t i b e t w a t c h

A new TibetWatch Episode will air in primetime on channel 34 of Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) as follows:

1. Sunday, Feb. 9th @ 9:30 p.m.
2. Thursday, Feb. 13th @ 8:00 p.m.
3. Monday, Feb. 24th @ 9:00 p.m.

Episode #25: Drapchi Nuns (30 Min.)
On June 6, 2002, guests at Tibet House enjoyed a special opportunity to hear the stories of two courageous freedom fighters, Chuye Kunsang and Passang Lhamo. Chuye, from Shar Bumpa Nunnery, was detained at age 21 in February 1995. She was released from "New Rukhag 3" in Drapchi Prison in February 1999. Passang, from Garu Nunnery, was detained at age 19 in May 1994. She was released from "Old Rukhag 3" in May 1999. Both nuns were tortured repeatedly during their imprisonment and lived to tell their stories. Chuye and Passang are among the many Tibetan nuns who have suffered in the Chinese prison system. Between 1989 and 1992, many were imprisoned in the notorious Drapchi Prison in Lhasa, Tibet, for taking part in peaceful demonstrations for Tibetan Freedom. All of the demonstrations were non-violent, involving less than six people and lasting less than five minutes. In 1993, fourteen of these courageous freedom fighters secretly recorded independence songs and messages to their families on a tape recorder. Of this group of nuns, who have collectively become known as the DRAPCHI 14, eleven remain in prison. This event was sponsored by Tibet House, Students for a Free Tibet and the U.S. Tibet Committee.

Episode Catalogue ­ as of January 2002

Background: TibetWatch is a cable-access television series that is sponsored by the U.S. Tibet Committee and airs on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (³MNN²) and Brooklyn Cable Access Television (³BCAT²). TibetWatch seeks to expose viewers to religious, socio-economic, political, environmental, and cultural aspects of Tibetan life. The show uses a variety of programming formats including guest interviews, subjective commentary, news reporting, and field footage of activities that have taken place here in New York City and elsewhere. MNN reaches approximately 530,000 Time Warner and RCN cable subscribers in Manhattan, while BCAT has a viewer base of roughly 300,000 subscribers.

Episode #1: Tibet and China in the News (30 Min.)
Carlos Rodriguez and Holly Moriarty talk about recent news items from various sources and the potential impact on the Tibetan Freedom Movement and/or China¹s relations with western democracies.

Episode #2: History of Tibet (30 Min.)
Carlos Rodriguez and Holly Moriarty provide viewers with a brief historical overview of Tibet and its relationship with China spanning the last few centuries and more recently since China¹s invasion of Tibet in 1949. Because much of this was a narration, a slide show of pictures gathered from various sources is used for visual effect. After the narration, Holly and Carlos discuss some recent news stories and articles, which are now somewhat out of date but nonetheless still relevant.

Episode #3: Press Conference for His Holiness The Dalai Lama (30 Min.)
His Holiness gave a press conference kicking off his visit to New York during the summer of 1999. The event was held on August 12th at the Mark Hotel, near Central Park and was also attended by Richard Gere who gave a few opening remarks. As you may recall, His Holiness was in town giving a series of teachings at the Beacon Theater culminating in a public talk given on August 15th in the East Meadow of Central Park. The press conference was basically a question and answer session attended by most of the major media outlets. The questions were varied and covered a number of interesting topics including politics, religion and the general state of the world.

Episode #4: Tibetan New Year (Losar) Celebration 2000 (60 Min.)
New York-area Tibetans and friends of Tibet celebrated Losar at the Ukrainian National Hall. After a short introduction, the program opened with a scarf offering ceremony followed by traditional Tibetan song and dance including a cover of Bob Marley¹s ³Redemption Song² and a rap act performed by Namgyal Yeshi.

Episode #5: Goldman Sachs/PetroChina Protest (30 Min.)
In anticipation of Goldman Sachs¹ PetroChina initial public offering (IPO), over 100 Tibetans and supporters staged a traditional Tibetan funeral procession and unfurl a banner outside Goldman Sachs¹ corporate headquarters that read: ³Goldman Sachs¹ PetroChina: Risk for Investors, Death for Tibetans². BP Amoco participated in the IPO and became the largest foreign investor in PetroChina. This investment violates BP¹s own standards on human rights and social responsibility. Despite concerns raised by a broad coalition of interest groups, including labor, human rights, religious freedom, small business, anti-slaver, and Tibet, BP has flatly refused to address these issues with PetroChina.

Episode #6: 50th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (30 Min.)
At the Kasturi Hall in Astoria, Queens, Tibetans and Tibet supporters alike celebrated the 50th Anniversary of His Holiness¹ Enthronement as Tibet¹s highest Lama. The event consisted largely of religious prayer and chanting ceremonies as well as traditional Tibetan song and dance.

Episode #7: The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes (60 Min.)
On February 11, 2000, Tibet House hosted a book-signing event supporting Jamyang Norbu¹s fictional novel ³The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes². Mr. Norbu is the founder and director of the Amnye Machen Institute in Dharamsala, India. Formerly the Director of the Tibetan Institute of the Performing Arts (1979-1984) and founding member of The Tibetan Youth Congress, Mr. Norbu is a long-time Tibetan Independence activist and accomplished writer. ³The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes² was written after Norbu won an international competition to write about the missing time in the life of Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Norbu is also the author of ³Horsemen in the Snow², (1978). The book-signing event was highlighted by an inspiring introduction given by Dr. Robert Thurman of Columbia University and insightful concluding remarks given by Professor Elliott Sperling of Indiana University.

Episode #8: On the Roof of the World ­ Travels in Tibet, Ladakh and Bhutan (60 Min.)
Award-winning photographer Gillian Marshall and Midge Kennedy, both of Connecticut and enthusiastic travelers, presented their fascinating slide show and narrative. This event was held on February 23, 2000 at the Marble Collegiate Church in lower Manhattan. Both women have a self-professed passion for South Asia and the culture of its peoples. During the evening, Midge and Gillian shared their stories of travel and adventure in Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Gillian has a particular interest in the area. Her uncle served as British Political officer in Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim from 1933 to 1935, and married her aunt in Gangtok, Sikkim. They enjoyed a deep personal friendship with the royal families of Bhutan and Sikkim, and with the 13th Dalai Lama. But this presentation was more than a travelogue. Midge and Gillian speak candidly of the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the suffering of its people. Donations were also received from attendees at the event to benefit the Tibetan Children¹s Villages.

Episode #9: Commemoration of the 41st Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day (60 Min.)
On March 10th, 2000, in commemoration of the 41st Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day, Tibetans and supporters in New York and around the world demonstrated for the reinstatement of Tibet¹s independence. Hundreds of protesters participated in a rally outside the United Nations followed by a march to the Chinese Mission where Tibetans and students performed acts of non-violent civil disobedience and were arrested by the New York Police Department. The event concluded with a march across town to the Chinese Consulate where a number of spirited speeches were made in support of Tibetan independence.

Episode #10: Tibetan Refugee Story (60 Min.)
Namgyal Yeshi, a former Tibetan monk, spoke at The New School on March 7, 2000. Specifically, he talked about his dangerous escape from Tibet after being detained and tortured by the Chinese authorities. As part of his story, he recalled his family life growing up and contrasted this with his life here in the U.S. This is a touching story that sheds some light on the way Tibetans are being mistreated by the Chinese. After Namgyal told his story, a question and answer session was held for the audience. The event was organized by Students for a Free Tibet.

Episode #11: Tibetan Folklife Festival ­ Part I (30 Min.)
Tibet followers gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC from June 23-27 and June 30-July 4, 2000 to see an extensive cultural program entitled ³Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land of the Snows². The daily program included demonstrations by skilled artisans, performances of traditional music, theater, and dance, explanations of monastic practices and rituals, discourses by teachers from the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the Bon tradition and discussions on Tibetan healing sciences and astrology. Due to technical sound problems we created a montage of images from the festival using a backdrop of Tibetan music.

Episode #12: Judy Tethong Slide Show (60 Min.)
Mrs. Judy Tethong presented her rare slides from India capturing images covering the period when Tibetans first began settling in India after the March 10th uprising of 1959 all the way up to 1970. The slide show was held at the Ukrainian National Hall in lower Manhattan on March 25, 2000 and was sponsored by the Office of Tibet. Mrs. Tethong tirelessly devoted her life during this period to schooling and caring for the young and impoverished Tibetan children who fled Tibet over the Himalayas through Nepal to India. Mrs. Tethong¹s story is inspiring and well told through her many photos and in-depth narrative.

Episode #13: Tibetan Folklife Festival ­ Part II (30 Min.)
Additional footage from the weeklong event held on the National Mall in Washington, DC during the summer of 2000. Festival highlights included opening ceremonies on June 23, consecration of the stupa on June 24, Shoton (Curd Feast Festival) featuring lhamo (Tibetan opera) on June 25, and Tibetan-American Day including special evening performances and a 10,000 piece light offering during the opening day of the three-day Monlam Chenmo (Great Prayer Festival for World Peace) held on July 1. The festival culminated on July 2 with His Holiness the Dalai Lama leading Monlam Chenmo and giving an outdoor public address. Due to technical sound problems we created a montage of images from the festival using a backdrop of Tibetan music.

Episode #14: His Holiness the Dalai Lama¹s Public Talk at UC-Berkeley (30 Min.)
His Holiness gave a remarkable speech entitled ³Human Rights and Moral Practice² on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley in May 1994. This footage was provided to TibetWatch courtesy of Garthwaite & Griffin Films, Inc. of Menlo Park, CA.

Episode #15: His Holiness the Dalai Lama¹s Public Talk in Central Park - Part I (60 Min.)
His Holiness concludes his visit to New York with a public talk in the East Meadow of Central Park on August 15, 1999. During his visit, he gave a series of teachings at the Beacon Theatre from August 12-14 on the Stages of Meditation and the 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas. The Tibet Center and Gere Foundation sponsored the free public talk. His Holiness¹ talk was inspiring and its universal theme of compassion for others reached a diverse audience of thousands.

Episode #16: Ngawang Choephel (30 Min.)
Garthwaite & Griffin Films, Inc. of Menlo Park, CA generously provided TibetWatch with its documentary of Ngawang Choephel entitled ³Portrait of a Political Prisoner². Ngawang Choephel is a Fulbright Scholar from Tibet who was studying Music at Middlebury College in Vermont. In August 1995 he was filming traditional Tibetan music and dance when he was arrested by Chinese authorities and is now serving an 18-year prison sentence. This episode concludes with trailers entitled ³Why Are We Silent?² and ³The World Isn¹t Listening². The last depicts graphic footage of Tibetans protesting in Tibet and the brutal response from Chinese police.

Episode #17: Tibetan Independence and Its Realization (60 Min.)
Jamyang Norbu and Thupten Tsering gave a special lecture on the reality of Tibetan independence. Mr. Norbu, a former Tibetan resistance member, novelist, playwright, and the leading political commentator in the Tibetan world discussed the growing social unrest throughout China and a new series of repressive measures in Tibet that collectively could bring about a major crisis. Mr. Norbu argues that in such a situation, a window of opportunity could open for Tibetans to advance their struggle for Rangzen (independence) and achieve it. He also discussed his newly formed organization, the Rangzen Alliance. Thupten Tsering, Grassroots Coordinator for SFT and co-writer and co-director of the award-winning film ³Windhorse² explained how the strategy of Direct Economic Action (DEA) against China can significantly contribute to the goal of independence. Thupten discussed the Tibet Movement¹s various successes at DEA, especially with the campaign to stop World Bank funding for China¹s population transfer into Tulan. He also outlined the new BP-Amoco campaign to stop PetroChina¹s Tibet pipeline and the exploitation of Tibet¹s petroleum fields and other natural resources. A question and answer session followed the talk.

COMING SOON TO VIDEO:

Episode #18: His Holiness the Dalai Lama¹s Public Talk in Central Park - Part II (60 Min.)
During the second half of His Holiness The Dalai Lama¹s public talk, he taught from the Eight Verses on Training the Mind, by the 11th Century Tibetan sage Langri Tangpa, which describes how to conquer selfishness and how to develop the selfless wish to help others. His Holiness performed a traditional Buddhist ritual generating altruism. The audience actively participated by reciting a prayer for the world¹s less fortunate. This episode includes interviews given by a Tibetan Monk, a Tibetan Nun and one of the many lay people who attended the event.

Episode #19: Tibetan Government in Exile (60 Min.)
Tenpa Tsering, Minister for Home Affairs, and Mrs. Jetsun Pema, the former Minister of Education and the younger sister of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, visited New York for a few days and took time out to give a public talk. The event was held on February 7, 2001 at The Violet Café on the campus of New York University and was organized by the NYU chapter of Students for a Free Tibet. Mr. Tsering provided an overview of the Tibetan Government in Exile including its founding, organization and position regarding negotiations with the Chinese government over Tibetan autonomy. Mrs. Pema spoke primarily about the dangerous journey that many parents encourage their children to make across the Himalayas in search of freedom and better education opportunities. She also talked about the establishment of the Tibetan Children¹s Villages (TCV) in India and elsewhere and the structure of education at TCV.

Episode #20: BP Amoco/PetroChina Protest (30 Min.)
BP Amoco was the target of protests on February 15, 2001 at its New York office located at 535 Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Five students were arrested after occupying BP¹s office for 2 hours and were released after about 25 hours in custody. BP Amoco is assisting the Chinese-state company PetroChina in its oil & gas exploitation in Tibet, including the construction of a 953-km gas pipeline across the plateau. This is a significant escalation of China¹s ongoing strategy of developing Tibet into a resource extraction colony. If allowed to continue, the projects will consolidate China¹s control over Tibet, and further marginalize Tibetans in their own land.

Episode #21: Team Canada Protest (30 Min.)
On February 13, 2001, Kate Woznow, Sam Price, and Freya Putt of Students for a Free Tibet staged an unprecedented protest in the heart of Beijing, opposing the government-led ³Team Canada² trade delegation to China. No Tibet protest has ever received as much media attention, or prompted as much debate. Variously condemned and praised in the news, Kate, Sam and Freya found themselves the center of a storm of media attention. The issue of trade¹s effects on human rights was forced by their protest back into the public eye. On Friday, March 9, Freya recreated her experience of this extraordinary action.

Episode #22: Commemoration of the 42nd Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day (30 Min.)
On March 10th, 2001, in commemoration of the 42nd Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day, Tibet supporters participated in a rally at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in view of the United Nations building. The rally included speakers from the Tibetan exile community, Tibet support groups, human rights and labor groups, academic and political communities and local Chinese dissident groups. This was followed by a march across 42nd Street to the Chinese consulate at 42nd Street at 12th Avenue and a reception that was held at Tibet House. The various speakers used this opportunity to state the case against awarding the 2008 Summer Olympics to China.

Episode #23: Virtual Tibet (60 Min.)
As part of a conference held at NYU entitled ³Tibetan Dispatches: Reporting on the Roof of the World², Orville Schell discussed the underpinnings of his recently completed book entitled ³Virtual Tibet: Searching for Shangri-La From the Himalayas to Hollywood². Mr. Schell discusses Western conceptions of Tibet and specifically how movie-makers of today, like the European travelers who struggled so hard to enter the almost inaccessible Tibet of centuries past, are caught up in illusion ­ a decidedly non-Buddhist attachment to their own dreams. Mr. Schell is currently the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley and a noted scholar who has written several books on China. Jamyang Norbu, founder of the Rangzen Alliance and one of the most respected Tibetan political commentators and writers, followed Mr. Schell and discussed the political realities of Tibet and the independence movement.

Episode #24: Zamling Chisang ­ Tibetan Community Festival (60 Min.)
On July 8, 2001, Tibet enthusiasts gathered at Battery Park in New York City for a day of Tibetan culture. Tibetan support groups from Minnesota, New York, Boston and Los Angeles performed traditional Tibetan folk songs, music and dance. Also, a number of Tibetan cultural arts demonstrations were given including: Thanka painting, sand Mandala, butter sculpture, woodcarving, silk appliqué, carpet weaving, spinning & wool carding, woodblock printing, calligraphy, belt weaving, Tibetan medicine & astrology, and prayer wheels. Lobsang Gyatso and Yangchen Lhamo hosted the event.

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