Phayul
Feature Story: Recognized but Unheard-The Silent Seat of the Jonang
Tsering Dhundup In September 2011, as senior Tibetan Buddhist leaders convened in Dharamshala, a quiet but historic correction took place. The 11th Religious Conference of the four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and the Bon tradition formally affirmed the...
President Penpa Tsering expresses gratitude for re-election, reaffirms commitment to unity and global advocacy
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 25: The incumbent President Penpa Tsering, in a video message released Tuesday on the Central Tibetan Administration’s official YouTube channel, TibetTV, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Tibetan public after securing a decisive mandate in the preliminary...
Search committee for late Ngari Rinpoche’s reincarnation seek blessings from Dalai Lama
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 25: Nearly ten days after the demise of Ngari Rinpoche Tenzin Choegyal, the youngest brother of the 14th Dalai Lama, representatives from eight monasteries under his spiritual domain met His Holiness on Wednesday to seek...
Emotional pleas from Tibet calling for Dalai Lama’s return highlight of Long Life Prayer ceremony
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 23: Former Tibetan political prisoners, together with the Lhasa Boys’ Association Switzerland, offered a Long Life Prayer ceremony to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamshala on Monday. The...
CTA marks 86th enthronement anniversary of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 22:The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) commemorated the 86th anniversary of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s enthronement with a solemn ceremony at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamshala on Sunday. The event marked the historic...
China condemns US Tibetan rights envoy, calls it ‘interference in internal affairs’
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 21: China on Wednesday strongly criticised the United States following Washington’s announcement of a new United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, accusing the US of “interfering in China’s internal affairs.” US Secretary of State...
Radio Free Asia resumes Tibetan, Uyghur and Mandarin broadcasts
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 21: Radio Free Asia (RFA), the U.S. funded news outlet that had largely suspended its China-focused operations, has officially resumed its Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mandarin broadcasts after months of disruption caused by sweeping budget cuts...
Ngari Rinpoche, youngest brother of Dalai Lama, passes away at 80
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 17: Ngari Rinpoche Tenzin Choegyal, the youngest brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, passed away at the age of 80 at his residence, Kashmir Cottage, in Dharamshala. His demise marks the end of a...
Freed Tibetan monk remains under strict surveillance after early release
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 16: Trinley Gyatso, a Tibetan monk from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba), northeastern Tibet, remains under stringent state surveillance despite his early release from prison, according to a report by the Washington-based advocacy group...
China expands Tibetan-language state broadcasting as RSF warns of deepening information void in Tibet
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 16: As Beijing intensifies its Sinicization drive in Tibet, its state-run propaganda apparatus has significantly expanded its Tibetan-language broadcast network, even as independent and foreign media access to the region continues to shrink. Marking World...
President Penpa Tsering re-elected with decisive mandate, secures over 61% in preliminary poll
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 13: The Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration on Friday formally declared incumbent President Penpa Tsering re-elected for the top office of the exile Tibetan polity securing a second term in office, with a...
Feature Story: Will Norbulingka Institute’s legacy survive its crumbling administration?
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 12: For nearly three decades, the Norbulingka Institute in Dharamshala has stood as one of exile Tibet’s most enduring cultural beacons—a living sanctuary where the refined traditions of Tibetan art, once threatened by displacement, found...
Tibetan Environmental Defender A-Nya Sengdra suffers vision loss, kidney disease after release from prison
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 12: Well-known Tibetan environmental defender and anti-corruption whistle-blower A-Nya Sengdra, who was released from Mianyang Prison on February 7, is reportedly suffering from severe health complications, including vision loss, kidney disease, and high blood pressure,...
CTA condemns fake letter claiming Dalai Lama–Epstein meeting, calls it China-originated smear campaign
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 12: A fabricated letter falsely claiming that His Holiness the Dalai Lama met the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been widely circulated on social media, prompting strong condemnation from the exile Tibetan government,...
Riley M. Barnes to serve concurrently as U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and Assistant Secretary for DRL
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 11: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated Riley M. Barnes, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), to concurrently serve as the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan...
Tibetan environmental activist A-Nya Sengdra released after seven years in prison
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 9: Tibetan environmental rights defender and anti-corruption whistleblower A-Nya Sengdra has been released from a Chinese prison after completing a seven-year sentence, according to multiple sources. He was freed on February 8 and has since...
The Epstein Files: Fact-Checking the Disinformation Against the Dalai Lama
By A Group of Tibetan Researchers Months after the United States Congress passed the bipartisan “Epstein Files Transparency Act” in November 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released over 3 million pages of documents, including 2,000 videos and 180,000...
Public outrage as Dalai Lama falsely linked to Jeffery Epstein
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 9: Widespread public outrage has erupted following malicious attempts to link the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama with convicted paedophile and financier Jeffery Epstein, a claim that has been categorically rejected by...
Delhi HC rules India-born Tibetan woman is citizen by birth
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 6: The Delhi High Court on February 2 ruled that an India-born Tibetan woman living as a stateless person in Switzerland is a citizen of India by birth and directed authorities to issue her an...
Chinese government prohibits Tibetan children under 18 from entering monasteries
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 6: The Chinese government has reportedly intensified restrictions on Tibetan religious life by enforcing a ban that prohibits children under the age of 18 from entering monasteries. The development came to light through a video...
China condemns CTA election as exile Tibetans cast votes to elect leadership
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 4: China has condemned the ongoing 2026 General Election of the Central Tibetan Administration, dismissing it as a “farce” where Tibetans in exile across the world cast their ballots to choose their future political leadership....
Chinese national with alleged police background arrested in McLeod Ganj for illegal stay
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 4: Himachal Pradesh Police on Monday arrested a Chinese national in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, for allegedly residing in India without a valid visa. The arrest has drawn heightened security attention due to the area’s sensitivity...
US approves $23 million in Tibet assistance; funding restored for RFA and VOA
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 4: The United States has restored and approved Tibet-related foreign assistance for fiscal year 2026, reaffirming bipartisan congressional support for the Tibetan people. The legislation, which passed both chambers of Congress, was signed into law...
Leaders congratulate Dalai Lama’s Grammy win as China calls it “anti-China political manipulation”
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 3: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s historic win at the Grammy Awards has drawn widespread praise from political leaders in India and the Tibetan community in exile, even as Beijing strongly condemned...
Dalai Lama wins first Grammy for spoken-word album on compassion and peace
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 2: The globally revered Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama won his first Grammy Award on Sunday at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, securing the honour in the category Best Audio Book, Narration...
Dalai Lama’s succession cannot be politically appointed, certainly not by CCP, says Scottish MP Chris Law
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 30: Scottish National Party MP Chris Law, a long-time parliamentary advocate for Tibet, has categorically rejected China’s claim to authority over the succession of His Holiness Dalai Lama, stating that the Tibetan spiritual institution “cannot...
Forced relocation of Tibetan nomads in Amdo raises legal and rights concerns
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 29: A legal team led by Beijing-based Chinese lawyer Dong Peng recently travelled to nomadic regions of Qinghai, the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo, to provide legal assistance to affected communities. The team’s visit followed...
EC revokes electoral rights of Tibetan doctor, issues warnings to Nechung Secretary and Sikyong candidate
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 28: The Central Tibetan Administration’s Election Commission on Wednesday announced the revocation of electoral rights of retired physician Dr. Ngawang Lodoe, also known as Dr. Tara, and the issuance of official warnings to Nechung monastery’s...
Tibetan singer Ah Sang released from prison but remains under surveillance
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 27: Chinese authorities have released Tibetan singer Ah Sang months after detaining him again following a brief period of freedom in early August. Despite his release, the singer remains under constant surveillance, highlighting the continued...
Senior Tibetan Buddhist leader’s whereabouts unknown after detention
Tenzin Nyidon DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 26: A senior Tibetan Buddhist leader from the so called Qinghai province, the traditional Tibetan province of Kham, has reportedly remained unaccounted for since his detention in December 2024, raising serious concerns over enforced disappearance,...


































