A listing of the top news developments in and around Tibet during the previous week.
Harsh new ‘rectification’ drive in Tibet: nuns expelled and warning of destruction of monasteries
Jadu nunnery in Driru, Tibet.
A harsh new ‘rectification’ drive in the Driru region of Tibet states that monasteries deemed ‘illegal’ will be torn down and Tibetans who possess images of the Dalai Lama or place mani stones will be severely punished. Following the imposition of these regulations, translated by ICT into English in our report, at least 26 Tibetan Buddhist nuns were expelled from a nunnery in Driru in a police raid on November 15 after the nunnery failed to denounce the Dalai Lama. For more please see our full report.
ICT introduces new Chinese-language YouTube station
ICT’s Chinese Engagement Team is pleased to launch our new YouTube station – “Tanlun Xizang” (谈论西藏) a channel that brings you discussions on various aspect of the Tibetan issue in the Chinese language, by Chinese and Tibetan commentators. This is an effort to provide a deeper understanding of the public discourse in the Chinese language on Tibet.
Subscribe to our channel if you would like to be informed of any new postings. You can also find us in Chinese on Twitter: @LiaowangXizang.
Sarah Sewall, US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, meets Dalai Lama
Sarah Sewall in Dharamsala.
Sewall, who also visited Tibetan refugee settlements in Nepal on this trip, had an hour-long meeting with His Holiness at his residence in Dharamsala. According to the Tibet Sun, an official said they may have discussed US aid to Tibetan exiles, the situation of Tibetan refugees, and the current situation of the Tibet-China dialogue, although specific details weren’t given. Sewall did announce an award of 3.2 million US dollars for a Tibetan Health System Strengthening Project to improve healthcare availability for Tibetan refugees.
New Zealand Green Party leader stands for Tibet
New Zealand Green Party leader stands for Tibet.
Dr. Russel Norman, whom you may remember from a 2010 incident in which he protested a visiting Chinese delegation with a Tibetan flag, leading to an altercation, met with members of the Tibetan community in New Zealand ahead of a visit by Xi Jinping. He intends to formulate a message to deliver to the government with them, asking “what is the point of freedom if we don’t speak out about freedom for those who don’t have it?”