Tibetan Headlines
Jun 17: Tibetans in India Boycott China
Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress(TYC) in McLeod Ganj, India have protested, against China’s aggressive polices in Tibet and along its border with India, calling for a boycott of products made in China. Observing that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in China and now effects people “across 213 locations” the protestors hope that people will join them “all around the world to boycott merchandise made in China”.
Jun 17: Chinese Clampdown in Tibet
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy’s annual report on the situation inside Tibet has described China as continuing “with its policy of crushing any political dissent”. The report states that “throughout the year [2019], Chinese police forces and surveillance teams moved into monasteries and villages to monitor Tibetan residents”, with facial-recognition software “deployed to suppress political protests against the increased clampdowns on civil and political rights”.
Jun 17: Tibet Factor in China-India Tensions
India media have highlighted the role of the Chinese occupation of Tibet in recent border clashed. Analysts speaking to the Hindustan Times report that “Chinese officials have been saying for some time that India shouldn’t come in the way of their efforts to choose the next Dalai Lama”, whilst another suggested that “Beijing’s desire to tighten its grip on Tibet” has fuelled Chinese aggression along the Indian border.
Jun 16: CTA President Urges Caution
The President of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Lobsang Sangay, has urged against the resumption of business activity in [Tibetan] settlements in India and Nepal, “amidst COVID-19 cases peaking and risk of transmission among Tibetan society”. Whilst commending the efforts of “healthcare workers at the frontline”, Sangay, emphasised “to all Tibetans the collective responsibility to protect not just the Tibetan community but also the Indian community too”.
Jun 16: Tibetans Nomad Photo Collection
Photographer Nikki McClarron has published a collection of photographs documenting the lives of one of Tibet’s few remaining nomadic families. Taken whilst staying with a community in Gansu province, McClarron’s collection attempts to capture “the intergenerational community as they uphold ancient, sacred traditions”. McClarron observes that though “living in brick homes… the roots of their traditions remain the same with a strong sense of community, religion, and connection to nature”.
Jun 16: Pressure on Disabled Tibetans
Disabled people seeking employment in Tibet are being pressured into denouncing His Holiness the Dalai Lama and supporting “the [Chinese Communist] Party’s leadership and socialist system”. A Chinese government notice obtained by Radio Free Asia states that applicants for low-paying jobs, including drivers, cleaners and kitchen helpers, must “have a firm stand on the political principles of anti-secession, criticizing the Dalai [Lama], safeguarding the reunification of the motherland”.
Jun 16: Call for Greater Access to Tibet
Calls are mounting for greater access to be given to Tibet with European parliamentarians demanding their governments bar access to Europe “to Chinese officials who block foreign travel in Tibet”. A report published by the International Campaign for Tibet observers that “three times the number of Chinese Community Party-organized delegations visited Western countries compared to Western government representatives allowed access to Tibet”.
Jun 15: Tibetan Solidarity with HK
Tibetan activists have expressed solidarity with the people of Hong Kong (HK) who are facing down laws imposed by the Communist Party of China. Rinzin Choedon, from Students of Free Tibet India, believes that “what’s happening now in Hong Kong has already happened in Tibet. We definitely understand the magnitude of the current situation in HK and stand in solidarity with the protesters”.
Jun 15: Tibetan Spirit Still Free
His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama has declared that though China may occupy the country, “Tibetan spirit or mental level is never controlled”. Describing the Chinese government as “invaders” HH added that the “Chinese control Tibet by weapon but we influence their mind… In the long run, our kind of influence is stronger than their weapons”.
Jun 15: Damage to Tibet’s Environment
A report into the environmental situation in Tibet has cast doubt on Chinese claims of environmental protection. Researcher, Zamlha Tenpa Gyaltsen, has described how “the Chinese have excessively exploited Tibetan natural resources, and this has created issues with air and water pollution”. Mining operations are a particular cause for concern for Tibetans, however, protests against the damage caused “are met with arrests and excessive force by police and security services”.
Jun 14: HH Dalai Lama Calls for Unity
His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama has called for COVID-19 to be the catalyst for greater global unity. Speaking to the BBC via video link HH observed that when people “face some tragic situation, it reveals the deeper human values of compassion” adding that “in the past there has been too much emphasis on my continent, my nation, my religion. Now that thinking is outdated”.
Jun 14: HH Dalai Lama’s Indian Pride
Speaking to Indian television channel NDTV His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama has professed his pride at being “a son of India”. Making the link between “Buddhist thought, that is Indian”, and his physical survival, sustained by “India’s daal and India’s rice”, the Tibetan spiritual leader declared that, “therefore, mentally, physically, from both view point, I am a son of India. I really feel proud”.
Jun 13: Tibetan Protest March
A Tibetan man has successfully completed a 280km march across Switzerland “to create awareness about China’s human rights violations in Tibet”. Tsering Wangdue, who began his solo protest in Zurich on May 27 and arrived in Geneva on June 5, said that “the overall experience was great” and that he had been encouraged by many members of the Tibetan community.
Jun 13: Spyware Targets Tibetans
Researchers have identified spyware targeting Android phone users across Tibet, Turkey and Taiwan. The spyware dubbed ActionSpy, “allows the attacker to collect information from the compromised devices” and is believed to target instant messaging applications. The group behind the attacks has “previously been associated with cyberattacks targeting senior members of Tibetan groups”, and ActionSpy has imitated the Uyghur video application Ekran which is popular with Tibetan Android users.
Jun 13: Tibetans in Religious Freedom Alliance
Two Tibetans, Sera Mey Khen Rinpoche Tashi Tsering and Geshe Dadul Namgyal la, have spoken at the latest virtual meeting of the Alliance for International Religious Freedom. Khen Rinpoche described how opportunities to study Tibetan Buddhism as “almost non-existent in Tibet”, as, “China has systematically destroyed monasteries and nunneries”. Geshe Dadul added that the destruction of Buddhism is “a loss not only to Tibetan Buddhists but also to humanity”.