Tibet Unlocked

In this episode, we tell the story of Tara (Zhang Yadi), a brave Chinese activist for Tibet facing severe political charges that could see her imprisoned for many years, in a rare case that has drawn international attention. Through a conversation with her friend and fellow activist Ginger, we explore Tara’s passion and advocacy for Tibet, the risks she faces, and how she is inspiring a new generation through their platform Chinese Youth Stand for Tibet

China’s “visa as bait” strategy is an insidious tool of transnational repression, silencing Tibetans by weaponizing family reunions. Through powerful testimonies and expert insights, we reveal how the Chinese Communist Party turns visa applications into psychological warfare, forcing many to make an heartbreaking choice between speaking out for freedom or preserving the chance to see loved ones again.

In Episode 8 of Tibet Unlocked, Pema Yoko and Tibetan education expert Dr. Gyal Lo discuss the forced closure of one of the most influential Tibetan-run private schools in Tibet by Chinese authorities in July 2024. The Gangjong Sherab Norbu Lobling school was a thriving center of learning and culture in Tibet for 30 years and its closure reflects the intensity of China’s stepped-up assault on Tibetan identity in the Xi Jinping era. Dr. Gyal Lo explains why the school was unique and how its founder, Jigme Gyaltsen, created a beacon of language and cultural preservation for all Tibetans. He also explains how Xi Jinping’s visit to a colonial boarding school for Tibetan children in Xining in June, weeks prior to the school’s closure, likely sealed its fate and the the conversation also expands to the wider implications of the school’s closure for the future of education in Tibet. Sign the petition to reopen the school: https://actions.tibetnetwork.org/en-US/ProtectTibetanEducation-TAI

June 4, 2024, marks 35 years since the monumental protests by Chinese students and citizens demanding freedom and democracy—a powerful moment of hope and inspiration brutally crushed by the Chinese government, now remembered as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In this episode of Tibet Unlocked, we turn our attention to a less well-documented aspect of the events of this period, the participation by Tibetans and non-Chinese students. For the first time, Dr. Gyal Lo reveals his courageous involvement in China's 1989 democracy movement as a 23 year old Tibetan student. What fueled his fearless determination to shut down railway tracks and engage in civil disobedience. Tibet Unlocked delves into the profound inspiration and confidence that drove Tibetan students into direct action, sharing Dr Gyal Lo’s poignant reflections on the enduring legacy of Tiananmen Square and its significance for the Tibetans people.

Nyima Lhamo's journey, and her quest for justice for her uncle who was wrongly imprisoned by China, sheds light on the many ways China tries to control and intimidate Tibetans, including through the use of transnational repression. April 2024 marks 22 years since Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's was arrested. One of the most prominent Tibetan political prisoners in recent Tibetan history, his untimely death in a Chinese prison in 2015 remains both a mystery and a tragedy. In this interview, Nyima Lhamo shares her touching memories of Rinpoche in Tibet and reveals the extreme measures she and her family were driven in their fight for truth and justice.

A prominent Tibetan educator who recently fled from Tibet and China to Canada explains China's hidden policy requiring Tibetan parents to send preschool-age children (ages 4 & 5 yrs) in rural Tibet to boarding school. Based on his firsthand experience of this program, Dr. Gyal Lo speaks about Beijing’s motivation for the policy and the devastating impact it is having on parents and children.

In December 2021, Tibet Action Institute released a groundbreaking report uncovering China's massive Colonial Boarding School system in Tibet. In order to eliminate Tibetan resistance to Chinese rule, Beijing has now separated nearly 80% of all Tibetan children (ages of six - 18) from their families and communities. In this episode we discuss the key findings and story behind the writing of the report.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has outraged the free world. For Tibetans, this event of military aggression brought back memories of the Chinese invasion of Tibet, prompting reflections on the past and speculation on the future. What does the invasion of Ukraine and the global response mean for China and the Tibetan people’s ongoing struggle for freedom? How will this event impact the trajectory of great power politics and the arc of international conflict in Asia? What opportunities might emerge in the near future for Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other nations seeking independence from the Chinese empire?

In the final countdown to the opening of China's Winter Olympic Games, Lhadon talks through the highlights and the lowlights of the #NoBeijing2022 campaign with two key leaders of the global coalition, Mandie McKeown of the International Tibet Network and Zumretay Arkin of the World Uyghur.

In the final countdown to the opening of China's Winter Olympic Games, Lhadon talks through the highlights and the lowlights of the #NoBeijing2022 campaign with two key leaders of the global coalition, Mandie McKeown of the International Tibet Network and Zumretay Arkin of the World Uyghur Congress.