The road to Gangchen Kyishong leads through a concrete gate of sculpted Tibetan motifs into the offices of the Central Tibetan Administration, the seat of the government-in-exile that claims to set the rules for 1.12 lakh refugees from the other side of the Himalayas.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has allayed fears that "new difficulties" would arise with the beginning of border trade with Tibet through Sikkim. These fears he said were "baseless" and his expectation was that there would be a big growth in trade on the border.
"We urgently urge the Chinese authorities to release the three Tibetans who were arrested in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in the morning of 16 June," said Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, the Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administrations.
Gyuto Tantrik University, Sidhbari, near here, bore a festive look today as the day was being celebrated as the birthday of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinlay Dorjee, who heads the Kagyu Karma sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Although Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, in an interview to BBC called the joint communiqué between India and China a “win-win” situation for both, the pact does not represent any dramatic move forward, say China experts.
The United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed 26 June as the UN International Day in support of Victims of Torture in 1997. Every year, the day is commemorated in support of victims of torture and to eliminate torture throughout the world.
The political and social landscape has undergone certain changes since the 12th Kashag (Cabinet) headed by Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche took over. One noted policy which has been discussed widely in the community is the agricultural policy the
26 year old Tibetan nun Ngawang Sangdrol said today that she hoped British Prime Minister Tony Blair would support the non-violent freedom struggle of the Tibetan people when he visits China next month.
