Tibetan Headlines
Nov 14: G20 Protests
G20 protests have kicked off with Tibetan freedom campaigners from Students for a Free Tibet unveiling huge black balloons and a banner reading "China Fails Human Rights. G20 Unite For Tibet" in Brisbane, Australia, where the G20 summit will be held this weekend. SFT also organised a cycle rally in Delhi, India, to urge the world leaders to stand up for Tibet at the Summit.
Nov 14: Visitor from the US
United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Ms Sarah Sewell, visited Samyeling Tibetan Colony at Majnu-Ka-Tilla in Delhi. Accompanied by Kathleen Stephens, US Ambassador to India, she visited the health centre and saw a cultural performance by the children of Tibetan Childrens Village day school. Sewel is visiting India and Nepal to help improve the quality of health services within the Tibetan refugee community.
Nov 14: Obama Angers Tibetans
United States President Barack Obama, who is in China, has angered Tibetans by saying that Tibet is part of the People’s Republic of China. "We are not in favour of independence” said Obama. The International Campaign for Tibet in Washington said Obama should reflect the sentiment and voice of the US congress and the American people who overwhelmingly support the Dalai Lama's quest for justice for Tibetans.
Nov 11: US Official’s Visit
US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Ms Sarah Sewall, is to visit Tibetan communities in Nepal and India this month, from 9-16. Ms Sewall will also travel to Dharamshala, India to discuss Tibetan refugee issues. She will also announce an award of $3.2 million for a Tibetan Health System Strengthening project. In Nepal, Ms Sewall will meet the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and other officials.
Nov 11: Rome It Is
The Nobel Laureates 14th World Summit has been relocated to Rome, Italy, following its boycott by laureates in protest against South Africa’s denial of a visa to the Dalai Lama. The summit, originally scheduled for October 13-15, was suspended in October. Phayul has quoted Mr Tenzin Taklha, Secretary of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as confirming that the summit has been rescheduled from December 12-14 in Rome.
Nov 10: Kirti Monks Sentenced
Two Tibetan monks from Ngaba Kirti Monastery have been sentenced to up to three years in prison for staging solo protests. The Barkham County People's Intermediate Court charged Lobsang Gyatso, 20, and Lobsang Tenpa, 19, with "'separatist activities" and "plotting against the nation". The two monks used self-drawn Tibetan national flags and shouted slogans against the Chinese government in the streets of Ngaba on April 15 and 26 this year.
Nov 10: Teachings
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has arrived back in Dharamsala after his tour of Canada and the United states. He will give teachings on "Nagarjuna's Precious Garland of the Middle Way" (uma rinchen trengwa) at Tsuglakhang, the Main Temple in Dharamshala, on November 11 to 13. The teachings, which are at the request of a group of Koreans, can be heard live in English, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Vietnamese and Russian at dalailama.com.
Nov 9: Nomads’ ID witheld
Tibetan nomads in northwestern Qinghai province who resist the Chinese government's forced relocation policy are being stripped of their personal documents. Officials have demanded a 10,000 yuan [$1,633] fine for the return of documents to nomads who refused to move from their traditional grazing grounds to the impoverished relocation settlements, the officials citing “disobedience” and “noncompliance with central government policy”. Nomads are now banned from grazing their traditional pastures.
Nov 8: Unfair Compensation
Hundreds of Tibetans have protested against unfair compensation for land in Malinthang village in Sangchu County, Amdo. They displayed banners and raised slogans outside the government building there, aimed at high ranking Chinese officials who were visiting. The protesters are demanding fair and equal compensation for their land as they are currently given less than Chinese people. Several Tibetans were beaten and arrested.
Nov 8: Wangchuk Released
Pasang Wangchuk, 37, also known as Ngodru, a businessman and father of three, who was detained last month in China’s Sichuan province for launching a solitary protest has been freed after being interrogated over the slogans he wrote on his protest banner. It is not known whether he was beaten or tortured—a punishment most detained Tibetan protesters say they undergo, and it is not known why he was freed.
Nov 7: New Chinese Directive
The Chinese state-run Global Times has announced that China will severely punish officials in Tibet who support the Dalai Lama, saying it is part of their anti-corruption campaign. Officials are required to concentrate on “quashing separatism and maintaining social stability”. Tibet's top Communist party official said the government would severely punish officials who follow the Dalai Lama or support separatism.
Nov 7: Protesters Assaulted
Chinese officials in Toronto, Canada, physically assaulted Tibetans and Tibet supporters who were peacefully protesting outside the “Canada China Tibet Culture Week”, an event funded by the Chinese government. The protesters say the event is an attempt by China to create a misleading information about Tibet and China's policies in Tibet. The protest was led by Students for a Free Tibet, Canada.
Nov 6: Eight Sentenced
Eight Tibetans have been given prison sentences in Ngaba County, on charges of murder for their alleged involvement with Kunchok Tseten’s self-immolation in December last year at Serde village in Ngaba. The eight are: Dolma Tso (3 years); Konme (3 years) and Gephel (2 years), together with five unidentified people (5 years each). Tso has been tortured while detained but refuses to accept the charge of murder.
Nov 6: Student Protest
Students from several Tibetan nomad schools in Dzoegey in Ngaba in eastern Tibet formed a protest when Zhang Tianke, the Chinese head of the Ngaba Education Board, called for the medium of instruction in schools to change from Tibetan to the Chinese language. The students were joined by members of the public and news of the protest later went viral on Chinese social media sites.
Nov 5: Campaign Success
Youtube, the global video-sharing website, has deleted more 50 accounts following a campaign by Free Tibet who proved that the accounts were used to spread Chinese propaganda to portray Tibet as "a happy Chinese province". This follows their successful campaign earlier this year aimed at Twitter who deleted around 100 false accounts. UK-based Free Tibet campaigns for Tibetan self determination and highlights human rights violations in Tibet.