Tibetan Headlines
Nov 25: Sivagiri Pilgrimage
His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed the inaugural ceremony of the 80th Sivagiri Annual Pilgrimage in the south Indian town of Varkala. Following the decades old tradition, pilgrims will over the next 10 days follow austerity or self-purification observing the Buddha’s principles of the five purities of body, food, mind, word and deed.
Nov 25: TCV Peace March
Students of the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala carried out a peace march from the school basketball court to the Martyr’s Pillar near Tsug-la Khang, the main temple. A Candle light vigil and prayer service followed.
Nov 24: TID Protest
On Friday the Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) held a march in Berlin, Germany handing over 8,000 signatures to the German Government's Commissioner for Human Rights, Markus Löning in protest of the forced resettlement of Tibetan nomads.
Nov 23: Tibet Education Project
The CTA has officially launched the Tibet Education Project, a two-year program aimed at improving the quality of educational opportunities for Tibetan refugee students in India and Nepal. Funding comes from the US Agency for International Development, which awarded US $2 million to Tibet Fund in September.
Nov 22: Arrests in South India
More than 110 Tibetan students studying in the south Indian city of Chennai staged a mass protest yesterday, demanding international intervention in the alarming escalation in self-immolation protests inside Tibet. They occupied a busy road opposite the United States Consulate, were then arrested, detained for 5 hours, and then released.
Nov 22: Notice of Punishment
A five-point notice by Chinese authorities in Malho region gives local officials orders “to punish self-immolators and their families; even those who had offered condolences and prayers to the bereaved family members and relatives.” Further, it announces the cancellation of government aid to families of self-immolators as well as development projects in villages where similar protests have taken place.
Nov 20: Teachings for Mongolians
H.H. the Dalai Lama today began his two-day discourse for Mongolian devotees in Dharamsala on the Third Dalai Lama’s Essence of Refined Gold (lamrim sershunma). Over 4000 devotees from 54 countries, including US, Vietnam, England and Korea, attended the teachings.
Nov 17: CTA on Facebook
The Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration joins Facebook to strengthen and diversify its outreach to the media and general public. The Facebook page will be maintained by the CTA’s press officer with news updates, general information, and official statements on issues of public interest.
Nov 16: Tibetan Support Groups
Around two hundred members of Tibetan Support Groups from 43 countries attended the Second Special International Tibet Support Groups Meeting today in Dharamshala to “explore ways to press the Chinese government to end its repressive policies” in Tibet. A participant from Brazil stated, “We came all the way from Brazil to support Tibetans. The Tibetan cause is not just about Tibetans, it is about humanity. So, we are here to discuss human rights and non-violent actions,” she said.
Nov 16: Protest Around the World
In Dharamshala, a large number of Tibetans marched from Norbulingka to Tsug-la Khang. In Bern, Switzerland, Tibet activists occupied the entrance of the Chinese embassy in a major protest yesterday, calling for an immediate and drastic change in China’s Tibet policy. In Geneva, Tibetans carried out a three-day 'kneel down' campaign in front of the United Nations office.
Nov 15: Candle Light Vigil
Instead of a celebration, students from the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Gopalpur chose to mark Children’s Day in India with a candle light vigil in solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet. Students, on their own initiative, paid tribute to the Tibetan self-immolators, offered prayers, and lit over 10,000 candles and butter lamps.
Nov 14: Pelosi on Tibet
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed the Flame of Truth Torch relay in San Francisco, the final stop of the relay across America. “The people of Tibet have legitimate grievances after decades of harsh rule. They have been economically marginalised in their own land, imprisoned for peacefully expressing their political views, and forced to endure ‘political education’ campaigns to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The United States, a country rooted in the values of liberty, equality, and human rights, has a special responsibility to protect and promote those values, both at home and abroad,” she said.
Nov 13: Chinese Notice
The Chinese government has reinforced the existing ban on Tibetans from keeping pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The posted notice pledges to strengthen state management of monasteries, prohibit under-aged Tibetans from joining monasteries and nunneries, and “maintain unity of the motherland and fight against the Dalai group’s separatist activities.” All religious activities must strictly conform to government regulations.
Nov 13: TYC Members Arrested
Yesterday members of the Tibetan Youth Congress protested outside the Chinese Embassy in Delhi. Delhi police arrested 13 of the Tibetan activists, who were led by the current TYC President Tsewang Rigzin who had demanded to speak to members of the Chinese government about the deteriorating situation within Tibet.
Nov 12: 2 Self-Immolations
Two Tibetan youth set themselves on fire in Dowa township in Rebgong in north-eastern Tibet bringing the total number of self-immolations to 72. Nyingkar Tashi, 24, died on the spot and his body was carried to his home. Nyingchag Bum, 20, a father of two, set fire to himself near the town office. He died later that day. Monks carried his charred body inside the Dowa Monastery premises.