Tibetan Headlines
Jun 10: CTA to Pursue the Middle Way Approach
The President of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Lobsang Sangay, has stated that Tibetans will continue to pursue the Middle Way Approach (MWA) to seek Tibetan independence. Whilst discussing the worsening religious and political situation in Tibet, Sangay stated that “pragmatically the most viable solution, and the most peaceful, is through MWA and dialogue as envisioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama”.
Jun 10: HH Dalai Lama to Release Album of Mantras
His Holiness (HH) the Dalai Lama is to release an album of mantras and teachings set to music to mark his 85th birthday on 6 July. HH explained that, “music has the potential to reach many more people with the message that the real source of happiness is warm-heartedness and a concern for others”. The album will reportedly be called Inner World and will consist of 11 tracks.
Jun 9: “1 Million Tibetans Killed”
United Kingdom (UK) parliamentarian Tim Loughton has called for a stronger response to Chinese atrocities in Tibet, highlighting the more than “one million Tibetans killed by Chinese oppression”. Loughton also the raised Beijing’s crackdowns in Xinjiang and Hong Kong as he introduced a bill to the UK Parliament that would “bar entry to the UK for any Chinese officials found to block freedom of travel to Tibet by British citizens”.
Jun 9: Tibet the “First Victim of China”
Italy’s former ambassador to the United States and permanent representative to the United Nations has described Tibet as “the first victim of China’s eliminationist and genocidal agenda”. Speaking at a commemoration for the Tiananmen Square massacre, Giulio Terzi, stated that “over a million Tibetans have been physically eliminated, killed by the communists from China”, whilst calling for a stronger European response to “Communist China’s global leadership ambitions”.
Jun 9: New PLA Commander in Tibet
A “rising star” in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been appointed commander of ground forces for the country’s Western Theatre Command (WTC). 57-year-old Xu Qiling has replaced predecessor He Weidong, “overseeing border areas in the Xinjiang and Tibet autonomous regions”. According to a PLA source, amid rising tensions with India, “the WTC needs a younger commander to lead frontier soldiers and officers in this current sensitive period”.
Jun 9: Chinese Data Centre in Lhasa
A 12 billion yuan ($1.69 billion) data centre is being constructed in Lhasa as part of China’s attempts to tap into South Asia. Exploiting Tibet’s “temperate climate and low average temperature, that are ideal for keeping servers cool”, in order to develop its Belt and Road Initiative Chinese officials are hoping to push increased trade and investment with India, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries in the region.
Jun 9: 10 Tibetans in India Positive for COVID-19
The total number of Tibetans infected with COVID-19 in India has risen to 10. Until recently there had been only one case of the virus, recorded in March, however, a cluster of infections, all with travel history linked to Delhi, began to emerge last week. Of the 10 cases in the Tibetan community four are reported to have completely recovered,five are“active cases” and there has been one death.
Jun 8: McLeod Ganj Hotel’s to Remain Closed
President of the McLeod Ganj Hotel and Restaurant Association, Ashwini Bamba, has advised that members have opted to keep hotels in the Indian town closed until June 30 rather than operate at a loss. Elsewhere in Himachal Pradesh, Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association President, Sanjay Sood, expressed frustration at the lost tourist season asking, “what would we earn [by opening] when the tourist is not allowed in the state”.
Jun 8: UN Accused of Informing on Activists
The United Nations (UN) has been accused of supplying details of rights activists “from Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang to Chinese diplomats via email request”. Human rights lawyer, Emma Reilly, has described one instance during her time working with the UN's Human Rights Office, where officials informed China “that the wife of detained civil rights lawyer would be attending a UN meeting, ‘within four hours’ of Beijing's demand”.
Jun 8: Tibetan Football Team Quits
Tibet’s Lhasa Chengtou Football Clubhas reportedly quit the Chinese football league following a dispute over where the team’s home games are played. According to Global Times the club, founded in 2017, has only played in Tibet five times after the Chinese Football Association “rejected the club's application to set its home field in Tibet”, leading to the team playing its home games 2,400km away in Deyan, Sichuan Province.
Jun 7: Beijing Focussed on “Anti-Separatism”
The outcome of China’s recent National People’s Congress is reported to be a renewed focus on an “anti-separatism campaign” and demands of “absolute loyalty” from the Tibetan people to Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and the Chinese Communist Party. According to the International Campaign for Tibet Minister of Public Security, Zhao Kezhi, called for delegates discussing Tibet do their best “on the anti-separatism campaign” and to “make preparations for long-term struggle”.
Jun 6: Tibet COVID-19 Restrictions Remain
Tibet is now one of only two Chinese provinces under the second level of emergency response, despite having just one reported case of COVID-19. Chinese state media have reported the lowering of emergency response levels across the country, “leaving only Central China's Hubei Province and… Tibet Autonomous Region under second level response”, resulting in Tibet retaining the same levels of restrictions as the epicentre of the virus.
Jun 5: Another COVID-19 Patient in Tibetan Settlement
Phuntsokling Tibetan settlement in Dalhousie has reported that a 63-year-old woman has tested positive for COVID-19. Rapten Tsering, the Settlement Officer, has reportedly confirmed that a “woman who arrived from Delhi has tested positive for COVID-19”, and is being kept in quarantine. The news follows the reported coronavirus related death of a 62-year-old Tibetan man in Delhi on Tuesday.
Jun 5: CTA Respects Indian Borders
The President of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President, Lobsang Sangay, has made clear Tibetan support for India’s border interpretations. Speaking to India Today, Sangay stated that “"His Holiness the Dalai Lama has always made it very clear that Ladakh is a part of India” adding that, “the disputed Tawang in the state of Arunachal Pradesh also belongs to India”.
Jun 4: Tibetan Dies of COVID-19 in India
A Tibetan man living at the MajnuKa Tilla Tibetan colony in New Delhi is reported to have died from COVID-19. Tibet Journal reports that the deceased was a businessman of around 62 years old and that he had been suffering from “pre-existing health issues”. The death is second amongst the Tibetan community in India attributed to COVID-19 following the passing of a 69-year-old man in Dharamshala in March.