BLESSINGS FOR PEACE – MY PRAYERS TO TIBET’S MOUNTAINS FOR JUSTICE
Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility define the Tibetan Living Experience. Tibetans pray to their Mountains to receive the Blessings for Peace. I am praying to Tibet’s Mountains to give us Justice in addition to Peace.
The painting – titled “Tangla. The Song about Shambhala” – shows a mythical paradise. Shambhala is believed to be the birthplace of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
From the meandering Brahmaputra River winding its way through the Himalayas to the magnificent vision of the Kangchenjunga melding with the sky above, here are some colorful and dramatic paintings of Tibet’s mountains.
Brahmaputra River is shown flowing through a path between lofty mountain peaks in this painting titled “Brahmaputra.”. (Found in the collection of State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, Russia.)
The painting – titled “Tangla. The Song about Shambhala” – shows a mythical paradise. Shambhala is believed to be the birthplace of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. (Found in the collection of State Museum of Oriental Art.)
A 1924 work titled “Padma Sambhava.” Padmasambhava was an Indian sage who is said to have introduced Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the eighth century. (Found in the collection of the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York City, New York, U.S.)
An illustration, titled “Kangchenjunga,” of world’s third highest mountain. (Found in the collection of the International Centre of the Roerichs in Moscow.)
Whole Separatism: Tibet Separatism is just a Natural Phenomenon.
In my analysis, Tibet Separatism is just a natural phenomenon for it is entirely derived from the actions of various Natural Forces acting over thousands of years to create the separate Tibetan Identity which refuses to merge with identities of other foreign nationalities. Tibetan Identity will always exist as a ‘Separate’ Identity and no man will be able to wipe it out by building roads, bridges, railways, airports to plunder the natural resources of Tibetan Plateau.
Tibetan Separatism does not constitute any kind of political activity. In fact, Tibetan Separatism represents the reality of Independence granted by the works of Mother Nature.
Tibetan Separatism does not constitute any kind of political activity. In fact, Tibetan Separatism represents the reality of Independence granted by the works of Mother Nature.
Dalai Lama a political exile, engaged in separatist activities: China | world news | Hindustan Times
China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans claim they were essentially independent for most of that time
Whole Separatism: Tibet Separatism is just a Natural Phenomenon.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama interacts with the leaders of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) at his residence, in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, on October 24, 2018. (HT File Photo)
China on Tuesday hit out at the Dalai Lama who is on a visit to Japan, saying that countries should not facilitate the Tibetan spiritual leader’s “separatist activities”.
On the Dalai Lama’s reported comments that China and Tibet should co-exist and prosper together, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said here that the Tibet issue is an internal matter of Beijing.
“As for the Dalai Lama’s speech, it is not up to me to answer this question. I can tell you that the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile and he is engaged in separatist activities,” he said.
“We hope the relevant parties will not provide facilitation for his separatist activities,” he said.
China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans claim they were essentially independent for most of that time. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland.
The Dalai Lama is on a 10-day teaching tour of Japan. China routinely objects to his foreign visits.
First Published: Nov 20, 2018 18:24 IST
Whole Separatism: Tibet Separatism is just a Natural Phenomenon.
THE GREAT TIBET PROBLEM – BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE vs MEANINGFUL AUTONOMY
I am opposing China’s Belt and Road Initiative as it is not consistent with the plan to secure “Meaningful Autonomy” to resolve ‘The Great Tibet Problem.
Washington, Nov 18: China’s Belt and Road initiative will lead to colonization, subjugation of Tibet and exploitation of natural resources in the region, the head of the Tibetan Government in exile has said.
Touted as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitious project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe.
Lobsang Sangay
“Tibet is the blueprint of the BRI. Our experience with the road initiative connecting China with Tibet has not been good,” Lobsang Sangay, the president of the Central Tibetan Administration told PTI in an interview during his visit to Washington DC this week.
“One road lead to hundreds of roads in Tibet now, routes, and one railway is leading to three or four railways. One airport led to 30 airports six military airfields. Conveniently, all these roads, railways and airport are connected to haul out natural resources and minerals from Tibet,” he explained.
This, he said, is very damaging to water, air and land of Tibet.
“For us, one road leads to the colonization of the Tibet, one road leads to extraction of all kinds of minerals and natural resources. Hence, for us, the one road leads to net loss,” Sangay said in response to a question.
Making a strong case against China’s ambitions BRI initiatives, Sangay in his interaction with the American leadership told them they need to see what happened with Tibet due to the BRI. He told the American leadership that the world should learn from the Tibetan experience, so they can avoid it. “That’s my advice,” he said.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s foreign policy during the Cold War Era is often misunderstood as nations were forced to use secret diplomatic negotiations in the conduct of foreign policy. In my analysis, the Indian Prime Minister took appropriate action not only to defend India’s security interests but also to help Tibet to the extent possible.
I hold the People’s Republic of China completely responsible and accountable for her acts of military aggression during 1950 and later in 1962. I find no reason to blame either Indian Prime Minister or Tibet for China’s misconduct.
I ask my readers to give attention to Indian support to Nationalist China during the concluding years of World War II. Apart from delivering weapons and military supplies to Nationalist China, the US with Indian assistance supplied weapons to Tibet prior to the Communist takeover of the mainland China. This military intervention in Tibet provided an excuse to Communist China to invade Tibet in 1950. I do not find fault with either India or Tibet. Their combined military power is not adequate to maintain the Balance of Power in South Asia. There is nothing wrong if weaker nations use diplomatic negotiations to resolve problems with stronger and powerful nations. It is indeed a practical and rational approach and I would not ridicule such attempts as an appeasement policy.
I uphold the valid concerns shared by India’s former Deputy Prime Minister, but I would not use his concerns to find fault with Prime Minister Nehru’s Foreign Policy Legacy. India has not yet changed the course of the foreign policy direction set up by Nehru.
The writer is based in South India for the past 40 years. He writes on India, China, Tibet, and Indo-French relations.
Patel-Nehru rift over Tibet & China was deep
Published Nov 8, 2018, 7:46 am IST
Updated Nov 8, 2018, 7:46 am IST
The most serious cause of discord was the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese “Liberation Army” in October 1950.
The Nehru Legacy. The Cold War in Asia.
On October 31, the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: @narendramodi/Twitter)
On October 31, the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The work on the 182-meter tall statue has been completed after round the clock work by 3,400 laborers and 250 engineers at Sadhu Bet island on Narmada river in Gujarat. Sadhu Bet, located some 3.5 km away from the Narmada Dam, is linked by a 250-meter-long long bridge.
Unfortunately, for several reasons, scarce scholarly research has been done on the internal history of the Congress; the main cause is probably that a section of the party would prefer to keep history under wraps. Take the acute differences of opinion between Sardar Patel, the deputy prime minister, and “Panditji”, as Nehru was then called by Congressmen. In the last weeks of Patel’s life (he passed away on December 15, 1950), there was a deep split between the two leaders, leading to unilateral decisions for the PM, for which India had to pay the heaviest price.
The most serious cause of discord was the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese “Liberation Army” in October 1950. In the course of recent researches in Indian archives, I discovered several new facts. Not only did several senior Congress leaders, led by Patel, violently oppose Nehru’s suicidal policy, but many senior bureaucrats too did not agree with the Prime Minister’s decisions and objected to his policy of appeasement with China, which led India to lose a peaceful border.
On November 11, 1950, the deputy prime minister of India addressed a meeting organized by the Central Aryan Association to commemorate the 67th death anniversary of Swami Dayanand Sarasvati. It was to be his last speech. What did he say? The Sardar spoke of the potential dangers arising from what was happening in Tibet and Nepal, and he exhorted his countrymen: “It was incumbent on the people to rise above party squabbles and unitedly defend their newly won freedom.” He cited the example of Gandhi and Swami Dayanand.
Sardar Patel then criticized the Chinese intervention in Tibet; he asserted that to use the “sword” against the traditionally peace-loving Tibetan people was unjustified: “No other country in the world was as peace-loving as Tibet. India did not believe, therefore, that the Chinese government would actually use force in settling the Tibetan question.” He observed that the Chinese government did not listen to India’s advice to settle the Tibetan issue peacefully: “They marched their armies into Tibet and explained this action by talking of foreign interests intriguing in Tibet against China.” The deputy prime minister added that this fear was unfounded; no outsider was interested in Tibet. The Sardar continued by saying that “nobody could say what the outcome of Chinese action would be. But the use of force ultimately created more fear and tension. It was possible that when a country got drunk with its own military strength and power, it did not think calmly over all issues.” He strongly asserted that the use of arms was wrong: “In the present state of the world, such events might easily touch off a new world war, which would mean disaster for mankind.”
Did he know that it was his last message? “Do not let cowardice cripple you. Do not run away from danger. The three-year-old freedom of the country has to be fully protected. India today is surrounded by all sorts of dangers and it is for the people today to remember the teachings of the two great saints and face fearlessly all dangers.”
The deputy prime minister concluded: “In this kalyug, we shall return ahimsa for ahimsa. But if anybody resorted to force against us, we shall meet it with force.” He ended his speech citing Swami Dayananda: “People should also remember that Swamiji did not get a foreign education. He was the product of Indian culture. Although it was true that they in India had to borrow whatever was good and useful from other countries, it was right and proper that Indian culture was accorded its due place.” Who is ready to listen to this, even today?
Days earlier, Patel had written a “prophetic” letter to Nehru, detailing the implications for India of Tibet’s invasion. In fact, Patel used a draft done by Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai, the secretary-general of the ministry of external affairs and Commonwealth relations. However, Nehru decided to ignore Patel’s letter.
Witnessing the nefarious influence of K.M. Panikkar, the Indian ambassador to China, who ceaselessly defended China’s interests, Bajpai, the most seasoned Indian diplomat, had lost his cool. On October 31, in an internal note, he detailed the sequence of events which followed Tibet’s invasion and the role of Panikkar, whose attitude was compared to Sir Neville Chamberlain’s towards Hitler.
Bajpai’s anger demonstrates the frustration of many senior officers; the account starts on July 15, when the governor of Assam informed Delhi that, according to the information received by the local intelligence bureau, Chinese troops, “in unknown strength, had been moving towards Tibet from three directions.” Not only was Panikkar unable to get any confirmation, but he virtually justified Beijing’s military action by writing: “In view of frustration in regard to Formosa, the Tibetan move was not unlikely.” During the next three months, the Indian ambassador would systematically take the Chinese side.
After receiving Bajpai’s note, Patel wrote back: “I need hardly say that I have read it with a great deal of interest and profit to myself and it has resulted in a much better understanding of the points at issue and general, though serious, nature of the problem. The Chinese advance into Tibet upsets all our security calculations. … I entirely agree with you that a reconsideration of our military position and a redisposition of our forces are inescapable.”
Some more details of the seriousness of the situation filter through Inside Story of Sardar Patel: The Diary of Maniben Patel, the daughter of the Sardar. In an entry on November 2, 1950, Maniben wrote: “Rajaji and Jawaharlal had a heated altercation about the Tibet policy. Rajaji does not at all appreciate this policy. Rajaji very unhappy — Bapu (Patel) did not speak at all.”
Later in the afternoon, “Munshi complained about Tibet policy. The question concerns the whole nation — said he had written a personal letter to Panditji on Tibet.”
Later, Patel told K.M. Munshi: “Rajaji, you (Munshi), I (Patel), Baldev Singh, (C.D.) Deshmukh, Jagjivan Ram, and even Sri Prakash are on one side, while Gopalaswamy, Rafi, Maulana (Azad) are on his side.” There was a vertical split in the Cabinet, and it was not only about Tibet. The situation would deteriorate further during the following weeks.
On December 12, Patel was divested on his portfolios. Nehru wrote: “In view of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s ill-health it is absolutely necessary that he should have complete rest and freedom from worry, so as to be able to recuperate as rapidly as possible. …no work should be sent to him and no references made to him in regard to the work of these ministries.”
Gopalaswami Ayyangar, from the “other side”, was allotted the ministry of states and Nehru kept the ministry of home. The Sardar was only informed after the changes were made. He was a dejected man. Three days later he passed away.
In my analysis, Tibetan Identity is created by Nature and man entered Tibet later to inherit the Identity. The Dalai Lama Life Cycle is consistent with Nature as the succession is not influenced by man. The People’s Republic of China wants to firmly intervene in any mechanism that Tibetans choose to determine the succession of the Dalai Lama. In fact, the Vatican most recently agreed to give China a role in the selection of Archbishops of the Chinese Catholic Church.
The Dalai Lama Life Cycle. Man vs Nature.
In my view, Natural Forces, Natural Causes, Natural Factors, Natural Conditions, and Natural Mechanisms will continue to play the most significant role in preserving the Tibetan Identity created by Nature. If not Plate Tectonics, Bolide Collision will decide Tibetan Destiny to reverse China’s Iron Fist Rule over Tibet.
DHARAMSALA, India — The Dalai Lama, the exiled supreme leader of Tibetan Buddhism, said Nov. 5 that the selection of his successor could be done in a way the pope is selected by the Catholic Church in an election by cardinals.
“The kind of pope system is … possible to choose among the high lama or high scholars,” the 83-year-old Dalai Lama said in an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun and other media outlets. He said naming his successor by himself is “also possible,” explaining that there were some precedents of past leaders making selections while they were still alive.
Finding his “reincarnation” after his death — like what was said to have happened with the second Dalai Lama and other leaders — would be another way of choosing his successor, he said. If this method is not chosen, said the Dalai Lama, “When I become very old … I will ask if they want to keep the way to choose the next Dalai Lama.” He added it is “up to the Tibetan people” whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not.
As for his health, the Dalai Lama said he was diagnosed with cancer two years ago but it was cured after radiation therapy.
Tibet is controlled by China, and religious activities in the region including Buddhism are restricted by Beijing in an apparent bid to reduce the influence of the Dalai Lama and curb a potential separation movement.
Regarding the relationship with China, the Dalai Lama said he is not seeking independence. He said historically Tibet was an independent nation but “today for mutual benefit Tibet remains in the People Republic of China.”
The Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) released a new report on Tibet titled ‘Tibet Was not Part of China But Middle Way Remains a Viable Solution’.
New Report on Tibet – Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Tibet’s attempt to secure meaningful autonomy on May 23, 1951, was disastrous.
But, we tried this Middle Way Approach on May 23, 1951, with disastrous consequences. As the saying goes, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” Tibet cannot afford to bite the Bullet twice. Communist China insists that she has the right to control the Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. The discussion about ‘Meaningful Autonomy’ has become redundant for Chinese Colonization of Tibet includes total Subjugation of all Social and Political Institutions of Tibet that give “Meaning” to Tibetan Identity.
New Delhi, Oct 30: From incidents of self-immolations, human rights, cultural genocide to the history of Tibet’s status and reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama — a new report released on Tuesday highlights the contemporary and prevalent issues faced by Tibet.
The report titled ‘Tibet Was Never A Part Of China But The Middle Way Approach Remains a Viable Solution’ was launched by the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
The report, organized into nine chapters, covers self-immolations, human rights, cultural genocide, the history of Tibet’s status, the environment, urbanization, economic development, the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Middle Way Policy.
“The chapters aim to be comprehensive but digestible. Given that each topic could be a book of its own, the report serves as an overview of the most pressing issues in Tibet for those involved with or interested in the Tibetan cause,” DIIR’s Information Secretary Dhardon Sharling said during the launch of the report.
Published in Tibetan, English and Chinese languages, the report was unveiled by Prof. Anand Kumar and Dr Lobsang Sangay, President, Central Tibetan Administration here.
“For Tibetans, information is a precious commodity. Severe restrictions on expression accompanied by a relentless disinformation campaign engender facts, knowledge and truth to become priceless. This has long been the case with Tibet. This report marks the CTA’s current contribution to this effort,” said CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay.
THE POPE’S JUDAS KISS TO SEAL THE DEAL WITH COMMUNIST CHINA
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
In my analysis, the Vatican deal with Communist China represents an act of betrayal. Pope Francis betrayed Jesus Christ to permit Communist China a role in the selection of Archbishops for Catholic Churches in China.
The Living Tibetan Spirits would not expect His Holiness the Dalai Lama to walk in the footsteps of Pope Francis to forsake his faith to save the Dalai Lama Institution of Tibet.
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
The Pope has kissed and made up with China. Can the Dalai Lama?
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
Pope Francis has pulled off a landmark deal by getting Beijing to recognize the Vatican’s influence – and his approach may impart valuable lessons to the Dalai Lama, should there be any hope for reconciliation with Tibet on the cards
Pope Francis has pulled off a landmark deal by getting Beijing to recognize the Vatican’s influence – and his approach may impart valuable lessons to the Dalai Lama, should there be any hope for reconciliation with Tibet on the cards
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
The Dalai Lama must make his peace with an antithetical political authority and persevere in good faith. Photo: Reuters
The reigning Bishop of Rome, Francis, is not your typical stodgy pontiff. In the five short years since his elevation as the first non-European head of the Roman Catholic Church since 741 AD, he has displayed latitude of mind, the courage of conviction, and deftness of diplomatic skill that is rare even among statesmen.
In August 2014, on entering Chinese airspace during a flight to Seoul, he broke six decades of silence between the Vatican and the head of China’s government by posting a message of goodwill to President Xi Jinping. Fittingly, on his birthday later that December, talks brokered by Francis were announced that would in time lead to the normalization of ties between the Castro regime in Cuba and the Obama administration. The US-Cuba agreement was signed at the Vatican Secretariat of State. In February 2016, almost a thousand years after the rupture of the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity, Pope Francis held the first meeting with his Russian Orthodox counterpart, Patriarch Kirill, in Havana. Francis’ millennia-spanning achievements are not one for the faint-hearted.
Last week, Pope Francis registered his biggest diplomatic breakthrough yet: a landmark agreement with the government of the People’s Republic on the ordination of bishops in China. As per the agreement, Beijing – 67 years after snapping ties with the Vatican – will formally recognize the Pope’s jurisdiction as the head of the Catholic Church in China as well as the final authority in deciding on candidates for bishops in the country.
The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), the “self-run Church” hitherto established and controlled by the state, is to be downgraded and reoriented. In exchange, Pope Francis is expected to lift the excommunications of seven CCPA-installed bishops and formally recognize them as the leaders of their dioceses. More broadly, a mechanism that enables Beijing to provide its acceptable slate of candidates and the Vatican to have a final say in selection will now be formalized.
The fate of the three dozen or so Vatican-approved prelates, some of whom are in prison, who are not recognized by the CCPA is unclear at this time. The larger hope, though, is that as the splintering of the Catholic Church in China is reversed, the churches above and underground will in time be reconciled. Perhaps, a papal visit could be on the cards, too.
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
Pope Francis’ list of achievements span millennia of history. Photo: AFP
Both sides stand to gain handsomely from the compromise. For the Vatican, its pre-eminence on all matters ecclesiastical in the sovereign territorial space of China has been formally confirmed for the first time by the communist government in Beijing. For the Chinese Communist Party, its overarching and “guiding” role in harnessing religious belief to “help social harmony, modernization [and a] healthy civilization” – a key principle of its post-1980s religious policy – is vindicated without having to cede (though having to share) control on key decision-making to an entity that is housed beyond its sovereign territorial space.
Now, if the Vatican can pull off a deal with Beijing, what about the Dalai Lama? As plausible as it may look in theory, the ramifications for the Tibetan Buddhist leader are more profound. And the bottom line is equally stark: while Beijing could in theory share, it will never cede control over key Tibetan Buddhism-related personnel matters, notably the recognition of tulkus (or “living Buddhas”), as long as the Dalai Lama remains in exile. And given that the Dalai Lama is double-hatted in Tibet’s theocratic political structure as its secular leader over a defined territorial space (unlike the Pope), it is all the more likely that Beijing will refuse to share – let alone cede – practical control over key personnel matters until the Dalai Lama returns to Tibet.
The failed effort in arriving at a consensual selection of a new Panchen Lama in the mid-1990s holds cautionary lessons. Following the untoward death of the revered lama in 1989, Beijing announced a search, selection and recognition process for his successor that initially ruled out a role for the Dalai Lama. Convinced otherwise by resident high lamas, Beijing reversed course in due time and accepted the involvement of the Dalai Lama in principle – if only to rubber-stamp its anointed choice.
By 1995, however, Beijing allegedly went so far as to turn a blind eye to a slate of candidates that it’s officially sanctioned search party (headed by a respected lama from Shigatse) had clandestinely submitted to the Dalai Lama for his prior approval. The process broke down in May that year, following the Dalai Lama’s fait accompli announcement of a young boy from northwest Tibet as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama.
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
The Vatican’s China deal has profound ramifications for the Tibetan Buddhist leader. Photo: Getty
Beijing’s essential bottom line remained consistent throughout while the prerogative of the Dalai Lama could be acknowledged and religious authority shared, akin to the China-Vatican accord, the overarching guiding role over religion in sovereign Tibetan territory rested ultimately with Beijing.
Four hundred years ago, the great Qing dynasty emperor, Kangxi – a patron of Jesuit cartography, astronomy and engineering – had insisted that Chinese rites of ancestor worship and public homage to Confucius, being civil rather than religious practices, should continue to be practiced by his converted Christian subjects. Conflating Kangxi’s injunction with an intrusion on the paramountcy of church doctrine, Pope Clement XI forbade Catholic missionaries from following the Emperor’s orders.
The episode did not end well for the Church. No less than China’s communist rulers today, the Kangxi Emperor refused to cede Beijing’s overarching guiding role over religion – and that too to an entity housed beyond its sovereign territorial space.
While one does not know if the Communist Party’s rule in Beijing will last as long the Qing dynasty’s multi-century reign, it is not about to disappear any time soon. The onus resides on the Dalai Lama’s shoulders to find a way to make peace and comity with Beijing – at least on matters that touch wholly and exclusively on Tibetan Buddhism. Dealing with the fraught issue of the limits of Tibet’s political and territorial autonomy is a different matter.
In March 2014, standing at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, President Xi Jinping extolled the profound impact of Buddhism in China. If a monotheist leader from distant Latin America carrying the Catholic Church’s dubious historical baggage can arrive at a principled compromise with the leadership in Beijing, surely the Dalai Lama could – or should – be able to do better. But for that, the Dalai Lama must heed the lessons of Francis – foremost, make one’s peace with and accommodate an antithetical political authority and, secondarily, persevere in good faith to realize this accommodation. Is his Excellency listening?
Sourabh Gupta is a senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington
The Pope’s Judas Kiss to Seal the Deal with Communist China.
TIBET EQUILIBRIUM – THE BALANCE OF POWER – CHINA WANTS A PUPPET DALAI LAMA
Tibet Equilibrium. The Balance of Power. China Wants a Puppet Dalai Lama.
The Great Problem of Tibet cannot be resolved as Communist China demands a Dalai Lama it can control. China views Tibet as a Puppet Nation and wants the Dalai Lama to dance to the tune played in Beijing.
Tibet Equilibrium. The Balance of Power. China Wants a Puppet Dalai Lama.
Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/TNS/File
The Dalai Lama greets members of the Vietnamese American community during the opening of Chua Dieu Ngu Buddhist temple in Westminster, Calif., on Saturday, June 18, 2016.
The Dalai Lama greets members of the Vietnamese American community during the opening of Chua Dieu Ngu Buddhist temple in Westminster, Calif., on Saturday, June 18, 2016.
BEIJING For three centuries, a succession of Tibetan spiritual and political leaders known as Dalai Lama ruled from a crimson-and-white castle overlooking the city of Lhasa.
The Potala Palace as it’s known was the start of a rare tour of Tibet last month. The Chinese foreign ministry and local government hosted international journalists on a trip to the mountainous region, and I was one of them.
While the Potala Palace still dominates Lhasa’s skyline, the current Dalai Lama hasn’t lived there since 1959, when the twenty-something fled to India as the People’s Liberation Army quashed a revolt against Chinese rule. In the six decades since, the question of his return has been a persistent source of tension between China and the West.
The Chinese government says the Dalai Lama can return only if he gives up any pretensions for an independent Tibet. The Dalai Lama and his supporters say they don’t seek independence but instead greater autonomy within China’s system, including an elected legislature and independent judicial system. Beijing rejects that claim as insincere.
But with the spiritual leader now 83, his return has also become a question of succession. In a move that could rile China’s ties with Western democracies, Beijing has begun laying out the case for why it should appoint the Dalai Lama’s successor instead of his exiled supporters in northern India.
It was a topic that came up frequently on our government-organized trip, which has long been the sole way foreign journalists could travel to Tibet the only part of China where written permission is required to visit. Such trips have also become rarer after a spate of self-immolations earlier this decade prompted tightened security. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama, who it says has fomented the unrest, while his followers and human-rights activists say the cause is government oppression.
Tibet stands out as the only Chinese area where ethnic Han Chinese are a small minority. Of the 3.2 million who live in the mountainous region, more than 90 percent are ethnic Tibetan. China’s total population of 1.4 billion, by contrast, is more than 90 percent Han.
In April, the U.S. State Department blasted China for “severe” repression in Tibet, including arbitrary detention, censorship and travel restrictions. It counted five incidences of self-immolation in 2017 a drop-off from 83 in 2012 and noted the arrest of Tibetans who speak with foreigners, particularly journalists.
The Potala Palace was the first of many stops in our packed itinerary, which also included visits to businesses, holy sites, an orphanage, the home of a herdsman, a school teaching traditional Thangka painting and interviews with various local authorities. At each stop, we were able to ask whatever we wanted as officials looked on.
At the Dalai Lama’s former residence, we saw pilgrims leaving offerings of money in the room where he once received guests. On the wall was a portrait of the 13th Dalai Lama, the predecessor of the current reincarnation.
While our questions about the Dalai Lama at the palace and other stops were mostly met with polite reticence, the reverence he still commands were noticeable. Several local officials said he’s still held in esteem by many as a spiritual leader.
The Potala Palace also holds the tombs of eight past Dalai Lama. The title passes from generation to generation through a process that selects successors in their childhood as reincarnations. Supporters of the current Dalai Lama fear that upon his death, there will be two claimants to the position: one selected by them and another by the Chinese government.
A similar power struggle played out with the Panchen Lama, the second-most prominent figure in Tibetan Buddhism. After the death of the 10th Panchen Lama in 1989, both the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama identified reincarnations. The man selected by Beijing is now a senior adviser to the nation’s parliament. The Dalai Lama’s choice hasn’t been seen in two decades, and his followers say he was abducted at the age of six.
His disappearance has become a political issue. In April, the U.S. State Department issued a statement marking his birthday and called on Chinese authorities to release him immediately, provoking a furious response from Beijing.
The Central Tibetan Administration, which represents the Dalai Lama’s followers in northern India, says the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should be in the hands of Tibetan Buddhist leaders. “The Chinese government should not interfere in the religious practices of Tibetan Buddhism,” said spokesman Sonam Dagpo.
When we discussed this with officials our trip, they argued that there’s precedent for Beijing to be involved. The current Dalai Lama, they say, ascended to the position in 1939 after being approved by Chiang Kai-Shek, who was president of the Republic of China before the Communist Party took power in 1949.
They also said the Communist Party has done just fine running Tibet. Some data points they reeled off: The economy has seen double-digit growth in each of the last 25 years; average life expectancy doubled to 68.2 in 2017 from 32.7 years in 1959; and literacy is now more than 99 percent, up from about 2 percent in 1951.
Central government statistics show that Tibet’s average disposable income was about $5,300 last year. That’s less than the national average but higher than several other regions including Gansu and Heilongjiang in the north.
Signs of growth were evident on the ground. In Lhasa, where we spent most of our time, scores of buildings were under construction. Traffic is bad from morning until as late as 9 p.m. A BMW dealership had opened, as has an enormous JD.com Inc. warehouse.
Tibet’s problems under the Dalai Lama’s rule went beyond economics, said Luobu Dunzhu, the most-senior official we met on our trip. The 57-year-old executive vice chairman of Tibet’s regional government told our group that his parents were slaves in the feudal system the Dalai Lama headed and had no hope for an education or better lives. Tibetans don’t want to go back, he said.
“The Dalai Lama knew about all of these problems and didn’t do anything to solve them,” Luobu Dunzhu said. “It was the Communist Party that changed Tibet and that’s why the people support the party.”
The Dalai Lama’s followers in India say that economic growth has mainly benefited ethnic Han Chinese, and deny they want to reinstate the old feudal system. What they want, spokesman Dagpo said, is for Tibetans to be able to worship and travel freely, to carry photos of the Dalai Lama and to send their children to monasteries. A key problem with Chinese rules is that any advocacy for Tibetan rights is seen as a form of intolerable separatism, he said.
While we saw no signs of unrest during our trip, the concern about separatism was clear. Travelers flying into Lhasa have their identifications checked before they can exit the airport. Roads entering the capital are manned by police checkpoints. Foreign tourists need permission to visit, one official said, to prevent “bad guys” from sneaking in.
That concern was also discernible when we visited the Sera Monastery, which dates back to the 1400s and where monks died in fighting with Chinese troops during the 1959 uprising when the Dalai Lama fled Tibet.
The monks there still practice many of its oldest traditions, including debate sessions in which participants whirl in circles and slap their hands together. But there’s also been change. In addition to Buddhist scriptures, its library also carries copies of President Xi Jinping’s book, “The Governance of China.”
Suo Lang Ci Ren, a member of the Sera monastery’s management committee, articulated a view we heard from several religious figures one that Beijing may also like to hear from the next Dalai Lama.
“Loving your country and loving your religion,” he said, “are things a monk must do in parallel.”
(Iain Marlow and Xiaoqing Pi contributed to this report.)
Tibet Equilibrium. The Balance of Power. China Wants a Puppet Dalai Lama.
A farmer inspects highland barley in Lhaze County of Xigaze, Tibet, Sept. 13, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
A farmer harvests highland barley in Lhaze County of Xigaze, Tibet, Sept. 13, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
A Time to Reap in Occupied Tibet.
An aerial photo shows farmers reaping highland barley in Lhaze County of Xigaze, Tibet, Sept. 13, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
A Time to Reap in Occupied Tibet.
A farmer harvests highland barley in Caina Township in Quxu County of Lhasa, Tibet, Sept. 16, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
A Time to Reap in Occupied Tibet
A farmer reaps highland barley in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, Tibet, Sept. 3, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
A Time to Reap in Occupied Tibet.
Farmers reap highland barley in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, Tibet, Sept. 3, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
A Time to Reap in Occupied Tibet.
An aerial photo shows highland barley fields in Nagarze Town in Nagarze County of Shannan, Tibet, Sept. 13, 2018. The highland barley in Tibet is entering harvest season. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)
