http://freetibet.net Free Tibet Campaign USA Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:44:00 +0000 http://snappages.com en http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/04/13/his-eminence-kensur-kyabje-lati-rinpoche-passed-away-today http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/04/13/his-eminence-kensur-kyabje-lati-rinpoche-passed-away-today Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:44:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/04/13/his-eminence-kensur-kyabje-lati-rinpoche-passed-away-today
The renowned Rinpoche, passed away peacefully in his residence unexpectedly with only slight stomach trouble as a symptom. He was not hospitalized.

It was reported that he had [...]]]>
The renowned Rinpoche, passed away peacefully in his residence unexpectedly with only slight stomach trouble as a symptom. He was not hospitalized.

It was reported that he had circumambulated His Holiness the Dalai Lama's temple just prior to his passing. Rinpoche's body is currently still warm and in a meditative state (bardo). His body will be brought back to Mundgod for his fire puja (cremation).

Lati Rinpoche was recognized as a reincarnation of a great practitioner and became a monk at the age of 10.

He was the Abbot Emeritus of Gaden Shartse Monastery in Mundgod, South India. Belonging to a very rare class of scholar, saint and high practitioner who completed his training in an independent Tibet, Rinpoche continued to spread the Dharma by teachings at various monasteries and schools, after he followed His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama into exile in 1959. In 1964,

Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala, and was subsequently appointed as Spiritual Advisor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche served His Holiness faithfully till today.
Rinpoche’s contribution towards teaching and spreading the Dharma was widely recognized by all, and was deeply respected by many devotees all over the world.

His Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet in 1922. After the famous Gongkar Rinpoche (previous incarnation) identified and recognized Him as a reincarnation of a great practitioner, Rinpoche consequently embarked on the fulfillment of His destiny by joining the local monastery in Tibet - at the age of ten.

By fifteen years old, Rinpoche was enrolled in Gaden Shartse Norling College, located in central Tibet. It is the most prestigious and renowned school in Tibet, and it was at Gaden Shartse Norling College where Rinpoche pursued his study of Buddhist scriptures, and eventually, earning Him the highest honours among the foremost scholars of His day. At that time, Rinpoche?s field of study included Pramana Vidya (Logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamika (Middle Philosophy), Abidharma (Treasure of Knowledge), Vinaya (Spiritual Rules and Moral Law).

In 1959, after nineteen years of intensive study and training, Rinpoche sat for the Geshe Lharmapa examination. This major examination was held in the summer palace of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, located in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. Candidates were various scholars and top students from the 3 main monasteries, and yet Rinpoche still managed to emerge 2nd overall. In the next year, H.E. was officially conferred as "Geshe Lharampa", a qualification which is equivalent to the PH.D. degree in the Indian universities. And in that same year, Rinpoche joined the tantric college in Lhasa, and started intensive study in Tantra since. In the following years, H.E. taught many young incarnate lamas, as well as gave dharma talks to the mass public. In 1964, Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala, and was subsequently appointed as Spiritual Assistant to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche serves His Holiness faithfully till today.

In 1976, under His Holiness?s suggestion, various universities in America invited Lati Rinpoche over, where H.E. gave illuminating dharma discourses to an appreciative public. In addition, Rinpoche taught at Namgyal Gomba (His Holiness?s personal monastery), at the debating college, and has guided and taught many laypeople as well. In the same year, Rinpoche was appointed as the Abbot of the Shartse Norling College of Gaden Monastery, in South India. H.E. held this position for eight years ? where besides looking after the administration, law and order of the Sangha, Rinpoche also personally taught extensively on all aspects of Buddhism. Rinpoche?s contribution towards Gaden Shartse Norling College is widely recognized by all, and H.E. is deeply respected by many strong devotees all over the world.

Since His retirement, Rinpoche dedicated His life mainly on dharma practice, as well as propagating the dharma, guiding people along the sometimes complex path of the dharma. On repeated requests from many countries in Europe and America, Rinpoche has travelled extensively, benefiting dharma students in various parts of the world.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/03/09/statement-of-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-on-the-51st-anniversary-of-the-tibetan-national-uprising-day http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/03/09/statement-of-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-on-the-51st-anniversary-of-the-tibetan-national-uprising-day Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:58:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/03/09/statement-of-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-on-the-51st-anniversary-of-the-tibetan-national-uprising-day
Despite the great hardships they have faced for many decades, Tibetans have been able to keep up their courage and determination, preserve their compassionate culture and maintain their unique identity. It is inspiring that today a new generation of Tibetans continues to keep Tibet's just cause alive. I salute the courage of those Tibetans still enduring fear and oppression.

Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, it is the responsibility of all Tibetans to maintain equality, harmony and unity among the various nationalities, while continuing to protect our unique identity and culture. Many Tibetans in Tibetan areas are working in various responsible posts in the party, government and military, helping Tibetans in whatever way they can. We recognise the positive contribution that many of them have made up to now, and obviously when Tibet achieves meaningful autonomy in the future, they will have to continue to fulfil such responsibilities.

Let me reiterate that once the issue of Tibet is resolved, I will not take any political position nor will members of the Tibetan Administration in exile hold any positions in the government in Tibet. I have repeatedly made this clear in the past. To understand the situation of the Tibetans in exile and their aspirations, I invite Tibetan officials serving in various Tibetan autonomous areas to visit Tibetan communities living in the free world, either officially or in a private capacity, to observe the situation for themselves.

Wherever Tibetans in exile have settled, we have been able to preserve and promote our distinct cultural and spiritual traditions, while generating awareness of the Tibetan cause. Unlike other refugees, we have been relatively successful because we have also been able to give our children a sound modern education, while bringing them up according to our traditional values. And because the heads of all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the Bon religion are in exile we have been able to re-establish various institutions for religious training and practice. In these institutions over ten thousand monks and nuns are free to pursue their vocations. We have been readily able to provide educational opportunities for those monks, nuns and students who have continued to come from Tibet. At the same time the unprecedented spread of Tibetan Buddhism in both East and West and the prospect of continuing to flourish in the future gives us hope that it may yet survive. This is some solace to us during this most critical period in Tibet's history.

Today, the Chinese authorities are conducting various political campaigns, including a campaign of patriotic re-education, in many monasteries in Tibet. They are putting the monks and nuns in prison-like conditions, depriving them the opportunity to study and practise in peace. These conditions make the monasteries function more like museums and are intended to deliberately annihilate Buddhism.

Tibetan culture based on Buddhist values of compassion and non-violence benefits not only Tibetans, but also people in the world at large, including the Chinese. Therefore, we Tibetans should not place our hopes in material progress alone, which is why it is essential that all Tibetans, both inside and outside Tibet, should broaden their modern education hand in hand with our traditional values. Above all, as many young Tibetans as possible should strive to become experts and skilled professionals.

It is important that Tibetans maintain friendly relations not only with people of all nationalities, but also amongst themselves. Tibetans should not engage in petty disputes with each other. I earnestly appeal to them instead to resolve any differences with patience and understanding.

Whether the Chinese Government acknowledges it or not, there is a serious problem in Tibet. As the world knows, this is evidenced by the fact that there is a huge military presence and restriction on travel in Tibet. It is good for neither party. We have to take every opportunity to solve it. For more than 30 years, I have tried my best to enter into talks with the People's Republic of China to resolve the issue of Tibet through the Middle-Way Approach that is of benefit to us both. Although I have clearly articulated Tibetan aspirations, which are in accordance with the constitution of the People's Republic of China and the laws on national regional autonomy, we have not obtained any concrete result. Judging by the attitude of the present Chinese leadership, there is little hope that a result will be achieved soon. Nevertheless, our stand to continue with the dialogue remains unchanged.

It is a matter of pride and satisfaction that our mutually beneficial Middle-Way Approach and the justice of the Tibetan struggle have gained growing understanding and support year by year from many political and spiritual leaders, including the President of the United States of America, reputed non-governmental organisations, the international community, and in particular from Chinese intellectuals. It is evident that the Tibetan issue is not a dispute between the Chinese and Tibetan peoples, but has come about because of the ultra-leftist policies of the Chinese Communist authorities.

Since the demonstrations in Tibet in 2008, Chinese intellectuals inside and outside China have written more than 800 unbiased articles on the Tibetan issue. During my visits abroad, wherever I go, when I meet Chinese in general, particularly the intellectuals and students, they offer their genuine sympathy and support. Since the Sino-Tibetan problem ultimately has to be resolved by the two peoples themselves, I try to reach out to the Chinese people whenever I can to create a mutual understanding between us. Therefore, it is important for Tibetans everywhere to build closer relations with the Chinese people and try to make them aware of the truth of the Tibetan cause and the present situation in Tibet.

Let us also remember the people of East Turkestan who have experienced great difficulties and increased oppression and the Chinese intellectuals campaigning for greater freedom who have received severe sentences. I would like to express my solidarity and stand firmly with them.

It is also essential that the 1.3 billion Chinese people have free access to information about their own country and elsewhere, as well as freedom of expression and the rule of law. If there were greater transparency inside China, there would be greater trust, which would be the proper basis for promoting harmony, stability and progress. This is why everyone concerned must exert their efforts in this direction.

As a free spokesperson of the Tibetan people I have repeatedly spelled out their fundamental aspirations to the leaders of the People's Republic of China. Their lack of a positive response is disappointing. Although the present authorities may cling to their hard-line stand, judging by the political changes taking place on the international stage as well as changes in the perspective of the Chinese people, there will be a time when truth will prevail. Therefore, it is important that everyone be patient and not give up.

We acknowledge the Central Government's new decision taken at the Fifth Tibet Work Forum to implement their policies uniformly in all Tibetan areas to ensure future progress and development, which Premier Wen Jiabao also reiterated at the recent annual session of the National People's Congress. This accords with our repeatedly expressed wish for a single administration for all those Tibetan areas. Similarly, we appreciate the development work that has taken place in Tibetan areas, particularly in the nomadic and farming regions. However, we must be vigilant that such progress does not damage our precious culture and language and the natural environment of the Tibetan plateau, which is linked to the well-being of the whole of Asia.

On this occasion, I wish to take the opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to the leaders of various nations, their intellectuals, the general public, Tibet Support Groups and others who cherish truth and justice for continuing to support the Tibetan cause despite the Chinese government's pressure and harassment. Above all I wish to pay my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India, the various State Governments, and the people of India for their continued generous support.

Finally, I offer prayers for the happiness and well-being of all sentient beings.

The Dalai Lama

March 10, 2010

http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/506-statement-of-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-on-the-51st-anniversary-of-the-tibetan-national-uprising-day


]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/23/dalailama-joins-twitter http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/23/dalailama-joins-twitter Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:10:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/23/dalailama-joins-twitter
The Dalai Lama's office in India set up a Twitter account this week under the name @dalailama.

The Buddhist leader has not personally written any messages, but his office has [...]]]>
The Dalai Lama's office in India set up a Twitter account this week under the name @dalailama.

The Buddhist leader has not personally written any messages, but his office has posted Web links to the Dalai Lama's interviews and photos during his visit to the United States.

The Dalai Lama signed up for his online account Monday, a day after meeting Twitter founder Evan Williams in Los Angeles, California.

Williams says the Dalai Lama laughed at the idea of using the social network service. But as of Tuesday, the spiritual leader has attracted 69,000 followers.

The Dalai Lama was in Florida Tuesday giving a speech on global compassion.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/22/why-americans-love-the-dalai-lama http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/22/why-americans-love-the-dalai-lama Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:41:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/22/why-americans-love-the-dalai-lama
He is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the 74-year-old spiritual leader of Tibet and the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala, India. And though he describes himself, according to his Web site, as "a simple Buddhist monk," the love so many Americans and others have for him has, no doubt, bestowed on him iconic status -- whether he sees it that way or not.

"I'd love to be in his presence. I'd love to be in an audience where he speaks," said Jerilee Auclair, 55, of Vancouver, Washington, who has yet to have that pleasure. "I yearn for it. I watch his schedule to see if/when he'll be in my area. ... I love what he stands for. His inner peace inspires me to find mine, daily."

She's far from alone in her admiration.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday, the same day the Dalai Lama visited the White House, showed that 56 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of him, putting him "in the same neighborhood as other major religious figures," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Favorable ratings for the pope, at 59 percent, and Billy Graham, at 57 percent, are virtually identical."

Not bad for a guy who lives on the opposite side of the globe, is entrenched in a decades-old political and cultural struggle many don't understand, and lives according to a tradition few Americans follow. Less than 1 percent of Americans identify themselves as Buddhist, with less than 0.3 percent of those being Tibetan Buddhist, according to The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

But what he represents resonates with Americans who may need a figure like the Dalai Lama to look to, said Ganden Thurman, executive director of New York City's Tibet House, an organization dedicated to preserving Tibetan culture and civilization.

"He stands for achieving peace by way of peace, and since Gandhi and Martin Luther King aren't around, he's a placeholder for that kind of position," he said. "He says he's a 'simple monk,' but that's wishful thinking. He's a monk that's been saddled with the responsibility of shouldering the hopes and dreams of millions of Tibetan people. ... He's doing the best he can with that, and frankly, these are the kind of people we admire."

Not that Thurman, 42, always treated the Dalai Lama with this kind of reverence. His father, Robert Thurman, co-founded the Tibet House, is an Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies professor at Columbia University and holds the first endowed chair in Buddhist studies in the West, according to the university's online biography. The older Thurman, who also happens to be the father of actress Uma Thurman, was a personal student of the Dalai Lama, and it was through this relationship that his son first met the spiritual leader.

"My earliest memory of meeting him, I was around 4. I was a pretty rambunctious 4-year-old," he said with a laugh, guessing that he probably jumped on His Holiness and grabbed at the man's glasses. "Diplomatic protocol wasn't high on my list of priorities."

Tenzin Tethong has known the Dalai Lama since he was a child. He worked in the exile government and served as the spiritual leader's representative in New York and Washington during the 1970s and 1980s. Now the president of The Dalai Lama Foundation, a Redwood City, California, organization that promotes peace, Tethong said he organized the Tibetan leader's first visit to the United States in 1979, 20 years after he had gone into exile

He recalled not being sure they'd be able to pull off the visit because by the early 1970s, the U.S. had normalized its relations with China, which has long viewed the Dalai Lama as a threat to its national unity on the issue of Tibetan autonomy. But they came at the invitation of various colleges and religious groups, and the American fascination with the Dalai Lama -- the curiosity about his exotic past, his beliefs and his teachings -- spoke volumes then, Tethong said.

In the decades since, the Dalai Lama's star power has only risen as Americans have learned more about his commitment to nonviolence, interfaith outreach and more. For starters, there was that Nobel Peace Prize he won in 1989.

High-profile supporters, like actor Richard Gere, helped give him and his people's struggles pop culture prominence, as did several mainstream films including "Seven Years in Tibet," starring Brad Pitt, and "Kundun," directed by Martin Scorsese.

With the increased exposure, there has also been a growing prevalence of "Free Tibet" bumper stickers, the appearance of Tibetan prayer flags in suburbia and Facebook fans who shower the Dalai Lama with praise.

"Have a nice and easy day with Obama! Namaste," one woman wrote Thursday. "thank you for all your love, guidance and wisdom ... u changed my life," a man added. And then this from a college-student fan: "HH Dalai Lama!! You kick metaphorical ass!!!"

How has all this attention not gone to his head?

"When fame happens, people get carried away, right? The Dalai Lama, despite tremendous adoration as well as adulation ... is very conscious of that," Tethong said. "One of the Buddhist practices is to always be very aware of one's self and how one looks at one's self and not to be carried away with one's ego."

Not standing on formalities -- he playfully threw snow at reporters outside the White House on Thursday -- staying grounded and his constant ability to exude warmth and joy have made him easy to love, people who admire him say.

"He really is the real deal -- a truly loveable guy. He lives his values," said Jamie Metzl, executive vice president of the Asia Society, a global organization that seeks to increase understanding and relationships between the U.S. and Asia. "Recognizing someone who lives their life according to such positive principles helps us all grow."

And Metzl, who said he's met the Dalai Lama three times, suggested the Chinese government, through its denunciation of the spiritual leader, has bolstered his recognition. He said that by saying the Dalai Lama is "a wolf in sheep's clothing," a claim Metzl said doesn't match what people read and see, "the Chinese are doing a great deal to turn him into a rock star."

But nothing does more to make people appreciate the Dalai Lama than being with him, said Charles Raison, a psychiatrist with Emory University Medical School.

Raison, who's been involved in a program where Western doctors work with and exchange teachings with Buddhist monks, recounted a time when he, his wife and several others met with the Dalai Lama about four years ago.

"Many people, myself included, have a powerful experience in his presence. I nearly erupted in tears," he said. And his wife, whom he said "does not have a religious bone in her body" was "just beaming."

He said studies have long shown that people have a physiological response to the behaviors, feelings and even smells put forth by others.

"Buddhists," he added, "say that sweet smells come from a saint -- a mark of spiritual advancement."

And given the Dalai Lama's effect, his smile, his laughter, his sense of peace and gentle spirit, it's no wonder people fall for him. Even if they haven't had the chance to meet him.

By Jessica Ravitz, CNN
February 22, 2010 9:31 a.m. EST

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/20/the-dalai-lama-meeting-with-obama http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/20/the-dalai-lama-meeting-with-obama Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:54:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/20/the-dalai-lama-meeting-with-obama
]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/19/wtf-obama-keeps-reporters-away-from-dalai-lama-event http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/19/wtf-obama-keeps-reporters-away-from-dalai-lama-event Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:24:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/19/wtf-obama-keeps-reporters-away-from-dalai-lama-event
Instead, Obama met privately with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader in the Map Room on the ground floor of the White House, far removed from reporters and photographers. Press secretary Robert Gibbs [...]]]>
Instead, Obama met privately with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader in the Map Room on the ground floor of the White House, far removed from reporters and photographers. Press secretary Robert Gibbs issued only a brief statement after the event, and the White House distributed a single in-house photo of the two leaders.

Typically, when a high-profile foreign dignitary is to meet with the president, photographers and reporters have an opportunity to take pictures and toss a few questions at the president and his guest at the beginning of their Oval Office meeting.

The Dalai Lama, however, is anything but a typical visiting dignitary. The Buddhist monk is viewed as a separatist by the Chinese government and his trips to Washington are always a sensitive matter. His visit forced the administration to balance its desire to avoid inflaming tensions with China with its promises of a new era of transparency in government.

Presidents past also have kept their encounters with the Dalai Lama mostly private. But Kelly McBride, leader of the Poynter Institute's ethics group, said it's hard for the Obama administration to square its pledges of openness with the effort to control coverage of the Dalai Lama.

"That's not very transparent," she said, adding that the administration appeared to be trying to control coverage without completely stifling it. "Trying to control what people make of the images is a difficult task, and probably one of the easiest ways to do that is to limit the number of images."

Asked why the White House had restricted press access, White House deputy press secretary Josh Earnest released the following statement: "Rather than restrict the president's meeting with the Dalai Lama to a limited group of photographers, the White House has made available a photo of the meeting at flickr.com/whitehouse to allow any individual or news outlet around the world to view and download that photo free of charge."

Ed Chen, president of the White House Correspondents Association, said a number of still photographers complained about being shut out of the event and said their news organizations would not distribute the handout photo.

The Associated Press declined to distribute the photo. Its policy bars distribution of handout photos when the news organization feels that media access to an event would have been possible, either as a group or through a pooled photo arrangement.

"Government-controlled coverage is not acceptable in societies that promote freedom," said Kathleen Carroll, executive editor of the AP. "And that is why we do not distribute government handouts of events that we believe should be open to the press and therefore the public at large."
After the meeting, the Tibetan leader did have his picture taken by news photographers on the White House driveway when he stopped to talk with reporters.

Obama's campaign pledges for more openness in government have produced mixed results.
He has rolled back Bush administration restrictions on presidential records, posted reams of data about spending under the giant stimulus package, and released logs of visitors to the White House. But his record on issues surrounding the Freedom of Information Act is uneven so far. And though he once advocated televising health care negotiations on C-SPAN, those talks played out in private in recent months.

There will be televised talks next week, though, when the president meets with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders to search for a health care compromise.

Presidents have wrestled with how to handle visits by the Dalai Lama for two decades.

George H.W. Bush allowed no photos of his 1991 talks with the Dalai Lama. Bill Clinton avoided formal sessions altogether, choosing instead to drop by the Dalai Lama's other meetings. George W. Bush kept his meetings under wraps, too. But in 2007, he broke with tradition and appeared in public with the Dalai Lama to present him with the Congressional Gold Medal at the Capitol.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/18/poll-most-americans-say-tibet-should-be-independent http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/18/poll-most-americans-say-tibet-should-be-independent Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:44:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/18/poll-most-americans-say-tibet-should-be-independent However, the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday also indicates that most Americans think it is more important to maintain good relations with China than to take a stand on Tibet.
The poll's release came as [...]]]> However, the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday also indicates that most Americans think it is more important to maintain good relations with China than to take a stand on Tibet.
The poll's release came as President Obama was to meet with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, at the White House.
The Dalai Lama is popular with Americans, according to the survey, with 56 percent holding a favorable view of him and only 18 percent having an unfavorable impression.
"That puts him in the same neighborhood as other major religious figures," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Favorable ratings for the pope, at 59 percent, and Billy Graham, at 57 percent, are virtually identical to the numbers for the Dalai Lama."
The poll also indicates that 53 percent say it's more important for the United States to take a strong stand on human rights in China than to maintain good relations with Beijing, with 44 percent saying good relations are more important.
Analysis: Meeting could hurt relations with China
By a 6-point margin, the survey also shows that more Americans say taking a strong stand on Taiwan by force is more important than maintaining good relations with Beijing.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted February 12-15, with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall survey.
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this story.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/18/dalai-lama-says-hes-very-happy-with-obama-meeting http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/18/dalai-lama-says-hes-very-happy-with-obama-meeting Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:36:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/18/dalai-lama-says-hes-very-happy-with-obama-meeting
The White House downplayed the meeting in an effort not to further anger China, which considers the Buddhist monk to be a [...]]]>
The White House downplayed the meeting in an effort not to further anger China, which considers the Buddhist monk to be a separatist.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs issued this statement after the meeting:

"The President met this morning at the White House with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. The President stated his strong support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans in the People's Republic of China. The President commended the Dalai Lama's "Middle Way" approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government. The President stressed that he has consistently encouraged both sides to engage in direct dialogue to resolve differences and was pleased to hear about the recent resumption of talks. The President and the Dalai Lama agreed on the importance of a positive and cooperative relationship between the United States and China."

The Dalai Lama, who braved Washington's cold winds in his traditional robe and sandals to speak to reporters outside the White House, said he was "very happy" with the meeting.

He said he and Obama discussed the concerns of the Tibetan people, the promotion of greater leadership roles for women around the globe and religious tolerance.

(Posted by Mimi Hall)

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/17/weak-obama-kowtows-to-chinese-heat-meeting-with-dalai-lama-will-not-be-public http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/17/weak-obama-kowtows-to-chinese-heat-meeting-with-dalai-lama-will-not-be-public Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:19:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/17/weak-obama-kowtows-to-chinese-heat-meeting-with-dalai-lama-will-not-be-public
Briefing reporters Tuesday on the eve of the Dalai Lama's arrival, Lodi Gyari said Thursday's meeting in the White House [...]]]>
Briefing reporters Tuesday on the eve of the Dalai Lama's arrival, Lodi Gyari said Thursday's meeting in the White House between the Nobel Peace laureates, even if out of the public eye, would be an important boost for Tibet and for the broader U.S. commitment to human rights.

A joint appearance by Obama and the Dalai Lama before reporters could make tense U.S.-China ties even worse and further complicate U.S. efforts to secure Chinese help in settling North Korean and Iranian nuclear standoffs and crucial economic, military and environmental problems.

The Dalai Lama, who has met with every U.S. president for the last two decades, is a recurring needle in U.S.-Chinese ties. China accuses the monk of pushing for Tibetan independence, which he has denied repeatedly. The Chinese consider the Dalai Lama's meetings with any foreign leaders to be an infringement on Chinese sovereignty.

This week's meeting follows a tense couple of months in the U.S.-Chinese relationship, which the Obama administration has called the world's most important. Besides the recurrence of the Dalai Lama visit, the United States recently announced a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that Beijing claims as its own.

Gyari said that while the Dalai Lama does not care where he meets the president, the symbolism of the location is very important to other Tibetans and to human rights activists in the United States and elsewhere. Gyari said he has always been puzzled by U.S. presidents not meeting with the Dalai Lama in the Oval Office.

Former President George W. Bush appeared at the public presentation in 2007 of a Congressional Gold Medal Award to the Dalai Lama, but presidential meetings with the monk typically have been held away from reporters, often in the White House's private residences.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday that he did not know whether Obama and the Dalai Lama would make a televised appearance after their meeting.

Obama received heavy criticism when he did not meet with the Dalai Lama when the monk came to Washington in October. Gyari called that decision a "setback" and said it hurt Tibetans, who expect the Dalai Lama to meet with the president when he visits Washington.

Gyari said that smaller countries also could point to the decision as a precedent for bowing to pressure by China to scrap meetings with the Dalai Lama. The White House said no meeting was scheduled with the Dalai Lama in October so that Obama could better raise Tibet issues in a November summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Gyari said his high-level talks with Chinese officials last month on Tibetan efforts to gain greater autonomy produced no results. He warned that the Dalai Lama is China's best chance for gaining legitimacy for its rule in Tibet and said Beijing must stop insulting the Dalai Lama and treating Tibetans as second-class citizens.

He said China's angry reaction to Thursday's meeting is a sign of worrisome arrogance and chauvinism in Beijing.

China maintains that Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say the region was functionally independent for much of its history.

WASHINGTON - AP[Wednesday, February 17, 2010 21:13]
Foster Klug,

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/12/obama-to-meet-dalai-lama-despite-chinese-warnings http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/12/obama-to-meet-dalai-lama-despite-chinese-warnings Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:29:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/12/obama-to-meet-dalai-lama-despite-chinese-warnings
Digging in on two points of discord, China vowed to impose unspecified sanctions against U.S. companies selling arms to Taiwan and [...]]]>
Digging in on two points of discord, China vowed to impose unspecified sanctions against U.S. companies selling arms to Taiwan and said any meeting between Obama and the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader would hurt bilateral ties.

The White House shrugged off Beijing's warning.

"The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and he intends to do so," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters traveling with Obama to New Hampshire.

"We expect that our relationship with China is mature enough where we can work on areas of mutual concern such as climate, the global economy and non-proliferation and discuss frankly and candidly those areas where we disagree."

China has become increasingly vocal in opposing meetings between foreign leaders and the Dalai Lama, who Beijing deems a dangerous separatist. A meeting between the Tibetan leader and Obama would raise tensions between the world's biggest and third-biggest economies.

Ties between the United States and China have also soured over trade and currency quarrels, cyber security and control of the Internet, and Beijing's jailing of dissidents.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Washington wanted to "work through" disputes in various bilateral meetings the United States has with China.

"You have two of the most powerful nations on earth and our interests coincide in many areas and our interests collide occasionally in a handful of those," he told reporters.

A senior Democratic senator said on Tuesday he had asked 30 U.S. companies, including Apple, Facebook and Skype, for information on their human rights practices in China in the aftermath of Google's decision to no longer cooperate with Chinese Internet censorship efforts.

"Google sets a strong example in standing up to the Chinese government's continued failure to respect the fundamental human rights of free expression and privacy," Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin said.

Google, the world's top Internet search engine, said last month it would not abide by Beijing-mandated censorship of its Chinese-language search engine and might quit the Chinese market entirely because of cyber attacks from China.
Recent cyber attacks on Google were a "wake-up call" and neither the government nor the private sector can fully protect the U.S. infrastructure, Dennis Blair, director of national intelligence, said on Tuesday.
"Malicious cyber activity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication," he said in written testimony for a Senate intelligence committee hearing.
"China's aggressive cyber activities" were among challenges posed by the Chinese military, Blair added.
'DAMAGE TRUST'
There had been expectations that Obama would meet the Dalai Lama as early as this month, when the Tibetan leader visits the United States. The White House has not announced a schedule.
Zhu Weiqun, a vice minister of the United Front Work Department of China's ruling Communist Party, said Beijing would vehemently oppose a meeting.

"If the U.S. leader chooses this time to meet the Dalai Lama, that would damage trust and cooperation between our two countries, and how would that help the United States surmount the current economic crisis?" said Zhu, whose department steers party policy over ethnic issues.
China routinely opposes meetings between the Dalai Lama and foreign leaders, especially after violent unrest spread across Tibetan areas in March 2008. Beijing blamed the Dalai Lama's "clique" for the turmoil, a charge he repeatedly rejected.

Previous U.S. presidents, including Obama's predecessor George W. Bush, have met the Dalai Lama, drawing angry words from Beijing but no substantive reprisals.

But when French President Nicolas Sarkozy would not pull out of meeting the Dalai Lama while his country held the rotating presidency of the European Union in late 2008, China hit back by canceling a summit with the EU.

The Dalai Lama has said he wants a high level of genuine autonomy for his homeland, which he fled in 1959. China says his demands amount to calling for outright independence.
China recently hosted talks with envoys of the Dalai Lama but they achieved little.
The United States says it accepts Tibet is a part of China but wants Beijing to sit down with the Dalai Lama to address their differences over the region's future.

TAIWAN ARMS SALES
Beijing is already irate over U.S. proposals last week to sell $6.4 billion of weapons to Taiwan, the island that China treats as an illegitimate breakaway province.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but Washington remains Taiwan's biggest backer and is obliged by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to help in the island's defense.
Blair told the Senate intelligence hearing that China-Taiwan ties were now "relatively stable and positive" with progress on economic deals across the Taiwan Strait.
"Nevertheless, the military imbalance continues to grow, further underscoring the potential limits to cross-Strait progress," he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu on Tuesday repeated Beijing's threat to impose "corresponding sanctions" against U.S. companies that sell arms to Taiwan, saying the firms had "ignored China's opposition."
He offered no details on how China would impose sanctions.
Companies that could be affected by Chinese sanctions include Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, a unit of United Technologies Corp; Lockheed Martin Corp; Raytheon Co; and McDonnell Douglas, a unit of Boeing Co.
Bruce Lemkin, deputy under-secretary of the U.S. Air Force, said China had over-reacted to the arms sales.
"The U.S. has been consistent with our stated policy and we carry out those policies," he said. "So certainly we believe that China should continue to work with us on issues of mutual concern and to work with Taiwan."
China says the arms dispute will also damage cooperation with the United States over international issues. Washington has sought stronger Chinese support over several hotspots, chiefly the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea.
A former senior U.S. diplomat earlier told Reuters that China may not follow up strong words with strong measures.
"Let's watch what they do, not what they say, because sometimes tough words in China are a substitute for tough action," said Susan Shirk, a professor specializing in Chinese foreign policy at the University of California, San Diego.
(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Adam Entous in Washington, Steve Holland in New Hampshire, Simon Rabinovitch in Beijing and Nopporn Wong-Anan in Singapore; Writing byPaul Eckert; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/02/china-says-opposes-obama-meeting-with-dalai-lama http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/02/china-says-opposes-obama-meeting-with-dalai-lama Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:29:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/02/02/china-says-opposes-obama-meeting-with-dalai-lama
An Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama would "seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations," said Zhu Weiqun, executive deputy head of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department in [...]]]>
An Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama would "seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations," said Zhu Weiqun, executive deputy head of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department in charge of recent talks with the exiled Tibetan leader's envoys.

Zhu was speaking at a news conference where he said no progress had been made at the talks with envoys of the Dalai Lama on changes to the Himalayan region's status.

The warning to Obama comes after signals from U.S. officials in recent weeks that Obama might soon meet the exiled Tibetan leader - something Chinese officials are keen to avoid before President Hu Jintao travels to Washington, possibly in April.

Zhu said any arguments that the Dalai Lama was just a religious figure were wrong, calling the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate the "head of a separatist group."

No date for Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama has been announced, but White House spokesman Mike Hammer said last month that "the President has made clear to the Chinese government that we intend to meet with the Dalai Lama, it has been his every intention."

Bilateral relations have already been strained by the U.S. announcement Friday that it planned to sell $6.4 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.

Beijing quickly suspended military exchanges with Washington and announced an unprecedented threat of sanctions against the U.S. companies involved in the sale.

Zhu did not give any details on what China would do if Obama meets the Dalai Lama. "We will take corresponding measures to make the relevant countries realize their mistakes."

Representatives of the United Front meet over the weekend with two Tibetan envoys for their first talks in 15 months, but Zhu said China would discuss only the future of the exiled spiritual leader - not any greater autonomy for Tibet.

"There is no room for negotiation or concession on the part of the central government on these issues," Zhu said.

China maintains that Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say the region was functionally independent for much of its history.

At the last talks in 2008, the Dalai Lama's envoys proposed a way for Tibetans to achieve more autonomy under the Chinese constitution - a key demand of the minority community. But China apparently rejected the plan, saying it would not allow Tibet the kind of latitude granted to the territories of Hong Kong and Macau. Chinese officials said they were only willing to discuss the return of the Dalai Lama, who fled to exile in 1959.

The Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharmsala, India, said last week it hoped the two sides would be able to revisit the proposal for greater autonomy.

Beijing demonizes the Dalai Lama and says he seeks to destroy China's sovereignty by pushing independence for Tibet. The Dalai Lama has maintained for decades he wants some form of autonomy that would allow Tibetans to freely practice their culture, language and religion under China's rule, not independence.

Tibetan areas have been tense in recent years, with the minority community complaining about restrictions on Buddhism, government propaganda campaigns against their revered Dalai Lama, and an influx of Chinese migrants that leave Tibetans feeling marginalized. Those feelings boiled over in deadly anti-Chinese riots in 2008 that shocked Beijing's leaders.

By GILLIAN WONG Associated Press Writer
Published: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 7:41 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 7:41 p.m.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/01/13/google-tired-of-censoring-for-china http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/01/13/google-tired-of-censoring-for-china Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:37:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2010/01/13/google-tired-of-censoring-for-china
It said it had found a "sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China".

It did not specifically accuse China's government but said it was no longer [...]]]>
It said it had found a "sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China".

It did not specifically accuse China's government but said it was no longer willing to censor its Chinese site's results, as the government requires.

Google says the decision may mean it has to shut the site, set up in 2006.

Phishing scam

Shortly after the news was announced, shares in Google fell by 1.9% to $579 (£358) in after-hours trading in New York.

Google's David Drummond said: "A primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists."
The company said its investigation into the attack found two Gmail accounts appeared to have been accessed.

However, activity was limited to account information such as the date the account was created and subject line, rather than e-mail content, it said.

It said it had also discovered that the accounts of dozens of US, China and Europe-based Gmail users, who are "advocates of human rights in China", appeared to have been "routinely accessed by third parties".

It said these accounts had not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but "most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on users' computers".

At least 20 other large companies from a wide range of businesses were similarly targeted, it added.

Google said it would hold talks with the Chinese government in the coming weeks to look at operating an unfiltered search engine within the law.

The decision, it said, had been "incredibly hard" and was made by company executives in the US, not employees in China.

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said the attacks, coupled with further attempts to limit free speech, had led Google to reconsider its position.

"If, as seems likely, the government refuses to allow it to operate an uncensored service, then Google will pull out.

"That will leave other overseas web companies operating in China with difficult decisions to make," he added.

Google first launched in China four years ago after agreeing to censor some search results.

The move led to accusations it had betrayed its company motto - "don't be evil" but Google argued it would be more damaging for civil liberties if it pulled out of China entirely.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/30/apple-ejects-dalai-lama-from-chinese-itunes http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/30/apple-ejects-dalai-lama-from-chinese-itunes Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:54:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/30/apple-ejects-dalai-lama-from-chinese-itunes
Protects Great firewall of China from 'devil'

Given the Chinese government's rejection of the Dalai Lama's authority it's no surprise that [...]]]>
Protects Great firewall of China from 'devil'

Given the Chinese government's rejection of the Dalai Lama's authority it's no surprise that his only appearance in the Chinese iTunes store is a passing mention in the Buddhist Glossary. In the UK store there are half a dozen apps presenting his quotes and teachings, but it's hard to imagine an Al Qaeda application lasting long over here given our own government's thoughts on radicalisation.

Comparing the Dalai Lama with Al Qaeda might seem insane, but while we might view the Lama as an intelligent and rather amiable chap with a reasonable argument, the Chinese government has very different ideas.

In covering the lack of Lama applications PC World quotes (http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20091230/tc_pcworld/applecensorsdalailamaiphoneappsinchina) the Chinese government's opinion of him as a "devil with a human face". Cupertino is obliged to follow local laws if it wants to do business locally (and everyone wants to do business in China) and that means Apples and devils remain segregated.

The approval process for iPhone applications is notoriously secretive, and Apple recently dropped one application for not having enough naked flesh (OK - it was called "Tits and Boobies" and consisted of photographs of birds, which is funny, but cheating, so it's been removed (http://gizmodo.com/5436566/apple-called-to-say-why-they-removed-my-titsboobies-and-pussy-lovers-iphone-apps?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gizmodo%2Ffull+%28Gizmodo%29) along with its companion "Pussy Lovers").

Refusing applications for political reasons might seem overly compliant, but it's not Apple's fault the Chinese don't like the Dalai Lama.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/30/apple_china/print.html

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/22/hundreds-protest-in-macau-on-handover-anniversary http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/22/hundreds-protest-in-macau-on-handover-anniversary Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:37:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/22/hundreds-protest-in-macau-on-handover-anniversary
The protesters waved banners that called for universal suffrage in 2019 and chanted anti-corruption slogans [...]]]>
The protesters waved banners that called for universal suffrage in 2019 and chanted anti-corruption slogans hours after Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the swearing-in of the territory's new chief executive, Fernando Chui.

"Now is the time to start again the timetable for democratic development for Macau," Antonio Ng, a Macau legislator and one of the key organizers of the protest, told Reuters.

Chui earlier swore in his new cabinet, pledging to diversify the economy, heavily reliant on its gaming industry, into sectors such as logistics over the next five years.

Chui was hand-picked by the Chinese government to lead Macau, unlike Hong Kong, which held a contested chief executive election in 2007 and is inching toward universal suffrage in 2017.

Chinese leaders, who face challenges in corporate governance in Macau, also pledged better regulation of gambling in the territory, whose $15 billion casino industry overtook that of Las Vegas in late 2006.

"Over the next five years, we shall actively develop the appropriate diversification of the economy," Chui said in a speech after being sworn in.

"While enhancing regulations on the gaming industry, we will also put emphasis on the convention, exhibition, logistics and cultural industries. We will also focus on the upgrade and transformation of traditional industries."

Hu told the ceremony he wanted to encourage Macau to work with China's Pearl Delta region, which encompasses Guangdong province, to develop its economy further.

Despite its casino industry boom, analysts say Macau is beset by corruption, organized criminal gangs and North Korean money laundering that could hamper its development.

Returned to Chinese rule after being a Portuguese colony for 442 years, Macau faces stiff competition in the gaming industry from markets like Singapore and Malaysia.

Macau's gaming industry has been dominated by casino magnate Stanley Ho and his family, who own SJM Holdings, Melco International Development and Sands China.

Ho, 88, was at Sunday's ceremony, seen publicly for the first time since he was hospitalized in early August, sparking market concerns over his health.

Other international names with a strong presence include Wynn Resorts and the Las Vegas Sands.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/21/french-pm-in-china-for-talks-to-boost-trade http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/21/french-pm-in-china-for-talks-to-boost-trade Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:26:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/21/french-pm-in-china-for-talks-to-boost-trade
Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Chinese Vice Premier Li [...]]]>
Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang attended a ceremony Monday at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing to unveil a nameplate of a joint venture for the construction of two nuclear reactors in a deal that was announced last year.

"Nuclear cooperation is rooted in both our republics' aim to value technological innovation and energy independence," Fillon said. "These agreements also are a proof of the solid relations between China and France."

Fillon, who is accompanied by a business delegation, will meet with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and the head of China's national legislature, Wu Bangguo, during his three-day visit. The two sides will sign a series of pacts later Monday.

The visit comes a year after China froze relations between the countries because French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing accuses of seeking Tibetan independence from Chinese rule. Sarkozy's meeting with him prompted China to cancel talks with the European Union and sparked a popular Chinese backlash against French products.

Sarkozy restored contact with Hu during international summits in the United States in April and September and bilateral visits of high-level officials have since increased. Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming visited France last month with a delegation of Chinese business leaders.

In an interview with China's official Xinhua News Agency, Fillon said that France hoped to strengthen cooperation with China in nuclear power, aviation, environmental protection, medical services and other fields.

The nuclear power joint venture to build two nuclear reactors in the city of Taishan, in southern Guangdong province, was announced in August last year by French energy provider EdF and state-run Chinese producer China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp.

The new company, Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company Ltd., which EdF holds a 30 percent stake in, started construction of the main bodies of the plants in September, according to a company statement. The first reactor should start operating in December 2013, it said.

France's state-owned nuclear giant Areva SA is to provide nuclear equipment for the plants under a multibillion dollar (euro) contract finalized in November 2007, while another French company, Alstom SA, is to provide the turbine equipment.

"The project plays a very positive and important role in promoting the use of advanced nuclear technology between China and France and strengthening bilateral trade," said Li, the Chinese vice premier.

French business leaders have worried the political scuffle over Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama would affect trade with China. Trade retaliation is one of the most potent weapons in China's arsenal as businesses all over the world compete for a piece of the Asian giant's mammoth economy. Ties with France were only righted after France in April pledged to reject Tibetan independence in "any form."


AP[Monday, December 21, 2009 13:56]
By GILLIAN WONG - Associated Press Writer

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/20/stunning-book-speaks-volumes-about-the-ravages-visited-on-tibet http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/20/stunning-book-speaks-volumes-about-the-ravages-visited-on-tibet Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:11:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/20/stunning-book-speaks-volumes-about-the-ravages-visited-on-tibet
"The negatives are of pictures taken by my father, who died in 1991," she wrote in an accompanying letter. "They are of Tibet during the [...]]]>
"The negatives are of pictures taken by my father, who died in 1991," she wrote in an accompanying letter. "They are of Tibet during the Cultural Revolution. I am aware of how extremely important they are, but I have no idea what use to make of them. I have never met you, but I have read what you have written about Tibet, and I present you with these negatives in the belief that you might be able to make some effective use of them."

Wang replied that he would be more than happy to help her, but that the process of bringing such a crucial witnessing of history into the public eye should not be left to someone like him, an ethnic Chinese, adding, "You should take this on yourself."

Woeser, who has since become a major poet and a significant spokesperson of her people's plight, published a Chinese-language book in Taiwan in 2006 containing many of those photos, together with a detailed and highly informative narrative that not only elucidates their context and import, but also tells the story of the Tibetan nation devastated by its Chinese overlords during the so-called Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-76).

Last month, this book was published in Japanese by Shukousha. Having just finished reading its 410 pages, I am still reeling from what is one of the most fascinating documents of recent history I have ever encountered.

In Chinese, the title of the book is "Shajie," which is rendered — in a highly unusual combination of kanji characters — as "Sakko" in Japanese. As Woeser explains in her foreword, the ko of sakko is a Buddhist term for eternity. Since the first character is the one for "to kill," perhaps a faithful rendering of the title's meaning into English would be, "The Eternal Cycle of Killing."

A look at this eternal cycle is instructive in putting the ravages brought about by the Cultural Revolution in Tibet into context.

The current communist regime in China is not the only one of that country's governments to wreak havoc on Tibet. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, successive Chinese governments invaded Tibet and regions in western Sichuan in order to "subdue" the ethnic population there.

During the communists' disastrous, self-styled Great Leap Forward (1958-61), however, the Chinese government put down rebellions in those regions and inaugurated a regime in which private property was largely banned, more than 6,000 monasteries were denuded of their treasures and their religious objects, and land holdings were confiscated. Add this to the devastation wrought in the late 1960s and early '70s, and the result is that fewer than a dozen Tibetan monasteries in the country have survived largely unscathed.

Woeser's father had been an officer in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and as such had access to both public events and private incidents. Whether it was his intention or not, he documented what his daughter subsequently called — in a poem titled "Tibet's Secret" — "a Hell that's all too real."

The naive young rural workers and ecstatic city youths who made up the bulk of Chinese leader Mao Zedong's Tibetan Red Guards are shown in numerous photos, shouting as they raise their little red books ("Quotations of Chairman Mao") in the air. Even children with red neckerchiefs to match their books were recruited into the cause of "destroying before you can rebuild." Processions of middle-school pupils in Lhasa wielding steel broomsticks on their way to a temple are little soldiers advancing in the cause of smashing the so-called Four Olds.

The Four Olds earmarked for destruction were supposedly old ways of thinking, culture, morals and customs. In Tibet, naturally, the focus of this campaign was to be the religious establishment that had been the cornerstone of Tibetan cultural and social life for more than a millennium.

A photo on page 59 of Woeser's book is telling. It shows a temple courtyard strewn with smashed religious objects, while young Tibetan Red Guards stand around with the long steel sticks in their hands. Behind them can be seen older "supervisors," probably Chinese, whose job it was to egg on the young zealots. Another photo shows a burning of books such as we have all seen before.

For his book, Woeser conducted scores of interviews with people who witnessed the events of the time. These are integrated well into the visual narrative, forming a harrowing record of the politics of frenzy.

There are many photos here of people branded as enemies of the state — including monks, nuns, so-called bourgeois elements and ordinary citizens — being paraded in front of the masses, some of whom were wearing elaborate traditional gear it would rarely have been their custom to don. All of these "enemies" were humiliated publicly and punished, their lives destroyed; and among them are more than a few who were tortured and executed for the crime of being associated with a past deemed decadent, dangerous and useless.

Tibet was of supreme strategic importance to Chairman Mao as China's southwest fortress to protect the homeland against American imperialism, Soviet revisionism and Indian reactionaries. The many photos in this book showing Tibetans clutching and displaying portraits of The Great Helmsman of the Revolution attest to both his supreme power over the minds and behavior of the people and to the propaganda value placed on this iconic ritual. It is in these photos that Woeser's father's dual role of objective chronicler and serving propagandist rears its ambiguous head.

The photo of Zhang Guohua (1914-72), secretary of the Tibet Committee of the Communist Party of China at the time of the Cultural Revolution, is a prize beauty. In Kim Jong Il-style shades, this leading comrade is shown addressing a crowd of some 50,000 impassioned revolutionaries in August 1966 with mouth as agape as a La Scala tenor's, singing the praises of a policy that will shatter bourgeois and reactionary elements so thoroughly "they will not reappear till the end of time." Ironically, time in Tibet ran out for Zhang much earlier than that when, in May 1967, physically and mentally exhausted from the roughshod trials he had put Tibet through, he was transferred elsewhere.

The author of this remarkable book ended up not only meeting Wang Lixiong but marrying him. Both have dedicated their creative lives to the peaceful formation of genuine democracy in China. Wang, who had been living in the United States, returned to Beijing last month, and the two are now together there. Woeser, denied a passport by the Chinese government, has taken the amazingly courageous step of suing it for withholding this right from her.

In her collection of poetry, "Tibet's True Heart," translated beautifully by A.E. Clark, she speaks of Derge, or Dege, in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, the town in which her father was born and died. One verse reads: Derge, ancestral home! / Would that it meant nothing / Would that no road led there!

This book, with her father's photographs, is a testament to the fact that the Tibetan homeland and its people do, in fact, mean something to her: the world.

No army or government can, in the long run of history, match that.

The Japan Times[Sunday, December 20, 2009 16:16]
By ROGER PULVERS

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/20/up-to-30000-in-taiwan-anti-china-rally-ahead-of-talks http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/20/up-to-30000-in-taiwan-anti-china-rally-ahead-of-talks Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:07:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/20/up-to-30000-in-taiwan-anti-china-rally-ahead-of-talks
Chanting and banner-wielding demonstrators filled the streets of downtown Taichung, the central city that will host the talks, [...]]]>
Chanting and banner-wielding demonstrators filled the streets of downtown Taichung, the central city that will host the talks, highlighting deep divisions over China policy on this island of 23 million people.

"Go! Go! Taiwan!" chanted the protesters, many of them wearing orange headbands. "Taiwan, China -- one country on each side!"

A large number of Taiwanese see their island as an independent country, even if China insists that it is part of its territory and that reunification, after 60 years apart, is just a question of time.

The police estimated a crowd of between 20,000 to 30,000 while 500 police were on the scene to maintain order.

The immediate trigger of Sunday's protest, organised by the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, was a visit this week by China's top Taiwan negotiator, Chen Yunlin, for talks on economic issues.
It will be Chen's fourth meeting with his Taiwan counterpart since the China-friendly politician Ma Ying-jeou became president of the island in May last year.

The DPP is concerned about Ma's agenda and particularly a planned trade pact with China, likely to be signed next year, which the opposition says is being prepared in a non-transparent manner and may cost jobs.

"We welcome everyone to join the rally to voice their demand out loud," DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen told reporters ahead of the protest.

"We hope the government will protect the people's freedom of expression, and that the Chinese visitor will exercise self-restraint," she said.

The Ma administration has promised the pact will lift growth and create employment, but this did not appear to have convinced Hsu Hui-chi, a 43-year-old mother who had brought along her two girls to Sunday's protest.

"Now with more agreements signed with China, and more Chinese allowed in, it will become even more difficult for them to find jobs after they grow up," she told AFP.

Her daughters also took part in the protest, waving the white and green flags of the opposition.

"Mom has taught us not to eat China-made food and not to use China-made goods," said one of them, a fifth-grader. "Many of them are poisonous."

AFP[Sunday, December 20, 2009 16:54]

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/19/spokesman-for-tibet-dalai-lama http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/19/spokesman-for-tibet-dalai-lama Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:59:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/19/spokesman-for-tibet-dalai-lama ANI Posted online: Saturday , Dec 19, 2009 at 1250 hrs
Hyderabad : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama interacted with the media in Hyderabad on Thursday (December 18).

Interacting with the media, the Dalai Lama said, "I am acting here like a free spokesman for Tibet and my [...]]]> ANI Posted online: Saturday , Dec 19, 2009 at 1250 hrs
Hyderabad : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama interacted with the media in Hyderabad on Thursday (December 18).

Interacting with the media, the Dalai Lama said, "I am acting here like a free spokesman for Tibet and my main aim is to provide education to the younger Tibetan people."

"We are political refugees. We are carrying out certain duties on behalf of six million Tibetan people," he said.

The Dalai Lama met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah during his daylong visit to the city. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India, after fleeing China in 1959.

The Dalai Lama claims autonomy for Tibet, China blames him of stoking unrest in the name of seeking independence for the Tibetans.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/I--m-like-a-free-spokesman-for-Tibet--Dalai-Lama/556452

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/18/exhibition-draws-protests-from-pro-tibet-supporters http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/18/exhibition-draws-protests-from-pro-tibet-supporters Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:17:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/18/exhibition-draws-protests-from-pro-tibet-supporters
Pro-Tibet supporters have rallied near the Ueno Royal Museum every [...]]]>
Pro-Tibet supporters have rallied near the Ueno Royal Museum every weekend since the exhibition titled "Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World" opened Sept. 19 with China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Chinese Embassy listed among official sponsors.

The activists have also delivered speeches with commentaries on the history of Tibet and issues related to the region.

About 300 written protests and complaints, including one from an international group of pro-Tibet supporters, have arrived at the museum calling for holding an exhibition from a neutral viewpoint.

Lhakpa Tshoko, representative of the liaison office of the Dalai Lama for Japan and East Asia, says on the office's official website that the exhibition "does not give the true picture of Tibet and its history."

"The exhibits and the documents at the exhibition are purposely designed to mislead the Japanese public into believing the Chinese government as the benevolent guardian of Tibetan culture," he says.

About 120 Buddhist artifacts, many of them from the Potala Palace and the Tibet Museum in Lhasa, are being displayed at the exhibition.

Protestors argue that there is no mention of modern and recent Tibetan history or the current political situation involving Tibet in any segment of the exhibition, including a 1959 uprising against Chinese rule that led to the exile of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans, to India.

"We decided to host this exhibition from an artistic standpoint alone, separate from a political point of view," said Masakazu Mizuno, chief of the museum. "We did not add any explanations about the uprising and related events even after receiving requests to do so. We haven't observed any demonstrations or any other things that can annoy visitors."

The exhibition has been touring Japan since the spring of this year, having stopped in Fukuoka and Sapporo. The event will run through Jan. 11 at the Ueno Royal Museum before moving to Osaka and Sendai.



]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/18/dalai-lama-has-a-message-for-politicians http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/18/dalai-lama-has-a-message-for-politicians Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:16:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/12/18/dalai-lama-has-a-message-for-politicians
On the mountainous Tibetan plateau - the source of the Ganges, Indus, Yangtze and Mekong Rivers - temperatures are rising at twice the global [...]]]>
On the mountainous Tibetan plateau - the source of the Ganges, Indus, Yangtze and Mekong Rivers - temperatures are rising at twice the global rate.

Melting Himalayan glaciers would affect all countries through which these rivers flow, including India, Pakistan, China, Burma and Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

''These major rivers, which actually almost cover all Asia, these rivers ultimately come from Tibet,'' he said. ''So I think many human beings depend on these. From that viewpoint we need special care about Tibetan ecology … once something [is] damaged it takes a longer period to recover.''

Tibet's exiled political and spiritual leader urged political leaders to put global interests ahead of national interests to tackle climate change.

''Global issues should be number one [priority],'' he said. ''In some cases in order to protect global issues, some sacrifice of national interest [is required].''

He urged young people to care for the planet because the 21st century belonged to them not his generation.

''Now we are ready to say bye bye,'' said the Nobel Peace Prize winner, 74. He was speaking at the start of his 10-day Australian tour, entitled Our Future, during which he will debate with scientists, deliver public talks and take part in the Parliament of the World's Religions.

His comments follow his warning earlier this month that Tibet's environmental crisis was more urgent than a political solution to his country's future.

It comes as scientists have found that most of the 36,000 Himalayan glaciers are in retreat. Many could vanish within three decades resulting in extensive flooding downstream followed by droughts, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned this year.

The Dalai Lama also called on China to review its policy towards its minorities in light of recent violence in Xinjiang province and Tibet. He welcomed the Chinese leadership's emphasis on harmony and believed the Communist Party had the ability to adapt to change.

The world's best-known refugee, who fled Tibet 50 years ago, said he believed Australia could accept more refugees.

''This country still has the possibility to take more people whose lives are difficult, or facing problems,'' he said.

He would not be disappointed if he was unable to meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd because this visit to Australia was to meet the public.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/11/22/spineless-obama-throws-tibet-under-the-bus http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/11/22/spineless-obama-throws-tibet-under-the-bus Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:24:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/11/22/spineless-obama-throws-tibet-under-the-bus
"We did note that while we recognize that Tibet is part of the People's Republic of China, the United States supports the early resumption of dialogue between the [...]]]>
"We did note that while we recognize that Tibet is part of the People's Republic of China, the United States supports the early resumption of dialogue between the Chinese government and representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve any concerns and differences that the two sides may have."

The magic words are "we recognize that Tibet is part of the People's Republic of China." Although the State Department has stated these words or similar ones for decades, so far as anyone can discover, this is the first time an American president has ever made such a statement in public, before the television cameras of the world's press. Beijing is trumpeting the Obama declaration with lead articles in People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party newspaper.

Mr. Obama was probably not a volunteer on this subject. On Nov. 6, the South China Morning Post reported that having the American president say these words in public was the No. 1 priority of the Chinese side for the Obama-Hu meetings. They got what they wanted. The comforting words about resuming dialogue with his holiness the Dalai Lama was a small price to pay since Beijing controls the dialogue.

What's going on here? Why does this matter so vitally to the Chinese Communist Party? Do they just want to humiliate the American president? That may be part of it, but the matter really tracks back 59 years to unfinished business.

In the fall of 1950 the party's military arm, the People's Liberation Army, invaded and occupied Tibet. It was the largest military conquest since World War II. Even before China became a nuclear power in the 1960s, no outsider or group of outsiders was going to throw them out. But the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party's claim to Tibet has always been an underlying issue.

Beginning in 1987 the Chinese had a setback. After a brutal crackdown in Lhasa in which the photograph of a dead Tibetan child in his grief-stricken father's arms appeared on the front pages of American newspapers, the American Congress passed a resolution taking note of the 1950 invasion and occupation of Tibet.

Since you can't invade and conquer your own country, the Congress had recognized the independence of Tibet. Resolutions passed in the early 1990s made that even more explicit and can be found on the International Campaign for Tibet Web site.

Foreign observers in Tibet reported the joy by which these resolutions were read aloud and passed from hand to hand. In essence, the legislative branch of the U.S. government had a different policy on Tibet than the executive branch.

The issue has percolated in U.S.-Chinese relations for more than 20 years but just recently it has risen to the top on Beijing's agenda list. Why now?

First, because of the American debt to Beijing, they have the power to force the issue. Up to this point, American presidents had artfully dodged the issue. In 1986, President Reagan signed a piece of minor trade legislation he might not have read that included the acknowledgement of Beijing's rights to Tibet. But no American president, until now, had been forced to walk the plank in public.

Second, on the timing issue, it may be an issue of water. All the major rivers of Asia arise in Tibet and countries in the neighborhood have long been concerned that Beijing would divert the flow to China or use water as a political weapon. Just this year the Chinese began building dams on the Tibet Plateau, and lying about it to the Indian government. Perhaps a coincidence, perhaps not.

The ball is now in the Congress' court. Rep. Tom Lantos and Sen. Jesse Helms, two leading congressional supporters of the Tibetan people, have passed from the scene. A Democratic Congress is unlikely to embarrass the White House by passing a new resolution denying Beijing's claim to Tibet.

Unless it is done in the dark of night, it is unlikely that the Congress will pass a resolution reversing their own record on the issue. So, it is likely to remain in limbo for a while, but so long as the Congress has not knowingly given its acquiescence to Beijing's subjugation of the Tibetan people, there is hope.

William C. Triplett II is the former chief Republican counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/22/chinese-cowards-ban-foreign-tourists-from-tibet http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/22/chinese-cowards-ban-foreign-tourists-from-tibet Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:48:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/22/chinese-cowards-ban-foreign-tourists-from-tibet
Tan Lin, an official with the business administration office at the Tourism Bureau of [...]]]>
Tan Lin, an official with the business administration office at the Tourism Bureau of Tibet, said foreign tourists would be banned from Tuesday onwards, but those who have already arrived would be allowed to stay.

China has tightened security in recent weeks ahead of the Oct. 1 holiday that will see a military parade through the heart of Beijing, a speech by President Hu Jintao and a huge fireworks display.

Sales of knives have been banned at some stores including large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour after two separate knife attacks near Tiananmen Square last week, according to store officials and state media.

A female staffer who gave her last name Lazhen at the sales department of the International Grand Hotel in Lhasa — 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) from Beijing — said the ban was in effect until Oct. 8.

No foreigners came to her hotel on Monday and business has now down 20 to 30 percent, she said.

Fu Jun, an official with the publicity department of the Communist Party in Tibet, said he still had not heard about the ban.

China requires foreigners to obtain special permission to visit Tibet and routinely bars them from all Tibetan minority areas of the country during sensitive periods.

The region has been periodically off-limits since riots in March 2008 saw Tibetans protesting Beijing's rule attack Chinese migrants and shops, and torch much of Lhasa's commercial district. Chinese officials say 22 people died, but Tibetans say many times more were killed. The violence in Lhasa and protests in Tibetan communities across western China were the most sustained unrest since the late 1980s.

Security was intensified again in the weeks leading up to the Beijing Olympics last year and then again this past February and March because of anniversaries of the violence and the Dalai Lama's flight to exile.

China says Tibet has historically been a part of its territory since the mid-13th century and the Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since Communist troops arrived there in 1951. Many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of their history and say Chinese rule and economic exploitation are eroding their traditional Buddhist culture.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/10/white-house-denies-reports-it-will-hoist-chinese-flag-on-south-lawn http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/10/white-house-denies-reports-it-will-hoist-chinese-flag-on-south-lawn Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:53:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/10/white-house-denies-reports-it-will-hoist-chinese-flag-on-south-lawn
The plan, reported by several English-language [...]]]>
The plan, reported by several English-language Chinese media outlets, has raised concern among those who are working to guard the United States from outside influences that could be threats.

According to the Global Times English-language edition, the national flag of the communist People's Republic of China on Sept. 20 will be raised for the first time on the White House's south lawn – a secured area seldom available for public events – in recognition of the Chinese anniversary.

"The ceremony has gotten official approval," Xiao Shuigen, secretary of the Union of Chinese American Professional Organizations, told the Times.

(Story continues below)

"It was always my dream to raise a Chinese flag in the center of Washington, D.C.," Chen Ronghua, chief of the U.S.-Fujian Association, told the newspaper. "This year, my motherland's 60th birthday, is the perfect time for it."

According to China Daily, Chinese associations in the United States applied to have a ceremony.

Such emblems were an issue during Obama's presidential campaign, when a Houston Fox TV affiliate captured images of a volunteer in an Obama campaign office working in front of a flag featuring the image of Che Guevara, the South American revolutionary who became Fidel Castro's executioner after the communist takeover in Cuba.

At that time, the Obama campaign issued a statement calling the flag "inappropriate" and noting that the office where it was displayed was funded by "volunteers" and was not the official campaign headquarters.

However, it was Sam Graham-Felsen, a journalist-on-leave from The Nation, who joined Obama for America in 2007 and worked as the official blogger. He, according to a 2003 article in the Harvard Crimson, adorned one corner of his shared student apartment with "a Communist Party flag ... bought on their trip to Russia the summer after sophomore year."

The proposed event at the White House was condemned on the forums page on Fox News commentator Sean Hannity's website.

"People could understand if there was a Chinese visitor at the White House and the Red flag was placed on the stage behind the speakers, but to hoist the commie pinko flag in 'honor' of the founding of the People's Republic of China is absurd," the forum participant said. "This only goes to prove the Obama administration is out-of-touch with the American people."

William Gheen, chief of Americans for Legal Immigration, the pre-eminent organization battling against illegal immigration, said it's the message that is sent to the world that will be significant.

"Our concern is that sovereign wealth funds, like the Chinese, now control the executive branch more than the American people," he said. "China is not our friend. China is our enemy. Our enemy is coming and raising their own flag in a type of proclamation.

"I expect the Chinese media will make a big thing of it," he said, saying something like, "'Look how strong and powerful China is, raising our flag on the White House.'"

He said it conveys the same message as if Old Glory would be raised on the property of the Kremlin.

Gheen said the issue becomes clear "why the new water stations at illegal alien crossings into the United States have instructions in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese."

At the Red County blog, the author said, "Celebrating Americans of Chinese descent is one thing. Celebrating Communism is another. Now our president will hoist the Communist flag over the White House. How fitting and in sync with his political belief system."

A spokesman for the American Legion told WND that if the proper protocols are followed, there should be no issue with the actual display of a Chinese flag, especially since diplomatic visits routinely include the display of foreign flags.

But those with obviously U.S. leanings on the Global Times forum page were outraged.

* "Another public short coming and failure by the Obama administration."

* "UNBELIEVABLE!"

* "It can now be official – leave the flag there."

* "So let me get this straight – the Chinese are going to celebrate the founding of their country on the south lawn of the White House! Did we celebrate the 4th of July in Beijing in front of their Leader's House? What other proof do you need that Obama is the Manchurian Candidate."

* "Oh Crap, Have the Chinese foreclosed on us already?

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/02/dalai-lama-tells-taiwan-hes-dedicated-to-democracy http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/02/dalai-lama-tells-taiwan-hes-dedicated-to-democracy Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:47:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/09/02/dalai-lama-tells-taiwan-hes-dedicated-to-democracy
China has lambasted the visit by a man it brands a separatist, but it is considered unlikely to jeopardize [...]]]>
China has lambasted the visit by a man it brands a separatist, but it is considered unlikely to jeopardize growing economic ties between the long-time political rivals, and even on Monday the two sides launched their first regular direct flights in decades.

The Tibetan spiritual leader arrived late on Sunday in self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by China since 1949, to comfort victims of the island's worst typhoon in 50 years which struck this month, triggering floods that killed about 570 people.

"I'm very, very strict, (the trip is of a) non-political nature," the Dalai Lama told reporters, appearing to try to reassure Beijing.

The 1988 Nobel peace prize winner, after leading prayers at a the site of a giant mudslide at the village of Hsiao Lin, did not mention Tibet but told reporters he was in favor of democracy, a comment apparently aimed at Communist-ruled China.

"We are not seeking separation for Taiwan, but the fate of Taiwan depends on the more than 20 million people. You are enjoying democracy and that you must preserve," he said. "I myself am totally dedicated to the promotion of democracy."

As with its denunciation when the visit was announced last week, China focused its criticism on the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, not the ruling Nationalist Party (KMT) of China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou.

"The Democratic Progressive Party has ulterior motives to instigate the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan, who has long been engaged in separatist activities," a spokesman for China's State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"We resolutely oppose this and our position is firm and clear," the spokesman said. "The Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan is bound to have a negative influence on the relations between the mainland and Taiwan."

SOVEREIGNTY CLAIM

By not blaming Ma or the KMT, Beijing may have indicated that it does not wish to escalate the dispute in which China's two most sensitive territorial issues, Tibet and Taiwan, coincide.

A KMT member said the party had sent an official to China to speak to the Taiwan Affairs Office, but he declined to elaborate on the reason.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Some Taiwan residents also protested against the Dalai Lama's arrival, some taking China's side on his purported political agenda.

A few pro-China protesters greeted him at the airport on Sunday, jostling with police and shouting for him to "go home," and about 20 people gathered outside his hotel wearing shirts with a picture of the monk with a cross through it.

"We don't want the Dalai Lama's politics," read one banner. "We want his food and shelter."

Beijing calls the Dalai Lama a "splittist" who seeks to separate nearly a quarter of the land mass of the People's Republic of China. The Dalai Lama denies the charge and says he seeks greater rights, including religious freedom and autonomy, for Tibetans.

(Additional reporting by Simon Rabinovitch in Beijing; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Alex Richardson)

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/07/08/dalai-lama%e2%80%99s-birthday-clouded-by-news-of-ongoing-repression http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/07/08/dalai-lama%e2%80%99s-birthday-clouded-by-news-of-ongoing-repression Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:14:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/07/08/dalai-lama%e2%80%99s-birthday-clouded-by-news-of-ongoing-repression
Tenzing, Representative of the Tibet Office for Africa, addressed guests at a reception celebrating the Dalai Lama’s [...]]]>
Tenzing, Representative of the Tibet Office for Africa, addressed guests at a reception celebrating the Dalai Lama’s 74th birthday at Tibet House in Pretoria. Tenzing said: "The situation inside Tibet is tense, it has not improved at all. Tibetans continue to live in fear. Increasing number of Chinese paramilitary forces are deployed in Tibetan-populated counties, many Tibetan houses are frequently raided, young Tibetan monks and nuns found partaking in peaceful protests are arrested, mercilessly beaten, tortured and imprisoned."

Tenzing pointed out that not only ethnic Tibetans bore the brunt of the People’s Republic’s policies: "Many Chinese lawyers who represented Tibetan detainees disappeared and their licences (have been) cancelled."

He added: In spite of (the) dire situation, Chinese leaders still insist Tibetans are happy. They never admit there is a problem. Therefore His Holiness the Dalai Lama has very recently commented that: "If the majority of the Tibetan people are truly happy, then our information becomes incorrect. Then we must apologise to the Chinese government."

Tenzing went on to pray for long life for the Dalai Lama, adding: "We also pray for (an) immediate end to the sufferings of all those Tibetans who are facing Chinese suppression and torture."

The atmosphere at the reception was very friendly, despite the dire situation in Tibet described by the representative of the exile government. Many of the guests were Chinese, and among them were members of South Africa’s International Relations (Foreign Affairs) department and business leaders, journalists as well as people interested in Tibetan culture and religion.

People were wearing their national dress, and the Tibetan flag flew over Tibet house. Tenzing described the birthday celebrations of the Dalai Lama, who turns 74 on July 6th, before his flight into exile in 1959.

"His birthday is the happiest day for all Tibetans. Officially the day begins with an offering of juniper incense and the flying of prayer flags both at the Potala and the Norbu Lingka palaces. His family members assemble to offer greetings to the Dalai Lama, then the members of the Tibetan Cabinet, the Secretariat and others assemble at the audience hall. His two spiritual tutors offer him long life pills and supplicate him to remain for a long time in this world, while praying for his good health…They then proceed to a place called Krungs-lha (the birth god) located at a distance of about two kilometres from Lhasa, where they participate in various rituals for the welfare of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The people of Lhasa, resplendent in their best clothing and full of joy, offer juniper incense on various local hills and spend several days singing and dancing."

Tenzing expressed the desire that: "The Tibetan people’s wishes of seeing their undisputed leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, on the golden throne of Potala be fulfilled and realised soon."

Tenzing and a group of Tibetans also sang the national anthem, the words of which were unintelligible to the guests, but which was melodious and quite beautiful.

The lasting memory of the reception was one of both bitterness and sweetness, with the suffering of Tibetans and the joy of the occasion mingling in the cold air of the South African winter.

Digitl Journal[Saturday, July 04, 2009 19:43]
by Christopher Szabo

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/07/08/han-chinese-protesters-seek-muslim-uighur-targets http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/07/08/han-chinese-protesters-seek-muslim-uighur-targets Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:08:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/07/08/han-chinese-protesters-seek-muslim-uighur-targets
By Chris Buckley

URUMQI, China (Reuters) - Han Chinese armed with iron bars and machetes roamed Urumqi city on Tuesday looking to wreak revenge on Uighurs for bloody ethnic clashes two days earlier which killed 156 and wounded more than 1,000.

Outnumbered riot police used tear gas to try to [...]]]>
By Chris Buckley

URUMQI, China (Reuters) - Han Chinese armed with iron bars and machetes roamed Urumqi city on Tuesday looking to wreak revenge on Uighurs for bloody ethnic clashes two days earlier which killed 156 and wounded more than 1,000.

Outnumbered riot police used tear gas to try to disperse the thousands of angry protesters who flooded the capital of the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

In a sign of government anxiety about the unrest, the city's Communist Party boss Li Zhi took to the streets to plead with protesters to return home, and overnight "traffic restrictions" -- originally announced as a curfew -- came into effect to halt the violence, in which many people were injured.

Security forces intervened to stop fighting, breaking up a battle between hundreds of rock-throwing Han and Uighurs and forcing a Han mob to leave a building they stormed in a Uighur area, a Reuters reporter said. There were no reports of deaths.

But riot police stood warily by as crowds vented their anger by throwing rocks at a mosque and smashing restaurants and shops owned by Uighurs, a Turkic people who are largely Muslim and share linguistic and cultural bonds with Central Asia.

"They attacked us. Now it's our turn to attack them," a Han man in the crowd told Reuters. He refused to give his name.

The crowd were carrying an improvised arsenal of meat cleavers, metal rods and spades seized from building sites, rocks and wooden clubs, and the most extreme shouted "kill them" and "exterminate the Uighurs."

Rioters said they wanted revenge for violence on Sunday. Beijing has not given a breakdown of the ethnicity of the dead, but official media reports initially focused on Han victims and Urumqi's Han community seem sure they were the main targets in the country's worst unrest for years.

"We're here to demand security for ourselves," said another protester who would not give his name.

By evening the club-wielding mobs had melted away. As curfew came down police moved through emptying streets telling people to go home and handing out leaflets with a speech by a top regional official, Wang Lequan, calling for peace.

Xinjiang has long been a hotbed of ethnic tensions, fostered by a yawning economic gap between Uighurs and Han Chinese, government controls on religion and culture and an influx of Han Chinese migrants who are now in the majority in most key cities.

Beijing has poured cash into exploiting Xinjiang's energy deposits and consolidating its hold on a strategically vital frontierland bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

But Uighurs, who launched a series of attacks to coincide with the build-up to last year's Beijing Olympics, say migrant Han are the main beneficiaries.

There are signs that unrest has spread in the volatile region, but its remoteness and poverty meant the trouble had little impact on China's financial markets. Stocks slipped on technical factors while the yuan rose against the dollar.

"TIME TO FIGHT BACK"

Uighurs had emptied out of the streets of Urumqi late on Tuesday, as the number and violence of Han protesters grew.

But earlier in the day hundreds came out to demonstrate against the government crackdown in the wake of Sunday's riots, which they say involved an indiscriminate sweep of Uighur areas.

Many were women, wailing and waving the identity cards of husbands, brothers or sons they say were arbitrarily seized.

"My husband was taken away yesterday by police. They didn't say why. They just took him away," a woman who identified herself as Maliya told Reuters. They vowed continued defiance.

Abdul Ali, a Uighur man in his 20s who had taken off his shirt, held up his clenched fist. "They've been arresting us for no reason, and it's time for us to fight back," he said.

Ali said three of his brothers and a sister were among 1,434 suspects taken into custody. Of the 156 killed, 27 were women.

Human rights groups have warned that a harsh crackdown on Uighurs in the wake of Sunday's violence could exacerbate the grievances that fueled the bloodshed.

Almost half of Xinjiang's 20 million people are Uighurs, while the population of Urumqi, which lies around 3,300 km (2,000 miles) west of Beijing, is mostly Han.

Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said demonstrators had the right to protest peacefully and that those arrested should be treated in line with international law.

"I urge Uighur and Han civic leaders, and the Chinese authorities at all levels, to exercise great restraint so as not to spark further violence and loss of life," Pillay said in a statement. "This is a major tragedy."

The European Union also said in a statement it was concerned about the unrest and offered sympathy to families of victims.

"The European Union calls for restraint on all sides and for the situation to be resolved peacefully ... the rights of all those in detention should be fully respected," it said.

Urumqi Communist Party boss Li Zhi defended the crackdown.

"It should be said that they were all violent elements who wielded clubs and smashed, looted, burned and even murdered at the scene," he told a news conference.

UNREST SPREADING?

Despite heightened security, and a cut to internet services in Urumqi which was confirmed on Tuesday by Communist party boss Li, some unrest appeared to be spreading in the volatile region.

Police dispersed around 200 people at the Id Kah mosque in Kashgar in southern Xinjiang on Monday evening, Xinhua said. The report did not say if police used force but said checkpoints had been set up at crossroads between Kashgar airport and downtown.

Chinese officials have blamed the unrest on separatist groups abroad it says are seeking an independent homeland, led by U.S.-based exiled businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer.

China's embassy in the Netherlands was attacked by exiled pro-Uighur activists who threw rocks that smashed windows, and two unidentified men threw Molotov cocktails at a Munich consulate, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

Li Wei, director of the Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies, said Kadeer had been in touch with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and wanted to imitate rioting that broke out in his homeland in early 2008.

"After the March 14 unrest in Tibet last year, Kadeer said in public that something similar should happen in Xinjiang," Li Wei was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Exile groups reject the charge the violence was planned and say it was a spontaneous explosion of pent-up frustration.

Wu'er Kaixi, a Uighur and one of the best known dissidents from the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing 20 years ago, said there had been no improvement in China's human rights.

"For a long time, Uighurs have been discriminated against and suppressed in China," he told a news conference in Taiwan. "So much so that we're almost colonized by China."

(Additional reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison, Yu Le and Benjamin Kang Lim in Beijing; Paul Eckert in Washington; Ben Blanchard in Shanghai; and Christine Lu and Ben Tai in Taipei; Writing by Nick Macfie; editing by Tim Pearce)

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/24/riots-in-china-overshadowed-by-iran-riots http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/24/riots-in-china-overshadowed-by-iran-riots Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:28:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/24/riots-in-china-overshadowed-by-iran-riots Photos and video after the jump http://digg.com/u16cL6

Hundreds of baton-wielding police on Sunday dispersed protesters and cordoned off a city hotel in central China after a [...]]]> Photos and video after the jump http://digg.com/u16cL6

Hundreds of baton-wielding police on Sunday dispersed protesters and cordoned off a city hotel in central China after a young man's mysterious death sparked unrest, a local official and a witness said.

More than 200 people were injured in the clashes between police and residents outside the hotel in Hubei province's Shishou city, according to a Hong Kong-based rights group, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy.

Hundreds had been angered by the death of 24-year old Tu Yuangao, who was found dead Wednesday evening in front of the Yonglong hotel. Tu's relatives believe he was killed by the hotel boss, who is related to the mayor, the rights group said.

Discontent with local officials and police in China often leads to mass protests, which can gather size and force with remarkable speed. Mild frustration can turn into fury within minutes.

A local resident surnamed Chen said protesters started gathering outside the hotel Friday and by late Saturday had clashed five or six times with police, smashing six police vans and fire trucks. Chen said thousands of armed police forces with shields and batons were deployed in the area. The crowd started dispersing early Sunday, but security was tight, he said. "The area around the hotel is still cordoned off by hundreds of police with batons," Chen said in a telephone interview Sunday.

A man who answered the phone at the Shishou government said the crowd dispersed after local authorities persuaded them to leave and that there had been no conflicts since Saturday afternoon. The man, who refused to give his name, said authorities were investigating the death of Tu, whose body was moved from the hotel to a funeral parlor Sunday. Chinese media reported that police ruled out murder, saying they found a suicide note.

Amateur video clips of the protest posted online showed hundreds of riot police marching down a street to reinforce a human barricade formed by officers who held their shields above their heads, supported by police vans and fire trucks. In one clip, hundreds of protesters were seen surging toward police, picking up objects from the ground and hurling them at the officers, who retreated. The video appeared to be posted by a U.S.-based user on YouTube, which is blocked in China. It could not be independently verified.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/24/dalai-lama-says-favors-democratic-leadership http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/24/dalai-lama-says-favors-democratic-leadership Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:52:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/24/dalai-lama-says-favors-democratic-leadership
In a video clip shown to hundreds of monks, nuns and lay people in the northern Indian hill town [...]]]>
In a video clip shown to hundreds of monks, nuns and lay people in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala late on Saturday, the 73-year-old also said it was no longer essential to thrust spiritual and political leadership on one person.

"The Dalai Lamas held temporal and spiritual leadership over the last 400-500 years. It may have been quite useful. But that period is over," the Nobel Prize winner said in the clip, according to a translated transcript.

"Today, it is clear to the whole world that democracy is the best system despite its minor negativities. That is why it is important that Tibetans also move with the larger world community," he said.

The Dalai Lama has suggested before it is up to Tibetans whether they continue with the spiritual institution after he dies, and could order an election among Tibetans abroad.

The Dalai Lama could also choose a successor himself from members of his government-in-exile, or a college of senior lamas could pick someone from within its ranks, removing the mysticism of the traditional selection process.

"When we put the whole responsibility in the person of the Dalai Lama, it is dangerous ... it is appropriate that a democratically elected leader lead a people's movement," he said.

"In reality, a change is happening in the responsibility of the Dalai Lama as the temporal and spiritual leader. This, I think, is very good ... a religious leader having to assume political leadership, that period is over," he said.

SENSITIVE ISSUE

The Dalai Lama's succession is a sensitive issue as he ages and his health declines.

Many Tibetans fear that the death of the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, could create a leadership vacuum that Beijing could exploit to tighten its grip.

China has said the Dalai Lama must follow "historical conventions," including an endorsement from Beijing.

According to Beijing, the Dalai Lama's incarnation must be chosen by drawing lots from a gold urn given to Tibetans by the ethnic Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty.

But the Dalai Lama has suggested his incarnation might be found outside China, or even that Tibetans themselves could order a vote on whether to continue an institution that once gave one monk both spiritual and temporal sway over Tibet.

He has also called for more democratic systems: Tibetans in exile first elected a prime minister, or Kalon Tripa, in 2001, which the Dalai Lama called a "magnificent achievement."

The current prime minister, Samdhong Rinpoche, a Tibetan monk and a Buddhist scholar, has served two terms, and the Dalai Lama has often said he was in "semi-retirement" as a political leader, asking Rinpoche to take the lead in interacting with Tibetans.

"As election takes place every five years, irrespective of whether the Dalai Lama is there or not, the exiled political system will remain secure, stable and sustainable in the long term," he said in the clip broadcast on Saturday.

(Writing by Rina Chandran; Editing by Alex Richardson)

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/11/impasse-with-china-erodes-dalai-lamas-patience http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/11/impasse-with-china-erodes-dalai-lamas-patience Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:24:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/11/impasse-with-china-erodes-dalai-lamas-patience
During a visit to Europe that ended in Paris Monday, the Tibetan offered a new and more urgent plea for help as well as [...]]]>
During a visit to Europe that ended in Paris Monday, the Tibetan offered a new and more urgent plea for help as well as a break with decades of a "turn the other cheek" policy. The change comes amid a Chinese crackdown in Tibet that began last year over broad dissatisfaction among Tibetans with Chinese policy, and an uprising among monks. [Editor's note: The original version misstated the timing of the visit.]

The Dalai Lama may not be welcome in Tibet's capital of Lhasa. But several European cities have made him an honorary citizen. Rome and Venice gave him the title in February. He is expected to be given the keys to the City of Warsaw in July. On Sunday, he became an honorary citizen of Paris.

But Tibetan advocacy groups are quietly dismayed over a lack of a unified and consistent European policy. In 2007, the Dalai Lama in polls was ranked as the most respected world leader in Europe. He has since fallen to third place – being bumped from the top spot by Barack Obama. (German Chancellor Angela Merkel is No. 2.)

Despite the warm welcomes in Europe, an intense campaign by China to isolate and vilify the Dalai Lama has seemingly spooked many European politicians.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen met the Dalai Lama in Copenhagen, despite an official call in Beijing for Denmark to "take concrete actions to correct its wrongdoing on Tibet-related issues."

But a meeting with Dutch leader Jan Peter Balkenende was cancelled at the last minute; the Dalai Lama instead met the Dutch foreign minister at a church in The Hague. Mr. Balkenende cited an "irresponsible risk."

In her recent trip to Beijing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was told by China's top legislator, Wu Bangguo, that Taiwan and Tibet were the two most sensitive issues in US-China relations.

As the Dalai Lama readies for a 74th birthday celebration in July, he faces a growing list of challenges.

Tibet has been under a martial crackdown by China for the past year and young Tibetans are increasingly impatient with his nonviolent message of patience.

Beijing authorities are suggesting they will choose and validate the next Dalai Lama. Longtime observers of the Dalai Lama see him beginning to openly challenge a Chinese leadership that has not, in his view, acted in good faith.

Read FULL article here

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/05/tiananmen-20-years-on-study-slams-china-on-democracy http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/05/tiananmen-20-years-on-study-slams-china-on-democracy Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:42:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/05/tiananmen-20-years-on-study-slams-china-on-democracy
By William Lowther
STAFF REPORTER , WASHINGTON
Friday, Jun 05, 2009, Page 3

An extensive new study finds that China is actively undermining democracy at home and [...]]]>
By William Lowther
STAFF REPORTER , WASHINGTON
Friday, Jun 05, 2009, Page 3

An extensive new study finds that China is actively undermining democracy at home and abroad and conducting an “organized, sophisticated and well-resourced” campaign to subvert organizations that promote human rights.

Along with Russia, Iran, Venezuela and Pakistan, the study says that China serves as a “model of authoritarianism for the 21st century.”

Entitled Undermining Democracy the study has been produced by Freedom House — a US-based international non-governmental organization that researches democracy, political freedom and human rights — and was released on the 20th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

There are five key findings.

By doling out billions of dollars in no-strings-attached foreign aid, China and the other four regimes are hobbling international efforts to improve governance and reduce corruption; they are disrupting the human rights and democracy work of international bodies such as the UN; they are tarnishing the public understanding of democracy by distorting its meaning through well-financed international media ventures; they are stopping legitimate online political debate; and they are distorting history and creating a new generation that is hostile toward democracy and suspicious of the outside world.

Libby Liu (劉仚), president of Radio Free Asia and one of the analysts involved in the study, said: “China has modernized its strategy of suppression.”

“The sophistication of media management by the Chinese authorities, including market-based censorship combined with more traditional methods of intimidation, suggests a system that is both repressive and resilient,” she said.

image

According to the study, China’s state-controlled news organizations plan to spend billions of dollars on expanding overseas media operations in a bid to improve the country’s image abroad by opening more overseas bureaus, publishing more content in English and other languages and hiring English-speaking Chinese and foreign media specialists.

It says: “China is ruled by the CCP hierarchy, which has both enriched itself and maintained the necessary degree of public support by opening up new fields of economic and commercial activity.”

“Paradoxically, the party has won praise as the guarantor of national prosperity simply by removing its own long-standing restrictions, allowing the Chinese people to climb out of the crushing poverty and social devastation that had resulted from decades of CCP rule. China’s rise has been so dramatic precisely because its starting point was so low,” it says.

The study argues that Beijing has burnished its image by the “studious repression of critical voices.”

It adds that the CCP has “seriously distorted” Chinese history by practicing censorship, twisting textbooks, producing inaccurate television documentaries and promoting false museum exhibits.

“Ongoing and growing problems — pollution, human rights abuses, galloping corruption and social unrest stemming from basic injustice — are largely papered over through the same mechanisms of repression and media control,” the study says.

But it concludes that on the domestic front the CCP is more frightened of its own citizenry than most outside observers realize.

“The top priority of the CCP remains today what it always has been: maintaining absolute political power,” the study says.

It continues: “No other goal — be it economic, military, diplomatic or nationalistic — trumps this aim. Indeed, the recent economic downturn is of great concern to the CCP precisely because it threatens the party’s hold on power.”

Among the population at large, there is a “fear-induced self-censorship.”

The study explains: “In Mao’s day, expression had to stay within certain bounds, while everything outside was forbidden.”

“Today, one can explore anything beyond certain forbidden topics: the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, the Falun Gong movement, the China Democratic Party, Taiwan independence, Tibetan or Uighur autonomy, the Great Leap famine, corruption among top leaders and certain other incorrect views on national or international affairs,” it adds.

Young Chinese today, says the study, may be well educated in mathematics, engineering, or languages and yet live with badly warped understandings of their nation’s past.

“Even worse, they could remain entirely unaware of how they have been cheated,” the study says.

Textbooks stress that certain people in Taiwan want to “split the motherland” and the true history of the Mao era — including the histories of Tibet, Taiwan, World War II and the CCP itself — is routinely omitted.

The study says: “The CCP sometimes fabricates or exaggerates national-level fears precisely for the purpose of distracting attention. Most Chinese people, left to themselves, care much more about their own daily lives than about distant places like Taiwan or Tibet. They wake up in the morning worried more about a corrupt local official than about the Dalai Lama.”

propaganda

“But when CCP propaganda tells them repeatedly that the wolf-hearted Dalai Lama is splitting the motherland, they tend to embrace the view that it is bad to split the motherland and that the CCP is the standard-bearer in opposing the splitting,” it says.

“The stimulation of a fear that did not previously exist has less to do with actual danger than with the CCP’s need to strengthen its popular image and divert attention from popular complaints. In recent years the CCP has used incidents involving Japan, Tibet, Taiwan and the United States for this purpose. In the case of Tibet there is evidence that the triggering incidents themselves have been manufactured for the cause,” it says.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/05/questionable-exhibition-of-tibets-past-and-present http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/05/questionable-exhibition-of-tibets-past-and-present Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:36:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/05/questionable-exhibition-of-tibets-past-and-present
Melbourne's Town Hall has hosted an exhibition that was said to be depicting Tibet's past and present. Reportedly funded by China's communist government, the exhibition has received criticism from the Australia Tibet Council, and Tibetan community members, for being a gross misrepresentation of the true situation in Tibet.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/04/dalai-lama-honours-tiananmen-dead http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/04/dalai-lama-honours-tiananmen-dead Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:44:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/04/dalai-lama-honours-tiananmen-dead
"I respectfully honour those who died expressing the popular demand for the government to be more accountable to its [...]]]>
"I respectfully honour those who died expressing the popular demand for the government to be more accountable to its people," the Dalai Lama said in a statement from the seat of his exiled government in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala.

The Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since escaping a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, said the Chinese government had a "great opportunity" to review its official labelling of the pro-democracy movement as "counter-revolutionary."

The students who led the movement were "neither anti-communist nor anti-socialist" the Dalai Lama said.

"It is my hope that the Chinese leaders have the courage and far-sightedness to embrace more truly egalitarian principles and pursue a policy of greater accommodation and tolerance of diverse views," he added.

The Dalai Lama is regularly vilified by China as a separatist seeking independence for his Himalayan homeland -- a charge he denies.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/03/china-begins-internet-blackout-ahead-of-tiananmen-anniversary http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/03/china-begins-internet-blackout-ahead-of-tiananmen-anniversary Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:31:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/03/china-begins-internet-blackout-ahead-of-tiananmen-anniversary
The measures came as the authorities tried to close all avenues of dissent ahead of Thursday's anniversary, placing [...]]]>
The measures came as the authorities tried to close all avenues of dissent ahead of Thursday's anniversary, placing prominent critics under house arrest and banning newspaper from making any mention of the pro-democracy protests.

The co-ordinated internet "takedown" occurred at 5pm local time (10am GMT) on Tuesday as a broad range of websites suddenly became unavailable to Chinese internet users.

Among the blocked sites was the blogging portal MSNSpaces, the Hotmail email service, Yahoo's photo-sharing site Flickr.com and Microsoft's new search engine Bing.com.
However, in a sign of how it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Chinese to control the internet, Twitter users found alternative outlets in rival providers to evade the censors.
Foreign newspaper and television channels were also subject to censorship as the highly sensitive anniversary approached.

Viewers of the BBC's world channels in Beijing found their screens turning black whenever reports on the anniversary were being aired and four foreign television crews attempting to film in Tiananmen Square reported being stopped by police.

Print publications were also affected, with many subscribers to The Economist magazine receiving their weekly copies with the Tiananmen-related pages ripped out. Readers of the Financial Times and South China Morning post also reported missing pages.
Over the last 20 years China's ruling Communist Party has refused to apologise for the deaths of hundreds, and possibly thousands, of protesters who were shot or crushed by tanks on the night of June 3-4, 1989.

Ignoring calls at home and abroad to pardon jailed demonstrators and "reassess" the events at Tiananmen, party officials have unwaveringly maintained the line that the protests were "counter-revolutionary riots" that were suppressed for the good of the country.
Qin Gang, foreign ministry spokesman, said yesterday: "The party and the government long ago reached a conclusion about the political incident that took place at the end of the 1980s and related issues."

The tightening of censorship ahead of Thursday's anniversary drew criticism from civil rights groups, including the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders which issued a report condemning the lack of progress on media freedoms in China.
Renee Xia, of the banned Chinese Human Rights Defenders group, said the party continued to invest huge resources in keeping the Tiananmen massacre out of the public consciousness.
"Why? Because the Chinese leaders know they have blood on their hands. They fear that if the truth comes to light, the government will be under pressure to bring those responsible for this crime to justice," she said.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China said it "deplored" the attempts to block reporting of the Tiananmen anniversary which it claimed went against the spirit of the relaxed reporting regulations that were introduced in the run-up to last year's Olympic Games in Beijing.
It accused the authorities of preventing at least four television crews from entering Tiananmen Square, harassing a reporter who interviewed the mothers of the victims and interrogating students who had given interviews.

As well media restrictions, the authorities have also silenced several leading dissidents, including Bao Tong, former secretary to Zhao Ziyang, the Communist Party leader purged for sympathising with the protesters. He was ordered to leave Beijing by security agents.

In another incident former Tiananmen Square protester who wrote an open letter to China's leaders complaining that political prisoners were still being refused jobs, pension and medical benefits 20 years after the massacre was also arrested, a human rights group reported.
Wu Gaoxing, a former teacher in his late 60s who was jailed for two years for his role in the protests was picked up in the eastern city of eastern city of Taizhou on Saturday, according to the New York-based group Human Rights in China.

Commemorations to mark the anniversary are being planned around the world, including Hong Kong where a small group of students have they will stage a 64-hour hunger-strike in commemoration the hunger-striking students of 1989.

In London Amnesty International UK said it was asking members to hold candlelit vigils while three former survivors of the repression laid flowers of commemoration outside the Chinese Embassy.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/02/us-speaker-urges-china-to-free-political-prisoners http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/02/us-speaker-urges-china-to-free-political-prisoners Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:21:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/02/us-speaker-urges-china-to-free-political-prisoners
During a visit to China last week, Pelosi asked Chinese President Hu Jintao to free the prisoners, among them dissidents, pro-democracy [...]]]>
During a visit to China last week, Pelosi asked Chinese President Hu Jintao to free the prisoners, among them dissidents, pro-democracy activists, journalists and pro-Tibetan advocates.

The request in a letter dated May 27 came ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests which ended in a brutal and bloody crackdown by the Chinese army.

Pelosi on Tuesday rejected criticism that she had not pressed China on human rights during her weeklong trip that ended on Sunday.

"We had an agenda that focused on climate change but any agenda that we have with the government of China will also include human rights," she told reporters.

"Unless we talk about human rights in China and Tibet, we abrogate all authority to talk about human rights any place in the world."

The speaker's list included leading Chinese dissident Hu Jia, who was first detained in December 2007. In October 2008, Pelosi had commended the European Parliament for its "bold decision" to award him the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

She called for the release of Liu Xiaobo, a prominent human rights activist who was detained and transported to an undisclosed location in December 2008.

He was one of the original signers of Charter 8, which calls for democratic reform in China and has been signed by more than 300 Chinese people.

Pelosi also urged Hu to free prominent human rights lawyer and rights advocate Gao Zhisheng, who was taken by state security personnel on January 19 and has not been heard from since.

Gao, once a prominent lawyer and communist party member, has been an outspoken defender of people seeking redress from the government including coal miners, underground Christians and the banned Falungong spiritual movement. He is also suspected of having been tortured during a previous arrest in 2007.

"It is my understanding that these individuals are prisoners of conscience and they are detained or imprisoned for exercising rights that are guaranteed to them under Chinese law or under international human rights conventions that have been signed or ratified by the Chinese government," she wrote to Hu in a letter dated May 27.

The first female speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi's past criticism of Chinese rule in Tibet has drawn the wrath of Beijing, which has called her words foreign interference in its internal affairs.

In her letter, she pressed for the release of Tibetan lama Bangri Chogtrul Rinpoche, who founded a children's school in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, and Ronggyal Adrag, who was detained in 2007 after shouting slogans calling for the return to Tibet of spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/01/dalai-lama-defends-denmark-visit-after-china-criticism http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/01/dalai-lama-defends-denmark-visit-after-china-criticism Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:02:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/06/01/dalai-lama-defends-denmark-visit-after-china-criticism
The 73-year-old Dalai Lama, who was in Denmark as part of a European tour that will also take him to France, Iceland and [...]]]>
The 73-year-old Dalai Lama, who was in Denmark as part of a European tour that will also take him to France, Iceland and Poland, said his visit was "not political, but spiritual and educational."

Rasmussen had qualified Friday's 45-minute meeting as private and not political.

China on Saturday denounced the meeting.

"Ignoring numerous formal approaches by China, Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen and Foreign Minister (Per Stig) Moeller persisted in meeting the Dalai Lama who came to Denmark to carry out separatist activities," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.

The "meetings severely harmed China's essential interests and relations between China and Denmark," he added.

Moeller later deplored Beijing's negative reaction. "We regret China's decision," he said in a statement, adding that talks with the Dalai Lama would not change Denmark's policy of seeking stronger ties with China.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of wanting to establish an independent Tibet.

The Dalai Lama Saturday repeated he was not seeking independence and expressed dismay that Beijing continued to label him a separatist.

"We are not seeking independence," he said, adding that he has "repeated (that) a thousand times."

"But despite that, the Chinese government still accuses us continually of being separatists," he said. "What can you do?"

The Buddhist monk, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet after the failure of an anti-Chinese uprising in 1949, says he just wants meaningful autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

The Dalai Lama has visited Denmark several times, most recently in 2003, sparking protests from Beijing each time.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/31/dalai-lama-to-visit-iceland-for-the-first-time http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/31/dalai-lama-to-visit-iceland-for-the-first-time Sun, 31 May 2009 21:52:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/31/dalai-lama-to-visit-iceland-for-the-first-time
The Web Site says the exiled Tibetan leader will give a talk Tuesday on "Values, Attitude and Happiness." An organization called "Dalai Lama in Iceland," which has worked years to arrange the visit, says the Dalai Lama will fly to [...]]]>
The Web Site says the exiled Tibetan leader will give a talk Tuesday on "Values, Attitude and Happiness." An organization called "Dalai Lama in Iceland," which has worked years to arrange the visit, says the Dalai Lama will fly to Reykjavik on Sunday evening for a three-day visit.

Thorhalla Bjornsdottir, a spokeswoman for group, said Sunday the Dalai Lama will meet church leaders and other religious groups and visit the Icelandic parliament.

"Iceland is widely renowned as a land without arms that seeks peaceful problem solving," the Web site says. "This is why a visit by one of the worlds leading pacifists is seen as a great opportunity for the country."


http://is.gd/L6g5

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/31/hundreds-cheer-dalai-lama-as-he-leaves-denmark http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/31/hundreds-cheer-dalai-lama-as-he-leaves-denmark Sun, 31 May 2009 21:49:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/31/hundreds-cheer-dalai-lama-as-he-leaves-denmark He shook the hands of supporters who had waited for him outside his hotel as he headed to the airport to travel to Iceland, the [...]]]> He shook the hands of supporters who had waited for him outside his hotel as he headed to the airport to travel to Iceland, the second leg of a trip that will also take him to the Netherlands and France.
"As usual my visit to Denmark and to other countries is mainly spiritual and educational, not political," he told AFP.
China criticised the Dalai Lama's meeting with Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and other top Danish elected officials, saying it "severely harmed" relations between China and Denmark.
Beijing has also been angered by the decision by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe to meet the Buddhist monk and give him an honorary citizen award when he visits France June 6 to 8.
The Dalai Lama told AFP that he felt "a great honour" to be receiving the award.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking independence for Tibet from Chinese rule and considers any official meeting with the leader as meddling in China's internal affairs.
The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet after the failure of an anti-Chinese uprising in 1949, says he just wants meaningful autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/dalai-lama-kicks-off-european-tour http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/dalai-lama-kicks-off-european-tour Sat, 30 May 2009 11:19:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/dalai-lama-kicks-off-european-tour
In Copenhagen, he met Prime Minister, Lars Loekke Rasmussen, for 45 minutes on Friday. He said his meeting was not political but 'mainly spiritual and educational'.


No details of their talks [...]]]>
In Copenhagen, he met Prime Minister, Lars Loekke Rasmussen, for 45 minutes on Friday. He said his meeting was not political but 'mainly spiritual and educational'.


No details of their talks were released.

France and Poland will also welcome the Dalai Lama over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Poland named the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of Warsaw after a unanimous vote from local councilors.

"As councilors in a city as historically experienced as Warsaw, we have the moral right and responsibility to show respect and honor a person who seeks freedom and sovereignty for his countryman and his country," the officials said in a statement, AFP reported on Friday.

The councilors, for all Warsaw's historical experience apparently do not themselves read history or they are consciously promoting the separation of Tibet from China, as Tibet has never been a sovereign state, though historically it is an autonomous region of China.

FTP/SME/HAR

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/china-protests-danish-officials-meeting-with-dalai-lama http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/china-protests-danish-officials-meeting-with-dalai-lama Sat, 30 May 2009 11:17:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/china-protests-danish-officials-meeting-with-dalai-lama
"China is strongly dissatisfied with and protests over the meetings with the Dalai Lama by Danish officials," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a [...]]]>
"China is strongly dissatisfied with and protests over the meetings with the Dalai Lama by Danish officials," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.

Qin's comments came as Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller met with the Dalai Lama in Copenhagen Friday.

"Disregarding China's solemn representations, they insisted on meeting with the Dalai Lama, who was campaigning secessionist activities, and that meetings severely harmed China's core interest and China-Denmark relations, and destructed friendly cooperation between China and Denmark," Qin said.

China resolutely opposes the Dalai Lama in conducting activities to split China in whatever status and in whatever country, and any foreign political figures contacting with the Dalai Lama in whatever form, Qin said.

The spokesman said China urged Denmark to respect the country's solemn position and concern, and observe the one-China policy.

"Denmark should take concrete actions to correct its wrongdoings on Tibet-related issues, eliminate the negative impacts and make efforts for the healthy and steady development of China-Denmark relations," Qin said. in.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/polish-capital-city-honors-dalai-lama http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/polish-capital-city-honors-dalai-lama Sat, 30 May 2009 02:04:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/30/polish-capital-city-honors-dalai-lama
The city council of Warsaw unanimously voted Thursday to grant the symbolic status to the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists.

"As municipal councilors in a city which has gone through so many trials in [...]]]>
The city council of Warsaw unanimously voted Thursday to grant the symbolic status to the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists.

"As municipal councilors in a city which has gone through so many trials in its history, we have the moral right and the duty to honor a man who seeks for his compatriots and his country the freedom and sovereignty that we have ourselves enjoyed for the past 20 years," the city politicians said in a statement.

The Nobel peace laureate will be given the honorary citizenship when he visits Warsaw at the end of July.

His visit to the East European country in December and his meeting with President Lech Kaczynski provoked the Chinese government, which warned Poland about creating impediments to Chinese-Polish relations.

The Chinese authorities consider the Dalai Lama as a secessionist leader, and it strongly protests any action accommodating its political enemy.

5/28/2009 12:18 PM ET
(RTTNews)
http://digg.com/u14OYs

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/29/tibet-complaint-against-radio-4s-today-upheld-by-bbc-trust http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/29/tibet-complaint-against-radio-4s-today-upheld-by-bbc-trust Fri, 29 May 2009 14:12:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/29/tibet-complaint-against-radio-4s-today-upheld-by-bbc-trust
In its latest roundup of rulings, the BBC Trust's editorial standards committee partly upheld a complaint about a Today Show item on demonstrations in [...]]]>
In its latest roundup of rulings, the BBC Trust's editorial standards committee partly upheld a complaint about a Today Show item on demonstrations in Tibet aired in March 2008.

The complainant said Professor Barry Sautman of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was allowed to express his views in support of the Chinese government's policy on Tibet "virtually unchallenged".

Meanwhile, the complainant argued that Sonam Dagpo, head of international relations for the Tibetan government-in-exile, was given no right of reply and was instead "continually badgered" and "harangued" about whether the demonstrators should be encouraged to show restraint.

Listeners of Today were "treated to about five minutes of pure propaganda about how Tibet is, and has always been, an integral part of China and that subversive elements are trying to split the mother country", the complainant wrote.

The BBC Trust committee ruled that Sautman, who has published books on the subject of Tibet under Chinese rule and has contributed to other news outlets such as al-Jazeera and Voice of America, was a credible choice of interviewee.

Sautman's use to counter the Tibetan viewpoint was also reasonable, given that the Chinese authorities rarely agree to interviews.

However, the committee said the programme breached the rules on impartiality by not making it clear that Sautman was associated with a particular viewpoint rather than giving an impartial view as an academic.

"Professor Sautman had been introduced only by his name and university, not by his affiliation to any particular viewpoint," the ESC ruled. "The audience would not have been aware, for at least the first part of the interview, that he held any more than an observant academic's opinions on the subject."

The fact that Sautman had strong views only became clear when the interviewer asked if he had any sympathy with the Tibetan independence movement and he replied that he had none.

However, the committee rejected the complaint that the presenter had harangued Dagpo, concluding that he failed to answer the question and it was reasonable to press the point.

The complainant wrote to BBC Information twice and the Editorial Complaints Unit four times, before resorting to the BBC Trust in December last year.

Caitlin Fitzsimmons
guardian.co.uk, Friday 29 May 2009 16.08 BST

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]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/28/tibet-highlighted-at-barcelona-marathon http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/28/tibet-highlighted-at-barcelona-marathon Thu, 28 May 2009 07:53:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/28/tibet-highlighted-at-barcelona-marathon
Some 56,000 runners took part in the event, which was organized by the largest super market chain in Spain, El corte ingles and the municipality of the Catalonian city.

Barcelona-based Casa del Tibet (Tibet House foundation) said it distributed more than 600 “Save Tibet” head bands for the runners. IT added that runners shouted, "Free Tibet" Tibet Libre" as they ran past supporters on the roadside carrying Tibetan national flags and banners.

http://digg.com/u14GMp

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/27/tibetan-leader-donates-100000-to-miami-college http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/27/tibetan-leader-donates-100000-to-miami-college Wed, 27 May 2009 20:58:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/27/tibetan-leader-donates-100000-to-miami-college
The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan holy leader, has pledged $100,000 to help save the University's program, one of three at FIU which is slated to close.

"In our deeply interconnected world, understanding and appreciation of diversity of religions is critical in fostering a culture of genuine tolerance and peaceful coexistence," read a letter from the Lama's office to FIU President Modesto A. Maidique, according to the Miami Herald. "If the department were to close down, it will not be easy to rebuild it."

FIU is expected to accept the contribution, though a professor leading the program said the spiritual leader's donation may not be enough to save the program.

FIU is expected to take a hit in state funding to the tune of $27 million this year.

His Holiness has a long history with the Miami university. The Lama received an honorary degree from FIU in 1999 and paid a second visit to the school in 2004.

FIU is expected to vote on the budget cuts on June 12.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC Miami
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]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/23/china-says-tibet-video-is-a-lie http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/23/china-says-tibet-video-is-a-lie Sat, 23 May 2009 21:43:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/23/china-says-tibet-video-is-a-lie
The video apparently shows protesters being beaten with sticks, and kicked and choked by China's security forces.

The Tibetan government-in-exile says the footage shows China's "brutality".

But a [...]]]>
China says video footage that purportedly shows Chinese security personnel violently beating Tibetans last year is "a lie".

The video apparently shows protesters being beaten with sticks, and kicked and choked by China's security forces.

The Tibetan government-in-exile says the footage shows China's "brutality".

But a Chinese government official said many of the images and voices in the video had been pieced together from different sources.

The video-sharing site YouTube has recently been blocked in China, which could be because the site had been carrying the contentious video.

The footage was released by the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibet's government-in-exile, last week, and cannot be independently verified.

But Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa, the Dalai Lama's representative, said the footage showed "police beating protesters".

"The footage clearly shows the beating of Tibetan captives even after they are handcuffed and tied, a violation of international norms," said the representative.

The government-in-exile also said the footage featured a Tibetan called Tendar, who died after being beaten by the Chinese security forces.

It said Tendar was on his way to his office when he was beaten while trying to stop Chinese police officers hitting a monk.

Some of the footage was shot in or near Lhasa after riots and protests erupted throughout Tibetan areas in March last year, according to exiled Tibetans.

During the unrest last year Chinese state-run television released its own footage of Tibetans, including monks, rioting in Lhasa.

But Tibetan exiles say this is the first time there has been footage that shows Tibetans being beaten by the Chinese security forces.

Slashed policeman

In its first response to the video's release, an unnamed government official from China's Tibetan Autonomous Region said it was a lie.

He was speaking to the official Xinhua News Agency in a report that was released late on Tuesday.

"Technology experts found that video and audio was edited to piece together different places, times and people," Xinhua said, quoting the official.

China also rejected the claims about Tendar.

"Tendar died from a disease at home awaiting court trial," the official said, adding that he had used a knife to "slash" a policeman.

The official added that the injured person in the video was not Tendar and the wounds were fake.

"The Dalai Lama group is used to fabricating lies to deceive the international community, and the aim of this video is to hide the truth of the 14 March riot," Xinhua quoted the official as saying.

The Tibetan government-in-exile says that about 220 Tibetans were killed and nearly 1,300 seriously injured following the unrest last year.

The Chinese government says at least 18 civilians and one policeman were killed, mostly in riots in Lhasa on 14 March.

By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/20/china-warns-eu-not-to-interfere http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/20/china-warns-eu-not-to-interfere Wed, 20 May 2009 17:41:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/20/china-warns-eu-not-to-interfere
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the two sides should "stick to the principles of mutual respect and not interfere in each other's internal affairs".

The summit in Prague was due to be held in December but was cancelled by [...]]]>
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the two sides should "stick to the principles of mutual respect and not interfere in each other's internal affairs".

The summit in Prague was due to be held in December but was cancelled by China after French President Nicolas Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama.

Activists have urged the EU to press China over its human rights record.

The summit also addressed trade and global warming.

'Mutual interest'

Both China and the EU want to address their massive trade imbalance, said European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.

Europe is China's biggest export market, spending 248bn euros (£217bn) on Chinese products last year - more than three times the value of trade going in the opposite direction.

Mr Barroso said both sides saw a "mutual interest" in addressing the imbalance, and also in reaching a global trade deal.

Some trade unions in Europe have argued for more trade barriers to cheap imports from China, saying they are being undercut.

China is determined to resist such calls, but has promised to splash out more of its huge reserves on contracts with European companies, the Associated Press reports.

European business leaders are also demanding greater access to the Chinese economy, which caps foreign investment, and greater policing of copyright.

The two sides were also discussing climate change. Mr Barroso said China would be part of the effort to reach a new global pact on greenhouse gases this year.

China has said it wants to use carbon capture technology to mitigate the effects of its rapidly expanding network of coal-fired power stations.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/8060134.stm

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/06/climate-threat-to-tibet-region http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/06/climate-threat-to-tibet-region Wed, 06 May 2009 05:48:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2009/05/06/climate-threat-to-tibet-region
Climate change "has accelerated glacial shrinkage" which has already led to swollen lakes, said Zheng Guoguang.

He said that if the warming continued, many of those living in western [...]]]>
Climate change "has accelerated glacial shrinkage" which has already led to swollen lakes, said Zheng Guoguang.

He said that if the warming continued, many of those living in western China would face "floods in the short-term and drought in the long-run".

Beijing says it wants to tackle climate change yet ensure economic development.

Experts say more than 400 million people in China are already living with the problem of desertification, partly brought on by climate change.

"Tibet needs to tackle and adapt to the persisting climate change," Mr Zheng, the head of the China Meteorological Bureau, was quoted as saying by state media.

He described the Tibetan plateau - which has an average altitude of more than 4,000m (13,300ft) - as a "magnifier" of global warming, more sensitive to temperature change.

He said that the temperature there had risen by 0.32C every 10 years since 1961 - much higher than the average national rise of 0.05-0.08C.

This acceleration also surpassed the global average increase of 0.2C every decade, Xinhua news agency reported.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8035774.stm

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/nobel-peace-prize-citation-1989 http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/nobel-peace-prize-citation-1989 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:30:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/nobel-peace-prize-citation-1989
The Committee wants to emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has [...]]]>
The Committee wants to emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.

The Dalai Lama has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living and upon the concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature.

In the opinion of the Committee the Dalai Lama has come forward with constructive and forward-looking proposals for the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues, and global environmental problems.

October 5, 1990 Oslo, Norway

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/the-dalai-lamas-biography http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/the-dalai-lamas-biography Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:27:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/the-dalai-lamas-biography
The Dalai Lamas are the manifestations of the Bodhisattva (Buddha) of Compassion, who chose to reincarnate to serve the people. Lhamo Dhondrub was, as Dalai Lama, renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso - Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom. Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Yeshe Norbu, the Wishfulfilling Gem or simply Kundun - The Presence.

The enthronement ceremony took place on February 22, 1940 in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.

Education in Tibet

He began his education at the age of six and completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy) when he was 25 in 1959. At 24, he took the preliminary examinations at each of the three monastic universities: Drepung, Sera and Ganden. The final examination was conducted in the Jokhang, Lhasa during the annual Monlam Festival of Prayer, held in the first month of every year Tibetan calendar.

Leadership Responsibilities

On November 17, 1950, His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power (head of the State and Government) after some 80,000 Peoples Liberation Army soldiers invaded Tibet. In 1954, he went to Beijing to talk peace with Mao Tse-tung and other Chinese leaders, including Chou En-lai and Deng Xiaoping. In 1956, while visiting India to attend the 2500th Buddha Jayanti Anniversary, he had a series of meetings with Prime Minister Nehru and Premier Chou about deteriorating conditions in Tibet.

His efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to Sino-Tibetan conflict were thwarted by Bejing's ruthless policy in Eastern Tibet, which ignited a popular uprising and resistance. This resistance movement spread to other parts of the country. On 10 March 1959 the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, exploded with the largest demonstration in Tibetan history, calling on China to leave Tibet and reaffirming Tibet's independence. The Tibetan National Uprising was brutally crushed by the Chinese army. His Holiness escaped to India where he was given political asylum. Some 80,000 Tibetan refugees followed His Holiness into exile. Today, there are more than 120,000 Tibetan in exile. Since 1960, he has resided in Dharamsala, India, known as "Little Lhasa," the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-exile.

In the early years of exile, His Holiness appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet, resulting in three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961, and 1965, calling on China to respect the human rights of Tibetans and their desire for self-determination. With the newly constituted Tibetan Government-in-exile, His Holiness saw that his immediate and urgent task was to save the both the Tibetan exiles and their culture alike. Tibetan refugees were rehabilitated in agricultural settlements. Economic development was promoted and the creation of a Tibetan educational system was established to raise refugee children with full knowledge of their language, history, religion and culture. The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was established in 1959, while the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies became a university for Tibetans in India. Over 200 monasteries have been re-established to preserve the vast corpus of Tibetan Buddhist teachings, the essence of the Tibetan way of life.

In 1963, His Holiness promulgated a democratic constitution, based on Buddhist principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a model for a future free Tibet. Today, members of the Tibetan parliament are elected directly by the people. The members of the Tibetan Cabinet are elected by the parliament, making the Cabinet answerable to the Parliament. His Holiness has continuously emphasized the need to further democratise the Tibetan administration and has publicly declared that once Tibet regains her independence he will not hold political office.

In Washington, D.C., at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987, he proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan as a first step toward resolving the future status of Tibet. This plan calls for the designation of Tibet as a zone of peace, an end to the massive transfer of ethnic Chinese into Tibet, restoration of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms, and the abandonment of China's use of Tibet for nuclear weapons production and the dumping of nuclear waste, as well as urging "earnest negotiations" on the future of Tibet.

In Strasbourg, France, on 15 June 1988, he elaborated the Five-Point Peace Plan and proposed the creation of a self-governing democratic Tibet, "in association with the People's Republic of China."

On 2 September 1991, the Tibetan Government-in-exile declared the Strasbourg Proposal invalid because of the closed and negative attitude of the present Chinese leadership towards the ideas expressed in the proposal.

On 9 October 1991, during an address at Yale University in the United States, His Holiness said that he wanted to visit Tibet to personally assess the political situation. He said, "I am extremely anxious that, in this explosive situation, violence may break out. I want to do what I can to prevent this.... My visit would be a new opportunity to promote understanding and create a basis for a negotiated solution."

Contact with West and East

Since 1967, His Holiness initiated a series of journeys which have taken him to some 46 nations. In autumn of 1991, he visited the Baltic States at the invitation of Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania and became the first foreign leader to address the Lithuanian Parliament. His Holiness met with the late Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1973. At a press conference in Rome in 1980, he outlined his hopes for the meeting with John Paul II: "We live in a period of great crisis, a period of troubling world developments. It is not possible to find peace in the soul without security and harmony between peoples. For this reason, I look forward with faith and hope to my meeting with the Holy Father; to an exchange of ideas and feelings, and to his suggestions, so as to open the door to a progressive pacification between peoples." His Holiness met Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988 and 1990. In 1981, His Holiness talked with Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, and with other leaders of the Anglican Church in London. He also met with leaders of the Roman Catholic and Jewish communities and spoke at an interfaith service held in his honor by the World Congress of Faiths: "I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith."

Recognition and Awards

Since his first visit to the west in the early 1973, a number of western universities and institutions have conferred Peace Awards and honorary Doctorate Degrees in recognition of His Holiness' distinguished writings in Buddhist philosophy and for his leadership in the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues and global environmental problems. In presenting the Raoul Wallenberg Congressional Human Rights Award in 1989, U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos said, "His Holiness the Dalai Lama's courageous struggle has distinguished him as a leading proponent of human rights and world peace. His ongoing efforts to end the suffering of the Tibetan people through peaceful negotiations and reconciliation have required enormous courage and sacrifice."

The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to award the 1989 Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama won worldwide praise and applause, with exception of China. The CommitteeÕs citation read, "The Committee wants to emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people."

On 10 December 1989, His Holiness accepted the prize on the behalf of oppressed everywhere and all those who struggle for freedom and work for world peace and the people of Tibet. In his remarks he said, "The prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth, courage and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated. Our struggle must remain nonviolent and free of hatred."

He also had a message of encouragement for the student-led democracy movement in China. "In China the popular movement for democracy was crushed by brutal force in June this year. But I do not believe the demonstrations were in vain, because the spirit of freedom was rekindled among the Chinese people and China cannot escape the impact of this spirit of freedom sweeping in many parts of the world. The brave students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the world the human face of that great nations."

A Simple Buddhist monk

His Holiness often says, "I am just a simple Buddhist monk - no more, nor less."

His Holiness follows the life of Buddhist monk. Living in a small cottage in Dharamsala, he rises at 4 A.M. to meditate, pursues an ongoing schedule of administrative meetings, private audiences and religious teachings and ceremonies. He concludes each day with further prayer before retiring. In explaining his greatest sources of inspiration, he often cites a favorite verse, found in the writings of the renowned eighth century Buddhist saint Shantideva:

For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

Source: Tibet.com

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/discovery-of-his-holiness-14th-dalai-lama http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/discovery-of-his-holiness-14th-dalai-lama Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:25:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/15/discovery-of-his-holiness-14th-dalai-lama
When the 13th Dalai Lama passed away in 1935, the task that confronted the Tibetan Government was [...]]]>
When the 13th Dalai Lama passed away in 1935, the task that confronted the Tibetan Government was not simply to appoint a successor but to search for and discover a child in whom the Buddha of Compassion would incarnate.

In 1935 the Regent of Tibet went to the sacred lake of Lhamo Lhatso at Chokhorgyal, about 90 miles south east of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. For centuries the Tibetans had observed that visions of the future could be seen in this lake. The Regent had a vision of three Tibetan letters, Ah, Ka, and Ma, followed by a picture of a monastery with roofs of jade green and gold, and a house with turquoise tiles. In 1937 high lamas and dignitaries carrying the secrets of the vision were sent to all parts of Tibet in search of the place that the Regent had seen in the waters. The search party that headed east was under the leadership of Lama Kewtsang Rinpoche of Sera Monastery. When they arrived in Amdo, they found a place matching the description of the secret vision. The party went to the house with Kewtsang Rinpoche disguised as the servant, and junior official Lobsang Tsewang disguised as the leader. The Rinpoche was wearing a rosary that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama, and the little boy of the house recognised it and demanded that it be given to him. Kewtsang Rinpoche promised to give it to him if he could guess who he was, and the boy replied that he was "Sera aga", which means in the local dialect "a lama of Sera". Then the Rinpoche asked who the leader was and the boy gave his name correctly; he also knew the name of the real servant. This was followed by a series of tests that included the choosing of correct articles that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama.

With these tests they were further convinced that the reincarnation had been found and their conviction was enhanced by the significance of the three letters that had been seen in the lake of Lhamo Lhatso: Ah could stand for Amdo, the name of the province; Ka for Kumbum, one of the largest monasteries in the neighbourhood; and the two letters Ka and Ma for the monastery of Karma Rolpai Dorje on the mountain above the village. In 1940 the XIVth Dalai Lama was enthroned.

Source: Tibet.com

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/14/dalais-reincarnation-will-not-be-found-under-chinese-control http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/14/dalais-reincarnation-will-not-be-found-under-chinese-control Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:31:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2007/10/14/dalais-reincarnation-will-not-be-found-under-chinese-control July 6, 1999

DHARAMSHALA: The Dalai Lama, who turns 64 today, says if his successor is chosen in the traditional way, then his reincarnation would not appear in Tibet or areas under Chinese control. "Should people prefer the old system of choosing a reincarnation -- then Dalai Lama's reincarnation will appear in a free [...]]]> July 6, 1999

DHARAMSHALA: The Dalai Lama, who turns 64 today, says if his successor is chosen in the traditional way, then his reincarnation would not appear in Tibet or areas under Chinese control. "Should people prefer the old system of choosing a reincarnation -- then Dalai Lama's reincarnation will appear in a free country, and not in Chinese hand as the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry the work started by the previous life and yet not fulfilled," reports PTI.

"Logically," he says, "the previous life escaped from Chinese hands so the next life should also be out of Chinese control." On being asked how he would like the next Dalai Lama to be installed and what changes would be beneficial to the system so that a power struggle does not break out after him, the Dalai Lama said as early as 1969 he had made it clear that it was for the Tibetans to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama `should continue or not'.

"It is beyond my sort of responsibility," he says, "there is a possibility and there are different options -- one is based on the system of choosing pope's succesor, another based on seniority, and then the traditional approach of choosing the reincarnation."

Recently, however, Tao Changsong, deputy director of the Tibetan Contemporary Research Centre, Lhasa, who advises the Chinese government on Tibetan policy told " South China Morning Post", a leading Hong Kong paper, the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama would not be chosen among `foreigners'.

]]> http://freetibet.net/blog/2005/05/24/why-should-anyone-especially-you-care-about-tibet http://freetibet.net/blog/2005/05/24/why-should-anyone-especially-you-care-about-tibet Tue, 24 May 2005 17:35:00 +0000 http://freetibet.net/blog/2005/05/24/why-should-anyone-especially-you-care-about-tibet
The Dalai Lama, an individual said to be an incarnation of the Buddha of Compassion, had been both the political and spiritual leader of the country. The current Dalai Lama (the 14th) was only 24 years old when this all came to an end in 1959. The Communist Chinese invasion in 1950 led to years of turmoil, that culminated in the complete overthrow of the Tibetan Government and the self-imposed exile of the Dalai Lama and 100,000 Tibetans in 1959.

Since that time over a million Tibetans have been killed. With the Chinese policy of resettlement of Chinese to Tibet, Tibetans have become a minority in their own country. Chinese is the official language. Compared to pre-1959 levels, only 1/20 monks are still allowed to practice, under the government's watch. Up to 6,000 monasteries and shrines have been destroyed. Famines have appeared for the first time in recorded history, natural resources are devastated, and wildlife depleted to extinction. Tibetan culture comes close to being eradicated there.

Peaceful demonstrations/protests/speech/writings by nuns, monks, and Tibetan laypeople have resulted in deaths and thousands of arrests. These political prisoners are tortured and held in sub-standard conditions, with little hope of justice. Unless we can all take part and recognize Tibet's loss as our own, the future looks grim.

Some Startling Facts

1. The peaceful buddhist country of Tibet was invaded by Communists China in 1949. Since that time, over 1.2 million out of 6 Tibetans have been killed, over 6000 monastaries have been destroyed, and thousands of TIbetans have been imprisoned.

2. In Tibet today, there is no freedom of speech, religion, or press and arbitrary dissidents continue.

3. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's political and spiritual leader, fled to India in 1959. He now lives among over 100,000 other Tibetan refugees and their government in exile.

4. Forced abortion, sterilization of Tibetan women and the transfer of low income Chinese citizens threaten the survival of Tibet's unique culture. In some Tibetan provinces, Chinese settlers outnumber Tibetans 7 to 1.

5. Within China itself, massive human rights abuses continue. It is estimated that there up to twenty million Chinese citizens working in prison camps.

6. Most of the Tibetan plataeu lies above 14,000 feet. Tibet is the source of five of Asia's greatest rivers, which over 2 billion people depend upon. Since 1959, the Chinese government estimates that they have removed over $54 billion worth of timber. Over 80% of their forests have been destroyed, and large amoutns nuclear and toxic waste have been disposed of in Tibet.

7. Despite these facts and figures, the US government and US corporations continue to support China economically. This shows their blatant lack of respect for these critical issues of political and religious freedom and human rights.

Yes, things are bad, but you may still ask, why Tibet? There are hundreds of other countries in which equal or worse environmental and human rights devistation has occured. Why Tibet? Tibet can be used as the catalyst for change in human rights, womens rights, political, religious and cultural freedom across the globe. Through a concerted effort, the citizens of Earth can stand up and say "NO!" to the corporations and governments that continue to abuse it's people and misuse it's resources. The struggles in Tibet are symbolic for every human rights struggle. Please, get involved. There is only a limited time left until there will longer be a Tibet to save.

Early History

Although the history of the Tibetan state started in 127 B.C., with the establishment of the Yarlung Dynasty, the country as we know it was first unified in the 7th Century A.D., under King Songtsen Gampo and his successors. Tibet was one of the mightiest powers of Asia for the three centuries that followed, as a pillar inscription at the foot of the Potala Palace in Lhasa and Chinese Tang histories of the period confirm. A formal peace treat concluded between China and Tibet in 821/823 demarcated the borders between the two countries and ensured that, "Tibetans shall be happy in Tibet and Chinese shall be happy in China."

Mongol Influence

As Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire expanded towards Europe in the West and China in the East in the 13th Century, Tibetan leaders of powerful Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism concluded an agreement with the Mongol rulers in order to avoid the conquest of Tibet. The Tibetan Lama promised political loyalty and religious blessings and teachings in exchange for patronage and protection. The religious relationship became so important that when, decades later, Kublai Khan conquered China and established the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), he invited the Sakya Lama to become the Imperial Preceptor and supreme pontiff of his empire.

The relationship that developed and continued to exist into the 20th Century between the Mongols and Tibetans was a reflect of the close racial, cultural, and especially religious affinity between the two Central Asian peoples. The Mongol Empire was a world empire and, whatever the relationship between its rulers and the Tibetans, the Mongols never integrated the administration of Tibet and China or appended Tibet to China in any manner.

Tibet broke political ties with the Yuan emperor in 1350, before China regained its independence from the Mongols. Not until the 18th Century did Tibet again come under a degree of foreign influence.

Relations with Manchu, Gorkha and British Neighbors

Tibet developed no ties with Chinese Ming Dynasty (1386-1644). On the other hand, the Dalai Lama, who established his sovereign rule over Tibet with the help of a Mongol patron in 1642, did develop close religious ties with the Manchu emperors, who conquered China and established the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Dalai Lama agreed to become the spiritual guide of the Manchu emperor, and accepted patronage and protection in exchange. This "priest-patron" relationship (known in Tibetan as
Choe-Yoen), which the Dalai Lama also maintained with some Mongol princes and Tibetan nobles, was the only formal tie that existed between the Tibetans and Manchus during the Qing Dynasty. It did not, in itself, affect Tibet's independence.

On the political level, some powerful Manchu emperors succeeded in exerting a degree of influence over Tibet. Thus, between 1720 and 1792, Emperors Kangxi, Yong Zhen, and Qianlong sent imperial troops to Tibet four times to protect the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people from foreign invasions by Mongols, and Gorkhas or from internal unrest. These expeditions provided the emperor with the means for establishing influence in Tibet. He sent representatives to the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, some of whom successfully exercised their influence, in his name, over the Tibetan government, particularly
with respect to the conduct of foreign relations. At the height of Manchu power, which lasted a few decades, the situation was not unlike that which can exist between a superpower and a satellite or protectorate, and therefore one which, though politically significant, does not extinguish the independent existence of the weaker state. Tibet was never incorporated into the Manchu Empire, much less China, and it continued to conduct its relations with neighboring states largely on its own.

Manchu influence did not last very long. It was entirely ineffective by the time the British briefly invaded Lhasa and concluded a bilateral treaty with Tibet, the Lhasa Convention, in 1904. Despite this loss of influence, the imperial government in Peking continued to claim some authority over Tibet, particularly with respect to its international relations, an authority which the British imperial government termed "suzerainty" in its dealings with Peking and St. Petersburg, Russia. Chinese imperial armies tried to reassert actual influence in 1910 by invading the country and occupying Lhasa. Following the 1911 revolution in China and the overthrow of the Manchu Empire, the troops surrendered to the Tibetan army and were repatriated under a sino-Tibetan peace accord. The Dalai Lama reasserted Tibet's full independence internally, by issuing a proclamation, and externally, in communications to
foreign rulers and in a treaty with Mongolia.

Tibet in the 20th Century

Tibet's status following the expulsion of Manchu troops is not subject to serious dispute. What ever ties existed between the Dalai Lama and the Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty were extinguished with the fall of that empire and dynasty. From 1911 to 1950, Tibet successfully avoided undue foreign influence and behaved, in every respect, as a fully independent state.

Tibet maintained diplomatic relations with nepal, Bhutan, Britain, and later with independent India. Relations with China remain strained. The Chinese waged a border war with Tibet while formally urging Tibet to "join" the Chinese Republic, claiming all along to the world that Tibet already was one of China's "five races."

In an effort to reduce Sino-Tibetan tensions, the British convened a tripartite conference in Simla in 1913 where the representative of the three states met on equal terms. As the British delegation reminded his Chinese counterpart, Tibet entered the conference as "independent nation recognizing no allegiance to China." The conference was unsuccessful in that it did not resolve the difference between Tibet and China. It was, nevertheless, significant in that Anglo-Tibetans friendship was reaffirmed with the conclusion of bilateral trade and border agreements. In a Joint Declaration, Great
Britain and Tibet bound themselves not to recognize Chinese suzerainty or other special rights in Tibet unless China signed the draft Simla Convention which would have guaranteed Tibet's greater borders, its territorial integrity and fully autonomy. China never signed the Convention, however, leaving the terms of the Joint Declaration in full force.

Tibet conducted its international relations primarily by dealing with the British, Chinese, Nepalese, and Bhutanese diplomatic missions in Lhasa, but also through government delegations travelling abroad. When India became independent, the British mission in Lhasa was replaced by an Indian one. During World War II Tibet remained neutral, despite combined pressure from the United States, Great Britain, and China to allow passage of raw materials through Tibet.

Tibet never maintained extensive international relations, but those countries with whom it did maintain relations treated Tibet as they would with any sovereign state. Its international status was in fact no different from, say, that of Nepal. Thus, when Nepal applied for United Nations' membership in 1949, it cited its treaty and diplomatic relations with Tibet to demonstrate its full international personality.

The Invasion of Tibet

The turning point of Tibet's history came in 1949, when the People's Liberation Army of the PRC first crossed into Tibet. After defeating the small Tibetan army and occupying half the country, the Chinese government imposed the so-called "17-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" on the Tibetan government in May 1951. Because it was singed under duress, the agreement lacked validity under international law. The presence of 40,000 troops in Tibet, the threat of an immediate occupation of Lhasa, and the prospect of the total obliteration of the Tibetan state left Tibetans little choice.

As the resistance to the Chinese occupation escalated, particularly in Eastern Tibet, the Chinese repression, which included the destruction of religious buildings and the imprisonment of monks and other community leaders, increased dramatically. By 1959, popular uprising culminated in massive demonstrations in Lhasa. By the time China crushed the uprising, 87,000 Tibetans were dead in the Lhasa region alone, and the Dalai Lama had fled to India, where he now heads the Tibetan Government-in-exile, headquartered in Dharmsala, India. In 1963, the Dalai Lama promulgated a constitution for a democratic Tibet. It has been successfully implemented, to the extent possible, by the Government-in-exile.

Meanwhile, in Tibet religious persecution, consistent violations of human rights, and the wholesale destruction of religious and historic buildings by the occupying authorities have not succeeded in destroying the spirit of the Tibetan people to resist the destruction of the national identity. 1.2 million Tibetans have lost their lives, (over one-sixth of the population) as a result of the Chinese occupation. But the new generation of Tibetans seems just as determined to regain the country's independence as the older generation was.

Present Situation

In the course of Tibet's 2,000-year history, the country came under a degree of foreign influence only for short periods of time in the 13th and 18th centuries. Few independent countries today can claim as impressive a record. As the ambassador of Ireland to the UN remarked during the General Assembly debates on the question of Tibet, "for thousands of years, for a couple of thousands years at any rate, (Tibet) was a free and as fully in control of its own affairs as any nation in this Assembly, and a thousand times more free to look after it own affairs than many of the nations here."

From a legal standpoint, Tibet has not lost its statehood. It is an independent start under illegal occupation. Neither China's military invasion nor the continuing occupation by the PLA has transferred the sovereignty of Tibet to China. As pointed out earlier the Chinese government has never claimed to have acquired sovereignty over Tibet by conquest. Indeed, China recognizes that the use or threat of force (outside the exceptional circumstances provided for in the UN Charter), the imposition of an unequal treaty, or the continued illegal occupation of a country can never grant an invader legal title to
territory. Its claims are based solely on the alleged subjection of Tibet to a few of China's strongest foreign rulers in the 13th and 18th centuries.

Source:(Michael C. van Walt van Praag practices international law. His publication include The Status of Tibet: History, Rights and Prospects in International Law (Westview Press, Boulder, Colo., Wisdom Press, London, 1987) and numerous articles in book collections and magazines.)

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The protesters waved banners that called for universal suffrage in 2019 and chanted anti-corruption slogans [...]]]>
The protesters waved banners that called for universal suffrage in 2019 and chanted anti-corruption slogans hours after Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the swearing-in of the territory's new chief executive, Fernando Chui.

"Now is the time to start again the timetable for democratic development for Macau," Antonio Ng, a Macau legislator and one of the key organisers of the protest, told Reuters.

Chui earlier swore in his new cabinet, pledging to diversify the economy, heavily reliant on its gaming industry, into sectors such as logistics over the next five years.

Chui was hand-picked by the Chinese government to lead Macau, unlike Hong Kong, which held a contested chief executive election in 2007 and is inching towards universal suffrage in 2017.

Chinese leaders, who face challenges in corporate governance in Macau, also pledged better regulation of gambling in the territory, whose $15 billion casino industry overtook that of Las Vegas in late 2006.

"Over the next five years, we shall actively develop the appropriate diversification of the economy," Chui said in a speech after being sworn in.

"While enhancing regulations on the gaming industry, we will

also put emphasis on the convention, exhibition, logistics and cultural industries. We will also focus on the upgrade and transformation of traditional industries."

Hu told the ceremony he wanted to encourage Macau to work with China's Pearl Delta region, which encompasses Guangdong province, to develop its economy further.

Despite its casino industry boom, analysts say Macau is beset by corruption, organised criminal gangs and North Korean money laundering that could hamper its development.

Returned to Chinese rule after being a Portuguese colony for 442 years, Macau faces stiff competition in the gaming industry from markets like Singapore and Malaysia.

Macau's gaming industry has been dominated by casino magnate

Stanley Ho and his family, who own SJM Holdings, Melco International Development and Sands China.

Ho, 88, was at Sunday's ceremony, seen publicly for the first time since he was hospitalised in early August, sparking market concerns over his health.

Other international names with a strong presence include Wynn Resorts and the Las Vegas Sands.

(Additional reporting by Gary Ling in MACAU and Lee Chyen Yee in HONG KONG; Editing by Paul Tait)

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