A group of Tibetan refugees pursuing higher education in different colleges and universities in India took part in a workshop to better understand and advocate for human rights in their daily lives as well as in their own community. All participants, except three, were students pursuing various disciplines such as law, psychology, political science, commerce, computer application, microbiology and journalism.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) welcomes the release of popular Tibetan singer and composer Mr Kelsang Yarphel from prison after the completion of his four-year term. Mr Yarphel, 41, was released yesterday from Mianyang Prison near Chengdu city, capital of Sichuan Province. Despite heavy restrictions, TCHRD was able to obtain photos and videos that confirm the…
A Tibetan monk who was recently released after completing a seven-year prison term is in critical condition following injuries suffered during detention and lack of medical care in prison.
Palden Thinley, 26, was released from Deyang prison on the afternoon of 17 May 2015 in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Kham, according to information received by Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
On the day of his release, prison authorities handed over Palden Thinley to County Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers in Kardze apparently to prevent local Tibetans from giving him a hero’s welcome. At around 3 am on 18 May 2015, the Kardze County PSB handed over Thinley to Dhato Township PSB, who in turn secretly summoned his family at night to pick him up.
Since 2012, Tibetans from the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) have had their passports confiscated and, as a result, unable to travel abroad. This is because of 29 April 2012 ‘guiding opinions’ on implementing passport regulation issued by the Chinese authorities that was recently obtained by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. The letter of the law and its implementation have prevented almost all Tibetans in the TAR from travelling outside of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In 2014, further restrictions have prevented Tibetans from travelling to religious ceremonies and sacred sites.
Article 12(2) of the ICCPR, which is binding on the PRC as part of customary international law, recognizes that everyone has the right to freedom of movement, including the right leave their country. The Human Rights Committee’s General Comment 27 is an authoritative interpretation of this right. It states that international travel cannot be restricted because of the purpose or duration of the travel. The right to freedom of movement may only be restricted in exceptional circumstances when the restriction is necessary to protect national security, public order, public health or morals and the rights and freedoms of others. The General Comment highlighted administrative barriers to travel as a major concern.
One of the most urgent issues affecting Tibetans inside Tibet today is the massive displacement induced by China’s development projects. Last month, Human Rights Watch reported that almost two million Tibetans, predominately nomads, have been displaced from their ancestral lands over the past seven years to make way for Chinese development in Tibet. Resettled in concrete houses in urban areas, displaced Tibetans suffer from innumerable problems such as the loss of their traditional economic livelihood and cultural dislocation.
The Chinese government argues that resettlement of Tibetan nomads is an economic necessity ostensibly to protect fragile Tibetan grasslands from what it calls “livestock overgrazing”. Behind such a rationale, however, is the implied accusation that nomads are unproductive people – economic liabilities – who stand in the way of China’s modernisation programs in Tibet.
TCHRD has translated and edited an essay by a Tibetan writer living inside Tibet who eloquently refutes Chinese assertions. The writer informs us that nomads are a proud, compassionate, honest, cultured and productive people who crafted their own independent source of living for centuries. The writer, born to nomadic parents, laments the losses nomads are currently suffering, including the loss of precious folk culture, because of their resettlement in urban areas.
The Chinese authorities have demoted six officials of Tibetan descent from their high-ranking posts in Toelung Dechen (Chinese: Duiling Deqing) County in Lhasa Municipality, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
Dawa Tsering, the Vice-Party Secretary of Tolung Dechen County; Passang, the Vice-Head tof he County Religious Affairs Bureau and Nyima Wangdue, the head of the County Religious Affairs Bureau and three other Tibetan officials were demoted from their posts, reported the Chinese government-owned Xizangradio.com on 17 May 2012.
The decision to demote the officials was taken by the Lhasa City branch of Communist Party of China (CPC) which held a meeting to discuss the demotion. The reason for their demotion was their failure to strictly undertake their duties and responsibilities in maintaining stability.
Today, at around 12.40 pm, a nun in Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County, Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP), set herself afire in protest against the Chinese government amid the continued repression of religious freedom and human rights in Tibet.
Palden Choetso, 35 years old, shouted slogans such as “Freedom in Tibet,” “Long live H.H the Dalai Lama,” and “Let the Dalai Lama return to Tibet” before she self-immolated near Namgyal Stupa, a huge stupa in Tawu County.
Latest reports state that nun Choetso died from severe burn injuries. Her body is being kept at Tawu Nyatso Monastery at this moment.
Sources to Tibet report that yet another monk self-immolated in Kandze County, Sichuan Province today (25 October 2011). At around 9.30 a.m Tibet local time, the fifth incident of self-immolation this month, monk Dawa Tsering, poured petrol on his body and set himself afire during the annual religious Cham dance ceremony in Kandze.
While on fire, monk Dawa Tsering raised slogans demanding the return of H.H the Dalai Lama, equality, and freedom in Tibet. Other monks who were gathered there for the religious ceremony tried to extinguish the flames and then immediately took the injured monk to Kandze People’s Hospital in the monastery car.
Around 10 September 2011, three Kirti monks were sentenced to 2- 3 years’ of ‘Re-education Through Labour’ by the Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Prefecture Public Security Bureau (PSB). The three monks: Lobsang Dhargye, Tsekho and Dorjee were all arrested around 12 April 2011 on suspicion related to the 16 March 2011 self immolation of monk Phuntsog.
According to our sources, Dorjee, 16, from Lhoengtsang Village, Ngaba County, has been sentenced to three years re-education through labor.
Tsekho is 30 years old, born in Tru-tse Township, Ngaba County and 22 years old Lobsang Dhargye is from Myeruma, Ngaba County. Both Tsekho and Lobsang Dhargye have been sentenced to re-education through labor for two years and six months.
On around 20 August 2011, Samphel Dhondup of Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) County was sentenced to three years imprisonment by a Kandze court, according to information received by TCHRD.
On 10 July, Samphel along with Lobsang Phuntsok and Lobsang Lhundup were arrested at around 4 o’clock in the evening (Tibet local time) after they raised slogans and distributed pamphlets saying “Freedom for Tibet”, “Long Live H.H the Dalai Lama”, “Return of the Dalai Lama” and “ May the Dalai Lama and all Tibetans unite soon”. It was reported earlier that all three youths were arrested and beaten severely by the Kandze Public Security Bureau (PSB) who arrived immediately to the spot.
A Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Prefecture Court today sentenced Tsundue (Ch: Drungdru), a Tibetan monk, to 11 years imprisonment term charging him of ‘intentional homicide’ for hiding Phuntsog and preventing him from getting medical treatment after he set himself on fire, State news agency Xinhua reported on 29 August 2011.
On 28 August the same State news agency (Xinhua) said that three Tibetan monks charged with ‘intentional homicide’ for the immolation of Phuntsog will be tried on 29th and 30th of August. The other two monks are to be sentenced tomorrow.