Opinions

On March 23, 2012, Lodi Gyari, the Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, issued a statement that was carried on the websites of both the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). Between the lines of this obviously-important message, it is possible to see the continuing evolution of Tibetan democracy, as political power has passed to an elected leadership that, to some extent, is still finding its way.

On 30 March I attended the moving function organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress to honour the memory of Jamphel Yeshi - the latest Tibetan martyr to perform self-immolation. But this was in New Delhi - during the demonstrations led by Tibetan Youth Congress to protest against China's President, Hu Jintao, who was arriving in New Delhi to take part in the Brics Meetings.

Until a day before Jamphel Yeshi (27) became a burning sensation in the international media this week, his story was no different from those few million Tibetans who live today in what Chinese leaders call a 'Socialist Heaven' or 'China's Tibet'.

"Shocking, outrageous and totally unacceptable": This is how the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights organization, characterized the Chinese media's attempt to draw an analogy between Nobel Peace Laureate Dalai Lama and the Nazi perpetrator of the World War II Holocaust.

The string of self-immolations inside Tibet - started in 2009 by a Kirti Monastery monk Tapey and which most recently on March 30 claimed two monks in Barkham County - sees no sign of letting up. On the

Today at 12.25 pm, a young Tibetan set himself on fire at a protest rally organized by the Tibetan Youth Congress at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the Capital. The Tibetans were protesting against the forthcoming visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India,

I was deeply moved by Taiwan Solidarity Union, a political party sitting on opposition in Ma Ying-jeou’s government, expressing support to the Tibetan people.

WHILE leaving the United States after a five-day tour, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping stated that his visit was a ‘full success’. After the official calls on the US President and other dignitaries, the visit ended in a relaxed way in Hollywood. Further, Xi termed his meetings with President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden as ‘fruitful’.

“What is the sound of one hand clapping?” This Zen Buddhist koan is sometimes cited by those who follow the ups and downs – mostly downs – of the Sino-Tibetan dialogue.

Declassified documents from 1950 through the 1960s show that Canada considered Tibet to be “qualified for recognition as an independent state.” These documents also show how the Canadian government’s concern over the outcome of United Nations votes led Canada to publicly avoid the question of Tibet’s political status in favor of human rights. But while Canada