Tibetan Headlines
Dec 21: His Holiness in Bylakuppe
In Bylakuppe, following the Mind and Life Conference, the Tibetan people living there offered HH the Dalai Lama a Tenshug or long life prayer at Sera Monastery. The following day His Holiness inaugurated the new assembly hall at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery at a ceremony graced by the Governor of Karnataka, Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and attended by more 30,000 monks, nuns and laypeople.
Dec 19: Protestor Arrested
Tashi Dhondup, a young Tibetan man, was arrested after carrying out a solo protest in Dzoge, Ngaba County in east Tibet. The British campaigning group Free Tibet has published a video of him running through the street with a Buddhist flag on his back and carrying a portrait of the Dalai Lama. Tashi Dhondup’s current whereabouts and circumstances are unknown.
Dec 18: Fundraising for Chennai
Five Tibetan non government organisations in Dharamshala are raising funds for relief work for Chennai Flood vicitims. The Tibetan Women Association, Student for a Free Tibet, Gu Chu Sum Tibetan Political Movement and Former-Tibetan Students association, Madras and International Tibet Network are collecting donations from residents and tourists in McLeod Ganj. The heaviest rainfall recorded in over a hundred years has devastated Chennai.
Dec 17: Rigzin Choenyi
Rigzin Choenyi, 79, a former Tibetan political prisoner, has died in McLeod Ganj following a long illness. He was born in Gyaltse county and joined the Tibetan voluntary freedom army to resist the Chinese communist army’s invasion of Tibet. He was caught, imprisoned and tortured for at least 21 years and then put under surveillance following his release in 1980. He has lived in India since leaving Tibet in 1993.
Dec 16: Mind and Life
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has opened the 30th Mind and Life Conference at Sera Lachi Temple in Bylakuppe, southern India. He spoke of how the study of science has been introduced into Buddhist monastic teaching, and how the idea of applying Buddhist logic and debate to other topics is being discussed. He added, “we are looking for ways to help the seven billion human beings in the world.”
Dec 15: COP21 Disappointment
The Tibet Third Pole team, which has been campaigning at the COP21 conference in Paris, is disappointed over the removal of human rights protection binding language text from the final draft of COP21 agreement. The team welcomes the COP21 agreement and its recommendation to respect the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local knowledge systems, and to recognise the priority of safeguarding food security.
Dec 13: MEPs Statement
Members of the European Parliament have expressed strong concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet, and urged China to resume dialogue with representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. MEPs issued a special statement on International Human Rights day, saying "The oppressive crackdown on freedom of religion by the Chinese authorities and the shrinking environment for practicing Buddhism in Tibet are particularly alarming".
Dec 12: Torture
The practice of torture and ill-treatment is “still deeply entrenched in the criminal justice system of China” says the United Nations Committee Against Torture, which has just concluded its conference. It has asked China to abolish its inhuman treatment of detainees and to close down its black jails. Concern was expressed about the recent amendment to Chinese law which allows secret detentions for up to six months.
Dec 11: Himalayan Festival
The 20th Himalayan Festival is underway, in celebration of 26 years since HH the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Human Rights day. The festival is taking place at Hotel Baghsu and attended by many local Indian dignitaries, together with people from the local Indian and Tibetan communities who are supporting the festival which aims to strengthen bonds between their two communities.
Dec 10: Human Rights Day
A book, The Panchen Lama Lineage: How Reincarnation is being Reinvented as a Political Tool, has been published today by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), documenting the disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama and analysing the responses and implications. The CTA has issued statements of acknolwdgement, respect and gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the anniversary of his award of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dec 10: Another Prisoner Released
Yangmo Kyi, 45, was released on November 18 having completed her three year prison sentence in Sangchu County. Her family and friends were forbidden from sending news and pictures of her release outside Tibet and Yangmo has been prohibited from using a mobile phone for three months. Her planned welcome home was thwarted when the authorities released her at midnight. She was imprisoned for her involvement with the self-immolation by Dorjee Rinchen in October 2012.
Dec 9: China’s “Panchen Lama”
Gyaltsen Norbu – the person the Chinese have installed as the Panchen Lama of Tibet following their abduction of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, who was recognised as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama – has been told by Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party Chief of the Tibet Autonomous Region that he must reject His Holiness the Dalai Lama and “firmly reject all subversive separatist activities”.
Dec 8: Medicare Workshop
A three-day workshop Tibetan Medicare System Awareness and Enrolment Planning of 2016-17 is underway in Dharamshala, organised by the Health Department of the Central Tibetan Administration. 44 people, including Indian Health Insurance experts, Tibetan settlement officers, medical officers and executive staff are participating. The workshop will discuss problems in implementing the medicare policies and to discuss communication strategies to educate people on medicare benefits.
Dec 6: His Holiness in Bengaluru
His Holiness the Dalai Lama as arrived in Bengaluru where he is taking part in prayers with a group of Abbots, former Abbots and senior monks during Ganden Nga-chö, or the 596th anniversary of the passing of Je Tsongkhapa. His Holiness advised: “Now we should follow the example Je Rinpoche set and shun the path of the eight worldly concerns.”
Dec 4: Teen Monks Sentenced
Genden Phuntsok, 18, and Lobsang Kalsang, 19, two monks from Kirti monastery in Ngaba County in Tibet, have been sentenced following their detentions in March this year for staging separate solo protests. Geden was sentenced to four years while Lobsang was sentenced to three and half years. They both carried a portrait of His Holiness, and called for freedom for Tibet and long life for His Holiness.