4/05/2008

STEPS TO END TORTURE IN TIBET



The China Tibet Information Center is a large online resource that provides data, news, and history about Tibet from the viewpoint of the People's Republic of China. From the main page, users can access sections on: culture; history; religion; folk tradition; and art. For example, the music section allows users to listen to traditional and modern music from Tibet using Windows Media Player, without the need to download extra files. There are also many visual sources, including online annotated photographic exhibitions from Tibetan artists. Since the resource is an official website from the Chinese government, it emphasises a view of Tibet as part of the Mainland. Users will find a separate feature on the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965, and the history section emphasises Communist China's 'peaceful liberation' of Tibet, and its history of 'serfdom' before 1949. The resource would be of value to anyone with an interest in Tibetan culture, particularly in terms of its perception by Communist China. It contains a great deal of visual and multimedia material, including video documentaries on history, religion and culture, which can be downloaded and played using RealPlayer.
http://en.tibet.cn/
Type: Research related resources; Secondary source; Places; Sound; Images; Texts; Primary source; News; Collections Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
Hosted jointly by Cambridge University and Cornell University, Digital Himalaya is an online archive of material relating to the Himalayan region, covering journals, maps, photographs and film. Collections mainly relate to Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. The Williamson Collection will be of interest to scholars of Tibetan culture, comprising photographs and film taken in Tibet in the 1930s by Frederick Williamson when serving as a British Political Officer. Williamson's fascinating 16mm films can be viewed online (users will need to install QuickTime), along with scanned images of the original film cannister notes. Full texts of journals are also available to view online. Materials relating to Tibet include: The Review of Tibetan Studies (in French); Kailash - Journal of Himalayan Studies; and The Journal of the Tibet Society. Users will also find online articles by members of Digital Himalaya staff in the publications section, featuring material on the purpose, aims and development of the digital archive. The website also acts as a gateway to related online resources dealing with Himalayan area studies and digital archives. Digital Himalaya would be of interest to any scholar or student of Himalayan life and culture. Although most materials tend to relate to Nepal, there is more than enough material to relate to Tibetan Studies.
http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/
Type: Collections; Secondary source; Primary source; Research related resources; Texts; Images; Projects; Places; Sound Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
The Digital Library and Museum of Buddhist Studies, from the National Taiwan University Library, is an online resource centre that supplies textual information on Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist teachings, and the languages used in them. Users can search an online database of bibliographies, online full-text publications, ejournals and ebooks using keywords or more specific search terms. The website provides online guides to the main languages used in Buddhist texts, including Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan lessons. Those interested in the Tibetan language should note that its dedicated page is only available in Chinese (traditional characters). The main page acts as a gateway to Buddhist scriptures available online from international websites. Chinese scriptures can be downloaded directly from the digital library in PDF format. Scholars of Tibetan Buddhism will find the online tools section useful. This includes links to an online Tibetan to English translation tool, and to electronic text initiatives and dictionaries related to Buddhist studies. Scholars will also find a news section, containing dates of academic conferences and events around the world. The website as a whole would be of interest to researchers and students alike, although users with a solid grasp of written Chinese will have an advantage when using the resource.
http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/
Type: Bibliographic databases; Datasets; Primary source; Projects; Reference sources; Research related resources; Resource guides and directories; Texts Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
Containing documents declassified prior to 2001, this section of the US State Department deals with America's contacts with Tibet (which was invaded by China in 1955) from 1964 to 1968). Comprising one main page, the website includes documents from American officials, the Nehru government and the Dalai Lama, covering: the CIA's relationship with Tibet; US contacts with India urging them to take a stronger political line over Tibet; and reports on the conditions in Communist-held Tibet in the 1960s. For example, the first document lists US financial aid to Tibetan exiles (including aid to buy armaments), and details of the CIA's help in training Tibetan rebels for a possible uprising. The documents also contain personal correspondence from President Johnson to the Dalai Lama, assuring the Tibetan leader of continued support for his exiled nation in the United Nations against Communist China. Although there are relatively few documents related to Tibet, this section of the State Department archive is a fascinating insight into America's interest in Tibet in their cold war against Communist China. It would be of interest to students of modern Chinese and Tibetan history, particularly in terms of foreign relations.
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_xxx/337_343.html
Type: Collections; Primary source; Texts Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
The PBS Frontline broadcast, 'Dreams of Tibet', aimed to uncover the American fascination with the 'Free Tibet' cause, which boasts influential converts in Hollywood and in the world of rock music. Concerned with Tibet's symbolic status as much as its political one, the programme's online resource provides a guide to Tibetan culture, outlines China's changing relationship with Tibet, and publishes interviews with those concerned with Tibet and its representation. The website reproduces extracts from publications by Peter Hopkirk and John Powers in order to explain the basic tenants of Tibetan Buddhism. Noted US China scholar Orville Schell recounts his experiences of sneaking into Tibet in 1994, while users can read about similar secret missions undertaken by explorers employed by British map surveyers over 100 years earlier. The online resource also covers Tibet's dispute over sovereignty with the People's Republic of China, reproducing book extracts, interviews and reports on: Chinese attitudes to the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama; human rights; Tibetan identity; and China's views on conservation in Tibet. Users can also access a complete transcript of the programme, a chronology of major events in Tibetan history, and a range of interviews on the question of Tibetan self-determination, including the views of famous advocates of Tibetan independence (including Richard Gere and Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys), Tibetan exiles, US officials (including Henry Kissenger), and China experts. Viewers' comments are also reproduced, often asking for more coverage of China's view of Tibet's status. However, on the whole, the website serves as an entertaining introduction to contemporary Tibet and its position in global politics, and would be of particular value to undergraduate students.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tibet/
Type: Primary source; Texts; Sound; Research related resources; Secondary source Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-21
Himalayan Art Resources is a huge online archive of painting, sculpture and textiles from the Himalayan region, assembled from collections around the world. Users can browse by type of art from the main page, or can look through particular collections, which include: museum collections; photography; private collections; images in publications; and art from particular sacred traditions (including the Bon religion, forms of Buddhism and Hinduism). When selected, each image is annotated with title and date information, along with soundfiles of titles in Tibetan and Sanskrit. Users can also zoom in on each image, and select individual areas for closer analysis. Textual information on Himalayan art can be found through a section on collected exhibits and in a books section. In the exhibits section, articles on art history are reproduced, including work on: Tibetan religious Thangkas; Buddhist art in Tibet; and myth and symbolism in the vajrayana. Users can also browse photographic collections in this section. The books section features a bibliography of books on Himalayan art, and the entirety of the 1894 book, Lamaism in Sikhim, which is available to download in PDF format. The online gallery is an excellent resource for students and academics alike. It is user-friendly, and provides a glossary of terms for anyone unfamiliar with Himalayan culture. It also boasts an extensive links page, which is organised by geographical region, and by 20 subjects.
http://www.tibetart.com/
Type: Primary source; Bibliographic databases; Places; Collections; Resource guides and directories; Research related resources; Images Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
Latse Contemporary Tibetan Cultural Library is a centre for research on modern Tibetan Cultural Studies. Its website introduces the aims of the library, outlines its collections, and gives notice of conferences and events. In addition to an extensive textual introduction to the library's collections (which include books, encyclopaedic works, blocks and prints), the website also features English and Tibetan versions of the library's publicity brochure. Two versions of its (bilingual) newsletter are also available to browse or to download in PDF format. Users can also search the library catalogue by logging in as a guest, and are able to consult the online Bya-ra database, which lists secondary research by Tibetologists based in the People's Republic of China. The resource also provides details of past conferences, special events and lecture series. Although full-text papers are not available to download, details of key speakers and lecture titles are provided. Users should note that the resource is in need of updating, and it is hoped that more recent details of events will appear soon. The Latse Contemporary Tibetan Cultural Library would be of value to any researcher of modern Tibet, particularly in terms of the way in which Tibetan studies can break away from the usual focus on traditional culture.
http://www.latse.org/
Type: Other organisations; Research related resources Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
The online resource from the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives introduces the activities of the library, located in Dharamsala, India, gives multimedia information on Buddhist philosophy, and describes its archives and collections of Buddhist works. From the main page, users can reach textual descriptions of the various collections in the library, which include Tibetan and translated texts, and photographic, architectural, and audio-visual archives. The website also includes textual information on the library's Tibetan language activities, its projects (including digitisation of texts, oral history and research into Tibetan vernacular language), and descriptions of its publications.

The library publishes several journals, and an archive of the contents of its English language journal, Tibet Journal, can be downloaded in pdf format. Users can also download recordings of past classes on Buddhist philosophy, using Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player, or Winamp Player. Although it is not possible to search the contents of the library online, the website provides a comprehensive introduction to the varied activities of the institution, and is a valuable resource for any researcher with an interest in Tibetan written culture.
http://www.ltwa.net/

Type: Collections; Other organisations Format: HTML Added: 2006-11-08
The online resource for the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, given to the Dalai Lama, provides transcripts of the Dalai Lama's acceptance speech, presents a detailed biography, and outlines the reasons behind the Nobel Committee's decision to honour the Dalai Lama. From the main page, users can access a transcript of the Committee's presentation speech, and can read a short press release related to the prize. Further information about the Dalai Lama himself is found in a separate section, which includes: a biography complete with a short bibliography of printed materials; the Dalai Lama's Nobel Lecture and acceptance speech; and a video of Dalai Lama's statement at the 2001 Nobel Symposia, which can be downloaded and played using RealPlayer. The website would be of interest to any researcher of modern Tibet and its perception by and cultural significance to Western nations. It also acts as a gateway to related websites, featuring a multimedia online resource from Harvard University.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/
Type: Other organisations; Texts; Sound; Primary source Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
Skidmore College, New York, holds a collection of photographs of Tibetan monuments and culture, taken by the Tolstoy-Dolan Expedition of 1942-43 as they investigated supply routes from India to Chiang Kai-shek's regime. Photos of Tibet in the Early 1940s makes these images available online, along with a textual introduction to the collection and the original expedition. Images can be viewed according to themes, which include: mural painting; sculptures; Tibetan religion; the Nationalist Chinese army; and temples and architecture. Users will also find a postcard from Heinrich Harrer, the Austrian mountain climber and author of Seven Years In Tibet. The photographs are displayed with little annotation; however, they can be viewed in more detail by clicking on their thumbnail images. Users will find a print bibliography related to the Tolstoy-Dolan Expedition, which can by reached via a link from the main page, along with a short account of the progress of the journey through Tibet. Although the resource would be improved with additional textual comment and contextualisation, these photographs are a valuable primary source, picturing life in Tibet before the Communist takeover. The website would be of particular value to undergraduates and students in further education.
http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/asianstudies/TibetanPhotos/Snaps.html
Type: Bibliographic databases; Collections; Primary source; Images; Places Format: HTML Added: 2006-02-24
The Tibet Album brings together over 6,000 photographs from the extensive collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum and the British Museum. The images were taken by a small group of diplomats visiting Tibet on behalf of the British Empire between 1920 and 1950 and offer a unique snapshot of Tibetan culture at the point of contact with the wider world. Supplemented by contemporary maps, this is an important record of a culture now 'changed beyond all recognition', an historical reference document for scholars and aid for Tibetans conserving and reconstructing their own histories. The site has a specially designed interface for viewing the photographs, allowing users to zoom, compare and collect images in an album, which can be edited, shared and submitted to the site itself for inclusion. The database has a comprehensive range of search and browse options including by photographer, place, collection, people and date. Also of note is the supporting information about this Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project and its methodologies – a valuable and impressive template for the digitisation of photographic resources.
http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/
Type: Datasets; Images; Primary source; Projects; Research related resources Format: HTML Added: 2004-07-16
The website of the Government of Tibet in Exile reports the latest news from Tibet, provides textual information about Tibetan language and culture, and displays facts on Tibet's geographical location and population. From the main page, users can access links to current news stories, covering articles on the activities of the Dalai Lama, and developments on the political status of Tibet. Short pieces on Tibetan culture feature: music; women in Tibet; Buddhism in Tibet; Islam in Tibet; and the Dalai Lama. Users will also find sections on the political status of Tibet, and on guidelines for a future government of an independent Tibet. These sections reproduce exerpts from international resolutions on Tibet's status, outline negotiations between Tibet and Beijing, and provide images of stamps and bank notes from Tibet's period of independence before the Communist invasion. In addition, the website features a guide to Dharamsala, the area given to Tibetan exiles by Nehru in 1960. There is also a useful list of print resources for students of Tibetan language. Users should bear in mind that the resource comes from a firm pro-independence position. Nevertheless, it provides useful source material on Tibetan exile attitudes towards China for scholars and students.
http://www.tibet.com/
Type: Places; Texts; Primary source; Secondary source; Reference sources; News Format: HTML Added: 2005-11-28
The Tibetan Studies WWW Virtual Library is a guide to online resources for the study of Tibet, its culture, language, and literature. The guide lists over 200 online resources together with annotations. Sections include: art, music and theatre; electronic forums; politics; religion - including Buddhism; and also human rights; travel and tourism. The site was created, and is maintained, by T. Matthew Ciolek. The links on the rather confusing front page of this resource lead to long lists of sites and resources relating to Tibet. These lists are very thoroughly researched, all entries are annotated and reviewed and the site appears to be regularly checked, as very few of the links are broken. Dates given on the site, however, suggest that this process ceased in October 2007, so the current healthy situation might well deteriorate in the future.
http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-TibetanStudies.html
Type: Reference sources; Resource guides and directories; Texts Format: HTML Added: 2000-10-03
TibetInfoNet provides users with textual information and images on modern Tibetan current affairs, culture and society. From the main page, users can access selected news from worldwide press sources on issues in contemporary Tibet. TibetInfoNet is unaffiliated with any political organisation, and stories are selected on account of their relevance to contemporary Tibetan society. Users can browse news stories by date or by topic, which include: society and culture; economy and development; policies and leaders; education; prisoners and protest; and Tibetan issues abroad. Archives of online news stories date back to August 2005.

The website also includes an image library, which can be browsed by topic. TibetInfoNet is also partly available in simplified Chinese and Tibetan, as well as in Japanese and four European languages. The resource would be of value to anyone with an interest in contemporary Tibetan current affairs and society.
http://www.tibetinfonet.net/

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