Demi Tour of the World

Nepal-Japan Relations

“Nepal-Japan friendly relationship was established in the year 1956 A.D. (2013 B.S.). Earlier, Rana Prime Minister Dev Shamsher had sent a group of 8 Nepali students to Japan for studies.
“Japan is also called the country of islands. In their language Japan is called Nippon. Nippon means land of rising sun. Japan is made up of four main islands. These islands are Hokkido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, Tokyo is the capital of  Japan. It lies in the island of Honshu.
“There are many similarities between Nepal and Japan. Both of them are monarchical countries, Japanese are very labourious. Thanks to the labouriousness of the Japanese people. Japan has made great progress. It is necessary for us to learn many things from the Japanese people for the development of our nation. The government of Japan has helped us in building Gangaboo Bus Park, several drinking water projects, hydroelectricity projects. The radio transmission centers Pokhara and Kathmandu and horticulture development in Kaski and Dang. Thus Japan, having signed treaties with Nepal at different times, has been helping us in the fields like education, health etc.”

“Activities: (extract)

1.When was the friendly relationship of Nepal with China and Japanestablished? What kind of benefits did Nepalreceive from it? Prepare an article about the assistance
2. China has made in the development of  Nepal.
3. Why were the industries constructed with the help of China privatized?”

- There is no monarchy nor in Nepal nor in Japan which has gor political power

- Saying Nepalese and Japanese work force are the same is about saying it rains as much in Cornwall as in the Sahara!

- of course it is Hokkaido there are talking about.

Grade 8,  social studies

nepalese scolar program (classe VIII) - China

Nepalese school lessons, the look it gives to its children ….

The texts are exactly the same as in the book of Social Studies, Class VIII.

For the reasons you’ll discover, some Tibetan schools study with Indian books.



This is the last chapter of the year which is called Our International Relations and Cooperation. It presents the relationship of Nepal with China, Japan, France, Germany, USA and UK… May I ask sir? Where is India? The Unit is organised in 4 lessons and so matches couples, like France-Germany, Japan-China, or US-UK



a/ Nepal – China Relations

1. We can find the proof in our religious scriptures that there was a very good relationship between Nepal and China from ancient times. According to the Buddhist Scriptures Manjushree cut the hill of Chobhar and made Kathmandu valley fit for human settlements. Seven hundred years ago, Araniko went to China and created beautiful works of art. During the rule of Amshuvarma, Bhrikuti married to Srang – Chong – Gampo of Tibet. Thus, Amshuvarma made Nepal – China relations stronger.
   
2. Nepal established friendly relationship with people’s Republic of China situated in the continent of Asia, on August 10, 1955 A.D. (2012 B.S.). China, that lies to the north is a good neighbour of Nepal. Its capital is Beijing. Its area is about 96.00.000 sq.km. There is China has a communist system of government. Therefore, communists are running the government there. After the war of 1949 A.D., China has made great economic and social progress. Therefore, nowadays, Chinese goods are available in many countries in the world.
   
3. Japan has helped Nepal in many years. It has helped in the areas like transport, industry, hydroelectricity etc. Araniko Highway, Phritivi Highway, Ringroad etc. are some examples in the field of transport. China has helped Nepal in the field of industry also, Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory, Harisiddhi Bricks and Tile Factory, Bhaktapur Bricks Factory and Bhrikuti Paper Factory were constructed by China. Now, these factories have been privatized.. Similarly, Birendra International Conference Hall, City Hall, Sunkoshi Hydroelectricity Project also were constructed with the assistance of China.
   

Manjushree is a bodhisattva who brought Buddhism to China, therefore is Indian.

The kind of relationship talked about is between Buddhist countries, But Srang Chong is badly spelt from the Tibetan: Srongtsen who was a powerful king of Tibet. He did conquered part of Nepal and part of China. As such he married a princess from Nepal and another princess from China, for the one he built the Jokhang temple. There is a school in Bouddhanath called Srongtsen-Bhrikuti… it is a Tibetan school. Sadly, here the Nepali government just bow to historical changes made by China.

At last I managed to upload one video from April, 17th, Tibetan protest

New day of protest for Tibetans in Kathmandu, unrest of persecution and imprisonments in Tibet

Kathmandu, April 17. Because of the elections in Nepal Tibetans stopped protesting. As soon as the 11^th the hunger strike started in a monastery of Swoyombunath. Street protests resume the next day with no stop till today. The whole days of praying hasn’t stopped either as scarce but dreadful news passes the border with Tibet. We know that some monasteries are under siege as Drepung Gompa where no one is allowed to go in or out and the supply of food and water is forbidden by the Chinese security forces.

The only news comes from Amdo, the only region where Internet is not cut off.

 After the sport tuitions it is miss Phela who told me there were a bus meant to go the Chinese embassy. I went in with Tinley who arrived in Nepal

two years ago. Once on site in a small road reaching the embassy’s street cops seeing us started the chase. The alleys were so narrow that both groups were quite slow and the Tibetans manage to hide themselves in a house. Then, it was like the Nepalese forgot us but four police lorries were both side of the main road. Journalists and a representative of the UNHCR were also there. Everybody lets took rest for the lunch break.

Waiting in one of the narrow alley, we talked with Kalsiang, who was the leader of our group. He was dressed in white a chain around his neck. On his clothes it was written: “human rights first, Olympics games after.” He was as middle way as the Dalai Lama. The Chinese people have got nothing to do with its authoritarian government, said he. The plan was simple. We run, and once the police is in front of us we sit closely tied.

 It is what happened. The police was taken by surprise and had to run behind, catch up in a sufficient number before being able to stop the protesters. The second important objective was to be in visual contact with the journalists. As though the police had stopped using its harmful bamboo sticks but it used to pinch, to touch at the girls’ intimate parts as to take watches and mobile phones.

As the police was busy with this first group of 56, a second group arrived from behind with the same strategy. This people were dragged, pushed, carried by their four limbs. The police was discipline in the way they had to bear the journalists presence. Policewomen on site were also to show some care for human rights. In the whole it looked like a boring routine for the Nepalese troops while some police women looked disgusted by this work of putting meaningless the Tibetans in the trucks for the usual hours at the police stations. The previous day they had arrested 500 of them. Today they arrested everybody. They check the press card of only the Tibetans reporters, making difficulties with one of them who works for Radio Free Asia. Why not letting the Tibetans protesting in the streets? That’s a Chinese order like in India

. Some kind of alliance which goes against Democracy, doesn’t it?

All this took place at one minute from an official building called: The Commission against the Abuse of Authority…

Li - France Tibet – stayed home last week. She was really tired and her sinus kept her inside instead of enjoying the nice hills behind Bouddhanath. So together we sent to the Shechen Clinic which belongs to the monastery of the same name. Mathieu Ricard, famous French Lama, stays there. Li went for the GP and I go for some inquiries for the dentist, thinking about an appointment. But I was asked to go see the dentist immediately for a check up.

Three days ago my English filling, a year old, went away in pieces leaving an uncomfortable big hole in my tooth.

To see clearer they made a radio and then took another patient. While the dentist was still a Nepali woman she asked for me and told the damages, that if I have time she could refill the hole this same morning after the lady. And that was it. An hour after this I had a new filling for 900 NRs, so less than ₤10 or us$ 5.

Shechen Clinic also hosts the elderly and helps the street children. It manages to get good equipment and to respect the community so all kind of people come there from the Nepali to the tourist. Cheap services mean they need other means. As an example a Guest-House is set in the walls of the monastery. So do you fancy fair-travels? But still they also need donations.

 
To go on with the Kathmandu medical system, I had the next day to go back to Dr Tsering whose medicine did prevent my stomach to go worse, but not better. He was waiting calmly behind his desk, reading book about Dharma, the teaching of the Buddha. He wondered why things stayed still and prescribed stronger pills. You have to pay only for the new medicine said he. The pills cost 50 Nrs, the pharmacist gave me only what was needed.

  
So far from the philosophy in the West…

PS: This day (31 March) 268  Tibetan protesters were arrested, That was in front of the Chinese Embassy so the reason of the oplice taken action was that mass gathering are forbidden around the Royal Palace nearby !

That was last year, 8 September, for the first time Japan, Australia and US met on behalf of their democratic state on the Pacific shore. A meeting China publicly questioned for Beijing saw it as an attempt to contain its ambitions.

9 September, the Taipei Online specified both point of views, China thought the “quadrangular axis of democracy” (India included) irritating for it contained its influence. Meanwhile the Axis of Democracies were concerned over the modernization of the Chinese’s Army (light euphemism if you know the capacity of it goes far beyond the mere conquest of the world), and India with the sino-Pakistanis’ alliance.

Would you think all where walking on their feet, don’t stay in Utopia too long. A nice world where democracies challenges dictatorship… But on the same day, says the Tibetan Review October 2007, all these nations met for the forum of Economic Cooperation in Sydney. There the US representative felt he had to appease China by saying the democratic had talked security but it wasn’t directed to China.

You’ll tell me there is no contradiction because states liberated themselves from economy, in this China is wholly supportive at it remembered while Kosovo moved apart. China is against an involvement of politics into trade.

Who’s submissive there? Who’s bowing?

The Himal Magazine of this month, in an article describes the Buddhist monks organization world wide while Europe and US, after September 2007 and the Burmese Saffron Revolution, went back to their business with Burma… as they didn’t know the money goes directly in the generals pockets, whose main subsidiaries come from China of course.

As you must it is not good living where there is oil. Tibetans, Burmese, Chadian people know this well as Mr. Chavez which escaped some coups coming from… U.S. of course.

Nowadays the Tibetan people go once more in the street.

In the Asian front, Nepal beat them on the UN pavement, in India they get sentenced to weeks of jail for walking!

If Nepal is still unstable we can’t the same of India, a democracy so proud to be, but who shift its partnership from US to China… concerning some nuclear program.

In the West front, Gordon Brown accepted to meet the Dalai Lama on May after the protests in his streets of London while French president had already an appointment with the Peace Nobel Prize planned for August. So China gave an order: you must not welcome the Dalai Lama, who of independentist and enemy he qualified by China (that’s international language, but monks pro-Dalai Lama in Tibet are called terrorists, sentenced to death, tortures, killed or in unknown conditions in Chinese jails). Such is the order sent by China while Condee Rice advice China not to hurt Tibetans.

So European Union needs to gather itself to know what to do for the Olympics, should their representatives go for the ceremony? What sure for the French president, a boycott is absurd.

Don’t think Mr. Sarkozy think of the beauty of sport. The French had to import the word fair play in their dictionaries from UK, but the latter are not keen neither in practicing real vexations towards the Game Master. Everybody knows Sun Tzu is expert in Strategy, that one rule is: control the Centre. At this game US are indeed well placed but the Empire du Milieu, a French way to talk about China where milieu means middle, is aware of the Earth rotation… and the investments rushing towards it.

That’s a dangerous game for men of power, musical chairs of international alliances.

A dance in which UNO can only be in the audience, it has been weaken by some Reagan reform but, for what concerns us, it is now paying some mistakes of the past. In the Imperialistic game post-WWII the axis of Capital bet too quickly on the bad horse, Chang had to flee to Taiwan, where the people still await for the consequences, that’s how Mao, the outsider won a veto right.

… Never the war has been so cold

UN, where are you is another slogan.
UN, We Want Justice… to this one UN says its disability

Community Awareness Team

Last month I’ve started the link through email. Ravi was very happy that someone was interested in his project so he replied quickly and few days later we met.
He came to Boudha, we had tea. He described is association I talked about Free Radicals. He talked about their actions, I gave him a bag of 150 condoms. Like that Emeline, my GP and others know where are their donations
 More about the assocation here (past activities, aims, etc.), signed by Ravi.

The 19^{th march, we met again, this time a made the move. I went to freak street (behind Durbar Square, with Coralie, a French girl on the road who was interested in the visit and the sort of activities Saarathi was into.
We arrived in their apartment when a social worker volunteer just started his tuition for 2 new comers in the Saarathi family. The tuition: how to get out from addiction. As Ravi, the teacher himself is an ex-drug addict.
This tuition room is the bigger one, empty but the white board and the sentences on the walls. The second and last room is the office, quite small but everything is there for a warm welcome.}

Through the photos, while Ravi’s new wife was preparing tea, we were presented the main big events organized by the association.
Their New Year was on the Royal Place itself, DJ and workshop “how to use a condom”
Last October they set up a day to prevent the use of drugs. That was still on Durbar Square, with a famous Nepali actor, a general of the army and of course doctors to talk the best of the day’s topic.
Of course the volunteers were also active for the condoms day. More than the core of 25 volunteers, there are more ready for special events.

Daily, they welcome people dealing with HIV contamination and/or addiction. They do it everyday, the phone’s always on.
They do a real social work. What they want to achieve is reflected in how they call themselves. Saarathi are the strong warriors of the Mahabharata. Don’t think that there are traditionalist though. Their leitmotiv is to encourage their neighbours at an everyday awareness. STD, drugs but also pollution. In Kathmandu the rivers are disgusting; in the streets open-air corners play the role of bins!

Noticeable, they’ve got money for the rent through an aid which will end in June… there they depend on generous landlords-helpers.

AIMS

SAARATHI NEPAL aims to improve the quality of life for families living with HIV and drug users in Nepal by providing opportunities for empowerment, taking control of issues controlling their life .Empowerment of families living with HIV and drug addiction concerns not only health related issues but the protection of human rights, involvement in the development of policy, non discriminatory access to the legal and health care system and the education of the wider community.

SAARATHI NEPAL aims to provide a voice for families living with HIV, drug users and their children at the local, regional and national levels in order to facilitate systemic change in critical areas such as care and support, after treatment care, community and school awareness program assist to treatment and addressing issues of discrimination in society.

At Saarathi’s every one’s got the smile. When we went, Pritesh walked with us, led us to an optician for Coralie. While we waited he asked me if I gave a gift to Ravi? … “because I didn’t know what was it and I opened the package in Ravi’s home in front of his mother and his sister… the bag was so well closed that when I insisted it burst! All the condoms scattered in the room. I was so ashamed.”

I can’t even imagine what went up in Ravi’s mother head in front of such a sight a day before his wedding!

Last year I made it in London . This year it’s in Kathmandu .

The difference? It is officially forbidden to demonstrate in the streets.

I arrived late at the monastery. While the children and their teacher were inside, Srongtsen school’s students were playing flute for a kora around the Baudha Stupa. The place was filled with Tibetan flags, the air filled with tunes and slogans.

49 years ago, the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation brought them on the road of exile, their leader, the Dalai Lama, received the Peace Nobel Prize, but he’s still seen as a terrorist by the chinese government. They talk about his clique like it was missing the cultural revolution… that’s may be why it supports Myanmar and Sudan dictatorship.

This year is special for the Tibetan People, the world will look massively at JOs right in the middle of a new empire which could be describe as the mergence of totalitarian and free trade.

China is their two generations oppressor! So they feel this year, we’ve got a chance.

The slogans, were shouted with more will, the flags flew in the air with more strength.

The same day marchers started a journey which should lead them to Tibet , their country. Tenzin Tsundue is at their lead. Not a week after the indian police stopped and enjailed them. All sentenced for 14 days. I just wonder what their crime is.

Non-violence and the memory of Indian’s first days of uprising and independence are now in the background of its newly chinese friendship.

After the ceremony at the monastery, the children went back to school with the teachers. The latter had their mobile connected with their friends and relatives on their way to the chinese embassy. But the chinese ambassador reached the nepalese faster.

The dark alliance waited for the protesters and for any excuse to use their cherished long stick. I’ve already seen them in action! Really, they don’t even need a reason to use it. This police are a machine. Just beat the strikers, any one running or looking suspicious or just to scare the others. It could be a woman, no difference.

And so it happened on Monday in front of BBC’s cameras.

And on Wednesday, then on Friday, Saturday and Monday 18^th.

The Chinese fired at Tibetans, including monks. Nobody can agree with numbers. What sure, chinese are the only one two know… so not much expectation to know the truth from the world leader in censorship.

In Nepalese the police did its job as usual, but this time while the Tibetans look for the help of U.N.

Here it is also interesting. Two of our teachers have been in custody on this Monday 16^th. What they wanted? To know how many of their brothers died from the chinese bullets.

Miss P. and Miss C. stayed in custody with 70 others from the 9.30am to 5pm at the police head quarter. There a UN representative came to talk. What the woman said: UN-Nepal is unable to act!!!! What a surprise, now UNO is no more international!

If UNMIN (UN mission in Nepal ) can’t help, I’m sure, as any Tibetans, that this woman knows people who could ask for inquiries.  On the man’s head you can read “UN where RU?”. The photo has been shot the 10^th today this man is on hunger strike.

I’ll ask another question: is UNO remembers the Society of Nations?

You understand that I, the children of the school and my family support the Olympics’s boycott. More you need to contact your local champions, you need to tell them, if they go to remind tem about the Berlin Games, to tell them there is no shame in going at Beijing but there is pride for democracy to shout there, For Taiwan, for Ouighurs, for Tibetans, for democracy, for freedom

Thursday, 21st February.
In the morning, after the sport session, Miss Tsultrim sent her three french volunteers to Kopan Gompa (= monastery). “You’ll see… today is last of Losar (= Choenga Chopa). The lamas are sculpting with butter. That’s impressive.”
If volunteers are off duty, children had to be at school. On the day the headteacher started her scolding training, the next she used the stick for the one who’ve been absent with no excuse.

Noemie had still a paining knee so we took the taxi. Special day, no petrol and our “foreignness” made ask the driver for 350, but 200’s been the last price.

Inside, the monastery, the same we visit empty every saturday with the kids, was crowdy. Traditional garments for the majority. Everybody had to eat a meal of oily rice with dry fruits especially cooked by the monks for this holly day and offered to visitors and believers.
At the foot of the main temple, a novice was collecting offerings against khatas while the lama behind him took care of this truely amazing sculpture. Just something unseen before. The main feature represented the buddha enlightment and at the bottom three frames showing the Boudha’s Stupa and the Tibetan flag.

But first of all, and the khatas were for this reason, all buddhists came to recieve the benediction of the Rimpoche (= the precious one). At sport, one of the children had told me that we could ask him to realize one’s wish. May be that’s why the queue was so long and looking like not moving.
Anyway, time was of no importance, most of the people planned to spend the day there. They brought everything needed for a tibetan pique-nique, sweets and kapse of course, but also their favorite meal which is meat dried from the Tiebatn Plateau in attics. “The older, the better” from Khampa’s saying… but I never tried.
The monastery’s rice was delicious.

On this day, the usually peaceful lawn of the garden was covered of blankets and colourful people. Not only here but anywhere suitable in the monastery.
We found a spare piece of grass backside the stupa where a 2 years old baby in a nicely fitted khampa suit introduced us to his family. His father is an artist, he knows Marcelle (France-Tibet’s president) and visited France with the help of a Tadol association’s member (still french!)
Above our head, as the ground was stiff, three pupils from manasarovar were playing at sliding on the lawn.
The time to show the girls the sights from the hill - also place of pique-nique, and crossing a primary school head-teacher and her german volunteer, and we were back to the world of noise and pollution (pandemonium).

I have to say that the tibetan dresses are truely beautiful and than the elder women’s face are attracting the attention. The children were wearing thir parents clothes. Lamas were praying, playing instrument and recieved many bank notes.

PS: the two ducklings are dead. They didn’t suffer, so quick it happened I don’t understand. The news reported the bird flu in Tibet… but I don’t think it is this… or may-be…