Tibetan Headlines
Mar 22: Election Candidates
The Election Commission for the upcoming Tibetan Government-in-exile elections has announced the candidates for Sikyong and members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile. The election will take place on April 11, there are two candidates for Sikyong: Penpa Tsering and Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang.
Mar 22: Chinese Puppet?
The Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, Panchen Gyaltsen Norbu, speaking at a meeting of the Chinese People’s Consultative Conference earlier this month, spoke out against “foreign interference in Tibetan affairs”. Tibetans generally do not recognise Panchen Gyaltsen Norbu as the Panchen Lama, seeing him as a puppet of China; he was appointed by China following their abduction of the child Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima in 1995.
Mar 21: Sentenced
Tashi Gyal, 51, from Machen Country in Golog Tibetan autonomous Prefecture in Tibet’s traditional province of Amdo, has been sentenced to one year in prison for “inciting separatism” and “endangering national security”, reports the Human Rights Desk of the Central Tibetan Administration. He was arrested on May 30 last year for sharing information related to HH Dalai Lama and Dr Lobsang Sangay through Wechat.
Mar 19: Anger Over “South Tibet”
India’s proposed exploration of uranium reserves in Arunachal Pradesh has angered China. China claims that the north eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory, calling it “Little Tibet” and has referred to India’s “illegal exploration of uranium in South Tibet”.
Mar 19: Pressure on China
The United States has said it will take an “uncompromising stance” with China unless China "improves its behaviour"; responding to calls from China to “reset ties”, the US has said China is “using coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong” and condemns its policies in Taiwan, East Turkestan [Ch: Xinjiang] and Tibet. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has similarly condemned China’s actions.
Mar 18: “Bhod Gyalo”!
Dolma Tsering, Member of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (CTA), has suggested during that, given that the official stance of the CTA is the Middle Way Approach, it is inappropriate for the slogan “Bhod Gyalo” (Victory to Tibet/Free Tibet) and the Uprising Day song to be used at official events. Her comment has sparked an angry response; Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, leader of the CTA, said they do not undermine CTA policy.
Mar 17: London Campaign
The Tibetan community in the United Kingdom has raised a petition demanding that London borough of Tower Hamlets councillors back the motion calling for the human rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs and people from Hong Kong to be addressed when the new Chinese embassy is opened there. The embassy will be the largest in Europe; a number of Tibetans, Uyghurs and Hong Kongers live in Tower Hamlets.
Mar 17: Switzerland Wants Answers
The National Council of Switzerland (Upper Chamber of the Swiss Parliament) has called on the Swiss Government to report on the situation of Tibetans in Switzerland, particularly regarding restrictions on freedom of expression and surveillance by the Chinese government. Politician Roland Fischer noted, “There are indications [...] that China is monitoring the Tibetan and Uyghur diaspora in Switzerland, in addition to many measures of cultural and political influence in Switzerland.”
Mar 16: Discipline Committees
The Chinese authorities have set up hundreds of Discipline Committees, with nearly 2,000 “inspectors” deployed in rural areas, in a move aimed to tighten security across Tibet, reports Radio Free Asia. Chinese state media has reported that the groups have tightened surveillance, in particular along the border with India. Local sources report intensified crackdown. Chinese President Xi Jinping is quoted as saying “We must first of all stabilise Tibet”.
Mar 15: Budget Session
The 10th session of the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile began today. The inaugural session saw briefings on 16 resolutions, including official mourning, discussion and approval of the budget and the Kashag’s clarification, discussion and review of the annual audit report.The 15-day session will conclude on March 30.
Mar 14: Teaching Concludes
HH the Dalai Lama’s three day teaching for young Mogolians concluded over the weekend. Asked whether it is necessary to be a Buddhist to study Buddhism, he said that if you believe in rebirth, liberation and omniscience, you’re a Buddhist, adding that you don’t need to be a Buddhist to be a moral or ethical person, nor to learn how to tackle your destructive emotions and achieve peace of mind.
Mar 12: Women’s Uprising Day
Today marks the anniversary of Mar 12, 1959. On that day, following the massacre that happened over the previous days of uprising in Lhasa, Tibet when people took to the streets to protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet, thousands of women gathered in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. This demonstration sparked the Tibetan women’s movement for independence.
Mar 12: Call for Justice
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has condemned the treatment of two Tibetan students detained earlier this year for displaying a flag and emblem for their local football team in Tsolho [Ch: Hainan] in Amdo which they had designed themselves. Jampa Tsering was given a suspended sentence and “deprivation of political rights” while Dugkar Tsering was exempt from punishment as it was his first offence.
Mar 11: US Support for Tibet
The United States government has issued a statement confirming the new Joe Biden Administration’s policy on Tibet: “We believe that the Chinese government should have no role in the succession process of the Dalai Lama” the statement continues, “Beijing’s interference in the succession of the Panchen Lama [...] remains an outrageous abuse of religious freedom”.
Mar 10: Uprising Day
Today is Uprising Day, when Tibetans around the world mark the anniversary of the March 10, 1959 uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. In this same week, in China, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have named their latest 10,000-ton naval destroyer Lhasa after the capital of Tibet in a move that British Tibet support group Free Tibet has called a “disgusting insult”.