Tibetan Headlines
Aug 12: Trip Cancelled
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has cancelled his trip to Botswana this month on the advice of his doctors, as he is suffering from exhaustion following his very demanding recent schedule. He was due to attend the Mind and Life conference there. His physicians have advised him to rest and so His Holiness is returning to Dharamshala to recuperate.
Aug 11: TYC Demo
The Tibetan Youth Congress held a rally in New Delhi to show support for India in the current standoff between China and India at the Tibetan Border. The TYC President said the rally was to “highlight that Tibet's independence is the safest guarantee for India's security and peace along the Himalayas. We believe that Tibetans must be a part of discussions concerning the borders".
Aug 11: Larung Gar
Larung Gar, the famed Buddhist academy in eastern Tibet that has undergone partial demolition and the eviction of half of its residents over the last year, is now being turned into a destination for tourists. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has reported on developments there, saying that an infrastructure to accommodate tourists, including luxury hotels, is being built.
Aug 10: Population Restrictions
The Chinese Communist Party has announced, via the Chinese state run Global Times, that the population of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is to be restricted to below 500,000 by 2020 and its urban land to 78 square kilometres (30 square miles). The current population is around 560,000 of whom 92% are Tibetans. They cite environmental reasons and protection of historical and cultural sites.
Aug 9: Earthquake in Tibet
An earthquake has hit the Ngaba region of Tibet, in the Sichuan Province. At least seven people are reported dead with fears that 100 more may have died. 88 are reported as injured, 21 of those seriously, in the 6.5 magnitude earthquake which occurred near the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which attracts thousands of tourists, some of whom were among the dead and injured.
Aug 8: Russian Buddhists
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has attended the first Russian and Buddhist scholar dialogue which is taking place at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi. The dialogue includes presentations from both Russian and Buddhist scholars with around 50 observers. In his address His Holiness said, “We must make 21st century as century of peace”.
Aug 8: New Books for Children
The Tibetan Government-in-Exile has launched 40 new books for early grade reading. Education Kalon [Minister} Ngodup Tsering suggested that “Parents should gift books to children as presents and gifts to cultivate the reading habit of children and to encourage them”. The books form an element of the Early Grade Reading project which is funded by USAID through The Tibet Fund.
Aug 7: Sikyong in Australia
Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, the President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, has arrived in Australia where he is visiting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. He was greeted at the airport by around 300 members of the Australian Tibetan community led by their president Lhakpa Tshoko, as well as other supporters. He has started on his schedule of meetings and speaking engagements and will be in Australia until next week.
Aug 5: Held for Questioning
Jampa Choegyal, 30, was taken into custody during the Tsechok festival at Chuwar monastery Dragyab county in Chamdo last month. He was held for two days on suspicion of “maintaining contacts outside of the region” for questioning about his relative Ngawang Jampa, who is now in Australia after fleeing Tibet, and told not to contact him. Radio Free Asia reports that he was beaten while in custody.
Aug 4: Visit Postponed
HH the Dalai Lama’s forthcoming visit to Carolina in the United States has been postponed to April next year. His Holiness is said to be particularly interested in visiting The Triangle in Piedmont which is a centre for universities and high tech companies and enterprises undertaking scientific and health care research. The visit was instigated by Nancy McFarlane, the Mayor of Raleigh, who has visited Dharamshala.
Aug 4: Lobbying Parliament
A delegation from the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, spearheaded by Deputy Speaker Ven Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok and parliamentarian Ven Tenpa Yarphel, is in Delhi, meeting Indian parliamentarians to discuss the urgent situation inside Tibet and to lobby for support. They met 18 members of the six political parties of India, who assured them The parliamentarians said that they keep regular tabs on Tibet issues because of the significance for India.
Aug 3: Funeral for Passang Dhondup
A prayer ceremony was held at Lhagyal Ri on the Kora in McLeod Ganj during the funeral of Passang Dhondup who self-immolated there on July 29. The funeral was attended by Tibetans and supporters as well as leaders of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and representatives of various Dharamshala-based non-government orgnisations. While paying tribute to Dhondup’s sacrifice, Sikyong Lobsang Sangay said “We must be alive to fight for our cause”.
Aug 3: Border Breach
Chinese troops have been reported nearly a kilometre into Indian territory at the Line of Actual Control (the de facto border between India and Tibet) at Barahoti in Uttarakhand in north India. They threatened local India shepherds there, saying the land was theirs, before returning to their own side a few hours later. The Indian army is downplaying the incident which appears to be one of many.
Aug 3: Monk Released
Lobsang Kalsang, a monk from Kirti Monastery in Sichuan who self-immolated in 2011 has been released from Deyang prison after completing his six year prison term. He has returned home to Ngaba where he was welcomed with traditional Tibetan scarves. Kalsang, now in his early 20s, self-immolated with fellow monk Lobsang Konchok who was released from prison in March this year and sent to a remote nomadic region.
Jul 28: Sikyong Honoured
Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration, was presented with the Mahatma Hansraj Gaurav Samman award by Hansraj College, University of Delhi for his “stellar contributions to the cause of Tibet as an expert on International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution”. Dr Sangay revealed that he was an active Tibet campaigner during his years studying at the college.