Tibetan Headlines
Jul 5: HH the Dalai Lama’s 85th Birthday
A number of events have been planned to mark the 85th birthday of His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama on July 6. In the absence of gatherings or mass celebrations due to COVID-19 the exiled Central Tibetan Administration has called for “Year of Gratitude to HH the Dalai Lama” and the highly acclaimed film “The Dalai Lama – Scientist” will be free to view for a week from Monday. Link to film: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thedalailamascientist
Jul 5: Tibetan Solidarity with HK
A coalition of Tibetan groups have come together to condemn the new Chinese security law imposed on Hong Kong (HK) and expressed solidarity with the territory’s people. Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), International Tibet Network (ITN) and International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)have criticised, “the rapid erosion of the city’s political freedoms and called on the Chinese government and Hong Kong authorities to respect… international human rights laws”.
Jul 5: Tibetans Ready to Fight for India
Indian media has reported on the readiness of Tibetans “to pick up arms and fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Indian soldiers on the Tibet border”. According to The Sunday Guardian, “Tibetan leaders have conveyed to responsible Indian quarters their desire to fight against the Chinese”. The report drew comparisons to the Indian Army’s former secret unit of young Tibetans, nicknamed “Unit 22”.
Jul 4: “Underworld Forces” Campaign in Tibet
Chinese officials in eastern Tibet have extended a campaign against “’underworld forces’ and religious superstitions”. Material has been distributed in Mangra County under the guise of promoting “public information” and “safety” in what is seen as a continuation of a Beijing initiative against “underworld forces” and “criminal gangs” that has already “resulted in hundreds of arrests across Tibet”. Human Rights Watch have described the campaign as “openly political”.
Jul 4: Arrests in Tibet
Reports have emerged “a large number of arrests” in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The detentions are believed to relate to a Chinese crackdown on users of the WeChat mobile application, following a Chinese Communist Party notice that threatened up to eight years imprisonment for those sharing “views and information that are deemed harmful to the party and nation”.
Jul 4: Tibetans Call for UNHRC Report
A representative of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration has called for a special United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session on China. Thinlay Chukki delivered a statement to the organisation’s 44th regular session calling for a special UNHRC session and the establishment of a special rapporteur “to evaluate and report annually on the human rights violations carried out by the government of China”.
Jul 4: “Boycott China” Protest in US
Protestors have taken place in the United States (US) calling for a boycott of China following border clashes with India and in light of the ongoing oppression in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The protestors described the “Three T’s”, critical to defeating China, as “trade” and independence for Tibet and Taiwan. Dorjee Tseten, Member of Tibetan Parliament, called for “immediate multilateral action against Beijing's authoritarian rule”.
Jul 4: Tibetan Organisations Merge
Two high profile Tibetan organisations have announced that they are to merge. Free Tibet and the world’s oldest pro-Tibet group, the Tibet Society, have announced that they “have completed a merger in a move which will see both organisations combine their strengths in support of the Tibetan cause”. Sam Walton, Free Tibet’s Chief Executive, believes that, “uniting our supporters and resources means powerful new campaigning opportunities can happen”.
Jul 3: HH the Dalai Lama Birthday Celebrations
The Office of His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama has urged people not to gather to observe HH’s birthday, instead encouraging “the general public to observe the special day at their respective homes by reciting prayers for the common good”. The Tibetan spiritual leader turns 85 on July 6, and the Central Tibetan Administration is preparing a “Year of Gratitude”, made up of virtual events to mark the occasion.
Jul 3: Chinese COVID-19 Propaganda
Tenzin Dalha, a research fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute, has described how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tried “to make their own [COVID-19] narrative” using online propaganda networks. Dalha went on to described an ongoing conflict between Chinese netizens that “want to vent their grievances against the CCP regime” and authorities who have employed a“huge number of cyber propagandists to paint themselves in a positive light”.
Jul 3: CTA Calls for COVID-19 Transparency
The exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has reiterated its call for Tibetans to counter prejudices brought on by COVID-19. Pleading for transparency, Ngawang Tenzin, head of the mental health and guidance committee, described how “such stigmatization drives people to deny their travel history, medical conditions in the fear of being ostracized and which in turn, creates a more dangerous scenario”. She added that “coronavirus infection does not mean certain death”.
Jul 3: NZ Book Delayed by Censors
A book published in New Zealand (NZ) but printed in China has had to delay production because Beijing’s censors took issue with its reference to “Tibetan Buddhism”. The publisher of the memoir about NZ counterculture in the 1970s, Victoria University Press, describes how, “if you print in China then everything has to be submitted to the Chinese censors… [In this case] we are just going to use an alternative printer”.
Jul 3: Jokhang Temple Reopens
Chinese media have reported that after five months of closure the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, has reopened. The UNESCO recognised Tibetan religious site will be accessible after ticket purchase and with requirements for tourists to present “health QR codes” and carry identification. The report made no mention of construction work at the temple, that was reported in May as consisting of two “Chinese architectural style” pavilions.
Jul 2: Hackers Targeting Tibetans
A new report has discovered links between Chinese defence contractors and Android malware used to target Tibetans and Uyghurs. A hacking group, identified by the codename APT15, sought to infect legitimate websites regularly visited by Tibetans and Uyghurs with malware which would then grantaccess a user’s device. The research found that this malware linked directly back to the offices of Xi'an TianheDefense Technology, in central China.
Jul 1: Tibetan Peace March in Switzerland
A group of Tibetans in Switzerland have completed a week-long peace march in an effort to, “raise awareness about the human rights violations in Tibet and to make China accountable for its violations”. The group began at the Swiss Parliament building in Bern on June 25 and arrived United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva yesterday, coinciding with the opening of the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council.