Tibet Web TV Slated for Launch

As reported by the Indo-Asian News Service

Tuesday August 1, 05:50 PM

Dharamsala, Aug 1 (IANS) With the Internet emerging as a medium for mass instant transmission of information, the Tibetan diaspora has managed to create a cohesive and virtual community in the domain of cyberspace.

Scattered as they are across the globe, the challenges before the Tibetan exiles in remaining cohesive and organised is bound for a major boost with the opening of a web TV station -- a pioneering initiative of the Central Tibetan Administration, slated for launch this coming Thursday, August 3.

'This online TV could well become a rallying point for Tibetans worldwide,' said Kalon Lobsang Nyandak Zayul, director of the documentary 'Joy of Living', adding that 'distance often uproots people from their social and cultural moorings. The Tibetan exiles will therefore hail any such initiatives that will keep their community connected and close-knit.'

However, the benefit of this web TV - which will devote a bulk of its coverage on the accomplishments and teachings of the Dalai Lama, on both domestic and international arenas -- may not reach the Tibetans inside Tibet, given China's increasing success in censoring Internet.

'In the light of changing social patterns, particularly the young, increasingly relying on the Internet for news and information, the web TV will go a long way in getting across the policies and works of the Central Tibetan Administration, realising thereby one of the cardinal objectives of the Kashag (Tibetan parliament in exile) transparency,' Kalon Zayul said.

The TibetOnline.tv will also feature an archive of the best of documentary films on Tibet.