Tashi Paljor on the Camp Hale Commemoration
December 12, 2011If you happened to see the video on the Camp Hale memorial that took place on September 10, 2010, you may remember Tashi Paljor, one of the Tibetan veterans who spoke that day. Born in Tibet, Paljor left for India in 1954 to learn English for an intended career as a trader. Living in Kalimpong, he became acquainted with Gyalo Thondup, an elder brother of the Dalai Lama and the main CIA contact for its Tibetan operation. Thondup arranged for Paljor’s English studies at St. Joseph's College in Darjeeling, then sent him to the CIA’s Tibetan training base in Camp Hale, Colorado. From May 1959 to the end of 1960, he worked there as an interpreter and also took part in training. Later he worked for Lhamo Tsering, Gyalo Thondup’s right-hand man, from 1962 to 1989 (including a transition to Indian intelligence after all CIA aid ended in 1974). He currently lives in Canada.
I interviewed Tashi Paljor on October 27, and among many other things, asked him about his feelings at the Camp Hale commemoration. Here's a short bit on that.
Thanks to Doma Norbu for the photo of 4 of the Camp Hale veterans that attended the ceremony. Left to right: Tashi Paljor (Noel), Sonam Wangchuk (Lee), Chime Namgyal (Conrad), and the late Tashi Chutter (Mark).
In Memory of Tashi Chutter and Roy Clarkston
April 25, 2011Sadly, two members of the CIA's Tibetan Task Force passed away last week; Tashi Chutter on April 18, and Roy Clarkston on April 20. Both served at the CIA's main training base in Camp Hale, Colorado as translator and instructor, respectively. In honor of their memory, I'm showing some excerpts from the ceremony held there last September honoring the Tibetan freedom fighters.
Tashi Chutter devoted much of his life to the Tibetan resistance; with the CIA's operation and later with the Tibetan government in exile. For more information, you can download this short biography sent to me by his daughter, Tashi Chodon. I first met him in October 2009 at a CIA ceremony in Langley, VA where a small group gathered to witness the unveiling of a painting commemorating the operation (commissioned by Bruce Walker, one of the Camp Hale instructors and later a case officer in India). Among a few speeches by various attendees, Tashi made an impassioned plea to help resettle the Tibetan refugees in Nepal to the US, who have not been allowed to leave in an increasingly dangerous political climate there. He repeated that same request to Colorado Senator Mark Udall after his speech at the Camp Hale ceremony (click here for my digested video from that day). Remembering that Tashi Chutter never stopped fighting for the Tibetan cause, his appeal for help is shown in today's video.
And in memory of Roy Clarkston, who couldn't attend the Camp Hale ceremony having just undergone heart surgery, the video closes with a few words from his friend Cmd. Sgt. Major Harold E. Caldwell. Just before the ceremony began, I enjoyed a conversation with his daughter Kelly Witchey and granddaughter, Brianna. My deepest sympathies to both families in this time of loss.
(On a side note: One of the attendees at the ceremony was Todd Stein, Director of Government Relations for the International Campaign for Tibet, who later informed me that Senator Udall had contacted the State Department regarding this issue, and in an ICT report last February he gave details of a visit to Kathmandu by Under Secretary of State Maria Otero and US Ambassador to Nepal, Scott DeLisi.)
Airborne Leaflet Propaganda Campaign 1960-1961
March 7, 2011As mentioned in the last post, propaganda played an important role in the CIA's Tibetan operation. To continue with that theme, I'm showing a bit of my interview with Ken Knaus from March 2008, when we headed up to his office to take a look at the propaganda booklets that were dropped into Tibet in 1960-1961. Knaus, author of "Orphans of the Cold War", began working on the Tibetan Task Force in 1958, was an instructor at Camp Hale, and the operation's project manager from 1961 to 1965. He oversaw the making and distribution of these booklets.
Psychological tactics of this kind have often been used in historical military operations. According to Wikipedia (quoting from "Cassell's History of the Wars Between France and Germany, 1870-1871"): “Airborne leaflets have been used for military propaganda purposes at least since the 19th century. One early example is from the Franco-Prussian War when in October 1870 during the Siege of Paris a French balloon coming from the city dropped government proclamations over Prussian troops that stated the following (in German): ‘Paris defies the enemy. The whole of France rallies. Death to the invaders. Foolish people, shall we always throttle one another for the pleasure and proudness of Kings? Glory and conquest are crimes; defeat brings hate and desire for vengeance. Only one war is just and holy; that of independence.’ ”
In recent news, reports say that the South Korean military has been dropping leaflets, DVDs and flash drives into North Korea, where communication is tightly controlled and leaves many citizens unaware of world affairs. The propaganda, dropped by balloons, apparently describes the pro-democracy movements in the Middle East and North Africa in a call for North Koreans to also rise up against their oppressors.
The objectives for the booklets dropped into Tibet -- in many ways like South Korea's reported campaign -- were primarily to spread anti-communist sentiment, counter PRC propaganda, promote reasons to fight for freedom against oppression, show how to conduct political and guerrilla warfare operations, and persuade more Tibetans to join the resistance against China. Here's the brief explanation written on the first page of Knaus’ copies shown in the video: "A collaborative effort by the Camp Hale trainees on a booklet which spells out the reasons why the Tibetans are rebelling against the Chinese efforts to destroy Tibet as a nation and a culture with examples of how other nations obtained their independence and of friendly countries which are supporting the Tibetan cause. It was dropped into Tibet at the authors' request when they returned there on their missions."
CLICK HERE to download some of the pictures that have been translated (in chronological order from one of the booklets). Many thanks to Ken Knaus for sharing the booklets for scanning and to Doma Norbu for helping with the translation. Click the picture below to watch Ken Knaus showing and discussing his copies.
Camp Hale Commemoration
September 30, 2010It's been busy since my last post. I've shot a few more interviews, which I'll post excerpts from in October. But the main story this month was the commemoration for the Tibetan freedom fighters and their CIA instructors at Camp Hale, Colorado on September 10. Ken Knaus, one of the instructors and project managers for the Tibetan Task Force, worked with Colorado Senator Mark Udall to install a plaque in memory of the Tibetan's training by the CIA there.
At almost 10,000 feet altitude, Camp Hale was originally used for training by the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division during WWII, then underwent preparations in 1958 for training some 265 Tibetans by the CIA which began in May 1959 and ended in November 1964. Many trainees were killed after returning to fight in Tibet. Perhaps 20 or so are still alive today, 5 of which were able to come to ceremony.
It was a remarkable day--an historic day actually-- the first time the US has ever officially acknowledged the CIA's operation with the Tibetans. Many flew in from all parts of the US and Canada to attend. Unfortunately there wasn't enough notice for those in India and Nepal to make travel arrangements, and many were sadly disappointed about that, including myself. Some who did attend expressed a wish that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in Dharamsala, India would also commemorate the sacrifices their resistance fighters made. Since this subject is not politically correct for many in the Tibetan hierarchy, we'll see if that ever happens. If so, you know I'll have a camera crew there if I can.
It was a hard task compressing the whole afternoon into this 10 minute video. Some speeches couldn't be included, and I could only take short bits from those I showed. Basically I wanted to get the gist of the day, but if time permits, I'll try to post some more excerpts in the future. There's also a photo album of the event-- click here to view it on the Kefiblog Facebook page.
Below is the main list of attendees at the event.
Colorado Senator Mark Udall and staff: Jennifer Barrett, National Security Advisor/Deputy Legislative Director; Matt Sugar, Regional Director, Central Mountain Region
Camp Hale Translators/Trainees (including their American training names): Pema Wangdue (Pete); Tashi Paljor (Noel); Sonam Wangchuk (Lee); Tashi Chutter (Mark); Chime Namgyal (Conrad)
Camp Hale Instructors: Kenneth Knaus; Ray Starke; Don Cesare; (Roy Clarkston was represented by Command Sargent Major Harold E. Caldwell)
Descendants of Tibetan trainees/fighters: Doma Norbu, daughter of Athar Norbu, translator and instructor at Camp Hale; Karma Namgyal, President of NYC Chushi Gangdruk; Sonam Wangchuk, son of Pema Wangdue (listed above); Sonam Yangzom, daughter of Ratu Ngawang, Commander in the Chushi Gangdruk army
Descendants of CIA officers: Kevin McCarthy, son of Roger McCarthy; PJ Whelan, step-daughter of Roger McCarthy, and her daughter Chelsea; Julie Holober, daughter of Frank Holober; Lisa Cathey, daughter of Clay Cathey (also producer of this blog and the upcoming documentary "CIA in Tibet"); Kelly Witchey, daughter of Roy Clarkston, and her daughter Brianna
Authors/Scholars: Carole McGranahan, Author and Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder; Warren Smith, Radio Free Asia; Jamyang Norbu, independent Author/Blogger (also a member of the Mustang operation in Nepal)
Local Tibetan Americans: Nawang Sherap, Treasurer, Tibetan Association of Colorado, and other members
Forest Service: Dave Neely, District Ranger, Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District, White River National Forest; Buck Sanchez; Bill Kite; Andrea Brogan
International Campaign for Tibet: Todd Stein, Director, Government Relations
CIA Impact on Tibet? Part 10: Roger McCarthy
August 24, 2010In the final video of this series, I'd like to introduce Roger McCarthy ("Mac" to the Tibetan trainees), considered by many in the CIA's operation, both Tibetan and American, to be the godfather of the Tibetan Task Force. He co-created the operation, code-named STCIRCUS, with Frank Holober early in 1957, and began training the first team in Saipan by March, later taking the reins as Project Manager in '58. McCarthy left the Tibetan operation in 1961, but his personal passion for the Tibetan fight for freedom kept him active in their cause until his death in October 2007. His book, "Tears of the Lotus", was published in 1997, after a trip to Tibet that year to see what had become of Lhasa. That was followed by a trip to India and Nepal in 1999 to finally meet the Dalai Lama, and reunite with the former Tibetan resistance fighters he counted as friends.
In the video, I'm taking excerpts from his 1998 presentation at Toronto University, and a panel discussion for Stanford University in 2006 called "CIA and the Secret War in Tibet", where he was among other panelists Bruce Walker, Ken Knaus, Mikel Dunham and Tenzin Tethong. Many thanks to his son Kevin McCarthy, and his friend Mikel Dunham, for sharing the photos used here.
4/4/11 I recently found out some background on the photo used in this video of Roger posing with Kalsang Gyatotsang. It was shot by photographer Pete Patterson, in conjunction with a Canadian documentary, "The Golden Throne" (not yet released). Many thanks to Diane Cartwright, the film's producer, for providing info as well as setting up the talk Roger gave at Toronto University, also used in this video. --LC
CIA Impact on Tibet? Part 8: Ken Knaus and John Greaney
August 11, 2010Ken Knaus and John Greaney were both CIA Officers on the Tibetan Task Force. Greaney, the Deputy Chief from 1957-1961, was in charge of US communications with the Tibetan radio team inside the Dalai Lama's escape party in 1959. Knaus began in 1958 as a Case Officer and Instructor at Camp Hale, Colorado, then became the operation's Project Manager from 1961-1965. Knaus is the author of "Orphans of the Cold War: America and the Tibetan Struggle for Survival". From separate interviews in 2008, here's their take on the CIA's impact.
Also a note on current events: For some time, Knaus has been lobbying the powers that be in Washington DC to have a sign posted at Camp Hale, pronouncing its use as a secret CIA training site for Tibetan resistance fighters from 1959 to 1965. Recently, Colorado Senator Mark Udall has agreed to support this, and a ceremony will take place there soon. More on that in future updates.
CIA Impact on Tibet? Part 5: Bruce Walker
July 21, 2010Bruce Walker was a CIA Case Officer and Training Instructor with the Tibetan Task Force from 1960 to 1968. Dedicated to preserving the memory of STCIRCUS, the operation's code name, Walker has donated archival material to the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and recently commissioned a painting for the CIA Museum's Intelligence Art Gallery, entitled “The Secret PLA Pouch Heads to CIA's K Building”.
In this video, he shares his viewpoint on the CIA's impact to the Tibetan resistance to China. While it essentially covers his feelings on the failure of the CIA-backed resistance, his opinion on more positive results from this history is reflected below in a statement written for our talk on March 21, 2008, soon after Tibetan protests and riots inside Tibet gained worldwide attention.
"In spite of its tragic ending, the resistance demonstrated to the world that the Chinese were committing genocide against the Tibetans and that the Tibetans were passionate about trying to preserve their God-King, their religion, and the integrity of their country. In attempting this, they were not afraid to die for the cause and did not hesitate to kill Chinese in the process. They did not go down supinely before the enemy. As events in Tibet this month show the world, generations of Tibetan patriots inside and outside Tibet still maintain this passion and spirit of resistance to the Chinese, 58 years after the Chinese invaded Tibet."
CIA Impact on Tibet? Part 1: Clay Cathey
June 23, 2010"What impact do you think the CIA had on Tibet's resistance against China?" This is a question I ask everyone I talk to, and get an equal amount of interesting answers.
To begin a series of opinions on this question, I'll start off with my dad, Clay Cathey, who was the first one I asked. I'll post a different person's response every week or so over the next couple months.
Ken Knaus on Meeting the Dalai Lama
May 21, 2010In excerpts from his interview on March 13, 2008, Ken Knaus, former CIA officer on the Tibetan Task Force, recounts his 3 meetings with the Dalai Lama over a period of 42 years. As an extension of his commentary in the last post, "Phala, the Dalai Lama and the CIA", Knaus' continuing story gives a deeper look at the conflict of violence for the Dalai Lama.
While some parts of the video here will probably be shown in the eventual feature documentary, most of what you'll see will only be seen on this blog. Interview excerpts like these, which you'll see more of in future posts, is for me one of the best things about Kefiblog--the ability to share all the good stuff the feature won't have time for.
The Chushi Gangdruk Begins
April 29, 2010Here's a bit of background on the Tibetan resistance that began fighting against the Chinese occupation in the 50s. After the CIA started training some of the Tibetans in communications and guerrilla warfare, the many different groups of fighters eventually organized into one main army they called Chushi Gangdruk, made up mostly of Khampas from the Eastern Tibetan region of Kham.
Note: Other than Thupten Juchon in this video, the Tibetan interviews haven't been fully translated yet, so they aren't included here.
Many thanks to Doma Norbu and Mikel Dunham for lending some of the photos used here.
Music by Green Goose Music
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
