TIBET UPDATE

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The Tibet Update eNewsletter is a bimonthly summary of news and governmental actions related to Tibet. Past issues in PDF format are located at http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/tibet-weekly-updates/.

INSIDE TIBET:

Tibetans protest over land in earthquake region

Radio Free Asia reported on June 3 that scores of Tibetan residents of the quake damaged region in Yushu county, Qinghai province are protesting local government plans to take possession of choice properties to reconstruct ravaged homes, schools, offices and other sites. One Yushu resident said, "The local government has forced local residents out of their houses - they said they had to clean the area to build office buildings, schools and parks and they are planning to take away the sites for our homes and our fields." Read the complete story . . .

Three Tibetan monks arrested in Chamdo's Jomda County

Voice of Tibet reported on June 7 the arrest three monks of Wara Monastery in Thangu Township, Jomda County in Chamdo Prefecture, TAR. The monks are suspected of leading and instigating protests in Jomda in 2008 and 2009. Earlier in May, six other monks of Wara Monastery had been arrested for the same. Read the complete story . . .

Sisters allowed to visit prominent jailed monk

Two sisters of the prominent Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, serving a life sentence, were finally allowed to visit him in jail in the southwestern province of Sichuan, where supporters have repeatedly rallied in his defence. On April 25, 2010, the deputy governor and head prosecutor in Lithang county suddenly appeared at the house of Sonam Dekyi and Dolkar, the two sisters of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, and informed them they could see their brother. Prison authorities informed the sisters that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche had health problems and had recently suffered a fall, possibly caused by his ill health. Read the complete story . . .

China's Panchen Lama makes rare visit to Lhasa

The Chinese appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, made a rare visit to the Tibetan capital Lhasa on June 5 and offered prayers at the historic Jokhang Temple. This is his first visit to the Tibetan capital since the 2008 Tibet protests. Chinese official media beamed pictures of Gyaltsen Norbu being received with full religious honors by monks in Lhasa. Read the complete story . . .

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL:

ICT delivers remarks at UN Human Rights Council meeting

ICT staff Leslie Butterfield delivered an oral statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on June 3 during the interactive dialogue commenting on a Joint Study on Secret Detentions. Less than one minute into her remarks, a Chinese delegate interrupted, raising a point of order. Read the complete ICT report . . .

TIBETAN - CHINESE DIALOGUE:

Tibetan Task Force meeting commences in Dharamsala

The 22nd meeting of the Task Force on Sino-Tibetan dialogue process commenced in Dharamsala on June 8. Tibetan Prime Minister in Exile, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche presided over the two-day meeting, which also included the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy Lodi Gyari and Envoy Kalsang Gyaltsen. The last meeting was held in March 2010 following the ninth round of dialogue in Beijing from January 26 - 31, 2010. Read the complete story . . .

TIBET'S ENVIRONMENT:

Tibet's Watershed Challenge

In an opinion piece in the Washington Post, Uttam Kumar Sinha writes that as an enormous storehouse of freshwater, and home to the headwaters of many of Asia's mighty rivers, the Tibetan Plateau is vulnerable to environmental challenges, including climate change, but is also subject to an array of political issues as well. He says that with no legal binding international treaty on such water-sharing, there is nothing to stop China from manipulating river flows and increasing downstream dependency. Read the complete opinion piece . . .

Melting mountains put millions at risk in Asia

A study by a team of Dutch scientists, reports that increased melting of glaciers and snow in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau threatens the food security of millions of people in Asia. The team of scientists in Holland studied the impacts of climate change on five major Asian rivers on which about 1.4 billion people, roughly a fifth of humanity, depend for water to drink and to irrigate crops. The study says that the issue is crucial for governments to assess the future threats from disputes over water, mass migration and therefore political risk for investors. Read the complete story . . .

FROM THE ICT BLOG:

Voices for Tibet at the UN - June 11, 2010