This past Sunday, August 16th, 2026, a group of peaceful people in Portland, Oregon gathered to raise awareness about the human rights situation in Tibet. Rinpoche wrote about the background (Read full post here):
In March of this year, the government of Communist China made use of the deceptively pleasant-sounding phrase, “The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress,” to enact a new fundamental law which will further suppress Tibetan identity, language, religion, and freedom through legally mandated Sinicization, forced assimilation of a single state-defined Chinese identity. Alarmingly, the law could extend beyond China’s borders with embedded “extraterritorial reach”, targeting those who are accused of undermining “ethnic unity,” promoting “separatism,” or challenging China’s “sovereignty” claims. Harboring the malicious policy of erasing and eventually transforming the Tibetan language into Chinese and the Tibetan people into Chinese, China officially began implementing this policy on July 1.
Led primarily by the Tibetan administration in exile, Tibetan brothers and sisters living throughout the world have carried out many different kinds of protests opposing this policy of the Chinese government.
Thay Kozen, Rinpoche’s Dharma brother (who is the spiritual director of the Mount Adams Buddhist Temple) joined the group to speak out for human rights, and to advocate for compassion.
Below are some pictures from that day–very inspiring. To learn more about what you can do, anytime, from anywhere to support the people of Tibet, click here.
