Tibetan Headlines
Oct 3: Prisoner Dies
Shonu Palden, 41, a former political prisoner in Tibet, has died from multiple health complications resulting from torture while held in prison. Since his release he has had years of ill health. He was arrested in June 2012 and tortured and interrogated while held incommunicado, before being released in very poor health prior to completion of his term of two years and nine months.
Oct 3: Forced Relocation
Tibetan villagers living in nine villages in Gonjo County in Chamdo, an area rich in natural resources, are undergoing forced relocation by the Chinese authorities in order to make way for mining and development projects, reports Radio Free Asia. RFA’s local source said, “The Tibetans in these villages believe that the local Chinese authorities in Gonjo plan to build an electric power plant and do mining in the area”.
Oct 2: Explosion Report
India’s National Investigative Agency has reported that two explosive devices found in Bodhgaya during HH the Dalai Lama’s teaching there earlier this year were targeted at His Holiness himself. Seven people have been arrested. A bomb exploded on January 19, followed by the discovery of the two unexploded devices. There are reports that the perpetrators wanted to show solidarity with Rohinga Muslims undergoing persecution in Myanmar.
Oct 2: World River Day
Students for a Free Tibet activists marked World River Day by paragliding near Bir to highlight the effects of China’s river damming and diversion developments on the rivers in Tibet. SFT’s giant banner, flown in the sky by the paragliders, read, "If Tibet Dries, Asia Dies". There are concerns that Tibet’s permafrost reserves are threatened by China’s exploitation of rivers, as well as global warming.
Oct 1: Visit Postponed
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Manali in Himachal Pradesh this month has been postponed until next year. Heavy rainfall in the region has seriously damaged the infrastructure there. He is due to visit Japan later in the month.
Oct 1: Prof Namkhai Norbu
Professor Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, 79, a leading Tibetan Buddhist scholar, has died at the Merigar West Dzogchen Community in Arcidisso, Italy. He was recently awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; Italy’s highest honour. Rinpoche taught at the Institute Universitario Orientale in Naples for 30 years and wrote many books on Tibetan history and culture as well as establishing Dzogchen communities around the world.
Sep 29: Parliament Resolution
The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile has voted overwhelmingly for amendments to the election rules to bar non-government organisations and Cholka (regional) associations from endorsing candidates for the position of Sikyong (President) and members of the Tibetan parliament in future elections.This and other reforms are aimed at avoiding the disharmony and upheaval experienced by the Tibetan community during the 2016 campaigning and election.
Sep 27: Umbrella Anniversary
Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) India held a photo action event in McLeod Ganj to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2014 pro-democracy “Umbrella Movement” in Hong Kong. SFT’s aim was to raise awareness of the oppressive policies of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong as well as Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan, Southern Mongolian and for the Chinese people generally.
Sep 26: Access Denied
China continues to deny access to Canadian diplomats requesting permission to visit Tibet says Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Freeland. She was responding to a question from Randall Garrison, a Member of Parliament and Vice Chair of the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet. Canadian diplomats have been refused permits despite multiple requests, while Canada has welcomed at least three official delegations from the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Sep 25: Flash Floods
Two days of incessant rainfall in India – especially Himachal Pradesh – have led to floods, with Tibetan settlements in Kullu and Manali suffering the effects of a flash flood in the region. Some schools were closed, hundreds of people were stranded, with landslides, property and vehicles destroyed and 200 road closures. Tibetans were rescued from Palrabling, Pobhi, Kullu-Manali.
Sep 25: Kirti Monks Detained
Three monks from Kirti monastery in Ngaba County in Tibet, two named as Dorjee Rabten, 23, and Tenzin Gelek – also known as Sarin, 18, were detained earlier this month for staging separate solo protests on September 5 and 6 against China's oppressive rule in Tibet and shouting for freedom for Tibet. Sarin posted two articles on WeChat saying China has betrayed treaties relating to Tibet.
Sep 24: Chinese Spy?
Charlie Peng, 39, who is suspected of spying for China, has been arrested in Majnuka-Tilla, the Tibetan settlement in New Delhi. The Times of India has reported that he has been running an espionage ring in India, and exposed in a top-secret intelligence operation by Delhi Police’s special cell. Charlie Peng hails from Nanjing in China and the authorities suspect him of being a highly trained Chinese agent.
Sep 24: Passport Regulations
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that Tibetan refugees who take the Indian Passports will not be permitted to stay in Tibetan refugee settlements or enjoy any Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) benefits, privileges or subsidies. There is apparently some confusion over the exact terms, but people are invited to surrender their Registration Certificates (RCs) and Identity Certificates (ICs) when applying for passports.
Sep 24: Under-10 Football
World Peace Day was marked in McLeod Ganj with an inter-school under-ten football tournament at Tibetan Childrens Village Day School. It was the fifth annual tournament organised by a group of local Tibetan volunteers, known as “Tseythang Gangla”, who run an after-school sports programme. The Tibetan National Sports Association and local Tibetan organisations supported the tournament and sponsored the prizes.
Sep 21: Climate Change
The effects of climate change on the fragile ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau was the subject of a report by Australia’s ABC entitled Climate change, battery boom threatens life on the 'roof of the world' — the Tibetan Plateau. The report said that the Plateau supplies an estimated one billion people with water but that this supply is under threat due to rising temperatures caused by climate change.