Five years on, Runggye Adak continues to suffer in Chinese prison

[Ensapa]

China can be quite hardline sometimes, and this piece of news should make us realize how lucky we are that we do not have to practice Dharma in a country that suppresses our rights to express our religious allegiance. I do not blame China for their hardline stance as the Tibetans have rattled them too much over the years, and the Tibetans should really be less provocative.

When CTA bans Dorje Shugden, is it not the same thing? Is this not the same kind of suppression and prosecution they are doing to many high lamas like Kundeling Rinpoche and Pabongkha Rinpoche? CTA should wake up and not be their oppressors.

Five years on, Runggye Adak continues to suffer in Chinese prison
Phayul[Friday, August 03, 2012 16:21]


Runggye Adak delivering an impromptu speech in front of thousands of Tibetans and Chinese officials at a public gathering calling for the return on the Dalai Lama on August 1, 2007.

DHARAMSHALA, August 3: Five years after Runggye Adak, a Tibetan nomad, was arrested for giving an impassioned speech calling for the Dalai Lama’s return in front of thousands of Tibetans, serious concerns have been raised over his treatment by Chinese prison guards.

Atruk Tseten, a close relative of Runggye Adak and a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile told Phayul that Chinese prison guards at the Miyang prison, have been particularly severe on Runggye Adak.

“As a result of the severe beatings that he received earlier on, Runggye Adak ‘s hearing is impaired and is suffering from a damaged eye,” Tseten said. “He has also complained of acute leg pain.”

The Member of Parliament added that Runggye Adak is being kept in a solitary cell and the prison guards have been particularly harsh on him.

On August 1, 2007, Runggye Adak, 50, took to the stage at the Lithang horse racing festival and made a bold, impromptu speech in front of Chinese officials and thousands of Tibetans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama and release of the XIth Panchen Lama Gendhun Choekyi Nyima and Tulku Tenzin Delek.

Less than a minute into his speech, he was arrested and was later sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of "inciting to split the country" and for "severely disrupting public order."

Three others, Adak Lopoe, a respected senior monk from Lithang monastery, was sentenced to 10 years for "colluding with foreign separatist force to split the country," Tibet singer, Kunkhyen was sentenced to nine years, and Jarib Lothok received a three-year sentence for helping to send photos abroad.

In his speech, Runggye Adak asks, “Do you know what has happened to us?”

“Although we can move our bodies, we cannot express what is in our hearts.”

He then challenges Chinese propaganda and calls for the return of the exile Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

"These days there are those who say we don't need the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the one that we six million Tibetans truly [need]...”

Tenzin Jigme, international coordinator of the International Tibet Network, noted that Runggye Adak’s speech “resonated deeply with ordinary Tibetans while rattling the Chinese official nerves at the same time.”

“Runggye Adak was not a political activist. He was not an educated leader. He was an ordinary Tibetan speaking his mind because there was too much policy and propaganda against Tibetan people’s real wishes,” Jigme said.

“Tibetans want His Holiness the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet. This desire is born from within and is closely intertwined with Tibetan people’s spiritual, cultural and political wishes.”

Since 2009, there have been 45 known cases of self-immolations by Tibetans demanding the return of the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

[Barzin]

It is a sad story of Runggye Adak.  Just like what he had said, "although our bodies can move around but we can not express what is in our hearts.."  What a said statement, and he got into to prison speaking something he believes in and it requires no violence or bad act.  Sad but true, the case is too similar to CTA banning Shugden.  There is no religious freedom.  People can't have their say..  I have heard stories how CTA would post bills and notes with contact information about the Lamas who practiced Dorje Shugden openly on the street so that the people can get them.  So where is the freedom?  Stop suppressing religious freedom, we mean you no harm.

[rossoneri]

"Although our bodies can move around but we cannot express what is in our hearts".
Salute Mr. Runggye Adak for his courage to speak up on what he truly believes that all Tibetan should have 'Freedom'. Similarly, for those who chose to have faith in their Gurus and continue to practice Dorje Shugden will be treated as an outcast and sometimes life threatening situation by CTA. Where are the Freedom of spirituality which all Buddhist should already imprinted in their minds? Simply because we chose to follow what we think is right hence conveniently ddeserve to be branded as an activist? How about this, we just wanted to mind our own business and practice whatever religion or gods which we think can help us to gain enlightenment. How do you gain enlightenment, by practicing Dharma with integrity.

Below is a short biography of him:
Runggye Adak is a Tibetan man who was arrested and charged with state subversion against the People's Republic of China after making a series of public political statements at a festival in eastern Tibet, on August 1, 2007.

Runggye Adak, said to be a respected local figure and the father of eleven, is a native of Yonru Kharshul, a village near Lithang in the predominantly Tibetan region of Kham. He seized the microphone during a speech at a horse-racing festival in Lithang, and proceeded to call for the return of the Dalai Lama and the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the present Dalai Lama's candidate for Panchen Lama, and of Tenzin Delek, a lama from Lithang who was sentenced to life in prison for alleged involvement in terrorism, and the independence of Tibet. Runggye Adak was detained shortly thereafter. A spontaneous protest of local people demanding his release lasted several days before being dispersed under threat by riot police.

The Associated Press reported that scores of people were arrested in the aftermath of Runggye Adak's protest. Three of Runggye Adak's nephews were arrested, with police attention focusing on Adruk Lopoe, a monk at Lithang Monastery.

On August 27, prosecutors charged Runggye Adak with "provocation to subvert state power."On 29 October 2007 he was indicted by the Kardze Intermediate People's Court on four counts of 'crimes' ranging from disruption of law and order to state subversion and subsequently (on 20 November) sentenced to eight years of imprisonment with deprivation of political rights for four years.


Below is the link from YouTube of Mr. Runggye Adak giving his speech in front of Tibetans and Chinese officials at a public gathering calling for the return on the Dalai Lama on August 1, 2007.

Free Runggye Adak FreeAdak.org

Below is the video of Jamyang Lobsang - Son of Runggye Adak commenting of the imprison of his father and the

Jamyang Lobsang - Son of Runggye Adak www.FreeAdak.org	Small | Large

[Ensapa]

It is a sad story of Runggye Adak.  Just like what he had said, "although our bodies can move around but we can not express what is in our hearts.."  What a said statement, and he got into to prison speaking something he believes in and it requires no violence or bad act.  Sad but true, the case is too similar to CTA banning Shugden.  There is no religious freedom.  People can't have their say..  I have heard stories how CTA would post bills and notes with contact information about the Lamas who practiced Dorje Shugden openly on the street so that the people can get them.  So where is the freedom?  Stop suppressing religious freedom, we mean you no harm.

In more ways than one, the plight of the Tibetan arrested by China for spreading dissent and trying to create disharmony is the same as the plight of the Dorje Shugden practitioners in CTA, except that they are not ostracized and are put in the hitlist where the public can kill them in return for more of CTA's favor. In fact, China is much kinder to their criminals in that respect by not turning society against their criminals compared to how CTA does it. i dont think such tactics are even used by any country in the world anymore, only by the CTA. In Islamic countries, the head priest or mufti issues a fatwa or religious edict that everyone must follow and those who dont are punished by both the law and the society, but the thing is this: in most cases, except in the case of the Taliban, the mufti is always separate from the state. In the case of the Taliban, the mufti and the government/enforcer are one. Does that not sound familiar with what the CTA is doing? in other words, the ban on Dorje Shugden is more or less the same as a religious edict, imagine if there were bans on other things.....then CTA would be the same as the Taliban. right now that is the only line that differentiates them.

CTA has not said a word about this, nor did they issue any statements or disclaimers regarding this man and did not plead for his release and the release of others from the government of China. This is not on their official website and all efforts to release Tibetan political prisoners of Tibet were done through self initiative of the families of the prisoners or done by external societies or organizations that are not affiliated with CTA. If CTA shows care for these people, it may impress China a little bit more and it will move the whole world and people that are observing them but i guess, political pity is more important than the lives of their citizens. A normal country would plead for the release of their political prisoners and this has happened many times before. Why is it that the CTA are so cold towards their own people? And they care for the people of Tibet?

[michaela]

Reading what happened to Runggye Adak, I wonder why the Chinese are so sensitive with what Runggye Adak said.  It triggered another point in my mind, why the CTA and monasteries’ administrators are so sensitive with the existence of DS practitioners?

Of course, there are no denying of the perception/ assumptions that the Chinese do not want HHDL to come back to Tibet and CTA and monasteries administrator want to be politically correct.  However, I could not stop wondering, isn’t the most effective way to kill a movement or an opinion is to ignore them?  Taking harsh actions towards something that you do not agree with will only trigger bigger controversy.

[dsiluvu]

Reading what happened to Runggye Adak, I wonder why the Chinese are so sensitive with what Runggye Adak said.  It triggered another point in my mind, why the CTA and monasteries’ administrators are so sensitive with the existence of DS practitioners?

Of course, there are no denying of the perception/ assumptions that the Chinese do not want HHDL to come back to Tibet and CTA and monasteries administrator want to be politically correct.  However, I could not stop wondering, isn’t the most effective way to kill a movement or an opinion is to ignore them?  Taking harsh actions towards something that you do not agree with will only trigger bigger controversy.

That is so TRUE! It is the nature of how things work... when we let out some kind of action it equates to an opposite equal reaction. That is the naturally laws of cause and effect and we Buddhist suppose to know it so well - KARMA. So why does the silly CTA create more problems for themselves if they really do not want it as I am sure they already have enough of their own problems. And I also can't help to think, why is CTA so afraid of Dorje Shugden practice... it has nothing to do with politics especially now since the Dalai Lama has retired.

Not addressing the Dorje Shugden suppression and issue makes matter worst because the karma for disunity and separation is so heavy and is probably the very thing that prevents them from getting their "dialogue" with China. Really what dialogue would they want and expect? China is happy where they are and they allow and encourages Dorje Shugden practice. Here is one conflict already.

Big Hint! Lift the ban and move forward!!!

[Ensapa]

Reading what happened to Runggye Adak, I wonder why the Chinese are so sensitive with what Runggye Adak said.  It triggered another point in my mind, why the CTA and monasteries’ administrators are so sensitive with the existence of DS practitioners?

Of course, there are no denying of the perception/ assumptions that the Chinese do not want HHDL to come back to Tibet and CTA and monasteries administrator want to be politically correct.  However, I could not stop wondering, isn’t the most effective way to kill a movement or an opinion is to ignore them?  Taking harsh actions towards something that you do not agree with will only trigger bigger controversy.

China uses the silencing tactic that prevents all talk of the particular topic and does not involve the community into enforcing their policies. They enforce the policies instead of demanding society to enforce them for them. They did not use intense propaganda on the people who spoke out against them: they just arrest the people who do and isolate them from their families. And not long after, the community quiets down but if the story gets picked up by international media, it will be reported. The one weakness of the Chinese is that they tend to like to keep things under wraps even when that is not necessary and the CTA has exploited this with the Panchen Lama incident. In some ways or another, China's actions have brought on even more attention to whatever that they tried to cover up, from the milk powder scandal to the massive oil spill in Harbin. China should really learn from this and make everything out in the open to prevent further problems. When everyone knows everything, there is basically no reason for people to dig more.

CTA's approach, is, a little less subtle. They try to use the propaganda and society to do their work for them. This means that anyone that is against the government is also against society which should not be in the case of a democratic government. This is in reality all the signs and marks of a communist government, but with a religious flavor. How different is the ban from the cultural revolution that China imposed? isnt it the same? But as a result of spilling the ban over to the westerners, more and more exposure is given to this issue and more and more people become aware of the ban and they start questioning if it is necessary for the ban to take place. Not everyone is bound to superstition and some of them want the truth. In that way, making a huge fuss of nothing increases the popularity of the issue rather than stomping down on it