The Escape of the Dalai Lama, Part 3
March 31, 2010It was on this day in 1959 that the Dalai Lama safely arrived at India's border, after a harrowing 14-day flight from Lhasa. His dramatic escape brought international attention to the Chinese capture of Tibet, a situation that Tibetans continue to struggle with to this day.
The news of his arrival was received by the U.S. on April 2nd, sent by CIA-trained radio operators, Athar and Lhotse. CLICK HERE to download that message.
Thanks to Doma Norbu for her help with Athar's translation (her father).
Music by Green Goose Music
The Battle For Lhasa
March 28, 2010About two days after the Dalai Lama fled Lhasa on the night of March 17, 1959, war began raging between Tibetan rebels and the Chinese PLA in Tibet's capital. The uprising was crushed by China by March 24th. Here's an account of those dark days from five Tibetans who were there, four of whom began working on the CIA operation after surviving the devastation.
According to Mikel Dunham's book "Buddha's Warrior's", it's estimated that over 15,000 Tibetans were killed in this battle, and tens of thousands imprisoned. I haven't found an estimated number of Chinese deaths, perhaps because the Chinese government has maintained that their takeover of Lhasa was welcomed by the Tibetans as a liberation from an oppressive Feudalist system, and was little more than a riot caused by a few troublemaking serf-owners.
On March 28, 1959, China announced the dissolution of the Tibetan government, and denounced the Dalai Lama as a fugitive--considering him an "evil separatist" to this day. In 2009, China appointed March 28th "Serf's Emancipation Day", something none of the Tibetans I've met would celebrate.
Thanks to Tenzin Norkyi and Doma Norbu for their help with translation.
Music by Green Goose Music.
3/31/10 ADDENDUM: I just heard that Bhusang, one of the men in this video, passed away March 25. Recruited into the CIA's Tibetan Task Force, he was captured at the battle of Markham, and imprisoned by the Chinese from 1961 to 1978. As with all the former fighters I've talked to, he was a hero of his country and its cause. Bhusangla will not be forgotten. --Lisa Cathey
Escape of the Dalai Lama, Part 2
March 23, 2010When the Dalai Lama first fled Lhasa on March 17, 1959, no one but his entourage knew where he was, until the CIA eventually located him through the two-man radio team they had trained. For the rest of the world, rumors began spreading and the international press had a field day. This video, as in the first post, gives some context of the media frenzy that spread throughout the world about the disappearance of the Dalai Lama.
Music by Joel Langley at GreenGooseMusic.com
March 10 Montage
March 20, 2010On March 10th, Tibetan support groups staged protests, rallies, marches, and candlelight vigils across the world. Here's a montage of four of those events: New York City, London, Dharamsala, India, and Washington DC.
Thanks to all who generously helped on a shoestring budget: NYC-John Marton, London-Duncan Shears, Dharamsala-Legdup Tsering & Tenzin Norkyi, DC-Jeff Krulik, and music by Joel Langley, Green Goose Music
Escape of the Dalai Lama, Part 1
March 17, 2010It was on this day in 1959, after a week of ongoing protests by tens of thousands of Tibetans, that the Chinese People's Liberation Army retaliated by shelling Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's summer palace. In secrecy, the Dalai Lama fled that night, arriving in India two weeks later. To this date, he has never returned to his homeland.
There are many stories within this larger drama, so this will be the first in a short series of posts dealing with the Dalai Lama's escape. Some bits are still in rough stages as certain elements won't be in a finished state until the feature is closer to being done. Hopefully that won't deter this and future posts from being worth watching.
Ratu Ngawang: We Must Never Forget March 10
March 10, 2010Ratu Ngawang is respected among many Tibetans as a former commander in the Chushi Gangdruk, the Tibetan resistance army that fought the Chinese PLA from the 50s through the early 70s. He was also the head of security in the escape of the Dalai Lama, which began one week after the Tibetan uprising began on March 10, 1959.
Here's a clip from my interview with him in November, 2009.
Mikel Dunham Remembers March 10th
March 10, 2010Mikel Dunham spent 7 years collecting first hand stories from the Tibetan fighters in the resistance against the Chinese, as well as former CIA officers who worked on the Tibetan Task Force. His book "Buddha's Warriors" was the first one I read while researching the CIA's operation in Tibet, and he was one of the first people I interviewed. In acknowledgment of the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, here's a clip from my interview with Mikel that gives a vivid retrospective of March 10, 1959, and sets the tone of the times leading up to it.
Unfortunately my archival footage is non-existent when it come to photographs and film that depict the actual day. I used film of the Dalai Lama, from the CIA collection at the National Archives. The library's notes don't say who shot the film, but it's most likely Tibetan CIA trainees who were taught to shoot film to gather intelligence for the CIA.
March 10, 2009: Dharamsala, India
March 8, 2010Continuing with stories of March 10 as we near the 51st anniversary of Tibet's National Uprising Day, here's another short documentary from one of last year's observations of this special day in Tibetan history. As the home of the Tibetan government in exile, Dharamsala's events continued throughout the day, beginning with the annual ceremony and speech from the Dalai Lama.
March 9, 2009: Washington DC
March 7, 2010March 10th has been commemorated by Tibetans every year since 1959 as the National Uprising Day, when the Tibetan people united in revolt against the Chinese occupation of their country, and to protect their spiritual and political leader, the Dalai Lama. As the 51st anniversary approaches, I'll be posting videos that tell the story of that day in one way or another. Today I'm revisiting a short I made last year of a rally in DC, one of many events around the world in honor of 2009's 50th anniversary.
To document March 10th this year, I'm planning a montage of various events from as many cities as I can gather footage from. If anyone will be shooting video or stills this Wednesday, and would like to share with this blog, please email me at lisa@kefiworks.com. Credit will be given to anyone who's work is shown, and will be much appreciated.
Meet My Dad
March 4, 2010Clay Cathey isn't your average retiree playing golf on a weekday. He's a former CIA retiree playing golf on a weekday, and he's got some interesting stuff to say. He's also my father, and the reason why I started the CIA IN TIBET project in the first place. In 2005, I found out Dad had worked on the Tibetan Task Force from 1958 to 1962. It had been declassified in 1997, so there were several books on the topic, as well as a 1998 BBC documentary by Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin. After beginning to learn about this history, I was amazed it was still so little-known, and felt compelled to add an updated perspective on it. Two years and over 30 interviews later, I'm just starting to get a handle on the scope of this story.
So even though this post isn't strictly on topic for 'March Month', I wanted the blog to start where the project started, and we'll take it from there.
3.19.10 CORRECTION: Regarding the statement I made that the operation was declassified in 1997: the operation itself has not yet been declassified, though the fact that the operation existed has been, as well as several related documents. --Lisa Cathey
The 51st March
March 1, 2010Early last year, I had hoped to have a short documentary on the Dalai Lama's escape from Tibet finished by March 2009, the event's 50th anniversary. For many reasons it didn't get completed, but I'm happy to give it some kind of life here and will post more finished segments throughout the month, starting tonight. Also in the month's mix will be clips from recent interviews with Tibetan former resistance fighters who share their personal experiences from March 1959. So in one way or another, all March videos will be devoted to this landmark month in Tibetan history.
For now, to officially kick off Kefiblog, as well as March, here's the open sequence to the never-finished and never-seen "Escape into Exile".
