Tibetan Headlines
Oct 30: Dutch Award
Tsering Jampa, the International Campaign for Tibet-Europe Executive Director, has been awarded the Knighthood in the Order of Orange-Nassau—a prestigious Dutch Royal Distinction—for her substantial efforts to defend and promote the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people.T his is the first time that a Tibetan has received this major honour.
Oct 29: Tibetan Flag Removed
Thomas Rohden, a candidate in the Danish local elections, has accused the Chinese embassy of theft - ten of his election posters, displayed outside the Chinese embassy near Copenhagen, had been removed. Rohden said they were intended as a protest against a partnership between the Danish health authorities and the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. China accused Rohden of “deliberate provocation”. The police have confirmed the theft and are investigating.
Oct 29: Panchen Propaganda
Gyaincain Norbu, the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, is reported by Chinese news agency Xinhua as having gained his Kachen degree - equivalent to a doctorate. He was appointed Panchen Lama after China kidnapped Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the six year old recognised as the Panchen Lama by HH the Dalai Lama. The Panchen Lama is second only to HH the Dalai Lama as the most influential Tibetan Buddhist religious figure.
Oct 26: Collaboration with Taiwan
The annual conference Finding Common Ground 2021 took place in Taipei, organised by the Office of Tibet and the Taiwan-Tibetan Welfare Association. This year’s theme was “Developments on the issue of Tibet, East Turkestan, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the context of changing US-China relations”. Participants in Taiwan included scholars, politicians, activists, and social workers and were joined virtually by people from around the world.
Oct 26: Free Tibet Blocked
A billboard highlighting the impact of climate change on Tibet, due to be displayed outside the COP26 summit in Glasgow, UK, next week, has been blocked by the billboard-owner Global Outdoor Media. Free Tibet, who created the billboard, were told it was “political” despite last minute changes, removing any reference to COP26. John Jones of Free Tibet said “Tibetans have been frozen out of COP26”.
Oct 25: More Arrests
Lobsang Choephel, 34, a monk from Kirti monastery in Ngaba, Kham [Ch: Sichuan] was detained earlier this month, his whereabouts and state of wellbeing are unknown. He has been arrested twice before, in 2008 and 2011. He has won awards for his nature photography which he publishes under the name of Rewai Dawoe. There are unverified reports of other arrests of monks from Kirti Monastery.
Oct 22: Empowering Women
An awareness raising event saw the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) partnering the Central Tibetan Administration’s Women’s Empowerment Desk (CTA) with a presence in McLeod Ganj’s main square, to raise awareness about domestic violence, timed to take place during this month’s Domestic Abuse Awareness Month campaign. The campaigners handed out badges, fliers and T-shirts, and invited people to write their concerns on T-shirts which were then displayed at the event.
Oct 22: Climate Strike!
Tibetans and supporters held a demonstration in McLeod Ganj to support the Global Climate Strike; the activists aim to raise awareness of the climate crisis in Tibet and were calling for COP26 to “ recognise the global ecological significance of the Tibetan Plateau, making it central to any discussion on global climate change”. They carried placards with slogans including "Tibet's rivers, Asia's lifeline".
Oct 21: Grazing Permits Revoked
Tibetan nomads in Amdo [Ch: Qinghai] are losing their permits to use their traditional grazing grounds as a 50-year-old agreement comes into force, transferring their ownership of the land to the state. Radio Free Asia reports its local sources as saying that the authorities are “confiscating the land to force the Tibetan nomads to relocate to the city” and enabling the land to be exploited by the authorities.
Oct 20: New Secretary in TAR
Wang Junzheng, 58, has been appointed Secretary of the Communist Party of China Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee. Wang is one of the Chinese officials to be sanctioned by the United States, Britain, the European Union and Canada for his role in China’s genocidal actions in East Turkestan [Ch:Xinjiang]; he has held office in East Turkestan and been instrumental in China’s genocidal actions there.
Oct 20: Representing Tibet
Representative Ngodup Tsering of the Office of Tibet in Washington DC was invited by the American Hindu Foundation to speak at the 8th Parliament of the World Religions which was hosted virtually. HH the Dalai Lama sent a video message to the parliament. The theme was “Compassion in Action – A home for refugees in India”; Tsering spoke about the Tibetan refugee experience in India.
Oct 20: Running for Tibet
A group of Tibetans participated in the German Post Marathon Bonn, joining more than 4,000 runners for the event in Bonn to create awareness of the situation in Tibet, to thank Germany for its support for the Tibetan cause over years, and to mark 14 years since the US Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honour of the United States, was presented to HH the Dalia Lama.
Oct 19: Support for Flood Victims
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, to express his deep sadness at the loss of life and property caused by flooding and landslides in Kerala His Holiness added, “As a token of my sympathy, I would like to make a donation from the Dalai Lama Trust towards the rescue and relief efforts.”
Oct 18: Men Tsee Khang Celebrates
Men tsee khan, the Tibetan medical and astrological institute, has celebrated 105 years since it was founded in Lhasa by HH the 13th Dalai Lama, and 60 years since it was re-established in exile in Dharamshala by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As well as presentation of awards the celebration included dance performances, a book launch and the launch of a new section on its website
Oct 18: Free Entry to Potala
The Chinese authorities have discontinued charging tourists to visit the Potala Palace, the traditional winter residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Lhasa for the remainder of this year, saying it is to “promote winter tourism”. There are grave concerns at the impact of the heavy footfall on this ancient and historically important sacred structure, promoted by China as the most popular tourist attraction in Tibet.