On July 6th 2014, an anti-Dorje Shugden hate mail disguised as an appeal to all Tibetans was issued by a newly formed Tibetan group known as the GLOBAL TIBETAN VOLUNTEERS FOR THE TRUTH (GTVT). In the letter, the GTVT calls upon all Tibetans in exile settlements as well as overseas to take “countermeasures” against “evil” Shugden worshippers and safeguard the Dalai Lama against harm (which the letter suggests is posed by Dorje Shugden). In Tibetan parlance this is a call for all Tibetans to do whatever is necessary, including inflicting physical harm on Shugden worshippers, in order to protect the Dalai Lama. This letter came at the back of a highly inflammatory one issued by another mysterious group known as The United Front of The Tibetan People (UFTP), which was nothing short of criminal in its intention.
Over the recent months, as more and more news and evidence of the Dalai Lama’s oppression of his own people became public and cracks began appearing in the spiritual leader’s public persona, there has been a corresponding increase in rabble-rousing and provocative activities against Dorje Shugden practitioners. The Dalai Lama and CTA have always claimed no knowledge or involvement in these underhanded events although it is common knowledge that the CTA regularly whips the Tibetan public into mobs and sets them against factions that the CTA regard as dissenters and therefore intolerable.
Despite the CTA’s denials, more information has recently come to light that seems to point to the CTA’s shadowy presence in these clandestine activities. A search of GTVT’s website raised eyebrows when the ‘name server’ of this new hate-website appeared suspiciously similar to the ‘name server’ of TheTibetPost.com (www.thetibetpost.com), which is well-known to front for the CTA and act as a platform to disseminate its propaganda.
GlobalTVT’s name server raised suspicions that the CTA might have been behind the hate letter
The relationship between the CTA and The Tibet Post is a curious one. The CTA is not known as a government that supports freedom of press and has a history of interfering in the Tibetan people’s exercise of free speech. It was the CTA that engineered the closing of the only independent Tibetan newspaper, Mangtso, and the same CTA that was rebuked by a US Congressman for its maneuverings in the appointment of senior officers to Radio Free Asia’s management. And yet The Tibet Post’s fortnightly newspaper was launched by the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile’s Speaker, Penpa Tsering, at the Dalai Lama’s main temple in 2012 – a very special honour.
The Speaker of Parliament, Penpa Tsering, launching The Tibet Post’s fortnightly newspaper in 2012
The Tibet Post lists its mission as amongst other things, “to promote through its publications, the principles of democracy, freedom of expression, social justice, political and legislative debate, political pluralism, women’s rights, rule of law, public empowerment, peace, non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution”. But it has not extended any of those principles and values to the faction of Tibetans who have been persecuted merely for their religious practice. Instead The Tibet Post has been carrying the Dalai Lama and CTA’s disinformation and anti-Shugden propaganda, unmitigated.
Examples of CTA misinformation disseminated by The Tibet Post. Click to enlarge image.
More examples of anti-Dorje Shugden propaganda. Click on image to enlarge
The founder of The Tibet Post, Mr. Yeshe Choesang himself seems to have embraced the CTA’s prejudice against Dorje Shugden and has personally written to defend the CTA’s blatant breach of Shugden practitioners’ human rights. A journalist exercising professional integrity would usually address such an important issue analytically and impartially, and push for a resolution of the conflict instead of contributing to the rift and damage. But then we assume that Mr. Yeshe Choesang is indeed a free agent, capable of acting on his own free will. That may not be the case especially with a CTA that has proven intolerant of Tibetans exercising their democratic rights.
If there is any doubt that the CTA has been behind the incitement of hatred and violence against Shugden practitioners, then it should be put to rest when we consider the fact that a contact number provided by the GTVT at the foot of its letterhead (U.S. phone number 1-8028467356) is also listed in the directory of The Office of Tibet, New York, USA, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Administration to the Americas!
Contact number on the GTVT letterhead. Click on image to enlarge
Notice the similar telephone number for the Tibetan Association of Vermont
One of the key contact persons of the GTVT is Mr. Jamyang Sonam, who is listed in the official website of The Office of Tibet as the Vice-President of The Tibetan Association of Vermont (TAV). And in December 2013, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, Penpa Tsering, visited the TAV just around the time when the CTA renewed and intensified its attacks on Dorje Shugden groups in the face of worldwide protests against the Dalai Lama’s religious ban. Is it merely a strange coincidence that a few months after Penpa Tsering visited Jamyang Sonam in Vermont that the latter should be directly linked to a new anti-Shugden that has emerged and begun its incendiary activities?
Jamyang Sonam and THAT phone number listed on The Office of Tibet’s website. Click on image to enlarge
Like other CTA officials, Penpa Tsering himself has been very active in his campaign against Dorje Shugden and was recently caught on tape distorting Tibet’s rich spiritual history and defaming high lamas such as Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche in an effort to turn the minds of young Tibetan school children against Dorje Shugden. Even the content and tone of the GTVT hate letter bears all the hallmarks of the CTA’s anti-Shugden propaganda.
Penpa Tsering with members of Tibetan Association of Vermont a few months before the emergence of the hate letter
So once again, we see the CTA’s hand in the formation of an entity which is clearly established to instill fear in the minds of Tibetans and provoke sentiments against Shugden practitioners around the world. It is acts like these that are responsible for creating disunity amongst Tibetans thereby weakening the Tibetan cause, not the practice of Dorje Shugden as the CTA would have others believe. And this is not to mention the criminality in such an activity as well the tort committed against the individuals and groups libellously named in the letter.
Hiding behind the cloak of anonymity and using false fronts are characteristics of criminal or dishonest organizations with much to hide. One does not expect such things from an honest government especially a government that follows the lead of a Nobel Laureate who purports to be a man of peace and truth.
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Manisha Kudo
July 21, 2014
Thank you for the updates. It is not surprising that the CTA is directly behind all the scheming and awful anti-Shugden letters. Now it is just proven in black & white that they have crossed and broken nearly every Buddhist precept. If what they claim about the practice of Shugden is true, why need to hide behind a seemingly just and fair front of GTVT? If they purport truth and democracy, then instead of attacking Shugden practitioners like a coward, they should have called for a peaceful dialogue to mediate on the matter. Again, CTA under the subtle influence of the DL are wheeling out their cunning plans to lie to the public.
Manisha Kudo
July 21, 2014
If one were to research and read a little more you will learn how the CTA had constantly relied on violence in the past and it was strongly supported by the DL since the 60s. HH has placed at least seven of his family members including his brothers and sister as head of ministries, The Tibetan Children’s Village, Tibetan Youth Congress and Tibetan Women’s Congress with staffs and members from latter two groups actively attacking and destroying the homes of Shugden practitioners, including monasteries and lamaseries.
And in the 60s, independent newspapers and periodicals were threatened by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile when their stands started to go against the old aristocratic and serfdom ways and challenged the dictatorial power of the Dalai Lama. With time these independent views and voices disappeared. In fall 1995, a magazine titled “Independence”, wrote that the democracy propounded by the Dalai Lama has failed as there was no clear separation of powers, an effective check and balance mechanism and an impartial judiciary. How can it be when the Dalai Lama wears all 3 hats at the same time?
Democracy in the Land of Snows is a lie especially with the imposition and execution of the ban on Dorje Shugden.
So, letters sent out by pseudo groups of so-called Tibetan activities is just a perpetuation of the violence committed by the Dalai Lama and the CTA.
Kelly
July 23, 2014
CTA officer and staffs I believe they are educated anyone of us also understand the power of team working , working together as a team will benefits each other’s as well as the whole country what more if the Tibetan want their independence so much separation like one group practice DS and there is another groups that anti the practice that will only bring harm to the Tibetan .
Eli
July 26, 2014
We have to work harder and share more about Dorje Shugden plight as more of these CTA people are working to bring trouble for Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Most of them if they had spent more time doing practice they would be of greater benefit for their society and government. Yet they wish to dabble in creating trouble for others. We have to be more vigilant against all these troublemakers.
pgdharma
August 9, 2014
This is a thorough investigation and good information. It is solid evidence and I would like to thank Manisha Kudo and dorjeshugden.com for doing a good job to expose and proved that the CTA is involved in these hate mails. Needless to say, the CTA felt threatened as they are being watched by the whole world for creating so much disharmony and violence amongst the Tibetans and the DS practitioners. I wonder what move the CTA will do next. Why can’t the CTA be more civilized instead of acting like cowards and create so much trouble and hatred for the DS practitioners? It is not necessarily to resort in such barbaric manner, just have a peaceful dialogue to discuss the matter. Religious freedom is the basic right of every human being and there should be no suppression or threats!
Icy
August 9, 2014
Baring the CTA’s clandestine activities, the world especially religious Americans and EU, ought to exercise due diligence when deciding to cast their support for Tibet. What is NOT acceptable is that we support Tibet blindly no matter what CTA does in wilfully distorting the truth that Dorje Shugden is an”evil spirit” and because it is the Dalai Lama, the world spiritual leader, who proclaims the ban thereby creating human rights abuses and violations and causing suffering of million Shugden Buddhists. People ought to support righteousness, not nations. If a nation does right, then support it. If, however, it does evil, withdraw your support. For me, China enjoys a slight advantage over the CTA for my support. One foundational reason is the Tibetan leadership decree that they intend to “destroy the most beneficial practice of Buddha Dorje Shugden to mankind from the face of the earth.” To me that qualifies as unrighteous. CTA have shown themselves in many ways and cases to be violent, willing to oppress those who do not agree with them or who have made peaceful protest for restricting their freedom to religion. That too qualifies as unrighteous.
China on the other hand, have shown support and encourage the growth of Buddhism and Dorje Shugden practice to spread and flourish on earth for the benefit of all beings. That is righteousness. So any decision to support a nation ought to be based on Buddhist ethics, not blind allegiance based on some dicey interpretation of one person who has a celebrity status to a complete blatant lie.
Let our support for any nation be according to truth, not blind allegiance. Support comes in many forms and hence we ought to be mindful.