Thousands gather for Buddhist teachings in Tibet

Troops arrive in the streets of Tsoe as Tibetans gather for the Kalachakra.
China tightens control, prevents pilgrimage, before major Dalai Lama teaching in exile
Chinese authorities have tightened controls and deployed paramilitary troops to block Tibetans from making a pilgrimage to the sacred MountKailash in western Tibet and restrict travel in border areas. The moves are linked to the authorities’ objectives in preventing Tibetans from attending a major religious teaching, the Kalachakra, by the Dalai Lama across the border in Ladakh from July 3. “Local people are not allowed to travel outside Chamdo for two months from June and July 2014,” said a Tibetan source now in exile. “If any local students need to travel for study, or people need medical treatment outside the area, they have to seek special permission, and will be charged with a criminal offence if they are travelling without papers. The county authorities have banned pilgrimage to MountKailash since the end of May and are checking IDs of all passengers and vehicles in the area.” Please see the full ICT report for more.
Tibet hearing in Italian Parliament and ICT advocacy during Dalai Lama visit

EU Policy Director Vincent Metten, Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Hon. Marina Sereni and Matteo Mecacci, President of the International Campaign for Tibet.
Mr. Mecacci’s views on these subjects were expanded in an opinion piece published today in the Italian publication Europa. (View English translation here.) For more please see the full ICT report.
Bipartisan legislation introduced seeking to promote American access to Tibet
Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Joseph Pitts (R-PA) introduced the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act on June 12, 2014. The legislation would deny access to the United States by Chinese officials who are responsible for creating or administering policies on travel to Tibetan areas until China eliminates discriminatory restrictions on access by Americans to Tibet. It cites the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, wherein “a country should give equivalent consular access to the nationals of another country in a reciprocal manner to the consular access granted by such other country to its own citizens.”
ICT President Matteo Mecacci welcomed the legislation, saying: “Chinese leaders praise the landscape and people of Tibet, yet keep it hidden from view. Freedom of access to Tibet should be demanded of China just as established powers already provide to their own nations. I thank Congressmen McGovern and Pitts for their leadership.” This summer ICT will be asking members to take action in support of this act. For more please see the full ICT report here.
Spanish Parliamentarians make formal appeal against ‘unconstitutional’ change in law following Tibet lawsuits
Spanish Parliamentarians issued an appeal on June 13th to the Constitutional Court in Madrid, declaring that a change in Spanish law in response to Chinese pressure over two Tibet lawsuits was illegal and unconstitutional. The action by the Spanish Socialists follows international pressure from other European Parliamentarians, lawyers and NGOs, including a joint appeal by the International Campaign for Tibet and Comité de Apoyo al Tibet. Soraya Rodriguez, the Socialist Party spokeswoman who announced the news of the appeal today, said that the international response to the reform had influenced their decision. For more about the appeal and about the Tibet lawsuits in Spanish courts, please see the ICT report here.