Tibetan Headlines
May 8: Discrimination
Tibetans living in certain Tibetan provinces are required to obtain police approval before staying in Lhasa hotels. A police guideline, sent to hotels, names the provinces concerned and specifically exempts Chinese people from this requirement. Many of the provinces are areas where there have been protests in recent years. The St Regis, Lhasa has confirmed that Lhasa hotels are required inform the police of any guests from the specified areas.
May 7: World News Interview
Tibetan activist and poet Tenzin Tsundue was interviewed by the UK's BBC World News on the day Himachal Pradesh went to the polls in the Indian general election. During the interview, he spoke about the issues facing Tibetans and why so many are reluctant to take Indian Citizenship, a requirement for refugees wishing to vote.
May 7: China’s National Award
A Tibetan sculptor from Derge in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham has won one of China’s top national awards. Achung, a master of Tibetan religious sculptor received the award on April 28 in Fujian Province after he built a 3-feet tall statue of the Buddha at a contest. 39 top artists were selected from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and around China to participate in this contest.
May 6: Europe MP
Tethong Tenzin Wangpo has been sworn-in as a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from Europe following Ms Chungdak Koren’s resignation on March 17. He is a Tibetan activist based in Switzerland. He took his masters degree at the University of Zurich and has worked as a senior consultant for Campaignforum Ltds, media officer for Greenpeace Switzerland and party secretary and spokesperson of the Green Party of Canton Zürich.
May 5: His Holiness in Latvia
The Dalai Lama has been warmly welcomed on his arrival in Riga, Latvia, where he is to give two days of teachings on the "Heart Sutra" and the "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas". He arrived on the Latvian Restoration of Independence Day. Latvia's independence was originally proclaimed in 1918, and restored on May 4, 1990. His Holiness is on an 11-day tour of Europe.
May 4: Free Tibet Campaign
Free Tibet Campaigners are sending "nationality inspectors" to the Intercontinental Hotel in London to check hotel guests' nationality, and demanding that hotel staff inform the police of any Tibetans staying in the hotel. The campaign is in protest against the new Intercontinental Hotel in Lhasa, Tibet, that will require Tibetan guests to register with the police and gain their permission to stay there.
May 3: Monk Released
Lobsang Dhonyoe, 52, a monk from Gonsar Monastery in Dege County, Kardze, has been released after spending six years in a Chinese jail. Lobsang was accused of “splittist” activities against the government including leading a major anti-China protest in 2008. During the protest, along with his fellow monks, he raised the banned Tibetan national flag. It is believed he was subjected to severe torture in prison.
May 2: Oslo Protest
In Norway about 400 people rallied outside the parliament building in Oslo in support of the Dalai Lama, who will visit next week. The protesters are angry at the Norwegian government's refusal to meet His Holiness against the wishes of the Norwegian people. Some China experts have suggested King Harald should meet the Dalai Lama instead, as he is independent from the government.
May 2: Information Hero
Golog Jigme Gyatso, 45, is one of 100 Information Heroes. Information Heroes are people nominated by Reporters Without Borders for the World Press Freedom Day who have put their ideals in the “service of the common good” and “served as examples”. Jigme assisted filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen in secretly shooting his documentary film "Leaving Fear Behind" about life in Tibet in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
May 1: School Visit
His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Gopalpur Tibetan Children's Village School in Kangra district, home to over a thousand Tibetan students. “You are the new generation of the 21st century. So, it is up to you to make this 21st century a century of love, peace and equality,” His Holiness said, adding that the younger generation of Tibetan people will be the ones who have to shape the future of Tibet.
Apr 29: Martyrs’ Day
Martyrs' Day commemorated the death of Pawo Thupten Ngodup, the first Tibetan who used self-immolation as a form of protest in Delhi on April 29, 1998. At a ceremony in Dharamshala, prayers were offered for him and all the Tibetans who have died for Tibet, to remember and acknowledge their sacrifice. Tenzin Tsundue, activist and writer said, “the significance of Martyrs day has increased over the years.”
Apr 29: Challenging China
Seven Tibetan activists attended the 9th Inter ethnic/Interfaith Leadership Conference held in Taipei, Taiwan. 70 participants from from Mainland China, Honkong, Taiwan, Macau and Southern Mongolia, together with the Tibetans and overseas Ugyur representatives, discussed finding common ground to challenge the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and thereby ensure constitutional reforms and a democratic political system in China and in areas controlled by CCP.
Apr 27: Solitary Protest
Lobsang Tenpa, 19, a monk from Kirti monastery in Tibet’s Ngaba County, has been arrested. Wearing a Tibetan national flag around his head and carrying a large picture of the Dalai Lama, he shouted slogans in the street against the Chinese government’s repressive policies in Tibet, calling for a long life for the Dalai Lama and his return to Tibet. Chinese police on street patrol immediately arrested him, his current whereabouts are unknown.
Apr 26: Talk to Foreigners
His Holiness the Dalai Lama held a public audience in Tsuglakhang, the main temple in Dharamshala, for an audience of more than 1600 foreigners and 400 Indians. He shared thoughts on religious harmony, ancient Indian thought and the promotion of human values.
Apr 26: Four Arrests
Thupgah, Gadey, Kyamo and Jamyang, four Tibetan landowners from Barchung village in Tromthar Township in Palyul County in the Tibetan province of Kham, have been arrested. They had led recent protests by Tibetans against the administration, and their arrest is connected with their refusal to sell land to a Chinese mining firm. Another Tibetan named Golhoe has been beaten up "severely".