An oral statement that was delivered on 27^th September by FIDH at the ongoing session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The Chinese delegation raised a point of order against it (saying the speaker “abused the platform of the Council to attack the leader of the Chinese people in violation of the rules of procedure of the Council”), but the President let the speaker continue.

Forwarded by International Campaign for Tibet Brussels

UN Human Rights Council – 51st session

Item 4: General Debate – Oral statement on thehuman rights situation in China

27 September 2022

Mr. Vice-President,

FIDH and its member organization International Campaign for Tibet condemn Beijing’s relentless repression and forced assimilation of communities in Tibet and Xinjiang through the implementation of laws, policies, and actions that are grossly inconsistent with international human rights law, including treaties to which China is a state party.

We welcome the OHCHR’s recent report on the human rights situation in Xinjiang, which confirms that serious human rights violations have been committed against Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim communities, and that some of these violations may amount to crimes against humanity. We call on the Human Rights Council to convene a formal discussion on the findings and recommendations of the report at the next session.

In Tibet, the Chinese authorities continue to systematically apply policies that violate the fundamental rights of Tibetans, in particular under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. It is deeply disturbing that Chinese authorities have significantly increased policing, including arbitrary collection of DNA from residents (including from children) in many towns and villages throughout the Tibet Autonomous Region. This further strengthens Beijing’s surveillance capabilities over the Tibetan people and represents a serious intrusion on the right to privacy.

Mister President, within the UN system there’s an abundant body of evidence that points to a consistent and broad range of abuses in China, which in many cases amount to the most serious international crimes.

We urge the Council to establish an impartial and independent mechanism to collect and analyze evidence of such abuses with a view to contribute to the promotion of accountability for perpetrators and redress for the victims.

Thank you.

Tibet Lobby Day returns in person, promotes Resolve Tibet Act

By International Campaign for Tibet | September 27, 2022

Tibet supporters met with members of Congress and Congressional staff last week at the first in-person Tibet Lobby Day in years, building crucial support for a new Tibet bill and sharpening Tibetan Americans’ advocacy skills.

Tibet Lobby Day 2022 brought over 100 Tibetan Americans and Tibet supporters to Washington, DC on Sept. 22-23 for more than 80 meetings with Congressional offices.

This year’s participants—who included Thondup Tsering of Amherst, Massachusetts, who is a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile—came from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, DC.

Traveling all over Capitol Hill and opening up about how China’s illegal occupation of Tibet has harmed them and their families, the Lobby Day participants made one main request of their members of Congress: Support the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in July by Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

Known as the Resolve Tibet Act, the bill will push the Chinese government to resume negotiations on Tibet’s future with the Dalai Lama’s envoys for the first time since 2010. The legislation will also support the Tibetan people’s right to self-determination.

“Several Congressional offices we met were excited about the bill. We look forward to more members of Congress cosponsoring the legislation as a result of the Tibet Lobby Day participants,” said Franz Matzner, government relations director of the International Campaign for Tibet, which organized the Lobby Day alongside other groups including Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan associations around the country.

Matzner added, “It also was thrilling to witness so many Tibetan Americans, especially young people, speak up about their personal experiences and call on their elected leaders to take action. The Chinese government has hidden a great deal of its oppression in Tibet from the outside world, so we at ICT are committed to empowering Tibetan Americans to raise their voices and shine the light of truth on Tibet.

“That’s exactly what this Tibet Lobby Day helped do.”

Lobbying on Capitol Hill

This year marked the first time Tibet Lobby Day—an annual event since 2009—took place in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The return of face-to-face lobbying allowed Tibetan Americans and Tibet supporters from around the United States to meet with their legislators on Capitol Hill.

One of the highlights of the event was the meeting with Sen. Patrick Leahy, the retiring Vermont Democrat, who took time out of his busy final months on the Hill to greet Sonam Lhakhang, President of the Tibetan Association of Vermont, Namgyal Choedup, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration to North America, Tencho Gyatso, ICT’s Interim Vice President, and others.

The meeting turned emotional as Leahy, the longest-serving member of the Senate, spoke movingly and tearfully about his and his wife’s many years of friendship with the Dalai Lama.

Leahy showed the lobbyists a photo he took in the 1980s of a man in Tibet hugging his baby son while holding a picture of the Dalai Lama. Although Chinese police arrest Tibetans for owning photos of the Buddhist leader, the man wanted Leahy to photograph him with it.

To thank Leahy for his incredible support of Tibet, Representative Choedup presented him with a “thangka” (a Tibetan traditional painting) and a “khata” (a Tibetan greeting scarf).

Celebrating 20 years of US Tibet policy

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., another longtime presence in the Senate, also met with constituents from her home state during Tibet Lobby Day.

In addition, Feinstein provided a video message for Lobby Day about the 20th anniversary of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, a law she introduced alongside Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., and Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. Feinstein is the only member of that quartet who is still in Congress.

Feinstein’s video played during the reception for Tibet Lobby Day at ICT’s office on the evening of Sept. 22. At the reception, Choedup addressed the participants and gave a brief overview of the Central Tibetan Administration’s approach to the United States.

The reception also featured a five-and-a-half-minute video on the TPA’s 20th anniversary, showing how the bill codified support for Tibet in US law for the first time and set the stage for two decades of American political and programmatic initiatives on Tibet.

The next step, ICT leaders said, is to pass the Resolve Tibet Act, which can carry Tibet policy forward to a long-awaited peaceful resolution of China’s occupation of Tibet.

But Lobby Day, they added, is not all serious.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Gyatso, ICT’s Interim Vice President, said. “We have people who got married after coming here,” she added to laughter before inviting the participants to a dinner featuring authentic Tibetan cuisine.

Lhakhang, the Tibetan Association of Vermont President, said he was asked by the community members to participate in this year’s Tibet Lobby Day so that he can offer their gratitude to retiring Senator Leahy and also to urge their members of congress to support the Resolve Tibet Act.

“It was a successful event,” he said.

Watch the celebration of the Tibetan Policy Act at the Tibet Lobby Day reception.

See highlights from Tibet Lobby Day 2022.

Taiwan: Despite drawing much criticism and threat from Beijing, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi-led delegation of five Democratic lawmakers visited Taiwan on Tuesday, 2 August becoming the highest ranking US official to visit the country since 1997.

On the eve of her departure from Taiwan on August 3, Speaker Pelosi met with seven human rights activists at the National Museum of Human Rights in Taiwan, including pro-democracy activist Wuer Kaixi, Taiwanese human rights activist Mr. Li Mingzhe, who has been persecuted by China, Mr. Lin Rongji of Causeway Bay Bookstore in Hong Kong, and Mr. Kelsang Gyaltsen, Representative of Office of Tibet in Taiwan where they engaged in an hour-long roundtable discussion on varying subjects involving democracy and human rights.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the gathered human rights defenders to make Taiwanese aware of the Chinese dictatorship and defend Taiwan’s democracy.

Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen addressed Speaker Pelosi on the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet and the increasingly extreme policy of ethnic, religious and cultural genocide in Tibet by the CCP. He also apprised her of CCP’s so-called boarding schools technique as bait to coerce Tibetan children to study in boarding schools away from their parents, thus achieving the assimilation of Tibetan culture and religion, among other issues. He also called on joint organisers of global democracy meeting to be held in October to invite H.H. the Dalai Lama to the conference, stating it would send a clear and strong message to the CCP of the global solidarity to Tibet.

“Current CCP’s chairperson Xi Jinping’s approach to Tibet, the so-called “The Party’s New Generation Policy on the Governance of Tibet” focuses on the annihilation and assimilation of the Tibetan people, as well as eliminating the Dalai Lama’s influence in Tibet. These measures have stirred up even stronger resistance from the Tibetans,” said the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Taiwan remarking that Tibet has now become a ‘giant prison’.

He further attested that the decades-long genocide in Tibet should continue to receive much attention and support even though the world now is gripped by the Ukraine crisis. Lamenting the initial lack of support and attention from the international community when Tibet was being occupied, Representative mentioned things could have been different had China received the same pressure as Russia does now from the international community. As much criticism as Russia received for its presence in the UN’s Human Rights Council, Representative added China also deserves to be ridiculed and criticised for its presence in the UN and other international organisations considering its depreciating record of human rights violations. 

“No one can be certain that the tragedy that befallen Ukraine would not happen to Taiwan, a free, democratic, and robust country. Only when China transforms itself into a full-fledged democracy, can we truly eliminate the CCP’s destruction and threat to Taiwan and to the rest of the world?” he added.

In his concluding address, Representative Bawa thanked the continuous support of countries such as India, US, European countries and Taiwan, and requested Speaker Pelosi and the US government to pressure CCP into a dialogue with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). 

Hon Warren Entsch, Co-chair of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet has written to Kalon Norzin Dolma with congratulations on her appointment as Kalon for the Information and International Relations Department. He wrote: “I am writing to you to personally congratulate you on your recent appointment as Minister for Department of Information and International Relations with the Central Tibetan Administration. This is a wonderful achievement and recognition of your hard work, passion and unwavering commitment. I would also like to take this opportunity in my capacity as co-chair of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet to wish you all the very best success in your new role. The Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet is fully com­mitted to supporting the non-violent struggle of Tibetan people for the restoration of freedom for Tibet. I sincerely look forward to meeting with you personally when the opportunity presents in the near future.” Read the letter here.

The Chinese government has recently imposed a strict ban on religious activities on all Tibetan Party members and cadres in Tsolho (Ch: Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP) in Amdo (Ch: Qinghai Province) according to a reliable source. The ban required all party members to refrain from engaging in religious activities at home, being forced to get rid of personal religious altars and shrines.

The punishment for not complying with the order includes facing lay off from government jobs and deprivation of fundamental rights including denial of state benefits and subsidies: “Such measures have pressured Tibetan Party members in the region into removing personal Buddhist shrines and altars at their homes against their will.”

In Tibetan homes altars are commonly seen with images of Buddha or other spiritual leaders who stand in highest regard by performing rituals and offerings. It remains a crucial part of the practices in Tibetan Buddhism which is a galling reminder to the Chinese authorities of Tibetan culture and identity. In addition, strict bans are imposed on holding prayer services, implying further restrictions on funeral practices for deceased family members and relatives – a clear sign of assault on Buddhist customs and practices. “While the current decree is only being implemented in some areas, it is very likely to be expanded into other areas in the future.”

On 22 April 2021 the Chinese government introduced “Code of Conduct for Communist Party Members in the Tibet Autonomous Region for Not Believing in Religion (for trial implementation)” comprehensively detailing the prohibitions on the religious practices for party members in the “Tibet Autonomous Region”. This code forbids party members from engaging in religious activity both in public and private life, including “advising their religious family members and relatives to not set up altars, place religious objects, hang religious pictures and photos of religious personalities at home”.

Due to the Chinese government’s strict control and severe restrictions on the flow of information out of Tibet there have been limited or no reports or information over the implementation of the ban until now. The report of the ban imposed on the party members of the Tsolho TAP under this decree indicates and illustrates pervasive enforcement of the ban since it was introduced.

“Code of Conduct for Communist Party Members in the Tibet Autonomous Region for Not Believing in Religion” required the party members to adhere to Marxism materialism and atheism. They are also required to be fully loyal to the party and its constitution and advise their family members to realise that religion is incompatible with the Party’s founding principles and mission.

Click here for the full text.

VAST COLONIAL BOARDING SCHOOL SYSTEM UNCOVERED IN TIBET
CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FOUR SEPARATED FROM PARENTS, SUBJECTED TO INDOCTRINATION
Download the report at
https://tibetaction.net/campaigns/colonialboardingschools/
Boston — Chinese government policies are forcing three out of every four Tibetan students into a vast network of colonial boarding schools, separating children as young as four from their parents, Tibet Action Institute revealed in a report today. The schools are a cornerstone of Xi Jinping’s campaign to supplant Tibetan identity with a homogenous Chinese identity in order to neutralize potential resistance to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule.
The report, “Separated From Their Families, Hidden From the World: China’s Vast System of Colonial Boarding Schools Inside Tibet,” finds that an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 Tibetan students aged six to 18, as well as an unknown number of four and five-year olds, are in these state-run schools. The schools function as sites for remolding children into Chinese nationals loyal to the CCP. Removed from their families and communities, students must study primarily in Chinese, are barred from practicing their religion, and are subjected to political indoctrination.
“By intentionally uprooting Tibetan children from their families and culture and making them live in state-run boarding schools, the Chinese authorities are using one of the most heinous tools of colonization to attack Tibetan identity,” said Lhadon Tethong, Director of Tibet Action Institute. “China’s unprecedented campaign of forced sinicization in Tibet targets even the youngest children and demands the urgent intervention of the United Nations and concerned governments.”
Over the last decade, Chinese authorities have systematically eliminated local schools in Tibet and replaced them with centralized boarding schools, including for elementary-aged children. Monastery schools and other privately-run Tibetan schools have also been forced to close, leaving parents with no choice but to send their children away. In cases where parents try to resist, authorities use threats and intimidation to ensure compliance.
When parents in one village resisted sending their children to boarding school, they were visited multiple times by authorities. At one of these meetings, with police present, they were told: “…If we have to come back tomorrow, it won’t be good.…If you don’t listen [to us] we will squeeze [pressure] you one by one. That is easy for us to do….If you continue to choose not to acknowledge this policy and refuse to send your children to the schools, we will consider this to be a protest.…”

Researchers in Tibet and China have documented serious emotional and psychological harm to Tibetan students living in colonial boarding schools. Restrictions on access to Tibet make first-hand verification of current conditions impossible, but interviews with Tibetans abroad who attended earlier iterations of boarding school in Tibet paint a harrowing picture of children living in poor conditions, subjected to physical and sexual abuse, racism and discrimination, as well as political indoctrination.

The report draws on a range of primary and secondary sources, including first-hand accounts from inside Tibet that describe how China’s education policies affect the lived experience of Tibetans on the ground, statements from Tibetans in exile who are survivors of China’s colonial boarding school system, data collected from official sources, and scholars in Tibet, China and abroad.

“China claims to be educating Tibetan children, but the world knows what it looks like when children are pushed into residential schools run by a state that wants to wipe out their culture,” said Tethong. “Beijing must be pressed to respect the right of all Tibetan children to receive a high-quality mother-tongue education without being separated from their families, before any more irreparable harm is done.”

Contact: Lhadon Tethong, Tibet Action Institute +1 (917) 418-4181
Tenzin Dorjee, Tibet Action Institute +1 (646) 724 0748

MPs in House of Commons Unanimously Passed Motion Calling for Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

London: MPs in the House of Commons approved a parliamentary motion calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in China on Thursday 15th July. The motion was passed after almost two hours of debate on Beijing Olympics and Chinese Government Sanctions. This motion was proposed by Honourable Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, and Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet.

Tim, in his powerful speech, said that the 2022 Winter Olympic games should not be hosted in a “country whose government is credibly accused of mass atrocity crimes”.

He added that the UK should decline invitations for its representatives to attend the Winter Olympics next year unless the Chinese government “ends the atrocities” occurring in Xinjiang and Tibet.

Tim re-tabled his Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill and said the US Congress unanimously passed the Bill on which it is based—why can’t we? he said.

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat also a chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in his remarks said one way we can respond China is by standing up and making it clear that we do not accept the legitimacy of the regime, and that we do not accept its right to so change the truth and so violate the reality of the world in which we live that it can use the ultimate evidence—the ultimate moment of propaganda—of the global success of rules, fairness and integrity, and twist, contort and divert it to its own nefarious ends.

Liberal Democrat MP Were Hobhouse, also a member of APPGT, congratulated Tim Loughton and thanked him for securing this debate. She added “Tim knows how much I support him in his very active campaigning in calling out the human rights abuses of the Chinese Communist party against millions of its own people, and it is such a very important debate that we are having today.”

Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said “Everything is political in a communist regime. Every single aspect of people’s lives is governed by a communist political regime. Our Government must recognise that they are no longer dealing with a decent organisation that would uphold freedoms; they are dealing with a dictatorial, militaristic, intolerant and oppressive regime. Every time that we give China public demonstrations such as the Olympics, we do ourselves and, worse, the Uyghurs, the Tibetans and all those oppressed people a disfavour. Let us stand up for freedom, democracy and human rights and not back these games.”

Labour MP Navendu Mishra in his speech said
“ I would like to draw the House’s attention to the situation in Tibet. At the time of the last Olympics held in China, in 2008, thousands of Tibetans took to the streets to protest and were brutally suppressed, with hundreds killed. The full total of deaths remains unknown. Since then, we have seen the forced erosion of Tibetan culture, from the replacement of the Tibetan language with Mandarin in schools to the repeated use of arbitrary detention and widespread torture. In addition, large religious communities have seen thousands of residents forcefully removed and their homes demolished. The rich Tibetan culture, Buddhist religion and Tibetan language are being forcefully eroded, and freedom of thought, opinion, expression, religion and conscience is being not just undermined, but actively eradicated.”
Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani said “My anxiety is that if we have diplomats and politicians attending the Beijing Olympics—the genocide Olympics, as they have been referred to—it enables the CCP to sportswash what is happening in Xinjiang and it makes a mockery of everything we stand for. When the Foreign Secretary talks about: “Internment camps, arbitrary detention, political re-education, forced labour, torture and forced sterilisation—all on an industrial scale”

Many other MPs participated in the debate and finally, Minister of Asia MP Nigel Adam in his concluding remark said “We are deeply concerned at reports of coercive control, restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and labour transfer schemes in Tibet. We have drawn attention to the human rights situation there, including most recently in a ministerial statement at the UN Human Rights Council.
Let me end by saying that no decisions have yet been made about ministerial travel to the Beijing winter Olympics. If there is a Division on the motion today, the Government will therefore abstain.“

The motion was unanimously passed in the house of common after almost two hours of thoughtful and meaningful debate.

Report file by Office of Tibet.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message on the occasion of his 86th birthday

Dharamshala: Earlier this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama virtually addressed the occasion of his 86th birthday thanking everyone for the birthday greetings that poured in from all corners of the globe.

“I am just one human being. Many people really show they love me. And many people actually love my smile. In spite of my old age, my face is quite handsome. Many people really show me genuine friendship.

Now that it is nearly my birthday, I want to express my deep appreciation to all my friends who have really shown e love, respect and trust. For myself, I can assure you that for the rest of my life I am committed to serving humanity and working to protect the climate condition.

Since I became a refugee and now settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India’s freedom and religious harmony. I want to assure you that for the rest of my life I am committed to reviving ancient Indian knowledge.

I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion, such as honesty, karuna (compassion) and ahimsa (non-violence).

So, my dear friends, on my birthday, this is my gift. Please keep it in mind. I myself am committed to non-violence and compassion until my death.

This is my offering to my friends. I hope my friends will also keep non-violence and compassion for the rest of your lives.

All my human brothers and sisters should keep these two things non-violence and compassion, until your death”, concluded His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

FOT National Chairman, Thuten Kesang, died 23^rd May at Auckland Hospital following complications of a brain aneurysm.

These are the words of his wife Gwen Kesang:  Thuten was so dearly loved by all. He was active in so many things and was well known for his passion for Tibet, as well as other community involvements. He loved his tennis, and had been made a Life Member of his tennis club in 2003.

Thuten was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2003. Anyone typing in his name on Google will find many entries on him. He was also the Hon Secretary of the Liaison Office of Tibet in New Zealand, Chairman of the Dalai Lama Visit Trust New Zealand, Auckland Multicultural Society President, patron of Global OGBs association from his old school in India, and the retired President of the Auckland Tibetan Association.

Thuten’s family have been overwhelmed with messages of condolences, more than could be individually replied to, but express much gratitude for these.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrates its centenary on July 1 with the claim of having “stood firmly against ethnic oppression and discrimination, upheld equality among all ethnic groups, and introduced regional ethnic autonomy.” Most recently in a new White Paper on Tibet, issued in May 2021, China claimed, “Tibet has broken free from its backward, autocratic, isolated past to embrace prosperity, democracy, and an open future.”

This could not be further from the truth. On the impact of Chinese rule in Tibet, the 10th Panchen Lama summed it up best when he said, “If we compare the price of the sacrifice we (Tibetans) have made with the development that we have seen, my feeling is that the value of our sacrifice has been far greater. Our sacrifice far outweighs our development.”

In fact, Tibetans are straining under the crushing weight of a totalitarian one-party dictatorship. The Tibetan people have no say in running their own affairs; all important decisions are made by the CCP and non-Tibetans dominate key leadership posts.

No human rights

If we look at the human rights situation, Tibetans are singled out for greater abuse because of their distinct identity. Tibetans are persecuted simply for preserving their cultural identity and face immense restrictions on their abilities to practice their religion, speak in their mother tongue, travel and exercise freedom of speech.

Chen Quanguo, party secretary in Xinjiang (known to Uyghurs as East Turkestan), who caused international outrage over his mass internment camps of Uyghurs and Kazakhs, previously held the same position in the Tibet Autonomous Region. During his tenure in TAR, he implemented policies aimed at controlling the Tibetan people, some of which are being replicated in Xinjiang today. In the 2012 detention of hundreds of Tibetan pilgrims returning from Buddhist teachings given by the Dalai Lama, we can see a forerunner to Chen’s mass internment in Xinjiang; many of the detainees were elderly men and women who were held for weeks or even months. There is deep concern about the possible establishment of coercive labor programs in Tibet. These programs could have a deep impact on the lives of Tibetans who are being uprooted from their families, their communities and their culture. In the climate of fear that persists in Tibet it is a certainty that Tibetans do not have a choice but to comply with the measures stipulated by Chinese authorities.

Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism

Concerning religion, which lies at the core of Tibetan identity, Tibetans are being persecuted for their beliefs. Chinese authorities have subjected monks and nuns to ‘patriotic re-education’ and Tibetans can be arrested simply for owning photographs of the Dalai Lama or celebrating his birthday. Tibetan Buddhism focuses on a system of rigorous study that is being severely restricted by Chinese policies which seek to break the bond between Tibetan people and their Buddhist faith.

The Dalai Lama and the Tibetans in exile are able to share the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism with the whole world. But in Tibet under Chinese rule, Tibetan Buddhism faces threats to its survival as a result of Chinese policies; even Gyaltsen Norbu, appointed as the Panchen Lama by the Chinese state, has warned that Chinese policies could lead to a situation where Tibetan Buddhism exists in name only. The CCP’s preposterous claim to have authority over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is just one of the most visible efforts at sinicization, which suborns this ancient faith to Beijing’s authoritarian political goals.

Environmental degradation in Tibet

The issue of environment in Tibet is intimately linked to human rights. For Tibetans, who have lived in harmony with nature for centuries based on the principles of interdependence enshrined in their religious beliefs and customs, the degradation of the environment is a deep source of concern. China’s reckless development policies are devastating Tibet’s environment. Unchecked logging and strip mining, reckless damming, and the forced removal of Tibetan nomads from the grasslands are just some of the hallmarks of China’s stewardship of the Tibetan environment.

Dalai Lama provides vision

The Dalai Lama and Tibetan people have a vision for how Tibetan culture can benefit world civilization, but Beijing evidently sees little value in it beyond the profit of the tourism industry. In 1987 the 10th Panchen Lama observed, “There is not much attention given to the study and use of the Tibetan language. If Tibet is the most religious region, it goes without saying that the study and use of the Tibetan language should be promoted. But many wrong things have been done.” Unfortunately, the study of Tibetan in the schools in Tibet continues to face tremendous challenges three decades later.

The 10th Panchen Lama also said, “Tibetans are the legitimate masters of Tibet. The wishes and feeling of the people of Tibet must be respected.” Our message to the CCP today is fundamentally the same. The Dalai Lama’s consistent advocacy of non-violence is a key in reaching a lasting solution for Tibetans, and it is in the best interests of both the Chinese and the Tibetan people. Until the CCP begins to respect the aspirations of the Tibetan people, all it will have are empty words.

On Panchen Lama’s 32nd birthday, US demands China reveal whereabouts of the long abducted Tibetan leader
Staff Reporter

April 25, 2021

Dharamshala: In week commemorating the Panchen Lama’s 32nd birthday in absentia, the US State Department demanded that China reveal “immediately” the whereabouts of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest-ranking figure in Tibetan Buddhism, 26 years after he was disappeared at age 6.

“April 25th will mark the 32nd birthday of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama who was forced to spend another year disappeared, separated from his community, and denied his rightful place as a prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader,” said Spokesperson Ned Price during a press conference, adding that the United States supports Tibetans’ religious freedom and their unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity.

“We call on the PRC Government to immediately make public the Tibetan-venerated Panchen Lama’s whereabouts and to give us this opportunity to meet with the Panchen Lama in person.”

On 25 April 1995, Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima turned six years old. Barely a month later, on May 15, 1995, the then six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima chosen by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the 11th Panchen Lama was abducted by Chinese authorities along with his entire family.

He has not been seen or heard from since and remains the world’s longest-serving political prisoner.

Since his abduction, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the UN Working Group of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has raised questions on the whereabouts of the 11th Panchen Lama. Similarly, the US Congress, European Parliament, and parliaments of various other nations such as the UK, Canada, various governments, international organizations, and Tibet support groups have released reports, issued statements, and passed resolutions calling for his immediate release.

Earlier this week, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reiterated its call for the Chinese government to release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, one of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience.

“It has been nearly 26 years since the Chinese Communist Party’s enforced disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was only six years old at the time of his abduction. As Gedhun turns 32 on April 25 this year, his whereabouts and wellbeing remain unknown. This lack of information is unacceptable,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza, who advocates for Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.

The USCIRF renewed its call for the “Chinese government to allow an independent expert to visit and confirm the wellbeing of the 11th Panchen Lama, and to release him immediately and unconditionally.”

“It is despicable that the Chinese Communist Party continues to interfere in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama,” added USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel. “The combination of the level of absurdity and ruthlessness in the CCP’s persecution of the Tibetan community should alarm the international community, which should stand united in calling for the release of the Panchen Lama.”