Department of Information & International Relations

The Information Division of the DIIR primarily works towards disseminating information about the political, human rights and environmental conditions in Tibet to Tibetans and the world community at large and to keep the Tibetan issue alive. Under this Division, there are four major sections: Tibet News Bureau, Tibet Museum, Translation and Publication, and Media Coordination Desk.

Tibet News Bureau is the information and broadcasting wing of the Department. The news and information are distributed in Tibetan, English, Hindi and Chinese languages through print, web and TV mediums as follows:

Tibetan Sheja

A monthly journal in Tibet, first published in 1968, it aims to educate Tibetans about Tibet and the activities of the CTA. The readers are mostly concentrated in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Switzerland, the United States and Canada.

Tibetan Freedom

Tibetan Freedom is the first Tibetan official newspaper published in exile. Now published weekly, it features news items on Tibet and the activities of the CTA. Like Sheja, its main readers are Tibetan-speaking people.

English Tibetan Bulletin

First published in 1967, Tibetan Bulletin is a bimonthly news magazine with sections on Tibet, international and CTA news. It aims to bring out information on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, CTA, Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet.

Web Site

Tibet.Net, the official website of the CTA, located at http://www.tibet.net, is a trilingual website in Tibetan, English and Chinese languages. A specially developed “dynamic font” for Tibetan script makes it possible for Web surfers from anywhere to download the pages in Tibetan automatically. The site acts as a window to the departments and offices of the CTA, Tibetan settlements, schools and institutes.

Audio Visual Section

The Section is further divided into Video, Museum and Web TV segments.

Tibet TV is the official broadcasting channel of the Central Tibetan Administration. It was launched in 2006 with the goal of connecting all the Tibetans in the diaspora as well as informing Tibet supporters about the issues of Tibet. It disseminates information on the activities and teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Central Tibetan Administration and the current situation of human rights in Tibet and activities in the diaspora community.

Tibet TV is currently one of the principal sources of information related to Tibet and Tibetan issues and the information is disseminated in 12 languages namely Tibetan, English, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Nepali and Russian.

Additionally, Tibet TV also produces information material on Tibetan culture, environment, language and religion. Besides it also produces documentary films, short and feature-length films etc. It makes use of social media (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter) to communicate to its viewers and also relays the information through the local cable TV operators in Dharamshala.

The Tibet Museum was established in 1998 with the purpose of documenting, preserving, researching, exhibiting and educating Tibetans and non-Tibetans on all matters related to Tibet’s history, culture and present situation.

The museum aims to inform about the Chinese occupation of Tibet, to provide personal accounts of lives lost in Tibet since the occupation and to inform on the continuous and ongoing abuses carried out by the Chinese government against the Tibetan people.

It also aims to educate the exiled Tibetan community on the values of democracy, human rights, environment protection, and freedom struggle, as well as to strengthen the Tibetan spirit and collective pride through presentations on Tibet’s rich history and culture.

For information on the current activities of the Tibet Museum, click here: http://www.thetibetmuseum.org

Translation and Publication Section

This Section translates relevant materials between English and Tibetan for all DIIR publications. It produces books, booklets and pamphlets in Tibetan, English and Hindi on various aspects of the Tibetan issue.

Press Officer

Disseminating information on policies and programmes of the Central Tibetan Administration;
Providing media facilitation and press card;
To arrange audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama for media persons;
Attending and arranging press conferences, media interviews and issuing press releases;
To receive and help international and national (India) media personnel in gathering information on Tibetans and Tibet;
To supply reference materials like books, video footage and still photographs to media personnel and writers;
To serve as interpreters for interviews as requested;
To disseminate information on the current affairs of Tibet;
Maintaining cordial relations among media personnel of various media houses.

International Relations Section

This section has five sub-sections:

Offices of Tibet

Under International Relations, there are representative offices in 13 countries. These offices act as de facto embassies of the CTA and are based in New Delhi, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; Washington DC, USA; Geneva, Switzerland; Tokyo, Japan; London, UK; Brussels, Belgium; Canberra, Australia; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Pretoria, South Africa; Taipei, Taiwan and Sao Paolo, Brazil. They spearhead the CTA’s international relations and UN initiatives. They establish contacts with governments, parliamentarians, Tibet Support Groups, non-governmental organisations and human rights groups and keep them posted on recent developments in Tibet. They also help to coordinate the exchange of information between individuals and organisations working for the welfare of the Tibetan people. For contact addresses of the Offices of Tibet. click here

For information on the worldwide Tibet movement, click here: Global Tibet Movement.

Tibet Support Groups Desk

The main functions of the TSG Desk are to -Inform TSGs about the policies and initiatives of the CTA;-Inform TSGs about Tibet and the Tibetan communities in exile;-Interact with members of TSGs, and coordinate their programme during their visit to Dharamshala;-Act as an observer to the ITN Steering Committee;-Facilitate international conferences of TSGs;-Keep records of campaigns and activities of TSGs, and present annual reports on the state of the worldwide Tibet movement.

China Desk

Established in 1994, China Desk’s main aim is to outreach the Chinese people outside China. It strives to: -Establish contacts with the Chinese people outside China, and hold meetings and discussions with them on issues related to Tibet; Disseminate Tibet-related information to the Chinese people; Update and maintain the official website in the Chinese language: www.xizang-zhiye.org.

The China Desk is further divided into two sections, one of which is responsible for establishing contacts with the Chinese, holding regular meetings on China and Tibet, publishing Chinese books on Tibet, and receiving visiting Chinese from various countries. The other Chinese Media section is responsible for managing the official Chinese website: xizang-zhiye.org. The website provides current news and general information on Tibet and the Tibetan community in exile. Translate and publish books and other materials into the Chinese language; Publish a bimonthly journal in Chinese, Tibet Bulletin (Xi Zang Tong Xun), featuring Tibet-related news and information. This journal is also available online at www.xizang- zhiye.org

UN, EU and Human Rights Desk

The main activities of this Desk are  Monitoring and reporting human rights violations in Tibet; Providing information and materials related to the human rights situation in Tibet to the UN and related organisations, rights groups, governments, parliaments, and individuals; Advocating for human rights in Tibet at various levels and platforms.

Protocol Section

This Section is assigned to extend official reception to the official guests visiting Dharamshala. It is responsible for making necessary arrangements for their visit. It coordinates the visitor’s program, accompanies them on local visits to Tibetan institutes, and arranges meetings with Tibetan officials and individuals in Dharamshala. It aims to make their visit educative and informative on various aspects of Tibet: religious, cultural and political. The visitors may include diplomats, government officials, parliamentarians, Tibet and China watchers, members of human rights groups and NGOs, researchers on Tibet-related subjects, and individuals interested in Tibet and the Tibetan people.

The Branch Sections placed under the DIIR are:

Narthang Press

Privately owned printing press whose printing press and its publication Sheja (monthly Tibetan news magazine) was taken over by the then Information Office in 1971. After its take over the printing press was named Narthang Press; however, over the years, it has expanded and today it prints, in addition to Sheja, Tibetan Freedom, Tibetan Bulletin (both English and Chinese) and all other publications and stationaries of departments and offices of the CTA.

Tibet Policy Institute Section (TPI) ( Update awaited)

The TPI will strive to serve as an intellectual hub for Tibetan scholars/researchers across the globe and to become an internationally recognized and effective platform for Tibetan scholars/researchers to articulate their argument on the issue of Tibet that will shape the perception of the international community and the policies of the various governments regarding Tibet and the Tibetan people.

The TPI will serve as a think tank to assist the Kashag of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in identifying strategic issues and challenges for Tibet and the Tibetan people and coming up with analysis or recommendations for the Kashag.

About Former Kalon’s & Secretaries Contacts

International affairs and information of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) are handled by the Department of Information and International Relations. The Department has its origin in Chisee Khang (the Foreign Relations Office), which was re-established in exile in 1959 after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. In March 1969, the international relations section of Chisee Khang was placed under the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.

However, soon the Tibetan Administration was faced with a growing demand from the international community for information on Tibet. The Administration also felt the need to instil political, human rights and environmental consciousness among the Tibetans. Thus, in 1971, the information section was expanded with the inclusion of Sheja Publication and renamed Information and Publicity Office. On 4 April 1988, the Office was further expanded and the international relations section of the Bureau in Delhi was made a part of it again. It was thus that the Office came to be renamed as the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR).

The Department educates the Tibetans and international public opinion on the political, human rights and environmental conditions in Tibet. Towards this end, it publishes both print and video materials on Tibet. The periodicals come out in three languages: Tibetan, English and Chinese. The DIIR serves as a protocol office of the CTA and liaises with the international media and Tibet Support Groups throughout the world.

Under DIIR are the CTA’s foreign missions in 12 countries. They function as the official agencies of the CTA and are based in New Delhi, Kathmandu, Geneva, Washington DC, Tokyo, London, Moscow, Brussels, Canberra, Pretoria, Taipei and Sao Paolo.

The Tibet Policy Institute, Narthang Press and Tibetan Computer Resource Centre (TCRC) also fall under the direct supervision of the DIIR. While the Narthang Press handles the printing responsibilities of the CTA, the TCRC provides computer and Internet services to all the departments of the Tibetan administration.

Former Kalons

NAME	DURATION
Thupten Tharpa Neshar	1959- 1969
Thupten Namgyal Juchen	May 1976 – December 1982
Tenzin Gayche Tethong	March 1983 – January 1985
Tashi Wangdi	January 1985 – November 1988
Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari	November 1988 – May 1990
Tenzin Namgyal Tethong	May 1990 – July 1991
Tashi Wangdi	August 1991 – August 1994
Tenzin Namgyal Tethong	August 1994 – April 1995
Tashi Wangdi	November 1995 – April 1997
Tsewang Choegyal Tethong	April 1997 – September 2001
Prof. Samdhong Lobsang Tenzin	September 2001 – March 2005
Lobsang Nyandak Zayul	March 2005 – August 14, 2006
Prof. Samdhong Lobsang Tenzin	August 15, 2006 – October 4, 2006
Tempa Tsering	October 5, 2006 – November 27, 2007
Kesang Yangkyi Takla	November 28, 2007 – August 8, 2011
Dicki Chhoyang	September 21, 2011 – 28 February 2016
Dr Lobsang Sangay	28 February 2016 – 26 May 2021
Penpa Tsering	27 May 2021 – 9 November 2021
Norzin Dolma	10 November 2021 – Present

FORMER SECRETARIES FOR INFORMATION

NAME	DURATION
Ngawang Dhondup Narkyi	September 1960 – October 1968
Ngawang Rigdrol Dompo	October 1968 – March 1969
Tenzin Geyche Tethong	March 1971 – 1972
Sonam Topgyal	1973 – November 1976
Namgyal Dorjee Tekhang	November 1976 – November 1979
Sonam Topgyal	1980 – October 1991
Tempa Tsering	October 1991 – September 1999
Thubten Samphel	January 1999 – February 2012
Tashi	March 2012 – January 2013
Tashi Phuntsok	February 2013 – August 2016
Tenzin Dhardon Sharling	October 2016 – December 2018
Tsewang Gyalpo Arya	May 2019 – 31 August 2020
Chemi Tseyang Lutrutsang	1 September 2020 – 31 August 2021
Karma Choeying	31 August 2021- Present

FORMER SECRETARIES FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

NAME	DURATIONS
Kesang Yangkyi Takla	March 2000 – December 2001
Sonam Norbu Dagpo	November 2004 – October 24, 2009
Tenzin Phuntsok Atisha	October 25, 2009 – February 2013
Tashi Phuntsok	February 08, 2013 – July 2014
Sonam Norbu Dagpo	July 2014 – 15 October 2019
Karma Choeying	17 October 2019- Present

Contact DIIR

Kalon for Information and International Relations
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Information Division

Secretary for Information
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

International Relations Division

Secretary for International Relations
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Administrative Section

Incharge, Administrative Section
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Mail:

Department of Information & International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration
Dharamshala – 176215 H.P., INDIA

Tel: +91 (01892) 222457 / 222510
Fax: +91 (01892) 224957
E-mail: [email protected]

Branch Sections

Manager
Narthang Press
Narthang Building
Central Tibetan Administration
Dharamshala – 176215 H.P., India
Tel: +91 (01892) 222457 / 222510
Fax: +91 (01892) 224957
E-mail: [email protected]

Information Division International Relations Division Branch Section

Tibetan Sheja

A monthly journal in Tibetan, first published in 1968, it aims to educate Tibetans about Tibet and the activities of the CTA. The readers are mostly concentrated in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Switzerland, the United States and Canada.

Tibetan Freedom

English Tibetan Bulletin

Web Site

Audio Visual Section

The Section is further divided into Video, Museum and Web TV segments.

Tibet TV

The Audio Visual Section of the CTA produces video materials on Tibet, teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, activities and policies of the CTA and works to preserve and promote the traditional Tibetan culture and tradition. The section also covers and does a live broadcast of the parliamentary sessions of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile. DVDs are made of such parliamentary proceedings that are subsequently distributed free of cost to all the Tibetan settlements, schools, monasteries, and Tibetan organizations scattered all over India.

The CTA’s WebTV was launched in August 2006 to cover and broadcast news, teachings, cultural programs, education on democracy and activities of the CTA. The web TV can be watched by logging on to www.tibetonline.tv and also through a local TV Channel (Bhagsu Cable) that was launched in Dharamsala on 4 November 2009.

 Tibet Museum

The Tibet Museum was established in 1998 to serve as a remembrance of the loss of Tibetan culture and lives, to collect photographs and life histories of Tibetans, and to present the hopes and aspirations of the Tibetan people. The Museum aims to:

Present Tibet’s modern history, with an emphasis on the period of Chinese occupation, by establishing the “Tibet Museum”, housing permanent and temporary special exhibitions, lectures, special events, and by the development of a travelling museum kit, exhibitions and educational activities;
Strengthen the Tibetan spirit and collective pride through its presentations and publications on Tibet’s rich history and culture, the struggle for Tibet and hopes for its future;
Collect and archive documents, photographs, objects and first-hand accounts relating to Tibet and Tibetan issues.

For information on the current activities of the Tibet Museum, click here: http://www.thetibetmuseum.org

Translation and Publication Section

Media Coordinator Section

Among the duties of this Section are:

To receive and help international and national (India) media personnel in gathering information on Tibetans and Tibet;
To supply reference materials like books, video footage and still photographs to media personnel and writers;
To arrange interviews between them and Tibetans who can speak on the subject of the researcher’s choice;
To serve as interpreters for interviews as requested;
To arrange audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama for media persons;
To issue press releases.

To promote the Tibetan cause, the International Relations Division of the DIIR aims to establish contact with governments, International Tibet Support Groups, associations of students, international non-governmental organisations, parliaments and members of parliaments, politicians, Chinese democracy activists, and the UN. Through these international bodies, the Department strives to forge a positive change in China’s Tibet policy and to induce China to resolve the Tibet issue through dialogue and negotiation. This Division has two sections:

International Relations Section

This section has five sub-sections:

Offices of Tibet
- Under International Relations, there are representative offices in 12 countries. These offices act as de facto embassies of the CTA and are based in New Delhi, India; Washington DC, USA; Geneva, Switzerland; Tokyo, Japan; London, UK; Brussels, Belgium; Canberra, Australia; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Pretoria, South Africa; Taipei, Taiwan and Sao Paolo, Brazil. They spearhead the CTA’s international relations and UN initiatives. They establish contacts with governments, parliamentarians, Tibet Support Groups, non-governmental organisations and human rights groups and keep them posted on recent developments in Tibet. They also help to coordinate the exchange of information between individuals and organisations working for the welfare of the Tibetan people.  For contact addresses of the Offices of Tibet,  click here: Offices of Tibet.

Tibet Support Groups Desk
- The main functions of the TSG Desk are to -Inform TSGs about the policies and initiatives of the CTA;-Inform TSGs about Tibet and the Tibetan communities in exile;-Interact with members of TSGs, and coordinate their programme during their visit to Dharamshala;-Act as an observer to the ITN Steering Committee;-Facilitate international conferences of TSGs;-Keep records of campaigns and activities of TSGs, and present annual reports on the state of the worldwide Tibet movement.

For information on the worldwide Tibet movement, click here: Global Tibet Movement

China Desk
- Established in 1994, the Chinese Desk’s main aim is to outreach the Chinese people outside China. It strives to: -Establish contacts with the Chinese people outside China, and hold meetings and discussions with them on issues related to Tibet;-Disseminate Tibet-related information to the Chinese people;-Update and maintain an official website in Chinese language: www.xizang-zhiye.org. The website provides current news and general information on Tibet and the Tibetan community in exile.-Translate and publishes books and other materials into the Chinese language;-Publish a bimonthly journal in Chinese, Tibet Bulletin (Xi Zang Tong Xun), featuring Tibet-related news and information. This journal is also available online at www.xizang-zhiye.org

UN, EU and Human Rights Desk
- The main activities of this Desk are:  -Monitoring and reporting the human rights situation in Tibet;-To provide information and materials related to human rights in Tibet to the UN and related organisations, rights groups, governments, parliaments and individuals. https://solidaritywithtibet.org/

Protocol Section
- This Section is assigned to extend official reception to the official guests visiting Dharamshala. It is responsible for making necessary arrangements for their visit. It coordinates the visitor’s program, accompanies them on local visits to Tibetan institutes, and arranges meetings with Tibetan officials and individuals in Dharamshala. It aims to make their visit educative and informative on various aspects of Tibet: religious, cultural and political. The visitors may include diplomats, government officials, parliamentarians, Tibet and China watchers, members of human rights groups and NGOs, researchers on Tibet-related subjects, and individuals interested in Tibet and the Tibetan people.

The Branch Sections placed under the DIIR are:

Narthang Press
- Initially, the Narthang Press was meant to publish the monthly Tibetan news bulletin, Sheja. However, over the years, it has expanded and today, it prints, in addition to Sheja, Tibetan Freedom, Tibetan Bulletin (both English and Chinese) and all other publications of the DIIR and other departments and offices of the CTA.

Tibet Policy Institute Section (TPI)

The TPI will strive to serve as an intellectual hub for Tibetan scholars/researchers across the globe and to become an internationally recognized and effective platform for Tibetan scholars/researchers to articulate their argument on the issue of Tibet that will shape the perception of the international community and the policies of the various governments regarding Tibet and the Tibetan people.

The TPI will serve as a think tank to assist the Kashag of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in identifying strategic issues and challenges for Tibet and the Tibetan people and coming up with analysis or recommendations for the Kashag. https://tibetpolicy.net/

Kalon’s Message

Our Department was established in 1972 and was then known as the Department of Information. Today, it is composed of 16 sections and a staff of 80. In addition to the Dharamshala-based staff, our team also includes the various Offices of Tibet throughout the world.

The scope of the Department’s mandate is broad, as you will observe through reading about our various initiatives. Essentially, we are responsible for all communications from or concerning the Central Tibetan Administration, through various mediums, in addition to international relations. The latter focuses on relations with governments, civil society, media, as well as the Tibetan diaspora.

While any undertaking is a work in progress where there is always room for improvement, I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the individual efforts of our departmental staff both in and outside India. With very limited resources and modest work conditions, their daily work and dedication enable the Central Tibetan Administration to not only contribute towards informing the general public about the Tibetan issue but, more significantly, counterbalance, to whatever degree possible, the news blackout, disinformation and propaganda efforts from the People’s Republic of China about the situation inside Tibet. Their hard work is truly in keeping with the Tibetan spirit of perseverance and determination.

Bod Gyalo!

Kalon for the Department of Information and International Relations