NEWSLETTERS
Tibet Update – June 2026
INSIDE:
Highlights from Tibet Lobby Day 2026
—
Tibet Lobby Day 2026 had an amazing turnout both in-person and online. In this video, hear about the highlights of our biggest advocacy event of the year, followed by interviews with some of our incredible participants.
More than 225 Tibetan Americans and supporters join in Tibet Lobby Day
—
Hundreds of Tibetan Americans and Tibet supporters convened in DC earlier this month to advocate on behalf of Tibet with their elected representatives. Tibet Lobby Day included more than 225 people, representing 27 states plus the District of Columbia, and visited more than 100 congressional offices.
Dalai Lama undergoes successful knee surgery
—
“It has been a great honour for the hospital and the medical team to serve His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We are grateful for the trust and confidence placed in us and privileged to have been able to contribute to His Holiness’s care,” said Dr. Rajesh Malhotra after the June 12 surgery.
Baltic Members of Parliament, led by Latvia, call for EU coordination on Tibet
—
Longtime Tibet advocate Richard Gere, Chair of the International Campaign for Tibet, was the keynote speaker at a Tibet conference hosted by Latvian Member of Parliament Juris Viļums, Chair of the Group for the Support of Tibet, bringing together politicians, civil society representatives and the international Tibet movement in a show of Baltic solidarity.
Chinese Communist Party training Tibetan kindergarteners in military tactics
—
ICT has analyzed images released recently by the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department from the southern Tibetan town of Tsona close to the Indian border. The photographs depict deeply troubling scenes of indoctrination, with Tibetan kindergarten children dressed in camouflage uniforms marching under the Chinese flag and participating in simulated combat exercise.
ICT President Tencho Gyatso testified on June 8 before the Canadian House of Commons’s Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, urging Canadian parliamentarians to take stronger action against China’s intensifying campaign of forced assimilation in Tibet.
ICT welcomes four Lodi Gyari Fellows for summer 2026 cohort
—
ICT is pleased to welcome four Lodi Gyari Fellows through the Washington Internship Program for Tibetan Americans for the summer 2026 cohort. Representing the next generation of Tibetan American leaders, this year’s fellows hail from Washington, California, Connecticut, and New Jersey and will serve in congressional offices and leading democracy-focused institutions across Washington, DC.
Tibetan environmental and transparency activist continues to face CCP restrictions
—
Anya Sengdra, a well-known Tibetan environmental defender and anti-corruption whistleblower, was released from Mianyang Prison on February 7, 2026. However, sources close to him recently told ICT that the government continues to restrict his movements, search his phone and subject him to arbitrary interrogations. He is also not allowed to seek medical treatment without government permission.
The Tibet world suffered a major loss last week with the passing of Robert Thurman, renowned scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and retired Columbia University Professor. Bob was a force of nature who was a tireless advocate for the Tibetan people, religion, culture and way of life.
Sign up to get texts from ICT!
—
We’re about to launch something exciting, and we want you to be among the very first to be a part of it: a way to get real-time updates from ICT, participate in urgent advocacy, and get an insider’s look at our work for the Tibetan people. Join in by signing up for text messages from ICT!
When you sign up, you’ll become part of a conversation that brings you closer and more connected to our work—because you’ll hear directly from the ICT team and leaders in the movement for Tibet.
- Highlights from Tibet Lobby Day 2026
- More than 225 Tibetan Americans and supporters join in Tibet Lobby Day
- Dalai Lama undergoes successful knee surgery
- Baltic Members of Parliament, led by Latvia, call for EU coordination on Tibet
- Chinese Communist Party training Tibetan kindergarteners in military tactics
- ICT president urges Canadian human rights subcommittee to confront China’s forced assimilation policies in Tibet
- ICT welcomes four Lodi Gyari Fellows for summer 2026 cohort
- Tibetan environmental and transparency activist continues to face CCP restrictions
- ICT mourns the passing of Robert Thurman, an iconic Tibetan Buddhist scholar and lifelong advocate for Tibet
- Sign up to get texts from ICT!
- BLOG: How Thomas Pauken and other foreigners become tools in China’s disinformation campaign on Tibet
- Check out ICT’s redesigned online store!
- Smart Giving: A savvy choice to make a big impact during periods of financial unpredictability
BLOG
How Thomas Pauken and other foreigners become tools in China’s disinformation campaign on Tibet
By: Bhuchung K. Tsering
—
On June 4, 2026, a China-based American journalist, Thomas Pauken II, pleaded guilty in a Virginia court to charges of acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. He had been detained during his most recent return to the United States in February 2026 and was accused of trying to recruit people to pass information to Chinese intelligence services.
SUPPORT TIBET
Check out ICT's redesigned online store!
—
ICT is delighted to announce the launch of our redesigned online store! We hope the fresh look and reorganized site provide a pleasant and easy to navigate shopping experience. Featured on the site are artist collaborations like our Heart to Heart Collection in partnership with Patrick McDonnell, and our newest collab with Bhuchung D. Sonam and TibetWrites to bring forward creative works by Tibetan writers from across the community. Bhuchung D. Sonam is a Tibetan poet, translator, and publisher born in Tibet and currently living in exile in India. Through his work, Sonam has significantly contributed to making Tibetan literature more accessible to a global audience while fostering a sense of cultural identity and brotherhood among Tibetans. Check out the items in this new collaboration »
Smart Giving: A savvy choice to make a big impact during periods of financial unpredictability
—
From climate change to the survival of democracy, Tibet is at the heart of the biggest challenges facing our world. That's why we're thrilled to share financially smart ways to give that will promote human rights and democratic freedoms for the people of Tibet:
- Stock: When you donate appreciated stock, you can save on two types of taxes by avoiding capital gains tax and often getting a full deduction for the value of your gift.
- IRA gifts: If you're 70.5 or older, donations from your IRA reduce your taxable income and can help meet a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) if you must take one.
- Donor-Advised Funds: With a grant recommendation from your Donor-Advised Fund, you can give from the money you've already set aside without spending an additional cent!
- Crypto: A donation of appreciated cryptocurrency can help you avoid capital gains taxes and get a big tax deduction.
We hope you consider the donation option(s) best for you, and together, we can shift the balance toward compassion and kindness.
When you give these types of gifts, please use the tools linked above so we can track your gift, send you the right receipt and ensure you get the tax savings you deserve.