New Chinese Leadership reasserts the “Chinese Dream”
By Contact Staff / March 31, 2013
XI Jinping has been confirmed as the new President of China, succeeding Hu Jintao, and completing the highly orchestrated once-in-a-decade shift in leadership. The National People’s Congress, the party-controlled state legislature, rubber-stamped the election of the sole candidate by 2,952 votes to one in what was a purely ceremonial read more →
New Session of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile
By Contact Staff / March 27, 2013
On the 18th of March, the Tibetan Parliament in exile began its annual budget session in Dharamsala. Held under the shadow of increasing tensions and the ongoing self-immolations within Tibet, the parliament opened with Speaker PenpaTseringcriticising the Chinese government in its approach to Tibetan grievances. “We carry the sufferings and sacrifices read more →
National Uprising Day sees thousands in the streets for Tibet
By Contact Staff / March 19, 2013
On March 10, thousands around the globe crowded streets with Tibetan flags and bold signs to show solidarity for the Tibetan independence movement, which has intensified this year in the wake of, at the time, 107 Tibetan self-immolations. Speakers at the National Uprising Day protests mourned and prayed for the read more →
Tibetan Women Raise Their Voices
By Contact Staff / March 18, 2013
On March 12, the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) commemorated the 54th anniversary of the National Tibetan Women’s Uprising. On this day in 1959, thousands of Tibetan women peacefully protested against Chinese occupation of Tibet in Lhasa. The authorities responded with force, resulting in deaths, torture and many arrests. The commemoration read more →
Kirti Rinpoche in Europe
By Contact Staff / March 18, 2013
This month, the Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche began a tour through six European nations to highlight 60 years of China’s oppressive policies aimed at destroying the Tibetan religion, culture, environment, and language. The tour will also discuss the Tibetans protests against Chinese atrocities and genocide, for which, at the time of read more →
Sikyong visits Canada
By Contact Staff / March 18, 2013
Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the Indian-born, Harvard-educated political head of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile paid a visit to Canada on February 25. He met with cabinet members and other notables, urging them to encourage the Chinese to find a permanent and just solution to the unavoidable problem of Tibet. He also read more →
Woman of Courage
By Contact Staff / March 13, 2013
On March 8th, the United States Department of State presented its annual Woman of Courage Award to Tibetan writer, poet, and activist Tsering Woeser, who, under house arrest in Beijing, was not permitted to leave China to receive her award. She dedicated the award to the 100+ self-immolators in Tibet. read more →
China’s Crackdowns Intensify
By Contact Staff / February 28, 2013
The increased police response to protests drastically erodes human rights in Tibet. This month has seen a dramatic surge in police action against Tibetans with almost 90 individuals detained in Eastern Tibet, in what the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy describes as a “relentless crackdown on self-immolation protests read more →
Number of self-immolations passes one hundred: the world responds
By Contact Staff / February 28, 2013
As the cases of self-immolation in protest to Chinese oppression cross the tragic one hundred milestone during Losar, world leaders and prominent human rights organizations comment on the situation. However no evidence of a ‘softening’ in Chinese policies is evident. On February 14, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland, commenting read more →
Support for Tibet from Indian Leaders
By Contact Staff / February 28, 2013
The Tibetan Central Administration and the Tibetan Parliament in exile organised one of the largest gathering of Tibetans and Indian supporters in the Indian capital for the Tibetan Solidarity Movement. More than 5,000 Tibetans converged in Delhi from India, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as over 1,500 Indian supporters, read more →