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DaYig a message of courage

This year culminated in an important event for the Ti-

betan Womens Association and Friends Australia

(TWAFA): the first visit to Australia of the President of

the Tibetan Womens Association, Kirti Dolkar Lhamo.

Dolkar Lhamo was in Australia to attend the Asia Pacific

Breakthrough Conferencean initiative of the Interna-

tional Womens Faith and Development Alliance

(www.iwda.org.au). I was very happy to be able to join

with Dolkar Lhamo in attending the conference, which

was held between 2nd and 3rd December at BMW Edge,Federation Square and the Sofitel Hotel in Melbourne.

The conference was addressed by many well-known key-

note speakers including Reverend Tim Costello

(Executive Director of World Vision), Joan Kirner

(Victorian Communities Ambassador and former Premier

of Victoria), and Kerrianne Cox (internationally re-

nowned Aboriginal performing artist, awarded the Cen-

tenary Medal by the Australian Government for services

to her country).

The working group sessions at the conference

covered topics such as womens equality and empower-

ment, women and climate change, maternal health, philan-thropy and social development, and the role of faith in

development and peace building. As the only representa-

tives of Tibet at these discussions, Dolkar Lhamo and I

were able to contribute towards the final list of recom-

mendations, which will be produced in 2010 as a sum-

mary of the conference proceedings (The list is not yet

available). In particular, Dolkar Lhamo was able to inform

those present of the critical levels of environmental de-

struction on the Tibetan plateau. Following this, Dolkar

FEATURES

LOCAL NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Tibet Third Pole Team 9

5th World Parliamentarians Conference 1

2009 in ReviewThe Royal Family of TibetBriefings from the Environment Desk

257

Annual Fundraising DinnerFilm Afternoon at Mt Martha

4

Statement by Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche

Insidethisissue

N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E T I B E T A N W O M E N S A S S O C I A T I O N A N D F R I E N D S A U S T R A L I A

Tibetan Womens Association and Friends Australia TWAFA hREG #A0049430Y vicepresident@twafa.org

V O L N O . 3

D E C 2 0 0 9

Lhamo went on to attend the UN Climate Change Con-

ference in Copenhagen as part of the Tibet Third Pole

team (see Copenhagen report below, p.9). It was won-

derful to have this close contact with Dolkar Lhamo and

to have the opportunity to assist her while she was in

Melbourne. This has enabled us to strengthen our ties

with our international office in Dharamsala and to dis-

cuss, in person, the developing relationship of TWAFA

with our head office in Dharamsala.

Another important highlight of 2009 was our

meeting with His Holiness the Sakya Trizin Dagtri Rin-

poche on 27th June, during his teachings in Melbourne.My committee members were excited to meet with His

Holiness, to have the chance to inform him of the pro-

gress of TWAFA over the past four years, and to ask

for advice about the future direction of our organization.

His Holiness was encouraging and supportive and we

were extremely happy to receive a blessing from such a

renowned master and important leader of the Tibetan

people.

One of our most enjoyable tasks this year has

been to assist some of the newly-arrived Tibetan refu-

gees. A group of over 40 refugees arrived in Melbourne

in Augustwithout money, possessions, or knowledgeof Australian lifestyle and language. With the help of my

committee, I feel privileged to have been given the op-

portunity to work closely with a group of 15 of the new

arrivals, assisting them as they settled into their new lives

in Australia. I would like to thank TWAFA members and

others who donated clothing and various goods. Your

kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated by all con-

cerned. Our present work with Tibetan refugees links us

closely with the other 48 chapters of TWA, whose

President's Report

Dolkar Lhamo Kirti, President of the Tibetan Womens Association,

with members and friends of TWAFA , December 2009

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traditional purpose has been to support Tibetans living in

exile around the globe.

I would would like to thank all our committee mem-

bers, on behalf of Tibet, for working with such dedication

for our cause. I am especially grateful to our archivist, Pam

Martin, for the excellent work she has done in compiling an

electronic archive of records since TWAFAs inception in

2006. Thank you also to Christine Bowen for your loyal

support, and to outgoing committee members Julia Tilley

and Jenny Wood, and a special welcome onto the commit-

tee for Sally Brindley and Prue Lamont. Jenny Wood has

been part of TWAFA from the very beginning, and I grate-

fully acknowledge her invaluable contribution to building

our organisation. She has been, and still is, a wonderful

friend and supporter of Tibet. We look forward to a con-

tinuing relationship with Jenny even though she is no longer

on the committee. I would also like to thank our treasurer,

Sharon Terry. Sharon was an active Tibet supporter before

I arrived in Australian in 1995. I greatly value her wisdomand efficiency and I could not ask for a better treasurer, or

one who would be more thrilled at every new member that

we sign up! It is such a pleasure to have her on our teamI

wish her long life and happiness.

I would also like to thank my Vice-President, Jo

Selleck. Without her, we could not have achieved what we

have. She has been working tirelessly with mewhether

assisting the new arrivals, or working on the newsletter

until 4.00 in the morning. Her commitment towards those

who need help in the Tibetan community, often contributing

at her own expense, shows her dedication to our organisa-

tion. I bow to herI have no words to say thank youshe

is always there for me and for Tibet.

There have been some important changes occurring

at the Tibet Information Office in Canberra during 2009. I

would like to thank Tenzin Phuntsok Atisha, the previous

Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for his hard

work and commitment to his fellow Tibetans over the past

six years. I extend the warmest welcome to the incoming

Representative of His Holiness, Sonam Norbu Dagpo, and

his team at the Tibet Information OfficeNgodup Gyaltsen

Udak (Executive Secretary) and Mrs Dadon (China Desk).

We look forward to working with the new team over the

coming years.

TWAFA continues to operate under the guidance ofa small but effective committee, and we hope that our

working group will continue to expand with the help of new

members who are keen to get involved in a direct and ac-

tive capacity. If you have any time to spare, please do not

hesitate to get in touch and work alongside us. Our mem-

bership base is slowly growing, and we encourage all our

existing members to renew their membership, as this is

essential for our survival.

We wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2010,

and we look forward to continuing our work for Tibet with

your support.

Sonam Dolker

2009 in Review

His Holiness the Sakya Trizin Dagtri Rinpoche meets with membersof the TWAFA committee on 27th June 2009

TWAFAs first major event for 2009 was the commemo-

ration of Tibetan Uprising Day on 10th March. This year,

TWAFA joined with the Tibetan community, the Austra-lia Tibet Council, and Amnesty International in a peaceful

demonstration. Approximately 200 people attended the

candlelight vigil, which was held on the steps of the Victo-

rian State Library in the centre of Melbourne. On 28th

March, we offered our support once again to the Tibetan

community, by joining them in a protest outside the Chi-

nese Embassy in Toorak (see photos below, p.3). Wher-

ever possible, TWAFA members have maintained an ac-

tive presence and peaceful supporting role in protest

events involving the local Tibetan community.

A public awareness campaign has been at the

forefront of TWAFAs activities throughout the year,

including information stalls held in Mornington (on 11th

March) and at St Andrews Market (on 21st November).

We have found this type of activity to be an effective way

of drawing public attention to important events and dates

on the calendar, such as His Holiness the Panchen Lamas

birthday on 25th April. This year (as last year), we held an

information stall in Bourke St Mall, Melbourne, to inform

people of the situation concerning the Panchen Lama.

This was also an an excellent opportunity to collect signa-

tures for current petitions, and on this occasion we ran

two petitions: one relating to the disappearance of the

Panchen Lama in 1995 and the other relating to the disap-

pearance in March 2009 of two nuns in eastern Tibet,Sangye Lhamo and Pema Yangtso. These two young girls

are the nieces of Geshe Sonam Thargye, a highly re-

spected member of the Australian community. The peti-

tion concerning Sangye Lhamo and Pema Yangtso was

sent with accompanying letters to the Prime Minister,

Kevin Rudd, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen

Smith. The petition and letter concerning the Panchen

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Lama was sent to the President of the Peoples Republic

of China, Hu Jintao, the Chinese Ambassador in Australia,

Zhang Junsai, and to Stephen Smith. Lobbying politicians

and other public figures in this way continues to be an

important part of TWAFAs regular activities.

Our major mid-year fundraising event was a din-

ner held at the Wild Yak restaurant on Sunday 14 th June

(see Christine Bowens report below, p.4). Fundraisers

such as this enable us to continue our regular donations

to projects within Tibet and in the exiled community in

India, as well as to the main office of TWA, for programs

such as Stitches of Tibet (which teaches women sewing

and business skills) and the Womens Leadership Pro-

gram. Over the past few years, our fundraising dinners

have proven to be popular with our members, who have

enjoyed fine Tibetan cuisine as well as door prizes, raffles,

and an impressive line-up of high-profile guest speakers.

This year we were honoured to have Gabriel Lafitte as

our guest speaker, and we are grateful to him for donat-ing his time and sharing his knowledge and experiences

with us.

On behalf of our committee, I would like to thank

our President, Sonam Dolker, for her commendable work

with the Tibetan community this year, particularly since

the arrival of the refugees in Melbourne in August. Sonam

-la has devoted herself tirelessly to providing every possi-

ble assistance to the refugee families, and is an admirable

example of unswerving dedication to her community.

Along with our President, Sonam Dolker, and

TWAs President, Dolkar Lhamo, I was pleased to be able

to attend part of the Asia Pacific Breakthrough Confer-

ence in December, and to contribute to one of the work-

shops on the role of faith in peace building. We eagerly

await the outcomes of the conference, in particular the

list of recommendations that was put together as part of

the conference proceedings. This will be reported on in

our next newsletter, as the relevant information is not

available at the time of this newsletter going to print.

Following Dolkar Lhamos much anticipated visit

to Melbourne, TWAFA members were kept busy attend-

ing sessions at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions,

held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

between 3rd and 6th December and the public talks of His

Holiness the Dalai Lama on 9th and 10th December. Alsoin town for the Parliament of the Worlds Religions was

the Venerable Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Prime Min-

ister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. On 8th Decem-

ber, Sonam Dolker and myself, along with one of our

general members, were greatly honoured to be granted

an audience with Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche. We spoke at

length with Rinpoche about the situation in Tibet, and

about the Tibetan Womens Association and our branch

in Australia, and we felt very heartened by his advice.

Rinpoches statement regarding the current situation in

Tibet, given at the 5th World Parliamentarians Confer-

ence on Tibet (held in Italy on 18th

November 2009)

is reproduced below (p.10). This statement presentsstrong arguments as to why the resolution of the Tibetansituation is critical not only for Tibet, but for the worldcommunity.

Johanna Selleck

Tibetan protestors and their supporters gather on the steps of the StateLibrary of Victoria, in commemoration of the Lhasa uprising,

10th March 1959

Jenny Wood holds an information stall at the Mornington Marketon 9th March 2009

Members of TWAFA join protestors outside the Chinese Embassy inToorak Rd, Melbourne, on 27thMarch 2009

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Annual Fundraising Dinner

Members and their families enjoy TWAFAs annual fundraising dinner, held at the Wild Yak restaurant, Northcote on 14th June 2009

Film Afternoon at Mt Martha

reports

On Sunday 20th September, a film afternoon was held at

Jenny Woods home in Mt Martha. It was specifically aimed

at providing for all those TWAFA members who live on the

Mornington Peninsula and often cannot make it to our work-

shops and meetings.

The day held several treats for the participants.

Lorraine Lamb, a good friend and supporter of Tibet, spoke

about her recent visit to Dharamsala. Whilst there, she met

with our previous TWA contact, Deckyi Ratutsang, and was

invited to attend the annual TWA Conference, coincidentally

being held at the same time in McLeod Ganj. Although the

proceedings of the conference were in Tibetan, Lorraineattended for a brief time and was pleased to meet some

Tibetan Childrens Village parents who in turn invited her to

visit the Village. At our film afternoon, Lorraine also showed

us photos of her trip and related her experiences of McLeod

Ganj, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, the various people

she met and the general surroundingsboth physical and

spiritual.

After Lorraines talk, a delicious lunch of soup, bread

and various sweet treats was served, during which the film

Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama was screened. Gener-

ous donations were made by those present and many goods

were purchased during the afternoon. The proceeds of the

day were sent to support the work done by Deckyi Ratut-

sang with elderly Tibetan refugees living in Dharamsala, who

have no family support and very little means of making a

living.

A great day was had by all who attended the film

afternoon. Particular thanks are due to Lorraine, to those

who made the trip down from the city and to everyone who

contributed to the day.

Jenny Wood

On Sunday 14th June, members and supporters of

TWAFA gathered together to enjoy a delicious, three-

course meal of Tibetan cuisine at the Wild Yak Ti-

betan restaurant in Northcote. The restaurant was

filled to capacity and the atmosphere was relaxed and

informal.

The highlight of the evening was the talk by

guest speaker, Gabriel Lafitte. Gabriel is a develop-

ment policy consultant to the Environment and Devel-

opment Desk of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. He

delivered an informed and illuminating presentation on

current events in Tibet, illustrated by a projection ofpowerful and moving images of artwork by contempo-

rary Tibetan artists. TWAFA gratefully acknowledges

Gabriels support and his wonderful contribution to

the evening. We would also like to thank the many

people who donated items for the raffle, including

Tenzin Simmonds, Julia Tilley, Eve Loveday, and Shan-

gri-La Imports. The raffle provided an entertaining

break in proceedings, and enabled us to cover costs as

well as providing the funds we need to support pro-

jects within Tibet and in the exiled community in India.

TWAFA would like to thank the Wild Yak

restaurant for providing the relaxing venue, excellent

cuisine and top quality service. The evening was con-

sidered a great success and enjoyed by all present. We

look forward to seeing you at the next onemake

sure you are on our email list in order to get details of

our next fundraiser in 2010.

Christine Bowen

Local news

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The Royal Family of Tibet:Interview with a Princess

STATEMENT BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAILAMA, 11th FEBRUARY 2004

The religious and political contributions made by

the great kings of Tibet from the time of Nyatri

Tsenpo and especially during the time of thethree great religious kings is well known through-

out the eastern continent of Asia. It is appropri-

ate that Tibetans remember with gratitude the

legacy of the lineage kings in benefiting and work-

ing for the welfare of all beings.

In the book of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama,

Songs of the Spring Queen, he has praised andclearly explained about the house of Lha Gyari

being one of the lineages of the kings of Tibet.

And hence the tradition of the Government of

Tibet holding in special respect the house of Lha

Gyari. Most of the throneholders of the house,

Lha Gyari Trichen, have shown devotion to the

Three Jewels, compassion towards their subjects,

and served the nation of Tibet well. These are

laudable.

The seventeenth in the lineage of the Lha

Gyari throneholders, Namgyal Gyatso, was ar-

rested in Lhasa in 1959 at the time of the upheav-

als here. He was imprisoned for more than 20

years in harsh conditions and suffered much. Nev-

ertheless, he was able to maintain his dignity and

the good qualities of his lineage. After cominginto exile in recent times he was able to serve

Tibet well until his death.

Now that his noble son, Namgyal Wang-

chuk, has come of age, he is to be enthroned as

the eighteenth throneholder of Lha Gyari. It is

important that he follow the example of his an-

cestors and serve the spiritual and temporal af-

fairs of the Tibetan people. Since this is the

unique responsibility of the lineage of the kings ofTibet, he should carry out these with sincerity and

courage.

With my prayers that the lineage of the

Tibetan kings never disappear but flourish for-

ever, and may the noble deeds of benefiting all

beings proliferate like a summer lake.

The Royal Family of Tibet at the enthronement of Lha Gyari NamgyalWangchuk in the presence of his Holiness the Dalai Lama on

29th June 2004. Namgyal Choenzum (far left), Nagyal Wangchuk (centre)

Sonam Dolker and Jo Selleck had the pleasure of

meeting and talking with Princess Namgyal

Choenzum of the royal family of Tibet, at a lunch

organised for a group of women from the newly-

arrived Tibetan refugee community. Below, Jo pro-

vides a brief background to the royal family as well as

the transcript of the interview.

Princess Namgyal Choenzum and her husband, Tenzin Jigme,

are expecting their first child in March. They have high hopes

for their new life in their new country, as I discovered after

we had enjoyed a sumptuous lunch prepared by Sonam

Dolker. They kindly told us about the history of their family

(the royal family of Tibet), the enthronement of the present

king, Namgyal Wangchuk (Choenzums brother), their hopes

for their child who will grow up in Australia, and how they

came to be in Australia. Jigme showed us a number of official

documents concerning the present king, including his birth

certificate and a statement by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

about the lineages of the royal family (statement dated 11th

February 2004, reproduced opposite). Jigme also showed us

a letter by Tenzin Geyche Tethong, the secretary of His

Holiness the Dalia Lama (letter dated 25th November 2005),

concerning a Trust Deed. The Deed was to have a clause

added, stating, The Trust will do whatever is necessary to

maintain the lineage of the Lha Gyari descendants because of

the familys great importance in the history of Tibet.

Thanks are due to Princess Namgyal Choenzum and

Tenzin Jigme for agreeing to do the interview and for pro-

viding us with copies of the relevant documents.

The statement by His Holiness the Dalia Lama is

reproduced in full as it provides a valuable context for un-

derstanding the importance and history of the royal family ofTibet.

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The Royal Family of Tibet:Interview With a Princess (cont.)

The Central Tibetan Adminstration (CTA) website

(www.tibet.net) provides some important background to

the previous king, Lha Gyari Trichen Namgyal Gyatso, and

the enthronement of the present king, his son, Namgyal

Wangchuk. Namgyal Gyatso was born in Tibet 1927. He

was appointed by the Tibetan Government as Chief Repre-

sentative of the Lhasa Administration in 1956. After the

March 1959 uprising of the Tibetan people against the Chi-

nese occupation, he was arrested and served 20 years in

prison, where he suffered under a cruel prison regime. He

was released from prison in 1979. In 1982, he was ap-

pointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the 8th Assembly

of the Tibetan Peoples Deputies. He completed his autobi-

ography in 1999 and passed away in 2003.

The enthronement of Namgyal Gyatsos son, LhaGyari Namgyal Wangchuk, took place in Dharamsala, India,

on 29th June 2004 and was reported on the 2004 Flash

News pages of the CTA website. The reporter states that

Lha Gyari Namgyal Wangchuk, descendant of Tibets 33rd

King Songsten Gampo,, was enthroned at a coronation

ceremony in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The ceremony took place in the palace of the Dalai Lama

and was attended by members of the Kashag and the As-

sembly of the Tibetan Peoples Deputies. The new king was

13 years old at the timea student at the Tibetan Chil-

drens Village. His mother, who was present at the en-

thronement, commented, As a mother of a descendant of

Songsten Gampo, I feel I am fortunate to have the opportu-

nity of being part of the family of Tibets great religious

kings. She said she was elated by the event.

INTERVIEW WITH PRINCESS NAMGYAL CHOENZUM

Jo: Can you tell me about the background of the royal

family of Tibet and the lineage of your family?

Princess Namgyal Choenzum: My father was the pre-

vious king of Tibet. Our lineage goes back through the

great Dharma kings of Tibet. My father was a political

prisoner in Tibet. He spent over twenty years in prison.

When he was released, my whole family moved to India. I

was born in Dharamsala. I went to school in the Tibetan

Childrens village, for nine years. I am now 22. I came to

Australia earlier this year. After the death of my father in

2003,my brother was enthroned by His Holiness the

Dalai Lama in 2004.

Tenzin Jigme (husband of Namgyal Choenzum):

The reason that he was imprisoned was that he would not

say that Tibet was part of China. For this, the Chinese

kept him in prison for twenty years. Also, they knew he

was from the royal family. His younger brother was im-

prisoned for 9 years.

Jo: Do you have other brothers and sisters?Princess Namgal Choenzum: I have an older sister as

well as my brother, who is younger than me. I miss my

brother very much and talk to him most days on the

phone. I hope he can come to Australia one day. My

mother still lives in Dehradun in India.

Tenzin Jigme: She is like a queen mother, but no entitle-

ments are given to her. We are a democratic society,

living in exile.

Jo: Who will be the next King? How is this decided?Tenzin Jigme: This always continues through the fathers

side. So, if Namgyal Wangchuk does not have a son, then

his cousin would be the next king.

Jo: When did you come to Australia and what are your

impressions of Australia?

Princess Namgal Choenzum: I have been in Australia

for 5 months. I am expecting a baby on 20th March. We

are very happy in Australia.

Jo: How do you see the future role of the King of Tibet

and the royal family generally?

Tenzin Jigme: At present, the king is paid as a minister

in the exiled government. No political power comes with

his role as the king. As a country, we are becoming de-mocratic, so the king will not have political power. Part of

the role of the royal family is to promote and protect

Tibetan culture. This is very important.

Sonam Dolker (President of TWAFA): Our hope is

that he will educate himself properly, like the previous

kings, and that he will find his own way of serving the Ti-

betan people. The Tibetan people and His Holiness the

Dalai Lama have great respect towards the royal family.

We respect the princess and her family, because of how

her ancestors served our country, and the reputation of

their name in Tibet. The bloodline is very special because

the Tibetan king, Songsten Gampo, is the reincarnation of

Chenrezig. It is not that the royal family is treated

specially, in the same way as a European king or princess

might be, but they are highly respected. But today, many

Tibetans might have forgotten the family name of Lha

Gyari [the throneholders], because Namgyal Gyatso [the

previous king] was imprisoned for so long, then passed

away.

Tenzin Jigme: A movie has been made about the Tibetan

kings. The king [Namgyal Wangchuk] will go to New York

for the opening [premiere] later this year.

Jo: What hopes do you have for your children growing up

in Australia?

Princess Namgyal Choenzum: We hopethat they can

keep Tibetan culture and religion strong.

Jo: How did you meet each other and when did you get

married?

Princess Namgyal Choenzum: It was an arranged

marriage.

Tenzin Jigme: We met in 2004 when I came to India. I

had spent 6 years in prison as a political prisoner. The

marriage was arranged by our families. We were married

in 2007.

Sonam Dolker: I am so thrilled at having the royal prin-

cess in Melbourne, on our doorstep. I am delighted that

the bloodlines of our great kings, Songsten Gampo and

Trison Detsun are not lost. This is our history. We still

have the lineage of these great kings, the Dharma kings.

We are very happy that the princess is here with us, and

we hope she will be able to help us in working for Tibet.

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Copenhagen Briefings from the Environment Desk of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile

The Tibet Third Pole campaign was initiated in order to

bring the environmental crisis in Tibet to the attention of

the world through the UN Climate Change conference in

Copenhagen. The campaign was named Third Pole be-cause Tibet is counted third in line behind the North and

South Poles in the amount of freshwater stored in its gla-

ciers. Members of the Environment and Development

Desk of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile attended the

UN conference as part of the Third Pole team.

A series of 10 briefing papers was presented by

the Environment Desk, covering the following topics: (1)

Tibet in Copenhagen; (2) Heating the climate of the Third

Pole; (3) Indias monsoonal climate and Tibet; (4) Tibetan

farmers face climate change; (5) Tibets nomads facing

climate change and dispossession; (6) China, Tibet and

climate change; (7) Is Tibet part of the problem or part ofthe solution?; (8) Solutions for Tibet and for planetary

health; (9) China, global consumption and climate change;

(10) Where to from Copenhagen?

The following discussion summarises the argu-

ments put forward in the briefings. (The full reports can

be downloaded from www.tibet.net).

The ten briefings are intended to outline the se-

verity of the situation from a Tibetan point of view. They

explain the impact of climate change on Tibetans and they

offer some solutions. The briefings are the result of care-

fully documented research, and some of the sources that

validate the arguments are provided. The first briefing

explains why it is necessary to bring this information to

Copenhagen and the world at large: This series of brief-

ings is about why Tibet matters in the Copenhagen nego-

tiations for the planetary climate. Because six million Ti-

betans are silenced, forbidden to form their own organisa-

tions, people think Tibet is small and unimportant on a

global scale. Actually, [for] every square kilometre of land

on earth, 17 hectares are Tibetan. Climate scientists have

recently realised the Tibetan Plateau is the planetary Third

Pole, an island in the sky so vast it deeply affects circula-

tion, draws the Asian monsoons deep inland, affecting

even storm tracks of the north Pacific and Atlantic

oceans. Tibet is, in fact, an engine of global climate.(Briefing No. 1)

The 2.5 million sq km of the Tibetan plateau is warming

faster than other areas on earth, resulting in more ex-

treme and unpredictable weather within Tibet and across

Asia. It is only recently that scientists have begun to un-

derstand the unique role of Tibet as a regulator of plane-

tary climate. The thin, clear sunny skies of Tibet have, in

the past, heated dramatically during spring and summer,

generating intense low pressure, which draws inland the

heavy rain clouds from distant tropical oceans. This

weather pattern has been seriously affected by snow falling

later than usual, into spring. Sunlight bounces off the snowcover and is reflected back into space, rather than being

absorbed by growing grasses, thus perpetuating the cold

temperature into spring, and weakening the monsoon.

This is exacerbated by deforestation. In the fertile re-

gions of eastern Tibet, deforestation has significantly

reduced rainfall, which in turn reduces the monsoonrains. The monsoon supplies Tibet with most of its rain,

falling as snow in the mountains and feeding the glaciers.

In turn, the glaciers feed the great rivers of Asia.

The effect of this unusual weather cycle is one of

extremes in seasonal variations and of overall warming

and drying. Warming causes the early melting of the

permafrost, which in turn deprives crops and wetlands of

moisture at critical periods in their growth cycle. Hence,

late snows and cold weather in spring are conversely

matched by warmer weather with less snowfall and early

-melting permafrost in winter. These factors have dire

consequences for Tibetan nomads who are unable to

feed their livestock whilst the the usual spring grasses

remain buried under snow.

The grasslands of Tibet have been grazed sustain-

ably by nomads for thousands of years, yet their intimate

knowledge of the dynamics of their environment has

been ignored by Chinese policy makers, who consider

the nomads to be uncivilized, backward, primitive and

ignorant. Since 1959, nomads have been forcibly re-

moved from their ancestral lands and prevented from

continuing their nomadic lifestyle, which has for so long

ensured the extraordinary biodiversity of the Tibetan

plateau. They have been herded into communes and

stripped of possessions, forced to increase herd sizes,overgraze in fenced-in areas too small for large herds,

and engage in commercialized slaughter and meat pro-

duction. As a result, soil has become depleted and the

landscape devastated by the invasion of toxic weeds and

plagues of rodents. The nomads themselves have suf-

fered a sharp decline in quality of life accompanied by an

increase in diseases such as tuberculosis and parasitic

infections. As the author of Briefing No. 5 states, Like

the dispossession of the American Indians and the Aus-

tralian Aborigines, the compulsory ecological migration

of the Tibetan nomads is grounded in ignorance, preju-

dice, a failure to listen and learn. China is far from alonein assuming its nomads are backward, and to blame for

degrading the land. But around the world, governments

increasingly recognize that pastoral nomadic mobility

holds the key to sustainability on the dry lands of the

world.

The changing weather patterns have had severe

consequences for famers as well as nomads. Highland

barley is a staple of the Tibetan diet, and spring crops

require the glacier melt (using irrigation for capture) and

the thaw of the frozen earth to obtain waterthe timing

is critical and farming methods are finely attuned to it.

Without it, crops fail. Further accelerating the degrada-

tion of farmlands is Chinas insistence on growing wheat,

which is more familiar to the Chinese, but less suited to

the Tibetan climate, as are Chinese methods of intensive

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Would you like to become a member ofTWAFA? Just fill out the following membershipform and post to PO Box 1054 Camberwell, Vic3124. Donations are welcome.

Copenhagen Briefings (cont.)

farming of small plots of land. This also affects native vegetation,

which is rapidly drying and dying off, in turn affecting the migra-

tory birds and native animals that depend on the wetlands and

grasslands. Ultimately, the death of the wetlands turns carbonsinks into carbon emissions (Briefing No. 4). As the land be-

comes degraded, scientists have shown that there is a huge loss

of soil carbon as well as methane emissions from the dying

vegetation, whereas healthy grasslands, as traditionally grazed by

nomads, sequestered as much carbon as do the pine forests of

Finland or subalpine forests in the Rocky Mountains (briefing

No. 7).

The briefing papers offer numerous solutions to the

problems outlined above. According to their recommendations,

Tibet needs bottom up rather than top-down models of

management. For example, it is suggested that Tibetan nomads

should be allowed to return to their pastoral lands and manage

the environment according to traditional methods. They should

be involved in community development and conservation plan-

ning that incorporates and builds upon their extensive knowl-

edge and experience. Similarly, it is recommended that farmers

should be allowed to work in cooperative partnerships rather

than being instructed by Chinese officials who have little knowl-

edge or understanding of the Tibetan environment.

The briefings also tackle the damage done by Chinese

mines, waste dumps, rock crushing plants and smelters in Tibet

(Briefing No. 9). As with all the environmental issues outlined in

these papers, the authors appear to place considerable hope in

the outcome of the Copenhagen conferencehopes felt by

many of usbut proven, with hindsight, to be misplaced.

Johanna Selleck

$30

$25

A resettlement camp for Tibetan nomads. Picture: www.news.bbc.co.ukThe report on the BBC site states, Government policy aims to settle more and

more nomads.Itsays that this is aimed at improving the economic viability ofanimal husbandry and lessening the effects of natural disasters on the livelihoodof Tibetan herdsmen. This allows the government to manage the nomadic

population as it gives them fixed addresses.

CONTACT THE TIBETAN WOMENSASSOCIATION AND FRIENDS

AUSTRALIA AT:vicepresident@twafa.org

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Tibet Third Pole Team Draws LargeAudiences at Copenhagen

Ms. Dolkar Lhamo Kirti, the President of Tibetan

Womens Association, presented Tibetans as environ-

mental activists and expounded on the specific case study

about the mining protests in Markham and why the Tibet-ans won on that occasion and how this provides some

hope for the future.

Ms. Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, who works as the

research and media officer of Tibetan Womens Associa-

tion, spoke on Womens Human Rights and Climate

Change in Tibet with specific reference to the case of

nomadic women and presented two case studies compiled

from interviews with nomadic women. She also summa-

rised Tibet Third Poles demands of China and COP 15

negotiators, the key of which being to halt the forced re-

moval of Tibetan nomads from the Tibetan grasslands.

Ms. Tenzin Choedon spoke about how local exiled

Tibetans are participating in environmental activities initi-

ated by Tibetan Settlement Office in Dharamsala on waste

management issues, recycling, education and awareness

raising.

The audience responded to the presentation with

questions on glacial melting, nomadic resettlement and

how climate change in Tibet is affecting the rest of Asia.

There were many sympathetic responses and one Danish

participant even apologised for the Danish governments

recent statement on the Tibetan issue.

International News

The following report on the Tibet Third Poleteam is taken from the official website of the Cen-tral Tibetan Administration.www.tibet.net

The latest public event at COP 15 [the 15th Conference

of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Conven-

tion on Climate Change] by the Tibet Third Pole team

has proved to be one of the most successful. An evening

public talk on 16 December at Klimaforum (the NGO

conference at COP 15) on Tibet Third PoleNomads:

Climate Change and Human Rights attracted over 250

people. The packed hall listened to presentations from

Tibet Third Pole team members, saw rare footage from

Tibet and participated in a question and answer session.

Translations in Spanish, Danish and French were also

made available.

The panelists included Chokyi from the Environ-

ment Desk of the Central Tibetan Administration, Dolkar

Lhamo Kirti and Tenzin Dhardon Sharling from Tibetan

Womens Association, Venerable Ngawang Woeber, a

former political prisoner from Gu Chu Sum and Tenzin

Choedon, an environmental researcher from the Tibetan

Settlement Office in Dharamsala, India. The talk was mod-

erated by John Isom, Executive Director of Tibet JusticeCenter.

Ms. Chokyi,, who works as a researcher at the

Environmental and Development Desk, gave a 25 minute

presentation on the core environmental issues in Tibet,

and the specific case of Tibets nomads. Her presentation

began with the screening of a 2 minute clip from Dhon-

dup Wangchens film "Leaving Fear Behind, which fea-

tured an interview with a Tibetan nomad. The short film

featuring Dhondup Wangchens wife, Lhamo Tso: Behind

the Sea (a Tibetan Womens Association production),

was also screened. The audience found her story particu-

larly moving and film-makers in the audience later re-quested copies of the film and our permission to use this

film for further screenings at various international events.

Ven. Ngawang Woeber, President of Gu Chu

Sum, spoke about the environmental issues and environ-

mental political prisoners in Tibet. Ngawang himself be-

ing a former political prisoner also spoke briefly about his

experience as a political prisoner in Tibet.

The Tibet Third Pole team presents a talk on Tibet Third Pole: No-

mads, Climate Change and Human Rightsat the United Nations

Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen on 16th December 2009

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The TWAFA committee wishes to thank all our mem-bers for their continuing support. Members will be keptinformed of our activities via our newsletter and are

welcome to attend meetings. We wish all members andtheir families a happy and prosperous 2010.

TWAFA MEETINGS FOR 2010

All meetings are held the Richmond Public Library,corner of Swan St and Church St, Richmond.Meetings start at 2.30. Members are invited to attendboth meetings and workshops.

21st February (meeting); 21st March (workshop);18th April (meeting); 23rd May ( workshop);

20

th

June (meeting); 18

th

July ( workshop);22nd August (meeting); 19th September (workshop);24th October (meeting); 21st November (workshop)

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THE TIBETAN WOMENS ASSOCIATIONAND FRIENDS AUSTRALIA

PO BOX 1054, CAMBERWELL, VIC. 3124vicepresident@twafa.org

Statement of Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpocheat the 5th World Parliamentarians Conference on Tibet

The 5th World Parliamentarians Confererence onTibet was held in Rome, Italy, on 18th November2009. The following transcription of Ven. SamdhongRinpoches address to the conference is sourcedfrom the official website of the Central TibetanAdministration.www.tibet.net

Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Parliamentarians,

distinguished Guests and Friends,

At the outset, we welcome all of you most sincerely and

express our deep sense of gratitude on behalf of six million

suffering people of Tibet. The parliamentarians who have

taken the trouble of coming all the way to attend this con-

ference to express solidarity and unflinching support for the

cause of Tibet represent the noble political will based on

the moral conscience of humanity.

If on your part there would not have been a deep

sense of commitment to the values of freedom, justice and

human dignity you would not have taken the pains to assem-

ble here. This is the gathering of people who possess in-

domitable courage and who without fear or greed have gutsto stand up for truth and justice against a mighty force

of our times. We all know that Tibet has nothing to offer as

benefits to you or your country in material or political

terms in contrast to what our oppressor, China, so readily

offers. Therefore, your presence here is not only vitally

important and invaluable for us Tibetans but also

for humanity at large. It is not a simple strategic support for

a people of nation or a political group. It is the support

Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche

which strengthens the forces of truth, justice and non-

violence and morality all over the world. His Holinessoften says that Tibet supporters are neither pro-

Tibetan nor anti-China; they are pro-justice, truth and

nonviolence and anti-injustice, falsehood and violence.

This assembly consists of people who refuse to

be neutral spectators when a section of humanity suf-

fers from oppression and exploitation at the hand of a

totalitarian regime. Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel, rightly

said that Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the

victim; silence encourages the tormentor, never the

tormented.

It is a good augury that we have gathered in the

great city of Rome to hold this convention of WPCT

[World Parliamentarians Conference on Tibet]. Italy is

rightly acclaimed as the champion of the ideals of de-

mocracy, freedom and justice. It has always stood for

liberty, equality and human dignity. The great people of

Italy have consistently supported the cause of Tibet.

Therefore, it is our duty to express our gratitude to

the organizers and supporters of this convention.

The situation in Tibet is worse than ever be-

fore. The ongoing systematic rampage of its civilization

and the sinister policy of annihilating its cultural and

racial identity is being pursued zealously. The escalating

demographic aggression; the unending tale of various

forms of discrimination; the rising wave of torture,killings and unlawful detentions; the ever-increasing

onslaught on Tibetan language, culture and religion; the

heartless sinicization of Tibet and the continuing de-

struction of its environmentall this and moreis

going on unabatedly, particularly since last year after

the peaceful demonstrations in all the Tibetan areas. It

is unnecessary to recount the numerous instances of

violation of human rights, destruction of culture and

civilization, indiscriminate exploitation of natural re-

sources. There is ample evidence available and there

are numerous documents on these subjects prepared

by independent agencies.We do not deny the infrastructural develop-

ments such as buildings, roads, airfields, railways and

other things that are taking place in Tibet since the

occupation of the country by PRC. Boasting to the

world about these developments by PRCs propaganda

outfits along with statistics of the amount of money

being allocated and spent in the Tibetan areas amazes

many ignorant people. Even people sympathetic to

Tibets cause also tend to think as if the developments

are not possible if China does not occupy Tibet. We

need to assess these developments on the following

grounds:

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Statement of Kalon Trip Prof. Samdhong Rinpocheat the 5th World Parliamentarians Conference on Tibet

DEC 2009

A) If Tibet was not occupied by the PRC, Tibet would have

developed on its own way most suitable to its people. During

the last sixty years, Tibets neighbours such as Nepal, Bhutan,Myanmar and India did not remain static. They have also ad-

vanced in material development without any adverse effect on

their people, culture and environment. Tibet would also have

developed in the same manner.

B) The development of Tibet carried out by the PRC has

caused much damage. Around 20% of the indigenous Tibetan

population perished as a direct result of the occupation and

this is apart from the destruction of culture, language,

ancient monuments, heritage and environment.

C) The PRC never gives any account to the world about the

extraction of wealth of Tibet in the form of its natural re-

sources such as gold, silver, copper, iron, aluminum, calcium,oil, precious stone, coal, timber, salt, uranium etc. In our

estimate, whatever expenditure allocated for development in

Tibet by the Central Government does not constitute even a

small percentage of what they take away from Tibet. As the

late Panchen Lama said, the destruction of Tibet is much

more then what she gained from China.

D) Above all who are the beneficiaries of the development

in Tibetan areas? The standard of living of the majority of the

indigenous people has not improved and, in many cases, has

deteriorated. The rate of literacy, employment, health and

economic wellbeing of the Tibetan people are lacking far

behind those of the new immigrants, chiefly Han Chi-

nese. The drastic demographic change, which makes the

Tibetans a tiny minority in their own land, is made possible

due to economic and infrastructure development taking place

in Tibetan areas. Keeping in view the above facts, the devel-

opment that took place in Tibet is indeed not a matter of

pride or appreciation. The majority of Tibetans are made

psychologically poorer than before in comparison with the

rich Chinese people living in Tibet.

Basic Nature of Tibetan struggle

The nature of the Tibetan struggle is neither that of a con-

frontation between political ideologies, nor is it a clash be-

tween nationalities. Nor it is a political power struggle. Basi-cally, the problem of Tibet is related to the human situation

and it cannot be perceived in isolation. We have to struggle

for truth against falsehood, for justice against injustice, for

morality against immorality, and for right against wrong. The

people of Tibet aspire for freedom not merely for the sake of

a political identity. Political identity for us is only a means to

perform our legitimate duties towards all sentient beings. It is

not an end in itself. The people of Tibet have inherited for

centuries a responsibility to preserve, promote and dissemi-

nate unique cultural and spiritual traditions for the benefit of

all sentient beings. To enable the people of Tibet to fulfill

these duties, we require a conducive social, political,

economic and environmental situation. Human intelligence

cannot awaken to its fullest extent in an atmosphere of

oppression and terror. An uprooted cultural heritage

cannot be properly preserved and promoted through

replantation elsewhere. Therefore, political freedom is ameans for Tibetans to fulfill their duties.

Keeping in view the above-mentioned facts, the

resolution of the issue of Tibet is not only important for

the people of Tibet but it is no less important for the

people of China and, from a larger perspective, it is also

important for the world community.

The World Community and the Chinese Regime

During the last century the world saw great changes in

every sphere of life. In 1949, the Communist Party of

China established the Peoples Republic of China under

the leadership of Chairman Mao. Although China pro-moted rigorously the ideology of world liberation at the

time, but it did not care for world opinion nor did it

reach out to the international community. China chose

to remain separate within their own iron curtains, and

the international community kept its distance from

China. The PRC was left isolated for about two decades.

During this period, great catastrophes had hap-

pened in the name of class struggle, establishment of

communes, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural

Revolution etc. Millions of innocent people suffered and

perished. No one cared or tried to help them.

By the end of Maos era and the emergence of

Dengs leadership, there was a sudden change in the

attitude of the international community, which surprised

many. Now two principal policies are being pursued by

almost every country in a competitive way. The first is

promoting trade relations and investment in China with

the theory that economic liberalization will naturally

bring political liberalization. But in reality, the totalitar-

ian regime is more suitable to multi-national companies

than any democratic set-up. For example, population-

wise India and China do not have much difference, but

people hesitate to invest in India simply because it is a

democratic country. There is an independent judiciary,

rule of law, free press, labour unions and so forth. Themultinationals are happy to rush to China simply be-

cause of the absence of the above-mentioned freedoms.

If they could bribe one party cadre and one military

commander, they can do everything, including exploita-

tion of labour and natural resources. The economic

liberalization greatly strengthened the perpetuation of

the totalitarian regime. Also, they acquired more bar-

gaining power and leverage upon other bigger nations.

Thereby Beijing is not only able to repress its own peo-

ple but is able to bully, pressurize and terrorize other

nations openly and easily. Beijings hegemonic behaviour

goes unchallenged. Therefore, the fantasy of economic

liberalization following socio-political liberalization has

vanished and people are beginning to acknowledge it.

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THE TIBETAN WOMENS ASSOCIATION AND

FRIENDS AUSTRALIA

PresidentSonam Dolker Vice-PresidentJohanna Selleck

SecretarySally Brindley TreasurerSharon Terry

Public OfficerPrue Lamont

General Committee Geraldine Bate, Christine Bowen

Editor Johanna Selleck Sub-Editor Sharon Terry

Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche cont.

The other policy is the so-called constructive engage-

ment. Advocates of constructive engagement believe that

bilateral and multilateral dialogue process will change

Chinas human rights behaviour for the better. The dia-

logue process on the issues of human rights, environ-

ment, rule of law etc. is being carried out year after year

with no tangible results. Such an engagement is an eye-

wash to the international community. It is beneficial to

the totalitarian regime and serves as a face-saving device.

Indeed, both of these policies are motivated either by

greed or fear: greed for the Chinese market and fear of

Chinese strength and intimidation.

Therefore, policy of appeasement is being pursued

almost uniformly by big or small, powerful or weak na-

tions alike. Of course there are a few exceptional indi-

viduals or governments from time to time. But theyfound no one stood with them. Most governments are

eager to maintain conciliatory behaviour in order to

achieve either immediate gains or to avoid immediate

problems. Such behaviour is recognised as weakness by

the PRC authorities. Since the recent economic reces-

sion, most of the nations have become more humble and

submissive to totalitarian regimes. Imperialistic authoritar-

ian and totalitarian regimes are working in a cohesive

network. This is being strengthened and supported by the

globalized economic system. Millions of innocent people

who are being tortured and repressed cannot find a sav-

iour. They are helpless. It appears to us that the principleof might is right and survival of the fittest is much more

prevalent in the 21st century than in the primitive ages.

Under such circumstances, my question before

this august gathering is whether this kind of conciliatory

and appeasing approach to a totalitarian regime would be

beneficial and appropriate to them and to the

world? What is the responsibility of a civilized person

at this juncture?

As mentioned before, the Tibet problem is not a

singular problem for Tibetans alone. It is a symptom of a

larger human malady. Therefore, we shall have to find the

cause and the remedy at a global spectrum. Is there any

way to stop inhuman repressive measures and injustices

inflicted on immeasurable helpless people? As a member

of civilized and sensible human society do each of us have

the responsibility to oppose such gross injustices or can

we remain mute spectators? In our view, keeping silence

is amounting to agreement with the perpetrators of injus-

tice. Therefore, as a member of justice, we shall have to

raise our voice against injustice and violation of human

rights to every nation or group without any discrimina-

tion.

As you all are aware, humanity is passing through

a critical time. Economic disparity, violence and terrorism,

environmental degradation, religious intolerance andcivilizational conflict are growing rampantly.

Each one of these problems is posing a potential threat to

the very existence of humanity. We are not trying to draw

a negative picture and promote pessimism. This statement is

a reflection of the ground reality. We call upon your atten-

tion for a future course of action. Unless the upright peo-

ples of the world do not stand up against these problems,

the future of humanity may not be a desirable one.

We the people of Tibet under the leadership of His

Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama are committed to truth and

non-violence. This is because we are convinced that all the

problems of humanity are caused by violence. Unless and

until violence and hate is eradicated, human misery cannot

be put to an end. The violence and hatred cannot be elimi-

nated by counter-violence and counter-hate. To eliminate

violence and hatred we need to cultivate the opposite i.e.

non-violence and loving-kindness. It is the law of nature thatthe fire cannot be extinguished by fire. It needs some sub-

stance opposite to the nature of fire, which makes the ex-

tinguishment of fire possible. We have been able to makeour movement free of violence for the last more than four

decades. In spite of some growing impatience in some quar-

ters, His Holiness is able to lead our people on the non-

violent path.

We have always tried to approach the PRC leader-

ship with love and compassion and our opposition to their

actions is not motivated by hate and anger. We consider

them as the principal subject of our loving-kindness. With

this attitude we continue our dialogue with the PRC leader-

ship through a realistic approach. We only aspire for the

implementation of the PRCs constitutional provisions of

national regional autonomy for the entirety of the Tibetan

people. A Memorandum for Genuine Autonomy for Tibetan

People was submitted to them last year and we are eager to

continue the dialogue with them on the basis of this Memo-

randum. The Memorandum is self-explanatory and is now

in public domain. This is to clarify that it is absolutely not

true that His Holiness has discontinued engagement with

the PRC leadership. His Holiness is always ready and eager

to continue the process of dialogue and we are ready to

meet them, anytime, anywhere.

Ladies and gentlemen, you are representing the

people of the world. We would like to invoke your inner

conscience to awake and act promptly and effectively to

deal with the problems of humanity in putting an end toviolence, violation of human rights, injustice, exploitation of

nature and living beings, environmental degradation and to

preserve and promote human dignity and human values.

Thankyou.

Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche

DEC 2009