Decoding the puzzle of the Indian govt. circular distancing itself from Dalai Lama event
March 5, 2018
The Wire, March 03, 2018 – With a top official having directed all functionaries to avoid any commemorative events organised to mark 60 years of Dalai Lama’s exile in India, there is a bit of a puzzle about the underlying message from this order since the Modi government had earlier projected that it was ready to play the ‘Tibet card’.
The Indian Express reported on March 4 that Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha had issued a classified circular“discouraging” government functionaries – political and bureaucratic – from attending events organised by the Tibetan government-in-exile to mark the key anniversary over the next few months.
The circular was apparently issued to central ministries and state governments on the urging of the new foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale. The letter from Gokhale to Sinha was dated February 22, as per the newspaper. A day later, Gokhale travelled to Beijing on his first visit to China as foreign secretary.
The Ministry of External Affairs responded to reporters queries on the Indian Express report by stating that India has not changed its position on the Dalai Lama. Describing him as a “revered religious leader” who is “deeply respected” by Indians, the MEA added that the Dalai Lama is “accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India”.
According to some sources, similar circulars have been sent out in previous years as periodic reminders to government officials to keep their distance.
However, according to another former Indian diplomat, it was a “little surprising” that a formal circular was issued. “Government does at times discourage people from attending a meeting, but this was a pre-emptive move…and done on a formal circular,” he said.
Former director of the Institute of Chinese studies Alka Acharya also wondered if these notes were a normal routine. “It would not be surprising if such notes were sent around by the MEA from time to time in the past as well, possibly on the eve of state visits or when some very high-profile functions were organised,” she said.
The Cabinet Secretary’s circular gave the reasoning that the Dalai Lama’s upcoming commemorative events would be held at a “very sensitive time in the context of India’s relations with China”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit in June. The Times of India reported that there are important bilateral meets planned ahead of that high-level visit by Modi.
India-based French expert on Sino-India ties and Tibet, Claude Arpi, described himself as “sad” at the issuing of the circular, adding that “sensitive time means nothing”. “Times have been ‘sensitive’ since the Dalai Lama crossed the border at Khenzimane on March 31, 1959. It will remain ‘sensitive’,” asserted Arpi.
China has frequently raised the issue of presence of Tibetan refugees and activities of Dalai Lama with the Indian government. The default Indian position has always been that India is a “open society” and there are not many restrictions on freedom of expression, including for refugees.
“It is a sensitive issue that has always been managed. The Dalai Lama has been meeting senior government functionaries. A complete restriction on him is something we have never accepted,” said the former Indian diplomat.
In fact, he pointed out that the circular could give the impression to the Chinese that the government has more leverage on the activities of the Tibetan exiles. “It raises expectations,” he said.
Arpi agreed that China will also ‘note’ that India agreed “to their demand and ask more”. “It will not help India in the long run,” he argued, adding, “…if the time was really sensitive, one or two ministers could be told not to meet HHDL (His Holiness Dalai Lama). Why a circular? [This is] uncalled for.”
He asked whether China would have been ‘nicer’ and supported Indian aspirations at the UN Security council if India had capitulated at Doklam. “The answer is No”.

UN experts call on China to release Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk
February 26, 2018
Central Tibetan Administration, February 22, 2018 – A group of UN human rights experts* expressed concern over incarcerated Tibetan language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk and called on China to release him “immediately”.
In the public statement issued today, the group of UN human rights experts expressed concern over labelling “inciting separatism” against Tashi Wangchuk, who was featured in a documentary film calling for “linguistic and cultural rights in Tibet”. The experts called on China to “drop” all the allegations against his comments featured “in an article and video documentary in the New York Times”.
The experts condemned the Chinese authorities for detaining Tashi Wangchuk and “criminalization of his freedom of expression as well as his right to stand and speak up for what he perceives as human rights violations in his region and country”.
The experts further notified the Chinese authorities to respect and uphold the “right of persons belonging to minorities to use and promote their own culture and languages without restrictions, and without fear of reprisals or criminalization”.
In November 2017, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted an opinion concerning Tashi Wangchuk during its 80th session in Geneva. The Working Group urged China “to take the steps necessary to remedy the situation of Mr Wangchuk without delay and bring it into conformity with the relevant international norms, including those set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.
In February 2017, a group of five UN Special Rapporteurs expressed concern over the “arrest, initial incommunicado detention and continued detention” of Tashi Wangchuk. The Rapporteurs further expressed concern over the “separatist charges” to “criminalize” Tashi Wangchuk for exercising freedom of expression and “defense of cultural rights”.
A two-member delegation from the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration consisting of Secretary Sonam Norbu Dagpo and Kalden Tsomo, head of UN and Human Rights Desk, is currently in Geneva for a week-long advocacy that began on Monday, 19 February 2018.
*Experts who issued public statements are Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Ms. Karima Bennoune, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Mr. Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Mr. Jose Antonio Guevara Bermudez, Chair- Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mr. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Mr. David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of opinion and expression.

Three Tibetans holding valid passports are refused entry to China

February 26, 2018
Radio Free Asia, February 23, 2018 – Chinese authorities at Chengdu airport in Sichuan blocked three Tibetans holding foreign passports from entering China on Thursday, questioning them harshly and detaining them for hours before expelling them, Tibetan sources say.
No explanation was given for the move, which saw the three members of the group, who had hoped to visit family members in Sichuan, sent back to South Korea after being turned away, a Tibetan living in exile told RFA’s Tibetan Service.
Two members of the group held South Korean passports, and the third held a U.S. passport, RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They were detained for eight hours in a small room at the airport, without even a drop of water to drink,” RFA’s source said, adding that a Chinese immigration official and other police officers took turns interrogating the group.
“Besides asking them all kinds of questions, they also searched their web chat and notebooks and made copies of their telephone contacts,” the source said.
“The authorities did not listen to any of their explanations, and the group feels that they were scorned and mistreated because of their Tibetan origins.”
All three held valid visas to enter China, RFA’s source said.
Strict screening
Tibetans with foreign passports go through a strict screening process and must meet conditions required only of Tibetans when applying for visas at Chinese embassies overseas, the source said.
“But even then, many of them encounter various problems on the way, such being stopped and searched at the airport or having their visas revoked when they arrive,” he said.
Harassment is seen more frequently in the lead-up to politically sensitive dates, such as the March 10 anniversary of a 1959 Tibetan national uprising against Chinese rule, he added.
Chinese control of passports held by Tibetans living in China has meanwhile blocked travel by members of the ethnic group hoping to travel to India to attend religious teachings given by exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, sources told RFA in earlier reports.
In January, authorities in northwest China’s Qinghai province blocked Tibetans from traveling outside the country by refusing to reissue passports confiscated the year before.
The move affected hundreds of Tibetans traveling as pilgrims to India and Nepal and as tourists to other Asian countries, and came amid official concerns over Tibetans’ presence at a series of Buddhist teachings led by the Dalai Lama in January.

U.S. Under Secretary for Public Affairs reiterates its support for Tibet
February 26, 2018
Voice of America, February 23, 2018 – Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein recently marked the Tibetan New Year by recognizing the many contributions of Tibetans globally as well as Tibetan-Americans in the United States. At the same time, he noted that “Tibetans face great challenges in other parts of the world, especially on the Tibetan plateau.” Under Secretary Goldstein reiterated U.S. support for “the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct identity.”
One way the U.S. has supported the Tibetan people is through the Tibetan Scholarship Program, which has made possible the exchange of over 400 Tibetans from communities in India and Nepal. Participants pursue graduate-level education at U.S. colleges and universities in disciplines that address pressing needs within Tibetan communities.
Indeed, the U.S. will celebrate in April the Tibetan Scholarship Program’s 30 years of academic exchanges with an alumni event in Dharamsala, India. Through presentations and photo exhibits, program alumni will share how they have applied the knowledge, values, and relationships they gained while in America to positively impact their communities back home.
The United States is committed to promoting sustainable development and environmental conservation in Tibetan communities, and to supporting humanitarian assistance to Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal.
The United States remains committed to improving respect for the human rights of Tibetans, including their freedom of religion. “It is important that Tibetans be able to practice freely their faith and select their religious leaders in keeping with their own customs and traditions, without interference,” stressed Under Secretary Goldstein.
“Finally, and most importantly,” said Under Secretary Goldstein, “we recognize that the Tibetan people must have a voice in their own future.”

China censors social media in Tibet fire breakout at the hallowed Tibetan Buddhist temple.
February 19, 2018
CNN, February 19, 2018 – Fire appears to have engulfed the gilded roof of Tibetan Buddhism’s holiest temple, though details on the extent of the damage are scarce even two days later.
Chinese state-controlled media confirmed a blaze broke out Saturday at the Jokhang Temple in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, and reported that it was quickly brought under control. No injuries were reported.
Authorities appear to be censoring mentions of the fire online and suppressing any details of the cause or aftermath.
Some social media posts on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform like Twitter, appear to have been erased by government censors. The ability to re-post and comment on other posts was disabled by Monday afternoon after working earlier in the day.
The status of Tibet is one of China’s most sensitive politics topics. Travel to the region is heavily restricted and news about the region is often censored.
Jokhang Temple is widely considered to be one of the most sacred and important sites in Tibet. Buddhist pilgrims prostrate themselves in front of the temple every day, as they have since it was first built in the 7th century.
Devastating news from Lhasa of the Jokhang temple on fire.
CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of videos being shared online showing the fire, and could not reach authorities for comment due to the Lunar New Year holiday.
Chinese state media Xinhua said the bustling Barkhor market which surrounds the temple was reopened Sunday. The temple was also open Sunday but will be closed for the next few days as monks celebrate the New Year holiday, Xinhua reported.
China’s state-controlled Tibet Daily News confirmed there had been a fire but it has since been put out. No one was hurt and the surrounding area is now “back to normal,” according to the paper.
Jokhang is one of China’s most heavily-secured sites.
The square outside the temple has seen a number of anti-China demonstrations by Buddhist monks over the years, protesting what they say are consistent attempts by the Chinese government to suppress Tibetan culture and religious freedom.
The temple itself is constructed mainly of wood. It’s age, primary building materials, constant burning of incense inside and the fact that the interiors are small and cramped, would make firefighting difficult. A CNN team that visited the temple in 2016 saw little firefighting equipment.
Simmering tension
Tibet was de facto independent following the collapse of the Qing dynasty, but was incorporated into the People’s Republic of China in 1951, after the communist party won the country’s civil war, to the chagrin of many in the Tibetan Buddhist community.
After a failed revolt against Chinese rule in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama — Tibet’s spiritual leader — fled to India. The Dalai Lama’s former home, the Potala Palace, is located just a few kilometers away from Jokhang Temple.
Simmering defiance from Tibetans sometimes boils over into large-scale riots. Activists say more than 140 people have lit themselves on fire in protest of Beijing’s rule since 2009.
China requires all foreign tourists to have permits and sometimes shuts down access for weeks at a time. It only rarely allows reporters to visit the region. CNN has been permitted to visit twice since 2006.
However, China has been grooming the region for a boom in tourism. New villages have been built and a second rail line, connecting Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to Lhasa has been. China already has a 1,956 kilometer railway line between Qinghai and Tibet.
Many Tibetans feel that the increase in visitors and the influx of Han Chinese, China’s dominant ethnic group, has put their native culture and religion under siege from a government that sees religion as an existential threat to their leadership.

US lawmakers lash out at Mercedes-Benz for kowtowing to China over Tibet
February 19, 2018
By Matthew Pennington
The Washington Post, February 14, 2018 – Two Republican lawmakers lashed out Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz for apologizing in China for quoting Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in a social media post.
Sen. Marco Rubio complained that many major companies “are increasingly prepared to toe Beijing’s line.” Rep. Chris Smith called it “corporate capitulation.”
Last week, Mercedes-Benz issued an apology in China after a Dalai Lama quote – “Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open” – appeared on its Instagram account. The auto company apologized for “wrong information” that “hurt the feelings of Chinese people.”
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India, of seeking to split the territory of Tibet from China. He says he only wants autonomy and to protect the region’s distinctive Buddhist culture.
The apology followed a series of incidents in which major corporations have bowed to criticism from China. Delta Air Lines, hotel operator Marriott, fashion brand Zara and other companies have also offered up apologies for referring to self-ruled Taiwan, semi-autonomous Hong Kong, and Tibet as countries on websites or promotional material.
Smith, an arch critic of China’s authoritarian government, singled out Delta and Marriott for apologizing, and declared: “Corporate America needs to get more of a backbone.” Rubio said there was a “grim irony” in China demanding the removal of a post on Instagram, which is blocked inside China.
The lawmakers were speaking at a hearing on Tibet of the Congressional Executive Commission China which monitors human rights and the rule of law in the Asian nation. Among the witnesses was Tibetan filmmaker, Dhondup Wangchen, who fled to America last December after serving a six-year prison term for “subversion of state power.” He had distributed writings of the Dalai Lama and made a documentary on conditions in the Himalayan territory.

US Congress introduces resolutions to commemorate Tibet’s 1959 uprising as “Tibetan Rights Day”
February 19, 2018
International Campaign for Tibet, February 15, 2018 – Today, Senators Leahy (D), Feinstein (D), and Cruz (R) and Representatives McGovern (D) and Hultgren (R), introduced companion resolutions to commemorate the 1959 Tibetan Uprising as “Tibetan Rights Day” on March 10, and to support the human rights and religious freedom of the Tibetan people in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The resolutions recall that on March 10, 1959 the people of Lhasa rose to protect the residence of the Dalai Lama, fearing for his life, and that an estimated 87,000 were later killed during the ensuing violent crackdown orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party. Furthermore, the resolutions recalls that March 10, 2018 is also the tenth anniversary of the 2008 protests that started in Lhasa and then spread across the Tibetan plateau, which were brutally suppressed by Chinese authorities. At least 152 Tibetans have self-immolated inside the PRC in protest against Chinese rule since then.
The resolutions stigmatize the PRC’s interference in the religious freedom of the Tibetan people, specifically noting the enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama and the installation of their own candidate in his place. The resolution also cites the 14th Dalai Lama’s statement on the identification of a 15th Dalai Lama, saying, “no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends” by PRC authorities.
“We stand by the Tibetan people, who have long been our unwavering friends,” Senator Leahy said in a statement issued in support of the resolutions, calling Communist Party claims that they have the authority to select a future 15th Dalai Lama “absurd.” “We can foster closer, cooperative relations with China, but until China works with Tibetan leaders to pursue a new way forward, their reputation in the community of nations, and their ability to act as a global power, will remain deeply tarnished,” he concludes.
The resolutions recognize March 10, 2018 as “Tibetan Rights Day,” and oppose the efforts of the PRC to identify and install reincarnate Tibetan Buddhist leaders. They call on the Secretary of State to fully implement the Tibetan Policy Act in cooperation with like-minded states where appropriate, urge the US Ambassador to China to meet with the Panchen Lama, and call for further efforts to open a consulate in Lhasa.
The resolutions were introduced at the end of a week that marked the first visit to Washington, DC of Dhondup Wangchen, a former political prisoner who spent six years in jail for filming the documentary film ‘Leaving Fear Behind.’ Dhondup testified at a Congressional Executive Commission on China hearing on February 14 and met with State Department officials and Congressional leaders.

A former political prisoner sentenced to three years for urging China to follow its policy on ethnic unity
February 19, 2018
TCHRD, February 18, 2018 – A prominent former political prisoner who had been detained incommunicado more than a year ago was sentenced to three years on the charge of ‘inciting separatism’ early last month in Tsojang (Ch: Haibei) ‘Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture’ (TAP), Qinghai Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.
Mr Tsegon Gyal, 55, was sentenced on 10 January by the Tsojang prefecture intermediate people’s court and has since been transferred to Dongchuan prison in Siling (Ch: Xining) city to serve his term. Sometime before his sentencing, Mr Gyal’s parents had been allowed to meet him for the first time since his detention in December 2016.
The court announced the verdict after more than eight months of holding Mr Gyal’s trial on 3 May 2017. Mr Gyal’s parents and relatives were not invited to observe the closed-door trial. He was not provided any legal representation or access to a fair trial. Until his sentencing, he had been kept incommunicado in the custody of the prefecture State Security Bureau officials at the Kangtsa County detention center.
A source in Tibet informed TCHRD that Mr Gyal was most likely sentenced for publishing a blogpost on WeChat in which he criticised the Chinese government for failing to genuinely promote its policy of ‘ethnic unity’. Successive policies and campaigns implemented by Chinese authorities have shown that the unity promoted among ‘ethnic groups’ is essentially aimed at diluting the distinct cultural and religious identity of Tibetans and other so-called ethnic minorities.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its 78th session in April 2017 ruled that the deprivation of liberty of Mr Gyal was arbitrary and that there is no legal basis to justify his detention. The Working Group also maintained that international norms relating to the right to a fair trial as established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the relevant international instruments were not observed and that Mr Gyal’s detention “constitutes a violation of international law on the grounds of discrimination based on birth, national, ethnic or social origin, language, religion, economic condition, political or other opinion … or any other status, that aims towards or can result in ignoring the equality of human beings.”
The Working Group had transmitted communication concerning Mr Gyal to the government of China on 3 February 2017 but neither receive a response by the deadline 5 April 2017 nor a request for a deadline extension . In cases where there is true and reliable information that a person detained for a regular crime was punished for exercising their fundamental rights, the Working Group asserts that it is the Government’s responsibility to produce specific evidence of the basis of the conviction.
Mr Gyal was charged of ‘inciting separatism’ on 24 December 2016 after more than two weeks of his detention. In detention, he had staged a silent protest by refusing to respond to his interrogators. By exercising his right to silence, Mr Gyal protested against the violation of his right to hire a lawyer and seek legal protection. Chinese Criminal Procedure Law contains weak protection against self-incrimination, or the right to be presumed innocent. Article 14 (g) of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights asserts the right not to be compelled to testify against oneself as well as the right not to confess guilt. This right becomes all the more crucial when a person is detained incommunicado and vulnerable to torture and coercive interrogations.
TCHRD strongly condemns the arbitrary detention and sentencing of Mr Gyal without granting him the access to legal representation and the right to a fair trial. Mr Gyal must be released without any delay or conditions because he broke no law. The right to freedom of expression and opinion is enshrined in Chinese Constitution and guaranteed in the international human rights instruments. Chinese authorities must stop the endemic practice of jailing peaceful Tibetan activists and government critics on trumped up charges of ‘inciting separatism’.

South African MP slams China for opposing Tibetan leader’s visit
February 12, 2018
Business Standard, February 10, 2018 – South African parliamentarian Sandy Kalyan on Saturday condemned China’s opposition to the visit of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay to her country. She called on China to stop “overstepping” on South Africa’s sovereign rights.
“The reaction by the Chinese embassy at the visit to South Africa by Lobsang Sangay, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration, is so over the top and quite ludicrous,” she said, as per a post on the CTA website.
Noting Sangay had been invited by Inkatha party chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi to attend the State of the National Address (SONA) by President Jacob Zuma, she called on China to stop threatening South Africa.
“In a manner reminiscent of a child throwing a tantrum, the Chinese issued a strongly worded statement that the visit would result in Chinese investment being discouraged.”
“Such veiled threats to the government of SA cannot be ever entertained.
If China wants to go, it should go. The time for non-South Africans to hold the South African Government to ransom is long gone.”
The Chinese embassy in Pretoria has strongly protested over Sangay’s visit, accusing the South African government of disregarding the long-standing commitment to ‘One China Policy.
Kalyan, who belongs to the country’s largest opposition party the Democratic Alliance, pointed out that “directing South Africa’s foreign policy is not the mandate of BRICS and that private chats do not translate into policy or promises as alleged by the Chinese government”.
She attended CTA’s five-Fifty forum here in October last where Sangay and the Dalai Lama were also present.
Sangay arrived in Johannesburg on February 5 for his maiden four-day visit – the first ever official visit of a Tibetan political leader to the African continent since the Dalai Lama’s visit in 1996.
At the invitation extended by Inkatha, Sangay was originally scheduled to attend Zuma’s address at the inaugural session of the South African Parliament on February 8, the CTA said, but it was postponed owing to domestic political tensions in South Africa.
The Tibetan administration is based in the northern hill town of Dharamsala where a community of Tibetans lives in exile with their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Former Tibetan prisoner disappears again, less than two years after his release
February 5, 2018
Free Tibet, January 30, 2018 – A former Tibetan prisoner has disappeared from Lhasa, less than two years after his release. Lodoe Gyatso, also known as Sog Khar Lodoe Gyatso, went missing in the Tibetan capital on 28 January 2018.
Although the reason for Lodoe Gyatso’s disappearance is currently unclear, local Tibetans believe that he has been arrested and removed, possibly because he was planning to protest against the Chinese military occupation of Tibet.
Local sources who knew Lodoe Gyatso say that he wanted to organise a peaceful demonstration that would call for the return of the Dalai Lama, who he saw as a leader of world peace, to Tibet. The demonstration would also call for the demilitarisation of armed forces worldwide, including those of China, and for Tibet to become a zone for world peace.
Lodoe Gyatso is one of many Tibetans who have ‘disappeared’ after protesting against the occupation or raising concerns about human rights in occupied Tibet.
Born in 1962 in Sog county in central Tibet, he was first arrested in 1993 in a criminal case and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
On 4 March 1995, while he was in the notorious Drapchi prison, Lodoe Gyatso wrote about his wish to protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. He subsequently read out loud a letter on this theme, distributed 300 hand-written letters and shouted pro-Tibet slogans.
Following this protest he was subjected to torture and finally put forward for execution. After the intervention of the United Nations and other human rights groups, the death sentence was commuted to a further six years imprisonment.
In 2013, after over two decades of imprisonment and in very poor health following the torture he experienced, Lodoe Gyatso was released. However, in 2015 and 2016 he was repeatedly arrested and detained after expressing strong criticisms of the actions of Chinese authorities.