tibet Cruise tour Tips
There are a few special considerations for travel to Tibet:
China occupies Tibet. China’s controversial claim to Tibet came to a head in 1959, when the Chinese occupation (or, so-called “liberation,” according to the Chinese) ultimately led to the loss of Tibetan sovereignty, the exile of the Dalai Lama to India and the country transforming into a special administrative region of China. Today, China claims Tibet as an “inalienable part of China,” and the ongoing encroachment of the Chinese is apparent in the sheer number of Han Chinese (the ethnic majority in China) who now live and work there. This ongoing political situation marks a painful and sensitive topic, and not one that Tibetans are permitted to speak freely about (our local guides had to divert guests’ questions several times); respect these restrictions, as guides and other local Tibetans can risk persecution and other repercussions from the Chinese authorities. You’ll no doubt notice the military presence, Chinese-led construction projects and distinct Chinese and Tibetan sections of the city; be sure to read up on the disturbing past rife with sad tales of genocide and cultural destruction. However, it’s worth noting that the Dalai Lama encourages tourism to the region, citing the importance for travelers to learn more about Tibet, its people and the reality of life on the ground there.
Tibet visitors need travel permits. Political sensitivities in the region have accordingly led to strict travel restrictions. Foreign travelers are prohibited from visiting Tibet independently and must arrange for travel through a guided group tour, like those on offer with these cruise lines; all necessary travel permits are typically arranged as part of the tour booking.
Beware of altitude sickness. While most itineraries afford three days on the ground in Lhasa, be forewarned that you’re more than likely to need the first day for acclimation (tour stops are usually scheduled accordingly on the second and third days). It’s a frustrating feeling to make the epic journey to Tibet and then be stuck in your hotel room, but for the first full day on the ground there, even the effort of walking from the bed to the bathroom may leave you winded and light-headed (about three-quarters of our tour group experience some form of altitude sickness, some more serious than others). Don’t underestimate your limitations in extreme elevations, and consider talking to your doctor about treatments (like Diamox) that might be right for you to help alleviate symptoms.
–By Elissa Garay, Cruise Critic contributor
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Whole Trouble – Occupation of Tibet brings Trouble for Asia
People of Asia are slowly coming to grips with ‘Trouble in Tibet’. Red China’s military occupation of Tibet and dam-building to control flow of South Asia’s rivers is a security threat and it demands the use of military power to resolve Tibet’s Trouble.
Preventing a water war in Asia
China’s extensive dam-building would give it control of Southeast Asia’s rivers
Whole Trouble – Occupation of Tibet brings Trouble for Asia
An Indian washerman works on the banks of the River Brahmaputra on a foggy winter morning in Gauhati, India, Monday, Jan. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
By THE WASHINGTON TIMES – – Monday, January 18, 2016
Just when Asia was getting accustomed to the Chinese threat to the oceans of Southeast Asia, there’s another water worry for Asians. The government in Beijing controls the health of six major South and Southeastern Asian rivers, the heart of life in the region. All of the rivers rise on the Tibetan plateau. The Chinese have been on an intensive program of dam-building on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra, the Irrawaddy, the Meman Chao Phya and the Mekong, which would give them the ability to control these arteries of commerce, as well as irrigation of rice and other crops, for vast areas downstream.
Snows are melting on thousands of glaciers, the largest concentration of ice north and south of the poles, repeating the ancient and constant cycle of change in the world’s weather. One Tibetan lake, Namtso, a holy site where pilgrims circumnavigate its banks in prayer, expanded by 20 square miles between 2000 and 2014. Tibet’s glaciers have shrunk by 15 percent over the past 30 years. Though subject to the whims of climate change, if melting continues at current levels the warmer temperatures could melt two-thirds of the plateau’s glaciers by 2050, and this would affect in unknown ways 2 billion people in China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The most dramatic example of prospective risk is China’s plan to divert the Brahmaputra from its upper reaches, where it flows a thousand miles through Tibet and another 600 miles through India, emptying into the harbor of Calcutta, the second-largest city of India. The Brahmaputra is the lifeline of northeast India, a troubled region with caste and other ethnic conflicts.
There’s concern in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia over eight dams under construction on the upper reaches of the Mekong River. The Burmese military junta canceled a dam under construction in Myanmar, formerly called Burma, one of six Chinese-led hydroelectric projects planned for the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy. These plants would have exported electricity to southern China.
Government and the business interests worry that China’s apparent intention to dam every major river flowing out of Tibet will lead to environmental imbalance, natural disasters, degrade fragile ecologies, and most of all, divert vital water supplies. The extent of the Chinese program is monumental — on the eight great Tibetan rivers alone, China has completed or started construction of 20 dams, with three-dozen more on the drawing board.
The Dalai Lama points out the obvious, that China’s dam-building could lead to conflict. He warns that India’s use of the Tibetan water “is something very, very essential. So, since millions of Indians use water coming from the Himalayan glaciers I think [India] should express more serious concern. This is nothing to do with politics, just everybody’s interests, including Chinese people.”
The Chinese program for the Brahmaputra is one of the issues which complicate the India-China relationship. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi blows hot and cold over the threat. Despite extensive contacts, Himalayan border disputes dating from almost a century are no nearer solution than ever, and water is one of the important irritants. Increasing penetration of the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan, once dependencies of Britain, has become a new concern in New Delhi.
However, China has become India’s No. 1 trading partner — up to $80 billion in 2015, an increase of $10 billion over 2014. India exports mostly raw materials and imports mostly Chinese electronics and other manufactured goods. Economic relations are the usual guarantee that political and economic disagreements will somehow be sorted out. But not always. Keeping the peace if not necessarily tranquility between the Asian giants must be a priority of the U.S. government. A water war is in nobody’s interest.
Whole Dude - Whole Concept 