Department of Information and
International Relations
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 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 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 the DIIR are the CTA's foreign missions in 11 countries. They function as the official agencies of the CTA and are based in New Delhi, Kathmandu, Geneva, New York, Tokyo, London, Moscow, Brussels, Canberra, Pretoria and Taipei.
The 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.
The DIIR is divided into following divisions and sections:
