November 26

Through My Eyes

Saturday November 26

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he continues telling of his attempts to negotiate with the Chinese Government.)

" I also made plain that the Tibetan Government in Exile was ready to negotiate with the Chinese authorities whenever they were ready. But I insisted that this was only a proposal and any decisions would have to be made by the Tibetan people , not by me.

Again, the response form Peking was negative. My speech was denounced and the European Parliament was severely criticised for having permitted me to speak. However, during the autumn of 1988, in a very promising development, the Chinese indicated that they wished to discuss the future of Tibet with the Dalai Lama. For the first time, they professed themselves willing not merely to discuss the Dalai Lama's status, but the matter of Tibet itself. It was left to me to choose a venue. Immediately, I nominated a team of negotiators and proposed that the two sides meet in Geneva during January of 1989,. My reason for this choice was to enable me to participate personally in the talks as soon as it became apparent that my presence was required.

Unfortunately, no sooner had they agreed in principle to talks, than the Chinese began to put up conditions and objections. At first, they expressed a preference for Peking as the venue; then they made a condition that no foreigner could be a member of the negotiating team; next they said that they could not talk to anyone who was a member of the Tibetan Government in Exile, because they did not recognise it; then they said they could not talk to anyone who had ever called for Tibetan independence. Finally, they said they would only talk to me. They was very disappointing. Having professed a clear willingness to talk, the Chinese had then made it virtually impossible for the negotiations ever to begin. And whilst I am by no means averse to meeting the Chinese personally, it is only sensible that there are preliminary discussions with my representatives fist. So, although Geneva was finally agreed to as a venue, January 1989 came and went with nothing accomplished.

On 28 January 1989, news came that the Panchen Lama had died whilst on a rare visit to Tibet from Peking, where he lived. he was only fifty-three, and naturally I was deeply saddened. I felt that Tibet had lost a true freedom fighter. It cannot be denied that some Tibetans see him as a controversial character. Indeed, during the early 1950s, when he was still very young, I have a suspicion that , by siding with the Chinese, he thought he could use the situation to his own advantage. But his patriotism was real, I believe. And even though the Chinese used him as a puppet after releasing him form jail in 1978, he continued to oppose them to the end. Just before he died, he made a speech, reported by Xinhua, that was highly critical of the 'many mistakes' made in Tibet by the Chinese authorities. It was a courageous last act.

Two days later, he made his final appearance at Tashilhunpo monastery, where shortly after consecrating the tombs of his predecessors, he apparently suffered a fatal heart attack. Many felt that the Panchen Lama's death in his own monastery was symbolic, the deliberate gesture of a true spiritual master.

Although I was not able to see him before he died, I did speak with the Panchen Lama on the telephone three times. Twice I spoke to him at his office in Peking, where he had been appointed to the National Assembly, and once whilst he was abroad. Inevitably, his conversations in Peking were monitored. I know this because, some weeks after that second of them, a carefully edited transcript of our conversation was published in the Chinese press. However, while he was in Australia, he managed to give his escort the slip at a prearranged time and I spoke to him from West Germany . We were not able to speak for long, but it was enough to assure me that in his heart the Panchen Lama remained true to his religion, to his people and to his country. So I was not too concerned when I heard bad reports of him from Lhasa, where he was criticised for having extensive business interests. It was also said that he had taken a wife.

Following his death, I received an invitation from the Buddhist Society of China to attend his funeral in Peking. This amounted to an official invitation to visit China. Personally, I wanted to go but hesitated, as inevitably there would be some discussion about Tibet if I went. Had the Geneva talks taken place as planned, this might have been opportune. However, under the circumstances, I felt it would have been inappropriate to go and regretfully refused.

Meanwhile, China's procrastination produced its inevitable result. On 5 March 1989, there began three more days of demonstrations in Lhasa. In some of the most vigorous expressions of discontent since March 1959, many tens of thousands took to the streets."

( The usual Beijing regime tactic of pretending to negotiate to reduce world scrutiny . I promise to add more tomorrow...)

*( please click here to read of the day with me )

* This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth

Dalai Lama of Tibet.

( Please see my spinning for you!)

( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? I began the day in our studio tidying up a bit then worked on the sculpture of Tara Drolma. I think it may be possible to work on it through much of the winter although it will help to store the clay and tools in a warm place to make it easier on my hands as they get rather cold. It's a bit tricky though as it can be difficult to figure out if the clay is drying or simply freezing! After that I worked on the pages for a Windhorse project! I'm setting it up so that it is more self contained and slightly more formal with more explanations, more recent contact information etc. so it will be easier for newcomers to understand. Then I did some tinkering with the website and worked on our a land of Tibet. I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite; I'll put this up for now so we can rest.

And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow

my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)


	Through My Eyes Saturday November 26 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he continues telling of his attempts to negotiate with the Chinese Government.) " I also made plain that the Tibetan Government in Exile was ready to negotiate with the Chinese authorities whenever they were ready. But I insisted that this was only a proposal and any decisions would have to be made by the Tibetan people , not by me. Again, the response form Peking was negative. My speech was denounced and the European Parliament was severely criticised for having permitted me to speak. However, during the autumn of 1988, in a very promising development, the Chinese indicated that they wished to discuss the future of Tibet with the Dalai Lama. For the first time, they professed themselves willing not merely to discuss the Dalai Lama's status, but the matter of Tibet itself. It was left to me to choose a venue. Immediately, I nominated a team of negotiators and proposed that the two sides meet in Geneva during January of 1989,. My reason for this choice was to enable me to participate personally in the talks as soon as it became apparent that my presence was required. Unfortunately, no sooner had they agreed in principle to talks, than the Chinese began to put up conditions and objections. At first, they expressed a preference for Peking as the venue; then they made a condition that no foreigner could be a member of the negotiating team; next they said that they could not talk to anyone who was a member of the Tibetan Government in Exile, because they did not recognise it; then they said they could not talk to anyone who had ever called for Tibetan independence. Finally, they said they would only talk to me. They was very disappointing. Having professed a clear willingness to talk, the Chinese had then made it virtually impossible for the negotiations ever to begin. And whilst I am by no means averse to meeting the Chinese personally, it is only sensible that there are preliminary discussions with my representatives fist. So, although Geneva was finally agreed to as a venue, January 1989 came and went with nothing accomplished. On 28 January 1989, news came that the Panchen Lama had died whilst on a rare visit to Tibet from Peking, where he lived. he was only fifty-three, and naturally I was deeply saddened. I felt that Tibet had lost a true freedom fighter. It cannot be denied that some Tibetans see him as a controversial character. Indeed, during the early 1950s, when he was still very young, I have a suspicion that , by siding with the Chinese, he thought he could use the situation to his own advantage. But his patriotism was real, I believe. And even though the Chinese used him as a puppet after releasing him form jail in 1978, he continued to oppose them to the end. Just before he died, he made a speech, reported by Xinhua, that was highly critical of the 'many mistakes' made in Tibet by the Chinese authorities. It was a courageous last act. Two days later, he made his final appearance at Tashilhunpo monastery, where shortly after consecrating the tombs of his predecessors, he apparently suffered a fatal heart attack. Many felt that the Panchen Lama's death in his own monastery was symbolic, the deliberate gesture of a true spiritual master. Although I was not able to see him before he died, I did speak with the Panchen Lama on the telephone three times. Twice I spoke to him at his office in Peking, where he had been appointed to the National Assembly, and once whilst he was abroad. Inevitably, his conversations in Peking were monitored. I know this because, some weeks after that second of them, a carefully edited transcript of our conversation was published in the Chinese press. However, while he was in Australia, he managed to give his escort the slip at a prearranged time and I spoke to him from West Germany . We were not able to speak for long, but it was enough to assure me that in his heart the Panchen Lama remained true to his religion, to his people and to his country. So I was not too concerned when I heard bad reports of him from Lhasa, where he was criticised for having extensive business interests. It was also said that he had taken a wife. Following his death, I received an invitation from the Buddhist Society of China to attend his funeral in Peking. This amounted to an official invitation to visit China. Personally, I wanted to go but hesitated, as inevitably there would be some discussion about Tibet if I went. Had the Geneva talks taken place as planned, this might have been opportune. However, under the circumstances, I felt it would have been inappropriate to go and regretfully refused. Meanwhile, China's procrastination produced its inevitable result. On 5 March 1989, there began three more days of demonstrations in Lhasa. In some of the most vigorous expressions of discontent since March 1959, many tens of thousands took to the streets." ( The usual Beijing regime tactic of pretending to negotiate to reduce world scrutiny . I promise to add more tomorrow...) ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. ( Please see my spinning for you!) ( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? I began the day in our studio tidying up a bit then worked on the sculpture of Tara Drolma. I think it may be possible to work on it through much of the winter although it will help to store the clay and tools in a warm place to make it easier on my hands as they get rather cold. It's a bit tricky though as it can be difficult to figure out if the clay is drying or simply freezing! After that I worked on the pages for a Windhorse project! I'm setting it up so that it is more self contained and slightly more formal with more explanations, more recent contact information etc. so it will be easier for newcomers to understand. Then I did some tinkering with the website and worked on our a land of Tibet. I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite; I'll put this up for now so we can rest. And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)