Frankfurt, Germany, 15 June 2026: As part of the final programme of his official visit to Germany, Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) held a strategic luncheon meeting in Frankfurt on 15 June with long-standing friends and supporters of Tibet, including Roland Koch, Dieter Beine, and Frank Auth.

Sikyong was accompanied by Representative Thinlay Chukki and UN Advocacy Officer Phuntsok Topgyal from the Tibet Bureau in Geneva.

The meeting provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange of views on several issues of significance to the Tibetan people and the broader international community. Discussions focused on the health and future reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the evolving geopolitical landscape, and strategies for advancing the Tibetan cause on the global stage.

Participants also discussed recent developments in international support for Tibet, including the appointment of a United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. Sikyong expressed hope for enhanced cooperation among like-minded countries to strengthen legislative initiatives and international resolutions concerning Tibet.

Addressing collaboration with other communities facing similar challenges, Sikyong noted that Tibetan representatives have maintained long-standing partnerships with Uyghur organisations and have actively participated in broader coalitions advocating for the rights of underrepresented peoples. He emphasised that the Tibetan movement continues to operate through its established democratic institutions in exile, including an elected parliament, executive administration, and independent commissions.

Sikyong further highlighted recent efforts to deepen cooperation with Uyghur and Southern Mongolian activists while acknowledging differences in organisational capacities and priorities among various groups.

Reaffirming the Tibetan leadership’s unwavering commitment to the Middle Way Approach, Sikyong underscored the importance of nonviolence and reiterated the CTA’s pursuit of a negotiated and mutually beneficial resolution with Beijing based on genuine autonomy for Tibet.

He also noted that Tibetan advocacy efforts have increasingly focused on historical and legal analyses of Tibet’s status. According to Sikyong, a comprehensive understanding of Tibetan history remains essential for fostering meaningful dialogue and informed international engagement.

Referring to recent scholarly works by Chinese and international researchers, Sikyong highlighted studies examining historical records from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, as well as analyses of Tibet’s status under international law. He stated that these studies contribute to addressing historical misconceptions and encouraging renewed international discussion on Tibet’s historical relationship with China.

Sikyong reiterated the Tibetan leadership’s continued commitment to seeking a peaceful and mutually beneficial resolution through dialogue.

Concluding the meeting, Sikyong expressed his sincere gratitude to the participants for their enduring friendship and steadfast support for Tibet. He emphasised the importance of maintaining close engagement with long-standing partners and supporters in advancing the Tibetan cause.

The Germany visit marked Sikyong’s first official overseas tour outside India during his second term in office. Following the successful completion of his engagements in Europe, Sikyong departed for the United States to continue his official activities.

Dharamshala: Secretary Karma Choeying, formerly serving as Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations, has assumed office as the new Secretary of the Department of Education under the Central Tibetan Administration.

A brief handover ceremony was held at the Department of Education to mark the transition of responsibilities between the outgoing Secretary, Jigme Namgyal Namgyalkhang, and the incoming Secretary, Karma Choeying. The ceremony was formally witnessed by Secretary Karma Rinchen of the Department of Information and International Relations, representing the Kashag.

During the proceedings, the outgoing Secretary officially transferred the Department’s records, documents, and inventory to the incoming Secretary, while also conveying his congratulations and best wishes for a successful tenure.

Following the completion of the handover process, the Department’s Kalon, Ugyen Tenzin, together with staff members, offered ceremonial scarves to both the outgoing and incoming Secretaries as a mark of respect and appreciation.

Secretary Karma Choeying, Department of Education, Central Tibetan Administration

Brief Bio of Secretary Karma Choeying

Secretary Karma Choeying was born in Ladakh to the late Dawa Dhondup and Sonam Noryang on 7 March 1974. He attended the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) School in Ladakh and completed his Class XII education at Upper TCV in 1992. In 1995, he graduated with a degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi.

Following a brief stint as a part-time teacher at TCV Suja in early 1996, he joined the Central Tibetan Administration in September 1996 as an Under Secretary.

His initial posting was at Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement in Dehradun, where he served for nearly two years. He was subsequently transferred to Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement in Hunsur as Co-operative Secretary and was later promoted to Deputy Secretary. From 2001 to 2008, he served as the Tibetan Welfare Officer in Kalimpong and later in Darjeeling.

In 2008, he was transferred to the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), and a year later he was promoted to Joint Secretary. From 2009 onward, he served as Secretary of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi until his promotion to Additional Secretary. In 2015, he was appointed Secretary of the Bureau du Tibet in Brussels. The following year, he was transferred to the Department of Home. In 2019, he returned to the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, where he served until his promotion to the rank of Secretary.

On 17 October 2019, a day after his promotion, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations, a position he held for more than six and a half years. On 15 June 2026, he assumed charge as Secretary of the Department of Education.

Secretary Karma Choeying is also an alumnus of the University of San Francisco. In 2007, he was awarded the Tibetan Scholarship Program and undertook a one-year academic program at the University.

Dalhousie: As part of the celebration of “Year of Compassion”, marking the 90th Birth Anniversary of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Dalhousie Ghoton Committee conducted a life-release activity involving 650 fish in the Chameri Dam, which coincided with auspicious 15^th day of 4^th month of Tibetan Lunar Calender. Subsequently, the committee also released 125 pigeons around Dainkunt forest area.

The life- release activity was carried out with prayers for the long life, good health and well being of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama. The committee successfully conducted this activity solely through donations from the residents of Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement.

The committee expressed its sincere gratitude to all donors, volunteers, and community members whose support made these virtue deeds successful.

-Report filed by TSO, Dalhousie

Dalhousie: As part of the celebration of “Year of Compassion”, marking the 90th Birth Anniversary of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dalhousie Ghoton Committee organised a cleaning drive on World Environment Day on 5 June 2026 covering from Gandhi Chowk to Sadar Bazaar with special attention given to cleaning and maintaining the Buddhist Sculptures located along the route.

The committee expressed its sincere gratitude to all volunteers and community members whose support made these activities successful.

-Report filed by TSO Dalhousie

Odisha: In Commemoration of celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday and the observance of “Year of Compassion”, the local Tibetan settlement of Odisha Phuntsokling organised a food distribution programme on Saturday, 9 May, 2026. The programme aimed to provide relief to six neighbouring villages (Tamula, Lambaguda, Munigadiha, Dekili, Machogoda, Kirakhya) and a total of 130 impoverished households along the way.

Each food bag contained 8 kg of rice, 5 kg of flour, 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of soy, 100 grams of tea, 2 cans of 750 ml oil, and 1 kg of salt, valued at 1270.00 rupees per household. Additionally, sweets were distributed to children, and leftover items from winter business trips, as well as a few second-hand clothes collected from the community, were donated to the needy.

Prior to the commencement of the programme, members of the local ghoton committee visited the villages to assess the genuine neediness of the households. Based on this assessment, food and clothing were distributed in the aforementioned villages.

– Report filed by Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement, Odisha

London: For the first time in more than two decades, artists from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) returned to the United Kingdom, bringing with them far more than music, dance and theatre. They brought memories of a homeland, the strength of a people determined to preserve their identity, and the living spirit of Tibetan culture. 

Invited and funded by the Office of Tibet, London, and its official charity, Tibet House Trust, a 25-member cultural troupe from TIPA embarked on a week-long tour of the UK from 2–9 June 2026, performing in Oxford, London and Liverpool. 

The visit carried special significance. It took place during the ongoing Year of Compassion, marking the 90th birthday year of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama (Ghoton). For many audience members, the performances felt like both a celebration and a reminder of the enduring values of compassion, resilience and cultural preservation that Tibet continues to offer the world. 

Across all three cities, audiences responded with warmth, admiration and emotion as TIPA showcased the richness and depth of Tibet’s artistic traditions. Every song, dance and theatrical performance reflected decades of dedication to preserving a culture that faces increasing threats inside Tibet. 

The centrepiece of the tour was TIPA’s London performance at the Fireworks Factory, Woolwich Works, one of the capital’s most vibrant cultural venues. More than 500 Tibetans and supporters of Tibet gathered for an evening that was at once joyous, inspiring and deeply moving.

Among those in attendance was David Gardner, Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. In his remarks, he praised the richness and compassionate nature of Tibetan culture and highlighted the importance of safeguarding Tibet’s unique heritage, not only for Tibetans but for humanity as a whole. 

Addressing the audience, Tsering Yangkey, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet, London, reflected on the deeper significance of TIPA’s visit. She noted that the tour coincides with the Chinese government’s implementation of its so-called “Ethnic Unity” policies, which seek to dilute and erase the distinct identities of Tibetans, Uyghurs and other peoples under its rule. Against this backdrop, she said, TIPA stands as a powerful cultural ambassador and a living expression of Tibetan resistance through art, language and tradition. 

For TIPA’s Director, Dhundup Tsering, the visit represented both a privilege and a responsibility.

“For 65 years TIPA has worked to keep alive the music, dance and theatre of a homeland from which most of our artists have been separated by birth or by force. Every performance is an act of cultural preservation. To bring this work to the UK is both a joy and a responsibility.” 

Over the course of the two-and-a-half-hour programme, audiences were treated to vibrant traditional performances and a powerful theatrical production depicting the experiences of Tibetan children separated from their families and placed in China’s colonial boarding school system. 

The contrast in audience reactions spoke volumes. The traditional dances and songs drew enthusiastic applause, cheers and celebration. Yet as the theatre production unfolded, the atmosphere shifted. The hall fell silent. Many watched with tears in their eyes as the story revealed the painful reality faced by thousands of Tibetan children and families today. 

One audience member captured the evening perfectly in a written review, stating, “I enjoyed the amazing TIPA performance on Friday evening. It was stunning and unforgettable. Deeply moving as well, the second part highlighting so poignantly the preciousness of TIPA’s work.” 

Another described the performance simply as “Magical.” 

Speaking after the performances and the play, Tenzin Kunga, Secretary of the Office of Tibet, London, expressed gratitude to the many individuals and organisations whose support made the London performance possible. He thanked the Tibetan Community in Britain, led by Chair Phuntsok and council members and volunteers, as well as Pema Yoko, Jane Rasch, Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren, the Tibet Relief Fund and Free Tibet. 

The tour began in Oxford on 3 June at the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, University of Oxford. In the intimate setting of the auditorium, more than 70 audience members experienced Tibetan performing arts up close, responding with enthusiastic applause after every performance. The event was organised in collaboration with Dr Lama Jabb, Head of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Centre, Wolfson College. 

The journey then continued north to Liverpool, where TIPA performed to a packed audience at the Treasure House Theatre inside the World Museum on 7 June. The sold-out event was the troupe’s only performance at a national institution during the UK tour and attracted long-time friends of Tibet, local Tibetans and museum representatives.

The Liverpool performance was made possible through the collaboration of Meghan Backhouse, Lead Curator (World Cultures) at the World Museum, and Dr Thupten Kelsang of the V&A Museum. One attendee later reflected, “It was a lovely performance, and people here in the World Museum are still talking about it.” 

The impact of the tour extended beyond formal performance venues. During their stay in London, selected members of the troupe performed the lively Relpa dance near the iconic Tower Bridge and the sacred Shacham ritual dance on Millennium Bridge, with St Paul’s Cathedral standing majestically in the background. 

Organised by the team at Free Tibet and filmed by a professional camera crew, these outdoor performances attracted the attention of hundreds of tourists and passers-by. Many stopped, watched and asked questions, encountering Tibetan culture in an unexpected and memorable way. 

More than twenty years after their last visit to Britain, TIPA’s return has proven to be much more than a successful cultural tour. It has inspired Tibetans to reconnect with the beauty and richness of their heritage. It has reminded international audiences that the Tibetan struggle remains unresolved. It has strengthened bonds between Tibetans and their supporters and introduced a new generation to the power and beauty of Tibetan performing arts.

Most importantly, it demonstrated that despite exile, political pressure and attempts to erase cultural identity, Tibet’s songs continue to be sung, its dances continue to be performed, and its stories continue to be told. 

After a memorable week in the United Kingdom, the TIPA delegation departed on 9 June and arrived safely in Delhi the following day, bringing a remarkable and deeply meaningful tour to a close.

– Report filed by Office of Tibet, London 

Paris, 15 June 2026: The 25th Cultural Festival of Tibet and the Peoples of the Himalayas, which took place from 12-14 June 2026 in Paris, concluded on a highly positive note. Dedicated to the globally proclaimed Year of Compassion in honour of the 90th birth anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the festival highlighted the importance of compassion as a universal human value.

The festival brings together several thousand participants, including scholars, spiritual leaders, artists, and members of the public to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Tibet and the Himalayan region. Having become a must-attend event for Parisians, it also attracts visitors from across Europe, making it one of the most vibrant and unmissable cultural highlights of the Parisian summer.

The festival began on Friday evening with a concert, followed by a Tibetan fashion show highlighting traditional attire and cultural heritage, captivating the audience and setting an inspiring tone for the days ahead. Earlier in the programme, Tibetan children read poems in Tibetan in the pagoda area, offering a contemplative prelude to the evening’s celebration. In between the main stage performances, the visiting monks of Gyumed monastery made a special appearance, offering a sacred chant that added a moment of spiritual dimension to the event.

The festival was officially inaugurated on Saturday, 13 June, with the traditional procession with Members of the Sangha carrying the portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, accompanied by the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Rigzin Genkhang, Venerable Superior Thich Quang Dao from Khahn Anh pagoda, Members of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Thupten Gyatso and Tenzin Yangkar, Coordinator Thupten Tsering and representatives of Tibetan Associations. After installing His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s portrait on the throne, guests offered khatag, chanted prayers for His Holiness’ long life and performed a sang-sol to purify the venue.

On Saturday evening, local Tibetan artists led by Lobsang Delek delivered a vibrant concert that captivated the audience and had festival goers dancing late into the night to a repertoire featuring primarily Tibetan songs, alongside popular Hindi, Nepali, and English songs.

A central feature of this year’s festival was a special exhibition dedicated to the life and legacy of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Through photographs, visitors were invited to discover the remarkable journey of a spiritual leader whose message of peace, non-violence, and compassion has inspired millions around the world. The exhibition traced key moments of his life, from his years in Tibet to his life in exile where he continues to tirelessly promote peace, dialogue, human values, and mutual understanding among peoples and nations.

Another major highlight was the Inter-religious Conference focused on Compassion, which brought together representatives from a wide range of faith tradition. Speakers from Buddhist, Christian, Islam, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Bahai, and other religious communities shared perspectives on the role of compassion within their respective traditions.

Each speaker underscored compassion as a fundamental principal guiding ethical conduct, social responsibility, and respect for human dignity. The representatives also paid tribute to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, reflecting on his lifelong commitment to compassion, inter-religious dialogue, and nonviolence, and highlighting his significant contribution to peace, understanding, and harmony in the world.

Each intervention was complemented by an artistic performance embodying the spirit of Compassion creating a unique dialogue between reflection and artistic expression. These performances also served as a heartfelt tribute to the 90th birth anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose message of universal responsibility and compassion inspired the entire event.

The conference fostered a spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding, highlighting compassion as a shared human value that transcends cultural, religious and philosophical differences. Through thoughtful discussions and exchanges, participants explored how compassion can serve as a powerful force for peace-building, social cohesion, and meaningful responses to the pressing challenges of our time.

On the lakeside podium, visitors were treated to traditional Tibetan cultural performances, including Tibetan opera, dances and songs from the three traditional provinces of Tibet: U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo. One of the most heartwarming highlights came when a group of young children took to the stage. Dressed in colourful traditional outfits, they stood in neat rows, some barely tall enough to see over the microphones. As the music started, their adorable dance moves instantly, melted the hearts of the audience.

Other cultural showcases included creation of sand Mandala by a Gyumed monks, a thousand-year-old tradition symbolising the impermanence of life.

As the festival marked its 25th anniversary, it reaffirmed its mission of preserving Tibetan culture and promoting cultural exchange, intercultural dialogue, and understanding among communities. The theme of compassion resonated throughout the event, inspiring participants to reflect on its relevance in daily life and its potential to foster a more peaceful and caring world.

Stands run by individual businesses, various associations, Buddhist centres and artists catered to the public. Among the colourful stalls, the aroma of freshly prepared Tibetan delicacies filled the air drawing curious visitors and food lovers alike. While other stands sold a mix of Tibetan and Himalayan artefacts including spices. The atmosphere was enlivened by yoga workshop sessions.

As the sun set on the final day, the festival reaffirmed its mission: to keep Tibetan and Himalayan cultures not only alive but thriving — through art, language, and global solidarity.

Nearly 6,000 visitors from Paris, across France, throughout Europe, and even from as far away as the United States attended the festival. All in all, the Cultural Festival of Tibet and the Peoples of the Himalayas was a success, offering visitors an authentic immersion in Tibetan culture.

Under the supervision of Representative Genkhang, Thupten Tsering, Coordinator, Bureau du Tibet Paris, Jigme Dorji, Secretary, Maison du Tibet, led the festival with assistance from Accountant Tenzin Nordhen, and EU Advocacy Officer Tenzin Phuntsok deployed from Bureau du Tibet Brussels.

The festival is made possible largely through the dedication and support of the Tibetan community, local Tibetan associations representing the three traditional provinces of Tibet, SFT, V-TAG and the hundreds of steadfast volunteers who generously give their time and energy year after year. During the closing ceremony Representative Rigzin Genkhang and Coordinator Thupten Tsering acknowledged their hard work and expressed heartfelt gratitude to all of them for their invaluable contribution.

The acknowledgements and announcements were followed by a traditional circle dance, allowing the audience to join in and celebrate the richness of Tibetan culture.

– Report filed by Office of Tibet, Brussels