Russian disciples appeal Putin to allow the Dalai Lama’s visit

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his visit to the Russian republic of Kalmykia in 2004. Coinciding with the visit of Russian President Vladmir Putin to India, a group of Russian Buddhists who are currently in New Delhi, attending teachings of the Dalai Lama, plan to send him an open letter appealing for the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit to their country. President Putin arrived in India Monday for a bilateral summit during which major defence deals are expected to be signed. He will also be having parleys with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pranab Mukherjee, and Sonia Gandhi, chairman of India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance, amongst others. Telo Tulku Rinpoche, a Russian reincarnate lama, who is the president of Buddhist Union of Kalmykia in Russia said that through their open petition, they want to attract Putin's attention to an urgent need of visa to the Dalai Lama, despite China's reservations. Around 1,300 Russians are attending teachings by the Dalai Lama on Shantideva’s “Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life” in the Indian capital. The four-day teachings, which began today, were requested by a group from Russia for the fourth consecutive year. Speaking to rediff.com, Telo Tulku said that they are collecting signatures for the open letter questioning why their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is not able to visit their country. “You should not be feeling threatened, China should not be feeling threatened as well. And these are the signatures of people who want to see His Holiness in Russia. And His Holiness's message of peace can be of benefit to Russia. Because even within Russia, there are acts of terrorism, acts of extremism, also within Russia there is a imbalance," Telo Tulku said citing the letter. Russia has a growing number of Buddhist population, mostly in its republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva. The Dalai Lama last visited Kalmykia in 2004, following which Moscow has denied visas saying that a “visit by the Dalai Lama to Russia would be taken particularly painfully by Beijing.” In August this year, President Putin, while responding to a question at an annual youth gathering in Tver region had said his government will “work in the direction” of inviting the Dalai Lama. President Putin had acknowledged the wishes of the people of Russia's predominantly Buddhist region of Kalmykia on the Caspian Sea of inviting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. "Of course we understand the people of Kalmykia who are awaiting the Dalai Lama's arrival," Putin said. "We will work in this direction." Live webcast of the ongoing teachings in New Delhi are available i

Urban China trusts anonymous sources over state media

The urban Chinese population has greater trust in anonymous online microblogs than state run newspapers and television news, a new study has revealed. The Epoch Times has reported that the findings were made in a study on the quality of life of urban residents by the Institute of Sociology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Social Sciences Press. Interviewees were asked to rank the level of integrity of 11 industries and typical work units in the study the report said citing the Legal Evening News, a state-run newspaper. The report said that the state-run media’s level of integrity is “relatively low” compared to blogs and microblogs. “According to the report, young netizens from the age of 30 and under trust the contents of platforms like Sina Weibo more; microblogging ranked second, winning the trust of 21.6 percent of participants, a proportion exceeding Chinese newspapers,” The Epoch Times said. Media profession in China ranked sixth on the integrity list out of the 11 industries included in the study. The Chinese government has long tried to keep a tight rein on traditional and new media to prevent any challenges to its political authority. Earlier this year, China blocked the websites of Bloomberg and The New York Times and also forced Al Jazeera to shut down its Beijing-based English bureau. China is regularly ranked amongst the world’s worst media offenders in the press freedom index by the global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. China last year was ranked 174 on a list of 179 countries, followed only by regimes such as North Korea, Syria, and Iran. RSF in its 2011-12 report said that China, which has “more journalists, bloggers and cyber-dissidents in prison than any other country, stepped up its censorship and propaganda in 2011 and tightened its control of the internet, particularly the blogosphere.” The group further said that protest by minorities in Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang “regularly gave rise to a harsh crackdown by the authorities.” “In Beijing and Shanghai, international correspondents were particular targets of the security forces and had to work under the continual threat of expulsion or having their visas withdrawn. journalists were prevented from covering most of the events that threatened china’s stability or might have given it a negative image.”

Details on solidarity protests, arrests in Driru emerge after 10 months

Several months after a large number of Tibetans took part in the “Global Solidarity Campaign” called by the exile Tibetan administration in February this year, details are finally emerging of the protests followed by China’s crackdown.

On February 8, coinciding with the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration’s call for worldwide Tibet solidarity campaigns, monks from the Bhenkar Monastery in Driru, central Tibet, led a mass protest against the Chinese government.

Speaking to Phayul, a France based exiled Tibetan Tenzin Thokme, said following the peaceful protest and a candle light vigil for Tibetan self-immolators, several Tibetan monks and laypeople were arrested by Chinese security officials in a widespread crackdown.

“The situation in the entire region has been so tense all year through in Driru region that names, photos, and scant details of the arrested Tibetans are emergning only now,” Thokme said. “Even now, regional Chinese authorities are maintaining a, unprecedented control over the internet and other means of communication.”

According to the same source, in January this year local Chinese officials arrived at the Bhenkar Monastery to conduct ‘patriotic re-education campaign.’ The officials ordered for a Chinese flag to be hoisted atop the Monastery and the establishment of a new security office in the Monastery. They also said reinforced the ban of photos of the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and demanded the appointment of a Chinese official to monitor the Monastery finances.

“The Monastery administrators and monk officials refused to implement the orders saying that all monks will leave if such commands come into force,” Thokme said citing sources.

“The Chinese authorities then arrested the abbot, disciplinarian, chant master, treasurer, and other officials of the monastery alleging that they are under the bad influence of splitting China and committed an unlawful act.”

Details on those arrested are not yet available.

Also, following the arrests, Chinese security personnel raided the quarters of the monks at the Bhenkar Monastery and have since maintained a strict clampdown in the entire region.

Known names of those arrested include, Thupten Dhonyoe, Geko Nyendak, Gyatso, Tashi Sonam, Dhakpa Gyaltsen, Bhudro, Tsethar, Yeshe Lodoe, Thupten Jampa, Lochoe, Lhundrub, Gaden Tashi, Bhuchung Nga, Tashi Tsering, Migyur, Rinchen, Norbu and Mig gyur.

The same source added that some of them have been sentenced to one to two years imprisonment, while information on others cannot be ascertained.

China is not good to us: Canadian journalists report from Tibet

Thubwang Kyab, 23, sets himself ablaze on the main street of Sangkog town in Sangchu, Tibet on October 26, 2012 protesting China's rule. He succumbed to his injuries at the protest site.  Beijing based journalists of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation have been able to gain rare access to Tibet, reporting on Tibetan voices of dissent and resistance in the face of heavy security crackdown in the region. “China is not good to us,” a Tibetan woman, described as a herder, with her face hidden for security reasons tells the camera. Another woman asserts, “We would be so happy if the Dalai Lama comes back.” Their remarks are reflective of the demands made by 95 Tibetans who have set themselves on fire in Tibet since 2009 in the continuing wave of self-immolations. Thousands of Tibetans including school students have spilled out on the streets and carried out mass demonstrations protesting China’s rule in recent months. Beijing has blamed exile Tibetans for inciting the protests, a charge which they have vehemently denied. In the video report, CBC News Beijing correspondent Catherine Mercier travells undercover to eastern Tibet, a region which has seen the bulk of the self-immolation protests. Mercier in her report notes that the Tibet story is not an easy one to tell as police presence in the entire region is “heavy” and the crew had to hide for most of the time. She says that people are reluctant to talk as "punishment for anyone caught denouncing the Chinese can be severe." Upon visiting the historic Labrang Monastery, where Dhondup, an elderly Tibetan, passed away in his self-immolation protest in October, Mercier says people are only willing to talk off camera. China recently said that it will press murder charges against those found aiding or inciting self-immolations and announced heavy cash prizes for information on “crimes” related to the fiery protests, which includes offering condolences to the deceased’s family. However, Mercier reports that the “new threats” from the Chinese authorities are “not likely to stop Tibetans,” as many of the people she spoke to said they will keep protesting. “But the people of Tibet are resistant to the changes, fighting to preserve their culture, and willing to sacrifice their lives to do it,” she reports. China continues to cut off Tibet from the rest of the world even as international clamour over diplomatic access and visits by foreign media has grown in recent weeks. The United Nations, European Union, US, UK, and Canada have all called on China to address the grievances of the Tibetan people and allow investigative visits to the region. A media crew from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was turned back from Tibet in October this year by Chinese government officials saying: “Because you're a journalist. Because this is a Tibetan area.” In earlier instances, journalists attempting to enter Tibet have been chased, forced back, warned of visa cancellations, and also detained in some cases.

Four Tibetan writers whose names have not been revealed fearing further persecution are amongst the winners of this year’s Hellman/Gammett grants by Human Rights Watch for their “commitment to free expression and their courage in the face of persecution.” 41 writers from 19 countries were named as awardees of the grant given annually to writers who have been targets of political persecution or human rights abuses and are in financial need. The New York based global rights group, while announcing the grantees said this year’s winners, which include journalists, bloggers, and poets, “have faced persecution for their work, generally by government authorities seeking to prevent them from publishing information and opinions.” “The Hellman/Hammett grants help writers who have suffered because they published information or expressed ideas that criticise or offend people in power,” HRW said. “Many of the writers honored by these grants share a common purpose with Human Rights Watch: to protect the rights of vulnerable people by shining a light on abuses and building pressure for change.” Six of this year’s winners remain anonymous, which includes the four Tibetan writers. HRW, while noting that the move was necessary to “prevent further persecution” of the writers, said the concentration of grantees in certain countries points to “especially severe repression of free expression by those governments.” “Governments have used arbitrary arrest and detention, politically motivated criminal charges, and overly broad libel and sedition laws to try to silence this year’s Hellman/Hammett awardees,” the group said. “They have been harassed, threatened, assaulted, indicted, jailed on trumped-up charges, or tortured for peacefully expressing their views or informing the public.” The grants are named for the late American playwright Lillian Hellman and her longtime companion, the novelist Dashiell Hammett. Over the past 22 years, more than 700 writers from 92 countries have received Hellman/Hammett grants of up to US$10,000 each, totaling more than $3 million. The program also gives small emergency grants to writers who have an urgent need to leave their country or who need immediate medical treatment after serving prison terms or enduring torture. Tibetan singers, writers, and artists promoting Tibetan national identity and culture have been the target of China’s ongoing crackdown on intellectuals, especially after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In August this year, the exile Tibetan administration submitted a detailed profile of 64 Tibetan intellectuals to the UN Special Rapporteur in Geneva and urged for necessary inquiry into their cases. Calling it the “harshest” crackdown on Tibetan artists and intellectuals since the Cultural Revolution, the Central Tibetan Administration said that at least 24 Tibetans intellectuals have been given sentences ranging from few months to life imprisonment for exercising their freedom of expression. “This new generation of young Tibetans born and educated under Chinese Communist rule have edited banned magazines and are tech-savvy bloggers imprisoned for gathering, expressing and sharing information about conditions in Tibet especially after the March 2008 demonstrations across Tibet,” CTA said. The exile Tibetan administration noted that the whereabouts of about 37 Tibetan intellectuals remain unknown, while 12 intellectuals were released on fear of custodial death after excessive torture during detention by the Chinese authorities.

Four Tibetan writers honoured anonymously by HRW

Four Tibetan writers whose names have not been revealed fearing further persecution are amongst the winners of this year’s Hellman/Gammett grants by Human Rights Watch for their “commitment to free expression and their courage in the face of persecution.”

41 writers from 19 countries were named as awardees of the grant given annually to writers who have been targets of political persecution or human rights abuses and are in financial need.

The New York based global rights group, while announcing the grantees said this year’s winners, which include journalists, bloggers, and poets, “have faced persecution for their work, generally by government authorities seeking to prevent them from publishing information and opinions.”

“The Hellman/Hammett grants help writers who have suffered because they published information or expressed ideas that criticise or offend people in power,” HRW said. “Many of the writers honored by these grants share a common purpose with Human Rights Watch: to protect the rights of vulnerable people by shining a light on abuses and building pressure for change.”

Six of this year’s winners remain anonymous, which includes the four Tibetan writers. HRW, while noting that the move was necessary to “prevent further persecution” of the writers, said the concentration of grantees in certain countries points to “especially severe repression of free expression by those governments.”

“Governments have used arbitrary arrest and detention, politically motivated criminal charges, and overly broad libel and sedition laws to try to silence this year’s Hellman/Hammett awardees,” the group said. “They have been harassed, threatened, assaulted, indicted, jailed on trumped-up charges, or tortured for peacefully expressing their views or informing the public.”

The grants are named for the late American playwright Lillian Hellman and her longtime companion, the novelist Dashiell Hammett. Over the past 22 years, more than 700 writers from 92 countries have received Hellman/Hammett grants of up to US$10,000 each, totaling more than $3 million. The program also gives small emergency grants to writers who have an urgent need to leave their country or who need immediate medical treatment after serving prison terms or enduring torture.

Tibetan singers, writers, and artists promoting Tibetan national identity and culture have been the target of China’s ongoing crackdown on intellectuals, especially after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In August this year, the exile Tibetan administration submitted a detailed profile of 64 Tibetan intellectuals to the UN Special Rapporteur in Geneva and urged for necessary inquiry into their cases.

Calling it the “harshest” crackdown on Tibetan artists and intellectuals since the Cultural Revolution, the Central Tibetan Administration said that at least 24 Tibetans intellectuals have been given sentences ranging from few months to life imprisonment for exercising their freedom of expression.

“This new generation of young Tibetans born and educated under Chinese Communist rule have edited banned magazines and are tech-savvy bloggers imprisoned for gathering, expressing and sharing information about conditions in Tibet especially after the March 2008 demonstrations across Tibet,” CTA said.

The exile Tibetan administration noted that the whereabouts of about 37 Tibetan intellectuals remain unknown, while 12 intellectuals were released on fear of custodial death after excessive torture during detention by the Chinese authorities.

China arrests two Tibetans on self-immolation charges, Allege links with exile youth group

Chinese authorities in eastern Tibet claim that they have arrested a Tibetan for attempting self-immolation and another for instigating the protest.

A news report by a state-run Tibetan language website on Tuesday said the two Tibetans were arrested from a hotel in Rongwo town of Malho, a region in eastern Tibet which has seen a surge in self-immolation protests in the recent past.

According to the report, Chinese security officials in Thunrin made the arrests on November 19 and confiscated a petrol container and cotton from the room. Names and personal details of the two Tibetans have not been divulged.

However, the report noted that the person arrested on charges of “instigating” the protest had escaped to exile in India in 2005 and returned in 2011.

It further claimed that the person, during his stay in India, was closely linked to the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile.

Chinese authorities have regularly blamed the exile Tibetan administration and the Dalai Lama for the spate of fiery protests.

Earlier this month, the Central Tibetan Administration challenged China to prove their allegations after Chinese authorities detained a monk and his nephew and accused them of instigating self-immolations of eight Tibetans on the instructions of the Dalai Lama.

“If China genuinely wishes to end the self-immolations, instead of resorting to the blame game it should allow unfettered access to international bodies to Tibetan areas to investigate the root causes for these self-immolations,” Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people said.

Chinese authorities in Malho region last month announced cash rewards for those “exposing crimes” related to the ongoing wave of self-immolations and issued an ultimatum warning those who have “committed fault” to turn themselves in.

Despite repeated international calls for restraint and reconsideration of its policies in Tibet, China this month hardened its stance on the self-immolation protests and announced that it will press murder charges against anyone caught aiding or inciting self-immolations.

Since 2009, as many as 95 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. The month of November, during which China held its 18th Party Congress, was the deadliest, since the wave began, with 28 self-immolation protests.

The United Nations, European Union and countries such as the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom have blamed China’s policies for exacerbating the situation in Tibet and urged Beijing to address the grievances of the Tibetan people.

US Congress members urge Obama to make Tibet top priority

Tibet activists lobbying US members of Congress to to sign congressmen McGovern/Wolf letter to President Obama to make Tibet a top piority. A letter to U.S. President Barack Obama urging him to exercise greater international leadership in improving the human rights situation in Tibet has received a large bi-partisan support from the US Congress. As of Wednesday, 56 members of Congress have signed the Wolf-McGovern letter “strongly urging” President Obama “to make Tibet one of your top priorities for U.S. advocacy” and nominate a Secretary of State who will “champion” the Tibet issue. “It is critical that the U.S. take a leading role and engage actively with partner nations on measures that could bring near-term improvements in the human rights situation in Tibet,” the letter first initiated by senior congressmen James P. McGovern and Frank R. Wolf reads. “We urge you, Mr. President, to take a leading role in support of (UN Human Rights) Commissioner Navi Pillay’s statement and actively engage partner nations on measures that could bring near-term improvements in the human rights situation in Tibet and serve to de-escalate rising tensions brought about by hard-line and destructive Chinese policies and actions.” Last month, Commissioner Pillay issued a statement urging Chinese authorities to “promptly address the longstanding grievances” of the Tibetan people and to release detainees, allow independent human rights monitors to visit Tibet, and to lift restrictions on media access to the region. The Congress letter blamed Chinese government policies of having “increased” the level of repression “leading to the self-immolations and protests by Tibetans,” and warned that “continued crackdowns by Beijing threaten to escalate the situation.” Members of Congress, while welcoming the recent statements by Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Maria Otero and by Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner expressing U.S. concern over the increasing frequency of self-immolations by Tibetans noted that “much more must be done.” “We have the moral obligation to speak out for the Tibetan people and confront China about these abuses, to convey the aspirations for change that are being expressed so desperately by the Tibetan people directly to those who have the responsibility to heed Tibetans’ demands for change, respect and basic dignity,” the signed letter reads. “We ask that you make this a top priority and lead the way.” Over the last two weeks, Tibet activists in the U.S. carried out a robust lobbying campaign, calling on their representatives to sign the Wolf-McGovern letter. Last week, over 60 activists led by the Students for a Free Tibet, visited over 425 congressional offices at the Capitol Hill urging representatives to sign-on. Other groups lobbied at their district offices, wrote letters, and called their representatives to sign the Tibet letter to President Obama. Support over the formation of a Contact Group on Tibet, which would serve as an international mechanism to put coordinated pressure on the Chinese government on Tibet, has grown over the last few months.

More arrests in Tibet, Five Bora monk ‘disappeared’

Lobsang Phagpa In continuing crackdown and arbitrary detention of Tibetans, Chinese authorities have arrested five monks from the Bora Monastery in Sangchu region of Kanlho, eastern Tibet. The arrested monks have been identified as Gedun Gyatso, 47, Lobsang Phagpa, 34, Jamyang Soepa, 25, Jamyang Lodoe, and Jamyang Gyatso, both about 20. Sonam, an exiled Tibetan told Phayul that the monks were detained from their Monastery quarters on December 3, a day after Sungdue Kyab’s self-immolation protest. The monks were first summoned at the local Chinese government office for “interrogation,” following which they disappeared and since then no information on their wellbeing and whereabouts have been to given. Exact reasons for their arrests are not yet known. Jamyang Lodoe On December 2, Sungdue Kyab, set himself ablaze on the main street in Bora town near the Bora Monastery in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet. Chinese security personnel arrived at the site of his protest, doused the flames and bundled him away. Last heard, Sungdue Kyab is being kept in a heavily guarded Chinese hospital in Kanlho and has been denied any visits by his family members. There is at present no information on his condition. Sungdue Kyab and his wife Dugkar Kyi have a son who is nearly two years old. Earlier this year in March, more than 100 monks from the Bora Monastery marched to the local Chinese government office carrying Tibetan flags and pictures of the Dalai Lama and calling for freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama. Jamyang Soepa The next day, Chinese security officers in a midnight raid at the Monastery arrested 40 monks, prompting a gathering of a large number of monks calling for their immediate release. The local security officials, fearing more protests, released all 40 monks a few hours later, but told the monks to make “personal statements” admitting that they have made a “mistake” which they will not repeat in future. The Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reported of “heavy security presence” in the entire Bora area and in particular Bora Monastery, which the group said, is “teeming with PAP officers and special armed police who have surrounded the monastery on all sides.” Jamyang Gyatso “The armed security police conduct day and night patrol in the area,” TCHRD said. “Restrictions on communication channels such as Internet and mobile phone lines have been heightened for the past two months, posing continued problems in collecting timely information from the area.”

Overhaul China’s aid policy in Tibet, says Chinese scholar

A senior Chinese academician has called for policy overhaul in China’s aid programmes in Tibet blaming them for causing "disappointing effect" on the local economy.

Jin Wei, director of ethnic religious studies at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, the supreme ideological training ground for party cadres, said the region has failed to create a foundation for sustainable growth.

Beijing based news portal Caixin Online cited Jin as making those remarks at a December 15 forum on ethnic minority development hosted by Minzu University in Beijing.

Jin noted that 70 percent of the 987 central government aid projects to Tibet between 1984 and 2005 had little immediate effect on boosting economic growth in the region.

She was quoted as saying that the regional Tibetan administration manages to cover only 7 percent of the local budget demand even as central government funding to the region grew to a combined total of 13.3 billion by 2009, under 6,300 projects.

According to the report, Jin said the funding failed to establish business and industry networks to maintain sustainable development largely because they relied on government oriented measures.

“A number of scholars at the forum stated aid policies to ethnic regions need to adapt to local conditions and include participation from local communities,” the report said.

Speaking in Lhasa, Tibet’s ancient capital city, last year, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping had declared that speeding up development “holds the key to resolving all issues in Tibet.”

"The economic and social development of Tibet should always aim at safeguarding and improving the people's well-being," Chinese state media quoted him as saying. He also vowed to “maintain social stability in Tibet and fight separatist activities led by the Dalai Lama group.”

In September 2011, China announced plans to spend 300 billion yuan (46.89 billion U.S. dollars) on 226 key projects ranging from railway and dam building to mining and promoting tourism in Tibet within the next five years.

Tibetans have long argued that China’s grand projects in Tibet are planned and implemented without consultation, consent, and knowledge of the local Tibetans.

The Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration maintains that Beijing, “under the guise of economic and social development, encourages the migration of Chinese population to Tibet, marginalising the Tibetans in economic, educational, political and social spheres.”

UK expresses ‘serious concern’ over Tibet, Calls for resumption of Sino-Tibet dialogues

His Holiness the Dalai Lama holding a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron (C) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in London on May 14, 2012.  The United Kingdom joined a growing chorus of global powers calling on China to allow diplomatic access to Tibet and urging Beijing to resume “meaningful dialogue” with Tibetan representatives. Briton Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire, in a statement today, expressed UK’s “serious concern” about human rights and the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet. UK’s statement on the crisis in Tibet comes days after the European Union’s High Representative, Catherine Ashton expressed “profound sadness” over the increasing number of self-immolations in Tibet and urged Beijing to respect Tibetan rights and allow free access to Tibet for diplomats and journalists. “We strongly support the recent statement from Baroness Ashton about the situation in Tibet,” Swire said. “We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation there, including the self-immolations in Tibetan regions.” In February 2009, monk Tabey became the first known Tibetan inside Tibet to set himself on fire protesting China’s rule. Since then 95 Tibetans have self-immolated, demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. The recent escalation in protests witnessed 28 self-immolations in the month of November and massive protests by thousands of Tibetans, including by school students. While urging the Chinese authorities to “exercise restraint” in Tibetan areas, the UK vouched its “strong support” for the resumption of “meaningful dialogue to resolve the underlying grievances of Tibetan communities.” The Foreign Office Minister further called on the Chinese government to “ensure unrestricted access” to all Tibetan areas for diplomats, international media, and other concerned parties. “We believe a long term solution is best achieved through respect for universal principles of human rights and genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution,” the statement reads. This month, the United States and Canada issued statements blaming China for exacerbating the situation in Tibet and calling for diplomatic access to Tibetan areas and the resumption of Sino-Tibet dialogue process. The Dalai Lama last month told reporters in New Delhi that China’s repressive policies and the unbearable situation in Tibet are forcing Tibetans to set themselves of fire in Tibet. "The unbearable situation in Tibet is the cause for these unfortunate events. I am very sad about the turn of events. These are symptoms of fear, hard line suppressive policy practiced by China in Tibet. The time has come for China to think more realistically," reporters quoted the 77-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader as saying.

Chinese authorities issue ultimatum, offer cash prize for “crimes” linked to Tibet self-immolations

Notice by Chinese authorities in Malho, eastern Tibet announcing cash rewards for information on self-immolations. Chinese authorities in Malho region of eastern Tibet have announced cash rewards for those “exposing crimes” related to the ongoing wave of self-immolations and issued an ultimatum warning those who have “committed fault” to turn themselves in. The notices were jointly issued by the Malho People’s Intermediate Court and the Public Security Bureau in the Tibetan areas of Rebkong, Tsekhog, and Chentsa which fall under its jurisdiction. The Malho region of eastern Tibet carried a major part of the casualties in the recent alarming escalation in self-immolation protests and mass demonstrations by thousands of Tibetans, including school students against the Chinese government. Since October, 44 Tibetans have set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with the latest being a teenaged schoolgirl Bhenchen Kyi from Tsekhog. In copies of the notices sent to Phayul by a Swiss based Tibetan, Sonam, Chinese authorities have given an ultimatum to Tibetans who have “committed fault,” to turn themselves in before November 30 in lure of “lesser” punishment. The notices, issued in Tibetan and Chinese languages, encourage people to “accept their crimes” of inciting self-immolations, displaying portraits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama during mass funerals of the self-immolators, raising “separatist” slogans, offering condolences to the family members of self-immolators, “unlawfully” taking pictures and videos of self-immolations and sending them out and spreading rumours and indulging in provocative talks. The authorities have warned that those who are caught under these crimes after the given deadline will be dealt severely according to the law. In recent weeks, authorities have engineered a heavy security clampdown in the region, arresting several Tibetans from Rebkong and Tsekhog in connection with the self-immolation protests. Along with the ultimatum, Chinese authorities have employed its age-old policy of sowing distrust in the society by announcing heavy monetary rewards for information on self-immolators and those who “incite” such protests. Cash prizes ranging from 1,000 Chinese Yaun (US $ 160) of 200,000 Chinese Yuan (US $ 32,000) have been announced for information exposing self-immolators, those inciting self-immolations, and those who have visited families of self-immolators to offer condolences. Rewards have also been announced for those who avert self-immolations from occurring at the site of the protest. The authorities further promised to protect the identity of the informants and called the self-immolation protests a “bad influence” on social harmony and stability, not just of the region but also of the entire nation. Similar tactics of announcing cash rewards and offering bribes to families of self-immolators to state that the protests were not against the Chinese government, have been employed earlier in other parts of Tibet as well. A phone call to the Tsekhog Public Security Bureau Office by Phayul yielded little result as the official who answered the call in the supposedly Tibetan office refused to speak in Tibetan and spoke only Mandarin.

Exile Tibetan administration congratulates Japan's Abe on landslide victory

Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama presents a khatak (Tibetan scarf) to Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister-elect in Tokyo on November 13, 2012. (Photo/AP/Itsuo Inouye The exile Tibetan administration today congratulated Japan’s new prime minister-elect Shinzo Abe on winning the parliamentary elections and expressed hope for his “continued support” on the issue of Tibet. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people, also thanked the people and government of Japan for the “long-standing support” for the non-violent struggle of the Tibetan people. “On behalf of the Tibetan people, I would like to congratulate Mr Shinzo Abe on winning the elections and wish him all the best as the next prime minister of Japan,” Sikyong Dr Sangay said. “I thank the people and government of Japan for their long-standing support for democracy and non-violent struggle of the Tibetan people. I look forward to your continued support for the issue of Tibet.” Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile also issued a congratulatory letter to Abe, appreciating his support for the cause of Tibet. “We have been very appreciative of your support for the cause of Tibet in general and the commitment that you showed during the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama this year to Japan," Deputy Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel said. "We wish you all the success in your endeavours and appeal to you again to play a pro-active role in reducing the current grave situation inside Tibet and in finding a lasting mutually beneficial solution to the issue of Tibet.” Earlier in April, the de facto Tibetan prime minister met and had cordial exchanges with Abe on four separate occasions during his visit to Japan. In his meetings, Abe had called the Tibet issue “one of those rare issues which enjoy multi-party support in Japan” and promised to do his best to help change the situation in Tibet. During his five-day visit to Japan in April, Sikyong Dr Sangay addressed almost 100 parliamentarians and their representatives from five political parties of Japan, who later issued a statement urging the Chinese government to end its repressive policies in Tibet and hold result oriented dialogue with the Tibetan leadership to resolve the Tibet issue. In a release today, the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration expressed its “sincerest thanks” to the prime minister-elect for his “word of support and for co-hosting His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent Japan visit.” The Tibetan spiritual leader, during his visit to the island nation last month, made a historic visit to the Japanese Parliament building and addressed more than 230 Japanese parliamentarians and their representatives. Following the meeting, Abe, who was then the leader of Japan's main opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, had promised to “do everything to change the situation in Tibet.” “I swear I will do everything in my power to change the situation in Tibet where human rights are being suppressed,” Abe told reporters in Tokyo. “Tibet seeks freedom and democracy and we agree on those values.” After taking his party to a landslide victory in Sunday's election, Abe vowed to take a tough stance in territorial disputes with China. BBC quoted Abe as saying that he wanted to "stop the challenge" from China over a chain of islands claimed by both countries. Shinzo Abe had earlier served as Japanese prime minister between 2006 and 2007.

More concerned about China than Pak: Indian FM

Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. India’s External Affairs Minister today said China was a "major concern," greater than Pakistan, and warned that India runs the risk of being completely overwhelmed by China if it fails to bring its economy on the right track. Salman Khurshid was responding to queries on what was a bigger challenge for India - territorial dispute with China or trust deficit with Pakistan. "China is necessarily more important in terms of our global vision. In terms of economics...in terms of stability and impact of stability that our friendship and understanding can have on Asia and South Asia. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is more specific," Kurshid told PTI. The minister, who was returning from Myanmar after a three-day visit, called China a “constant reminder” to India that it needs to put its economy on the right track. “We can pretend that China is not there. But China is there and unless we put our economy on the right track, it is going to overwhelm us completely,” he said. "So China is a major concern and Pakistan, in a significant way (is a concern) but not a major concern.” Kurshid further mentioned that "linkages” between China and Pakistan were also important for India. "China is part of a larger picture and Pakistan being part of that picture...significant part of the picture and can ruin that picture if Pakistan does not have right colour.” Earlier this month, a Chinese government-linked company pleaded guilty to illegally exporting high-performance coatings from the US to a nuclear power plant in Pakistan. According to the US Department of Justice, China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction was fined $3m and became the first Chinese company to admit guilt in a US criminal export case. Nanjing-based Huaxing admitted to charges that it conspired to ship the epoxy coating through China to Pakistan's Chashma II Nuclear Power Plant in 2006 and 2007. The Chinese government-linked company was building the site as part of a nuclear cooperation pact signed between Pakistan and China. The US has restricted nuclear-related exports to Pakistan since the country's detonation of a nuclear device in 1998.

Taiwan bats for prisoners of conscience in China

Nun Chemey in an undated photo. Taiwan earlier this week expressed concern over prisoners of conscience in China, including Tibetans, even as reports of arbitrary arrests and harsh sentencing continues to come out of Tibet. According to the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration, a Chinese court has sentenced a Tibetan nun to three years in prison in Karze region of easter Tibet for her alleged role in political activities. Chemey, a nun from the Lamdrag Nunnery, was among the many Tibetans who were arrested in a major crackdown in the region in 2010 and were later handed down harsh prison terms. “The Chinese authorities informed the family members of Chemey about the prison sentence a year after the nun went missing,” CTA said. “It is not known where she is being confined and under what charges she was sentenced.” On December 11, Taiwan’s parliament passed a resolution demanding the government to pay attention to over 4,000 prisoners of conscience detained by the Chinese communist regime. The Epoch Times reported that the resolution was submitted by legislator Yu Mei-nu, Chairwoman of the Association for International Human Rights, a newly formed sub-committee in Taiwan’s Legislature. “Yesterday was International Human Rights Day, and we are delighted to see the passing of a resolution at yesterday’s session that calls attention to Chinese prisoners of conscience including: pro-democracy activists, human-rights advocates, Falun Gong practitioners, and Tibetans,“ the report cited Yu as saying. In their new resolution, the lawmakers stated: “The U.S. State Department’s 2011 Human Rights Report and the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s 2011 annual report both addressed the issue of illicit organ harvesting for transplantation from Falun Gong practitioners and death-row inmates in China to make profits, and also the severe repression inflicted on the Tibetan people by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) throughout all Tibetan regions and at all levels, not only policies of persecution and abusive arrest of Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns at monasteries and nunneries, but also extending to the detention of famous singers and writers engaged in artistic performance, and the increasing repression which has led to the shocking series of self-immolations by Tibetans protesting repressive Chinese rule.”

After EU and US now Canada raps China for ‘exacerbating tensions’ in Tibet, Calls for diplomatic visits

Canada has blamed China for exacerbating tensions in Tibet with “increasingly punitive measures” in response to the ongoing wave of tragic self-immolations in the region.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird urged China to lift restrictions to Tibetan areas for diplomats and journalists while calling for “substantive and meaningful dialogue” between Tibetan and Chinese representatives.

“I am concerned about the escalating number of self-immolations in Tibetan areas of China and the increasingly punitive measures being taken in response, which further exacerbate tensions in the region,” Baird said Friday.

“Canada supports Tibetans’ freedoms of expression, assembly and association. That anyone should feel such an end is justified by these means is a striking testament to Tibetans’ deep yearning for greater religious, linguistic and cultural rights.”

95 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile since the spate of fiery protests began in 2009.

Thousands of Tibetans, including school students, have led anti-government rallies and street protests on a regular basis.

The Canadian foreign minister further encouraged China to give “full consideration to the traditions and culture of the Tibetan population in a manner that will help ease tensions” and called on Beijing to lift restrictions on access to the affected areas for the diplomats, media and other observers.

“We urge China to engage in substantive and meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives in working toward a peaceful resolution of outstanding issues that is acceptable to both sides,” the minister said.

Earlier this week, a Tibetan delegation led by the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile met with prominent Canadian leaders urging them to take concrete actions on the crisis inside Tibet.

Dhondup Lhadar, vice president and Tenzin Chokey, general secretary of TYC met with Paul Hong, Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and held “in depth, frank, and open discussions” for almost an hour.

The TYC delegation also individually met with a host of Canadian MPs including David Sweet, Conservative Party of Canada and a member of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights and International Trade and is also the Co-Chair of Parliamentary Friends of Tibet; Bernard Trottier, CPC; Wayne Marston, New Democratic Party and member of the sub-Committee on Human Rights and International Trade; Rob Anders; Joe Daniel, CPC; and Wladyslaw Lizon, CPC.

Chokey told Phayul that the Tibetan delegation was assured “significant constructive and moral support” for Tibet’s cause by the Canadian leaders, including tabling a resolution on Tibet in the Canadian Parliament and also pushing for a visit to Tibet by a Canadian delegation to assess the situation.

The TYC executive members from Dharamshala are on a month-long North America speaking tour which will end with the third preliminary Rangzen Conference scheduled to be held in New York from December 28-29.

Fresh calls for Special EU Coordinator for Tibet

MEP Leonidas Donskis  In further boost to calls for establishing a special European Union coordinator for Tibet, a Member of the European Parliament on Thursday said that such a move will reaffirm EU’s strategy to support human rights and democracy. Speaking on the EU annual report on human rights and democracy in the world, Leonidas Donskis, MEP from Lithuania said EU should prove its dedication to the policy of peaceful dialogue and support for human rights and democracy with a strong and consistent strategy for human rights. “I believe that each annual human rights report should set ambitious, yet achievable goals, which the Parliament should push for. This year I want to focus on Tibet – a country which merely seeks to preserve its religious, cultural and historical identity, yet suffers from systemic human rights violations by China,” Donskis said. “Given the dramatic situation there, the European Union should set up an office of a Special EU Representative on Tibet to monitor the situation more closely.” The report was voted in a plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday. Earlier in June this year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the human rights situation in Tibet, criticising China for its continued human rights abuses in Tibet and calling on EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to appoint a special EU coordinator for Tibet. In the resolution, the MEPs rebuked China for using “disproportionate force while dealing with the protests of 2008 in Tibet” and for continuing to impose “restrictive security measures" in Tibet. They insisted that the authorities of the People’s Republic of China “respect the freedom of expression, association, and belief of the Tibetans” while urging them to refrain from settlement policies in favour of the Han as well as from forcing Tibetan nomads to abandon their traditional lifestyle. The plenary session urged EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton to appoint a “special coordinator” with a mandate to report regularly on Tibet, to support constructive Sino-Tibet dialogue, and to provide assistance to Tibetan refugees, particularly in Nepal and India. They also urge Ashton to address the issue of Tibet “at every meeting with the representatives of the People’s Republic of China.”

EU urges China to respect Tibetan rights, Pushes for diplomatic access

A file photo of EU High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton The European Union expressed profound sadness over the increasing number of self-immolations in Tibet and urged Beijing to respect Tibetan rights and allow free access to Tibet for diplomats and journalists. In a declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, Friday, EU said it is “profoundly saddened by the increasing number of Tibetans committing self-immolation, many of them young people.” Since 2009, the ongoing wave of self-immolation protests in Tibet has witnessed 95 Tibetans set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. Despite strict orders by the Chinese authorities, thousands of Tibetans, including school students have carried out mass demonstrations against China’s rule on a regular basis in recent months. “We are concerned by the restrictions on expressions of Tibetan identity, which appear to be giving rise to a surge of discontent in the region,” Ashton said. “While respecting China’s territorial integrity, the EU calls upon the Chinese authorities to address the deep-rooted causes of the frustration of the Tibetan people and ensure that their civil, political, economic and social and cultural rights are respected, including their right to enjoy their own culture, to practise their own religion and to use their own language.” The EU also expressed its “full support” to the statement made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay on November 2, 2012. Pillay, in her statement, urged Chinese authorities to “promptly address the longstanding grievances that have led to an alarming escalation in desperate forms of protest, including self-immolations, in Tibetan areas.” She further called on the Chinese authorities to release detainees, allow independent human rights monitors to visit Tibet, and to lift restrictions on media access to Tibet. The EU, which won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, in its declaration on Tibetan self-immolations called upon the Chinese authorities to “respect the rights of Tibetans to peaceful assembly and expression, to act with restraint, and to release all individuals detained for taking part in peaceful demonstrations.” The EU also urged Chinese authorities to allow free access to all Tibetan areas for diplomats as well as for international journalists, while encouraging the resumption of a meaningful dialogue between Tibetan and Chinese representatives. Earlier this week, US Under Secretary Maria Otero in her statement at the EU’s Human Rights Day Event in Washington DC, cited Tibet as an area where the EU and US can partner on “common strategic engagement.” Otero, who is the US Special Coordinator for Tibet, said the Obama Administration wants Europe to engage more in Asia along with the US, “to see the region not only as a market, but as a focus of common strategic engagement.” “And as a good example, European governments, including Germany, UK, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland, have joined the call for Chinese authorities to address the worsening human rights conditions in Tibetan areas,” the statement read.

After EU and US now Canada raps China for ‘exacerbating tensions’ in Tibet, Calls for diplomatic visits

 Canada has blamed China for exacerbating tensions in Tibet with “increasingly punitive measures” in response to the ongoing wave of tragic self-immolations in the region.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird urged China to lift restrictions to Tibetan areas for diplomats and journalists while calling for “substantive and meaningful dialogue” between Tibetan and Chinese representatives.

“I am concerned about the escalating number of self-immolations in Tibetan areas of China and the increasingly punitive measures being taken in response, which further exacerbate tensions in the region,” Baird said Friday.

“Canada supports Tibetans’ freedoms of expression, assembly and association. That anyone should feel such an end is justified by these means is a striking testament to Tibetans’ deep yearning for greater religious, linguistic and cultural rights.”

95 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile since the spate of fiery protests began in 2009.

Thousands of Tibetans, including school students, have led anti-government rallies and street protests on a regular basis.

The Canadian foreign minister further encouraged China to give “full consideration to the traditions and culture of the Tibetan population in a manner that will help ease tensions” and called on Beijing to lift restrictions on access to the affected areas for the diplomats, media and other observers.

“We urge China to engage in substantive and meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives in working toward a peaceful resolution of outstanding issues that is acceptable to both sides,” the minister said.

Earlier this week, a Tibetan delegation led by the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile met with prominent Canadian leaders urging them to take concrete actions on the crisis inside Tibet.

Dhondup Lhadar, vice president and Tenzin Chokey, general secretary of TYC met with Paul Hong, Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and held “in depth, frank, and open discussions” for almost an hour.

The TYC delegation also individually met with a host of Canadian MPs including David Sweet, Conservative Party of Canada and a member of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights and International Trade and is also the Co-Chair of Parliamentary Friends of Tibet; Bernard Trottier, CPC; Wayne Marston, New Democratic Party and member of the sub-Committee on Human Rights and International Trade; Rob Anders; Joe Daniel, CPC; and Wladyslaw Lizon, CPC.

Chokey told Phayul that the Tibetan delegation was assured “significant constructive and moral support” for Tibet’s cause by the Canadian leaders, including tabling a resolution on Tibet in the Canadian Parliament and also pushing for a visit to Tibet by a Canadian delegation to assess the situation.

The TYC executive members from Dharamshala are on a month-long North America speaking tour which will end with the third preliminary Rangzen Conference scheduled to be held in New York from December 28-29.

Tibetan self-immolator Sungdue Kyab kept in a fortified hospital

Tibetan self-immolator Sungdue Kyab in an undated photo. December 4: The condition of Tibetan self-immolator Sungdue Kyab remains unknown two days after he set himself on fire near a monastery in Bora, eastern Tibet protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet. Although details were scanty following his self-immolation protest on December 2, now it is known that he was whisked away by Chinese security personnel from the site of his protest and being kept in a heavily fortified hospital. Sonam, an exiled Tibetan monk told Phayul that local Tibetans who were circumambulating the Bora Monastery in Bora town of Sangchu, Labrang Tashikhyil region of eastern Tibet, saw Sungdue Kyab’s body on fire and his head bleeding profusely. “Sungdue Kyab had set himself on fire and when he saw Chinese security personnel, stationed at the monastery, approaching, he began to smash his head against the walls,” Sonam said citing sources in the region. “By the time the police took him away, Sungude Kyab was badly burned and bleeding profusely from his head.” He was later admitted to a Chinese hospital in Kanlho and has been denied any visits by his family members. “The hospital where Sungdue Kyab is being kept is heavily guarded by Chinese armed forces and none of his family members have been allowed to meet him,” the same source added. “There is at present no information on the Sungdue Kyab’s physical condition.” Sungdue Kyab and his wife Dugkar Kyi have a son who is nearly two years old. His parents are Tsebha and Bendhe Tso. An alarming total of 92 Tibetans have self-immolated inside Tibet since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009, demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. The Dharamshala based exile Tibetan administration last month called for a ‘Global Solidarity Day’ to be observed on December 10, World Human Rights Day, in light of the escalating self-immolation protests in Tibet. The Central Tibetan Administration urged Tibetans and supporters to “light a candle or lamp, observe a minute’s silence, and a say a prayer for all those who have died for the cause of Tibet, and locally organise vigils and rallies” on December 10. “The international community must not remain an idle bystander,” CTA said yesterday in a release. “Governments, international bodies, human rights organisations and individuals can make a difference by intensifying their efforts to convince the Chinese government to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue.”

Breaking: Self-immolations continue in Tibet, Monk burns self to death in latest protest

Lobsang Gendun, a 29-year-old Tibetan monk passed away in his self-immolation protest against Chinese rule in Golog, eastern Tibet on December 3, 2012. In confirmed reports coming out of Tibet, yet another Tibetan set himself on fire today in Golog region of eastern Tibet in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet. Lobsang Gendun, a 29-year-old Tibetan monk self-immolated in Golog Pema Dzong at around 7:45 pm (local time). He succumbed to his injuries at the site of his protest. Tsangyang Gyatso, an exiled Tibetan told Phayul that Lobsang Gendun was a monk at the Penag Kadak Troedreling Monastery in Seley Thang region of Golog Pema Dzong. “According to eyewitnesses, Lobsang Gendun had his hands clasped in prayers as he raised slogans while engulfed in flames,” Tsangyang said. “He walked a few steps towards a busy road intersection and then fell to the ground.” Following the self-immolation protest, a minor scuffle broke out between local Tibetans and Chinese security personnel, who tried to confiscate Lobsang Gendun’s body. “Chinese security personnel arrived at the site of the protest and began to forcibly remove Lobsang Gyatso’s body,” the same source said. “But local Tibetans rushed in and rescued his charred body from falling into the hands of the Chinese authorities.” They later carried Lobsang Gyatso’s body to his monastery, where it is believed to be currently kept. Security has been heightened in the region following today’s fiery protest. Lobsang Gendun is survived by his parents, Golog Lokho and Sago Dewang, and his 11 siblings. The global rights group, Human Rights Watch last week said the unprecedented increase in the number of self-immolation cases in Tibet highlights the “failure of Chinese authorities to address Tibetan grievances” and blamed China’s “increasingly pervasive and punitive security measures” for having “exacerbated the situation” in Tibet. HRW renewed its calls for the formation of a contact group on Tibet while noting that “coordinated, international expressions of concern are essential to get Beijing to substantively address the issues being raised by Tibetans.” An alarming total of 92 Tibetans have self-immolated inside Tibet since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009, demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.

Kunchok Kyab passes away, Self-immolation death toll reaches 76

Tibetan self-immolator Kunchok Kyab in an undated photo.  Adding to the growing death toll in Tibet’s self-immolation protests, another Tibetan self-immolator passed away in a Chinese hospital, days after he set himself on fire protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet. Kunchok Kyab, 29, set himself on fire near a gas station in the Shagdom region of Dzoege, eastern Tibet on November 30. He was forcibly taken away by Chinese security personnel, reportedly to a hospital in Barkham, where he passed away on December 1. Speaking to Phayul, Kanyag Tsering, an exiled monk who has been closely monitoring the situation inside Tibet said Kunchok Kyab succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Barkham region of Ngaba in the evening of December 1. “Only a portion of his ashes were handed over to the family members,” Tsering said. Following the news of Kunchok Kyab’s death, a large number of local Tibetans and monks started visiting the deceased’s family, against strict orders, to offer their last respects and condolences. The same source added that the wellbeing and whereabouts of a group of young Tibetans who followed the Chinese police vehicles after seeing Kunchok Kyab being taken away, remains unknown. “We are not able to contact our sources in the region and thus have very little information on the present situation in the region,” Tsering told Phayul. Tibetan self-immolator Kunchok Kyab's two children in an undated photo. Kunchok Kyab has two children, a nine-year-old and a six-year-old. Many of the Tibetan self-immolators have died under unknown circumstances in Chinese custody after being taken away alive by security personnel. Last month, Tsegyal, a 27-year-old old father of two passed away in a Chinese prison after he was denied any medical attention for 12 days. Tsegyal set himself ablaze on November 7, in Tingser village of Bekar town in Driru (Ch: Biru) region of Nagchu, Tibet on the eve of the Chinese Communist Party’s 18th National Congress. From November 7 to 18, Tsegyal received no treatment for his burns while being held at a local police station in Nagchu town where he succumbed to his injuries. Tsegyu is survived by his two children, a six-year-old and an eight-month-old infant. The deepening crisis inside Tibet has witnessed large scale anti-China protests and a series of self-immolations that has now seen 91 Tibetans set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

A month after his meeting PM Cameron barred ministers from meeting the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama holding a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in London on May 14, 2012.

December 3: Revelations by a senior British member of parliament has shed light on a "blanket prohibition" that 10 Downing Street had thrown on its ministers on meeting the Dalai Lama during his UK visit this June.

British daily The Telegraph reported that two of its ministers Tim Loughton and Norman Baker were barred from meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader over lunch at the eleventh hour. The planned meeting then had coincided with crisis talks that PM David Cameron was holding over Eurozone countries at the G20 summit in Cancun, Mexico. China was in talks about offering £27billion, into a fighting fund expected to be used up by the International Monetary Fund to bail out Eurozone economies.

In July, the pair had written a private letter to PM Cameron, strongly protesting the manner in which way they were muzzled and complained about the “tremendous pressure” put on them to skip the meeting. The pair said they felt British policy over China was “tantamount to saying that British foreign policy on Tibet is whatever China wants it to be.”

The Dalai Lama had visited UK between June 14 and 23 and met with fellow Nobel Peace laureate and Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi besides interacting with a number of religious leaders and lawmakers.

“We feel we have to write to you to express our concern and annoyance with regard to the inflexible instruction given last week to ministers, prohibiting any contact whatsoever with the Dalai Lama during his visit to the UK,” the two ministers said in the letter.

The pair noted that their absence at the private lunch was “deeply embarrassing” in terms of their longstanding Tibetan connections and expressed surprise over how the Government could impose a “blanket prohibition on a minister meeting a religious leader in private in a non-ministerial capacity.”

They further said that although the government had earlier cleared their meeting, the then-foreign minister Jeremy Browne’s last minute intervention “crossed the line” and was “frankly just plain wrong.”

Baker is honorary president of the Tibet Society and Loughton, who was sacked from his ministerial post in September, is a member of the Tibet Society council.

The same month, China had threatened to pull its Olympic athletes out of their training camp in Leeds, due to a scheduled visit by the Dalai Lama to the city. Chinese officials asked Leeds City Council to put pressure on the organisers to cancel the Dalai Lama’s visit to attend the Yorkshire International Business Convention as its keynote speaker. The visit however went on as per schedule.

In May, the Dalai Lama met with PM Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg in London. The meeting went down badly in Beijing, which urged the UK to “stop conniving at and supporting” Tibetan separatist attempts.

Breaking: Tibet continues to burn, Tibetan man self-immolates

The wave of fiery protests inside Tibet continues unabated with reports of another self-immolation protest today in Bora region of Sangchu region in eastern Tibet.

According to exile sources, a young Tibetan man, identified as Sungdue Kyab, set himself ablaze in Bora town of Sangchu, Labrang Tashikhyil region of eastern Tibet.

Sungdue Kyab reportedly carried out his self-immolation protest in the afternoon today on the main street in Bora town near the Bora Monastery. Soon after he set himself on fire, Chinese security personnel arrived at the site of his protest, doused the flames and bundled him away. He is believed to have survived his protest.

According to eyewitnesses, Sungdue Kyab was alive when Chinese security personnel took him away, reportedly to a hospital in Tsoe.

Following the self-immolation protest, monks from the Bora Monastery and local Tibetans reportedly began to make preparations to go to Tsoe but were denied permission by the Chinese authorities. The situation in Bora is being described as tense and communication lines have been heavily hampered.

Further details are awaited at the time of filing this report.

On October 20, Lhamo Kyab, a 27-year-old father of two, passed away in his self-immolation protest near the Bora Monastery. He raised slogans calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.

The recent escalation in self-immolation protests in Tibet has accounted for 28 self-immolations in the month of November alone. 91 Tibetans have self-immolated inside Tibet since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009, demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.

Last month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, in a strong statement, urged Chinese authorities to “promptly address the longstanding grievances that have led to an alarming escalation in desperate forms of protest, including self-immolations, in Tibetan areas.”

Pillay said she was disturbed by "continuing allegations of violence against Tibetans seeking to exercise their fundamental human rights," and called on the Chinese authorities to release detainees, allow independent human rights monitors to visit Tibet, and to lift restrictions on media access to Tibet.

Speaking to reporters, Pillay's spokesman, Rupert Colville, told a news briefing in Geneva on Friday that the self-immolations “are an illustration of how serious the situation is."

"We don't see any progress in dealing with the underlying problems facing Tibetans both in Tibet and in other areas,” Colville said.

HRW renews calls for contact group on Tibet, Blames China for exacerbating situation

Ngawang Norphel and Tenzin Khedup raise Tibetan national flags as the set themselves on fire in Keygudo region of Tibet.  A global rights group has blamed the Chinese government for the alarming increase in self-immolation protests inside Tibet and renewed calls for the formation of a contact group on Tibet. Human Rights Watch said the unprecedented increase in the number of self-immolation cases in Tibet (28 in November), highlights the “failure of Chinese authorities to address Tibetan grievances.” In a release last week, HRW blamed China’s “increasingly pervasive and punitive security measures” in response to the protests for having “exacerbated the situation” in Tibet. HRW’s Asia Director Brad Adams called the self-immolations as acts of “complete desperation” to bring attention to the plight of Tibetans. “Instead of stepping up repression and driving people to believe there is no hope of change, Beijing needs to take steps to respond to Tibetans’ grievances,” Adams said. The rights group noted that the Chinese government has authorised “increasingly aggressive moves” against both individual Tibetans and Tibetan communities where immolations have taken place. “Since late October, officials have responded to immolations by punishing the families and communities of protestors, characterising immolations as criminal offenses, arresting those associated with immolators, and by deploying paramilitary forces and restricting communications and travel in areas where immolations have occurred,” the group said. HRW pointed out that the use of “collective punishment” is contrary to international human rights law, and said such instances infringe on the rights to freedom of religion and belief. “The central government should devote as much energy to addressing the deep-rooted problems facing Tibetans as it is on punishing the families of those who have taken the drastic step of protesting by self-immolating,” Adams said. HRW renewed its calls for the formation of a contact group on Tibet and asked governments committed to promoting human rights to jointly urge China to address Tibetan grievances by issuing a “joint statement on longstanding human rights problems in Tibet.” “Coordinated, international expressions of concern are essential to get Beijing to substantively address the issues being raised by Tibetans,” Adams stated. In November, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Federal German Government Markus Löning urged China to reform its policies in Tibet and allow international observers to visit the region. In a statement on November 21, the German rights commissioner noted that China’s new leadership will be “judged by its respect for human rights.” “This includes progress in dealing with dissidents and human rights defenders as well as in dealing with minorities,” Löning said. “I support the call of UN-High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who also has pointed to the situation in Tibet in face of the ongoing self-immolations. With allowing international observers and a policy that reduces tensions and acknowledges the deep dissatisfaction in Tibet, China would leave a mark for more humanity.”

Dharamshala observes World AIDS Day

Tibetan HIV/AIDS activists hold a large red ribbon, the universal symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV, in Dharamshala on December 1, 2012 World AIDS Day. DHARAMSHALA, December 2: Tibetans in the exile headquarters of Dharamshala observed December 1, World AIDS Day with programmes to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic. Ever since the disease was first discovered in 1981, the day has become one of the most recognised international health days to increase awareness, fight against the prejudices, and to mobilise community at grassroots level in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration released a documentary film titled, ‘Breaking the Silence’ aimed at sensitising and educating the general masses on HIV/AIDS. Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Health Secretary Sonam Choephel Shosur said that HIV/AIDS is one of the major health challenges facing the world today and warned that it has already penetrated into the exile Tibetan community. According to CTA, 130 HIV positive cases have been reported from Tibetan communities in various parts of India. The Dharamshala based CHOICE—HIV/AIDS Initiative, the lone Tibetan NGO dedicated towards AIDS awareness and providing support to HIV patients, held a day-long awareness program with the theme — “Getting zero: Zero new infection, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS related deaths.” Volunteers from the regional chapters of the Tibetan Youth Congress and Tibetan Women’s Association along with Students for a Free Tibet, India distributed posters and pamphlets in the town’s busiest intersections and screened documentaries to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS. Speaking to Phayul, Phuntsok Chomphel, the project manager of CHOICE stressed on the importance of undergoing HIV tests, especially for Tibetans living in India as they fall under the ‘high-risk category.’ “Although India has reported a 50% decline in new HIV infection in the last 10 years, the vast landmass and huge population of India makes it the world’s third largest country living with HIV/AIDS infection,” Chomphel said. “The Tibetan refugee population living in India falls under high-risk categories due to high mobility, poverty and lack of access to proper healthcare facilities.” According to the CTA Demographic survey of Tibetans in Exile 2009, HIV/AIDS is one of the 15 leading causes of death in the Tibetan exile community. Chomphel further urged people to be “supportive and non-discriminative” of HIV positive people. More than 25 million people have died so far of HIV/AIDS and approximately 34 million people are living with HIV/AIDS according to the UNAIDS 2011 statistics.

Top US official meets families of Tibetan self-immolators

Michael Posner, US assistant secretary of state for human rights.  Family members of three Tibetans who set themselves on fire in protest against China’s rule met with a top US official who expressed Washington’s grave concern over the critical situation in Tibet. The assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Michael Posner met with families of three Tibetan self-immolators at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department on Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Friday. "He (Posner) expressed our deepest condolences and our grave concern for the spiraling violence and harsh crackdown in Tibetan areas as well as, you know, grief with regard to the self-immolations," Nuland told reporters without disclosing the identities of the family members. "I think in order to protect them and their families, I won't go into any more details," she said. The recent escalation in self-immolation protests in Tibet has witnessed 28 Tibetans set themselves on fire in the month of November alone, demanding freedom and the return of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama from exile. An alarming total of 90 Tibetans have self-immolated since the fiery wave began in 2009. “We remain very concerned about rising tensions that result from counterproductive policies, including those that limit freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association in Tibet,” Nuland said. The State Department said it was disturbed over reports that Chinese police injured 20 Tibetan students earlier this week in a mass students’ protest against “a government-issued booklet which derided the Tibetan language, the Dalai Lama and self-immolators.” "We are going to continue to raise this publicly and privately and urge the Chinese government, at all levels, to address policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions and that threaten the distinct religious, cultural and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people," Nuland said. She added that the State Department will issue “a larger statement” on the Tibetan situation next week.