[Buddha-l] Liau Yiwu about Karmapa in virtual prison

[Christopher Fynn]

On 21/09/2012, M.B. Schiekel <mb.schiekel at arcor.de> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Liau Yiwu about Karmapa in virtual prison in India:
>
> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-keeping-karmapa-in-virtual-prison-chinese-writer/1002229/0

Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje's.situation is little different from that
of most Tibetan exiles in India who are considered "stateless".

Many Tibetan exiles have been in India for over 50 years - and many
more have been born in India - yet they are not able to get Indian
Citizenship. According to what I have heard this is at least partly
due to the policy of the "Tibetan Government in Exile" in Dharamsala
because they claim these Tibetan exiles would loose their claim to
return to Tibet if they  took Indian Citizenship. This seems a little
disingenuous because in the past they have encouraged Tibetans
re-settled  in Canada, Switzerland, etc to take citizenship in those
countries.


To travel overseas Tibetan exiles normally have to get an Indian
Travel Document (not a proper passport) which is only issued on
approval of both the Indian authorities and the Tibetan Government in
Exile. It is also very difficult to get a visa on such a document
because it does not guarantee the right of the holder to return to
India.

In the past the the 17th Karmapa has travelled overseas - so he is
actually much better off in this regard compared to most of his
compatriots living in India.