NEWSLETTERS

Tibet Update – September 14, 2018

INSIDE:

Congressional video

Watch as House Committee approves Tibet Access bill

In this special update for ICT members, you can watch highlights of the US House Judiciary Committee hearing where the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act was unanimously approved.


Take Action

Take Action for Tibet!

As you saw in the above video, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act—legislation that will help bring fairness to America’s relationship with China and shine a light on human rights abuses in Tibet. Under this bipartisan bill, Chinese officials who prevent Americans from entering Tibet will be denied entry to the US.

Now it’s time for the entire House to pass this bill. We need your help! Take action today: tell your Representative to cosponsor the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act and bring it to the House floor for a vote!

Take action!


Dalai Lama

“We Tibetans long to go back and rebuild Tibet,” the Dalai Lama says in Sweden

After arriving in Malmo, Sweden, the Dalai Lama gave a talk on the “Art of Happiness and Peace” and spoke about his vision for a constructive end to the Tibet issue:

“As Tibetan refugees, now about 60 years, we always think about Tibet and to rebuild Tibet. We want to be broadminded, not narrow minded. Therefore, we are very much willing to remain within the People’s Republic of China given that they respect Tibetan culture, language, environment. These are in accordance with the Chinese Constitution.”

Read more online


court document

Tashi Wangchuk’s appeal rejected by Chinese court

Newly translated court documents exposed China’s sham prosecution of Tibetan language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk, who faces five years in prison after his appeal was rejected. Tashi Wangchuk was detained after appearing in a New York Times video about the importance of protecting the Tibetan language.

The appeal rejection states that Wangchuk “attacked the state’s policies” and does not deny that a confession may have been made under torture.

Read more online


Tibetan family

China tightens screws on Tibetan Buddhism

Beijing’s efforts to consolidate official control over Tibetan monks, influence a new generation of monastics, and punish loyalty to the Dalai Lama are proceeding, with new government databases and the increased use of Gyaltsen Norbu, referred to as the Panchen Lama by the Chinese government, to support official policies. Their long-term goal of ‘Sinicizing’ Tibetan Buddhism is meeting resistance both inside Tibet and internationally, with the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Freedom of Religion ranking China among the worst violators of freedom of religion worldwide, noting specific concerns regarding the oppression of Tibetan religious practitioners.

Read more online

European Parliament

New European Parliament report calls on China to review its policies in Tibet

The European Parliament has adopted a new report on EU-China relations that urges China to review its policies in Tibet and review and amend laws that severely limit the exercise of civil and political rights of Tibetans. It further urges the EU institutions to take the issue of access to Tibet into serious consideration in discussions on the EU-China visa facilitation agreement.

“We welcome the call of the European Parliament for a review of China’s policies in Tibet,” said ICT’s EU Policy Director Vincent Metten in our statement.

Read more online


United Nations

UN experts urge China to prevent discrimination against Tibetans

United Nations experts on racial discrimination urged the Chinese government to review policies and laws that discriminate against Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Mongols.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said that it is “concerned by reports that Tibetans are subjected to significant restrictions on movement within and beyond Tibet Autonomous Region, and that the issuance of passports for foreign travel is almost entirely banned in the region. It is also concerned by reports that Tibetan language teaching in schools in the Tibet Autonomous Region has not been placed on equal footing in law, policy and practice with Chinese, and that it has been significantly restricted; that Tibetan language advocacy has been punished; and that Tibetans do not have access to Tibetan language translations during court proceedings, which are held in Mandarin.”

Read more online


China’s abuses in East Turkestan face growing condemnation

The Chinese government is provoking international outrage by forcing more than one million Uyghur Muslims into horrific internment camps. In a recent story in The Huffington Post, Peter Irwin of the World Uyghur Congress said China hasn’t tried the same thing in Tibet because of the incredible work of Tibet supporters like you:

“If one million Tibetans were arbitrarily detained in camps, there would be much stronger condemnation from the international community, which is a testament to the work of Tibetan advocacy groups around the world and people speaking strongly about rights issues there.”

Read more online

BLOG

Google blog

Don’t be evil: Google must abandon plans for censored search app in China
By: Ashwin Verghese

Ok Google: What is evil? That’s a question the world’s most popular search engine might need to ask itself.

As Google reportedly develops plans for a censored search app in China, the International Campaign for Tibet has signed a letter insisting that the tech behemoth scrap the project immediately.

Read more online

EVENT

Dalai Lama

Watch His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings from the Netherlands
September 15-17, 2018

Tune in for live webcasts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's discussions, talks and teaching from Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands on September 15-17, 2018.

Featuring:
A discussion with ICT Chairman Richard Gere on "Why Compassion is Essential in our Troubled World" Sunday, September 16th, 2018 at 3:30am EDT.

More details here

SUPPORT ICT

ICT tote bad

Check Out ICT's New Tote Bag!

Visit ICT's online store and our redesigned tote bag. It features ICT's new logo in honor of our 30th anniversary and a quote from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Get yours today!


Amazon Smile

Support ICT While You Shop with AmazonSmile

Through the AmazonSmile Program, Amazon will make a donation for the value of .5% of your qualifying Amazon purchases to ICT! All you have to do is designate ICT as your charity of choice and be sure to use smile.amazon.com every time you shop with Amazon.

These small donations add up to significant funds for ICT and there is no cost to participate!