HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN      June 13, 2012

Dalai Lama envoys resign in protest Dharamsala, June 12: Two envoys who represented the Dalai Lama in failed talks with China on Tibet issues have resigned to protest Beijing's unwillingness to consider new autonomy measures for the Himalayan region.

The exile Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in northern India announced the resignations on Monday, saying envoys Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen left their posts last week.  The two diplomats held nine rounds of talks with Chinese officials in the past decade (2002-2010), without making notable progress.

A CTA statement said the envoys earlier voiced their frustrations over a lack of "positive response" from Beijing to a series of initiatives aimed at easing tensions in Tibetan Buddhist areas of southwestern China, AP reported.

“At this particular time, it is difficult to have substantive dialogue,” the letter said.

In their resignation letter the envoys cited "the deteriorating situation" inside Tibet since 2008, saying tensions spawned since then by China's crackdown on protests has led to several self-immolations by Tibetans opposing Chinese rule.  The letter also cited a 2008 autonomy proposal to Beijing and a 2010 memorandum, saying Beijing did not respond to either communication.

Beijing insists Tibet is a non-negotiable part of China, and has sought to win over the Tibetan plateau's far-flung population by investing in infrastructure projects as well as health and welfare initiatives. 

But many residents resent what they consider a Chinese intrusion into Tibetan cultural and religious practices.  Tibetan leaders say those intrusions threaten the very existence of Tibetan Buddhism and warn that Chinese interference will continue to spawn self-immolation protests that have rocked the region for the past 15 months.

Nearly 40 people, including Buddhist monks, nuns and their supporters have set themselves on fire in protest of Chinese rule since March 2011.  Witnesses say many of them also called for the safe return of the Dalai Lama as they set themselves ablaze. 

The Dalai Lama stepped down as the political leader of the Tibetan people in 2011, the same year that Harvard legal scholar Lobsang Sangay was elected prime minister of the exile parliament.

Gyari and Gyaltsen continued to be described as envoys of the Dalai Lama, but have also reported to Lobsang Sangay since he took office.

Tibetan government-in-exile official Thupten Samphel said there was no urgency to name new envoys because Beijing is showing “no willingness” for dialogue. New envoys would be named once Chinese officials send “a positive signal,” he said.

Self-rule can address Kashmir problem: Mufti

Srinagar, June 12: People's Democratic Party patron and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Sunday advocated party's self-rule agenda to address the Kashmir issue.

Emphasising the need to address internal dimension of the Kashmir issue to establish lasting peace in the State and to accelerate the process of development in all regions and sub-regions, Mufti said, "Self-rule -- the vision document has potential of addressing both the external and internal dimensions of the Kashmir problem."

"The self-rule proposal was a road map to make institutional arrangements for empowering region and sub-regions of the state," Mufti said while addressing a function organised to felicitate Kuljeet Singh, who joined the PDP, UNI reported.

The PDP patron said the document aims at creating regional federalism to fulfill wishes and aspirations of all regions and sub-regions of the state and termed self-rule as a practical solution to address both external and internal dimensions of Kashmir problem.

"This proposal aimed at empowering people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions without any discrimination," he said and asserted that PDP was committed to provide justice to all regions and sub-regions.

Ex-Nepal PM gunning for Bhattarai’s exit

Kathmandu, June 13: Former Nepal prime minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba believes removal of the Maoist-Madhesi government is the only option available to resolve the Himalayan nation’s constitutional predicament. “PM Baburam Bhattarai’s exit and formation of a national unity government based on consensus among parties is the only way out of the crisis,” he told Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview.

If Bhattarai does resign to make way for a national unity government, there’s a strong possibility of Nepali Congress heading it.

And Deuba could emerge the consensus candidate for the PM’s post. The 66-year-old has several admirers in the Maoist camp and is also believed to enjoy New Delhi’s support.

“I had proposed to extend CA by invoking emergency as provided in the interim constitution. Initially everyone agreed, but the PM backed out at the last minute and announced fresh polls without consulting us,” he said.

With the NC establishment faction extending a hand to resolve thorny issues with him, Deuba’s ‘comeback’ to Nepal’s oldest party looks certain within the next few days. It could aid him in becoming Bhattarai’s successor should NC head the next government.

 Bhutan’s new happiness formula: walk, don’t drive on Tuesdays

Thimphu, June 12: The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will make Tuesdays "pedestrian's day" with motorists banned from town centres.

"Tuesdays will be a day when Bhutanese citizens would seize the opportunity to contemplate the fragile nature of our precious Himalayan mountain ecology and make a small contribution," the cabinet said in a statement.

"This will also be a day Bhutanese all over will walk for their health and promote [the] joy of walking, together with friends, family and colleagues, and thereby promote interaction and community vitality," it added.

The decision means that driving will be banned in town centers on Tuesdays between 8:00am local time and 6:00 pm local time.

Electric and hybrid vehicles will still be allowed to use the roads, as will emergency vehicles such as ambulances and police cars.

The first day of forcing car owners to walk, cycle or take public transport was on June 5 to coincide with World Environment Day, Bhutan's Kuensel newspaper reported on its website.

"People will be compelled to start the day early and plan ahead to be in time for meetings and appointments because of the longer time it would take to get there," the newspaper said of the "wonderful plan."

Pro-monarchy party wants King Gyanendra back in palace

Kathmandu, June 12: Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa said that his party would reinstate the deposed king through a popular mandate if the elections were held.

Addressing a mass meeting organised by his party here on Saturday, the pro-monarchy leader argued that after the death of Constituent Assembly, which overthrew the monarchy and failure to promulgate new constitution, the monarchy had automatically been revived and all decisions made by CA were invalid.

Asking the king to be patient, he said, "We will bring him from Nagarjun to Naryanhity after elections."

Warning the major parties, he said he would bring a sea of people to hit the streets for the resurrection of the monarchy unless the free, fair and impartial elections were held, The Himalaya reported.

With the changed context supporters of other parties, including RPP-Nepal, would cast their votes in favour of monarchy.

Editorial

TIBET ISSUE

Dialogue Has Failed

Nine rounds of talks over a decade has failed to move Beijing to yield to the Dalai Lama’s demand for ‘genuine autonomy’ for Tibet within China. The recent suicides in Tibet are an act of desperation and in protest against Beijing’s continued silence the Dalai Lama’s envoys, who have been holding talks with the Chinese authorities, have resigned. There has been no major breakthrough on the Tibet issue during the talks and as such there seems to be no point in going ahead with these talks particularly when Beijing has failed to reciprocate. Despite the Tibetan spiritual leader’s genuine and sincere efforts to resolve the issue China continues to call him a ‘splittist’.

The Dalai Lama has already abdicated from the post of a formal head of the exiled Tibetan government. When the process of electing a new Prime Minister for the exiled Tibetans was taking place last year, the Dalai Lama’s special envoy Lodi Gyari said he would continue with the post for the dialogue process. With both the Dalai Lama and Gyari, a seasoned diplomat, gone the exiled government and the Tibetan community as a whole has a tough task ahead. The main objective of the protests and the unceasing self-immolations in Tibet seems to be for the early return of the Dalai Lama to his homeland and for more freedom in that country. Some say it is also a call for full independence, an issue that will certainly become a bone of contention in the coming days.

Mamata to meet Morcha leaders on Sen panel report

GJM, GNLF and AIGL activists join TMC

Kolkata, June 11: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will meet a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha delegation at Writers’ Buildings on June 14 and a civil society delegation from Darjeeling the following day to discuss the Justice Shyamal Sen committee report on the inclusion of territories in the new body for the hills.

The Morcha had sought an appointment with the chief minister this month after the 10-member high-powered committee recommended the inclusion of five of the 396 mouzas the party had been demanding in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

 “They (the Morcha) asked for an appointment with me. I received the letter this afternoon. I have given them time on June 14. Members of Darjeeling’s civil society also wanted to meet. I will meet them on June 15,” Mamata said.

Sources at Writers’ said the chief minister would cite the March 24 bilateral agreement signed between the Morcha and the state government in her effort to persuade the hill party to accept the committee’s recommendations.

The Morcha has rejected the recommendations and said it is a “humiliation” for the people of Darjeeling.

A clause in the March 24 agreement reads: “It has also been decided that the recommendations of the high powered committee will be accepted by the state government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.”

The agreement also said that elections to the GTA would be held either at the end of June or early July.

Meanwhile, founder-member of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the Terai Vishal Chhetri and host of councillors of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council such as N.B. Khawas, GNLF councillor from Kurseong, Gorubathan councillor K.N. Subba, Kalimpong Municipality councillor Chhiring Sherpa on Monday joined Trinamool Congress amid tight police security in a public meeting held at Panighata, close to Bagdogra.

 Even GNLF supremo Subash Ghising's once lieutenant Rajen Mukhiya was among the hundreds who embraced the twin flower. Prominent among GNLF members who joined TMC were Tshering Sherpa and PH Subba.

AIGL leader S Bhutia, Milan Dukkta and expelled GJM trade union leader Shyam Rai, Anil Chetri, Vishal Chetri and Rajesh Chetri along with their supporters also joined the TMC.

 "A total 972 GJM and GNLF leaders and activists joined Trinamool Congress," said North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb.

Deb held that the new development gave the Trinamool Congress a foothold in the Hills.

Bhutan-Sikkim-Arunachal Buddhist circuit proposed at Gangtok tourism meet

Gangtok, June 12:  Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have signed a memorandum of understanding for undertaking joint programmes in the tourism sector.

Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister Pema Khandu signed the MoU with his Sikkim counterpart Bhim Dhungel on Thursday in Gangtok, official sources said on Saturday.

During an hour-long meeting, Khandu, highlighting the ancient pilgrimages of Arunachal such as Tzari and Pema-kho, advocated for a Buddhist circuit comprising of Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.

Dhungel endorsed the issues raised by Khandu and agreed that both Sikkim and Arunachal could jointly work in the tourism sector for mutual benefit.

Tourism managers of both the states agreed that the Protected Area Permit was a major bottleneck for foreign tourists and resolved to jointly address the problem by placing it before the Home Ministry.

They also decided to move the North East MPs’ Forum for taking up the matter at their level, sources added.

Mizo church snaps ties with US church on gay issue

Aizawl, June 12: The Presbyterian Church of Mizoram, the largest church denomination in the Christian-dominated State, has decided to snap ties with the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America due to a conflict on the issue of homosexuality.

A meeting of the Synod Executive Committee (SEC), the second-highest decision-making body of the Presbyterian Church, made the decision on Friday after the Presbyterian Church of USA allowed ordination of gays as priests.

D P Biakkhuma, a church elder and secretary of the SEC, said the two Presbyterian churches have maintained cordial relations for more than a decade, but the Mizoram chapter was compelled to sever ties due to differences on one basic doctrine, The Times of India reported.

 "We, the members of Presbyterian Church of Mizoram, cannot accept ordination of homosexual people as pastors and regard homosexuality as against the teachings of the Bible and Christianity," he said. He added that the priest and other church employees posted in New Delhi to maintain links with the US chapter would be withdrawn forthwith.

Rev H Remthanga, former moderator (head) of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod and the first pastor appointed by the SEC to coordinate with the Presbyterian Church of the USA, said "Except for the Presbyterian Church of the USA, joining liberal concepts of other denominations in the West, agreeing to ordain gay priests, we maintained a cordial relationship."

The Mizoram Synod began its partnership with the USA church - the leading Protestant Christian denomination with over 2.3 million members - in 1999. The Presbyterian Church of the USA is the latest of several denominations after the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church, to drop the ban on gay clergy.