Tibetan Headlines
Jun 30: Health Concerns
HH the Dalai Lama has expressed concern for Liu Xiaobo, 61, the Chinese Nobel Peace Laureate who has been released from prison suffering from cancer. “Liu Xiaobo is one of China’s most prominent prisoners of conscience..[I believe]the initiatives he took would have led to a more harmonious, stable and prosperous China” said His Holiness. Liu has asked permission to go abroad for liver cancer treatment.
Jun 29: Kalachakra Initiatives
The accounts have been finalised for the Kalachakra held in Bodh Gaya in January this year, and as promised, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile is allocating the money raised to welfare initiatives in the Tibetan exile community. Recipients will include education, health, support for the elderly, the Himalayan Festival, addressing drug addiction and a grant towards Mani chanting practices in small communities in northern India.
Jun 28: Drug Abuse Awareness
A marathon was held in Dharamshala to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2017, organised by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s Department of Health. The marathon aimed to raise awareness about the ill effects of substance abuse and was organised in collaboration with the local settlement office in Mcleod Ganj and Kunphen, a non government organisation focusing on substance abuse and based in Mcleod Ganj.
Jun 27: Victims Day
The International Day for the Victims of Torture was observed by the Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet, a non-government organisation representing former Tibetan political prisoners, with an art competition, Remembering Tibetan Heroes, for students at Tibetan Childrens Village day school at Mcleod Ganj. The students met a former political prisoner to discuss the issues and see a film as part of the day’s activities.
Jun 27: Visit to Tibet
A group of European Union Ambassadors are on an official visit to Tibet at the invitation of the Tibet Autonomous Region authorities. They are visiting Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and the city of Nyingchi in the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The group will discuss education, health and agriculture as well as meeting the Development and Reform Commission and the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission.
Jun 26: New Gaden Tripa
Jangtse Choejey Kyabje Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin Palsangpo, 83, is the 104th new Ganden Tripa - the holder of the Ganden Throne - and highest leader of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. HH the Dalai Lama appointed the new Gaden Tripa following the demise of his predecessor. The new Gaden Tripa was born in Tibet and joined Sera Je Monastery in South India , after escaping Tibet in 1959 .
Jun 24: Drowned in Protest
Youdon, 45, a Tibetan woman living in Sichuan’s Palyul County threw herself into a river and drowned last week in protest against China’s demolition of Tibetan houses and a historic cemetery near her home, reports Radio Free Asia. Tibetans there feel that the authorities are demolishing the houses of ordinary people to make space for government projects. The locals also complain of nepotism by their County Chief.
Jun 23: Protest in Lhasa
A Tibetan man staged a solo protest in front of the famous Jokhang temple in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet around 10 am, reports Voice of Tibet. The unidentified man called out for freedom in Tibet before slitting his throat. Chinese police immediately reached the spot and covered the area with blue sheets. A source in the area said there was no sign of the incident and everything looked normal.
Jun 23: Tibetan Activist
Migmar, also known as Tsedor Sherab, 30, and a well-known activist in the Tibetan exile community has died following a cardiac arrest. He was cremated this morning in Dharamshala. Migmar attempted self-immolation outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi six years ago in protest against the illegal occupation of Tibet by China. Members of various Tibet non-government organisations, supporters and friends paid their last respects at his funeral.
Jun 23: 7000 Homes Demolished
7,000 dwellings have been demolished at Larung Gar Buddhist academy since 2001 in the Chinese government’s drive to reduce the number of residents there. A senior abbot has confirmed that over 4,800 nuns and monks have been expelled since 2016. The authorities say the project is targeting 4,320 dwellings for demolition, but give no explanation why more houses now said to have been destroyed.
Jun 22: Appeal from Congressmen
Thirty-seven members of the United States Congress have issued a written appeal to President Trump urging him to appoint a Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues at the US Department of State, stressing the need to preserve Tibet’s religious, cultural and linguistic traditions in the face of the suppression of basic human rights in Tibet. The signed letter was posted on the Office of Tibet, Washington’s Facebook page.
Jun 22: Flood in Tibet
Flooding has caused serious damage in Village No 5 in the Gyalchen township in Sog in the Nagchu prefecture, leaving four families homeless and many others with major damage to their property. Local monks provided help on the scene. It is believed locally that the flood was caused by accelerated glacier melt – the result of global warming; other areas in Tibet are experiencing similar problems.
Jun 22: Monks Sentenced
Gendun Drakpa, 40, and Lobsang Sherab, 36, both monks from Sichuan who have been missing since being detained last year, have been sentenced. News has come through that they were put on trial around June 17 and Drakpa was sentenced to five years, Sherab four for “engaging in separatist activities”. Tibetans attending the trial had their phones confiscated to prevent them from sharing pictures. While in detention they have not had access to lawyers or been allowed visits from family.
Jun 21: New Educational Films
Two short animated educational films were released by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s education department. The films, The Forgetful Agu Phagpa and Life of Buddha, were created by Dharamshala owned and run Jamphel Animations and aim to promote language, identity, culture and traditional history through digital storytelling. The project was funded by Global Affairs Canada.
Jun 21: Reports of Repression
Human Rights Watch (HRW), the international human rights watchdog, has released a report Tibet: A Glossary of Repression which highlights how China is using “opaque policy terms” to tighten repression in Tibet. Sophie Richardson, China director of HRW, said, “Political nonconformity will be punished, severely”.