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.

News From Other Sites

China Sentences Prominent Tibetan Writer to Three Years in Prison

MPR News.ORG, 21 February 2016 The Dalai Lama returned to Minneapolis Sunday, where he said personal compassion is key to countering war and violence. Before an audience of about 3,000 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said humans’ capacity for compassion is key to promoting happiness, read more →

Taiwan urges Tibetan exile leader and Uighur activist to stay away, supporters say

Lobsang Sangay, prime minister of Tibet’s government in exile, walks with Sarah Sewall, U.S. undersecretary of State for civilian security, democracy and human rights, during a meeting in Dharmsala, India, on Jan. 15. (Ashwini Bhatia / Associated Press) By Ralph Jenning, Los Angeles Times, 19 February 2016 Taiwanese authorities asked read more →

Tibet city to be upgraded to prefecture level

Business Standard, IANS, February 16, 2016 China’s State Council, or the cabinet, has approved the application of Shannan in Tibet to become the fifth prefecture-level city in the region, authorities announced on Tuesday. Located in southeastern Tibet with an average altitude of 3,700 metres, Shannan is the fifth prefecture-level city read more →

China urges veto over naming US plaza after Liu Xiaobo

BBC, 17 February 2016 Beijing has urged the US to veto a move to rename the street outside China’s embassy in Washington after jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo, calling it a “political farce”. The Senate passed a bill to rename the square on Friday, but it still needs congress and presidential read more →

Why Xi Jinping Can’t Be a 21st Century Mao Zedong

By Kerry Brown, The Diplomat In an impressive 2011 study of psychological and moral change in China over the last six decades, Arthur Kleinman from Harvard University and a group of colleagues looked at one of the most fascinating, but illusive issues – how have the Chinese people changed over read more →

China’s Thirst Threat

HONG KONG – When identifying threats to Himalayan ecosystems, China stands out. For years, the People’s Republic has been engaged in frenzied damming of rivers and unbridled exploitation of mineral wealth on the resource-rich Tibetan Plateau. Now it is ramping up efforts to spur its bottled-water industry – the world’s largest and read more →

Tibet’s Epidemic of Suicides by Fire

https://newrepublic.com Tibet’s Epidemic of Suicides by Fire How self-immolation threatens the Chinese government. BY TSERING WOESER February 6, 2016 February 27, 2009, was the third day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. It was also the day that self-immolation came to Tibet. The authorities had just cancelled a Great Prayer read more →

Community excited for rescheduled visit of Dalai Lama

FOX Salt Lake City, Posted 7:29 pm, February 15, 2016, by Jeff McAdam SALT LAKE CITY – Many had doubts or questions about when the Dalai Lama would reschedule his Utah trip, or if he ever would. His Holiness canceled part of his U.S. tour last fall after falling ill. read more →

Who will succeed President Xi Jinping?

Hong Kong Economic Journal, 04 February 2016 There seems to be no end to President Xi Jinping’s lust for power. Just three years after he assumed office, Xi is now basically in complete control of the Communist Party, the government, the military, the judiciary, the law enforcement apparatus, the economy read more →

UN Human Rights Chief deeply concerned by China clampdown on lawyers and activists

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein GENEVA (16 February) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Tuesday he had raised concerns and sought clarifications from the Chinese authorities about the recent arrests of lawyers, and harassment and intimidation of Government read more →

Tibetan political leader expresses optimism during talk at Bush Center

June Rule (left) and Lizette Ayala, seniors at Booker T. Washington High School, presented Lobsang Sangay with prayer flags made by the school’s Tibet Club during his talk Friday at the Bush Center. By DEBORAH FLECK, Dallas Morning News, 14 February 2016 Like his good friend the Dalai Lama, Lobsang read more →

Requiem for a river

The Economist GUO, the driver, pulls his car to a merciful halt high above a crevasse: time for a cigarette, and after seven hours of shuddering along narrow, twisting roads, time for his passengers to check that their fillings remain in place. Lighting up, he steps out of the car read more →

Tibetan Leader Visits Birmingham

Published on 12 February 2016 – AL.com After the visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in 2014, Birmingham will get a follow-up visit from the Tibetan prime minister. The Birmingham Committee on Foreign Relations will host Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Central Tibetan Administration and read more →

Highly prized ‘caterpillar fungus’ declared a danger to health by China’s food and drug administration

South China Morning Post, 5 February 2016 Cordyceps, or caterpillar fungus, one of the most sought-after and expensive ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, has been deemed a danger to human health by China’s main food and drug regulator, mainland media report. A recent examination by the State Food and Drug read more →

Dolma asks Government of India to clear policy on Tibet

Daily Excelsior, 6 February 2016 JAMMU, Feb 6: Fully agreeing with the general public opinion in the country as well as among the people of Tibet that Tibet is not the part of China but has been forcibly annexed by it, Senior RSS leader and Member of its National Executive, read more →