The Tibet Post is an online publication founded by a group of Tibetan journalists with the primary goal of promoting

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

through

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

within Tibetan communities both within and outside of

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

Introduction

TPI's daily online newspaper provides uncensored news to inform and educate readers about Tibet-related issues at home and in exile, which are acknowledged internationally, also reported by the Chinese state media.

Creation

Created on December 10, 2007, in the Tibetan exile community of

Dharamsala Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855. The ...

in the Himalayan region of Northern

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, it was the first independent trilingual daily online newspaper-in-exile, publishing in English, Tibetan and Mandarin, and remains the only one in existence. The publication celebrates a readership of nearly 10 million per year from 2017, and maintains a general readership of between 500 and 10,000 online guests at any given time. The initiative of an independent

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organisation, Tibet Post focuses on Tibet-related issues, closely following the developments inside Tibet as well as reporting on the activities and workings of the exile community'
democratic institutions

Bi-monthly newspaper

The TPI has launched a fortnightly newspaper. The eight-page broadsheet, containing a wide range of news and features covering events both inside Tibet and the exiled Tibetan world, was launched at the Dalai Lama’s main temple in McLeod Ganj, on Monday, December 10, 2012, to coincide with International Human Rights Day and Nobel Peace Prize Day of the Dalai Lama of Tibet. However, we anticipate discontinuing the printed version from August 2018.

Circulation

The publication's website is considered a strong force in the Tibetan community and representing people in Tibet and Tibetan people's voice reaching to the outside world, promoting peaceful interaction between Tibetans and Chinese as well as objectivity, making it unique in its traditional regions of Tibet and a free news source that reaches and informs many in the remote community it serves. The Tibet Post publication has been heralded as a strong force in educating Chinese seeking objective viewpoints on the situation in Tibet. According to its website cpanel and Google analysis, an estimated 60% of its readers are thought to be logging on from inside China, giving it the largest readership of any Tibetan news source-in-exile, and making it the only one claiming a majority of Chinese readers. Subjects such as

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

, and the Tibetan cause in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

are the driving forces behind the non-profit organisation, 'Himalayan Literacy Trust' (HLT) by whom it was created. The HLT is part of an affiliation which also includes

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...

(RSF) the international

freedom of press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerci ...

watchdog organisations in and outside of India, with focus on the 'very serious' situation regarding freedom of expression in China and Tibet.

Mission

TPI’s mission is to advocate for

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

, political pluralism and rule of law in Tibetan society, and to give voice to the people of the three Tibetan provinces. These goals are guided by the principles of

non-violence Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

and compassion. It is an interactive publication, which encourages readers’ comments, phone calls and e-mails, and conducts interviews and opinion polls to promote

and dialogue. Over the past two and a half years, TPI has become one of the most popular news websites amongst Tibetan communities in exile and, although it is difficult to access in Tibet, it is recognised as an important news source. HLT and TPI’s founding members are all scholars who have undergone intensive religious and secular studies under highly accomplished Tibetan teachers. In addition to covering news and political issues, the site includes sections on health, the environment, arts and culture, opinion, and the

Tibetan diaspora The Tibetan diaspora are the diaspora of Tibetan people living outside Tibet. Tibetan emigration has three separate stages. The first stage was in 1959 following the 14th Dalai Lama's defection to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, India. The se ...

. Its sister sites also include statistical information and opinion polls. TPI's website features a bi-monthly, downloadable and printable newspaper which features high-profile articles from the website. In 2012, TPI has started to print the newspaper itself and distribute it free of charge to individuals and institutions within the

, particularly targeting readers who have limited or no internet access. TPI's services are unique because they originate in the heart of the Tibetan exile community, providing a daily link between the Tibetans in Tibet and the exile community and the rest of the free world. TPI exploits new media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and regularly uploads feature stories, video reports and interviews from its sources- Tibet, exile and abroad.

Investigations

Investigations into China's human rights situation have shown that torture is used routinely in many prisons and interrogations. In 2016 the TPI submitted evidence to the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission: Human Rights in China, detailing the record of abuse inside Tibet between 2013-2016. Subsequently the Committee concluded that torture in Tibet is "The Darkest Moment: The Crackdown on Human Rights in China, 2013-16. ". TPI has also worked alongside world leaders and activists such as Henri Malosse-EESC President, Michael Caster-Human rights advocate, researcher, and civil society consultant, Alan Gilbert, a John Evans professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and Rose Tang-Chinese writer and activist. TPI also closely worked with governments and NGOs such as Reporters Without Borders, The Committee to Protect Journalists, the United States' Congressional-Executive Commission on China and U.S. Department of State, to share its reports of tortured Tibetans inside Tibet.

Books published in their chronological order

1) '25 June 2015 : Launching literacy book title: "Roar Within Ehythm," a collection of 119 writers and bloggers, 60 of them from inside Tibet (Successful attempt to bridge between bloggers in Tibet and exile) 2) From July 2016; as its close to election days, as mentioned earlier, we began to prepared to publish a new book in Tibetan language title: "Focusing the real Subject," and launched on May 20, 2016; a collection of more than 30 interviews with Prime Minister (Sikyong) candidates, top officials from various bodies and NGO leaders, ex-political prisoners and other interest individuals (an attempt to bridge between community leaders and general public). The book is focusing on Tibetan democracy and human rights, particularly on recent Tibetan elections. However only two top officials refused to accept our interview, but we have clearly mentioned in the book editorial and stated why we are regret about their failed response. 3) On 10 December 2015, TPI released a new book titled: "Voice of an Exiled Tibetan", to mark the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Dalai Lama's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize and the 66th International Human Rights Day. The book is primarily a compilation of more than 50 analytical articles related to the modern issues facing all Tibetans—at home and in exile—and seeks to serve as a response to how Tibet is portrayed by China and other outlets. 4) On 15 February, Deputy Speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok launched a book of interviews with exiled Tibetan women writers and their works titled “Women Who Hold The Pen” at the Tibet Post International office in Mcleod Ganj. The book comprises the interviews of 33 exiled Tibetan women writers across the world, which included 15 published authors and other enthusiastic readers of Tibetan language.

Headquarters

The Tibet Post office headquarters are located in the district magistrate of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India, and is supported by the South Tyrol Regional Parliament, Italy, with contributions also made from Delhi, India, Austria, Taiwan, the UK and the USA. Its Editor-in-Chief is

Yeshe Choesang Yeshe Choesang is an India-based Tibetan journalist, photographer and author who focuses on politics, Freedom of press, business, human rights and environmental issues in Tibet and China. Biography Yeshe Choesang (Tibetan: ཡེ་ཤེས་� ...

, who is also the founder of HLT, TPI Agency, India; and other editors include Keary Huang (Editor for the Chinese version of TPI, Taipei, Taiwan), Kalsang Dolma (Assistant editor for Tibetan version of the Tibet Post International, India), and James Dunn (was reporter for The Tibet Europe).

Goals and Objectives

In order to achieve its goals, HLT and TPI have identified the following objectives and guiding principles: 1) To provide a fair and accurate news service which covers the political and social situation in Tibet, and to promote its access internationally, including to Tibetan people living in China 2) To inform and engage members of the Tibetan diaspora and others, especially English-speaking foreigners, about social issues affecting Tibetan communities in exile 3) To promote through its publications the principles of

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

, political and legislative debate, political pluralism,

women’s rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

, rule of law, public empowerment,

and peaceful conflict resolution 4) To encourage and support the needs of Tibetan journalists living in exile, through professional development 5) To promote and encourage greater knowledge among Tibetan journalists about the democratic government-in-exile and social, political, health and environmental issues 6) To employ a multicultural, multilingual editorial staff, including volunteers from around the world, and encourage discussion and debate from different perspectives on issues related to Tibet and Tibetans 7) To support English-language acquisition and awareness of current events amongst Tibetan youths living in exile, in both schools and the wider community 8) To maintain our unique role as a provider of wide, in-depth and up-to-the-minute coverage of Tibet-related news and current affairs 9) To contribute to the nurturing of a strong Tibetan society by promoting support for the Tibetan cause both internationally and within Tibet.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Tibet Post Online

Tibet Digital Times

Outlook Tibet/ Online Magazine

Potala Post Chinese

Shambala Post Tibetan blog

Downloadable PDF Newspaper