Chabdrak Lhamo Kyab

 

Grew up in Domey province in north-eastern Tibet and began life as a teacher at the age of 18. He continued his commitment to this profession after arriving in exile in India in 1989, and from then on until 2008, he taught at the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah, being appointed head of department for Creative Writing.  During his tenure at CHTS, he published seven books of Tibetan prose and poetry.

In addition, he is editor-in-chief of the Tibetan literary magazine Tsampa which was launched in 1995, and he is also president of the Tibetan Writers Abroad P.E.N centre, founded in 1999.

In 2004, he was elected member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile during its 13th term, and is still currently serving in this capacity. 

In 2008 he was invited to lecture in the Tibetan Department at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilisations, Paris, France, where he resides at the present time.

 

Chabdak Lhamo Kyab - Wikipédia

 

Chabdak Lhamo Kyab - Unlocking the History of PEN

 

 

The World's Tibet

 

          Since escaping into exile in 1959, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has become a reknowned champion of world peace, a person revered and loved by all. His country, Tibet, is a pure land, the source of many of the world’s major rivers, feeding a high percentage of the teeming millions in China, South-East Asia and India. It is also an abode where Buddhism continues to flourish.  In the future, His Holiness hopes that the Tibetan plateau will become a model zone of peace. Tibet does not belong to any particular nation or country, but as the Third Pole on planet Earth it is a vital region for the whole of humanity, from the point of view of ecology and environment.

The Tibetan Writers Abroad chapter of PEN International highly appreciates all the support it has been receiving with regard to reporting on the peaceful protests inside Tibet and would like to honour those who are taking part for their courageous work carried out in the name of world peace. As an encouragement to these brave people  we appeal to you :   

1.      We request the Chinese people to support the statement issued by His Holiness to them, on the 28th March, 2008.

          2. We request the Tibetan people to show faith and respect the statement issued by His Holiness to them on the 6th April, 2008, and ask everyone to refrain from engaging in actions that may cause regret in the future.

          3. We appeal to the people of the world to support the petition forwarded to the Chinese Government by the 26 Nobel laureates.  

          4. We appeal to the people of China to support the 12-point petition forwarded by the group of 30 Chinese scholars.

          5. A panel of 18 high level Chinese lawyers came up with constructive suggestions, appealing to the Chinese Government to investigate the Tibet question through proper legal procedures. We greatly admire and appreciate their efforts and request everyone to support them so that their appeal may be crowned with success.

          6. The Indian government should no longer maintain its firm stand based upon Nehru’s statement with regard to Tibet, dating back 50 years. Instead, it would be more useful to consider what he said about the future of Tibet, ie. that “the final decision on Tibet rests only in the hands of the Tibetan people”. Now the time has come when we need your support most. The Middle-Way Approach does not seek the founding of a separate state. It is about unification and harmonious existence within the People’s Republic of China. India is well aware of the significance of the resolution of the Tibet issue, for its own benefit. Therefore, we appeal to the Indian government and its people to support the ongoing dialogue of peace.

          7. We appeal to independent agents of the international press, especially in India and China, to visit Tibet continuously. 

          8.We appeal to the International PEN Association, and its various chapters around the world, to extend solidarity and support for our rightful struggle, and we ask them to send a group of independent writers to Tibet over a period of one or two years to carry out research on the real situation inside Tibet.

          9. We extend our sympathy for the families of those who lost their lives, and  solidarity with those who were injured and whose property was damaged during the violent suppression of peaceful protests right across Tibet, in 2008.

          10. The year 2008 is a big moment for China as it hosts the Olympic Games. It is also a great opportunity for the emergence of new democratic change not only in Tibet but also in the whole of China. The way in which the Chinese people will exploit this opportunity, lies essentially in their hands.

 

Tibetan Writers Abroad PEN Centre.

10th of April, 2008.