Tibetan Headlines
Mar 13: Women’s Uprising Day
The 61st anniversary of the Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day when thousands of women took to the streets in Lhasa in 1959 was marked with a demonstration organised by the Tibetan Women’s Association in Dharamshala. A prayer ceremony and circumambulation followed by a march. Meanwhile the Tibetan Government-in-exile observed the day as Tibetan Women’s Day with an event which included talks and a film screening.
Mar 12: UN Focus on Tibet
Delegates representing all 27 countries of the European Union expressed concerns about the human rights situation in China at the current ongoing United States Human Rights Council session. They specifically mentioned the situation in Tibet, as well as East Turkestan [Ch: Xinjiang] while calling on China to immediately end the “unlawful mass detentions, torture and massive infingements of civic, political and religious rights”.
Mar 11: Third Candidate
Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, has announced that he will be standing for election for the post of Sikyong, or President of the Central Tibetan Administration, in next year’s election. He has served the Tibetan people in government, teaching and administration for many years.
Mar 10: Tibet President Urges UN Visit
Tibet’s President in exile, Lobsang Sangay, has urged the United Nation’s (UN) human rights chief to visit the region as part of a planned visit to China. Speaking on the 61st anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day Sangay strongly urged UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to “press China for unfettered access in order to monitor the deteriorating human rights conditions in Tibet”.
Mar 10: Uprising Day
Tibetans and supporters around the world are marking the 61st anniversary of the uprising in Lhasa in 1959 against Chinese rule. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile said in his Uprising Day message, “We [...] pay our tribute to those brave daughters and sons of Tibet, and draw inspiration from their sacrifices”. Sikyong also paid tribute to India, and to supporters of the Tibetan cause around the world.
Mar 6: Events to Go Ahead
The Central Tibetan Administration has announced that the official programme for Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10 will go ahead as usual, with advice to participants to follow health guidelines relating to limiting the spread of Coronavirus. The Global Summit of International Associations scheduled for July has been cancelled but the CTA now says the Youth 5/50 Forum will go ahead in August as planned.
Mar 6: Tibetan Language Denied
Schools in Tibet are teaching through the medium of Chinese and not Tibetan says Human Rights Watch (HRW) in their new report China’s Bilingual Education’ Policy in Tibet: Tibetan Medium Schooling Under Threat. HRW says the policy is contrary to its own laws and international obligation, and risks the children’s development and the survival of Tibetan culture. They also accuse China of indoctrinating young children with Chinese propaganda.
Mar 6: Sikyong Candidate
Lobsang Nyandak, a former Kashag (Cabinet) minister and ex member of Tibetan parliament, has announced that he will be standing for the Sikyong 2021 elections. He is currently President of the Tibet Fund, his campaign slogan is “Together, We Build Tibet’s Future”. Kasur Gyari Dolma announced her intention to stand earlier this year.
Mar 5: Coronavirus Cancellations
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has postponed all his scheduled teachings, including the Dharamshala teaching on March 9. His office said, “As a precautionary measure, in view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, all engagements of His Holiness the Dalai Lama remain indefinitely postponed”. The Central Tibetan Administration is cancelling the 5/50 Youth Forum 2020 scheduled for August.
Mar 5: “Not Free”
Freedom House, the United States based organisation conducting research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights, has ranked Tibet as the second least free region in the world for the fifth year in succession in their report Freedom in the World 2020. Tibet scored only one out of a possible 100, with a -2 for political rights. China was one of the 15 worst-performing countries.
Mar 5: New School Term Delayed
Schools in Tibet will not reopen for the spring term, with students remaining at home and receiving instruction online in an attempt to restrict the spread of Coronavirus. Classes are not expected to resume until April, leading to press speculation that the closures are also related to Uprising Day which occurs on March 10, a time when restrictions in Tibet are at a maximum.
Mar 5: Disrespecting Tibetan Culture
An online controversy has been sparked by Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei’s use of sacred Tibetan Thangka art in her latest fashion collection for the Couture Spring 2020 show. Tibetan critics say she is disrespecting Tibetan culture and religion. Guo Pei has not responded to the criticisms.
Mar 4: TCV Partly Closed
Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) Schools have sent half their students home as a precautionary measure against the spread of Coronavirus. TCV President Thupten Dorjee, speaking to Phayul, said the step has been taken by the board to mitigate risks of spreading the virus in a school where hundreds of students live together. TCV schools are residential, with over 8,000 students across India.
Mar 3: Remember Tibet!
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is being lobbied to insist on being granted a visit to Tibet. She is set to visit East Turkestan - the Muslim majority north western territory of China also known as Xinjiang where the Uighur population there are subject to repression - and the Tibet advocacy group the International Campaign for Tibet is calling for her to “remember Tibet”.
Mar 1: Most Spiritually Influential
HH the Dalai Lama tops the Watkins 2020 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People – spiritual teachers, activists, authors and thinkers that change the world - ahead the Pope and Greta Thunberg. Watkins is a bookshop in London which encourages spiritual discovery and publishes the list annually to celebrate the world’s living spiritual teachers.