The statement reads:

We express our deep concern over the arson attack on the Office of Tibet, Pretoria, South Africa, on 14 October 2026. The attack follows a similar incident on 6 July 2026, the 91st birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, although the earlier incident caused comparatively less damage.

We are relieved that the Representative and staff were able to escape unharmed. Nevertheless, the incident raises serious concerns regarding their safety and security, as well as the protection of the Office and its premises.

We acknowledge the response of the South African emergency services and the South African Police Service. We respectfully urge the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough, impartial, and timely investigation, bring those responsible to justice in accordance with the law, and take appropriate measures to prevent any recurrence.

Guided by the universal principles of peace, compassion, dialogue, and nonviolence, we reaffirm our respect for the institutions and laws of the Republic of South Africa. We trust that this matter will be addressed through due legal process and that the necessary steps will be taken to ensure their safety and security and the continued functioning of the Office.

We sincerely hope for a timely resolution of this matter and express our appreciation to the Government and relevant authorities of the Republic of South Africa for their attention and assistance.

KASHAG
October 20, 2026

Dharamshala: The Health Kalon (Minister) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Pema Tso, attended the 28th Inter-House Sports Meet at Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) School, Suja, as the chief guest on 17 October 2026.

Kalon Pema Tso arrived at the school at 8:50 a.m., where she was welcomed by the school principal and students. The opening ceremony commenced at 9:00 a.m. with a march-past by the students, followed by the singing of the Tibetan and Indian national anthems and a minute of silence in remembrance of Tibetan martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan cause. The school principal then delivered the welcome and introductory address, followed by a speech by the chief guest.

Addressing the students and staff, Kalon Pema Tso conveyed gratitude for the guidance and support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and urged everyone to remember and honour the aspirations and hopes of Tibetans who had sacrificed their lives through self-immolation since 1998 for the cause of Tibet.

Reflecting on the school’s four decades of service, she acknowledged the dedication and hard work of its teachers, which have enabled thousands of students to graduate and become contributing members of society. She emphasised that these achievements were the fruits of the collective efforts and commitment of the school community.

Kalon Pema Tso also expressed concern over the Chinese government’s so-called Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, introduced on 1 July this year, stating that it undermines Tibetan religion, culture and language. She noted that Tibetans inside Tibet continue to struggle daily to preserve their linguistic and cultural heritage. She cautioned that if Tibetans in the free world failed to safeguard their own language and culture, they would, in effect, be assisting the implementation of the new law.

Referring to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public address on 13 July, she reminded the students of his message that it would be shameful if Tibetans were unable to speak their own language among themselves.

In her concluding remarks, Kalon Pema Tso encouraged the students to participate in the sports competitions without being preoccupied with winning or losing. Instead, she urged them to regard the event as a valuable learning experience that would help them develop important skills and prepare for the challenges of their future lives.

-Report filed by Department of Health, CTA

Dharamshala: On 19 October 2026, Sarita Vanka, Senior Staff Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and met with Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang and Deputy Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel.

In welcoming the Senate staffer, the Deputy Speaker provided a historical overview of the development of Tibetan democracy in exile. He noted that, under the visionary leadership of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile was established in 1960. In 1991, during the 11th session, the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile was adopted, formalising the Parliament as a legislative body. In 2001, the Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) was directly elected by the Tibetan public, and in 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama transferred all political and administrative authority to the democratically elected leadership. He further described the current democratic structure and the mechanisms by which elected officials fulfill the political and administrative responsibilities of the Central Tibetan Administration.

Additionally, the Deputy Speaker outlined the current composition of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, its two annual sessions, and its advocacy initiatives through engagements with leaders in India and internationally. He also emphasised official visits by Members of Parliament to Tibetan settlements within their designated regions, as well as programmes such as the World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet (WPCT).

The Speaker commenced the proceedings with formal greetings, observing that the recurring visits by members and staff of the U.S. Congress to the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile underscore their enduring support for the Tibetan people’s legitimate aspirations. She highlighted that consistent backing from the governments of India, the United States, and other nations has been instrumental in sustaining the Tibetan cause to the present day.

Addressing the deteriorating conditions within Tibet, the Speaker noted that on 1 July, 2026, the Chinese Communist government initiated implementation of the so-called “Ethnic Unity and Progress Law.” She asserted that, under the pretext of fostering unity, these regulations aim to assimilate Tibetans, while the justification of development is being leveraged to compromise Tibet’s fragile environment. In her view, these measures pose a fundamental threat to the survival of Tibet’s religion, culture, language, and national identity.

The Speaker further observed that the Tibetan Plateau which is commonly designated the “Third Pole” and the “Water Tower of Asia”, serves as the source of major river systems that sustain hundreds of millions of people across adjacent Asian nations. Consequently, safeguarding Tibet’s delicate ecosystem is of critical importance not only for Tibet but also for the broader region and the global community. She expressed concern that Chinese government activities, including dam construction and river flow obstruction, have accelerated environmental degradation and increased the risk of natural disasters in downstream countries. She therefore emphasised the urgent necessity of international cooperation to protect the Tibetan Plateau’s environment and water resources.

Following the meeting, the visiting guest was provided a tour of the Parliament Hall.

– Report filed by Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat 

Dharamshala: Kalon (Minister) Palden Dhondup of the Department of Home, Central Tibetan Administration, paid a courtesy call on Shri Sidharth Babu, the newly appointed Liaison Officer (L.O.), at the Liaison Office in Dharamshala, MEA, Government of India, on 19 October 2026.

During the meeting, Kalon Palden Dhondup congratulated Shri Sidharth Babu on his new appointment by presenting him with a white ceremonial scarf (khatag) and conveying his best wishes for a successful tenure.

Kalon Palden Dhondup also briefed the Liaison Officer on the Department of Home, its objectives, and its role in promoting the social welfare of Tibetans settled across India, Nepal, and Bhutan. He further provided an overview of the department’s staffing structure and explained the responsibilities, duties, and functions of its various sections.

– Report filed by Department of Home, CTA 

Dharamshala, 17 October 2026: Chinese authorities have closed at least three privately run Tibetan schools in Golog (Chinese: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture within a few weeks, according to information relayed through reliable sources in the region. The closures have deprived hundreds of Tibetan children of the Tibetan-medium education their own communities built for them, deepening fears that one of the last independent channels for teaching Tibetan language and culture is being systematically dismantled.

The sources said the government is closing private schools across Tibetan areas to accelerate national assimilation, moving Tibetan children into state-run institutions where they can more easily be subjected to political “re-education.” Heavy surveillance of phone and internet communications makes information from the region extremely difficult to obtain.

Orphan school caring for more than 300 children closed

On 2 September 2026, the authorities closed the Golog Tadrak Orphan School in Tabo Village, Machen (Chinese: Maqin) County. Founded in 2005 with funding from the late Dr. Tawu Lobsang Palden and his wife, who lived in Germany, the school gave both a home and an education to more than 300 children who had lost both parents and came from broken families.

Prominent girls’ school shut down

A week earlier, on 27 August 2026, the authorities shut down the Ra-Gya Jigme Gyaltsen Grassland Girls’ School, also known as Gangjong Tsathang Girls’ School, founded by Ra-Gya Jigme Gyaltsen on 15 October 2005. The only school of its kind in the area and one of the best known in Golog, it offered education and vocational training to girls from nomadic herding communities across Ü-Tsang, Kham and Amdo, teaching Buddhist philosophy, science, the Tibetan language, traditional medicine, handicrafts, thangka painting and astrology. The school won numerous awards, and many of its graduates are now respected figures in Tibetan society.

It is the second closure to hit the same community in two years. In 2024, the authorities shut down the Ra-Gya Gangjong Sherig Norbu Lobling School, widely regarded as one of the finest schools in all of Tibet.

Village school closed for teaching in Tibetan

The Jasak village school under Ra-Gya Town in Machen County was closed at the end of August after local authorities ruled that it could no longer teach in Tibetan. Officials reportedly told the school to teach in the “national common language,” meaning Mandarin Chinese in simplified characters, a policy Beijing presents as fostering unity among China’s 56 officially recognised ethnic groups. The school was ordered to close, and its students were sent to nearby government-run boarding schools. The villagers had founded the school themselves and kept it running through crowdfunding, as a local effort to keep the Tibetan language alive for the next generation.

Part of a wider pattern

The latest closures follow a series of shutdowns in Golog. After Sengdruk Taktse School was closed in July 2021, the authorities ordered seven more private schools in Darlag, Machen, Gade and Chikdril counties to shut down. On 24 June 2026, the Hungkar Dorje Vocational High School, which had taught Tibetan language and culture since 2008, was forced to close permanently.

Violation of rights and forced assimilation

The closures are a serious violation of the Tibetan people’s rights to education, language and cultural identity. By shutting community-built schools and pushing their pupils into Mandarin-medium state boarding schools, Beijing is expanding a system that UN human rights experts warned in 2023 already affected around one million Tibetan children, and which they described as a policy of “forced assimilation.”

These actions breach treaties China has ratified. The Convention on the Rights of the Child protects minority children’s right to their own language and to education that respects their cultural identity (Articles 29 and 30) and requires continuity in the cultural and linguistic upbringing of children who have lost their families (Article 20), an obligation broken by the closure of the Tadrak orphan school. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights protects the freedom to establish and choose schools (Article 13), while the conventions on discrimination against women and on racial discrimination guarantee girls’ equal education and prohibit discrimination in education and cultural life. The closures also defy Article 4 of China’s Constitution, which guarantees every nationality the freedom to use and develop its own language, and Article 37 of the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, which requires schools serving minority students to teach in their languages where conditions permit.

The PRC government claims that boarding schools and Mandarin instruction raise standards in remote areas, with state media citing teacher shortages and weak rural schooling to explain why Golog students board in Xining, more than 300 miles (about 480 km) from home. The closure of respected, community-run schools contradicts that claim. Children cut off from their mother tongue lose the ability to speak with their parents and grandparents and to inherit Tibet’s literary, religious and medical traditions, and a distinct identity is hollowed out from within.

– Report filed by the UN, EU, and the Human Rights Desk, Tibet Advocacy Section, DIIR

Dharamshala, 19 October 2026: Chinese authorities have sentenced Khensur Lobsang Tenpa, former abbot of Ragya Monastery in Golog (Chinese: Guoluo), in Tibet’s traditional Amdo Province, to five years’ imprisonment, reportedly for performing long-life prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Two schools teaching in the Tibetan language have also been closed in the same area, affecting about 1,100 students and 120 teachers and staff. The news was relayed through a reliable source inside Tibet, which also reported that the authorities are harassing Tibetans living near the monastery and intensifying the repression of their culture.

Detained twice for praying for His Holiness the Dalai Lama

According to the source, Khensur Lobsang Tenpa, the 54^th abbot in the line of Ragya Monastery in Machen County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo, now incorporated into China’s Qinghai Province, was detained on 5 July 2026, the eve of His Holiness’s 91^st birthday, and subjected to harassment and ill-treatment in custody. He was recently sentenced to five years fixed-term imprisonment.

It was his second detention in just over a year. In May 2025, the year of His Holiness’ 90th birthday, the Machen County police detained and interrogated him for performing zhabten (long-life prayers) for His Holiness before releasing him. The charges against him and the court that sentenced him have not been made public, nor is it known whether he had a lawyer or whether his family was informed.

Born in 1965 to father Kalsang Dhargye and mother Phagcha in Hashiha Village, one of the four Tsangki districts, he entered monastic life at Ragya Monastery in 1983 under the spiritual master Khensur Soepa Gyatso. He is known as an eminent and diligent scholar, deeply devoted to his people, their heritage, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Long-life prayers are a centuries-old practice central to Tibetan Buddhism. Imprisoning a senior lama for performing them violates the freedom of religion guaranteed by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has signed, and by Article 36 of China’s own Constitution. Detention for peaceful religious practice is arbitrary, secret proceedings deny him a fair trial, and the reported ill-treatment breaches the Convention against Torture, which China ratified in 1988. The sentence also serves as a warning to monks and lay Tibetans against expressing devotion to His Holiness.

The Chinese government is urged to release Khensur Lobsang Tenpa immediately and unconditionally; pending his release, to disclose his whereabouts and the charges against him and guarantee him access to a lawyer of his choice, his family and medical care; to investigate his reported ill-treatment and hold those responsible to account; and to reopen Gangjong Tsathang Girls’ School and Jasak School and withdraw the order against Tibetan-language teaching. The international community is urged to raise these cases at the UN Human Rights Council and in bilateral dialogues with China, and to call on the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the relevant UN Special Rapporteurs to take them up.

– Report filed by the UN, EU and the Human Rights Desk, Tibet Advocacy Section, DIIR

Berlin, Germany: On the final day of his official visit to Germany, Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) concluded a series of high-level engagements in Berlin, meeting with German parliamentarians at the Bundestag and senior leadership of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).

Sikyong began his morning at the German Parliament inside the Paul-Löbe-Haus, where he held an extensive dialogue with lawmakers led by Hon’ble Michael Brand, Member of the German Bundestag and Human Rights Spokesperson of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group. The parliamentary delegation included Dr. Carolin Wagner (SPD) and David Gregosz (CDU/CSU), joined by long-time Tibet advocates including former envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and representatives from Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) and the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).

Sikyong conveyed appreciation for Germany’s steadfast support for human rights, democratic values, and the preservation of Tibetan identity. A grave focus of the morning parliamentary session was a recent targeted arson attack on the Office of Tibet compound in South Africa. Sikyong informed the lawmakers that around midnight, assailants hurled Molotov cocktails directly into the residential compound, setting two rooms on fire. While Representative Dhundup Gyalpo managed to escape unharmed through a window, Sikyong emphasized that this was the second firebombing at the premises in recent months, underscoring that it was a calculated attempt at intimidation and harm rather than common burglary. Sikyong called on European governments and their diplomatic missions in South Africa to publicly register concern and urge host authorities to investigate and safeguard Tibetan missions against escalating transnational repression.

During the discussions, Sikyong apprised the parliamentarians of the good health and daily audience schedule of His Holiness the Dalai Lama following his knee surgery, while strongly cautioning against Beijing’s ongoing attempts to interfere in His Holiness’s reincarnation through regulatory pretexts such as Order No. 5. He highlighted Beijing’s aggressive assimilation campaign under the banner of “Ethnic Unity and Progress Law,” notably the coercive placement of nearly one million Tibetan children into colonial-style boarding schools to sever their connection to their native language, cultural identity, and Buddhist heritage. Sikyong also raised critical concerns over large-scale resource exploitation and unilateral damming on the Tibetan Plateau that threaten regional climate stability and transboundary water security. Reaffirming the CTA’s steadfast commitment to the Middle Way Approach, Sikyong appealed to the Bundestag to establish a formal Parliamentary Group for Tibet and extended an open invitation to the lawmakers to visit the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamshala.

Later in the afternoon, Sikyong visited the headquarters of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for a strategic consultation with Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament and former Chairman of KAS. The leaders exchanged views on international geopolitical developments, European foreign policy, and expanding collaborative advocacy for Tibet across multilateral platforms. Sikyong stressed the vital importance of preserving Tibetan language, culture, and democratic resilience across the diaspora amid shifting demographic realities, highlighting CTA initiatives such as the Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group (V-TAG), the International Tibetan Youth Forum, and over 90 weekend classes worldwide. He appealed to KAS and European partners for sustained moral, educational, and institutional support to counter systemic transnational pressures and cultivate future leadership.

Throughout the day’s proceedings, Sikyong was accompanied by Representative Thinlay Chukki of the Tibet Bureau Geneva, former envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, and Dhondup, President of the Tibetan Community in Germany, who assisted in coordinating the engagements.

Dharamshala, 16 October 2026: The Department of Home, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), organised a TSO Accountants’ Capacity-Building Workshop for newly appointed and less-experienced accountants with fewer than five years of work experience from Tibetan Settlement Offices (TSOs) across India. The eight-day workshop is being held from 16 to 23 October 2026 at Thumi Hall, Administration Training and Welfare Society (ATWS), Dharamshala, with the participation of 22 accountants from Tibetan Settlement Offices across India.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by Home Kalon Palden Dhondup as the chief guest and attended by Acting Home Secretary Tsering Youdon, Additional Secretary Sonam Sangpo, Department’s Administration Section Head Tenzin Kunsang, and Internal Audit Head Tenzin Namdol, Accountants, and the participating accountants from Tibetan Settlement Offices across India.

Chief Accountant Sonam Topgyal opened the ceremony with an introduction to the workshop and outlined its objectives, emphasising the importance of strengthening participants’ knowledge and practical skills in financial management, accounting procedures and administrative responsibilities. This was followed by the keynote address of Kalon Palden Dhondup.

The workshop aims to enhance the professional capacity of accountants through practical training and guidance on accounting principles, bookkeeping, preparation of final accounts and financial statements, budget preparation, taxation, GST, TDS and FCRA compliance. The sessions also cover general administration, project implementation, project writing and reporting, preparation of audit report replies, and the use of Tally Prime and artificial intelligence tools to improve accounting efficiency and accuracy.

The workshop seeks to equip newly appointed and less-experienced accountants with the necessary knowledge, skills and confidence to discharge their responsibilities effectively. It also aims to promote accuracy, transparency, accountability and sound financial management across Tibetan Settlement Offices in India, while ensuring compliance with applicable income tax regulations, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and CTA financial rules and guidelines.

– Report filed by Department of Home, CTA 

Dharamshala: The 42nd Governing Body Meeting of the Tibetan Administration’s Welfare Society (TAWS) was held on 13 October 2026 at the Department of Finance, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala. The meeting was chaired by Tsering Dhondup, Vice-Chairperson of the Society.

The meeting discussed several agendas, including confirmation of the minutes of the 41st Governing Body Meeting, confirmation of resolutions approved through circulation, confirmation of the minutes of the 28th and 29th Management Committee Meetings, and review of the Action Taken Report.

Members actively participated in the discussions, sharing their views and observations on the matters presented and contributing to the discussions on the Society’s activities and administrative affairs.

During the meeting, the members reviewed and adopted the Society’s Financial Report and Activity Report for the financial year 2025–26. They also discussed matters concerning the TAWS Gas Agency Unit. The meeting concluded after the members discussed the agendas and reviewed matters related to the functioning and activities of the Society.

-Report filed by Department of Finance, CTA