Tibetan Headlines
Jun 23: Torture Victims’ Day
International Day in Support of Torture Victims was observed at Tibetan Children's Village Day School in McLeod Ganj with the theme Fighting Impunity. The event, held four days early because of Kalachakra, was organised by the Department of Health of the Tibetan Government-in-exile and Gu Chu Sum Former Political Prisoner’s Movement. A one-minute silence was observed in solidarity with all Tibetan martyrs.
Jun 23: Celebrating Mixed Parentage
The first ever gathering of Tibetans of mixed parentage was held in London, UK over the weekend with over 20 participants aged between 18-40, from UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and North America. The programme included workshops, speakers and a tour of the Tibetan collections at London’s Horniman Museum, as well as the opportunity to meet and share experiences. The event was supported by the Tibet House Trust.
Jun 22: Policing Monasteries
China has established more than 20 police stations in monasteries in Labrang in Gansu province in a move to step up surveillance and control of Tibetan monasteries. The Chinese "Patriotic Education" campaign requires monks to give their signatures or finger prints to express their non-allegiance to the Dalai Lama. Tibetans have appealed to the government to stop deployment of troops in monasteries.
Jun 22: Karmapa’s Birthday
The sixteenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje celebrated his 30th birthday on June 22 and the day was marked by over 400 Tibetans in New York and New Jersey. The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu of Kagyupa, which is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Jun 21: Hope for Refugees?
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has undertaken to facilitate the safe passage of Tibetan refugees through Nepal in a statement issued to mark World Refugees Day. Human Rights Watch have urged the Nepal government to uphold their “Gentleman’s Agreement” to guarantee safe passage, and international law prohibits forcible repatriation where people are at risk of torture or persecution on their return. Pressure from China has resulted in Nepal's hardening stance towards Tibetan refugees.
Jun 21: Two Writers Released
Two Tibetan writers have been released from Menyang prison on the outskirts of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Jangtse Dhonkho, 36, and Bhudha, 34, were jailed in 2010 for writing anti-China articles about the 2008 Tibetan unrest in the literary magazine Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain), which is now banned. Bhudha is a medical doctor and Dhonkho ran a Tibetan daycare centre.
Jun 20: Official Shot Dead
A Tibetan official has been shot dead in China's Sichuan province. According to Xinhua, the official Chinese media, Zhang Wei was responsible for keeping order among people who are competing to gather the diminishing harvests of the rare and valuable Caterpilla fungus. The fungus is a prime source of income for many people. A Tibetan man has been named as a suspect and is being sought by police.
Jun 19: Protesters Detained
27 Tibetans from Karsel village in Chabcha county in Tsolho have been detained for opposing local Chinese mining operations that have run beyond their contract and had begun to encroach on sacred sites. Four were later released. The Tibetans vowed to block any further Chinese mining of white marble in their area in order to protect their land and environment, and the adjacent cemetery and site of spiritual significance.
Jun 18: Teachings in Ladakh
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has arrived in Ladakh to give teachings before the Kalachakra initiations next month. His Holiness said, “I am very happy to be here once again and this time to give the Kalachakra teachings. It is good to see large scale housing and infrastructural development and growth in the number of schoolchildren including many Muslims and Buddhists.” For information about the Kalachakra, visit ladakhkalachakra2014.com.
Jun 18: Two Prisoners Freed
Gepey, a popular Tibetan singer known for his patriotic songs who was arrested after a packed concert on May 24 has been freed on bail. Another political prisoner, Ngawang Lobsang, a monk from Kardze monastery,was released on June 13 after completing his three-year prison term. He was imprisoned after a lone protest during Saka Dawa in 2011.
Jun 17: SFT Demo
Students for a Free Tibet in the United Kingdom are holding a protest in London. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in the UK to discuss Chinese investment in Britain and SFT want to send a message to Li that he is not welcome in a free and democratic country for as long as he fails to restore freedom and dignity for the Tibetan people inside Tibet.
Jun 16: 60 Men Detained
60 men have been detained in Gewar village in Tongar Town, in Tibet's Dzogang county in Chamdo. They are being questioned about the recent mining protests and the death of Phakpa Gyaltsen who stabbed himself before jumping to his death last month. The men in the village, and anybody who had traveled to India, were ordered to attend a meeting where one member of each family was taken into custody.
Jun 15: GCM Final
Pokhara FC, a team from Nepal came out as the winner of the Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup (GCMGC/GCM) Football Tournament 2014 after scoring two goals against Dhondupling FC from Clement Town. The football tournament was held in Clement Town Tibetan Colony in Dehradun with 21 teams participating this year. Mundgod Doeguling FC won the Fair Play Award.
Jun 14: His Holiness in Italy
His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke to over 80 journalists at a press conference in Pomaia, answering extensive questions about religion, Tibet and the current political situation. He took the opportunity to promote the Middle Way policy, saying he had always advocated genuine autonomy and living with the Chinese, “We are not seeking independence,” he explained.
Jun 13: Monk Freed
Ghangbhu Yudruk, a Tibetan monk from Koetsa village in Serta County in Kardze has been released from a Chinese detention centre in Minyak. He was arrested in 2012 for carrying out various anti-government protests as a member of Margol Donglen Tsokpa (Organisation to tackle Communist repression). Ghangbhu was previously detained in 2008 and released three years later.