Correspondence

Letter from Cambodia: Dear Mikel, Cambodia went well. As you know, the Cambodian incident of November (2004) was a catalyst which led to the US government imposing full legal status to impose economic sactions on Cambodia. I delivered the "changes to be made" letter from Congressman Pitts and the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus to the Majority Leader of the Cambodian Senate, Senator Chhay, on May 24th (2005). On May 29th, the US Government imposed the sanctions! You and I are part of history, Mikel. And our work in Cambodia will result in a real change in foreign policy there. Many of the operatives who are working on human trafficking in Cambodia and Vietnam are tortured and abused for politics in both countries. I was worried I would be arrested while delivering the letter because of the work we had done in November, but thank goodness, all went well. Blessings, Mikel-- Aaron Cohen. Author of "The Jubilee Prophecy". June 13, 2005 For full details about the "Cambodian incident of November (2004)", read On Freeing Child Sex Slaves in Cambodia posted elsewhere in this weblog.

Letter from Utah: Dear Mr. Dunham, I have just finished your book "Buddha's Warriors", and wished to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have been a Nyingmapa practitioner for just under two years and have been searching for a history--an account of why and what happened in Tibet. Not only has your book answered so many questions but, as a member of the U.S. Army, (I found the dharma during my eighth year of service), the tales of Khampa and Tibetan valor have given my practice a new energy. For lack of better words, I can't describe the subtle change. It has been a genuine pleasure, although heart breaking at times...many Tibetans and Buddhists owe you a great debt. "Victory to the Positives!" Gyan shon ne dorje--Logan Black May 23, 2005

Letter from Scotland: Dear Mikel, I had occasion to go back into "Buddha's Warriors" yesterday checking out Andrutshang in a situation for my Tibet lecture and saw something I meant to mention to you earlier: viz that Noel Barber and Michael Peissel are a couple of pseudo-experts on Tibet. Noel Barber knew nothing about Tibet (he told me!) except what he read from my books and his one few-weeks visit at the time of the DL's escape. On that occasion he told me he filed a 3000-word piece from Calcutta before he even visited the Himalayan region, and based it on the information that I was already in Tezpur (where I expected the DL to emerge). He persuaded my Daily Telegraph back-up, John Osman to take him on the plane I had retained and then filed another 3000 words on nothing more than a visit to Tezpur and no interview with the DL. That was his total experience of Tibet. I give the whole account in "Requiem for Tibet" as I recall.

Peissel was a claimed anthropologist with little Tibetan (I heard him speak on several occasions to Tibetans) and fanciful descriptions of the Abominable Snowman and an unknown tribe he discovered in Bhutan (actually it was Dr. Haimendorff of the London School of Oriental Studies who discovered the Apotamis in the 1930s). He was in Kathmandu trying to get to Mustang (which he did eventually but got nowhere with the guerrillas) when we were organizing our TV film and he was desperate to go with our team.

I mention this because using them as "experts" might reflect badly on your current series of lectures. George George N. Patterson. Author of "Journey with Loshay", "God's Fool", "A Fool at Forty", among other titles. "DL" refers to H. H. the Dalai Lama. May 28, 2005.

 

Letter from Tibet: Translation (excerpt) of Tibetan letter written by H. H. the 14the Dalai Lama during his 1959 escape from Tibet. It was addressed to Gompo Tashi, the leader of the freedom fighters who fought the Chinese invaders: Your unshaken devotion towards the cause of Tibet's Buddhist Faith and political stability, expressed in the conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in commanding Chushi Gangdrug victoriously aginst the spiritual foe, Communist Chinese force, will be honored hereby with your promotion to the rank of General Dzasak...Written from the Second Capital--Victorious Lhuntse Palace on 17th February of Earth-Pig Year (Tibetan Lunar Calendar).

 

Letter from Maine: We have been watching with alarm and dismay the goings on in Nepal. It makes us so sad and angry. We were first there in 1990 and there was a general strike at the time. There were army troops everywhere. Some people who worked at our hotel were beaten. We were told to stay off the streets and certainly not to go near particular areas. Of course we went anyway. I remember how excited the owner of the small shop where we bought water was--excited at the idea that there would now be two-party elections. We hadn't the heart to tell him that it made little difference and the people who have power guard it jealously and always want more. S
andra Strahan and Chip

Letter from Lhasa: Prostitution in Tibet
Respected Sir.
It is  my pleasure to mail you from Lhasa, i am mail ling you this mail as i know you when i was in Delhi university . for last many days back you have sent me information about the Nepal and some other things too. so for them i really would like to say thanks you so much for your timely information. now i got arrived in Lhasa for 4 months ago . doing this last  4 months i came to know Lhasa has changed much in materialistic but morally it  is dying . as i saw many young Tibetan prostitution who are leading the life of slave having no rights of them most of them are village girls who are got cheated  on the pretext of given job in city. i really feel pity on them . but from govt side they are doing nothing. sir i will do hard to make them change . sorry for my irksome news regarding to deplorable condition of Tibetan girls. least i know people like you can change the present history of Tibet with your knowledge and basic human value.
yours most well wisher sonom dorjee with best of regard.
22 March 2007