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.

Tibetan Headlines

Mar 8: Events in UK

A wreath was laid at Westminster Abbey in London at a ceremony to mark Tibetan National Uprising Day, organised by the Tibet Society and the All Party Parliamentary Tibet Group, and attended by MPs and representatives from diplomatic missions. The Society, along with Free Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet and the Tibetan Community in Britain held the annual Lobby Day, lobbying MPs to support the Tibetan cause.

Mar 8: “Stop Discrimination”

An appeal has been made to the Chinese authorities by Gowa Gyamo Kyi, 54, a Tibetan singer and Chinese army veteran from Qinghai, to refrain from treating all ethnic Tibetans as separatist, saying that continuing to subject Tibetans to discrimination will hinder national unity. Kyi said she had been subject to discrimination herself and the best way to win hearts and minds is for cadres to connect with the people.

Mar 7: Harvard Honours

Lobsang and Tashi Rabgey, two Tibetan sisters living in the United States, have been included in the prestigious Harvard Law International Women’s Day, 2018 honours list in recognition of the work of their non-profit organisation Machik and its contribution to social innovation and education in occupied Tibet. 25 women have been selected for the Women’s Day Portrait Exhibit which showcases contributions of women around the world.

Mar 6: Change of Plan

The Tibetan Government-in-Exile has moved the forthcoming “Thank you India” event to celebrate HH the Dalai Lama’s 60 years in exile from New Delhi to Dharamshala. This is in response to a circular issued by the Indian Government to senior leaders and heads of government departments, instructing them to “stay away” from events planned by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, citing the current “sensitive time” for India-China relations.

Mar 6: No Freedom

The Freedom House, the human rights advocacy group based in the United States has released its 2018 report, Freedom in the World, in which it lists the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as the second least free region in the world – Syria being the worst. The report says China has stepped up “internal repression” and accuses other countries of following its lead and adopting a similar disdain for democracy.

Mar 5: “Stay Away”

The Indian Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha has issued a note to secretaries and heads of government departments saying that participation in the events marking HH the Dalai Lama’s 60 years in exile in India “should be discouraged”. This apparent U-turn on India’s usual stance is attributed to the “very sensitive time” for bilateral relations with China.

Mar 4: Strike!

Sanitation workers in McLeod Ganj have been on strike since February 20 over a pay dispute and demands for maintenance for the three garbage trucks. The 26 workers have appealed to no avail and have now filed a case against their employers, Vishal Protection Force, in the Dharamshala district court. Meanwhile refuse is uncollected and causing a health hazard in the town.

Mar 3: Official Recognition

Tibetan has been officially approved as a minority language at a meeting the “Common Council” in the city of Madison, in the state of Wisconsin, Unites States. Representatives of the Tibetan community had presented their case for the “importance as well as the need to have the Tibetan language recognised”. The council adoption was unanimous; there has been a Tibetan immigrant community in Madison for several decades.

Mar 1: Crowdfunding

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise funds for the new Tibet Museum project, the first online crowdfunding initiated by the Central Tibetan Administration, and can be found on the Indian crowdfunding platform Ketto.org. In addition to raising funds, the campaign aims to raise awareness. 50% of the required funding has already been raised.

Mar 1: Sowa-Rigpa Conference

The third international conference on Sowa-Rigpa is underway in Dharamshala. Sowa-Rigpa is the Tibetan Science of Health and Well being – a practice for the mental and physical wellbeing of humankind and dates back to the 8th century when the first known international medical conference was held at Samye Monastery in Tibet. The second was held in Dharamshala in 2012. This year’s conference has drawn together 201 participants from 10 countries.

Feb 28: Tibetans Injured

A skirmish between Tibetan and Indian youths at the Tibetan refugee settlement in Satuan village near Poanta Sahib town on the Himachal-Uttrakhand border has left both Tibetans and Indians injured. There are conflicting reports of how the incident escalated, but around 50 Indian men had come into the settlement. The police are investigating and are patrolling the settlement.

Feb 27: UK Losar Reception

A joint reception to celebrate Losar was held in the United Kingdom Parliament in London by the Tibet Society, UK and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet. The reception included prayers by monks from the Gyuto Monastery in India as well as a performance by members of the Tibetan Community in Britain and was attended by Members of the British Parliament and the Tibet Society.

Feb 25: Bomb Attempt?

A possible bomb attempt has been averted in Dharamshala when a member of the public alerted police that gas cylinders and petrol cans were present in two buildings near Nechung Monastery in Gangchen Kyishong. The Tibet Express has reported the story, saying there was evidence of forced entry, that neither the perpetrators not intention are known, and the police are taking the matter seriously.

Feb 24: Entry Refused

Three Tibetans who hold foreign passports have been banned from entering China. They were detained on arrival at Chengdu airport in Sichuan, held for eight hours and questioned before being expelled and sent back to South Korea. Two of them held South Korean passports, the third held a United States passport. All three held valid visas to enter China and had hoped to visit family in Sichuan.

Feb 24: Singer Released

The Tibetan singer Shawo, 44, has been released from prison after completing his five year sentence in Siling city, capital of Qinghai Province. He was charged with “distributing photographs of self-immolation protesters; writing last notes left by self-immolators on these photographs; participating in protest against Chinese government and singing patriotic Tibetan songs”. He is known for his love of Tibetan culture, language and traditional Tibetan music.