Apology Statement Regarding the Report on the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche#
July 6, 2015, 6:04 am
On April 21st of this year, the "Southern California News" section of the San Francisco World Journal published a news article about the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche, which was translated from a local English media outlet in Southern California. Due to the deadline pressure and editorial oversight, this newspaper failed to verify the content mentioned in the article before its publication. We hereby express our sincere apologies to H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche, who is widely respected and has been recognized by the United States Congress, for this mistake.
This newspaper has always adhered to the principle of "running a newspaper with integrity" and believes in the fundamental values of justice and freedom in a civilized world. While defending freedom of speech and the public's right to know, we also respect religious freedom and all normal religious activities. We have always made every effort to report and condemn religious persecution events around the world, especially political interference and suppression of religious freedom in Chinese communities.
With the aim of serving our readers, we strive to report and publish information about the activities of Chinese religious groups in the San Francisco Bay Area in a timely manner, in order to meet the needs of believers and build good relationships. Our editorial team adheres to the ethical duties of journalists, and in response to the aforementioned oversight, we have conducted a serious review and established stricter editing and review processes to prevent similar incidents from happening again. We would like to express our gratitude to the International Association of Buddhist Monks and Nuns for their guidance.
According to the information provided by the International Association of Buddhist Monks and Nuns and readers, the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche is recognized as the "supreme leader of Buddhism, endorsed and certified by various Buddhist sects, regents, and rinpoches." Despite being persecuted and oppressed, he has long served a large number of believers and is deeply respected. The Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche has received multiple awards, including the "World Peace Prize," the "Presidential Gold Medal" of the United States, and the "Martin Luther King Jr. International Service Award." The United States Senate has passed a resolution affirming and commending the service and contributions of the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche.
To help readers learn more about the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche, we are now publishing the full translation of Senate Resolution No. 614 of the United States Federal Senate in 2012:
Senate Resolution No. 614 Commending the World Peace Mission and the World Peace Prize
December 12, 2012
Whereas the World Peace Mission is an international organization that operates according to the core values of promoting peace, justice, and interreligious cooperation;
Whereas the World Peace Prize is a prestigious award presented by the World Peace Mission to individuals who have made significant contributions to peace and human consciousness;
Whereas past recipients of the World Peace Prize include former US President Ronald Reagan, Indonesian President Wahid, and Palauan President Nakamura;
Whereas in 2010, the World Peace Prize Evaluation Committee recognized H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche for his humanitarian contributions to communities around the world on a large scale;
Whereas H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Gold Medal presented by President George W. Bush on behalf of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to art, medicine, ethics, Buddhism, spiritual leadership, and American society;
Whereas in 2010, the World Peace Prize Evaluation Committee also recognized the Honorable Benjamin A. Gilman as a lifelong champion of human rights in the fight against hunger, abuse, and trafficking worldwide;
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Senate:
(1) Commends the World Peace Mission for promoting peace, justice, and interreligious cooperation, and (2) commends the World Peace Prize and its recipients.