NEWSLETTERS
Tibet Update – May 2026
INSIDE:
Message of gratitude from ICT Chairman Richard Gere
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Last Saturday, ICT was honored by the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota at their Gala Dinner. ICT President Tencho Gyatso and Executive Director Ryan Fioresi attended the event in person, and ICT Chairman Richard Gere recorded a special message of gratitude. As one of ICT’s supporters, our Chairman’s appreciation extends to you.
Dalai Lama presides over swearing-in of Sikyong Penpa Tsering
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama presided over the May 27 start of Penpa Tsering’s second term as Sikyong. Dignitaries included two Indian MPs, an MP from Chile, an MP from El Salvador, a delegation of parliamentarians from the UK, and two advisors to the US Ambassador to India.
Reps. Jim McGovern and Michael McCaul introduced H.R. 8982 in order to increase America’s recognition of and engagement with the Central Tibetan Administration. The Assuring the Future of Tibet Act of 2026 marks a milestone in US support for the CTA, which serves as the democratically elected voice of the Tibetan people inside Tibet and in the global diaspora. A Senate companion bill is expected to be introduced shortly.
After 31 years, China continues to hide the Panchen Lama from the world
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On May 17, 1995, Chinese authorities kidnapped a six-year-old Tibetan boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, just days after His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognized him as the reincarnated Panchen Lama, one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most important leaders. While Tibetans in exile celebrated the Panchen Lama’s 37th birthday last month, neither he nor his parents have been seen in public since China abducted them in 1995.
Free, fair and transparent Tibetan parliamentary election spotlights success of Tibetan democracy
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ICT congratulates Tibetans in exile on the successful completion of their democratic elections on April 26. Using an innovative and transparent system for decentralized voting, the Tibetan Central Election Commission ensured tens of thousands of Tibetans in dozens of countries around the globe could exercise their fundamental right to vote for their representatives in the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
European Parliament urges China to repeal “Ethnic Unity” law
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The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on China’s new law on “ethnic unity,” expressing grave concern over its impacts for the rights of ethnic groups including Tibetans, and warning its enforcement will carry “severe consequences” for EU-China relations. ICT President Tencho Gyatso, who was invited to contribute, spoke to MEPs about the impacts of the law on the rights and culture of Tibetans.
China sells advanced repression – often honed in Tibet – to the world
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Findings from multiple think tanks, academics, and ICT demonstrate that China is now actively packaging and exporting its authoritarian and security-based governance model on a global scale by training foreign security forces. Consequently, Beijing plays an unprecedented role in shaping public security practices, internal security organs, and technological norms within nations across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific.
New US Senate bill would require State Department to examine China’s atrocities in Tibet
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Senators Jeff Merkley and Rick Scott introduced legislation on April 29 that directly confronts the Chinese Communist Party’s severe human rights violations and abuses in Tibet. The Tibet Atrocities Determination Act would require the Secretary of State to investigate China’s repressive actions in Tibet and publicly report on whether those atrocities meet the criteria for genocide or crimes against humanity.
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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.
- Message of gratitude from ICT Chairman Richard Gere
- Dalai Lama presides over swearing-in of Sikyong Penpa Tsering
- New bipartisan legislation seeks to strengthen America’s relationship with the Central Tibetan Administration
- After 31 years, China continues to hide the Panchen Lama from the world
- Free, fair and transparent Tibetan parliamentary election spotlights success of Tibetan democracy
- European Parliament urges China to repeal “Ethnic Unity” law
- China sells advanced repression – often honed in Tibet – to the world
- New US Senate bill would require State Department to examine China’s atrocities in Tibet
- Sign up to get texts from ICT!
- New items in ICT’s online store!
- Smart Giving: A savvy choice to make a big impact during periods of financial unpredictability
SUPPORT TIBET
New items in ICT's online store!
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We are delighted to collaborate 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 »
We have just a few copies of ICT's 2026 calendar remaining! Great Compassion is a celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday and the power of compassion—the quiet strength and the power it holds to heal and transform. We are deeply honored to collaborate with our friends at Mutts Comics to share some of our favorite illustrations and quotes from Heart to Heart, a remarkable collaboration between His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and renowned illustrator Patrick McDonnell. With gentle wisdom and moving simplicity, this book invites us to reflect on our connection to one another and to this Earth we all live on. It is a call for a Compassionate Revolution—a reminder, as His Holiness writes, that "we are indeed all members of a single family, sharing one little house."
Smart Giving: A savvy choice to make a big impact during periods of financial unpredictability
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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.