Tibet activists meet in Mexico City for 2017 Americas regional strategy meeting
September 11, 2017
Canada Tibet Committee, September 9, 2017 – From September 1-3, the CTC participated in the Americas regional meeting of Tibet activists hosted by the International Tibet Network in Mexico City.
The event brought together Tibet Support Groups (TSGs) from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Chile. It provided groups a unique opportunity to discuss new campaigns being carried out by their organizations. The TSGs in attendance also participated in workshops designed to build new skills such as strategic planning, improving communication strategies, and strengthening the movement.
During the meeting, CTC representative Ms. Kunchok Dolma, delivered a brief presentation on the recently-launched campaign around the Canada-China Free Trade Agreement. Given Canada’s priority on entering a free trade agreement with China, engaging the debate between business and human rights is a key CTC strategy for keeping the Tibet issue on the Canadian government’s agenda.
President of Central Tibetan Administration, Dr. Lobsang Sangay delivered the keynote speech on the final day of the meeting. He stressed the importance of making the Tibet narrative relevant at the regional level as well as in the global context. President Sangay also emphasized the need to recognize and uncover China’s One Belt, One Road initiative in global trade.
Other speakers included Representative of Latin American Countries, Mr. Tsewang Phuntsok; TSG Liaison Officer of DIIR, Mrs. Sonam Sangmo; Professor Michael Davis from the University of Hong Kong and Jindal Global University; and Alan Cantos who led the team in Spain that launched a lawsuit against former Chinese leaders based on the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Dalai Lama joins international call to end violence against Rohingya
September 11, 2017
The Telegraph, September 11, 2017 – The UN human rights chief on Monday slammed Burma’s apparent “systematic attack” on the Rohingya minority, warning that “ethnic cleansing” seemed to be underway.
“Because Myanmar has refused access to human rights investigators the current situation cannot yet be fully assessed, but the situation seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein told the UN Human Rights Council.
The condemnation came as the Dalai Lama also spoke out for the first time about the Rohingya refugee crisis, saying Buddha would have helped Muslims fleeing violence in Buddhist-majority Burma.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks after violence flared in neighbouring Burma, also known as Myanmar, where the stateless Muslim minority has endured decades of persecution.
The top Buddhist leader is the latest Nobel peace laureate to speak out against the violence, which the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma says may have killed more than 1,000 people, most of them Rohingya.
“Those people who are sort of harassing some Muslims, they should remember Buddha,” the Dalai Lama told journalists who asked him about the crisis on Friday evening.
“He would definitely give help to those poor Muslims. So still I feel that. So very sad.”
The United Nations says 294,000 bedraggled and exhausted Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since the militants’ attacks on Burma security forces in neighbouring Rakhine state on August 25 sparked a major military backlash.
Tens of thousands more are believed to be on the move inside Rakhine after more than two weeks without shelter, food and water.
“The operation… is clearly disproportionate and without regard for basic principles of international law,” Mr Zeid said.
“We have received multiple reports and satellite imagery of security forces and local militia burning Rohingya villages, and consistent accounts of extrajudicial killings, including shooting fleeing civilians,” he said.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s government has come in for strong international criticism over the military’s treatment of the Rohingya.
“I call on the government to end its current cruel military operation, with accountability for all violations that have occurred and to reverse the pattern of severe and widespread discrimination against the Rohingya population,” Mr Zeid said.
He said he was particularly “appalled” by reports that Burmese authorities had begun laying landmines along the border with Bangladesh to prevent those who fled from returning.
He also criticised “official statements that refugees who have fled the violence will only be allowed back if they can provide ‘proof of nationality’,” pointing out that Burma since 1962 had been stripping Rohingyas of a wide range of rights, including citizenship rights.
“This measure resembles a cynical ploy to forcibly transfer large numbers of people without possibility of return,” he said.
Mr Zeid urged the Burma government to “stop pretending that the Rohingyas are setting fire to their own homes and laying waste to their own villages.”
“This complete denial of reality is doing great damage to the international standing of a government which, until recently, benefited from immense good will,” he said, calling on authorities to allow his office access to investigate the situation in the country.
Burma’s population is overwhelmingly Buddhist and there is widespread hatred for the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship and labelled illegal “Bengali” immigrants. Buddhist nationalists, led by firebrand monks, have operated a long Islamophobic campaign calling for them to be pushed out of the country.
Burma’s de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been condemned for her refusal to intervene in support of the Rohingya, including by fellow Nobel laureates Malala Yousafzai and Desmond Tutu.
Archbishop Tutu, who became the moral voice of South Africa after helping dismantle apartheid there, last week urged her to speak out.
“If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep,” Tutu said in a statement.

Tibetan officials commemorate 57th Democracy Day, call for unity and perseverance
September 4, 2017
Tibetan Kashag, September 2, 2017 – On this special occasion of the 57th anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day, the Kashag [Cabinet of Department Heads] pays its highest obeisance and bows in deep gratitude to Tibet’s supreme leader and the pioneer of Tibetan democracy, His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama. The Kashag extends its warmest greetings to all Tibetans, and to our friends around the world.
In accordance with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s great vision, Tibetan democracy came to light on this day, 57 years ago. Before the Chinese occupation of Tibet, even at a young age, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama set up a Reform Committee in an attempt to bring reform in the Tibetan social system. However, with the worsening situation, His Holiness had to take refuge in India and soon after his arrival in India, His Holiness followed his vision by making the political system of exile Tibetans into a democratic institution.
In exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama made groundbreaking efforts in preserving Tibet’s unique religion, culture, language and identity. Hence, in India, the base of Tibetan Administration was established; schools, settlements, health centres, monasteries, and institutes of learning and culture were also built. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has over the years overcame many trials and tribulations and has through his visionary leadership continued to steer the Tibetans through the right trajectory.
His Holiness established and steered the democratic system of Tibetans in exile through timely administrative and legislative reforms. Tibetan democracy was greatly strengthened with the election of deputies representing all the provinces of Tibet and religious schools in the Tibetan parliament. In an effort towards ensuring equal gender representation, seats for women were reserved in the parliament. Taking stock of the increasing number of Tibetans in diaspora, reserved seats were provided to represent Tibetans in almost 40 different countries. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile is now a full-fledged and a vibrant legislative body both in terms of representation as well as its constitution.
Similarly, the Kashag was re-established in exile and procedures of appointing the Kalons were improved. In 2001, His Holiness announced his status as semi-retired and called for the first direct election of the Kalon Tripa, the executive head of Central Tibetan Administration. A decade later His Holiness made a historic change with the announcement of devolution of his political responsibilities to the elected leader. His Holiness declared on August 08, 2011 at the swearing-in-ceremony of Kalon Tripa that he has fulfilled his ‘long cherished goal’ of bringing democracy to the Tibetan people. An amendment to the charter in 2012 changed the title to Sikyong which is now referred as the President of Central Tibetan Administration in English.
Despite the many hardships faced by an exile community including an increasingly scattered Tibetan population, the Tibetan community has over the last five decades successfully transformed into a fully functioning democracy that is lauded by many and has become a paragon of virtue for other exile communities. His Holiness’ farsighted and visionary leadership made this possible. We therefore take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to our most esteemed leader.
The establishment of a full-fledged democratic polity in exile and the foundations of the freedom struggle, which is based on the principles of non-violence, have won many supporters and allies, in particular that of many Chinese intellectuals and democracy activists. The pinnacle of unity among Tibetans that was once pertinent during the reign of the three great kings of Tibet has once again been revived under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
However, unfortunate incidents of internal bickering and regional discord have in recent past negatively impacted Tibetan unity. It is incumbent upon a democratic polity to champion the cause of diversity of opinion but when infested with vested interests, it not only weakens the fabric of the community but also sows the seeds of discord and disharmony. Therefore, we once again urge every Tibetan to keep in their heart the wise counsel of His Holiness the Dalai Lama calling on Tibetans to be united for the common cause of Tibet.
Since the invasion of Tibet by communist China in 1949, over a million lives have been lost. The Chinese government continues to deny basic freedom for Tibetans and their failed policies in Tibet have exacerbated the human rights situation in Tibet. Consequently, 149 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest since 2009. They have clearly expressed the aspirations of the Tibetans—restoration of freedom for Tibetans and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
The Chinese government, instead of addressing the legitimate aspiration of the Tibetan people has resorted to greater repression and in worse case, the criminalization of self-immolation. This is an abject disregard for basic human rights and a violation of the basic principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In recent months we have also witnessed two cases of self-immolations in exile. While the Kashag empathizes with the intention of the self-immolators, but we believe that the life of every Tibetan is precious and that we must be alive to fight for our cause. Therefore, the Kashag appeals to every Tibetan inside and outside Tibet to refrain from resorting to drastic actions such as self-immolation. Specifically, the Kashag not only discourages self-immolation protests in exile but we urge the exile Tibetans to pursue more powerful means by honing one’s educational, professional and personal competency to substantially contribute to the Tibetan cause.
Although the Constitution of PRC as well as the National Regional Autonomy Law provides for the right to preserve and promote one’s language and religion, however reality suggest otherwise. Tibetans in Tibet are denied this right and face impediments in practicing their language and religious faith. The systematic clampdown on religious institutes and members of the monastic community are akin to the days of the Cultural Revolution. Since last month, demolition and eviction of residents at Yachen Gar have begun. The large scale demolition and forced eviction of monks and nuns at Larung Gar that began in July last year evinces the attempt of Chinese Government to control Tibetan culture and religious life and is an act of trampling on the basic religious freedom and fundamental rights of the people in Tibet.
Another example is the case of Sabriye Tenberken, a German lady’s school for the blinds established 19 years ago in Lhasa. The Chinese government lauded her accomplishments and even gave awards to her several times. However, the Chinese government recently ordered the closure of the school on the pretext of the school being under western influence. This school had hugely benefitted Tibetan students. This action by the Chinese government has shocked many especially those concerned with children’s education.
Starting from March of this year in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, a propaganda campaign called the “Four emphases and four love” was started. Under the banner of “Love the motherland by emphasising unity” fight against separatism and defamation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been amplified. We call upon the Chinese government to immediately cease defaming His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If the Chinese government is genuine in their approach to resolving the long-standing issue of Tibet, it is expected of them of refrain from shifting the blame on His Holiness and instead benefit from His Holiness’ wise leadership.
As recognized by many intellectuals and world leaders alike, the Chinese government should accept the fact that His Holiness the Dalai Lama presents the best opportunity and solution to resolving the issue of Tibet. While we remain committed to constructively engage with the Chinese leadership, we call on them to resume dialogue with the representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
In autumn this year, we will witness an important change in the composition of the Chinese leadership during the 19th Party Plenum. With this change in leadership, we hope for a lasting resolution to the issue of Tibet through the Middle Way Approach. The Kashag reaffirms its commitment to the Middle Way Approach as envisioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in gaining genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people within the framework of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China.
On this special occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the citizens and successive Government of India for their continued hospitality and steadfast support for the Tibetan people for the past 58 years in exile. We also express our sincere thanks to all the friends of Tibet and freedom loving people across the globe who have continued to champion the cause of Tibet.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Botswana had to be called off last month solely due to exhaustion following a series of travel and public engagements. He has been advised rest. We would like to reassure everyone that His Holiness is in good health.
Lastly, we pray for the long life of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. May all his wishes be fulfilled and may the non-violent cause of Tibet prevail.
KASHAG
September 2, 2017
Note: This is a translation of the Tibetan statement. Should any discrepancies arise, please treat the Tibetan version as final and authoritative.

Scarred landscapes, piles of rubble and polluted waters… how illegal mining left a trail of devastation across a nature reserve on the Tibetan plateau
September 4, 2017
South China Morning Post, August 30, 2017 – A visit to the area by a reporter for The Beijing News earlier this month found evidence of large-scale environmental damage to the scenic area on the Tibetan Plateau, which is home to the sources of the Yangtze, Mekong and Yellow Rivers.
Photographs showed a landscape ravaged by illegal coal and iron mining, with dirty polluted water and open-pit mines hacked into the surrounding mountainsides.
The reporter visited three illegal mines in Yushu County, a mostly rural, sparsely populated area of Qinghai Province.
At Zhasu coal mine, rubble from explosions littered the area with much of the surrounding alpine vegetation destroyed.
Another nearby coal mine, also abandoned, had mining waste and coal slag residue piled up metres high without being disposed of safely.
Daha coal mine, 38 kilometres away, was found to have miners’ dormitories nearby that were kept in perfect order – a stark contrast to the heaps of industrial waste and sewage that were left untreated outside.
Tens of thousands of tonnes of coal were left exposed to the sun instead of being stored properly, creating a risk of spontaneous combustion.
Beijing launched a nationwide inspection of coal mines earlier this year as part of its crackdown on illegal coal mining due to fears of oversupply, according to Reuters.
“We will completely shut down coal mines that have produced more coal than the government has allowed,” the State Administration of Work Safety was quoted as saying in the report.
“Some of the coal mines repeatedly ignored warnings from us and continued to dig in regions that are deemed unsafe.”
This year, the government plans to shut down “at least 500” coal mines as the world’s biggest producer and consumer of coal begins to switch to alternative sources of energy, according to a National Energy Administration announcement in February.
The serious environmental damage caused by mining includes soil erosion, the formation of sinkholes and water and land pollution on a vast scale.

Tibetan nomads forced from grazing land, winter camps
September 4, 2017
Radio Free Asia, August 30, 2017 – Authorities in a Tibetan-populated county of northwestern China’s Qinghai province are forcing herders from their traditional grazing grounds, imposing stiff fines and threatening to jail anyone remaining in banned areas past a deadline that has now expired, Tibetan sources say.
No explanation was given for the order to move from the pasturage in Golog prefecture’s Darlag county, or for the expulsion of another nomad group from their nearby winter camps, a source in the region told RFA’s Tibetan Service.
“It is the custom of Tibetan nomads to release their sheep and other livestock into the grassland for summer grazing for about two months and 20 days at the end of June or beginning of July,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“But this year, while they were grazing, the local Chinese authorities ordered them off the land,” the source said.
Authorities set a deadline of Aug. 23 for the nomads to move, and though most were able to leave by the assigned date, “some did not meet the deadline,” the source said.
“So the officials brought in armed police to threaten the nomads who remained, finally forcing them from the land and fining each of them 1,000 yuan [U.S. $152] for failing to obey the order.”
“They were also told that anyone still left behind would be jailed.”
Nowhere to go
Nomads living in the Horkor and Takor villages of Darlag’s Dernang township have meanwhile been ordered to relocate from areas prepared as winter camps, RFA’s source said.
“But they don’t have anywhere else to go, and are now facing continuing harassment from officials.”
“They are very worried about what is going to happen to them,” he said.
Tibetan nomads are now banned from grazing in, and being required to move from, “some of the best pasture land in all of the Tibetan Plateau, especially in the key prefectures of Yulshul and Golog,” Tibet environmental expert Gabriel Lafitte told RFA in an earlier report.
Chinese policy provides that resettled nomads be given vocational training and access to markets, Lafitte said. “[However], in reality, there is very little vocational training, and resettled nomads have few opportunities to enter the modern economy.”
Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.

India, China agree to pull back troops to resolve tense border dispute
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/india-withdraws-troops-from-disputed-himalayan-region-defusing-tension-with-china/2017/08/28/b92fddb6-8bc7-11e7-a2b0-e68cbf0b1f19_story.html
India and China have withdrawn troops from a disputed Himalayan region on their border, foreign ministries from the two countries announced Monday, defusing a tense standoff that had threatened to provoke armed conflict between the nuclear-armed Asian rivals.
For the past two months, Indian and Chinese troops had faced off on a plateau in the Doklam area in the Himalayas after Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese military from building a road into territory claimed by India’s close ally, Bhutan.
China had repeatedly and furiously denounced the Indian move as a direct infringement of its sovereignty, demanded an immediate and unconditional withdrawal, and warned that conflict was a real possibility if that didn’t happen.
On Monday, the two sides announced they had reached an agreement, with India saying its troops were disengaging and China saying it would redeploy forces in response. By the evening, India said both sides had almost completed their withdrawals.
It was not clear from the countries’ public statements whether Beijing had offered any concessions in return for the Indian withdrawal, such as agreeing to halt construction of the road.
China said it would continue to patrol and garrison the area, and to exercise its sovereign rights.
In a short statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the two countries had maintained diplomatic communication about the dispute in recent weeks.
“During these communications, we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests,” it said. “On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the faceoff site at Doklam has been agreed to and is ongoing.”
Later, it confirmed that forces from both sides were pulling back, adding that the process was “almost completed under verification.”
China’s Foreign Ministry said it was happy to confirm that all Indian “individuals and facilities” had withdrawn to the Indian side of the border. It also implied it would be reducing troop numbers in response to the Indian redeployment.
“The Chinese frontier defense force will continue to patrol and garrison in the Doklam area,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news conference. “The situation at the spot has changed, and China will adjust and deploy according to the current situation.”
Hua said China will “exercise its sovereign rights according to the historical treaty and guard its territorial sovereignty.”
China maintains that the area in question was listed as on its side of the border under the 1890 “Convention Between Great Britain and China Concerning Sikkim and Tibet.”
Neither side, though, was willing to admit to having backed down.
“We remind India to learn the lessons from this incident, tangibly abide by the historical treaties and the basic principles of international law, and to meet China halfway, jointly guard the peace and tranquility of the border areas, and promote a healthy development of bilateral military relations,” Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a statement.
India said it had always insisted on resolving the dispute through diplomatic channels. “Our principled position is that agreements and understandings reached on boundary issues must be scrupulously respected,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
An Indian foreign ministry official also told the Associated Press that the two sides had agreed to return to the “status quo.” The cable news channel NDTV reported that Chinese bulldozers had moved away and road construction stopped, according to its sources — implying that India’s demand had been met.
Earlier Monday, the state-owned China Daily newspaper warned that India stood “to face retribution” over the incident, arguing that New Delhi was complacent if it thought China was not prepared for military conflict if necessary.
But Beijing also wanted to resolve the dispute ahead of a meeting scheduled to take place in China this weekend of heads of state from the “BRICS” countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
“It’s hugely good news,” said Wang Dehua, an Indian studies expert at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.
“We have avoided falling into the situation where two major countries with ancient civilizations become hostile enemies,” Wang said, but he cautioned against declaring the incident a diplomatic victory for China.
He said China would try to address India’s security concerns when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits for the summit but would continue building roads in border areas.
Mao Siwei, former Chinese consul general in the Indian city of Kolkata, said the statements were deliberately “vague” because of the sensitivity of the issue and the reluctance of either side to show weakness.
“Judging from experience and common sense, I guess both sides have come to the following agreement: Firstly, on principle, China would stop its road building and India would withdraw its troops; secondly, regarding the timing, India would withdraw first and China would withdraw later.”
Some India experts also interpreted the statements — and New Delhi’s comments about having raised its security concerns — to mean that China had quietly agreed to stop building the road in question but would not say so publicly.
“I very much doubt that India would have agreed to withdraw unless it involved, at the very least, a commitment from Beijing that it would halt construction of the disputed road,” said Shashank Joshi, an analyst with the Royal United Services Institute in London.
“In these cases, clarity is the enemy of face-saving,” he added. “India will probably be comfortable with China spinning the agreement, because New Delhi is likely to have met its objectives: restoring the pre-June status quo. However, I imagine that India will now be vigilant, as China is likely to conduct more aggressive patrolling in Doklam in the future, having had its claims challenged in such serious fashion.”
The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan was inadvertently swept up into the dispute when Indian soldiers moved from a nearby garrison into territory Bhutan contests with China to block a road-building crew from China’s People’s Liberation Army.
A few hundred troops from India and China were eventually deployed in a standoff that produced harsh rhetoric — mostly from the Chinese side — and sparked a period of tension between the neighbors not seen in decades, analysts said.
Although India and China have often sparred over disputed areas along their estimated 2,200-mile border — and fought a brief war in 1962 — this clash was unusual because it involved a third country and came at a time when relations between India and China were at a low ebb.
Whether India — long a patron of Bhutan — moved in after coordinating with Bhutanese forces, as the Indians have said, or deployed on its own, as China claims, is the subject of much debate.
Bhutan’s government was careful not to make comments and inflame tensions; aside from one brief statement from its Foreign Ministry, it maintained a calculated

Tibetan monk released after serving 10 years for sharing news of protest
August 28, 2017
Radio Free Asia, August 22, 2017 – A Tibetan monk jailed for 10 years for spreading news of a protest calling for Tibetan freedom was released from a prison in Sichuan this week after serving his full term, Tibetan sources said.
Atruk Lopo, a former chant master of Lithang monastery in the Kardze (In Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was freed from Mianyang prison at around 10:00 p.m. on Aug. 21, Lithang Jamyang Tenzin, a Tibetan living in exile, told RFA’s Tibetan Service.
“The Lithang [county] police warned him not to speak too much in public before taking him to his home,” Tenzin said, citing contacts in Lithang.
“Local Tibetans were ordered not to greet him on his return, and he was brought back late at night,” Tenzin said.
Also speaking to RFA, Geshe Adruk Tsetan—a member of Tibet’s India-based exile parliament and a relative of Lopo’s—said that Lopo’s present state of health after a decade served in prison is still unknown.
Lopo was arrested on Aug. 21, 2007 by Lithang county public security officers as he called for the release of his uncle Ronggye Adrak, who had called out in public for the return of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama during a horse racing festival held earlier that month.
Adrak was later handed an eight-year term for subverting state power and attempting to “split the country,” while Lopo and a friend named Jamyang Kunkyen were sentenced to 10 and nine years respectively for sending photos of Adrak’s protest to “overseas organizations.”
A fourth man, a Tibetan named Lothok, was given a three-year term for providing information to “foreign organizations.”
The four, who were sentenced together, protested when their sentences were read out in court and were bundled away by police, witnesses told RFA in earlier reports.
“This is not a fair trial,” they called out. “We cannot accept this decision.”
Sporadic demonstrations challenging Beijing’s rule and calling for the Dalai Lama’s return have continued in Tibetan areas of China since widespread protests swept the region in 2008.
Reported by Sangye Dorjee for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.

U.S. State Department reports widespread violations of religious freedom in Tibet
August 21, 2017
By Mollie Lortie
Tibet Post International, August 16, 2017 – The U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2016, released on August 15, 2017, says the Chinese “authorities engaged in widespread interference in religious practices, especially in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries,” which has led to a continued ‘decline’ in the traditional monastic system.
The report says, “Across the Tibetan Plateau there were reports of forced disappearance, physical abuse, prolonged detention, and arbitrary arrest of people due to their religious practice, as well as forced expulsions from monasteries, restrictions on religious gatherings, and destruction of monastery related dwellings, according to media reporting and human rights organizations.
“Security forces maintained a permanent presence at some monasteries. In many Tibetan areas police detained monks and lay persons who called for freedom, human rights, and religious liberty, or who expressed support for the Dalai Lama or solidarity with individuals who had self-immolated. Several monks were detained without formal criminal charges. Restrictions on religious activities were particularly severe around politically and religiously sensitive anniversaries and events.
“Tibet scholars stated the Chinese government’s ban on minors entering monasteries and nunneries and restrictions on travel of monks and nuns threatened the traditional transmission and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. According to human rights organizations, authorities scrutinized and sought to control monastic operations and restricted travel for religious purposes, including to neighboring countries such as India and Nepal.”
“In the TAR and other Tibetan areas, authorities engaged in widespread interference in religious practices, especially in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries. There were reports of forced disappearance, physical abuse, prolonged detention without trial, and arrests of individuals due to their religious practices. Travel restrictions hindered traditional religious practices and pilgrimages. Repression increased around politically sensitive events, religious anniversaries, and the Dalai Lama’s birthday, according to numerous sources. Reportedly, authorities evicted more than 2,000 monks and nuns from Buddhist institutes at Larung Gar and Yachen Gar, destroying the homes where they resided and subjecting many of them to ‘patriotic re-education.'”
“The traditional monastic system continued to decline as many top Buddhist teachers remained or died in exile in India or elsewhere, and some of those who returned from India were not allowed to teach or lead their institutions.“ In the issue of reincarnation system, the report said, “The government continued to exercise its authority over the approval of reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist lamas and the supervision of their religious education. In addition, authorities closely supervised the education of many key young reincarnate lamas. In a deviation from traditional custom, government officials, rather than religious leaders, managed the selection of the reincarnate lamas’ religious and lay tutors in the TAR and some other Tibetan areas. According to state-run media reports, in April it was announced that the database of 1,311 ‘living buddhas’ that it deemed ‘authentic’ was nearly complete. The Dalai Lama was not on this list.”
Regarding the spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the report stated, “Multiple sources reported open veneration of the Dalai Lama, including the display of his photograph, remained prohibited in almost all areas. Local officials, many of whom considered the images to be symbols of opposition to the CCP, removed pictures of the Dalai Lama from monasteries and private homes during visits by senior officials. The government also banned pictures of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, whom the Dalai Lama and the overwhelming majority of Tibetan Buddhists recognize as the 11th Panchen Lama. Punishments in certain counties for displaying images of the Dalai Lama included closing of venues, expulsion from monasteries, and criminal prosecution.”
“The new TAR Party Secretary Wu Yingjie said in September that countering the Dalai Lama would be the top priority during his term in office and later stated publicly on November 15 that the ‘Dalai Clique’ was the biggest threat to the region, and that the Party must exert religious, political, and economic control over monasteries. Authorities in the TAR continued to prohibit the registration of children’s names that included parts of the Dalai Lama’s name, or names included on a list blessed by the Dalai Lama.”
“There were instances of authorities confiscating and canceling previously issued passports as a way of preventing Tibetans from participating in the 34th Kalachakra Initiation by the Dalai Lama in India. Event organizers in India estimated as many as 7,000 Chinese Tibetans were barred from attending the 34th Kalachakra, some of whom were detained en route to the pilgrimage after they had left China. Authorities warned participants or any who were involved would face jail terms from 10 days to five years.”
Regarding the legal framework, the report states, “The constitution of the People’s Republic of China states citizens enjoy ‘freedom of religious belief,’ but limits protections for religious practice to ‘normal religious activities’ without defining ‘normal.’ The constitution bans the state, public organizations, and individuals from compelling citizens to believe in, or not believe in, any religion. It says religion may not be used to disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system.
“Within the TAR, regulations issued assert state control over all aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, including religious venues, groups, and personnel. Through local regulations issued under the framework of the national-level Management Regulation of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries, governments of the TAR and other Tibetan areas control the registration of monasteries, nunneries, and other Tibetan Buddhist religious centers. The regulations also give the government formal control over the building and management of religious structures and require monasteries to obtain official permission to hold large-scale religious events or gatherings.
“To establish places of worship, religious organizations must receive approval from the religious affairs department of the relevant local government both when the facility is proposed and again before services are held. Religious organizations must submit dozens of documents in order to register during one or both approval processes, including detailed management plans of their religious activities, exhaustive financial records, and personal information on all staff members.”
The report also included other ways in which Chinese authorities were attempting to control religious activity, saying, “In many areas, monks and nuns under the age of 18 were forced to leave their monasteries. In March Shiqu (Dzachuka) County in Ganzi (Kardze) Prefecture reported the government had removed 300 minors from local monasteries following a January 2015 provincial mandate to remove all monks and nuns under the age of 18 from monasteries and Buddhist schools to receive ‘patriotic education.’
“According to government policy, newly constructed government-subsidized housing units in many Tibetan areas were located near township and county government seats or along major roads, with no nearby monasteries where resettled villagers could worship. Traditionally, Tibetan villages were clustered around monasteries, which provided religious and other services to members of the community. Many Tibetans continued to view such measures as CCP and government efforts to dilute religious belief and weaken the ties between monasteries and communities.”
Regarding self immolation, “Although the number of self-immolations has continued to decline, as in previous years some Tibetans engaged in self-immolation as a protest against government policies. During the year, three Tibetans reportedly self-immolated, as compared to seven individuals in 2015, 11 in 2014, and 26 in 2013. Some experts attributed reports of the declining number of self-immolations to tighter controls by authorities. Local authorities prosecuted and imprisoned an unknown number of Tibetans whom authorities said had aided or instigated self-immolations, including family members and friends of self-immolators, according to press reports.
“In one case of self-immolation from the year, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) reported that Tashi Rabten self-immolated in Maqu (Machu) County, Gansu Province, in December while calling for the return of the Dalai Lama. According to the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, county police detained Rabten’s wife, two children, and other relatives when they requested the return of his body following the incident. According to RFA, police then beat and tortured Rabten’s wife and daughters after they refused to sign a document saying Rabten had self-immolated because of domestic conflicts, rather than as a response to government policies. Rabten’s wife and children subsequently signed the document, and authorities released them.”
Highlighting the detainment of religious prisoners, the report detailed that, “Limited access to information about prisoners made it difficult to ascertain the exact number of Tibetan prisoners of religious conscience, determine the charges brought against them, or assess the extent and severity of abuses they suffered. The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s Political Prisoner Database included records of 649 Tibetan political prisoners who had been detained by October 11, and who were presumed to remain detained or imprisoned. Of the 649 political prisoners, 640 were detained on or after March 10, 2008, the start of a wave of political protests that spread across the Tibetan areas of China. Tibetan Buddhist monks, nuns, and teachers made up 277 cases, of the 640.
“There were reports of the arbitrary arrest and physical abuse of religious prisoners and prolonged detention of religious figures without criminal charges. In October authorities detained Lobsang Tsultrim, a monk from Kirti Monastery, for shouting slogans supportive of the Dalai Lama in public. It was reported that police severely beat Tsultrim; and at year’s end, he was awaiting trial at Wenchuan County Detention Center in Aba (Ngaba) Prefecture.
“In September family members located Lobsang Kelsang, a Kirti Monastery monk missing since his 2015 detention by police following a solitary protest while carrying an image of the Dalai Lama in Sichuan Province, in Deyang Prison after being sentenced to three years in a secret trial, according to RFA. RFA’s source said another Kirti monk named Adak was also secretly given a three year sentence in August.
“In June Lobsang Tsering, a monk from Kirti Monastery, was reportedly detained in Aba (Ngaba) County following a solo protest against Beijing’s rule in Tibet in which he wore a ceremonial scarf and carried a photo of the Dalai Lama, calling for his long life. He was reportedly beaten in custody.
“In December nine Tibetans were sentenced to prison terms of five to 14 years for their participation in the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday celebration the previous year. Some of them were monks from Kirti Monastery, and had previously been imprisoned and reportedly tortured.”
The State Department also chronicled reports of authorities targeting individuals in religious attire, including reports such as, “Sources continued to report security personnel targeted individuals in religious attire, particularly those from Naqu (Nagchu) and Changdu (Chamdo) Prefectures in the TAR and Tibetan areas outside of the TAR, for arbitrary questioning on the streets of Lhasa and other cities and towns. Many Tibetan monks and nuns reportedly chose to wear nonreligious garb to avoid such harassment when traveling outside of their monasteries and around the country.
“In some cases, authorities enforced special restrictions on Tibetans staying at hotels inside and outside of the TAR. Police regulations forbade some hotels and guesthouses in the TAR from accepting Tibetan guests, particularly monks and nuns, and required other hotels to notify police departments when Tibetan guests checked in, according to an RFA report and confirmed by several hotels.
Tibet was invaded by Communist China in 1949. Since that time, over 1.2 million out of only 6 million total Tibetans have been killed, over 6000 monasteries have been destroyed and acts of murder, rape, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment have been inflicted on the Tibetans inside Tibet. Beijing continues to call this a “peaceful liberation”.

New round of demolitions underway at Tibet’s Yachen Gar Buddhist Center
August 21, 2017
Radio Free Asia, August 15, 2017 – Authorities in western China’s Sichuan province have begun demolishing 2,000 residences of Tibetan clergy at the Yachen Gar Buddhist Center and are set to expel an equal number of monks and nuns from the complex by the end of the year, according to Tibetan sources in the region.
“Chinese authorities ordered the demolition of 2,000 houses of monks and nuns at Yachen Buddhist Center … [by the end of] this year,” one source told RFA’s Tibetan Service recently, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The demolition began on Aug. 8 and the work is said to be ongoing at Yachen Gar, while the same number of monks and nuns [2,000] are also to be expelled from the Buddhist center this year alone.”
Sources said that the monks and nuns had been ordered to tear down any homes built with wooden materials, and that demolition workers would be sent by the local authorities to raze any concrete structures in the area. One nun is said to have been injured in the demolition.
Yachen Gar, located in Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture’s Palyul (Baiyu) county and founded in 1985, until recently housed an estimated 10,000 monks, nuns, and lay practitioners devoted to scriptural study and meditation.
In April, sources told RFA that authorities had demolished at least 200 tents set up by Tibetan pilgrims visiting Yachen Gar to receive teachings and accumulate merit, citing difficulties posed by the encampments to the orderly management of the complex.
Following the beginning of the demolitions last week, a senior lama at Yachen Gar issued an appeal to the monks and nuns at the complex to “exercise patience and tolerance.”
“About 2,000 houses will be demolished this year and around same number of monks and nuns will be asked to leave the complex—this is an order from the powerful authorities and cannot be resisted, just as falling boulders from a mountain cannot be stopped,” the lama said.
“Most important is to remain humble and adhere to proper conduct, and things may get better. Also, it is important for all monks and nuns to take care of their health,” he added.
“The monks and nuns should exercise patience and tolerance under the stress of the demolitions and expulsion orders—this is crucial.”
Another Tibetan from the region, who also asked to remain unnamed, told RFA that the new order had placed “tremendous stress and hardship” on Yachen Gar’s Buddhist community.
“The demolition will cause a great amount of stress, as many monks and nuns will lack accommodations and be forced to leave,” the source said.
“Yachen monks and nuns are solely focused on Buddhist practice and not involved in any form of politics,” he added.
Restricted access
Authorities have been restricting access to the sprawling complex and areas nearby, with foreign visitors drawing particular scrutiny from police, sources told RFA in earlier reports.
In April, following the demolition of the pilgrim tents, sources told RFA that Chinese surveillance and other tightened security measures at Yachen Gar had become growing causes of concern for the center’s resident monks and nuns, and that it was increasingly difficult for news about the complex to reach the outside world.
They said that while Yachen Gar has internet service, residents had been reluctant to speak out about what was happening at the complex for fear of retaliation by authorities.
Restrictions on Yachen Gar and the better-known Larung Gar complex in Sichuan’s Serthar (Seda) county are part of “an unfolding political strategy” aimed at controlling the influence and growth of these important centers for Tibetan Buddhist study and practice, the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said in a March 13 report, “Shadow of Dust Across the Sun.”
“[Both centers] have drawn thousands of Chinese practitioners to study Buddhist ethics and receive spiritual teaching since their establishment, and have bridged Tibetan and Chinese communities,” ICT said in its report.
At the end of June, a senior abbot at Larung Gar said that Chinese authorities had destroyed 4,725 monastic dwellings over the course of a year at the complex, with a total of more than 7,000 demolished since efforts to reduce the number of monks and nuns living at the sprawling center began in 2001.
The abbot said that more than 4,828 monks and nuns had also been expelled since 2016, with many forced back to their hometowns and deprived of opportunities to pursue religious studies.
Many thousands of Tibetans and Han Chinese once studied at Larung Gar Academy, which was founded in 1980 by the late religious teacher Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok and is one of the world’s largest and most important centers for the study of Tibetan Buddhism.
Reported by Kunsang Tenzin and Lhuboom for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

At UNESCO, India and China battle over Tibetan medicine
August 21, 2017
By Divya A
Indian Express, August 18, 2017 – As Indian and Chinese troops face off at Doklam on the edge of the Tibetan plateau, their countries are locked in another, lesser known but longer running, argument — this too involves Tibet, but is playing out in a theatre far away.
In April this year, The Indian Express reported that India had sent Sowa-Rigpa, the Tibetan system of medicine, as its official entry for UNESCO’s prestigious Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The problem was Beijing, too, had sent a similar entry, claiming Sowa-Rigpa as its own.
Chinese experts attacked India for staking claim to the legacy of ancient Tibetan medicine. “The Tibetan medicine system originated in Tibet and has developed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwest and southwest China,” Qin Yongzhang, an ethnologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times.
The Indian entry, titled “Sowa-Rigpa, knowledge of healing or science of healing”, was submitted in March. The Chinese dossier, “Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, knowledge and practices concerning life, health and illness prevention and treatment among the Tibetan people in China”, had been submitted a few years earlier.
Both entries will come up for consideration in the UNESCO list in 2018.
Qin said India had nominated Sowa-Rigpa to enhance its soft power, gain confidence and benefit financially, but “the truth is that Tibetan medicine not only originated but has developed in China”. Tibetans in exile in India may help in the practice and spread of Sowa-Rigpa, and claim that it has been developed in India, Qin was quoted as saying.
In its defence, the Ministry of Culture has said India had been preparing the nomination dossier for Sowa-Rigpa “for many years”. Top levels of government had got involved in the attempt to speed up India’s bid ahead of the 2018 session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, sources said.
So, what is Sowa-Rigpa?
Commonly known as the Amchi system of medicine, it is believed to have originated in the 3rd century BC, and is one of the world’s oldest and best documented medical traditions. The heart of the tradition is in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, but it is also practised in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul & Spiti and Ladakh. Outside India, Sowa-Rigpa is practised in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, parts of China, and Nepal.
The Indian entry is supported by a detailed letter of recommendation written by Geshe Ngawang Samten, vice-chancellor of the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath near Varanasi. “Even though Sowa-Rigpa originated in Tibet, it is a part of the Indian culture since it is being practised here for more than a millennium,” Prof Samten has written. “Also, it has a lot of influences of Ayurveda.”
China’s dossier, Samten says, apparently calls Sowa Rigpa a “Tibetan-Chinese” medical system. “There is no nomenclature as ‘Tibetan-Chinese’, either it’s Tibetan or it’s Chinese,” he adds. The original Tibetan Institute of Sowa-Rigpa is in Lhasa, Tibet; the government-in-exile “reopened” it in Dharamsala, and teaches courses informally.
Sowa-Rigpa is under the purview of the AYUSH Ministry. To highlight the Indianness of Sowa-Rigpa, the AYUSH website says, “The majority of theory and practice of Sowa-Rigpa is similar to Ayurveda. The first Ayurvedic influence came to Tibet during 3rd century AD but it became popular only after 7th century with the approach of Buddhism to Tibet. Thereafter, this trend of exportation of Indian medical literature, along with Buddhism and other Indian art and sciences were continued till the early 19th century.”