Source: tibet.net, September 4, 2012

By Thubten Samphel*

Ancient China erected the Great Wall to keep out the barbarians. Modern China has erected the Great Firewall to prevent barbarian thoughts from infecting the health of the citizens of the People’s Republic. Like the ancient wall, the Great Firewall has been breached. Tibetan exiles have initiated a conversation with the netizens of China that has the potential to moderate Beijing’s policy towards Tibetans and other minorities.

One burning topic of discussion between Tibetan exiles and the Chinese on the Mainland is the spate of fiery deaths that engulf Tibet today. So far, 51 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009. All of them called for freedom in Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to his homeland. When informed of these self-immolations, the reaction from the Chinese netizens is one of is shock and disbelief. Even when images of self-immolations were sent to them, the sentiment of the majority Chinese netizens is, this can’t be happening in China.

Source: phayul.com

DHARAMSHALA, September 3: In reports coming just in, the three Tibetan hunger strikers who began their indefinite fastearlier today in the Indian capital New Delhi, have been detained by Indian authorities.

The three were forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar, the site of the hunger strike protest, minutes back, citing security reasons due to the Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie’s ongoing visit to India.

Speaking to Phayul over phone from New Delhi, Joint Secretary of Tibetan Youth Congress, the organisers of the indefinite hunger strike, Tenzin Norsang said that the three were forcibly taken away amidst heightened tensions by the Indian police.

Source: tibet.net, 3rd September, 12

Source: tibet.net, 25-08-2012

DHARAMSHALA: Dr Bob Brown has said he would continue to work for the Tibetan cause till the end of his life even after he resigned as the leader of the Australian Greens and Senator.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Representative in Australia, Mr Sonam Norbu Dagpo and Secretary for International Relations of the Central Tibetan Administration, Tenzin Phuntsok Atisha, recently made a courtesy call to Dr Brown when he resigned from the Senate.

The Office of Tibet in Australia said in a statement: “Dr Bob Brown has always listened with deep interest and concern to our detail briefings in the Parliament on the critical situation in Tibet. He worked as a long-time co-chair of the Australian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, and he has used his good office to raise the issue of Tibet by presenting motions in the Parliament on various occasions.

NEW DELHI: Kalon Dicki Chhoyang, responsible for the Department of Information and International Relations, concluded her visit to South Africa on 22 August with a press briefing on the current situation inside Tibet which was broadcast on nationwide South African public broadcasting network.

During her stay in the country, she met with members of parliament, different levels of government as well as members of the community. Throughout her meetings, Kalon Chhoyang reiterated the urgency of the current situation in Tibet and the Tibetan people’s hope that the South Africans, through their first-hand experience with apartheid, will understand the importance of having the international community stand in solidarity with its peaceful struggle against Chinese oppression.

The Central Tibetan Administration maintains a permanent presence on the African continent through the Office of Tibet based in Pretoria.

(View full press statement)

DHARAMSHALA, August 21: Chinese authorities issued a notice barring Tibetans from setting themselves on fire and deployed hundreds of armed forces during a recently concluded horse racing festival in eastern Tibet.

With the wave of self-immolations continuing to burn across Tibet, local Chinese authorities took stringent measures ahead of the annual horse racing festival at Machu (Chinese: Maqu) in Kanlho, Gansu on August 12 to prevent public protests.

The Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a release Monday said that in addition to deploying an unprecedented number of People’s Armed Police personnel at the popular festival, local Chinese authorities also issued a 11-point public notice asking Tibetans to refrain from using the annual event to express their grievances in public.