Stop Torture In Tibet Campaign by "Free Tibet," London

On April 1, 2011, in Political Comments, Politics, Press Release, by Wilfried F. Voss

To shine a spotlight on the widespread use of torture in Tibet British actors lent their voices to Tibetan torture survivors who can not speak out for themselves. Watch Dominic West, Juliet Stevenson and David Threlfall and listen to Alan Rickman.

To a Mountain in Tibet – A Travelog by Colin Thubron

On March 5, 2011, in Book Reviews, Nonfiction, Travel, by Wilfried F. Voss

Kailas is a sacred, snow-capped mountain of the Himalayas in a remote area of western Tibet. There have been no recorded attempts to climb it, in deference to Buddhist, Hindu, Bon, and Jainist beliefs. Award-winning British travel writer and novelist Thubron (Shadow of the Silk Road, 2007) traveled along the Karnali River (a tributary of the Ganges) by foot with only a guide, a cook, and a horse man on a long and often treacherous trek to visit this mystical peak, considered holy by one-fifth of humankind.

Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo – The Princess of Tibet

On September 26, 2010, in The Panchen Lama Controversy, by Wilfried F. Voss

Her father was the 10th Panchen Lama, a Buddhist monk ranking close to the Dalai Lama in Tibet’s spiritual leadership, who died in 1989. Her mother, Li Jie, is a former doctor in China’s People’s Liberation Army and granddaughter of a famous general in China’s civil war.

The Panchen Lama Controversy – Gyaltsen Norbu

On September 24, 2010, in The Panchen Lama Controversy, by Wilfried F. Voss

Gyaltsen Norbu has been groomed since childhood to prepare for his role as the 11th Panchen Lama, the reincarnation of the 10th and the second-most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. But while he received politically vetted religious training under the close watch of China’s leaders, another boy is believed to have grown up under house arrest, dubbed the world’s youngest political prisoner. The first boy was chosen by the Chinese government. The second, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was anointed by the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader and Beijing’s nemesis since he fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Murder in the High Himalaya: Loyalty, Tragedy, and Escape from Tibet by Jonathan Green

Murder in the High Himalaya is the unforgettable account of the brutal killing of Kelsang Namtso—a seventeen-year-old Tibetan nun fleeing to India—by Chinese border guards. Witnessed by dozens of Western climbers, Kelsang’s death sparked an international debate over China’s savage oppression of Tibet. Adventure reporter Jonathan Green has gained rare entrance into this shadow-land at the rooftop of the world. In his affecting portrait of modern Tibet, Green raises enduring questions about morality and the lengths we go to achieve freedom.

The Panchen Lama Controversy – The Last Dalai Lama?

On September 7, 2010, in The Panchen Lama Controversy, by Wilfried F. Voss

On November 27, 2007, while attending an interfaith conference in the north Indian city of Amritsar, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama suggested he might not be reborn, ending a 600-year-old tradition of reincarnation as a small boy after his death. His Holiness was concerned that the Chinese government plans to seize control of his reincarnation and assign the 15th Dalai Lama by breaking with the traditional selection process.

Tibetan Nomads Struggle As Grasslands Disappear From The Roof Of The World

On September 3, 2010, in The Eleventh Incarnation, The Last Dalai Lama, The Panchen Lama Controversy, by Wilfried F. Voss

Scientists say the desertification of the mountain grasslands is accelerating climate change. Without its thatch the roof of the world is less able to absorb moisture and more likely to radiate heat. Partly because of this the Tibetan mountains have warmed two to three times faster than the global average; the permafrost and glaciers of the “Third Pole” are melting.

Qinghai Tibet Train – The Lhasa Express

On August 26, 2010, in The Eleventh Incarnation, The Panchen Lama Controversy, by Wilfried F. Voss

The Qingzang railway, Qinghai–Xizang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway is a high-altitude railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People’s Republic of China.

Lhasa – Capitol Town of Tibetan Autonomous Region

On August 26, 2010, in The Eleventh Incarnation, The Panchen Lama Controversy, by Wilfried F. Voss

Differing from the inland cities and other places in Tibet, Lhasa is unique with an allure all of its own. In the Tibetan language, Lhasa means the Holy Land or the Buddha Land. It is the center of Tibet’s politics, economy and culture.

Tibet: Lhamo La-tso – The Oracle Lake

On August 25, 2010, in The Eleventh Incarnation, by Wilfried F. Voss

Lhamo La-tso or Lhamo Latso, the small oval ‘Oracle Lake’, is where senior Tibetan monks go for visions to assist in the discovery of reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas. Other pilgrims also come to seek visions. It is considered to be the most sacred lake in Tibet. It is also known as “The Life-Spirit-Lake of the Goddess”, the [...]