Tibetan Headlines
Nov 4: Message from His Holiness
His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent a message to the fifth All India Tibet Support Groups conference taking place in Guwahati, Assam. He said that in the face of great hardship the spirit of Tibetans in Tibet remains very strong. He continued, “We need to keep up our determination and courage. Knowing that all of you…continue to stand by us is a source of great inspiration for which I thank you, Tashi Delek."
Nov 3: Tsultrim Chokden
The Tibetan exile community in Dharamshala has been rocked by the murder of Tsultrim Chokden, 29, near the Green Hotel in the centre of McLeod Ganj as he walked home from dinner with his girlfriend. The young woman has identified the three culprits in the Sessions Court. Hundreds of Tibetans took part in a candlelit vigil for the victim, who was stabbed in the abdomen.
Nov 2: HR Lawyers
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has released a report Rule by Law: Special Report on the Rule of Law with Chinese Characteristic, in response to a severe crackdown on human rights lawyers in China. The crackdown raises concerns for the status of human rights and civil society in China, and directly impacts on Tibetans detained there who rely on these lawyers to defend them against unfair legal proceedings.
Nov 1: Visas Denied
Five Tibetans have been denied visas to visit South Korea to attend the Eighth Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Seoul, a four-day meeting of 450 democracy activists, practitioners, scholars, and donors from 100 countries. Pressure from China was cited as the reason, as the assembly coincided with a visit by Chinese president Xi Jinping to Seoul for the East Asia Summit.
Oct 31: Lone Protester Arrested
Tashi, 31, a father of four, was arrested on Oct 26 after a solo protest in his native Ngaba in the Sichuan province. He carried a picture of the Dalai Lama and called for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. News of the arrest was delayed in the communications clampdown in the area, imposed as a measure to hamper the ongoing protests there.
Oct 30: Chinese Tibet History
China has published a book The Comprehensive History of Tibet, compiled by China’s official academic institute with the motive of covering the “true history of Tibet”. The Chinese authorities claim the book, which has eight volumes, refutes fallacies held by the West and HH the Dalai Lama. The Central Tibetan Administration is analysing the book and has issued statements refuting the Chinese claims.
Oct 30: Writer Released
Kelsang Sonam, a writer (pen name Gangpel Bodpa) has been released after serving over nine years of his ten and half years prison sentence. He was jailed in 2006 for “separatist behavior” - divulging state secrets to outsiders including "separatist forces" in exile, and for helping a political prisoner smuggle a letter to the United Nations out of prison.
Oct 27: Free Speech
Tibetan Writers Abroad, English PEN, Independent Chinese PEN Centre and Sydney PEN have submitted a motion to the 81st World Congress of the Pen International writers campaigning group in Quebec, Canada. The motion, about the right to freedom of speech and the situation of writers in Tibet, espouses the gross mistreatment of Tibetan writers and other intellectuals penalised for exercising their right to speech and expression.
Oct 26: Raising the Standards
A group of Tibetan journalists from Dharamshala has spent three days with the Association of Tibetan Journalists in New Delhi under an initiative to raise the standard of Tibetan journalism. They visited the BBC’s South Asian Headquarters, Times of India Building, and the CNN IBN tower as well as a leading film studio, taking the opportunity to learn from the professionals they met there.
Oct 26: Farmers Protest
Nomads in Machu County, Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Gansu Province, have been using a banner to protest on the streets about the unfairly low prices given to them by the authorities for their sheep and goat meat. They have expressed concerns in the past but have been ignored. They want food security for Tibetans living in the area, reports Voice of America/Tibet.
Oct 24: Musician Released
Pema Rigdzin, 46, a music producer and former monk has been released from prison after serving 11 months of his two-year sentence, reports Radio Free Asia. He was sentenced by the Chengdu Chinese People’s Intermediate Court for producing banned patriotic Tibetan songs. It is not clear why he has been released early. He has returned home to Ngaba in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Many Tibetan singers remain in jail.
Oct 23: TCV is 55
Tibetan Children's Village School has celebrated its 55th year and dedicated this year to express gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje was at the celebrations together with Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and Pema Chinjor, Kalon for religion and culture. TCV was set up to rehabilitate and educate destitute refugee children.
Oct 23: Sangay Ahead
Results coming in for the preliminary election for Sikyong in the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, indicate that the current Sikyong, Lobsang Sangay, who has stood for re-election, is winning by a big margin and looks likely to serve a second term. The current Speaker, Penpa Tsering, is in second place with a substantial vote and Lukar Jam, the Rangzen candidate is in third place. Official results will be announced in December.
Oct 22: Homes Demolished
The lakeside village of Trelnak in Chabcha county in Tibet has been devastated over the last few days by Chinese authorities who have destroyed over 300 private homes and shops, saying they were polluting and overcrowding the lake area. People resisting the demolition work were beaten and detained, and those attempting to retrieve their possessions have been threatened at gunpoint, and also detained and beaten. All were later released.
Oct 21: Out in Force
United Kingdom Tibet and human rights groups turned out in force to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the first day of his four-day state visit to the UK and to protest against his repression of human rights in China. Pro-China demonstrators were also present, the BBC reporting that they wore merchandise shipped in from China by the Chinese Embassy.