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FROM THE NEWS DESK:

Click for more on the Dalai Lama in DC

On October 17th, His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian honor, from President George Bush "...In recognition of his enduring and outstanding contribution to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious understanding." The Chinese government has voiced its strong opposition, but White House spokesperson Dana Perino said, "We would hope that the Chinese leader would get to know the Dalai Lama as the president sees him, as a spiritual leader and someone who wants peace". The medal's past recipients include Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. The Tibet Connection's Julie Adler covers this story from the nation's capitol...

President Bush with the Dalai Lama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. CLICK image for more photos

EXCLUSIVE AUDIO FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL EVENTS

JULIE'S BLOG ON THE EVENTS IN DC

WATCH THE ADDRESS OF US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH & OTHERS AT THE CGM AWARD CEREMONY

TIBET LEADER AWARDED TOP US MEDAL (BBC)

DALAI LAMA VISITS DC WOMENS' SHELTER (The Washington Post)

THE WASHINGTON POST: 'MY VISION OF A COMPASSIONATE FUTURE' WRITTEN BY HH THE DALAI LAMA

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CLICK image for more about Rep. Tom Lantos

A TIBET CONNECTION EXCLUSIVE with REP. TOM LANTOS

Producer Julie Adler sits down in Washington D.C. with REP. TOM LANTOS, one of the key note speakers at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for H.H. the Dalai Lama. Lantos talks about the significance of the Congressional Gold Medal and his call for China's leaders to invite the Dalai Lama to China before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The democratic incumbent for California's 12th district, Lantos is the only holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress. He has been an active supporter of the Tibetan cause for decades, particularly through his work with the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a body that he founded and which he currently co-chairs, and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which he currently serves as chairman.

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Tibetan nomad RUNNGYE ADAK. CLICK for more on the latest in Lithang.

A SPECIAL REPORT ON THE GROWING UNREST IN EASTERN TIBET

Tibetans in Lhasa celebrate the Dalai Lama's award on October 17. CLICK for more photos

Producer, Christal Smith, talks with The Tibet Connection's Asia Correspondent, Rebecca Novick, about the latest news from the troubled Tibetan county of Lithang in Sichuan province (known to Tibetans as Kham). On August 1st, 2007, a 53-year-old local nomad, Runngye Adak, made a defiant speech at an annual horse festival. Since then, Chinese authorities have carried out an intensive program of religious control and 'Patriotic Political Education' in the region, focused primarily on trying to wrest Tibetan loyalties away from the Dalai Lama. We hear about how Tibetans in Lithang are responding to the crackdown that's resulted in numerous arrests, and its connection to the Dalai Lama's Congressional Gold Medal in Washington D.C.

THE LATEST REPORTS ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN LITHANG AND OTHER PARTS OF TIBET (TCHRD)

STRONG PROTEST LODGED OVER US CONGRESS AWARD TO DALAI LAMA (China Daily)

CHINA MEMO QUESTIONS LOYALTY OF COMMUNIST TIBETANS (Reuters)

FOLLOWING BUDDHISM OR FUELING EVIL CULTS? (Xinhua)

DALAI LAMA BLESSES SCOTS SCHOLARS' HISTORY OF TIBET (The Herald)

Photo: Associated Press

Photo by: Mary Anderson

Tibetan and American flags fly side by side in the Tibetan community of Dharamsala, India.

3,000 Tibetans in the exiled community of Dharamsala, North India, watch the Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies at a live telecast at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts on October 17, 2007. The late-night event was marked by loud cheers and shouts of 'Long Live the Dalai Lama!' to a display of fireworks and a live band. The following day was pronounced a public holiday for the community.

*PROGRAMMING NOTE: Our documentary JOURNEY TO NAKO Part 2 has been re-scheduled to air on our November program.

Click for more about Students for a Free Tibet

Click for Lhadon Tethong's blog from Beijing

FEATURE INTERVIEW: with the leaders of STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET

Pema Dhondup sits down with two of the leaders of Students for a Free Tibet to find out more about the inspiration and planning behind two of their most dramatic efforts of the past year. LHADON TETHONG is executive director of SFT and she was able to blog from Beijing this August on the one-year countdown to the games to investigate and expose China's Tibet-related Olympics propaganda. TENZIN DORJE is the first known Tibetan in exile to have returned to Tibet in order to protest for independence. He was able to sneak into Tibet and stage a protest at the base of Mt Everest on the eve of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s decision to approve China's plans to take the torch to the top of Mt. Everest and through Tibet. Will these and future efforts of the international organization that boasts 650 chapters in 30 countries ultimately impact the Beijing Olympic Games?

Lhadon Tethong & TTC's Christal Smith and Pema Dhondup

Lhadon Tethong, Tenzin Dorje, & TTC's Pema Dhondup