Tibetan Headlines
Jul 14: China Covers-up Monk’s Death
Authorities in the home town of a renowned monk who died in a Chinese prison are reported to have imposed restrictions on marking the anniversary of his death. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died on July 12 2015 whilst serving a life sentence following what has been described as a wrongful conviction. Tibetans in Lithang have been threatened with unspecified “consequences” should they observe the fifth anniversaryof Tenzin’s death.
Jul 14: HH Debuts at No. 1
His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama has debuted “at No. 1 on the New Age Albums chart” with the release of his first album of songs. Inner World the collection of songs was released to coincide with HH’s 85th birthday and features “his spoken-word mantras and teachings mixed with music”. Currently ranked eighth on the global album chart the release “covers such topics as wisdom, courage, healing and children”.
Jul 14: Tibetans Forcefully Evicted
Chinese officials in Payul County, eastern Tibet, are reported to have forced Tibetans from their homes in late June. Around 13 families are reported to have been moved from their traditional homes to a settlement established by the Chinese authorities as part of a “poverty alleviation programme”. The homes in the new settlement are adorned by Chinese flags and have pictures of communist party leaders hung inside.
Jul 13: US Aid for Tibet
The United States Agency for International Development has given the exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) $1million [75 million rupees]. The grant has been made in an effort to “strengthen the financial and cultural resilience of the Tibetan people’s economic and cultural identity” and is reported to be the first time the CTA has received direct funding from the US.
Jul 13: Freedom Deteriorating in Tibet
An expert on China for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has said that, “religious freedom conditions in Tibet have gotten worse since 2011”. Dr. Dominic Nardi has described how authorities have used “anti-gang crime” laws “as justification to crack down on noncriminal advocacy work by Tibetan Buddhists”, adding that the “USCIRF will keep advocating on behalf of Tibetan Buddhists”.
Jul 12: Kangra MP Commends HH
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Indian district of Kangra has described His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama’s settling in Dharamshala as, “a matter of great fortune for the people of the state, especially the people of my constituency”. Speaking to congratulate HH on his 85th birthday, Kishan Kapoor, opined that “[India’s highest civilian honour] the Bharat Ratna will be the best gift from the Union government”.
Jul 11: Sanctions Target Tibet Abuser
Following the announcement of United States sanctions on China it has emerged that one of those targeted is “the architect of mass human rights violations in the Tibet Autonomous Region”, Chen Quanguo. Chen, who served party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region from 2011-2016, where “he developed a system of constant mass surveillance, torture and militarization”, has been targeted for his “involvement in gross violations of human rights”.
Jul 11: Spotlight on Free Tibet
Activists have sought to spotlight Chinese human rights abuses by projecting messages onto buildings across London, including the Chinese embassy. Following the projection of “Free Tibet” onto the diplomatic outpost activist John Jones, commented that “for a brief moment, the Chinese Embassy was turned into a monument of resistance, a symbol of all those who resist Chinese Communist Party rule in the name of human rights, self-determination and freedom.
Jul 11: Tibetan Statement at the UN
The exiled Central Tibetan Administration’s representative to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council has delivered a statement on Chinese land seizures in Tibet. Following publication of a report titled “Connecting the business and human rights and the anticorruption agendas”, Thinlay Chukki, described how Tibetans, “are being forcefully displaced from their pastural lands and their lands are being forcefully acquired by the Chinese authorities for… so-called ‘developmental projects”.
Jul 11: TYC Call for China Boycott
Continuing their calls for a boycott of Chinese products members of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) have taken to the streets of Dharamshala, India to protest. The group’s president, Gonpo Dhundup, hopes that the demonstrations against China’s “intrusions, human rights abuses and lies” would spread, stating that “all the countries must also raise a voice against the atrocities being committed by regions under China’s forceful occupation”.
Jul 11: Monasteries Closed on HH’s Birthday
Reports from Tibet have emerged describing how Chinese officials obstructed attempts to mark His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama’s recent 85th birthday. Chinese officials and police visited monasteries and instructed that they must not host “outside visitors”. According one RFA source, “while introducing Chinese policy and relevant laws to the monasteries, the officials emphasised that no outside visitors would be permitted to stay there”.
Jul 11: China-India Must Live Side-by-Side
His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama has called on China and India to resolve their recent conflicts, observing that, “both [are] powerful nations yet neither one can destroy the other one, so you have to live side-by-side”. Whilst acknowledging that there had been “some sense of competition in recent times” the Tibetan spiritual leader added that “historically, China was a Buddhist country and India was the land of Buddha”.
Jul 11: Canada Protest March
Tibetan, Sangyal Kyab, has marched 415km, from Toronto to Ottawa in an effort to convince Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, “to stand with Tibet and make China accountable for its atrocities”. Having arrived in Ottawa Sangyal plans to go on hunger strike at the Chinese embassy believing that support for Tibet from Trudeau, “will have immense influence on the leadership around the world to support Tibet”.
Jul 10: WHO Guidance Translated to Tibetan
The exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has been translating the World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 advice into Tibetan and publishing it online. Speaking at the CTA Health Department’s weekly COVID-19 briefing officials highlighted the translated guidance, which is available at tibetanhealth.org, whilst providing updates on preventative measures being undertaken by Tibetan authorities in India and Nepal.
Jul 10: CCP Official Commends Repression
Reports of an inspection tour of Tibet by a senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official have described his praise for “the highly repressive efforts made by the region’s Party committee”. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP, is reportedly made the comments on an inspection of Tibet in early July which included visits to villages that had been “relocated for poverty relief”.