Tibetan Headlines
Aug 2: Indian Support
A group of Indian Tibet support groups have agreed to observe Oct 20 each year as a protest day to show China that India will defend its territory at any cost, and tell the Indian government that Sino-India relations will only progress when the issue of Tibet is resolved. The main event will be held in Arunachal Pradesh, the north eastern Indian state claimed by China as its own territory.
Aug 2: State Department Support
Sikyong Penpa Tsering has met the heads of the United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour in an online meeting, along with representatives of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s Department of Information and International Relations. Sikyong thanked the US government for its support and laid out his vision for a resolution to the Sino-Tibet conflict and for meeting the challenges faced by the Tibetan diaspora.
Jul 30: Nobel Laureats’ Outrage
More than 100 Nobel laureates have denounced China for trying repeatedly to persuade the National Academic Sciences (NAS) to remove HH the Dalai Lama and another Nobel Laureat from the list of speakers at their summit last April. The NAS has condemned China for their “harassment, and have warned the Embassy against this inappropriate conduct.” Chinese state media headlines read, “US poisons international science by inviting secessionists at conference”.
Jul 30: Foot and Mouth Outbreak
An outbreak of the fatal foot and mouth disease which affects cattle and sheep is devastating Tibetan nomads living in Duchik in Ladakh in the far north of India. Over 1,000 sheep belonging to eight Tibetan families and one Ladakhi family have died, many cattle are affected and many more animals are sick, reports Phayul.
Jul 29: Breakthrough Meeting
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met Ngodup Dongchung, who was representing HH the Dalai Lama. The US State Department issued a statement, "Secretary Blinken had an opportunity to meet briefly this morning in New Delhi with a representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama". Blinken also met Indian Prime Minister Modi, the meeting was reported in Reuters.
Jul 28: US Speaks Out
United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, visiting China July 25 - 26, raised concerns about China’s human rights violations in Tibet, East Turkestan and Hong Kong when she met China’s State Councillor and Foreign minister Wang Yi and other senior Chinese government officials. She spoke about a range of issues running “counter to our values and interests [...] and that undermine the international rules-based order”.
Jul 28: Complaint Filed
Four Swiss-based Tibetan organisations based have filed a complaint against the International Olympic Committee (IOC), saying they violated OECD Guidelines when they awarded China the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, is an international organisation that works with governments, policy makers and citizens to establish international standards to build policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.
Jul 27: Free Tibet!
Japanese clothing brand Kapital incurred the wrath of China with its new Free Tibet collection, with jackets, shirts and socks sporting FREE TIBET slogans and pictures of HH the Dalai Lama. A storm of social media protests from Chinese netizens ensued. Japan’s relations with China are tense over Japan’s perceived defence of Taiwan as an independent country, and their backing Australia over their trade war with China.
Jul 26: Sentence Reduced
Tsultrim Gyatso, a former monk at Labrang Monastery who was given a life sentence in 2009 by Sangchu Intermediate People's court following his arrest in 2008, has had his sentence reduced: the People’s court claims he has “reformed” after showing “remorse”. He is expected to be released in 2026 when he will be subject to seven years of 24/7 surveillance. He is reported to be in poor health.
Jul 26: His Holiness’s Support
HH the Dalai Lama is making a donation from his Trust fund to support the people affected by the monsoon floods in the west Indian state of Maharashtra. Offering his prayers and condolences, he wrote “As a gesture of our solidarity with the people of Maharashtra, I have asked the Dalai Lama Trust to make a donation towards relief and rescue efforts.”
Jul 23: Surprise Visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping has made an unannounced visit to Tibet, visiting the city of Nyingtri [Ch: Linzhi] and the Barkhor area of Lhasa; videos show him facing the “Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” in front of the Potala Palace, He is quoted as saying that not a single ethnic group should be left behind in the efforts to fully build a modern socialist China.
Jul 23: Tibetan Downgraded
Human Rights Watch has published a new report which says that the Chinese language is now being used above the Tibetan language on signage in Tibet. Until recently, Tibetan always appeared above Chinese on all public signboards, notices, and banners but this has been reversed, according to HRW whose experts have studied photos from Tibet. There has been no official announcement; there is a legal requirement for bilingual signage.
Jul 23: Tibetan Students Penalised
Students of the Tibetan language in Amdo [Ch: Qinghai] Tibet are facing a new obstacle to their studies: China has issued a new edict which reduces the weight of Tibetan language scores for entrance exams for top tier secondary schools making it harder for Tibetans to gain entry. This is in line with the policy of phasing out the Tibetan language in the curriculum.
Jul 22: Relentless Sinicisation
Chinese state media reports that Beijing’s policy of the sinicisation of Tibet has been reaffirmed. Chinese Communist Party executive committee members, who met in Lhasa last month, called for “political education” to further weaken Tibetans’ loyalty to HH the Dalai Lama. They reiterated declarations made by Chinese president Xi Jinping last year that Tibetan Buddhism should adapt to socialist society and be “developed in a Chinese context.”
Jul 22: Dozens Arrested
Around 30 people have been arrested in eastern Tibet for celebrating HH the Dalai Lama’s birthday - many more than previously reported, Tibet Watch, the UK-based Tibet advocacy and research organisation says that only six of the 30 have been identified, and that the arrests are connected to increased digital surveillance operations in the area. They report heightened levels of fear and surveillance, with arbitrary detentions.