China Wins a Seat on the Human Rights Council
By Sarah E Gittleman / November 20, 2013
China has again been awarded one of the 14 open seats in the 47-seat Geneva-based Human Rights Council despite its failure to comply with international standards put forth by the United Nations. The re-election of China to this UN council, tasked with upholding human rights globally, is largely regarded as read more →
Tibetans Protest Against Chinese Land Grab
By Palden Choeden / November 14, 2013
Sixteen elderly Tibetans have been evicted from a building construction site where they have held a month-long sit in protest in Trinken village which is in Ngaba county in the Sichuan Province, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has reported. Police threatened the protesters with imprisonment and said read more →
Tiananmen Square Blast
By Mary Trewartha / November 14, 2013
Three people drove a Mercedes SUV into a crowd in Tiananmen Square, the political centre of the capital Beijing, where it caught fire, killing themselves and two tourists. Thirty eight bystanders were also injured in the blast which took place on October 28. It was initially considered to be an read more →
Mind and Life Conference
October 30, 2013
His Holiness the Dalai Lama returned from the US to join 12 prominent Tibetan Buddhist scholars, world renowned scientists and researchers for the 27th Mind and Life Conference – Craving Desire and Addiction at Tsuklakhang, his exile residence in Dharamsala. During the opening session on October 28 the Dalai Lama spoke about read more →
Tibetan Film Festival Attracts Great Kudos
By Zalina Gamat / October 30, 2013
Scheduled just before its bigger cousin, the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), the modest Tibet Film Festival was held at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in Dharamshala on October, 19 – 20. Though the DIFF, started by Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin (directors of “Dreaming Lhasa”), is revolutionary read more →
Spotlight on China’s Human Rights Record
By Mary Trewartha / October 25, 2013
China’s human rights record has come under scrutiny this month at the United National Human Rights Council’s four-yearly review of all UN members. The Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group met in Geneva, and on October 21 formally reviewed the human rights situation in China for the first time read more →
His Holiness Teaches in Mexico and New York
By Sean Fitzpatrick / October 23, 2013
His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered five days of teachings in Mexico, with a further three days in the United States. 42,000 people attended His Holiness’ Mexican talks, with several thousand present for a speech at Universidad Pontificia de México, a Mexican university established by the Vatican Holy See. His read more →
The Chinese Government: Concern about Infiltration, or Reform?
By Eric Goh / October 22, 2013
The Communist Party has recently held a series of meetings around China, with senior Party leaders issuing warnings in a memo referred to as “Document No. 9”. This document outlines seven key issues that require immediate attention to eradicate “subversive currents coursing through Chinese society”. These include: Western constitutional democracy; read more →
Tibetans from Nagchu under 24-hour Surveillance
By Tashan Mehta / October 22, 2013
The county of Driru has now been placed under additional Chinese surveillance. A new notification to various “convenience police posts” in Lhasa and Nagchu has asked officers to monitor the whereabouts of all Nagchu Tibetans. According to Human Rights Watch, there are 676 “convenience police check points” in the Tibetan read more →
Athletes Unable to Compete in China
By Swati Mittal / October 22, 2013
Two young archers from Arunachal Pradesh, Maselo Mihu and Sorang Yumi, have been prevented from competing in the Youth World Archery Championships in Wuxi, China. They were unable to board their China-bound flight from Delhi Airport on October 10 because immigration officials refused to give them clearance due to their read more →