Contact is taking a holiday!

Contact is taking a break after 25 years of bringing you news of Tibet and Tibetan issues. We are celebrating our 25 years by bringing you the story of Contact and the people who have made it happen, and our archive is still there for you to access at any time, and below you can read the story of Contact, how it came into being and the wonderful reflections of the people who have made it happen over the years.

When and how Contact will re-emerge and evolve will be determined by those who become involved.

Tibetan Headlines

Mar 11: Nepali Arrests

Police in Nepal arrested 11 people on suspicion of “anti-China activities” on Tibetan Uprising Day. Nepal has come under increasing pressure from China to crack down on political protests. A Home Ministry spokesman said the government was making “necessary security arrangements in areas deemed sensitive, to foil any untoward incidents.”

Mar 11: Immolation Attempt

A Tibetan man, Dawa, in his 30s, attempted to set himself on fire during the protest rally marking Uprising Day in Dharamsala. He reportedly consumed and poured kerosene over himself. People nearby stopped him, but he pleaded with them to let him self-immolate and said that he had decided to set himself on fire after thinking it over many times. He was taken to hospital.

Mar 10: Protest in Tibet

Three Tibetan monks from the Mangey Monastery carried out a peaceful Uprising Day protest against China’s rule in Kardze region in eastern Tibet. According to exile sources, the monks, Lobsang Samten, Sonam Namgyal, and Thupten Gelek, were carrying a white banner with a portrait of HH the Dalai Lama and many slogans. Two lay Tibetans tried to rescue them but all five were arrested.

Mar 8: CTA respond to China

Xinhua News Agency has accused the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Dalai Lama of encouraging self-immolations in Tibet through blog postings by Lhamo Kyab, a former member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile and now living in France. Kalon Dicki Chhoyang of the CTA responded: “Such writings are irresponsible and unnecessarily give excuses to the Chinese government to resort to the blame game and shirk its responsibility for the root causes leading to self-immolations”.

Mar 7: Prayers in Geneva

Around 200 Tibetans from all over Switzerland took part in a special solidarity prayer vigil in front of the United Nations office in Geneva yesterday. The exiled abbot of the Kirti Monastries, Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche, led the prayer service for the 107 Tibetans who have self-immolated since 2009 protesting China’s occupation and demanded freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

Mar 6: Courage Award

Beijing based Tibetan writer Tsering Woeser, 44, who has won the 2013 International Women of Courage Award given annually by the US State Department, has dedicated her award to Tibetan self-immolators. She is currently under house arrest and will be awarded in absentia. Her website, Invisible Tibet, has given voice to millions of ethnic Tibetans who are prevented from expressing themselves to the outside world.

Mar 6: Martyr’s Day

The Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat has announced that March 10 will be jointly observed as National Uprising Day and Martyr’s Day to commemorate all those Tibetans who have self-immolated for the cause of Tibet.

Mar 5: Uncle Sentenced

Yarphel an uncle of a Tibetan self-immolator, has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for his “crime” of carrying a photo of his nephew during the latter’s funeral procession in Rebkong, eastern Tibet. After a month-long detention in police custody, Yarphel, 42, was sentenced in a closed-door trial on the afternoon of March 1, exile sources say.

Mar 4: Kirti Rinpoche

Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche, the head of Kirti monastic community, spoke to Tibetans in Switzerland on Sunday. The exiled chief abbot of a Tibetan monastery at the centre of a wave of self-immolations called on Tibetans in exile to take responsibility as Tibet continues to burn in protest against China’s occupation.“Tibetans in Tibet are looking to the exile community for help,” Rinpoche said. “Therefore, if we don’t act, who will respond to their cry for help?”

Mar 3: More sentenced

The Chinese court in eastern Tibet has passed down more heavy prison terms of up to 15 years to three Tibetans for their “crimes” relating to the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet. The court sentenced Lhamo Dorjee to 15 years in prison, Kalsang Sonam to 11 years, and Tsesang Kyab to 10 years on charges of “intentional homicide.” An official Chinese newspaper in the Kanlho region reported that a court in Luchu carried out the rulings on Thursday.

Mar 2: UK on Tibet

The United Kingdom expressed its deep concern over the self-immolation protests inside Tibet and said the human rights situation in the region is “clearly worsening. Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Warsi told the British parliament that the UK “regularly raises” its concerns with the Chinese authorities.

Mar 1: Nepal Police Arrest

Nepali police have arrested four Tibetans, including two elderly women, in Kathmandu on unknown charges. The arrests came two weeks after a Tibetan monk; Drupchen Tsering (Druptse) set himself on fire protesting against China’s occupation of Tibet in the Nepali capital on February 13. He passed away at a local hospital hours after his protest. Nepali authorities, despite repeated appeals by local Tibetans, are still holding the body.

Feb 28: More Arrests

Chinese police in eastern Tibet have arrested five more Tibetans, Dhargey, Samten, Tashi Gyatso, Tenpei Gyalpo, and Tensang, for the alleged roles in convincing three people to set themselves on fire. Chinese state news agency Xinhua said that one of them “acted under the instructions” of members of the TYC. The five arrested have been blamed for “recruiting and encouraging” the self-immolation protests of Dorjee Rinchen, Thubwang Kyab, and Gonpo Tsering. The TYC has denied the allegations.

Feb 27: No Canadian Envoy

Canada’s ambassador to China has been turned down from travelling to the restive region where more than 100 Tibetans have self-immolated protesting China’s rule. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay met top Canadian officials this week, and urged Canada to send its Ambassador for Religious Freedom Andrew Bennett to Tibet to investigate the situation there. The TYC has denied the allegations.

Feb 26: Nomads in Ladakh

Tibetan nomads living in the higher reaches of Ladakh, north India, are currently reeling under severe cold conditions after heavy snowfall which killed thousands of their livestock. The Jangthang region in Ladakh, has received unprecedented snowfall in the months of January and February. Extra food and fodder for animals were sent to them by the Local Indian authorities.