UK and USA Government Departments Take Shugden Persecution Seriously

[WisdomBeing]

Dorjeshugden.com of course already has the first part of the news covered in http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/news/us-vice-consul-visits-shar-gaden/ but i thought i would share some positive news on the second part of the article below on letters from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Hugo Swire and Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group On Human Rights. i have also taken the liberty of extracting the letters and attaching them in case the webpage i have linked to goes down.

As i have mentioned in a previous post, while i do think that this is a good and positive sign, and that the UK and US government representatives are well-intentioned, i am skeptical that anything positive will come of this. This is because the western governments seem to be toothless when it comes to the Tibetan issue. They were unable to pressurise South Africa to allow the Dalai Lama a visa. Heads of State refuse to meet with the Dalai Lama etc. All because of pressure from the real great power, who is China. So instead of hoping for help from the west, perhaps Shugden practitioners should appeal to China to help.


UK and USA Government Departments Take Shugden Persecution Seriously
https://www.dalailamanews.com/uk-and-usa-government-departments-take-shugden-persecution-seriously

We have received information from various sources highlighting the fact that Government Departments in both the USA and UK are now taking the issue of persecution and segregation within the Tibetan diaspora seriously.  Here’s a rundown of two recent developments:

October 2014 US Vice Consul To India Visits Various Buddhist Monasteries in Southern India

Confirmed reports state how Daniel Denning, US Vice Consul for India has visited sites in Southern India and personally recorded evidence of the ban the Dalai Lama instigated against Shugden Buddhist and their families.

July to September 2014 UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Issue Letters to Concerned Buddhists

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Hugo Swire has received several letters from concerned human rights activists detailing examples of systematic abuse of human rights and religious freedom in India by the Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Authority.  He has officially responded to these concerns and also passed the relevant information on to the South East Asia office at Whitehall.  Activists are continuing to correspond with Ministers about these issues.  In addition Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group On Human Rights has flagged up the concerns and is in contact with activists about the issue.

[Pema8]

This is good news.
We want to practice our religion freely and openly without being treatened or hurt.

I hope that the information will spread and more people will know what happens to Dorje Shugden practitioners.

May the ban be lifted soon.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

With all the travels and teachings of the Dalai Lama in the USA and UK, its receiving lots of attention from the media in respective countries pertaining to the ISC peaceful protests and the pro-CTA Tibetans, especially requests to lift the ban on Dorje Shugden.

It's fortunate the media played a strong role in raising the awareness on the discrimination issue of Tibetan Buddhist ban on DS to bring to world attention and respective government departments.

May both the UK and the USA government be more proactive towards taking effective action to reverse the ban on DS and get a written statement for it from the Dalai Lama.

[fruven]

More people is becoming aware of Dorje Shugden and the sufferings of practitioners from the discrimination against its practice due to media reporting. I hope new people who hear about Dorje Shugden is open minded and check out the facts. There is no real reason to go against people belief in such extreme in this age especially one is benefactor of a country who allow religious freedom and human rights.

[Rihanna]

This is a refreshing news amidst the other bleak news that this website will be closing down....

Credit must be given to ISC for organising all the peaceful protests that led to creating this awareness and getting the medias attention. Organising something of such magnitude is not an easy task considering that the protestors all from all over the world. As much as I wish this will put pressure for the ban to be lifted, I don't think CTA will heed much of this. For decades they have milked the Westerners of donations on the pretext of Free Tibet cause and now have their personal agenda fulfilled, they would care less of what the Westerners think or say anymore. It has always about their PERSONAL cause and not of their countrymen.

What WisdomBeing mentioned that perhaps Shugden practitioners should instead appeal to China to do something, I have a wishful thinking: in exchange for the Dalai Lama to visit Wu Taishan, lift the ban. Because those Tibetans will only do something if there is something that benefits them or something they want.

[Joo Won]

It's great more people are aware of the ban and segregation or discrimination happens in the community. UK and US by now should know better they should investigate a bit more of the ban and human rights abuse come with the ban. US ought to do something to stop the infringement, to be qualified as the champion of worldwide human rights...However, by making the ban as an international human rights and religion issue , instead of Tibetan internal affair, is a good trend and development to contribute to lifting of the ban 

[kris]

@WisdomBeing, I do feel you when you said you are skeptical about anything good that will ever come out from UK and US government, because so far they is nothing substantial from them yet. However, I am being optimistic about this because more and more people are aware of such a crime, i.e. violation of basic human rights. Having more news coverage and creating awareness in general public is what we need to achieve at this stage. I feel the next stage is going to hit CTA very hard because the sponsors will start to question them when they see such news coverage. Without the sufficient funding, the CTA will divert their energy to other areas.

Credit must go to the many protestors who tirelessly follow HH Dalai Lama wherever He goes to protest.

[samayakeeper]

To the government of China: Now is the time to ask the other head of states to act on this, that is, to peacefully ask the Dalai Lama to lift the ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden.

[lotus1]

Thank you for sharing this WisdomBeing. It is good to hear that USA and UK is taking the issue of persecution and segregation within the Tibetan diaspora seriously. (However, it seems like the link is not working now) Although WisdomBeing you are skeptical on any positive outcome of this, I believe this will help to create more awareness to the world on the segregation and sufferings of Shugdenpa. We need to let more people know about this as a lot of the Tibetan are either hidden from the truth or mislead by CTA on this issue. The more people know about this, there will be more pressure on the CTA to lift the ban!

[Dolce Vita]

Why is government department get involved in this? Because it is not a religious issue anymore, it has become a political issue, it has become a human right issue.

Before Dalai Lama imposed the ban in the 70's, there was no separation among the Tibetan people, everyone was the same. With this ban, Tibetans (especially those buddhists who practice Gelug lineage) were separated into 2 groups, the Shugden and the non-Shugden. Then a lot of conflicts started to surface. The reason to ban Dorje Shugden was on the basis of 'it could' bring certain consequence, without solid evidence of the 'damages' caused by Shugden practitioners. This is clearly a violation of human right and discrimination.

When religion mixes with politic, this is what happens. People make use of their political power to suppress people of another faith. Look at what happen in the Middle East, the ISIS.

I am glad that someone who are not from Tibet is looking into the issue now with great concerns. Dalai Lama has to understand what he is doing is beyond comprehensive of a sensible person. He has to lift this ridiculous ban now.

[DharmaSpace]

The free countries like UK and US are starting to wake up to the reality that the Tibetans in india  are under draconian rules that do not allow much interpretation or freedom of choosing one's faith. The dorje shugden issue concerns the only thing that is of value for the Tibetans, the dharma that they have preserved uninterruptedly for more than a millenium. 

The free world is watching CTA....

[yontenjamyang]

Om Ah Ra Ba Za Na Dhi! Finally good news from the UK and USA Government. For these evidences to be documented by these governments will authenticate the ban by the Dalai Lama and the CTA and they can never deny the ban and the resultant discriminations and persecutions. If we still see their denial in the face of this, it will further discredit the Dalai Lama and the CTA in the face of these governments and the world in general, except perhaps the die hard ignorants of the Dalai Lama and the CTA.
I hope the Dalai Lama will seriously consider doing the right thing. That is to "lift" the ban by giving everyone the right to freedom of practice and banning discrimination of any kind.

[DharmaSpace]

Does anyone know the twitter for US State Department staff Sarah Sewall ?

http://www.aninews.in/newsdetail2/story191780/dalai-lama-receives-u-s-envoy-in-dharamsala.html

I do think she needs to know about how the CTA is oppressing Dorje Shugden people, it could change their willingness to provide funds for the CTA.

[Tenzin K]

All the nasty, unfair and violence resulted from the ban from the Tibetan government should let the world know. The safety of the of the devoted Lord Shugden practitioners are in threat and the segregation have cause so much suffering within the Tibetan community itself. Tibetan government has not find a way to resolve the issue in peace and taken away the human right for their people to choose their religions which even the the Tibetan leader practicing it once. The Dalai Lama differential perception cannot be dictate towards the people as long as there didn't cause any harm to anybody. It's the right of the people to choose their spiritual path and no one should take that away.

I really hope this matter can be taken up to the global level asap and granted the freedom for the harmonious of the Tibetan community.

[MoMo]

I echo Wisdom Being concerns on nothing much positive likely to happen. The fame of DL and CTA was the product of the west as tools against the spread of communism and influence of China in that area during the 60’s. Since now that China had such a firm grip on Tibet and trade-ties with the all leading countries in the west and US. I’m doubtful that any circular governments are willing to spend any of their resources on an exile government/community as they can’t compel them into submission with trade embargo for example. There are no benefits or ground for them to initiate such a move as there is no country such “Tibet” and its legitimate government to hold accountable to in the view of UN.
The only solution is to resolve the conflict internally among the Tibetan by first lifting the ban and to restore harmony among the Tibetan.