Other News

By Khedroob Thondup
In the world of geopolitics, even the names we choose can carry immense weight. The terms “Tibetan Government in Exile” and “Central Tibetan Administration” (CTA) are more than mere labels—they reflect nuanced shifts in identity, diplomacy, and purpose. Understanding the differences between these two names allows us to glimpse the complex layers of the Tibetan struggle and the strategic decisions behind it.

By Khedroob Thondup

When Richard Nixon stepped off the plane in Beijing in 1972, the world hailed it as a masterstroke of diplomacy. The United States, locked in Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union, had opened a new channel with Mao Zedong’s China. Yet for Tibetans, that handshake marked the beginning of a long betrayal. Tibet was quietly sacrificed on the altar of geopolitics, and successive U.S. administrations have continued the pattern—choosing silence over principle, accommodation over advocacy.

By Khedroob Thondup

Taiwan is already an independent country in practice—democratic, self‑governing, and globally integrated. The question is not whether Taiwan wants independence, but why it will never willingly surrender it to Beijing. The answer lies in Tibet’s tragic example: once promised autonomy, Tibet instead became a cautionary tale of repression, assimilation, and broken promises under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

By Khedroob Thondup

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama proposed the Middle Way Approach, it was an act of visionary pragmatism. By renouncing independence and seeking “genuine autonomy” within the People’s Republic of China, he offered Beijing a compromise: sovereignty for China, cultural survival for Tibetans. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) embraced this path, presenting it as a moderate, nonviolent solution that could win international sympathy and open dialogue with Beijing.

By Khedroob Thondup
For decades, Beijing has tried to erase Tibet from the global stage. Xi Jinping’s government has passed laws designed to suffocate Tibetan culture, restrict religious practice, and criminalize dissent. Yet despite these efforts, the Tibetan issue has not disappeared. In fact, it has grown stronger, more visible, and more globally supported — thanks in large part to the Tibetan diaspora in the U.S.

By Khedroob Thondup

China’s governance of Tibet has always been marked by a deep mistrust of Tibetans themselves. The appointment of Hu Changsheng as Party Secretary in Tibet is yet another reminder of this reality. Hu does not speak Tibetan, nor does he understand the customs, traditions, or spiritual life of the people he is meant to govern. His authority rests not on legitimacy or cultural understanding, but on the coercive machinery of the state. This is not accidental—it is the very design of Beijing’s rule in Tibet.

By Khedroob Thondup

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) United Front Work Department (UFWD) has been actively engaging with the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in a bid to influence Tibetan Buddhism and assert control over its spiritual leadership. This outreach includes arranging meetings between the Karmapa and his parents in Hong Kong and providing regular advice on his future. Understanding the motivations and methods behind this outreach reveals the broader strategic objectives of the CCP.

An extraordinary display of political amnesia- that was my immediate thought while watching the house stretch, pull and twist Article 56 of the Charter of the Tibetans in exile on 18th September. The episode followed the Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) point of order against a private member’s bill calling for the continuation of the Tibetan independence struggle. The bill was introduced by Parliamentarian Sangay Dorjee and supported by Parliamentarian Gagya Gyaltsen Choekyi, while the Speaker, Dolma Tsering Teykhang, duly accepted the point of order.

By Khedroob Thondup

China’s expulsion of General Zhang Youxia on September 21, 2026, marks one of the most dramatic purges in Xi Jinping’s decade-long campaign to consolidate control over the military. Officially framed as punishment for “serious violations of discipline and law,” the move underscores how corruption charges are often intertwined with accusations of disloyalty to Xi and the Party.

By Khedroob Thondup There are moments in life when history itself leans close, whispers in your ear, and then retreats,