"The quieter you become, the more you can hear." — RAM DASS Hear from Tenzin Norgay, ICT’s Research Analyst and the newest member of our team! — In this video message for ICT members, Tenzin Norgay, the newest staff member at ICT, discusses our efforts to investigate China’s abuses in Tibet and inform the world about the bravery of the Tibetan people. Check it out! New ICT report shows growing CCP control of Tibetan Buddhism — Our latest major report, “Party Above Buddhism: China’s Surveillance and Control of Tibetan Monasteries and Nunneries,” documents policy and institutional changes that threaten to turn the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community into a tool of the Chinese Communist Party. The report is available to download now. Read more online Tibet tied with Syria as world’s least-free country — Tibet is now tied with Syria as the least-free country on Earth, according to the influential watchdog group Freedom House. Tibet has a total score of 1 out of a possible 100 in the group’s Freedom in the World 2021 report, tying it with Syria as worst on the list. This year’s rankings mark a change from the last several years, when Tibet was second on the list behind Syria. Read more online Tibetans in exile to elect new president April 11 — Tibetans will go to the polls on April 11, 2021 to elect either Penpa Tsering or Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang as the next president (or “sikyong”) of the Central Tibetan Administration, which provides democratic governance for the Tibetan exile community. Tibetans will also vote for members of their parliament. Votes will be counted in April and May, with the results announced on May 14. Read more online His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine — After getting the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine at Zonal Hospital in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama said others should have the courage to do the same. “In order to prevent some serious problem, this injection is very helpful and good,” the Tibetan Buddhist leader said. “So those other patients should take this injection for greater benefit.” Read more online Bipartisan bill targets Uyghur, Tibetan forced labor — The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which will prohibit goods made by the forced labor of Uyghurs from entering the United States, will also mandate a US government enforcement strategy for dealing with coerced labor by Tibetans. This enforcement strategy will have to include a list of products made wholly or partly by the involuntary labor of Tibetans or members of other persecuted groups. Read more online   UN Human Rights Council urged to press China on investigation into Tibetan coerced labor — In a statement on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Kai Mueller asked the UN Human Rights Council to request that China allow an investigation by independent experts—including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights—into its coercive labor program in Tibet. Mueller delivered the statement this month at the council’s 46th regular session in Geneva. Read more online Tibetan Uprising Day brings protests, statements, solidarity — Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10, 2021 featured commemorative events around the world and expressions of solidarity from other persecuted groups. ICT took part in protests in Europe and Washington, DC, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bipartisan members of Congress issued statements of support for Tibet. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also spoke up for Tibetans on the floor of Congress. Read more online Counter-espionage regulations force Tibetans to spy on Tibetans — The Tibet Autonomous Region recently issued regulations encouraging Tibetans to spy on each other and on foreigners in the name of China’s national security. The regulations are further proof that the Chinese Communist Party has given up on co-opting Tibetans and is now focused on coercing and silencing them to maintain political control. Read more online   Foreign journalists say China blocked independent reporting in Tibet — According to the 2020 annual report of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China, the Chinese government restricted foreign journalists’ ability to report in Tibet last year. The report also finds that Chinese officials obstructed coverage of COVID-19 and carried out the largest expulsion of foreign journalists from China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. Read more online New clergy regulations hurt Tibetan Buddhists, Catholics — The Chinese government will soon have even more power to control religious clergy under new regulations that will undermine the authority of Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Catholic Church. The measures will standardize state management of clergy, require clergy to support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and legally underpin the “Sinicization” of religion. Read more online Imprisoned Tibetan nuns tell their own stories in new book — Nine Tibetan nuns who bravely resisted China’s oppression through nonviolent protests and patriotic songs, even as they endured horrific abuse in prison, share their stories in a new book from the International Campaign for Tibet. “Tibet in Chains: The Stories of Nine Tibetan Nuns” is available to download from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books and other online retailers. Download the book for free My take on Dalai Lama’s call for a paradigm shift in thinking on study of Tibetan in Tibet By: Bhuchung K. Tsering — Oftentimes, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives public teachings, he takes the opportunity to provide advice on specific issues, in addition to explaining the subject matter itself. Given the strong bond between the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama, his advice then reverberates in the community. … His Holiness understands the power of his platform. He began his teachings on Saturday saying that although the unfortunate pandemic situation has made him have to adapt to a new teaching format, it has also enabled these teachings to be seen and heard by people worldwide, including Tibetans living all over Tibet. His Holiness then made a special appeal to Tibetans in Tibet, specifically the younger generation, to study the Tibetan language. He did this by virtually challenging them to make a paradigm shift in their thinking on the reasons for doing so. Read more online NEW! Limited Edition ICT Face Masks — Created exclusively for ICT by Kalden Designs, these limited edition non-medical-grade face masks are a beautiful way to celebrate Tibetan design while showing your support for ICT! Each set includes two handmade masks sewn by Tibetan and Indian women in India. There are six color/design combinations available! Pick up these masks, and plenty of other Tibet-inspired items in ICT’s Online Store today! Catch up with "Tibet Talks" by subscribing to ICT's podcast — A new podcast from the International Campaign for Tibet is presenting in-depth discussions with US officials, Tibetan leaders, psychologists, professors, activists, artists and others engaged with and inspired by the Tibetan cause. Interested? Listeners can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Learn more at savetibet.org/pod/ Schedule of upcoming online public talks by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Please note that the dates given below are subject to change) Watch these live webcasts in Tibetan, English, Chinese and other languages on the official website and Facebook page of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. People are requested to please follow local social distancing rules while viewing. For more information please see www.dalailama.com/live. March 28 at 11:30 pm EST / 8:30 pm PST (India Time – March 29 at 9 am) His Holiness the Dalai Lama will have an interactive session (talk and Q&A) with students from 5 Russian State Universities (Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, Kalmyk State University, Buryat State University and Tuvan State University) on the theme Our World in the Time of Change. — April 1 at 11:30 pm EST / 8:30 pm PST (India Time – April 2 at 9 am) His Holiness the Dalai Lama will have a webinar on Moral and Ethics - today and tomorrow with members of the Baltic Parliament and representatives of the intelligentsia. April 6 at 11:30 pm EST / 8:30 pm PST (India Time – April 7 at 9 am) His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give a teaching on The Four Noble Truths (denpai shi) and The Two Truths (denpai nyi) followed by a question and answer session at the request of the Italian Buddhist Union. — April 30 at 11:30 pm EST / 8:30 pm PST (India Time – May 1 at 9 am) His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give a teaching on The Heart Sutra (sherab nyingpo). AmazonSmile is now available in the Amazon app! — In these trying times when many of us are doing more of our shopping online, you can provide a little extra support for ICT through the AmazonSmile Program. Through this FREE program, Amazon will make a donation for the value of .5% of your qualifying Amazon purchases to ICT! All you have to do is designate ICT as your charity of choice and be sure to use smile.amazon.com every time you shop with Amazon. These small donations add up to significant funds for ICT– funds that are especially needed and appreciated during this challenging time!   Want to make a difference? The Tibet Update Newsletter is a summary of news and governmental actions related to Tibet. International Campaign for Tibet 1825 Jefferson Place NW | Washington, DC 20036 | United States of America Phone: (202) 785-1515 | Fax: (202) 785-4343 | info@savetibet.org