Tibetan Headlines
Dec 19: His Holiness Leaves to Gaya
His Holiness the Dalai Lama leaves for New Delhi from his residence in Dharamshala this morning. His Holiness will stay in New Delhi for two days, before he travels to Bodh Gaya, Bihar where His Holiness is scheduled to give three-day teaching from December 29 - 31.
Dec 16: Border Clash
Indian and Chinese troops clashed on December 9 when Chinese troops attempted to cross the border between Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh, the north eastern Indian state which China claims as its own territory. There are reports that around 20 Indian soldiers, and a higher number of Chinese soldiers, were injured. A video, which has gone viral, shows soldiers using sticks and bricks to attack those from the other side.
Dec 16: Investigating Meditation
Russia is exploring meditation techniques with Tibetan Buddhist monks to see if meditation can be used to send astronauts into hibernation while on interplanetary travel. Going into hibernation would slow metabolism, reduce the amount of space needed for the astronauts, as well as food, and make their journey easier and less stressful than living for up to a year and a half in such cramped conditions.
Dec 15: Support in Canadian Parliament
Canada's parliament has unanimously passed a motion supporting the resumption of the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. The motion Supporting Self-Determination for Tibet was introduced by MP Garnett Genuis who called for “dialogue between representatives of the Tibetan people and the government of the People’s Republic of China with a view to enabling Tibet to exercise genuine autonomy within the framework of the Chinese constitution.”
Dec 15: Supplying China
An international group of Tibetan activists are campaigning against the United States company Thermo Fisher Scientific whose product is used by the Chinese police for carrying out mass DNA collection programmes in Tibet. The activists are demanding details of what, if any, action the company has taken to prevent misuse of their equipment, and to appeal to them to stop selling to China.
Dec 13: Congratulations
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with Sikyong Penpa Tsering, head of the Central Tibetan Administration and Dolma Tsering, Deputy Director of the Tibetan parliament, has written to congratulate the newly elected Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh (HP), Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on behalf of the Tibetan people, and to wish him well in his new role. Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu becomes the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Dec 12: More Influx into Tibet?
Talented Chinese people are to be enticed to move to live and work in Tibet, reports the Tibetan Review, citing Xinhua, China’s official news agency. Every year the “Qomolangma talents” will be selected and provided financial incentives, as well as other subsidies and support, including housing, for five years. The report also said that Tibetan graduates will be targeted.
Dec 12: Sanctions Imposed
Two top Chinese officials in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) are among 40 individuals in nine countries sanctioned by the United States for their human rights abuses and corruption. The two are Wu Yingjie, China’s party chief in TAR from 2016 to 2021, and Zhang Hongbo, China’s police chief in the Himalayan region from 2018. Their US assets have been blocked and transactions criminalised, reports the Tibetan Review.
Dec 10: UK Rally
Tibetan, Chinese, Hong Kong and Uyghur communities joined human rights supporters in a rally in central London to mark Human Rights Day. Participants carried blank white A4 paper, replicating the landmark protests led by Chinese citizens, demanding that the Chinese government halt its stringent Zero Covid policy and in some cases calling for democracy, human rights and the resignation of the Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping.
Dec 10: Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day was marked by Tibetans with expressions of joy for the award in 1989 of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with statements of concern and mourning for the suffering experienced by Tibetans living in Tibet at the hands of the occupying Chinese. In Australia, Tibetans in Canberra and Auckland held rallies, and in Dharmashala a service took place at Tsuklakhang, the main temple.
Dec 9: Four Arrested
Four young Tibetan women from eastern Tibet have been arrested in Chengdu reports the Tibet Post saying that the four, Zamkar, Dechen, Kalsang Dolma and Delha, are alleged to have participated in a peaceful demonstration against China’s zero-covid policy. Unprecedented demonstrations have taken place across China with people calling for democracy and for Chinese President Xi Jinping to resign. All four are from Dhartsedho County and working in Chengdu.
Dec 9: Tibet Film
The film Never Forget Tibet, a feature-length film telling the story of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet in 1959, has premiered across Australia. Produced by Jean Paul Martines, the film depicts Tibetan art and cultural heritage, as well as emphasising the importance of love and compassion. Audiences were encouraged to donate to the charity Tibet Culture Centre when purchasing their tickets.
Dec 8: Climate Change in Tibet
The lakes on the Tibetan plateau are showing a trend of delated freezing and of melting, reports the website Sixth Tone, “fresh voices from today’s China”, citing a new study by the state-backed China Academy of Sciences and published in Scientific Data, Nature’s open access scientific journal. The report says that some 6,000 glaciers have disappeared from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the average temperature increased at twice the global average rate.
Dec 7: Audience for Activist
Drew Pavlou, an Australian political activist known for staging protests against the Chinese government’s human rights abuses is currently in Dharamshala where he has received an audience with HH the Dalai Lama. He wrote that it was an honour to meet His Holiness adding, “I was really touched that he thanked me for supporting Tibet, I will always strive to live up to his beautiful teachings of compassion and non-violence.”
Dec 7: Prisoner Released?
Go Yonten Sangpo, the Tibetan writer also known as Gonyo, is understood to have been released a few months ago, reports the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. TCHRD reported that he was detained along with two other writers a year ago, and last month Gonyo shared a post on WeChat in which he commented that he had been offline for two years but giving no explanation.