Tibetan Headlines
Mar 22: USAID Visit
A delegation from the USAID is in Dharamshala to meet Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (CTA) as well as members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and the various CTA departments and staff. They will also visit the Tibet Museum, Norbulingka, the Tibet fund, Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, etc, during their four-day visit.
Mar 16: Three Children Arrested
Three middle school children; Palsang, 6, Sermo, 15 and Yangkyi, 11 were arrested in October 2021 in the Tibetan Autonomous Region for showing displeasure over lack of Tibetan language classes. They are believed to have been taken into re-education centres in Markham county in Chamdo, reports Tibet Watch. China announced a policy in July 2021 requiring all schools in Tibet to be taught through the medium of Mandarin Chinese.
Mar 15: Tour Guide Detained
Passang Norbu, in his 20s and a resident of Shigatse’s Gampa county in the Tibet Autonomous Region was detained and beaten by Chinese officials who accused him of running an illegal business. Norbu is a bike tour guide owning seven tour bikes, and his family depends on his business. Sources confirm that his business is legally registered and his permit paid. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Mar 14: Tibetan Parliament Session
The second session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (CTA) is underway in Dharamshala. The situation inside Tibet was discussed, citing the recent self-immolation of popular Tibetan singer Tsewang Norbu. There were proposals of official mournings, discussion, approval of the budgets,clarifications and question and answer session. The session will review and examine reports submitted by all departments of the CTA and will conclude on March 18.
Mar 4: Third Statue Destroyed
A third large Buddhist statue has been destroyed by Chinese authorities in Drago County in Tibet, this time a 45-foot tall bronze statue gilded with gold and silver statue of eighth-century Indian Tantric master Guru Padmasambhava which stood outside Chanang Monastery in Nyimo Township. It has taken four months for news of this demolition to reach the West due to the communications clampdown in the region.
Mar 4: Self-immolation Attempt
An attempted self-immolation in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa was thwarted by Chinese police. A Tibetan shouted slogans as he attempted to set himself alight in the runup to March 10, Tibetan Uprising Day. Police immediately blockaded the surrounding streets and extra soldiers were deployed. There is no news of what happened to the man following his attempt.
Mar 4: Sacred Mountain Breached
Tunnels being dug out for the construction of a new railway line are destroying the sacred Asal Dzari mountain near Toe township in Kardze; minerals are being extracted alongside the railway construction. The new railway will connect Nyakchu with Lhasa.
Mar 4: Tsugla Khang to Reopen
Tsuglagkhang, HH the Dalai Lama’s main temple in McLeodGanj is to reopen after Losar. It has been closed for the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Devotees visiting the temple are urged to wear masks, maintain a safe distance from others, and to sanitise their hands before entry.
Feb 24: Former Political Prisoner Dies
Ngawang Gyaltsen, 58, also known as Ngodup Gyaltsen, a monk who spent over 20 years in Chinese prisons, has died in a Lhasa hospital. He was one of 21 monks from Drepung Monastery who staged the first significant pro-independence demonstration in 1987. Following his release he has spent his life working for the human rights for Tibetans and was one of the “Group of Ten” non-violent political activists.
Feb 23: Teacher Arrested
Choedon, a student at Southwest Minzu University in Chengdu, has been detained in Riwoche County in central Tibet and not seen since. Her family say they believe it was because she taught the Tibetan language to children in Yamda during school holidays. Tibet Watch, the UK-based research and advocacy organisation, reported their local source as saying that she is “active in the preservation and teaching of the Tibetan language".
Feb 22: Tibetan Soldier Honoured
Tenzin Norbu, a former Special Frontier Force (SFF) Deputy leader who went missing, presumed dead, in an avalanche in 1988, has received a posthumous award, signed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for his service. The SFF was an elite paramilitary force of Tibetan refugee recruits created in 1962 by the Indian army. Tenzin was an exceptional leader serving in the first Vikas unit of the SFF.
Feb 22: Mother Language Day
International Mother Language day, which celebrates linguistic diversity and promotes differences in culture and language to develop respect and tolerance for each other, was observed in Canberra, Australia by the Tibetan community who interacted with members of other communities such as Bangladesh, Ukraine, India, China and Mon, talking about the importance of mother language as the bedrock of a people’s culture and identity.
Feb 22: Venerable Sampho Jigme Wangchen Rimpoche
Venerable Sampho Jigme Wangchen Rimpoche passed away earlier this month at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Born in Lhasa, he was a direct descendent of the 7th Dalai Lama. He was recognised as the reincarnation of Drubwang Tokden Shakya Shri, the Chagchen and Dzogchen Master from Kham. He served in the Tibetan Government-in-Exile as well as volunteering for Tibetan Buddhist causes and was known for his musical ability.
Feb 21: Monks Warned
Wang Junzheng, the Communist Party Secretary for the Tibet Autonomous Region is reported by Chinese state media to have visited monasteries around Lhasa in the runup to Tibet Uprising Day next month, a time when protests against Chinese rule traditionally take place. Monks were reminded to be “patriotic and law-abiding” and remain loyal to the party, and to enforce the rules against “separatist” assertions of Tibetan cultural and national identity.
Feb 21: Gold Medalist Speaks Out
Double Olympic gold medalist Nils van der Poel Poel, speaking of awarding this year’s Winter Olympics to Beijing, said “it’s terrible [...] I think it is extremely irresponsible to give it to a country that violates human rights as blatantly as the Chinese régime is doing”. The Swedish speedskater, who won two gold medalists at the Games, was speaking to SportBladet on his return from the Games.