Weekly News of Tibet in Exile August - II, 2019

Dharamsala, 19th August. Five-Fifty Vision successfully concluded last week.CTA President Dr. Lobsang Sangay explained about the inception of the Five-Fifty Vision of CTA, which was originally inspired from His Holiness the Dalai Lama`s advice to `hope for the Best and prepare for the worst, which aims toward restoration of freedom in Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Dr. Sangay also announced that 5 outstanding youth icons will be selected amongst the participants to be the representatives of youth. The three day forum saw an optimum discussion, debate, and learning from one another while the participants chalked out action plans regarding the future political status of Tibet. Dr. Sangay in his concluding remarks urged the participants to expand the suggestions and recommendations in the next year Forum. He also comforted them to face the challenges of criticisms positively and grow from the experience.

After the 1st Workshop being organized by the office of Tibet in Woodstock, New York in Karmapa Rinpoche`s Monastery. The Office of Tibet, Washington DC in partnership with Emory University organized the second workshop on ‘Secular Ethics and Youth Leadership’. The three-day event was held at the Tibetan community center of the Tibetan Association New York & New Jersey from 16 – 18 August

His Holiness the Menri Trizin Rinpoche Geshe Dawa Dhargye, the spiritual head of the Bon tradition, spoke to the participants about the need for unity and advised the young participants against involving in sectarian and regional divisive activities. He said doing so could hamper the Tibetan cause. He further advised that they should pay more heed to strengthen their understanding of Tibetan language, culture, and history. The objective of the workshop is to inspire, educate and inform Tibetan youths and to promote the teaching of secular ethics – as conceived by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Three monks from Tibet’s Amdo Ngapa region, incorporated into the Chinese province of Sichuan, have disappeared after they were arrested by Chinese authorities in separate incidents. The authorities in Ngapa have sentenced one of the three Tibetan monks to four years imprisonment while the other two are held in incommunicado detention.

1. Lobsang Thapgye around 37 year old was sentenced last month around 30 July, he was arrested sometime last year but details of his charges or wellbeing are not known.

2. Thupba, 32-year-old from Trotsik Monastery was taken by police at night from his monastery around the end of 2017. Since then, there has been no information about his whereabouts or condition. Thubpa was arrested and imprisoned for protesting and raising Slogans against Chinese rule on 16 March 2011. Exactly three years before his father’s protest, during the 2008 pan-Tibet peaceful protests, Thupba himself staged a protest and burnt the Chinese national flag on 16 March for which he was sentenced to a year and a half in prison.

3. Lobsang Dorje aged around 36, from Kirti Monastery, was detained sometime around August in 2018. He was also taken away at night from his room at Kirti Monastery. A former Tibetan political prisoner, Lobsang Dorje was sentenced in 2011 and served three years in jail. Information about the three Tibetan Monks disappearances and sentence of one was received outside Tibet despite strict surveillance and massive clampdown in Ngapa Region. Reports of Tibetans in Ngapa staging political protests, including peaceful solo protests have been frequently recorded. More than one third of Self- immolation protest against China`s rule in Tibet occurred in Amdo Ngapa Region

`Real and painful costs` to any crackdown in Hongkong, US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell warns Beijing: Sooner or later, the rest of the world will have to do what the protesters are doing ---confront Beijing.

August,22, 2019: A top US Politician has warned Beijing that there would be “real and painful costs” to any crackdown in Hongkong. Mitch McConnell, the US Senate majority leader, wrote a strongly worded op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, titled” We stand with Hongkong.” It comes as the city enters its 11th week of protest against the ill fated extradition law, amid wider calls for democracy.” Sooner or later, the rest of the world will have to do what the protesters are doing—confront Beijing,” he wrote. McConnell said the turmoil was the result of Beijing`s systematic ratcheting up of its domestic oppression, and its pursuit of hegemony abroad. “Years ago, it was reasonable to think that China`s rapid development and integration into the global economy might lead it to embrace prevailing international rules, that success would give Beijing a stake in the systems that uphold peace and prosperity. Now it is clear the Communist Party wants to write its own rules and impost them on others, “he said, citing Beijing`s suppression of freedoms in Tibet and Xinjiang.

UN chief urges world to stamp out religious persecution. “If we can`t accept diversity…there shall be no peace in the world”, said UN Human Rights Chief Michelle bachelet

UNITED NATIONS. August 22, 2019 Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the world on the first international day to remember the victims of religious persecution to “step up to stamp out anti-Semitism,anti-Muslim hatred, the persecution of Christians and other religious groups.”Guterres said the first International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion and Belief was an opportunity to show support by doing” all in our power to prevent such attacks and demanding that those responsible are held accountable.” He urged people everywhere to resist and reject those who “falsely and maliciously invoke religion to build misconceptions, fuel division and spread fear and hatred.” At an informal U.N. Security Council meeting marking the day, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said by video from Geneva that “despite much progress, I am deeply alarmed by the worldwide rise of xenophobia, racism, religious intolerance that is menacing to our lives” as well as to democracy, social instability and peace. “If we can`t accepts diversity…. There shall be no peace in the world.” she said.

Nyima Arya