Tibetan Headlines
Aug 25: Reprimand from the US
Lisa Peterson, United States Acting Assistant Secretary of State has written to the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE), saying that failure by the TPiE to resolve the current parliamentary dispute risks “undermining the confidence placed by the Tibetan diaspora and the international community in the CTA and TPiE” and urging the TPiE to “move past their differences and tum to the pressing matters that need their attention”.
Aug 24: Poet Dies
Tsepa, 29, a Tibetan poet known as Chenbang, who’s writing was critical of Chinese policies in Tibet, has died, reports Radio Free Asia. Tsepa was arrested and interrogated by the Chinese police in Tibet and subsequently suffered from health problems and alcohol abuse. He died in a hospital in Golug in Kham [Ch: Sichuan]. His books, poems and articles are praised for their contribution to Tibetan culture.
Aug 24: Protest Against China
Tibetans in New York have staged a protest against China's 70-year occupation of Tibet to coincide with China’s celebrations of the anniversary. The event was organised by Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Students for a Free Tibet and Chushi Gangdug- a charity set which supports survivors of the Chushi Gangdruk Tibetan resistance against the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Aug 24: Threatened to Shutdown
The Gyalten Getza school in Tehor Rongbacha Township in Kham [Ch: Sichuan] has been ordered to teach through the medium of Chinese or face closure. The school, established in 1994, was founded by the revered Gyalten Lobsang Jampa Rinpoche and has received awards for its outstanding contributions and provision of free education for over 1,000 students.
Aug 23: More “Celebrations”
China has held a further celebration of 70 years since their occupation of Tibet with an event in Lhasa, saying that their occupation was a “peaceful liberation” and that following the Communist Party of China’s leadership and pursuing the path of socialism is the only way that Tibet can achieve development and prosperity. The Tibetan Youth Congress has said that “Tibetans continue to suffer” under China’s “authoritarian and oppressive rule.”
Aug 19: Teenager Arrested
Sherab Dorjee, 19, has been arrested in Trotsik Township in Ngaba, Amdo [Ch: Sichuan] on allegations of rebelling against the Chinese government. British-based Tibet advocacy group Tibet Watch reports that he had refused to join a propaganda event in his town, and had submitted an appeal for his school to be allowed to teach in Tibetan - this amid a campaign to establish education provision in Chinese rather than Tibetan.
Aug 18: Walking the Himalayas
Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue is embarking on a three month journey along the Himalayas along the north Indian border with Tibet from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh using local transport and walking. He says that “Chinese aggression on the borders has left people in the Himalayas shocked and worried [...] Tibet's independence is in the long term interest of India, how long can India suffer China?”
Aug 18: Sino-Tibetan Strategy
The Task Force on Sino-Tibetan negotiation, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s vehicle for negotiations with China, has been disbanded and replaced with a strategic planning committee. The Kashag (Cabinet) says that the change is necessitated by the fact that most members of the task force were based abroad or committed to other responsibilities. Nine rounds of talks have been held since the task force was set up in 1999.
Aug 16: Karmapa to Return?
The Tibetan Journal reports that the Chief Minister of Sikkim is to invite Ugyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, to return to India to live at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim where he is the ceremonial leader; he has been living abroad since 2017, with issues preventing his return. The report says that India now recognises the Karmapa’s importance, particularly with regard to the succession of HH the Dalai Lama.
Aug 15: Independence Day
India’s 75th Independence Day was celebrated in Dharamshala with a flag raising ceremony held by the Central Tibetan Administration. The Indian national anthem was sung and Sikyong Penpa Tsering, acknowledging India’s support of the Tibetan exile community, urged Tibetans inside and outside Tibet to “dedicate themselves wholeheartedly” to the restoration of independence in the future.
Aug 13: Meeting in Delhi
Atul Keshap, the recently appointed United States Charge'd Affairs in India met Ngodup Dongchung, the Representative of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama based in New Delhi. Mr Keshap tweeted, “Enjoyed meeting with Ngodup Dongchung [...] The US supports the religious freedom and the preservation of Tibetans’ unique cultural and linguistic identities, and respects the DalaiLama’s vision for the equal rights of all people”.
Aug 12: 110 Arrested
110 Tibetans attending a popular horse racing festival were detained in Janglam Village in Nyanrong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, accused of sharing online images and videos of the event that show official Chinese presence near the festival site. They have been interrogated, and 80 were later released on payment of a fine of 5,000 yuan ($770 /£560), reports Tibet Watch, the UK based Tibet advocacy group.
Aug 12: TIPA Celebrates!
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) has celebrated its 62nd anniversary. The annual summer festival and Yarkyi cultural competition. Sikyong Penpa Tsering, speaking at the event, lauded the artistes for their hard work and the quality of their performance, before highlighting the “rich cultural bond” between Tibet and its neighboring Himalayan regions, particularly that of Tibetan Buddhism and medicine.
Aug 11: Airport Opens
The new Terminal 3 at Lhasa’s Gonggar Airport - the region’s largest airport - has opened, boosting the region’s rapid infrastructure development. The airport will now have the ability to handle nine million people and 80,000 metric tonnes of cargo annually: over 75 percent of Tibet’s passenger traffic. The state media Global Times said it will “help transform the region into an international logistics hub for South Asia.”
Aug 11: Three Arrested
Rinchen Dorjee and Lhundup from Domda Township in Amdo [Ch:Qinghai] and Kalsang Nyima from Za Sershul County in Kham [Ch: Sichuan] have been arrested for sharing photos, via a WeChat group, of the official event organised by the government of Yushul in eastern to Tibet celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Yushul Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.