Every few months the Chinese authorities rustle up a dozen or more foreign journalists based in Beijing to take on rigid tours of parts of Tibet. But in all the years the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has been doing this, the journalists have hardly ever—and possibly never—painted their trips or their MFA minders in a good light. Quite the opposite: the story that inevitably comes out is of the palpable...

Ed Wong wrote a piece printed in the Sunday New York Times about three Tibetan monks who recently arrived at the Tibetan Refugee Reception Center in Dharamsala. The monks had fled after utilizing a rare visit by foreign journalists to Labrang monastery to air their grievances against Chinese rule in Tibet. Like nearly all Tibetan refugees who arrive in India, their journey was daring and dangerous, and their...

The International Campaign for Tibet, represented by Tencho Gyatso and I, were privileged to stand for the Tibetan people at events hosted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation on June 16. The Foundation conducted its annual wreath laying ceremony at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, D.C., which features a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue created by the students in Tiananmen...

It all began in October 2008—the latest round I should say—when during his address at the anniversary celebrations of the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama said, “I have not lost faith in the people of China, but my faith in the present Chinese government is thinning…” Since then, the Dalai Lama has returned to this theme several times, the latest being his remarks to...

Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to China focused on climate change. She sought to make the case for action on global warming as a human rights issue.  Certainly, the rights to clean air and water are universal, though there are other rights implications to climate policy, notably in the Tibet context. Chinese government control of Tibetan resources has proven destructive to the environment. Decisions...

Last week’s Tiananmen anniversary events once again raised the question of the Obama Administration’s orientation on human rights in China. Reporters and commentators paraphrased Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks in February as saying that human rights would take a back seat to finances, global warming and security. The glass half-full analysis of Clinton’s remarks, not widely expressed at...

Today the world’s attention is rightly focused on the twentieth anniversary of the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.  As you do on significant anniversaries my thoughts have turned back to where I was at that time and the days that followed today’s anniversary. It was early in the morning and His Holiness’ driver came to my home to bring me as quickly as possible to meet with His Holiness the Dalai...