Tibetan Headlines
Dec 6: Penor Rinpoche’s Reincarnation
The reincarnation of His Eminence Penor Rinpoche, the head of the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism, has been found, his monastery Namdrol Ling in Karnataka, India said in an official announcement. The reincarnation was found at a sacred location near Lhasa in Tibet, based on a “prophecy letter” sent by Jadrel Rinpoche and visions of Tulku Thubten Palzang Rinpoche. The enthronement ceremony will take place next year.
Dec 5: Monk Arrested in Lhasa
A Tibetan monk from the Shelkar Choede Monatery in Dhingri was arrested in Lhasa on November 29 for being in possession of an image of the Tibetan national flag on his cellphone, reported the Voice of Tibet. Migmar, in his twenties, was arrested during a routine frisking of Tibetans by Lhasa Public Security Bureau officials.
Dec 4: Sentencing in Driru
Nine Tibetans were sentenced to varying prison terms in the Driru region of Nagchu on Nov 30. Only three have been identified: Kunchok Choephel, 28, of Ngayang village has been sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment; and Tenzin Rangdol, 34, and Topden, aka Do Ghang Gah, 30, each to five years. The identities of six others sentenced are not immediately known due to extreme government censorship and surveillance in Nagchu.
Dec 3: Kalons in Europe
Five Kalons (ministers) of the Central Tibetan Administration are in Italy at the invitation of the European Academy of Bolzano. The delegation will speak at public conferences and will hold series of meetings. They will meet President Luis Durnwalder of South Tyrol and President Ugo Rossi of Trento before travelling to Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland.
Nov 29: Sacred Stones Dispute
Eight Tibetans, including six monks, have been detained by Chinese authorities in Palyul County following a tipoff that the Tibetans were planning a protest. The Tibet Times has reported that two local officials had stolen a truck full of sacred stones from a pilgrimage site and some stones had been sold. Appeals to return the stones were ignored. The monastery has been put under surveillance and there is strict monitoring of all communication.
Nov 28: Award Revoked
The World Health Organisation (WHO) overturned its previous decision to grant the Kochon Award for contributions in the fight against tubercolosis to the Tibetan Delek Hospital in Dharamsala. It emerges that WHO director general Margaret Chan disapproved of the choice. China also opposed this selection because of the hospital's connections to the Central Tibetan Administration.
Nov 27: Promote Culture and Values
His Holiness the Dalai Lama told the Tibetans in Tokyo before leaving Japan that they should keep up their spirits as Tibetans, maintain Tibetans’ good reputation and promote Tibetan culture and values. “It’s important for your children to learn both spoken and written Tibetan,” said His Holiness. He also met around 300 Korean Buddhists who have come from Korea to meet him.
Nov 26: “Release Rinpoche”
Followers and students of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche have launched a DVD and appealed for the immediate release of the highly revered Lama who is currently serving life sentence in a Chinese prison. Relatives say that his health has continued to deteriorate over the last 11 years. Reports in 2011 revealed that Rinpoche was suffering from a heart ailment. He was sentenced in 2002 in a bomb blasts case.
Nov 25: Driru Arrests
Twelve Tibetans have been released after paying bail. They were among the fifteen arrested earlier this month after protesting against China’s order to fly the Chinese national flag from their roofs in Driru County. The other three, Sarkyi, 49; Tsophen, 41; and Gapuk, 41; are still being detained, sources said. On November 12, another Tibetan woman, Thinlay Palmo, 32, was arrested from Driru County.
Nov 25: Himalayan Festival
The Department of Tourism, Himachal State Government and the Department of Home, Central Tibetan Administration have jointly organised the Himalayan Festival in Shimla, India. The festival was aimed at promoting friendship and cultural understanding among peoples living in the Himalayan region. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Sikyong Lobsang Sangay visited different stalls and exhibitions of cultures, handicrafts and traditional medicines of the Himalayan regions.
Nov 24: Clampdown in Golog
Seven Tibetans in the Golog prefecture in Tibet have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the self-immolation by the late Tsering Gyal, a monk at the Akyong Monastery in Pema County, on November 11. Three of them were from the Akyong Monastery. Names and other details of the detained Tibetans are unavailable due to security clampdown in Pema County.
Nov 23: Monk Sentenced
China’s Intermediate People’s Court in Ngaba prefecture has sentenced a Tibetan monk from Jonang Monastery in Zamthang County last month. Hortsang Tamdrin, a writer and a social activist, was sentenced to over four years for “calling for Tibet’s independence, committing actions aimed at ‘splitting the nation’ and for promoting special recognition for self-immolators”, a source told RFA.
Nov 22: Meeting Parliamentarians
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in his addressed to the All Party Parliamentarian Group at the National Diet Building in Tokyo, said that he is concerned about the status of the Tibetan culture, which he regards as a culture of peace. Talking about the Tibetan national flag, “[he] feels [that] he has Mao Zedong’s personal permission to keep and fly it”.
Nov 21: TCHRD Launches Documentary
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) based in Dharamsala, India, launched a new documentary film entitled A Sacrifice, based on the life of Lhamo Kyab, a former political prisoner. Tsering Tsomo, Director of the centre, said “We, at TCHRD, hope that such documentaries will take the Tibetan issue on an international platform and gather support for Tibet’s ongoing non-violent resistance against the Chinese policies.”
Nov 20: Arrest Warrants for Chinese Leaders
Spain’s National Court has ordered arrest warrants for former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and four other officials after rights groups accused these Chinese leaders of crimes of genocide in Tibet. Those named in the warrants could be taken into custody for interrogation and face trial if they travel outside of China. Hu Jintao, another former President also faces questioning.