Fresh protest marks March 10 in Tibet (Updated)

DHARAMSHALA, March 10: In reports coming out of Tibet, three Tibetan monks today carried out a peaceful protest against China’s rule in Kardze region on eastern Tibet. Today is the 54th Tibetan National Uprising day and the fifth anniversary of the 2008 mass uprisings in Tibet. According to exile sources, the three monks of the Mangey Monastery, identified as Lobsang Samten, Sonam Namgyal, and Thupten Gelek, carried out a peaceful demonstration in Zachukha region at around 11:50 am (local time) calling for freedom and democracy in Tibet. According to eyewitnesses, they were carrying a white banner with the portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the centre and many slogans written on it. When Chinese security personnel arrived at the scene and began arresting the protesting monks, two lay Tibetans Lobsang Kalsang, 17, and Ngawang Gyatso, 41 tried to rescue them. Later, all five Tibetans were arrested. Their whereabouts and conditions are not known. Security has been intensified in the entire region following today’s protest. Last year on March 10, Gepey, 18-year-old monk of the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, eastern Tibet set himself on fire near a military camp in the region. Since then, as many as 107 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s occupation and demanding for freedom and the return on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. China appointed leaders of Tibetan areas earlier this week pledged to continue the fight against the “Dalai clique resolutely” and crackdown on “all secessionist forces and sabotage activities.” Speaking in Beijing on the sidelines of the ongoing National People’s Congress, the leaders called maintaining stability in Tibet their “top priority” and said they “can not relax at any moment” in their “long-term and intense” struggle against the Dalai Lama. Several countries and human rights groups have called on China to rethink its policies in Tibet and begin genuine talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama to find a long lasting solution to the issue.

Chinese join Tibetans in Melbourne for 54th National Uprising Day

Kalon Pema Chhinjor participating in the March 10 rally in Melbourne. DHARAMSHALA, March 10: A coalition of Chinese, Australian, and Vietnamese supporters along with Tibetans today marked the 54th Tibetan National Uprising Day in the Australian city of Melbourne. Over 300 people began the official commemorations at the city centre Federation square with a two-minute silence and prayers for Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for Tibet, including the 107 self-immolators. The participants then marched 10kms to the Chinese consulate through the heart of the city carrying photos of Tibet self-immolators, who have set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. In his address, Kalon Pema Chhinjor of the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration, reminded that the Tibetan struggle is not against the Chinese people but against the Chinese government’s polices of repression of Tibetan language, culture, religion, and basic human rights. He noted that Tibetans should reach out to Chinese friends both in Australia and the world over urging them to help the Tibetan cause and speak to their own government for the rights of Tibetans. President of the Melbourne Tibetan Community, Samdup Tsering in his speech urged Australian PM Julia Gillard to make a strong public statement of concern over the situation in Tibet and urge China to allow foreign journalists unfettered access to all Tibetan areas. A member of the Chinese Tibetan Friendship Association and the Chinese Democracy Party, Frank Ruanjie said that freedom for Tibet also means freedom for China. He added that there are many Chinese in Australia and elsewhere who support the cause of Tibet’s genuine autonomy and stand beside Tibetans in their fight for human rights. Representatives of the Vietnamese and Nagaland communities in their speeches reassured continued support and solidarity with the Tibetan people. At the Chinese consulate, the National Uprising Day Statement of Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people, was read out followed by vociferous sloganeering for Tibet’s freedom and human rights in Tibet.

From Brussels to Dharamshala, thousands expected to join March 10 protests

DHARAMSHALA, March 9: Tens of thousands of Tibetans and supporters will be pouring out on the streets the world over on March 10 to observe the 54th Tibetan National Uprising Day. Since March last year, more than 80 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s continued occupation and demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. In Brussels, nearly 5000 Tibetans and supporters from all over Europe are expected to take part in a mass solidarity rally to highlight the tragic situation and the self-immolation crisis in Tibet, and seek support for concrete European Union action. More than 27 Tibetan Community Associations in Europe have for the first come together to organise the March 10 rally. Speakers at the event, apart from European leaders, include Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche, the exiled abbot of the Kirti Monasteries, Speaker Penpa Tsering, and Kalon Dicki Chhoyang. The organisers in a release said that through the mass solidarity rally, Tibetans will be appealing the EU and its Member States to urge China to review its failed hard-line policies in Tibet and allow unfettered access to Tibet for the media and international fact-finding delegations. The EU will also be called upon to instruct its Special Representative for Human Rights to seek access to Tibet and to appoint an EU Special Coordinator for Tibetan Affairs with the primary task of encouraging and facilitating a dialogue between the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government. In Toronto, Canada, around 3000 Tibetans, wearing traditional Tibetan clothes will carry out a mass rally tomorrow morning. Organisers said the marches will also carry 99 dummy coffins, draped in Tibetan national flags, in honour of Tibetan self-immolators who have passed away. Canadian members of parliament, Wayne Marston, who is also the Vice Chair Subcommittee of International Human Rights and Peggy Nash, among others, will be addressing the rally. In London, Tibetans and supporters will be marching from Downing Street to the Chinese Embassy where Tim Loughton MP will address a rally. The Tibet Freedom March in London will be calling on the Chinese government to end its six-decade brutal regime in Tibet and to respect the rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people. Tibetans and supporters will also be urging David Cameron to speak up for the people of Tibet and make a public statement of concern over the current human rights situation in Tibet. In the exile headquarters of Dharamshala the official March 10 function will be attended by Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people and Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament. Six ministers of the exile Tibetan administration will be attending official Tibetan National Uprising Day functions in four different continents tomorrow.

Tibet increasingly identified with self-immolations: Secretary Kerry

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Tibetan writer and activist Tsering Woeser waving from the balcony of her home in Beijing on Friday. DHARAMSHALA, March 9: Tsering Woeser, the Tibetan writer and activist, was awarded in absentia the 2013 International Women of Courage Award by the First Lady Michelle Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry in a formal function held at the State Department on Friday. Woeser is currently under house arrest and has been repeatedly denied passport by the Chinese government. Secretary John Kerry, while awarding the prize to Woeser, said, “for courageously striving to improve human rights conditions for China’s Tibetan citizens by illuminating their plight through her writings, and thus giving eloquent voice to those whose stories might otherwise never be heard, Tsering Woeser is a woman of courage.” Secretary Kerry noted that Tibet has become “increasingly identified with self-immolations and protests against the deteriorating human rights condition” of Tibetans. “Against this backdrop, Tsering Woeser has emerged as a clarion voice of the people, even as the Chinese Government has worked to curtail the flow of information from Tibet. Through her website, called Invisible Tibet, her poetry, her nonfiction works, her savvy use of communication networks like Twitter, Tsering has bravely documented the situation around her,” Secretary Kerry said. “She says that “to bear witness is to give voice,” and that is what she is doing for the millions of Tibetans who cannot speak for themselves. And she has vowed to never give up or compromise.” In her remarks, First Lady Michelle Obama said, "This is not an honor bestowed on a few but a call for action to all of us." "These honorees ... have shown the potential to stand up and demand action for the next generation." "With every blog post these women have inspired millions," she added. Woeser had earlier dedicated the award to the Tibetan self-immolators, numbering 107, who have set themselves on fire protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. Beijing reacted sharply to the honour bestowed on Woeser, accusing her of distorting facts about Tibet. "Woeser has frequently published articles distorting facts about Tibet that vilify China's ethnic policies, incite ethnic separatist feelings, and destroy China's ethnic unity," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing Friday. "The United States giving this kind of person an award is the same as public support for her separatist speech, and clearly violates its frequent promises to recognise Tibet as part of China." Since 2007, the International Women of Courage Award has been presented in recognition of women around the globe who have demonstrated courage and leadership, often at great personal risk, to promote justice and rights. Tsering Woeser is among ten awardees this year.

China leaders vow to fight “Dalai clique resolutely”

] Jampa Phuntsok, chairman of the so called Tibetan Autonomous Region’s people’s congress standing committee, left, and Tibet's governor Padma Choling, right, at a National People's Congress Tibetan delegate group's discussion session in Beijing. DHARAMSHALA, March 9: China appointed leaders of Tibetan regions have renewed their pledge to fight against the “Dalai clique resolutely” and crackdown on “all secessionist forces and sabotage activities.” The leaders were speaking in Beijing on the sidelines of the ongoing National People’s Congress, which will formally enthrone China’s new set of leaders headed by Xi Jinping. "We will always place maintaining stability as our top priority and keep on crackdowns on all secessionist forces and sabotage activities," Lobsang Gyaltsen, chairman of the so called Tibet regional government, said during a panel discussion. Speaking from the same platform, Padma Choling, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region's people's congress, accused the ‘Dalai clique’ of encouraging self-immolations while failing to provide any evidence. When asked about the nature of the evidence, Choling merely told reporters: “We have evidence, but it is not convenient to tell you now.” The Chinese government is yet to release concrete details linking the incidents to the exile Tibetan community. Jampa Phuntsog, TAR vice-party secretary added that regional authorities will take “strong measures to ensure the region's social stability." The harangue of accusations comes a day after communist party leaders in eastern Tibet made similar declarations saying that their “struggle against the Dalai Lama is long-term and intense" and that they “can not relax at any moment.” Since 2009, as many as 107 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s continued occupation and demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. The exile Tibetan administration has denied all allegations by China and invited representatives of the Chinese government to investigate its offices in Dharamshala, India. Speaking before a parliamentary committee in Canada last month, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, while noting that the exile Tibetan administration has made repeated calls to Tibetans inside Tibet not to resort to self-immolation, said that Tibetans are bound by duty to honour the sacrifices. “As Buddhist or person of faith, we pray for all those who have died, including the self-immolators. And as a Tibetan, we support the aspiration of the Tibetan people inside Tibet including the self-immolators.” The de facto Tibetan prime minister further pointed out that through the fiery protests, Tibetans are saying “occupation is unacceptable and repression is unbearable.” “There is political repression, economic marginalisation, environmental destruction, cultural assimilation, and denial of religious freedom (in Tibet) ... There is no space for any kind of protest and there is no freedom of speech for Tibetans. Hence tragically and sadly, they are resorting to self-immolation,” Sikyong Sangay said.

Tibetans observe 24th anniversary of declaration of martial law in Tibet

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay lead the Central Tibetan Administration in observing the 24th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in Tibet in 1989. Prayers were offered at the Tsug-la Khang on March 8, 2013. 

DHARAMSHALA, March 8: The exile Tibetan administration today held a special prayer service to mark the 24th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in Tibet’s capital Lhasa on March 8, 1989.

Hundreds of Tibetans including all staff members of the Central Tibetan Administration led by Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people and school students attended the prayer service at the Tsug-la Khang, the main temple in Dharamshala.

Speaking to the media, Ngawang Choedak, Secretary of the Department of Religion and Culture said the prayer service was held in “solidarity with all the Tibetans martyrs who were killed, jailed, and tortured during the martial law imposition in Lhasa.”

China under the then Tibet communist party Secretary Hu Jintao imposed martial law in Lhasa on March 8, 1989 after three days of protest by Tibetans against Chinese rule. 16 Tibetans died in the protests and thousands of armed forces were deployed in the city.

The martial law continued for 13 months and ended on May 1, 1990. All foreign journalists, tourists, and diplomats were banned from the region for two years. In total, around 2000 Tibetans were killed during the entire period of the imposition of martial law.

The exile Tibetan administration has been holding similar annual prayer services since 1990.

A former political prisoner, Venerable Bhagdro, who was in Lhasa during that time, shared his memories of the unrest and martial law in Tibet.

“It was sometime before I was jailed when I was hiding up in the mountains,” Ven. Bhagdro recalled. “I heard from people about the declaration of martial law in Lhasa. But I had to go to Lhasa for treatment as I was shot in my leg by Chinese armed forces. I faced lots of problem as the city was completely under lockdown.”

Ven. Bhagdro expressed further remorse that the situation in Tibet has not seen any improvement.

“Presently, the situation in Tibet is very critical. CCTV cameras have been put in most of the monasteries and Potala Palace. Monasteries are no more monasteries, it is more like prison and monks are treated like prisoners.”

Breaking: Tibetan monk self-immolates in Nepal

An unidentified Tibetan monk self-immolates in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 13, 2013, the day marking 100 years of the declaration of Tibetan Independence by His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama. February 13: A Tibetan monk today set himself on fire today near the holy stupa of Boudhanath in the heart of Nepalese capital city Kathmandu. In a photo received by Phayul, the monk could be seen engulfed in towering flames. No further information is available on the identity of the monk or his condition, although our sources in the region fear for the worst. According to eyewitnesses, the monk was severely burned and was later rushed to a hospital. Further information is awaited. Across the Himalayas, as many as 99 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. The self-immolation today coincides with the 100 years of the declaration of the “Tibetan Proclamation of Independence” by His Holiness the Great 13th Dalai Lama. Exile Tibetans and supporters all over the world have planned major events to commemorate the historic event reasserting Tibet’s independence. In recent years, following growing ties between Nepal and China, Kathmandu has clamped down strictly on Tibetans refugees living in the country. This is not the first occasion when a Tibetan has set himself on fire in Kathmandu. In November 2011, a Tibetan monk Bhutuk set himself ablaze at the same spot. He survived his fiery protest and later escaped to India following a large scale manhunt by Nepali police.

Tibetans to mark 100 years of Independence Proclamation

Thubten Gyatso, the Great 13th Dalai Lama DHARAMSHALA, February 12: Exactly 100 years after His Holiness the Great 13th Dalai Lama declared the “Tibetan Proclamation of Independence,” Tibetans and supporters all over the world are geared up to celebrate the historic event, reasserting Tibet’s independence. Thubten Gyatso, the 13th Dalai Lama, was forced to take refuge in British India from 1910 – 1912 following the Manchu invasion of Tibet. When the Manchu (Qing) Dynasty collapsed in 1911, Tibetans expelled the remnant Manchu forces from Tibet, paving way for the Dalai Lama to return and exercise a political authority not seen since the reign of the great Fifth Dalai Lama. The overthrow of the Manchu forces and return of the Dalai Lama to Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, proved historically significant for Tibetans as it marked the full restoration of Tibet’s independence. The 13th Dalai Lama declared Tibet’s independence on February 13, 1913 (8th day, first month, water ox Tibetan year) by making the ‘Tibetan Proclamation of Independence,’ a five-point public statement reasserting Tibetan Independence. For more than three decades following the proclamation, Tibet was to enjoy complete independence, free from any foreign control, until the occupation of invading communist Chinese forces. In the Indian capital New Delhi, Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile, will be holding its fourth preliminary Rangzen Conference to mark the event. After holding a series of similar conferences in Europe, Taiwan, and North America, the conference in India is planned as a build up to a major international Rangzen (Independence) Conference later this year. As part of the commemorations, TYC has also commissioned an exhibition of documents, artifacts, and photos corroborating Tibet’s nationhood. An image of the re-creation of the 1913 Tibetan Proclamation of Independence. The Dharamshala based Tibetan Women’s Association, in a release said the largest Tibetan’s women’s group in exile “stands firmly for the undeniable truth that no one can rewrite and remake history.” “As vividly described in the five points of Tibetan Declaration of Independence, Tibet was an independent nation from the time of King's reign,” TWA said. “It is out of China's arrogance and shamelessness that she illegally occupies Tibet with the untruthful idea that this region is an inseparable part of mainland China.” To mark the event, the 56 regional chapters of TWA, spread all over the world, will be distributing copies of the Tibetan Proclamation of Independence. In the exile headquarters of Dharamshala, the centennial celebrations will be marked with a day-long programme organised by the Students for a Free Tibet, India. The group will be organising a ‘Tibet Independence Exhibition: Reclaiming History’ at the TCV Day School followed by a talk on the topic, ‘His Holiness the 13th Dalai and Independence of Tibet.’ The celebrations will continue into the evening with the ‘Tibetan Independence Day Concert’ at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. Tibetan singing sensation, Karma Emchi, who shot into fame with his viral song ‘Shabhaley’ will be performing at the concert. SFT, India in a release said, “Tibetans are countering China’s claims to their homeland and asserting their determination to be free” by publicly celebrating their history as a sovereign nation. “At this time when the Chinese government is doing everything in its power to crush the Tibetan resistance, we believe that a commemoration of the 1913 Tibetan Proclamation of Independence will refresh our spirits, reaffirm our vision and strengthen the struggle to achieve freedom for the Tibetan people,” the group said.

Prayers and protests mark Losar

Tibetans in Pokhara marking the first day of Losar with hunger fast and prayers for Tibetans inside Tibet on Feb 11, 2013. DHARAMSHALA, February 12: Tibetans inside and outside Tibet observed the Tibetan new year, Losar, with prayers and protests as a mark of respect and solidarity with the ongoing critical situation in Tibet. The Tibetan lunar new year, which this year fell on February 11, saw muted celebrations for the fifth year in a row, following China’s brutal crackdown of the 2008 peaceful protests in Tibet. In 2012, as many as 83 known Tibetans set themselves on fire protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people, last month, requested all Tibetans to forgo the usual new year festivities given the “continuing tragic situation” in Tibet. “Instead, when this year’s holiday falls on February 11, I ask you to perform only the customary religious rituals like visiting temples and making offerings,” Sikyong Sangay had said. “Kindly pray for all who have sacrificed their lives and for all who continue to suffer in occupied Tibet.” In the Tibetan exile headquarters of Dharamshala, the customary ‘Tsetor’ ceremony was held early in the morning on Monday at the Tsug-la Khang, the main temple. Monks of the Namgyal Monastery and officials of the Central Tibetan Administration recited the invocation of Palden Lhamo, the guardian deity of Tibet, which was followed by monks participating in a brief Buddhist philosophical debate as part of Losar rituals. Thousands of Tibetans, wearing traditional dresses, were also seen visiting the Tsug-la Khang to offer prayers. Also in Dharamshala, around 40 students of the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah, sat on a 24-hour hunger fast in solidarity with Tibetan self-immolators and protesting China’s repressive policies in Tibet. Covering their mouths with black cloth, the students also wrote in their own blood the name ‘Lobsang Konchok,’ a Tibetan monk who was recently sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on charges related to the self-immolation protests. The students called the sentences passed by China “unfair and unjust” and said they planned to organise more campaigns to protest the verdicts passed by China against several other Tibetans. Tibetan students of the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah write the name of Tibetan monk Lobsang Konchok with their own blood in Dharamshala on the first day of Losar, February 11, 2013. In the Indian capital New Delhi, over a hundred Indian and Tibetan students from the Delhi University participated in a marathon on the first day of Losar. The marathon, organised by the Students for Free Tibet, India also marked the beginning of the celebrations of the 100th year of the Tibetan proclamation of independence. "Our celebration marks a paradox in that it is both an occasion of celebration and mourning the lives of Tibetans who have burnt themselves to fight for that very freedom," said Ugyen Choedup, SFT leader. Tibetans and supporters worldwide will be commemorating the Centennial of the proclamation of Tibetan Independence on February 13, 2013. In the Nepali city of Pokhara, around 40 Tibetans sat on a day-long hunger fast on Monday. Organised by the regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Paljorling, the Tibetans also offered 500 butter lamps for those who have passed away in the ongoing self-immolation protests. There are also reports of mass prayer gatherings in at least three different areas of eastern Tibet on the first day of Losar. According to information received by Phayul, photos of Tibetan self-immolators were displayed at the prayer gatherings held in front of portraits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Mass arrest of Tibetans in connection with self-immolations

Tibetans and foreign supporters carry photos of self-immolators during the final day of the four-day solidarity campaign in New Delhi on Febraury 2, 2013.

In a first of its kind mass arrest in connection with the ongoing wave of self-immolation protests in Tibet, Chinese authorities have arrested 70 Tibetans in eastern Tibet.

Chinese state media Xinhua on Thursday cited police in the Malho region as saying that the “criminal suspects” were captured in connection with a “string of self-immolations that have occurred since November 2012.”

As many as 99 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 protesting Chinese rule and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.

The report cited a senior police official as saying that more efforts will be exerted to “thoroughly investigate the cases and seriously punish those who incite innocent people to commit self-immolation.”

Lyu Benqian, who heads a special police team investigating the self-immolations also blamed “the Dalai Lama clique” for “masterminding and inciting” the protests.

“Personal information, such as photos of the victims, were sent overseas to promote the self-immolations,” the report cited him as saying.

"Some of the victims were frustrated and pessimistic in life, and they wanted to earn respect by self-immolation," Lyu added.

The report also carried stories of several individual self-immolators, claiming that their personal problems were the reason for their protests.

Among those arrested, the report cited one Phagpa, a young Tibetan in Dowa, Rebkong region, who was arrested for attending the funerals of six self-immolators, offering donations to their family members and working to spread ideas related to separatism and "Tibetan independence."

Last month, Chinese courts sentenced a Tibetan Lobsang Kunchok to death with a two-year reprieve and Lobsang Tsering to 10 years on charges of “intentional homicide.” The same day, another court sentenced six Tibetans to varying jail terms of 12 to three years in jail on similar charges.

Following the sentencing, New York based global rights group, Human Rights Watch, said Chinese authorities should “immediately release” Kunchok and Tsering, while noting that their conviction “relied solely on confessions they gave during five months in detention.”

“These prosecutions are utterly without credibility,” said Sophie Richardson, China director. “The Chinese government seems to think it can stop self-immolation by punishing anyone who talks about it. But in pursuing these ‘incitement’ cases, the government compounds the tragedy of these suicide protests.”



HRW noted that it has documented “endemic use of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and coercion of Tibetans in detention.”

“Self-immolations take place in the context of the Chinese government’s long-standing repressive policies in the Tibetan areas that have seen severe restrictions on Tibetans’ rights,” HRW said.

The Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration also condemned the harsh sentences, blaming the Chinese leadership as “solely responsible for the growing unrest and deteriorating situation in Tibet.”

“The series of rushed sentences clearly show that Tibetans in Tibet are denied basic human rights,” the exile Tibetan administration said. “It is also evident that these are done in utter disregard to the Tibetan aspiration and deep anguish at the continuing self-immolations in Tibet.”

The Dalai Lama in Bihar at CM Nitish Kumar’s invitation

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama being received by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at Patna Airport on January 3, 2013.  January 4: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai arrived in the Indian state of Bihar at the invitation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Thursday. The Dalai Lama was received at the Patna airport by the Chief Minister and a host of top government officials. The Tibetan spiritual leader is scheduled to inaugurate a three-day International Buddhist Sangha Seminar on The Role of the Buddhist Sangha in the 21st Century jointly organised by the Bihar Art and Culture Department and the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee. Hundreds of delegates from 20 countries, including China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Japan are expected to attend the meet starting January 5. Earlier today, the Dalai Lama held a special prayer at the Chief Minister’s One Anne Marg official residence for world peace. CM Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, Water Resources Minister Vijay Chaudhary, state JD(U) President Vashist Narayan Singh, and party Rajya Sabha member R C P Singh were among those who took part in the prayer. Talking to media persons, the Dalai Lama praised the chief minister and the state government for taking keen interest in Buddhism. Describing Nitish Kumar as "a dynamic Chief Minister," the Tibetan leader said he was "very happy to visit the land of King Ashoka who spread Buddhism in the world." While mentioning the glorious history of modern day Bihar, the Nobel Peace laureate recounted the names of the state’s great sons like independent India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad and Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan. Also today, the 77-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, along with CM Kumar, inaugurated a statue of Lord Buddha at the Buddha Smriti Parka in the state capital. Following his visit to Patna, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to leave for Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh to give four days of teachings on Shantideva's A Guide to the Boddhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug) from January 7 to 10.

CM Omar Abdullah meets Tibetan parliamentary delegation

Students from Ladakh and Zanskar regions of Jammu and Kashmir state carrying out a Tibet solidarity protest in Jammu city on January 2, 2013.

January 4: The all-India lobbying campaign initiated by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile began its month-long campaigning in north India with a meeting with Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The north zone Tibetan Parliamentary delegation called on the honorable Chief Minister on January 2 in the state’s winter capital, Jammu city. According to a release by the delegation, Omar Abdullah, during the meeting, expressed his support for Tibet’s cause.

“The leaders of the Chinese government very well know that the struggle carried on by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is for autonomy in Tibet,” Omar, who has met the Tibetan spiritual leader on several occasions, said. “Presently, Hong Kong and Macau enjoy a special autonomous status under the Chinese rule and I find China’s reluctance on Tibet hard to understand.”

The delegation also met with Ngawang Rigzin Jora, Minister of Tourism and Culture; Members of the State Legislative Assembly; and other high level India officials of the state, which shares its border with China occupied Tibet.

On January 2, as part of the lobbying campaign, around 150 students from the Ladakh and Zanskar regions of the state carried out a protest march in Jammu city in solidarity with the ongoing crisis inside Tibet. The students paraded Tibetan national flags and banners calling for solidarity with the demands of the Tibet self-immolators.

Following their visit to the state, the north zone delegation will then take the Tibet lobbying campaign to other north and central Indian states, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Last month, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile announced the all-India lobbying campaign as part of the exile Tibetan administration’s attempts at garnering wider support for international intervention in the ongoing crisis inside Tibet.

95 Tibetans have set themselves on fire inside Tibet protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

The Tibetan parliament said the delegations, apart from holding meetings with senior leaders, will also address press conferences and interact with the general masses to “spread awareness on the critical situation inside Tibet and garner their support.”

The north zone parliamentary delegation comprises of MPs Dawa Tsering, Ghang Lhamo, Geshe Kalsang Damdul, and Mogru Tenpa.

First Tibetan Teachers’ Meeting underway in Dharamshala

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay addressing the First Tibetan Teachers' Meeting in Dharamshala on January 3, 2013. 

DHARAMSHALA, January 4: More than 150 Tibetan teachers and administrators from all over India are currently meeting in the exile headquarters of Dharamshala for a first of its kind meeting organised by the Education Department of the Central Tibetan Administration.

The three-day ‘First Tibetan Teachers’ Meeting’ began Thursday aimed at promoting an open discussion on ways to develop the education system in Tibetan schools. Teachers and officials of the Education Department will be sharing their views and suggestions on a wide range of topics.

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people, who is also the Kalon of the Department of Education, presided over the inaugural ceremony held at the Tibetan Children’s Village School, Lower Dharamshala.

Sikyong Sangay in his address recalled his school life and spoke about the education system in Tibetan schools.

He noted that improving the education system would take teamwork over a long period of time.

“Improving the education system will take our joint effort of not just two or three years but rather, we all should work together like our five fingers,” Sikyong Sangay, who is a product of the Central School for Tibetan, Darjeeling said.

“The Administration is to provide all the facilities, school heads must utilise those facilities, teachers are to teach, students are to study, and parents and relatives of the students must also play their roles.”

He further emphasised that literacy rate should not be the sole benchmark of academic competence and excellence.

“The literacy rate of Tibetans in exile is 84 per cent and population wise, we are better than India, Nepal, and Bangladesh,” the Harvard law graduate said. “But even though we are better in reading and writing rate, it is also obvious that we lack the quality to become experts.”

The meeting comes on the heels of the recent launch of the Tibet Education Project, a two-year programme, aimed at improving the quality of education opportunities for Tibetan refugee students in India and Nepal.

The USD 2 million project includes intensification of teacher development and training; expansion of Scholarship Program; Scale the Counseling Program; prioritising Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education; providing Test Preparation and Coaching for Secondary School Students and Improve Educational Management

In line with the 14th Kashag’s prioritisation of education, the exile administration also recently announced new scholarship schemes representing a 50 percent increase in its annual scholarship funding.

The Department of Education currently oversees 73 Tibetan schools – excluding the pre-primary sections and private schools – in India and Nepal under different autonomous administrative bodies. There are around 24,000 students and 2,200 staff members in these schools.

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.

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.

Tibetan school students appeal for global intervention in Tibet crisis

Students of the Tibetan Children's Village School, Upper Dharamshala carrying out a peace march in solidarity with Tibetan self-immolators on November 24, 2012.

With the continuing escalation in protests against Chinese rule in Tibet, school students in the exile seat of Dharamshala carried out a peace march followed by a prayer session in solidarity with Tibetan self-immolators, Saturday.

Senior students of the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School carried out a peace march from the school basketball court to the Martyr’s Pillar near Tsug-la Khang, the main temple.

The school’s student council, which took the initiative to organise the march and prayer service, said the entire students, through the campaign, express solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet and send a clear message to the United Nations and the international community that they need to take “urgent and effective actions to end the crisis inside Tibet.”

To accentuate their appeal, the marching students wore cross marks on their eyes, ears, mouth and hands.

Thupten Dorjee, the school captain told Phayul that the cross marks symbolise the urgent need on the part of the UN and the international community to “monitor the unfolding crisis inside Tibet, listen to the six million Tibetans, speak up for the demands of the Tibetan self-immolators, and take effective action and send a special delegation to asses Tibet’s situation.”

“Although, we are in the middle of our preparations for our final exams, but despite that the students felt it necessary to organise the campaign to express our concern and solidarity with the tragic happenings inside Tibet,” Dorjee said. “We do clearly understand that our first responsibility as of now is to study hard for the cause of Tibet.”

Students of the Tibetan Children's Village School, Upper Dharamshala carrying out a peace march in solidarity with Tibetan self-immolators on November 24, 2012.

The students then took out a candle light vigil back to the school. A short video depicting the ongoing wave of self-immolations inside Tibet was screened to the students following which a prayer service was held in the evening.

The deepening crisis inside Tibet has witnessed large scale anti-China protests and a series of self-immolations that has now seen 81 Tibetans set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

November alone has reported 19 self-immolations and protests by thousands of Tibetans, including by school students in the Rebkong region of eastern Tibet.

Exiled Tibetans express helplessness over rising self-immolations

Exiled Tibetans have expressed their helplessness over the alarming rise in cases of self-immolations and anticipate no positive impact of the new China leadership, as previous governments have fallen back on their promises and adopted repressive policies in Tibet. 

Recent reports from Tibet say that a Tibetan man died after setting himself on fire in Luchu in north-eastern Tibet on Thursday night, taking the total self-immolation count to 80, including 18 in this month. 

On November 15, China’s ruling Communist Party unveiled an older, conservative new leadership line-up that appears unlikely to take the drastic action needed to tackle pressing issues like social unrest, environmental degradation and corruption.

New party chief Xi Jinping, premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang and vice-premier in charge of economic affairs Wang Qishan, all expectedly named to the elite decision-making Politburo Standing Committee, are considered cautious reformers. The other four members have the reputation of being conservative.

Except for Xi and his deputy Li Keqiang, all the others in the standing committee – the innermost circle of power in China’s authoritarian government – are 64 or over and will have to retire within five years.

The Tibetan government in-exile in Dharamshala has already appealed to international organizations to urge China to change give up their repressive policies.

Director of Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Tsering Tsomo, said: “It shows that they are desperate for particularly the people of Tibet. So, because of the repressive policies, because of the strict control over the day-to-day life of particularly the monasteries. They cannot practice their daily rituals, routine, as they like. Each and everything is being strictly controlled by the Chinese people.”

The new leadership will have to quickly get down to business to address several pressing issues – and the Tibetan unrest might not be the top of the agenda – but Tibetan exiles warned that if the situation is left to simmer then it could become a major headache for the new leaders.

The United Nations’ most senior human rights official had called on China to address frustrations that have led to Tibetans’ desperate protests, including more than 70 self-immolations since March 2011.

China has refused, and continues to blocks foreign journalists from the region. It has set up roadblocks to some Tibetan areas where there has been unrest.

Tensions over Tibet are at their highest in years after a spate of protests over Chinese rule and self-immolations by Tibetan activists, which have prompted a Chinese security crackdown.

Some 78 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against Chinese rule over Tibetan region. At least 64 have died, according to Tibetan rights groups.

The surge in self-immolations in China in protest over its rule in Tibet has heightened tension in recent months. Indian-based rights groups said there had been a massive security clampdown in Tibet and Tibetan areas of China, and in some instances protesters were beaten even as they were ablaze.

Meanwhile, Tibetan activist and renowned poet, Tenzin Tsundue, while speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, said: “It actually shows how China is insecure in Tibet and how they are losing control, while Tibetans have been suffering under the Chinese occupation, but we are becoming much more united and overall, there is unity and a very powerful non-violent resistance movement is going on under the leadership of His Holiness Dalai Lama.”

China rejects criticism that it is eroding Tibetan culture and faith, saying its rule has ended serfdom and brought development to a backward region.

China has ruled Tibet since 1950, when Communist troops marched in and announced its “peaceful liberation”

Tsundue said that the cases of self-immolation pointed towards a serious crisis in Tibet and that the Chinese government was losing its authority and control in Tibet. 

“It is not three, not even ten, here we are talking about 78 cases of self-immolation and a series of such phenomena nowhere in the world had ever happened, in the entire history of the world. 78 cases of self immolation says that issue of Tibet will not only live on, but there is a serious crisis happening in Tibet and this also shows the Chinese government is losing its authority, its control in Tibet and they are now desperate to do anything possible,” he said. 

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising, has accused China of “cultural genocide”.

Beijing considers him a separatist and does not trust his insistence that he only wants greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

Beijing denounces the self-immolations as acts by terrorists and criminals.

The Dalai Lama denies he is a separatist and says he only wants meaningful autonomy for his Himalayan region. He made no direct comment on the self-immolations or to United Nations report that urged China to address deep-rooted frustrations that have led to such desperate forms of protest by Tibetans.

China should allow UN officials' visit to Tibet

Dharamsala: The newly-appointed Chinese leaders should accept the requests for official visits to Tibet by the UN nominees and implement recommendations made by its agencies, Tibetan political leader Lobsang Sangay said here on Saturday.

The strong and unprecedented statement of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and visit by US Ambassador to China Gary Locke to Tibet clearly show that the situation there needed to be urgently addressed, said the political successor to the Dalai Lama.

He was addressing a prayer meeting organised by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to express solidarity with those who "sacrificed" their lives for the cause of Tibet.

Meanwhile, one more person died after setting himself on fire in Luchu in Kanlho in north Tibet on Thursday night, taking the number of self-immolations to 80 since March 2009, including 18 in this month alone, claimed the CTA.

Sangay said despite repeated CTA appeals not to take drastic actions, self-immolations continue in Tibet.

"I appeal to the international community and governments to stand for justice by answering the universal aspirations of Tibetans in Tibet: the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans," he said.

The 43-year-old Sangay, who took over as political successor to the Dalai Lama, appealed to Tibetans and supporters around the world to participate in the global solidarity day on December 10.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in this northern Indian hill town.

Man Dies in Latest Self-immolation Protest, Toll Rises to 81

Dharamshala: - A latest source coming out of Tibet has stated that one more Tibetan has died after setting himself on fire in Tsekhog township, Rebkong county (Chese: Zeku, Qinghai Province) in Malho of Amdho region in north-eastern Tibet.

"Tadrin Dorjee, 29, set fire to himself at the entrance of Dokarmo town office in Tsekhog around 6:30 pm (local time) on Friday, 23 November. He then chanted prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with folded hands. 

Dorjee reportedly died on the spot. He is survived by his parents, and four sisters and brothers.
According to sources from inside the region, "thousands of local Tibetans offered prayers and attended his funeral that night."

The Chinese authorities have cut off all communication, including Internet and phone lines following the incident in the region, the sources stated.

The sources also stated that armed Chinese forces and police in paramilitary vehicles stepped up patrols in the area and surrounding areas, after two separate self-immolation protests Friday alone by two Tibetans in protest against Chinese rule over Tibet.

The latest incident has pushed the total self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet to 81, including 5 in last 6 days and 19 within this month alone, according to the exile Tibetan administration.

The self-immolators have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, earlier this month strongly urged the Chinese government to "promptly address the longstanding grievances that have led to an alarming escalation in desperate forms of protest, including self-immolations, in Tibetan areas, and said she was disturbed by "continuing allegations of violence against Tibetans seeking to exercise their fundamental human rights."

The Central Tibetan Administration on Friday strongly stressed its deep concern over the tragic escalation in self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet, as news of the Tibetan self-immolations have been spreading rapidly in the world in recent months.

Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the political leader of Tibetans (Tibetan: Sikyong), the democratically-elected leader of the Tibetan people and political successor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, appealed to Tibetans and supporters around to world to form a coalition with as many human rights groups to organise and participate in the Global Solidarity Day on 10 December.

"We also request them to dispatch delegations to visit different media organisations in order to create awareness about the ongoing tragedy in Tibet. Equally important is to reach out to as many members of Parliament, Congress and government officials, Dr Sangay said.

“Despite our repeated appeals not to take drastic actions, self-immolations continue in Tibet. Therefore, I appeal to the international community and governments to stand for justice by answering the universal aspirations of Tibetans in Tibet: the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans,” he further said.

Exiled Tibetans begin with 120 kilometres march to protest Chinese atrocities inside Tibet

Hundreds of exiled Tibetans began a 120-kilometer-long march from Sikkim to West Bengal, as a mark of protest against incidents of self-immolations caused by Chinese atrocities.

The march is organised by the Tibetan Youth Club of Gangtok.

The president of the Tibetan Youth Club of Gangtok, Chung Chung Bhutia, said: “We are organising this march from Gangtok to Siliguri as a mark of protest against Chinese atrocities on our compatriots in Tibet. Though, China says that they have human rights but Tibetans are not given their rights, which is invoking them to resort to self-immolation. Till now, the number of self-immolations has increased to 79.”

The rally is supposed to end in Siliguri in West Bengal on November 27.

Bhutia said that hundred thousand rupees would be spent on the march and the amount had been donated by Tibetans across Sikkim.

Recently, Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had pressed China to investigate the dozens of self-immolations by Tibetans.

The United Nations’ most senior human rights official had called on China to address frustrations that have led to Tibetans’ desperate protests, including some 60 self-immolations since March 2011.

China has refused, and continues to blocks foreign journalists from the region. It has set up road blocks to some Tibetan areas where there has been unrest.

Tensions over Tibet are at their highest in years after a spate of protests over Chinese rule and self-immolations by Tibetan activists, which have prompted a Chinese security crackdown.

Some 78 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against Chinese rule over Tibetan region. At least 64 have died, according to Tibetan rights groups.

The surge in self-immolations in China in protest over its rule in Tibet has heightened tension in recent months. Indian-based rights groups said there had been a massive security clampdown in Tibet and Tibetan areas of China, and in some instances protesters were beaten even as they were ablaze.

China rejects criticism that it is eroding Tibetan culture and faith, saying its rule has ended serfdom and brought development to a backward region. 

China has ruled Tibet since 1950, when Communist troops marched in and announced its “peaceful liberation”

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising, has accused China of “cultural genocide”. 

Beijing considers him a separatist and does not trust his insistence that he only wants greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

Beijing denounces the self-immolations as acts by terrorists and criminals.

The Dalai Lama denies he is a separatist and says he only wants meaningful autonomy for his Himalayan region. He made no direct comment on the self-immolations or to United Nations report that urged China to address deep-rooted frustrations that have led to such desperate forms of protest by Tibetans.