Contact is taking a holiday!

Contact is taking a break after 25 years of bringing you news of Tibet and Tibetan issues. We are celebrating our 25 years by bringing you the story of Contact and the people who have made it happen, and our archive is still there for you to access at any time, and below you can read the story of Contact, how it came into being and the wonderful reflections of the people who have made it happen over the years.

When and how Contact will re-emerge and evolve will be determined by those who become involved.

International Headlines

Feb 28: China Retaliates

Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has accused China of restricting basic civil and political freedoms in the name of national security and Covid-19 measures, saying that people “face arbitrary criminal charges, detention or unfair trials”. China says the criticisms are unwarranted, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said his country’s human rights situation was at its best in history.

Feb 27: Olympic Boycott?

In the United Kingdom Sir Ed Davey, MP, has called for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, saying that athletes should not be “used as propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party” given its record of rights abuses, and endorsed the boycotting calls from Tibetans and other human rights groups. In the United States, Republican representative Mike Waltz has filed a resolution to transfer the games outside China.

Feb 22: Chinese Casualties

China has confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army suffered four casualties during the confrontation with the Indian army at Galwan Valley, Ladakh in June last year. The four were recognised by the Central Military Commission of China for “defending national sovereignty” and “territorial integrity”. Twenty Indian soldiers were reported to have died in the deadliest clashes between the two Asian powers in decades. The two sides are now disengaging.

Feb 18: BBC Banned in China

China’s broadcasting body has announced that BBC World News has been banned in the country. The announcement was made one week after the British regulator Ofcom withdrew the license for China Global Television Network (CGTN). A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called BBC coverage of China’s pandemic response “fake news” and said that the BBC had “infringed the principles of truthfulness and impartiality in journalism.”

Feb 16: Disengagement

Indian and Chinese troops have begun disengaging in eastern Ladakh’s Panggong Tso area. The troops had been in a standoff at the border since May 2020. The Chinese army have started knocking down structures built to support its forces near Finger 5 on the north bank of the lake, they are retreating to their base near Finger 8. Indian soldiers are retreating to a permanent position near Finger 3.

Feb 16: Climate Activist Arrested

Disha Ravi, a climate activist and senior leader of the Indian arm of Greta Thunberg’s Friday’s for Future campaign, has been arrested for sharing a “protest toolkit” circulated by Thunberg that Indian authorities claim is “anti-government”. Ravi tweeted the “toolkit” in support of India’s protesting farmers, who are also backed by Thunberg. The 22-year-old activist will be remanded in custody until a court hearing in the coming week.

Feb 15: Media Spat

China’s state media the Global Times (CGTN) has been stripped of its licence to broadcast in the United Kingdom. This follows a media regulator investigation which found that CGTN is editorially controlled by the Chinese Communist party, which violates a British law forbidding political bodies from controlling broadcast license holders. China’s ministry of foreign affairs has accused the BBC of broadcasting “fake news” regarding Beijing’s handling of Covid-19.

Feb 15: United States Support

United States Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, speaking to China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi, has “stressed the US will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong” and will hold the Chinese government accountable for any threats to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region. US President Biden has pledged to “stand up for the people of Tibet.”

Feb 11: Lab Theory “Extremely Unlikely”

Investigators from the WHO have concluded that the theory that the COVID-19 virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan is “extremely unlikely.” The team’s findings were announced in a press conference after a two-week study in the Chinese city where the virus was first detected in December 2019. Dr Peter Embarek, who led the investigation, said that the laboratory theory, promoted by the Trump administration, did not merit further study.

Feb 9: Battle Ready!

During a recent visit to a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air force unit, Xi Jinping asked the PLA to be “combat ready” and emphasised that “control over information” is integral to success in modern warfare. Thousands of soldiers remained in their positions on the Sino-Indian border over the harsh winter, giving the remarks added significance. Chinese media described the delivery of new military hardware to the border as “holiday gifts”.

Feb 7: Call to Boycott

A 180 strong coalition of Tibetan, Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Chinese Democracy and human rights campaign groups called to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Games in protest against China’s continuing human rights abuses. The coalition questions the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in letting China hold the Olympics for the second time despite China’s failure in addressing the worsening human rights condition and crackdowns on minorities.

Feb 4: Cooperation!

Yang Jiechi, China’s foreign policy chief, has spoken at a virtual forum hosted by the New York based National Committee on US-China Relations. Jiechi urged President Biden to abandon “the misguided policies” of the Trump administration and laid out a set of “red lines that must not be crossed” on human rights. He further stressed the need for “cooperation” between the two countries, using the word 24 times in total.

Feb 2: Military Coup

Myanmar is in crisis after the military launched a coup on February 1st and ousted the democratically elected government. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide in November’s election but she is now reported to be under house arrest alongside her fellow party members. General Min Aung Hlaing has taken complete control of the country. He claims the election in November was fraudulent.

Jan 31: Chinese and Indian Troops ‘in new border clash’

An incident took place on January 27 in north Sikkim. A Chinese patrol was forced back after trying to enter Indian territory. Reports said that sticks and stones were used, but there were no gun shots. The violent clash caused injuries on both the sides. The editor -in-chief of China’s state -affiliated Global Times tweeted denying that there was any clash at the border at all.

Jan 21: “Good Riddance”

Chinese state media has welcomed Joe Biden to the Oval Office whilst bidding the outgoing Donald Trump “good riddance!” China Daily said the bilateral relationship between China and the US was likely to be more stable and constructive under Biden, who it described as seeming “more pragmatic” than his predecessor. The Global Times rejoiced at the end of Trump’s “toxic rhetoric towards China.”