CAMPAIGN WIN - UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY TO WELCOME THE DALAI LAMA

The University of Sydney has responded to the intense outcry from the public and its students and staff over its decision to cancel the Dalai Lama’s talk on campus. On 13 June, the Dalai Lama will speak to students at the talk under the theme “Education Matters”. The talk will be hosted by the university’s Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, who had earlier agreed to host the event and then pulled out a few weeks ago following a number of restrictions from the university’s vice-chancellor.

Tibetan students will be invited to the rescheduled talk. The university also states that no restrictions over publicity will be put on the event.

In its statement on 23 April, the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights agrees “to host an on-campus lecture for students” and “hopes that the event will form part of a determined commitment of the University of Sydney to develop a constructive dialogue on matters concerning Tibet and the wider region.”

The university’s change of heart was a direct result of the public pressure.

On 16 April, the ABC broke the story that the university having agreed to host the event in the beginning had withdrawn its support and proposed holding the talk off campus to preserve access of university researchers to China, where the government brands the Dalai Lama as a “separatist”.

Within a week, the university received thousands of emails from thousands of Australia Tibet Council supporters, who signed our petition to the vice-chancellor Dr Michael Spence to stand for academic integrity by allowing the Dalai Lama to speak to students.

Along with Students for a Free Tibet, International Tibet Network and International Campaign for Tibet, we organised scores of letters, emails and other actions including a rally that demonstrated the public and students’ concern at the university’s move and the strength of support for the Dalai Lama and all he represents.

This is an important victory for Tibetans and supporters. Together we have stopped the Chinese government from blocking the Dalai Lama’s message to students and have sent a strong message to universities in Australia and around the world not to cave in to pressure from the Chinese government.

US Government Urges Beijing to Hold Unconditional Dialogue with Tibetan leadership to Solve Tibet Problem

DHARAMSHALA: Expressing deep concern and sadness over the accelerating self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet, a top US government official on Thursday urged the China to address its policies in Tibet that are pushing Tibetans to burn themselves to death in protest and to engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives without preconditions.

Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Maria Otero said: “The United States is deeply concerned and saddened by the continuing violence in Tibetan areas of China and the increasing frequency of self-immolations by Tibetans. Chinese authorities have responded to these tragic incidents with measures that tighten already strict controls on freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association of Tibetans. Official rhetoric that denigrates the Tibetan language, the Dalai Lama, and those who have self-immolated has further exacerbated tensions.”

“Senior U.S. officials have directly raised the issue of Tibetan self-immolations with their Chinese government counterparts. The U.S. Government has consistently urged the Chinese government to address policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions. These policies include increasingly severe government controls on Tibetan Buddhist religious practice and monastic institutions; education practices that undermine the preservation of Tibetan language; intensive surveillance, arbitrary detentions and disappearances of Tibetans, including youth and Tibetan intellectual and cultural leaders; escalating restrictions on news, media and communications; and the use of force against Tibetans seeking peacefully to exercise their universal human rights.

“We call on the Chinese Government to permit Tibetans to express their grievances freely, publicly, peacefully, and without fear of retribution. We hope that the tragic acts of self-immolation end. We call on China’s leaders to allow journalists, diplomats and other observers unrestricted access to China’s Tibetan areas. We call on the Chinese Government to Chinese government to address policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions,” Ms Otero said.

Special meeting of Tibetans on how to deal with critical situation in Tibet Begins

September 25, 2012 5:31 pm

DHARAMSHALA: Hundreds of Tibetan delegates from across the world met Tuesday in Dharamsala to discuss ways to deal with the critical situation in Tibet and garner concrete support from the international community to resolve the problem of Tibet.

Over 432 delegates from 26 countries, including India, US, and Europe, are attending the Second Special General Meeting of Tibetans.

The four-day meeting opened with a portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being carried and placed on a throne in the auditorium of TCV school. 51 Tibetan national flags hung from the surrounding balcony in the hall as a mark respect for the self-immolators.

In his opening address, Mr Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, said: “The main reason for holding this Second Special General Meeting of the Tibetan People is how and in what ways the Tibetans living in exile should respond to the tragic situation in Tibet today.”

The delegates will come up with a final action plan on the final day of the meeting on Friday. On Friday morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will attend a long life prayer service to be offered by the Kashag and Parliament.

Australian Woman for Tibet

Special Event, Sydney Botanic Garden

Join Tibetan Woman in Australia to raise international communities' awareness of the critical situation inside Tibet and to exert international pressure for the improvement of human rights for Tibetans living in occupied Tibet.

Parliament Session Begins Amid Crisis in Tibet

September 14, 2012 5:11 pm

DHARAMSHALA: The fourth session of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile began today, with the entire first day kept for deliberations on how to deal with the critical situation prevailing in Tibet.

In his opening address, Mr Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, said over 51 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet and their family members are living under an extremely difficult situation.

He said the Chinese government, instead of looking into real causes as to why Tibetans are setting themselves on fire, has exacerbated the crisis in Tibet by stepping up military crackdown in the Tibetan areas. “So, a motion will be tabled on the first day of this session to express our solidarity with our brethren who are continuously suffering the under the Chinese government’s repressive rule,” he added.

He said given the gravity of the situation in Tibet, the entire first day of this parliament session will be kept for deliberation on the Chinese government’s policies in Tibet and the developing situation in Tibet.

Speaker Penpa Tsering spoke about the upcoming special general meeting of Tibetans from 22-28 September, and the efforts made the Kashag and the Parliament to garner international community’s support to end the Chinese government’s repression in Tibet. “We need to strengthen our campaigns as no concrete action has come from the international community in view of the urgency of the situation in Tibet,” he added.

He said there is no clarity on how the new Chinese leadership will handle the crisis in Tibet, adding that in order to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue with the Chinese government, Tibetans in exile must sustain our movement to draw the world attention to the plight of Tibetans

The Parliament then deliberated on a resolution expressing solidarity with the Tibetans living inside Tibet.

To condolence resolutions were passed to mourn the sad demise of former speaker Kasur Alak Jigme Thinley Lhundup and Mr Nyisang, a former parliamentarian.

Kalon Tripa Releases book on Self-Immolations 

September 12, 2012

DHARAMSHALA: Kalon Tripa today launched a book on self-immolations in Tibet and international community’s support for the Tibetan people. The book, published by the Dhomay Alliance for Freedom and Justice, is an English version of its book in Tibetan released in March this year.

In his remarks, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay commended the staff of Dhomay Alliance for Freedom and Justice for their dedication and hard work in producing a comprehensive account of the self-immolation incidents in Tibet.

He said the book is a part of the exiled Tibetans’ effort to let the world community know about the plight of Tibetans in Tibet under China’s occupation and the great sacrifices they made for the cause of Tibet.

Kalon Tripa said truth is with the Tibetan people, adding that the facts in the book will help in getting support from the international community to truth and just cause of Tibet.

He said the book would serve as a reference material for participants during the upcoming Special International Tibet Support Groups Meeting in November.

THE    "FLAME OFTRUTH " TOUCH RELAY FLAGGED OFF IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.

September 5, 2012 11:00am, Sydney, Australia

The relay,initiated by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile to express “solidarity with the courageous and selflessacts” of Tibetans insideTibet, has been campaigning all over India since it began on July 7, the 77th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The campaigncalls on the United Nations to discuss the issueof Tibet based on its earlier resolutions, to send an independent internationalfact-finding delegation to Tibet and to take special responsibilityto ensure that the basic aspirations of the Tibetans inside Tibetare fulfilled.

“This Flam ofTruth -touch relay is to raise internationalawareness about the deteriorating situation in Tibetunder the incumbentcommunist regime of China” as briefed by theTibetan Community leader MrNigan.

The Relay,after travelling around hundreds of cities all over the world will conclude on December 10, World Human RightsDay, with the submissionof appeal letters and signatures, simultaneously to theUN Head quarters in New York City, UN Human Rights Council in Genevaand UN informationoffice in New Delh

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