Tears, memories, pictures, butter lamps, written messages and a video clip, friends of the Dalai Lama’s 45-year-old nephew Jigme Norbu — who was killed in a traffic accident during his latest “Walk for Tibet” campaign in Florida on Monday — gathered in Taipei to remember him.
“I learned about the news that Jigme Norbu was launching a ‘Walk for Tibet’ in Taiwan on Dec. 9 [last year]. I signed up to join him on the walk and departed the next morning,” said Huang Shu-chiao (黃淑嬌), who accompanied Jigme all the way on his 407km walk from Taipei to Kaohsiung over 13 days.
She was already in tears when she took the podium at the event to remember Jigme last night.
“I stayed with him until Dec. 24 [when he left Taiwan] and I was totally shocked to learn about his death — how could he be gone forever after we parted from each other in less than a month [sic]?” Huang asked.
Karen Cheng (鄭凱榕), who spent time with Jigme as his interpreter, recalled how strong-willed Jigme was.
“He always insisted on finishing the planned walk for the day and if others were too exhausted already, he would still complete it by himself,” Cheng said. “After finishing the day, when everybody else had rested, Jigme would upload all the photos onto his campaign Web site with stories to share with people all around the world who are concerned about the Tibetan issue.”
Although sometimes getting only about two or three hours of sleep a day, Jigme would still be the first one to wake up in the morning and was always full of energy and encouraged others, Cheng said.
“He always said that the pain he felt from walking a long distance was nothing compared to the suffering of all the Tibetans,” she said. “Although he has passed away, he lives on in our hearts and if we continue the struggle for world peace and Tibetan independence, he will continue to live among us.”
Tashi Tsering, president of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Taiwan, who also walked the whole length with Jigme, said he could not believe it when he learned of Jigme’s death, “because just a few days ago, we talked on the phone and he told me how thankful he was of the -Taiwanese people and that he would like to come to Taiwan again.”
Though saddened by the news, Tashi believed that passing away during a “Walk for Tibet” was an honorable way for Jigme to die.
“A true warrior should sacrifice his life on the battleground,” Tashi said.
Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association president Dachompa Payama told the audience that he was greatly inspired by Jigme, adding that he would also be willing to sacrifice his life for Tibet — and for Taiwan.
“If China comes to take Taiwan, give me a gun, I’ll fight them to defend Taiwan even if it means sacrificing my life. I’ve lived in Taiwan for so many years; I want China to keep its hands off Tibet and Taiwan,” he said, adding that Taiwanese and Tibetans should always help each other in the face of China.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
RSS