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www.tibetan.be  The entrance fee is: 15 € for members and 20 € for non members  Kalon Tripa addresses the Benelux Tibet Support Groups & the Belgium Tibetan Community by:Kalon Tripa of Tibet, TPI The Tibet post International Brussels : On the first day of his three day visit to the European Capital of the Kalon Tripa since assuming office of the Central Tibetan Administration, Dr. Lobsang Sangay was joined by Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile Mr. Penpa Tsering, Kalon Dicki Chhoyang of the Department of Information & International Relations and Venerable Thupten Wangchen & Ms. Chungdak Koren, member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile representing Europe. The day began with a lunch hosted by the Tibetan Community in honour of the Kalon Tripa where all the ex-board members since the founding of the Tibetan Community in Belgium in 1995 were also present. In the after-noon, Kalon Tripa met with the representatives of the Benelux Tibet Support Groups and Belgium based Buddhist centers to express them his appreciation for their consistent support to the Tibetan cause and to inform them of the policy priority of his administration. He also briefed them on the recent crisis in Tibet and on the devolution of political authority by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the elected leadership this year whereby their support was now even more appreciated. Kalon Dicki Chhoyang la also took the opportunity to address the delegates present in her fluent French and thanked them for having chosen to support the Tibetan cause rather than any other cause and that it very much touched her. In the meantime, she reminded them of the importance of unifying their strengths and coordinating their actions in order to get the expected impact and visibility. She also stressed the importance of involving and working together with the Tibetan Community present in their regions. In the evening Kalon Tripa and Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament met with the Belgium Tibetan Community and representatives of the Netherlands Tibetan Community. Over 1000 Tibetans from across Belgium commuted to hotel Radisson in Antwerpen to listen to their democratically elected leaders. The event started with the singing of Tibetan National anthem followed by one minute silence in memory of the Tibetans who self-immolated recently. Speaker Penpa Tsering la spoke at length on the amendments made to the charter following the devolution of political authority by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the elected leadership, its consequences, implication of Chinese policies in Tibet and the recent wave of self-immolations in Tibet. Kalon Tripa, Dr. Lobsang Sangay informed the audience of his recent visit to the US and other European countries where the respective governments and Parliamentarians had shown strong sense of concern on the recent crisis in Tibet. His Holiness the Dalai Lama handed over the political authority to the elected leadership with a certain level of trust and we must strive hard and live up to the expectations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, said Kalon Tripa. Dr. Sangay further said, the present political leadership by him is the continuity of the legitimate political leadership of the Tibetan people and that he along with his cabinet is dedicated to work hard in preserving and taking forward the legacies of the older generation. Kalon Tripa also emphasized the importance of education of the younger Tibetans which is also the priority policy of his office. The day ended with a dinner hosted hosted by the Belgium Tibetan Community. Kalon Tripa arrived to Brussels on the 26th evening from Paris where he was received by Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, Ms. Rigzin Choedon, OOT, Brussels, President & Vice-President of the Tibetan Community and Represenatives of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Chushi Gangdruk and Chinese-Tibetan Friendship Society.  The ICT (Int Camp. for Tibet) Vrienden van Tibet, TCB, RTYC, and Chushigangdruk, have organised a hungerstrike on the 3rd, 4th,7th,8th and 9th of November 2011, at place de Luxembourg (In front of European Parliament) From 9 AM to PM Anyone who wants to take part in this cause, are requested to contact either: TCB at 0489852803or any of the three Tibetan organisation board members as soon as possible. On the 9th /11/2011, to mark the end of the hungerstrike, there will be a protest demonstration from 4 PM to 6 PM at the same location འབུལ་སྐུལ་གསལ་བསྒྲགས། ༄༅།། བོད་ནང་དུ་བོད་བསྟན་སྲིད་མི་རིགས་ཀྱི་དོན་དུ་རང་སྲོག་བློས་གཏོང་གནང་བཞིན་པར་ཕྱི་རྒྱལ་རང་དབང་ལུང་པ་ན་ཡོད་པའི་བོད་རིགས་ཡོངས་ཀྱིས་རྒྱབ་སྐྱོར་གང་ཐུབ་ཞུ་དགོས་པ་འོས་འགན་ཡིན་སྟབས་འདི་ག་སྦེལ་ལྗམ་བོད་རིགས་ཚོགས་པ་དང་། རྒྱལ་སྤྱིའི་བོད་དོན་ལས་འགུལ་ཁང་། སྦེལ་ལྗམ་བོད་ཀྱི་གྲོགས་པོ་ཚོགས་པ་། ས་གནས་གཞོན་ནུ་ཚོགས་པ་། ས་གནས་ཆུ་བཞི་སྒང་དྲུག་བཅས་ཚོགས་པ་ཁག་ལྔ་ཐུན་མོང་གིས་༢༠༡༡་ ཕྱི་ཟླ་༡༡ ཚེས་༣་དང་ ༤་༧་༨་༩་སོ་སོར་ཞོགས་པ་ཆུ་ཚོད་དགུ་ནས་དགོང་དྲོའི་ཆུ་ཚོད་དྲུག་པ་བར་དུ་སྦེལ་ལྗལ་གྱི་རྒྱལ་ས་སྦར་སིལ་ནང་ཡུ་རོབ་གྲོས་ཚོགས་ཚོགས་བཞིན་པའི་སྐབས་དང་བསྟུན་ཏེ་ཡུ་རོབ་གྲོས་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་མདུན་དུ་ཟས་བཅད་ངོ་རྒོལ་གནང་གཏན་ཁེལ་ཡོད་པས་ཡུ་རོབ་ཁུལ་གྱི་བོད་མི་གང་མང་མང་ཞིག་མཉམ་ཞུགས་གནང་རོགས་། ཕྱི་ཚེས་༩ ཉིན་གྱི་དགོང་དྲོའི་ཆུ་ཚོད་དྲུག་པ་ནས་བརྒྱད་པ་བར་ངོ་རྒོལ་སྐད་འབོད་ཁྲོམ་སྐོར་ཞིག་ཀྱང་གནང་གཏན་ཁེལ་ཡོད། ས་གནས་དང་འབྲེལ་བ་བྱེད་ཡུལ་ UN experts demand halt to China repression of monks 1 nov. Free Tibet marches tarnish Hu visit Austrian Independent 31. 10. 11. http://austrianindependent.com/news/Politics/2011-10-31/9365/Free_Tibet_marches_tarnish_Hu_visit Hundreds of people took to the streets to protest against China’s stance on human rights and democracy as Heinz Fischer welcomed Hu Jintao at Hofburg Palace in Vienna this morning (Mon). The Austrian president discussed economic issues with his Chinese counterpart as they met for the first time since Fischer went on a state visit to the Asian country in January 2010. A delegation of 180 Austrian businesspeople and politicians accompanied the president to China at that time. Fischer and Hu signed contracts and declarations of intent featuring agreements over an intensified partnership between Austria and China regarding economy, trade, science and culture today. Hu met with Social Democratic (SPÖ) Labour Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer after arriving in Austria yesterday. He will hold talks with SPÖ Chancellor Werner Faymann and the party’s president of the federal parliament, Barbara Prammer, before some paying a sightseeing visit to Salzburg tomorrow. State-owned Chinese newspapers reported Hu’s visit would certainly help the economic relations between the Asian superpower and the small European country to climb to "new heights", while hundreds gathered at various locations all over Vienna to show their support for a free Tibet. The protesters appealed to the Chinese leader to end the occupation of the country. Austrian papers expect the alpine country’s political elite to address human rights issues in Tibet and China itself "with all diplomatic prudence" to avoid angering Hu – and possibly endanger the growing economic ties between the two countries. Experts see great chances for Austrian companies specialising in environment technology to benefit from the booming Chinese economy. The number of Austrian enterprises with representations in China is increasing. The value of Austrian exports to the country has been on the rise as well in the past few years. Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner said at the end of Expo 2010 which took place in Shanghai between May and November of last year: "We want to double the value of our exports to China in the long run." The minister also announced that he was "convinced" that the many newly created business contacts between Chinese entrepreneurs and Austrian businesspeople at the alpine country’s Expo pavilion would lead to an "export boom" to "one of the best future markets". Around 3.2 million people visited the Austrian pavilion called "Aodili", which is Chinese for "Austria", during the event. Austria poured around 16 million Euros into the creation of its pavilion. The endeavour was supervised by Hannes Androsch. The industrialist said today that the 21st century "may become a Chinese century." Androsch told Austrian newspaper Die Presse that European leaders should consider the fast economic growth China was currently experiencing as a wake-up call. The ex-SPÖ finance minister appealed to European lawmakers to spend more on education and research. He said: "I wonder what will happen if we cannot deliver anything to China anymore because the Chinese are able to manufacture innovative products themselves. (...) How are we going to finance our ‘wonderful’ health and welfare system in that case?" Asked by Die Presse to name the Asian giant’s most urgent problems, Androsch said: "There are around 200 million migrant workers in China at the moment. (...) Many of these young people are still badly educated. Some studies suggest that another 300 million will become migrant workers in China – which would resemble the population of the European Union (EU). China will have to prove being able to cope with such a development." The former SPÖ vice chancellor – who holds a stake of 21.5 per cent in leading circuit board maker AT&S – added: "China’s leaders know much more about the country’s problems than we do, of course. (...) We should not worry about how China manages its growth but rather think about how Europe is evolving." Pro-Tibet protests during China visit to Salzburg (AFP) – 12 hours ago VIENNA — About a hundred exiled Tibetans and members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement on Tuesday staged a protest against visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao in Salzburg. Demonstrators demanding a "free Tibet" and decrying "the absence of religious freedom" were contained by a heavy security presence in the city where Hu visited at the end of a two-day trip to Austria, prior to attending the G20 summit in Cannes, France, on Thursday and Friday. The president and his wife Liu Yongqing took a cruise on Wolfgangsee lake before attending a Mozart concert. Several demonstrations were planned during the state visit, with pro-Tibetans denouncing a Chinese crackdown in the territory. China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending in troops to "liberate" the region. The Falun Gong movement is banned in China. German MPs urge Chancellor Merkel to raise the Tibetan issue during G20-Summit Geneva: The three chairpersons of the Tibet Discussion Group in the German Parliament urged German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel in an open letter “to advocate for an immediate end to the Chinese violence towards the Tibetan people, in talks with the Chinese leadership during the upcoming G20-Summit in Cannes.” The letter further said, “We hope that you can use the G20 Summit to call on the Chinese government to respond to the Tibetan people’s legitimate demands with a meaningful dialogue instead of force.” The letter dated 21 October by Mrs. Sabine Weiss MP (CDU), Mr. Harald Leibrecht, MP (FDP) and Mrs. Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler MP (SPD) said, “the situation inside Tibet is currently escalating at a dramatic pace.” The first two MPs are members of the Germany’s ruling coalition government party. “The recent self-immolations of eight Tibetan monks and one nun are adding up to a dangerous and possibly explosive atmosphere. In a massive show of force, the Chinese government is deploying more military and police to brutally suppress all forms of resistance. Even small acts of disobedience lead to arrests and torture,” the letter said. They informed the German Chancellor that for years the families of those detained or arrested are left in the dark regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones. They highlighted that the monks and nuns of Tibet’s various monasteries have been the most affected. “The Tibetan people are suffering and living with a feeling of cultural and religious genocide,” the letter said. They urged the Germany Chancellor to use all your leverage, so that the Tibetan people’s basic human rights that are enshrined in the Chinese constitution will be respected. They applauded the German Chancellor’s for meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Chancellery and said, “you have already set a bright example.” “But the Tibetan people” they said, “need more political support, especially from Europe. We should not convey the impression that human rights are being traded for economic success and commercial relations.” In a separate video clip posted on YouTube, Mr. Harald Leibrecht, MP called for an international group to investigate the situation on the ground. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qr7JQ-hliw “A group that investigates how those self-immolations came about and what kind of political actions are necessary to prevent them from happening in the future,” he said. Berlin, 2011/10/21 Dear Madam Chancellor Dr. Merkel, The situation inside Tibet is currently escalating at a dramatic pace. The recent self-immolations of eight Tibetan monks and one nun are adding up to a dangerous and possibly explosive atmosphere. In a massive show of force, the Chinese government is deploying more military and police to brutally suppress all forms of resistance. Even small acts of disobedience lead to arrests and torture. For years families are left in the dark about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Most affected are the monks and nuns of Tibet’s various monasteries. The Tibetan people are suffering and living with a feeling of cultural and religious genocide. We the undersigned are actively deliberating this issue in the Bundestag’s Tibet-Discussion Group and would like to ask you to advocate for an immediate end to the Chinese violence towards the Tibetan people, in talks with the Chinese leadership during the upcoming G20-Summit in Cannes. Please use all your leverage, so that the Tibetan people’s basic human rights that are enshrined in the Chinese constitution will be respected. With your bold reception of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Chancellery you have already set a bright example. But the Tibetan people need more political support, especially from Europe. We should not convey the impression that human rights are being traded for economic success and commercial relations. We hope that you can use the G20 Summit to call on the Chinese government to respond to the Tibetan people’s legitimate demands with a meaningful dialogue instead of force. Sabine Weiss Harald Leibrecht Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler Member of Parliament Member of Parliament Member of Parliament Nicolas Schmitt Referent für Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V. Greifswalder Str. 4 10405 Berlin Germany Tel.: + 49 (0) 30 42 08 15 34 Fax: + 49 (0) 30 42 08 15 22 E-Mail: presse@tibet-initiative.de www.tibet-initiative.de CRISIS IN NGABA Tibetan Self Immolations The critical situation in the Tibetan areas of Ngaba and at Kirti Monastery continues to remain heightened with additional military buildup and tension. There have been three more self-immolations since October 15, totaling 10 immolations in Tibet this year. In a show of solidarity, large numbers of Tibetans have been gathering and visiting Kirti monastery and other local monasteries in Ngaba, and Tibetan shops and restaurants in Ngaba which closed on October 8 in solidarity, have remained closed as of October 16. » Information regarding each self-immolation protest is available on Save Tibet.org GERMANY German government appalled at self-immolations in Tibet On October 21, a German foreign ministry spokesman told reporters the German government is appalled at the self-immolations in Tibet and that Berlin has called on Beijing to ensure greater transparency over the situation at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba region of Tibet. Continue Reading.. INSIDE TIBET Chinese Security Forces pour into Lhasa On October 20, Radio Free Asia reported that Chinese security forces are moving into Tibet’s capital Lhasa in large numbers in an apparent bid to discourage local protests. One resident of Lhasa said "thousands of troops appeared in Lhasa city on the evening of October 18." Continue Reading ... Tibetan Protestors shot in Serthar On October 17, Radio Free Asia reported that Chinese police shot two Tibetans following protests calling for an end to Beijing’s rule in Khekor township of Sethar, county of Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) Prefecture. The shooting incident followed a protest by a group of seven Tibetans in front of the local police station, the previous day. Continue Reading ... http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/ict-news-reports Statement by the International Tibet Network on Crisis at Kirti Monastery The Tibet Update eNewsletter is a bimonthly summary of news and governmental actions related to Tibet. Past issues in PDF format are located at www.savetibet.org/media-center/tibet-weekly-updates/. in case you have problems to open the above link Tibetan Nun Sets Herself Ablaze, today 17 okt  Office of Tibet Brussels,TCB,RTYC, and Chushigangdruk, You will have heard the news of eight young Tibetans who have self-immolated this year, the latest one on 15 October, in protest against the ongoing occupation and repression inside Tibet. On October 19, 2011, the Central Tibetan Administration will offer day-long prayer service and encourage all Tibetans to fast on that day as a gesture of solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet. The press release can be read at :http://www.tibet.net/en/index.php?id=2605.&articletype=flash&rmenuid=morenews&s&tab=1#TabbedPanels1 To honour our people who self immolated for the Tibetan cause, and to show solidarity with those who are undergoing tremendous suffering under Chinese Communist regime. It is a global action and it is encouraged to fast on that day. China: End Crackdown on Tibetan Monasteries Heavy-Handed Security Exacerbates Grievances, Desperation Human Rights Watch OCTOBER 12, 2011 http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/12/china-end-crackdown-tibetan-monasteries (New York) – The Chinese government should immediately end excessive restrictions on Kirti monastery in the Aba (“Ngawa” in Tibetan) prefecture of Sichuan province, and lift similarly heavy-handed security measures imposed on other lay communities and monasteries in the region, Human Rights Watch said today. These measures appear to have fueled tensions between Tibetans and Chinese authorities in the region, contributing to desperate acts of protest by individuals, including self-immolations, the latest two on October 7, 2011. Since the protests of 2008 in the region, the Chinese government has imposed drastic restrictions on Tibetan monasteries in the Aba prefecture of Sichuan province and other parts of the Tibetan plateau. These measures include brutal security raids, arbitrary detentions of monks, increased surveillance within monasteries, and a permanent police presence inside monasteries to monitor religious activities. “Security measures designed to curtail the right to free expression, association, and religious belief in Tibetan monasteries are not legitimate,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. “Even worse, those measures are exacerbating the tensions. Instead, the government should address the region’s underlying grievances.” Human Rights Watch has documented a dramatic increase in security expenditure by the Chinese government in the Aba region since 2002, although there were no reported incidents of significant unrest until 2008. These findings suggest that the increase in government spending on security has contributed to provocative policing techniques such as monastery blockades and the mass detentions of monks that have repeatedly contributed to local discontent and unrest. The increased security measures appear to have been a major factor in the escalation of tensions that have led to several protests in which monks tried to set themselves on fire to bring attention to the situation in Aba. In the October 7 incident, Choepel and Khaying, two young Tibetans who had been monks at Kirti monastery (“Ge Erde” in Chinese), set fire to themselves. The monastery has been the site of six self-immolations this year, as well as larger nonviolent protests by monks and lay people, many of whom were subsequently detained. The six victims were: Phuntsok Jarutsang, 20, who set himself on fire on March 16 to commemorate the March 2008 uprisings in the region. Security personnel tried to extinguish the flames but also allegedly beat Phuntsok, who died the next day, leading to protests in the following days and weeks by more than 1,000 lay Tibetans and monks. Lobsang Kalsang, 18. Phuntsok’s younger brother, who set himself aflame on September 26. He was hospitalized, but no information has been made available about his physical well-being or whereabouts. Lobsang Konchok, approximately 18, who also set himself on fire on September 26. No information is available about his condition or whereabouts. Kelsang Wangchuk, 17, a novice monk, who attempted to set himself on fire on October 3 and reportedly suffered limited burns to his legs, and allegedly sustained a serious head injury during detention. Security forces doused the flames. Khaying, 20, also known as Lhunyang, and Choephel, both former Kirti monks, participated in self-immolation protests on October 7, shouting slogans as they set themselves on fire. Khaying was taken to a local hospital, where he died the next day. Choephel, 18, suffered minor injuries after police and others extinguished the flames, Chinese news sources said. But other sources from the region suggested immediately afterward that he was in critical condition. He died on October 11. No credible evidence has emerged so far to suggest that the monastery authorities or its other members were involved in the actions of these individual and former monks. Yet the security response to each of these incidents has been to punish Kirti monastery and the local community through collective punishment, police raids, roadblocks, and show of force by the People’s Armed Police (PAP). In March, following the first immolation incident, armed personnel surrounded the monastery and cut off its access to food and water for several days. New security officials dispatched to the monastery on March 21 imposed a new compulsory “patriotic education” campaign. On April 12, more than 300 monks were taken away from Kirti monastery in ten military trucks and detained in unspecified locations to undergo several weeks of political indoctrination under the guises of “legal education.” The whereabouts of those who did not subsequently return are still unclear, though over 100 are believed to have been ordered to return home and barred from returning to the monastery. Approximately 2,000 fewer monks are living in the monastery now, compared with the number of residents living there in March. The government maintains stringent controls on the movements of the monks, including the requirement that any monk leaving monastery grounds obtain letters from three separate guarantors. Civilian and military police continue to patrol the area, including a special unit which government authorities say will “strike hard” against “violent terrorist activities.” In an apparent move to deter other acts of protest by self-immolation, in September, the government sentenced three Kirti monks accused of having aided Phuntsok in setting himself on fire and sheltered him afterward to prison. The heavy sentences – 10, 11, and 13 years – were widely perceived as unjustified. Two weeks later, several other monks from Kirti were sentenced to 2-and-a-half or 3 years of re-education through labor (RTL), also on suspicion of involvement in the March 16 protest by Phuntsok. Chinese authorities have said that the protests this year threaten stability, and that Phuntsok’s protest in March was a plot to incite unrest and separatist activities. Shi Jun, the Aba Prefecture Party Committee secretary, said that Phuntsok’s immolation was “a premeditated plot” with “an obvious vicious intent and evil motive.” Official news outlets have tried to play down the incidents this fall, claiming that they are being used by the Tibetans’ spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for political gains. None of the official commentary on the immolations has acknowledged the Tibetans’ grievances. The self-immolations coincide with a significant increase in spending on security in the area, according to government statistics examined by Human Rights Watch. Those show a dramatic increase in public security spending in Tibetan areas of Sichuan province, specifically Aba and Ganzi prefectures, since at least 2002, with a more rapid increase after 2006. In 2007, a new “anti-terrorist” unit was established in Aba to “strike hard” against “violent terrorist activities.” By 2009, per capitaannual spending on public security, which covers the civilian police force, the People’s Armed Police, and costs associated with running the local courts and prisons, in Aba was five times the average spent per person on public security in non-Tibetan prefectures in Sichuan, and over twice the amount spent for security in the provincial capital, Chengdu. Incidents similar to the ones in Kirti have taken place in at least one other monastery. In August, Nyitso monastery, in Ganzi prefecture (“Garze” in Tibetan), Dawu county (“Tawu” in Tibetan), was reportedly cut off by troops for several days after monks declined to take part in an annual prayer festival. A single monk set himself on fire, reportedly in protest against the blockade of the monastery. Human Rights Watch urged the Chinese government to release information about the whereabouts and well-being of all the monks forcibly removed from Kirti, to ensure that its maintenance of public security does not encroach on internationally guaranteed rights, and to address Tibetans’ fundamental grievances. Human Rights Watch also urged all governments concerned with human rights in China to articulate publicly their concerns about the deteriorating environment, and to press the Chinese government to address Tibetans’ rights. “Recent developments in and around Kirti monastery show the terrible human cost of ongoing repression,” Richardson said. “Cleary the Chinese government can’t spend its way out of this problem – genuine stability is the result of protecting, not denying people their rights.” 
the latest suicide is 17 year old Kesang wangchuk (right picture) Tibet : Other Kirti monks have died in unpublicized suicides Mar, 04/10/2011 - The weekend protest and the self-immolation Monday heightened tensions which looked set to continue in Tibetan regions of China as the ruling Chinese Communist Party marked its 62nd anniversary in power.The protests came amid a continuing siege of the Kirti Monastery by Chinese authorities launched after monk Phuntsog's self-immolation death.A Kirti monk described the "suffocating restrictions" under which he and other monks at Kirti are forced to live."We cannot communicate with others, and have to get permission from the police to enter and leave the monastery," he said.In addition to the self-immolation protests, other Kirti monks have died in unpublicized suicides, he added, noting that he knew of two such cases himself. "A monk named Jinpa, the brother of my classmate, killed himself with a knife. And a teacher named Jampel Gyatso died in a state of stress and frustration." Similar incidents may have taken place in other monasteries in other regions of Tibet, he said. Kardze has also been the scene of repeated Tibetan protests, both by individuals and by small groups, despite the threat of detentions and violent assaults against protesters by Chinese police. Meanwhile, police in Lhasa had stepped up controls over the city's guesthouses and hotels over the holiday period, local business owners said. It’s our challenge, show your identity! by The Lhakar Diaries http://lhakardiaries.com/2011/09/28/its-our-challenge-show-your-identity/ (Guest Post by Lobsang Tenzin Sara) I was born and raised in Switzerland with Tibetan parents and two older sisters. My parents always tried to raise me as a good Tibetan guy, who can speak and write in the Tibetan language. They’ve also tried to teach me Tibetan buddhism (religious things). But as a young tibetan guy, who grew up in a foreign country, it was always difficult to motivate myself. I was often hanging around with other friends from other countries, tried everything what youths usually do, so I made many mistakes, which I learned from, all these things have now made who I am. But at one point in my life I was asking myself, “who am I?” and “where am I from?”. The reason that I grew up in a foreign country isn’t an excuse for not learning my language well. In the future one of my goals is to learn to speak and write in the Tibetan language perfectly. It’s very important to learn our language to keep the Tibetan identity alive. We’re always receiving bad news out of Tibet of Tibetans, who risk their lives, suffer abuses or commit suicide The resistance in Tibet is still alive and our task is to also keep the resistance alive all over the world. Exercise your rights which we’ve got abroad as foreigners, rights which Tibetans in Tibet can’t exercise. Use your talents, which Tibetans in Tibet can not use. Use your knowledge, which Tibetans in Tibet can’t do. Get involved in the Tibetan association, which Tibetans in Tibet can not do. Get active! Show your identity whenever it is possible, we’re Tibetans and we’re proud of it. We’re from a country with our own history, our own traditions and our own language. The Tibetan issue will never be forgotten until Tibet is free! I’ll try to show at least once a month some simple ways to keep our resistance alive. I would like to inspire and motivate and also would like to get inspired and motivated, so i am getting involved in the “Lhakar Diaries” movement! http://www.savetibet.org/ Spotlight:17 year old Tibetan monk from Kirti monastery self-immolates in new protest http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA17/045/2011/en AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT Index: ASA 17/045/2011 28 September 2011 China: More Tibetan monks set themselves on fire to protest repression Monday’s reported self-immolation attempt by two young Tibetan monks in Sichuan province is the third such incident since March this year. According to the official Chinese news agency, the two were promptly taken to a hospital. However, the Tibetan exiled sources say that their exact whereabouts are unknown and that it is possible that one of them died on the spot. These recent immolations have reportedly been protests against the Chinese government’s repression of freedom of religion and cultural rights in Tibetan areas. Amnesty International urges the Chinese government to end these repressive practices immediately and respect the right of Tibetans to practice their culture and religion. The Chinese government has clamped down on the monasteries at the centre of these incidents: Kirti monastery in Ngaba county, Sichuan Province, and Nyitse monastery in Kardze country, also in Sichuan. The latest attempt at Kirti this week has taken place only six weeks after the death of a Nyitse monk Tsewang Norbu, who self-immolated on 15 August, calling for freedom and for the Dalai Lama’s return. Tsewang Norbu’s fatal act was reportedly motivated by the Chinese authorities’ heavy-handed tactics since the Kirti Monastery monk Phuntsok’s self-immolation in March. One of the monks who self-immolated this week is reported to be Phuntsok’s brother. Six months ago, Phuntsok is said to have shouted slogans such as “Long live the Dalai Lama” as he set himself on fire. Phuntsok’s act recalled the 2009 protest by another Kirti monastery monk Tapey, who burned himself while raising a self-made Tibetan flag with a picture of the Dalai Lama at its centre. Phuntsok’s suicide this March was followed by protests, mass arrests of people including around 300 Kirti monastery monks, enforced disappearances and possible killings by the security forces. High schools where students expressed solidarity with the Kirti monastery monks were reportedly blockaded and raided, and books burned by security forces. Two elderly Tibetans - a 65-year old woman called Sherkyi and a 60-year old man Dongkho - died after local residents clashed with security forces whilst trying to stop the mass arrest of Kirti monastery monks. Another Tibetan, Chukpel, 24 died in hospital soon after police reportedly beat him. He had been staging a protest for self-governance for Tibetans outside a local police station in Ngaba. Three of the monks arrested, one of them Phuntsok’s uncle, have recently been sentenced to 10 and 13 years imprisonment for encouraging the self-immolation or for “intentional homicide”. Among the some 300 monks detained in Marchwere children, whom the Chinese authorities say were taken away for “patriotic education”, which consists of denunciation of the Dalai Lama and inculcation in the Chinese government’s version of Tibetan history. Most of the monks have since been released, but Amnesty International knows of least five more people who have each been sentenced to three years imprisonment in ongoing criminal proceedings. Their names are Lobsang Khedup, Lobsand Gyatso, Dhonyoe Dorjee, Lobsang Dhargay and Kunchok Tsultrim. The exact charges and other details of their trials are unknown, but Amnesty International has frequently documented violations of the right to fair trial in Tibet and elsewhere in China. At least three others have been assigned to Re-education Through Labour. According to Tibetan exile sources, the security forces took control in Kardze after the Nyitse monastery immolation last month. There were reports that the security forces cut off water, electricity and food supplies to the monastery. Internet and mobile phone text messaging services are reportedly unavailable in Ngaba county. And in Kirti monastery, the “patriotic education” of monks continues on a daily basis. -- Working to protect human rights worldwide We are all unpaid volunteers and we offer our services because we realize how hard it can be living in a new country. Most of our volunteers are Tibetans and have experience of those situations. If you need our help, click on this link Do you need help with? in Belgium Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay has just announced the list of nominees for Kalons (members of the Kashag) in the second session of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile held this morning (16 September), and all are approved by the members of Parliament. CONGRATULATIONS TO Dongchung Ngodup from Dharamsala, India Tsering Dhondup from Dharamsala, India Kasur Pema Chonjor from California, US Ms. Gyari Dolma from New Delhi, India Ms. Dickyi Choyyang from Canada Dr. Tsering Wangchuk from Bylakuppe, India  Voor het project Centrale Ondersteuningscel Sociaal Tolken en Vertalen is het Kruispunt M-I op zoek naar Freelance Beoordelaars Sociaal Tolk TIBETAANS. Steeds meer diensten en instellingen willen mensen van diverse afkomst bereiken en helpen, maar merken dat zij geregeld botsen op een taalkloof en/of taalverwarring. Als taal echt een obstakel wordt om een kwaliteitsvolle dienst -en hulpverlening te bieden, is er nood aan een sociaal tolk. http://www.ervaringsbewijs.be/beroepen/Sociaal_tolk.html Tibetan monk burns himself to death in China BBC 15 August 2011  FREE TIBET! ACTION CAMP ,near Dusseldorf Germany |