Tibetan Headlines
May 13: Call for US Tibet Appointment
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the US State Department to appoint a “Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues”. USCIRF Commissioner, Gary Bauer, has stated that as “the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to erase the unique identity of Tibetan Buddhism, we need to utilize all of the policy tools available… to confront this grave threat to religious freedom”.
May 12: Expanded Chinese Claims on Central-Asia
Following China’s claims on Tibet, the South China Sea and areas of India and Nepal, Chinese websites have reportedly expanded claims of Chinese sovereignty in Central Asia. Articles titled "Why didn't Kyrgyzstan return to China after gaining Independence?" and “Kazakhstan is located on territories that historically belong to China” have recently appeared on Beijing websites Tuotiao.com and Sohu.com respectively, the later piece resulting formal protests from the Kazakh government.
May 12: Tibetan’s Eight-Year Travel Ban
A report has emerged of a Tibetan man who has been banned from leaving his home since a chance encounter with Chinese police eight years ago. A photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was found on Jampa Sonam’s mobile phone during a random inspection in 2012. According to contacts in Tibet, since the incident Sonam must “ask permission from the Chinese authorities” before he is allowed to leave home.
May 11: CTA Support for Home Schooling
The exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Department of Education (DoE) has launched “several online educational programs for students and provided guidelines for teachers and parents to ensure learning continuity for children at home” during the COVID-19 lockdown. Most recently the DoE has begun a four-episode series, accessible through YouTube and Facebook, aimed at parents of pre-primary children with tips and guidance on how they can support their child’s education.
May 11: China Lays Claim to Everest
Chinese state media outlet China Global Television Network has sparked a backlash after claiming that Mount Everest [Qomolangma] is “located in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region”. A 1960 agreement divided the mountain between China and Nepal. However, Professor of Chinese studies, Srikant Kondapali, believes that now “China is trying to consolidate its claims on Tibet and Everest” despite the Chinese side being too steep and treacherous for the majority of mountaineers.
May 10: CTA COVID-19 Relief Measures
The President of the exiled central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Lobsang Sangay, has said that “the concerns of the distressed Tibetans should be addressed immediately”. As well as accommodation for stranded Tibetans in India the CTA is attempting to secure quarantine facilities, personal protective equipment, testing kits and COVID-19 treatments, with Sangay directing “the Home Department [coronavirus] task force to distribute the COVID-19 emergency distressed fund immediately”.
May 10: Stranded Tibetans Return from Baroda
The exiled Central Tibet Administration (CTA) has arranged for the evacuation of 83 students from the Indian city of Baroda to their home states. Coordination between the Department of Education and Tibetan Settlement Officers has facilitated the return of Tibetans to Dehradun and Ladakh, amongst others, with the CTA bearing their travel expenses.
May 9: Concern over Construction at Jokhang Temple
Chinese led construction at the UNESCO World Heritage-protected Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet has caused concern “over the level of Tibetan consultation and participation in the conservation process”. Construction of two pavilions at the temple “appear to adhere to a Chinese architectural style incompatible with traditional Tibetan architecture” in a possible attempt to “create an impression to the visitors about Tibet being a part of China since ancient times”.
May 9: US Tibet Bill to be Discussed
The United States (US) Senate Foreign Relations Committee has scheduled a discussion of the Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020 for May 14. Ngodup Tsering, Representative of the Office of Tibet in Washington DC, has described the discussion as “a great show of support by the US Senate to convene and discuss our bill while the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and other overriding priorities”.
May 9: Tibetan Poetry Takeover
Seven Tibetan female poets have been sharing their work as part of an Instagram takeover in an effort “to broaden ideas about the contemporary Tibetan experience”. Initially launched in February, and now accessible through media outlet “High Peaks Pure Earth’s” Instagram highlights, the seven poets have been sharing “their poetry and personal reflections, as well as their daily routines, writing prompts [and] poets that inspire them”.
May 9: New Indian Road to Tibet
India has reported the opening of a new road linking Dharchula, Uttarakhand with Lipulekh pass, “the gateway to the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage site” in Tibet. Chief engineer of the project, Vimal Goswami, stated that now the journey from “Lipulekh pass has become more convenient for pilgrims”. Nepal has “strongly opposed the controversial agreement reached between India and China [to build the road], calling it a serious breach of Nepal's sovereignty”.
May 8: CTA Supporting Distressed Tibetans
The exiled Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has announced ₹50 Lakh [$66,100/ £53,400] to support Tibetans who have lost their jobs or are stranded due to COVID-19. CTA President, Lobsang Sangay, announced that “around 1000 Tibetans in distress will be provided 5000 rupees each” with further direction for “all settlement officers to assist Tibetans in distress especially the old and those living below the poverty line”.
May 8: Increasing Tibetan Air Traffic
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Chinese authorities report that Tibet saw over 50,000 air passengers over the May Day holiday. Whilst flight restrictions remain in place around the world according to the Chinese civil aviation department overseeing Tibet May 1 to May 5 saw “saw 517 flights landing and taking off” with a passenger count of 55,517.
May 8: Dead Tibetan Denied Treatment
A Tibetan man has died after Chinese authorities “repeatedly denied his requests to seek medical treatment for failing health”. The former monk, known as Choekyi, had served a 4-year prison sentence for making a t-shirt which referenced His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During detention Choekyi reportedly sustained “damage to his liver and kidneys” but after release “authorities did not allow him access to inpatient services at local hospitals”.
May 7: Online Tibet Talks
The International Campaign for Tibet (ITC) has announced “a new online speaker series featuring live conversations about Tibet with engaging thinkers, leaders, activists and artists”. The series will start on May 7 with ICT President Matteo Mecacci describing the talks as an opportunity to hear from those “who take action to support the human values that are at the foundation of Tibetan culture and identity”.