“UNSUNG HERO”: Tenzin Tselha, grassroots coordinator of SFT India, meets a Chushikandru freedom fighter

Posted on 29th March 2013 by Mandie McKeown

(Friday 29 March 2013) A chance meeting and request for translation brings together Tenzin Tselha, the grassroots coordinator of Students For A Free Tibet – India, and Thupten, a Chushikandru freedom fighter from Kham.

On a lazy afternoon I met Angela, a reporter from Germany, She wanted to do a report on Tibet Guerrilla (CHU_SHI_KAN_DRU) and the slothfulness rest a leave and I started getting into action. Which made me inspired by another freedom fighter from Kham. His name is Thupten and he is a hero, who contributed, sacrificed and did what he could do for Free Tibet. She asked me to interpret the conversation between them, while I was translating; thousands of questions were spewing in my mind.

Thupten-la.

As the story goes further, Angela began to ask questions about the incident when Tibetans were forced to return their arms and ammunition to the Nepali Government. Wearing with the feeling of chauvinism, I can indeed empathized and can sense the sadness in his voice, and according to my friend the glow of his eyes changes as he continued with the story which I missed. I began to wonder about the anger, hatred towards the Nepal government at the time. However, he being a true Buddhist practitioner and an ardent believer of His Holiness the Dalai Lama denied any kind of hatred and anger at that time. But there were people who committed suicide after the surrender, and I felt the betrayal, frustration of the Chu-shi-Gan-Dru soldier at that time. Though many people had lost their life and were disappointed by offering their lives in flames, however Thupten la continued serving the Tibetan army special frontier force for some time, after that he became the bodyguard of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he is still serving the community as a general Secretary of the organization.

Hence, I have the greatest of my humble gratitude and I compiled my nerves with all the warm respect for his generous contribution towards our country. He is not only a man but a patriot who adds an enormous development for our betterment.

Part of me, handing my two little ears to his musical stories and a cup of coffee that I had shared once upon a time was a day that I still longed and blessed. One fine day, when we walked into his office and we met Ama Adhe who was the longest-serving political prisoner, we actually came to know that they were friends, two patriots who sacrificed their life for the country.

He never stop loving and serving his country after the betrayal, chaos and unrest. Thupten la is an epitome of sacrifice and love for his own country, yet he does not hate the oppressor and the betrayer instead he is compassionate towards the opponent. ‘NEVER GIVE UP’ was one of the most popular quotes by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thupten la is again a patriot who followed what he said and he still following it.

Tibetans of the Snowland – (Gangchenpa)

Quote

Posted on 27th March 2013 by Jigme

This Wednesday we crosspost another High Peaks Pure Earth blogpost about one of the most popular song from Tibet in recent times.
dolmakyab

Dolma Kyap is a very popular and well-respected singer from Amdo, known for his strong voice and integrity. He has become so renowned for this song that he is popularly known as “Gangchenpa Dolma Kyap”.

Dolma Kyab’s powerful rendition of his song ‘Gangchenpa’, Tibetans of the Snowland, on an open stage with back drop of vast Tibetan grassland captivated audiences as well as Tibetans viewers across the world.

This music video of “Gangchenpa” is taken from a recording of a large-scale outdoor show staged by many Tibetan artists, including Dolma Kyap, that took place in Rebkong in July 2006, the same show was where “Mentally Return” was also performed. The song takes its time and slowly builds up to a crescendo, Dolma Kyap working the crowd up into a frenzy! Particularly emotional are the excited shouts from the crowd of “Gangchenpa!” right at the end of the video.

“Gangchenpa”
By Dolma Kyap
Lyrics by Chone Yumtsering
Composed by Chang Zhangtung

In the eastern part of the world
Trodden underfoot, a compassionate people
By reaching the sky over the snow mountains
Practise the search for happiness
In the plains of samsara
One’s own life is carried away by sandy winds though
All sentient beings
Firmly hold onto the realisation that
The lama remembers them in the depth of his heart

Oh, these descendants of great Kings
Are my Tibetans of the Snowland
To whom I voice my joy when I am happy
And to whom I sing mournful songs when I am sad
Oh, these descendants of great Kings
Are my Tibetans of the Snowland
To whom I voice my joy when I am happy
And to whom I sing mournful songs when I am sad

Riding on the horns of wild yaks
A ruddy-faced people
On the banks of the Yarlung river
Turned the hooves of their horses
And rode to all four directions
The three provinces
Their years of joy and sorrow
Are written on the face of Ama
Our forefathers
Their sweet songs will echo
Forever in the blue sky

Gangchenpa!
Oh, these descendants of great Kings
Are my Tibetans of the Snowland
Oh, these descendants of great Kings
Are my Tibetans of the Snowland
Gangchenpa!
Gangchenpa!

[Translation by High Peaks Pure Earth]

Lhamo Tso, activist wife of jailed filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen, granted political asylum in the U.S.

Posted on 24th March 2013 by Mandie McKeown

(March 18, 2013) On February 27, Lhamo Tso was granted political asylum by the United States of American in San Francisco. The idea to seek asylum in US came up last July when the Bay Area Friends of Tibet (BAFoT) along with other groups invited Lhamo Tso to the United States and organized the West Coast leg of the US lecture tour. The purpose of her visit was to advocate for the release of her husband, Dhondup Wangchen, who is serving a six year prison sentence in China.

After returning back to India Lhamo Tso travelled again to California and with the help of BAFoT obtained political asylum. Her main concern now is to reunite her family and to continue with her efforts for the release of her husband.

BAFoT is pleased that the United States granted her political asylum request: “She would definitely have been put in prison and mistreated if she were sent back to China-occupied-Tibet,” said BAFoT president Giovanni Vassallo. “We are very grateful to the U.S. government and extend congratulations to her and her family and pray for the day to come quickly that she will be reunited with her husband, a genuine and brave Tibetan hero who dared to nonviolently express care and love for his homeland and its special people.” He added, “We look to China to show grace and compassion now by releasing Dhondup Wangchen immediately to get the medical attention that is his human right.”

Lhamo Tso is very pleased and gives thanks on behalf of her family the US government for showing so much concern for her request. She would like to express her gratitude for all the help her family was given by various individuals and groups such as Mr. Tenpa Tsering in Delhi, Testen and Nyima Thondup in Switzerland, her friends in Dharamsala, the Tibetan Women’s Association in India, the officials of the Tibetan Children’s Village, the Dhomed Association, Gu- Chu-Sum, Tibetan Youth in Europe, US and India, International Tibet Network, Students for a Free Tibet, Save Tibet Austria, International Campaign for Tibet, Amnesty International, Committee to Protect Journalist, the various Tibetan Communities, her pro bono attorney, Kathleen McKinley, Tenzin N. Tethong and Yangchen Surkhang Lakar, Tibet support groups around the world, and anyone who helped her along the way. Her special thanks go to Filming for Tibet, toBAFoT, and the Vassallo family who have given her moral support and generous hospitality for many months.

Jamyang Tsultrim, president of Filming for Tibet who helped producing “Leaving Fear Behind” says: “After a long journey, Lhamo Tso has finally reached a safe haven. We hope that Dhondup Wangchen will soon join his wife and four children who have suffered from family separation. We also hope that Lhamo Tso can now start a more peaceful chapter in her family’s story and would like to ask all people to support her in finding a suitable job and make a successful start in the US.”

As Lhamo Tso continues to campaign for Dhondup’s release and resettle herself and four children to the United States, BAFoT will coordinate all courtesies that may be extended to Lhamo to offset the costs of her family’s US resettlement.

Please support Dhondup Wangchen and Lhamo Tso and visit http://friends-of-tibet.org/projects/lhamo-tso-freedom-fund

Freedom and democracy belong to those who fight for them

Posted on 14th March 2013 by Jigme

Tashi Rabten (Pen Name: Theurang)

Tashi Rabten (pen name: Theurang) is a Tibetan writer, poet and editor who is serving a four-year sentence in Mianyang Prison, Sichuan Province. He graduated from North-West University for Nationalities and edited the now-banned Tibetan language journal “Shar Dungri” and also published “Written in Blood”, a compilation of his poems, notes and writings on the situation in Tibet following the 2008 protests.

On the fifth anniversary of 14 March 2008 protest in Lhasa, TCHRD has translated and edited one of Theurang’s essays written before his arrest and subsequent imprisonment in 2009. The essay was republished in exile in the book “Reflections on 2008 Protests: a Collection of Essays by Tibetan Intellectuals in Tibet”, by Domey Editorial Committee, Dharamsala, India.

Freedom and democracy belong to those who fight for them

By Theurang

Freedom and democracy are fundamental aspirations of human beings. Every human being and nation on this earth is heading towards democracy, equality and freedom, leaving behind oppression and exploitation of dictatorship and slavery. For the values of democracy and equality, many great men and women gave up their lives. On this earth beneath the vast sky, although freedom and democracy belong to the entire humanity, they will never belong to those who oppress by practicing dictatorship. Be it individuals, organisations, governments or nations, it is a universal truth that those who oppress by practicing dictatorship, their hands and legs will be crushed under the rolling boulder called freedom, equality and democracy. For many years, we have been fighting for our rights—for the values of equality, freedom and democracy. We have been raising slogans and banners for them. Fighting for universal values of human rights is an act of seeking truth. We are not afraid of any one. No one can stop us.

Since 2008, Tibetans inside and outside Tibet have pursued many campaigns such as protests, fasts, peaceful marches and other commemorative events. These non-violent campaigns reflect the agonising thirst of the Tibetan people for freedom and democracy. They expose the political system and policies of the People’s Republic of China under which we are living. Our campaigns are not to secure freedom and democracy for Tibetan people only. They reflect the growing aspirations and hopes of peoples and nations who yearn for freedom and democracy. Many nations and peoples on this earth support our struggle.

Any nation or people aspiring for democracy must respect the life of every individual citizen without any discrimination. Amid our non-violent struggle, however, we witnessed ‘some ugly incidents of looting, burning, smashing and killing.’ Such incidents violate human rights and sacredness of human lives and thus pollute, and are a blot on, the non-violent struggle of our people. Moreover, these horrible incidents tarnish our movement in the eyes of other peoples and nations, contradict the vision of peace espoused by the noble Gyalwa Rinpoche and negate a people fighting for truth and justice.

Since we do not have military might, we cannot pursue an armed struggle. The only solution we have is non-violent protests that express our opposition to lies and oppression of Chinese government. It is extremely important that such non-violent protests are organised in countries and among nationalities that cherish democracy and freedom. While campaigning for freedom, many of our brave fellow Tibetans lost their lives to guns while many underwent enormous suffering walking thousands of miles on peaceful marches. If you are a Tibetan nurtured on milk and tsampa, if Tibetan blood is running into your veins, you have to speak up and campaign for Tibetan freedom. You cannot support dictatorship and slavery. I have heard that some Tibetan leaders [working for Chinese government] are criticising our freedom struggle. In Chinese newspapers and televisions, some Tibetans are condemning it. The Tibetan nation cannot be represented simply by Tibetans living under Chinese rule, leave alone by a few Tibetan residents of Lhasa. Moreover, those reactionaries who have become tools of Chinese oppression cannot represent the Tibetan people. This truth should be made clear to the world. In our campaign for freedom, many Tibetans have lost their lives. Rather than accepting this truth, China is attempting to hijack our non-violent struggle. We must send true information and pictures of our protests to the outside world. We must mention the number of Tibetans killed and arrested, slogans raised by protestors and places where protests were held.

“A true and verified picture of an injured Tibetan is more valuable than [poorly-verified and thus hard to prove] information about the death of a hundred Tibetans,” a friend once told me. This is true. No matter what campaign we pursue, we must not pursue them in haste—that is without any strategic planning. Nor should we resort to violence. Moreover, our educated folks must write appeal letters on behalf of Tibetans who were arrested and disappeared in some places. All these information must be propagated throughout the world. In short, freedom and democracy belong to those who fight for them. They will never belong to those who murder democracy and freedom by practicing dictatorship and slavery. If we do not lose our pride and determination, Tibetan people will have a chance to taste democracy and freedom one day.

Tibetan Singer Sentenced

Posted on 13th March 2013 by Jigme

A photo of Lo Lo from his album, “Raise the Flag of Tibet, Sons of the Snow.” [RFA]

On Wednesday 13 March we feature a song from a popular Tibetan singer named Lolo who was recently given a six year prison sentence. Lolo is a popular Tibetan singer from Yulshul (in Chinese, Yushu). He was detained in April 2012 after releasing album called “Raise the Tibetan flag, Children of Snowland”. According to Voice of Tibet, Lolo was sentenced in February 2013 to six years in prison; his current whereabouts and well-being are not known.

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated the title track from his album. The blog notes that ‘

the song lyrics are extremely political and talk about Tibetan independence, the national flag and Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives. The video as well shows surprisingly strong scenes such as a candle lit vigil where the candles spell out 3 and 10, possibly a reference to March 10, Tibetan National Uprising Day. When the lyrics about the “Protector” are sung, a photo of the Dalai Lama is shown alongside the Karmapa and what looks like the tenth Panchen Lama, unfortunately the video quality is quite poor.’

“Raise the Tibetan Flag, Children of the Snowland” by Lolo

For the sake of protecting Tibet’s independence
Our Kings resisted the red Chinese leaders
From the true meaning of the middle path
Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

For the sake of honouring the Snowland
And to win Tibet’s complete independence
Based on the manifold truth
Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

For the sake of the return of the Protector
For the sake of uniting Tibetans home and abroad
From the wounds of the souls in flames
Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

This snow lion and snow mountain adorned flag
Is the national flag of the Tibetan people
Avenge those departed for the sake of Tibet

Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!
Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!