"Compassion and concern for others are the key to human survival."
—
HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

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Team ICT Working From Home: What We’ve Learned
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In this video, ICT’s Team shares what we’ve learned working from home during
this during this global crisis. We send the entire ICT community our best
wishes for health and peace during this difficult time.

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Dalai Lama shares message about the COVID-19 pandemic
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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama shared a special message
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about the COVID-19 pandemic, reminding everyone that it is natural to be filled
with anxiety and fear in the face of the ongoing crisis. At the same time, he
said we should use our “human ingenuity with determination and courage to
overcome the problems that confront us.”

Read more online
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150 Tibetan Americans and Tibet supporters take part in the first virtual Tibet Lobby Day
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With the country facing a historic crisis and Capitol Hill closed to the public,
Tibet Lobby Day had to be different this year, but it still succeeded at
building support for the Tibetan people in Congress.

More than 150 people [[link removed]]
took part in the Lobby Day on March 23 and 24, reaching out to more than 80
Congressional offices by telephone to speak with members of Congress and their
staff. Their discussions focused on passing legislation to help Tibetans,
calling for human rights and basic freedoms in Tibet and maintaining US
Tibet-related programs.

Read more online
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Tibetan Uprising Day brings Congressional statements, protests
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Tibetan leaders called for further action to support Tibetans as Tibetan
Americans and Tibet supporters paid a visit to the Chinese Embassy to honor the
brave Tibetans who rose up against Chinese rule 61 years ago.

In addition, US leaders—including the speaker of the House of Representatives
and the chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China— spoke out
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to call for continuing US support for the Tibetan people.

Read more online
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During These Tough Times, Support ICT While You Shop with AmazonSmile
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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
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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!

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Activist Tibetan monk dies after illness, imprisonment
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A Tibetan monk sentenced to prison alongside the revered activist Tenzin Delek
Rinpoche died last month [[link removed]]
in Tibet after a lengthy illness, three of his close aides now living in exile
told the International Campaign for Tibet. Ven. Tashi Phuntsok, died on March
16, after spending years in prison following a 2002 sham trial in which Tenzin
Delek Rinpoche was sentenced to death with two years reprieve and Ven. Tashi
Phuntsok to seven years imprisonment.

Read more online
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Elderly Tibetan and son detained for listening to Dalai Lama
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Merely listening to teachings by the Dalai Lama on their phone landed a 75-year-old man and his son
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in custody late last year in Tibet, where the Chinese government routinely
violates Tibetans’ religious freedom. A Tibetan monk living in southern India
told RFA that Jampa Dorje and son “were detained on a charge of listening to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings on their mobile phone, and also for speaking
to their daughters who are living in exile.” The source also confirmed to ICT
that the two men had listened to the teaching live on their phone.

Read more online
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Anti-porn measures criminalize discussion of Tibetan autonomy
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Sharing information about the Dalai Lama’s proposal for Tibetan autonomy is now
a crime in Tibet under new measures aimed at turning Tibetans against one another
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and criminalizing opinions contrary to Chinese state propaganda. Rewards will
be given to those who report on individuals who copy or distribute overseas
publications, including on subjects related to “Tibetan independence.”

Read more online
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German and EU leaders back Tibet access, religious freedom
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Momentum is continuing to build [[link removed]]
in Europe in support of Tibetans’ right to select their own religious
leaders—and against China’s efforts to cut Tibet off from the outside world.
High-ranking officials in the German federal government and the European
Commission recently put out statements backing Tibetans on both of those crucial
issues.

Their statements, which follow major legislative victories in the United States,
show that China’s policies in Tibet are attracting greater international
rebuke—and that foreign governments are increasingly willing to speak up for
basic freedoms and justice for Tibetans.

Read more online
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Monasteries and temples around Lhasa reopen after coronavirus lockdown, but
religious restrictions continue
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Amid continued efforts to bolster its image internationally and indicate a sense
of normalcy after the COVID-19 crisis, Chinese authorities have announced the
reopening of some monasteries around the Tibetan capital Lhasa to the public
even while keeping serious and widespread restrictions on religious practice in
place. “Unfortunately, there is nothing normal in subjecting temples to 24/7
surveillance, or prohibiting children and government officials from
participating in religious ceremonies,” Matteo Mecacci, president of the
International Campaign for Tibet, said in a statement.

Read more online
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* * * * * BLOG * * * * *

Coronavirus leaves China no excuses in Tibet
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By: Ashwin Verghese
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The coronavirus outbreak has tragically caught much of the world off guard. But
knowing the Chinese government’s repression in Tibet, I’m not at all surprised
by how this pandemic spread.

Instead, I’m outraged.

A lot of disinformation is now percolating about the roots of our current global
crisis, both because Chinese officials are deliberately trying to confuse the
issue, and because some outside China are helping them deny the blame. So let’s
be clear about what happened.

Read more online
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* * * * * SUPPORT * * * * *

ICT’s 2020 Wall Calendar: Fewer than 180 Left!
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The latest edition of ICT’s annual wall calendar, The Dalai Lama: Glimpses into
a Life of Wisdom, features 12 photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama by
the renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai, who has closely followed His Holiness'
life. Today His Holiness, who has retired from his Tibetan political leadership,
devotes himself to promoting human values and religious harmony everywhere while
continuing to draw attention to the rich Tibetan Buddhist cultural heritage,
which he feels has much to contribute to the development of world civilization.
This calendar is a tribute to the Dalai Lama by the International Campaign for
Tibet.

We have fewer than 180 copies left, so order yours today!

Visit the ICT store
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The Tibet Update Newsletter is a summary of news and governmental actions
related to Tibet.

Update Address [[email protected]] | Unsubscribe [[link removed]]

International Campaign for Tibet
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1825 Jefferson Place NW | Washington, DC 20036 | United States of America
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Phone: (202) 785-1515 | Fax: (202) 785-4343 | [email protected] [[email protected]]