Tibet Information Office Australia

Dharamshala: Human rights groups have released a video footage showing Rongye Adrak openly expressing Tibetan people’s loyalty to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in front of an audience of thousands, including Chinese military officials, during a traditional horse festival in Tibet’s Lithang region on 1 August 2007.  (click here for video)

Rongye Adrak/File

The video release was to mark the third anniversary of the incident, the US-based International Campaign for Tibet said in a statement issued 2 August.

ICT said the footage which it received from a foreigner who happened to be at the horse festival does not capture Adrak’s full statement.

The footage, subtitled in English, shows an extract of Rongye Adrak’s bold on-stage statement in the moments after he seized the microphone to speak and before he was arrested and imprisoned.

He [Adrak] spoke for several minutes before he was detained by armed police who made their way to the stage, ICT said.

“…These things have happened to us; did you hear what has happened to us? Although we can move our bodies, we cannot express what is in our hearts. You know? These days there are those who say we don’t need the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the one that we six million Tibetans truly [need],” read the English translation of Adrak’s speech.

“I saw him walk onto the stage, which was full of Chinese military and officials. He was very calm, very dignified and he spoke clearly. I couldn’t understand what he was saying because I don’t know the Kham dialect, but I could see Tibetans around me shaking their heads in sadness, because they were fearful for him, and others openly agreeing with him,” it quoted an eyewitness as saying.

Sources who witnessed the incident report that Rongye Adrak also called His Holiness the Dalai Lama to return home to Tibet, ICT said.

According to the International Tibet Support Network, new information from Tibet indicates that there are fears for Rongye Adrak’s health and that of his nephew Adak Lopoe, a senior monk from Lithang sentenced to ten years, and Tibetan art teacher and musician Kunkhyen, sentenced to nine years, both for allegedly attempting to provide pictures and information about the protest to overseas organisations.

Rongye Adak’s family members have only met him and Atruk Lopo once in the past three years. The meeting occurred after 50 people filed a request to local Chinese officials. Rongye Adak, the father of 11 children, has poor eyesight, said ITSN, a global coalition of Tibet support organisations worldwide.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama opening the name plate of the newly installed statue of Gyalwa Jampa at Disket Monastery in Ladakh's Nubra valley, on 25 July 2010/Photos by Tibetonline TV

Nubra, Ladakh: His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessed a newly installed Matreya statue during a ceremony at Ladakh’s oldest and largest Disket Monastery (Dekyi Gonpa in Tibetan) on Sunday. (Watch)

Dressed in their best traditional costumes, a large number of local people attended the ceremony during which many important dignitaries including His Eminence the 102nd Gaden Tripa, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Thiksey Rinpoche were present.

The 100 feet high statue of Matreya (Gyalwa Jampa) was build at a cost of around Rs 2 crores with the collaboration of Disket Kunrog Tsogpa and Disket Jamgon Sarsheng Nyamrog Thundel Tsogpa.

100 feet high statue of Gyalwa Jampa at Disket monastery, which was blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

While laying the foundation stone in 2007 His Holiness the Dalai Lama had said he has started the construction work and would give the final touch by blessing the statue on its completion. Read the rest »

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Dharamshala: US Congressman Frank Wolf, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a long-time advocate of human rights around the world, delivered a major speech in the House of Representatives on Friday (23 July) urging the Obama Administration to “find its voice” on human rights.

In his statement, Mr Wolf informed the House about the current inadequate staffing levels at the office of the Special Coordinator for Tibetans. Approved as a part of its Tibet policy act of 2002, Congress had approved that the office ‘consist three professional full-time staff members and additional support staff, as needed, in addition to the special coordinator, he said.

Mr Wolf also brought to the notice of the House about the delay in submission of the “congressionally mandated Report on Tibet Negotiations” to Congress as on 31 March every year.

He called on the Obama administration to place more priority on the issue of Tibet.

Mr Wolf presented a comprehensive assessment of the US government’s role in promoting and protecting the basic human rights and religious freedom in countries such as Sudan, China, Vietnam, North Korea, Iraq, Egypt and Morocco. He specifically highlighted the struggles of different faith communities, including Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Ahmadi Muslims, Coptic Christians and Baha’is. Read the rest »

Dharamshala: Britain’s foreign secretary has called for “autonomy and human rights in Tibet” during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing on Wednesday, BBC reported.

Speaking on his first visit to China since becoming foreign secretary, Mr William Hague said London had long-standing concerns about human rights in Tibet.

“We want to see long-term stability for Tibet, which in our view implies work on human rights and greater autonomy,” he added.

He has told his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi he wants to build a close working relationship between the two countries.

Mr Hague is due to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao later on Wednesday, before travelling to Japan on Thursday.

Dharamshala: The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile today expressed gratitude to British government led by Prime Minister David Cameron for their support for a lasting and peaceful solution to the problems in Tibet.

The press released issued by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile said: “In response to the felicitation to the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom His Excellency David Cameron by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, His Excellency expressed that:

“This Government will continue to urge the Chinese to make progress towards meaningful autonomy for Tibet. We will continue to impress upon the Chinese the importance of substantive dialogue with the Tibetan representatives in good faith. This is the only way to bring about a lasting and peaceful solution to the problems in Tibet. Read the rest »