Sunday, December 10, 2006

 

 

International Human Rights Day observed with protest in London

London, 10 December 2006: Tibetan Youth UK today marked the International Human Rights Day by staging protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in London.

The protestors attracted the officials of the Chinese embassy, who were looking from the windows after hearing the loud voices of "Free Tibet - China Out"; "Human Rights - Shame on China" and so on. While acknowledging the spirit of Tibetans in Tibet, a cold windy and freezing weather couldn't discourage the zealous protestors, who steadfastly stood throughout the protest and also managed to get support from the passers-by.

The protestors highlighted the China's continued gross violations of human rights in Tibet in general and particularly the recent killings of Tibetan escapees at Nangpa La Pass by the Chinese border guards. We also urge the international community, particularly the offices of the United Nations and Human Rights Council to strongly pressure the government of People's Republic of China for the appalling human rights situation in Tibet and also demands the unconditional release of all the political prisoners of Tibet.

The protest concluded with the recitation of "Prayer for Truth" and shouting 'Bhod-Gyalo - victory for Tibet' by keeping strong determination and pledge to continue their freedom struggle.


Thursday, November 23, 2006

 

Tibetan activist sets himself on fire outside hotel of Chinese president in Mumbai



AP[Thursday, November 23, 2006 10:47]
MUMBAI, India: A Tibetan activist unfurled a Tibetan flag and then set himself on fire outside the Mumbai hotel where Chinese President Hu Jintao was staying to protest Chinese rule in the Himalayan region.Police said Hu and his staff were inside the hotel at the time of the incident.

The man and six other Tibetan youths drove up to the hotel in two taxis, jumped out and began chanting slogans against China's occupation of Tibet. He then doused his pants with a liquid and set them on fire, according to an Associated Press photographer at the scene.Several policemen quickly jumped on the man, rolled him on the ground and doused the flames.Police took all seven men away.Mumbai police commissioner A. N. Roy said the activist was not seriously wounded.
"Doctors are monitoring his condition," Roy said.He also denied there had been a breach of security."The hotel has been secured since last night. This took place outside the barricades," he said.After the incident police cordoned off adjacent roads to the hotel.Separately, some 250 Tibetans held a protest in another part of Mumbai, chanting "Free Tibet" and "Down with China."India became a center for Tibetan exiles after their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled there in 1959 after a failed uprising, settling in the northern town of Dharmsala.Indian police have taken strong measures to prevent protests near Hu that could embarrass the Chinese leader.
Last week police barred a prominent Tibetan activist, Tenzin Tsundue, from leaving Dharmsala during Hu's visit.Tsundue has a reputation for publicity stunts that have embarrassed previous Chinese visitors and Indian police.
Police also barred gatherings of more than five people at places Hu was scheduled to visit while in New Delhi earlier this week.Most Tibetans say China has attempted to destroy Tibetan Buddhist culture by flooding Tibet with China's ethnic Han majority.The protesters have singled out Hu, who governed the Tibetan region between 1988 and 1992, saying he had adopted a repressive stance toward the region.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

 

Tibetans breach security to reach site of Sino-Indian talks


 
India detains Tibetans protesting over Hu's visit

Tue 21 Nov 2006 11:33:21 GMT
NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Indian police have detained 24 Tibetans protesting against the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Tibetan representatives said on Tuesday.More than 1,000 Tibetans living in India have been holding demonstrations under heavy police presence in the heart of New Delhi, condemning Hu's visit and calling for China to stop what they say are atrocities against their people.Ten of them were arrested for trying to enter the compound of the building where Hu was meeting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and another 10 for trying to burn the Chinese flag outside the hotel where Hu is staying.Four more were held on Monday after trying to stop Hu's motorcade as he arrived from the airport, said Tsultrim Dorjee, general secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) -- a group of thousands of young Tibetans who advocate independence.
"Our position has been clear cut on this issue. Tibet has been a part of Chinese territory," she said. Jiang noted that India has made an assurance to China that it will not allow Tibetans living in the country to engage in anti-China political activities from Indian territory. Click more....


Hu’s afraid of the Dalai Lama

Financial Express
In particular, the shelter it has provided since 1959 to the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, and, by now, some 100,000 of his followers is an outstanding example of national hospitality. India is still a poor country that in the 1950s saw China, the Tibetans’ oppressor, as a "brother". Yet it provided a home big enough to accommodate the dream of Tibetan cultural survival.
So it is sad to see India follow the West in helping China by making even the limited political space available to Tibetan exiles even smaller. This week, for example, as India prepares to receive Hu Jintao, China’s president, from November 20th , it slapped a travel ban on Tenzin Tsundue, a young Tibetan activist in Dharamsala, seat of Tibet's government-in-exile. Mr Tsundue has staged protests when other Chinese leaders have come calling.

Monday, November 20, 2006

 

Exiled Tibetans protests in New Delhi against the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India.


Saturday, November 18, 2006

 

Unified and Massive Protests to Mar Hu Jintao's India Visit

By Phurbu Thinley
Phayul Correspondent

Dharamsala, November 18 - As of now, there is no indication of what so ever that India will press Chinese President; Hu Jintao on any of the issues related to Tibet and its people when he visits India later in the coming week.

In fact, New Delhi has, earlier on November 12, served Tenzin Tsundue, a prominent Free-Tibet activist, an order not to move out of Dharamsala till November 25. Tsundue now has policemen watching him all the time.

While Tsundue, may not be able to repeat his usual highly provocative protest during Hu’s visit because of the strict restriction placed on him; the move has, however, helped trigger an intense reaction among Tibetans in exile.

Besides, the deep agonising impact of the recent Nangpa La Pass shooting, which also caused considerable international outrage, is still very much fresh in the minds of Tibetan people.

With all these and knowing there is little chance from New Delhi taking up the Tibetan issue with the Chinese counterpart during their forthcoming meeting, Tibetan refugees here in Dharamsala feel that the ultimate solution should come out of their desperate, yet peaceful actions.Tibetans here in Dharamsala are intolerant of the Hu’s forthcoming visit to India. Posters defying Hu Jintao are seen all over the places here. A collective and massive call for Tibetans, under the banner of six pro-Tibet organisations, to get prepared for action during Hu Jintao’s visit to India has been underway since the past one week.

Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), GuChuSum Movement, National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT), Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) and Friends of Tibet (FOT) have been calling for Tibetans to stage massive protests on November 19-21 in New Delhi and elsewhere.The organising leaders here said that there is already a strong response from both Tibetans and Tibet-supporters around the world.

The organizers also said that donation-money, for the protest-activities, is continuously pouring in.

Organisers here are expecting varying and repeated protests to mar Hu Jinatao’s India visit and, are constantly calling for more Tibetans and Tibet-supporters to take part in them.

“We are working hard to make sure a unified and strong protests to continue during Hu Jintao’s visit to India”, says Tsundue, who is now actively involved in helping prepare for protests. “We are getting overwhelming response, but we still want more people to come forward. There can be no limit”, adds Tsundue.

More than 8 buses loaded with more than 500 Tibetans and Tibet supporters from Dharamsla left for Delhi late in the evening today to take part in massive rallying protests. Protests will begin from tomorrow, a day before Hu Jintao arrives in Delhi, and will continue till November 21.

The organisers are making sure that the protests during Hu’s India visit to be the strongest and the biggest of its kind so far.Another bus, filled mostly with foreign Tibet supporters, had already left for Delhi earlier in the afternoon today and still there many more are waiting to leave.

A 63 year-old Tibetan woman, Tsering Tsomo, presently staying in an old-age home here, was saddened because she couldn’t board one of the buses today. She had earlier registered herself to take part in the protests, but was stopped by the management of the old-age home due to her health concerns.

“I wish I can join them and be a part of the protesting group”, says Tsering with her eyes blurred by tears. “By the grace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I’m sure to see a free Tibet in this life time”, Tsering consoles herself.

According to the organisers, a large number of Tibetans from other parts of India have also left their respected settlements and are due to arrive in Delhi tomorrow morning. Also an overwhelming number of Indian friends will be joining them in Delhi.

See below for the joint-call statement released by the six organizations:

Call for Tibetans to Take Action during Hu Jintao’s India Visit

Chinese President, Hu Jintao, will be visiting India on November 20th to discuss trade relations and border issues with Indian Prime Minister, Man Mohan Singh. India essentially shares border with Tibet and not with China. Yet, if India and China settle on their border disputes, then political analysts fear that Tibetan issue will be diluted and Tibet’s case will soon lose ground. Hu Jintao is attempting to change history with his visit to India. He will try to hammer the final nail into Tibet’s coffin so that our struggle will be buried forever. This is our opportunity to let Hu Jintao and the world know that we ill not keep silent.

Despite continued effort by the Tibetan government not to offend the Chinese government, there has been o reciprocal effort from the Chinese. Just this past May, the Chinese government defamed His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tibet and reinstated their patriotic re-education of the Tibetan People. Those who fought against the Chinese re-education policy were imprisoned and subjected to various tortures. Tibetans in Tibet enjoy no freedom under Chinese rule, and every year many thousands risk their lives escaping over the Himalayas into exile.

How many Nangpa La shootings must have occurred in the past that we do not know about? How much more evidence do we need of China’s disregard for human rights in Tibet before we act? Let us get together and raise a single and unified voice against the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, when he visits India. We will let him know that he will always be greeted with protests until Tibet is freee.

May we never forget Nangpala. May we never forget Tibet.

Let us work United for the Freedom of Tibet.TYC, TWA, GuChuSum, NDPT, SFT, FOT.Contacts: 9418339697, 9816330413, 9418324751, 9418079832, 9816368335

 
CALLING ALL TIBETANS & SUPPORTERS: PLEASE SUPPORT A MASS PROTEST AGAINST HU JINTAO IN NEW DELHI!

Tibetans in India are planning a major protest in New Delhi during Hu Jintao's visit next week under the banner of the Tibetan People's Movement. As the Chinese President prepares for his first trip to India, Tibetans have an opportunity to tell him what they think of him
and China's policies towards Tibet, especially in light of the recent murder of Tibetan refugees at Nangpa Pass. The groundwork for this action is being done by an organizing committee of activists from Students for a Free Tibet (SFT),Gu Chu Sum, Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tibetan Women Association (TWA) and National Democrate Party for Tibet (NDPT). One of the biggest challenges they face is raising the funds to support this mobilization. The committee has been recently requesting Tibet Support Group's, NGO's, Tibetans and Tibet Groups to assist them financially to materialize the action plan. We (TYUK and Tibetan Community in Britain) appeal to every Tibetan and supporter who believes that President Hu must hear the voice of the Tibetan people to support this action.

Tibetans must send a clear and strong message that it is not just one person advocating for Tibetan freedom. Tibetans must demonstrate that the Tibetan issue is not about one man - it is about 6 million Tibetans suffering every day under Chinese rule.

PLEASE MAKE A PLEDGE TODAY AND DONATE!

Any amount of donations are welcomed and is worth every penny. If donating by cheque, please address it to "Tibetan Community in Britain" and post to

Please email back ASAP with your name, location and amount you would like to pledge. Alternatively, you can call us on following numbers if you have any doubts or queries.

Thank you for your support in advance. Bod Gyalo!

Sincerely,


TYUK ( Tibetan Youth in UK )
TCB(Tibetan Community in Britain )
Karma : 07725501995
Dekyi : 07789767997

Friday, November 17, 2006

 
INDIAN GOVERNMENT GAGS TIBETAN ACTIVIST IN LEAD UP TO HU VISITTENZIN TSUNDUE THREATENED WITH DEPORTATION IF HE PROTESTS

Dharamsala – In anticipation of the first-ever visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India, the Indian Government today served Tibetan activist and writer, Tenzin Tsundue, with an order forbidding him to leave the “territorial jurisdiction of Dharamshala Town” until November 25. The letter, issued by the Office of the Superintendent of Police, threatens Tsundue with prosecution under the Foreigners Act of 1946 if he fails to obey the order. When asked what prosecution would mean, the Additional Superintendent of Police, Santosh Patial, replied: “Deportation to Tibet.” The pressure on Tsundue is the result of his high profile protests during the visits of Chinese Prime Ministers Zhu Rongji and Wen Jiabao in 2002 and 2005. Hu Jintao will visit India from November 20-23.

“This is an attack on the freedom of all Tibetans and people living in democratic India. It is a shame on the Government of India and disrespect to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and all those who struggled for independence in this country. Clearly this is pressure from the Chinese government,” said Tenzin Tsundue, General Secretary of Friend of Tibet India. “I was born in India and I am working only nonviolently for the human rights and freedom of my people. This issue is not about me but it is about the six million Tibetans who are suffering every day under Chinese rule and who are deprived of their voice to speak out against the occupation.” As of now, eleven policemen are following Tsundue around the clock and police have also taken up residence in the room next to his.

In a letter sent today to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, through the Dharamsala Superintendent of Police, Tsundue requested a meeting with Hu Jintao while he is in India. In it Tsundue stated: “It is because of the lack of this access that I have been demonstrating on your streets, drawing world attention to the atrocities that Tibet is subjected to. If such an opportunity to speak to Hu Jinato face-to-face does not arise this time too, we will again be compelled to come out on the streets in large numbers to voice our anger and frustration.” Tsundue also cited the recent shootings of defenseless Tibetan refugees by Chinese forces at Nangpala Pass as fresh evidence of China’s brutality in Tibet.

“The visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India is a rare and important opportunity for Tibetans to raise our voice for the restoration of Tibetan independence,” said Tenzin Choeying. National Director of Students for a Free Tibet India. “It’s our duty to use the freedom we find in India to bring attention to the Tibetan issue and push for an end to China’s ongoing occupation of our country. Rather than focusing on the actions of Tibetan youth born and raised in India, the Indian government should be concerned about what the Chinese are doing on their borders that threatens the national security of India.”

Hu Jintao will visit New Delhi, Agra and Mumbai (Bombay) from November 20-23 before leaving for Pakistan. While in New Delhi, he is expected to attend official functions at Vigyan Bhawan and the Hyderabad House. In the lead up to Hu’s India visit, government officials from both countries have been meeting to discuss trade and border issues.

The text of the order from the superintendent of police is below.

OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,DISTRICT KANGRA AT DHARAMSHALA (HIMACHAL PRADESH)
ORDER

You Mr. Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan national holder R/C No. 167/90/Tib/D’shala at present General Secretary, Friends of Tibet India (FOTI) were found indulging in agitational activities during the visit of Chinese delegations in the past and there is a credible information that you are likely to indulge in similar activities during the visit of the Chinese President w.e.f. 20/11/2006 to 23/11/2006.

Therefore, I, Ajay Kumar Yadav, IPS, Superintendent of Police-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer, District Kangra at Dharamsala (HP) in exercise of power vested in me under section 3 (2) (e) (ii) of the Foreigners Act-1946 hereby order that you will not leave the territorial jurisdiction of Dharamsala Town till 25/11/2006 from the date of issuance of this order, falling which you shall be liable for prosecution under the relevant provisions of law.

(Ajay Kumar Yadav) IPS,
Superintendent of Police-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer, Kangra at Dharamsala (HP).

Endst. No. 31945-90 /CB
Dated 12-11-06

Copy to: -
1. The Chief Secretary to the Govt of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla for information please.
2. The Principal Secretary (Home) to the Govt of H.P., Shimla for information please.
3. The Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh, Shimla for information please.
4. The Commissioner of Police, Delhi for information please.
5. The Commissioner of Police, Mumbai for information please.
6. The Addl. Director General of Police, State CID H.P., , Shimla for information please.
7. The Dy. Inspr. General of Police, Northern Range, Dharamshala for information please.
8. The Sr. Superintendent of Police, Agra (UP) for information please.
9. All Superintendents of Police in Himachal Pradesh for information and necessary action
10. All SHO’S/o and I/C’s PP in Kangra District for information and necessary action.
11. Mr. Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan national, General Secretary, Friends of Tibet India (FOTI) for necessary action

(signature of Ajay Kumar)
Superintendent of Police-Cum-Foreigners Registration Officer, Kangra at Dharamshala (HP)

Thursday, October 12, 2006

 
Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

 

Tibetans in UK Protest Against Chinese Army Killing of Fleeing Tibetans

London, October 11, 2006: Tibetans in UK staged a candle light vigil and demonstrate in front of the Chinese Embassy to protest against the recent fatal shooting of unarmed Tibetans as they tried to escape across the Himalayas from Chinese occupied Tibet into neighbouring Nepal.

Shocking eyewitness reports from members of the party that successfully crossed into Nepal have confirmed that Chinese forces opened fire on the party on 30 September 2006, killing a 17-year-old nun. Up to five more Tibetans are feared dead after the soldiers, stationed at the Nangpa Pass between Tibet and Nepal, opened fire on the caravan of more than 70 escaping Tibetans, which included children as young as seven. The news first broke on the popular mountaineering website www.mounteverest.net. Foreign mountaineers at the nearby Cho Oyu advance base camp witnessed the incident and described how the soldiers took careful aim and fired repeatedly on the defenceless Tibetans, even as they attempted to escape uphill.

Forty-three people from the group have successfully crossed into Nepal and have now reached the United Nations sponsored Tibetan Refugee Reception Centre in Kathmandu. The fate of the other Tibetans, including at least 14 children, remains unknown. There is concern that many of them may have been injured during the shooting and apprehended by the security forces.

Pema Yoko of Tibetan youth UK said The killings expose the true nature of China ’s brutal rule in Tibet and contradict recent Chinese propaganda reports touting China ’s benevolent policies towards Tibetans. As a Tibetan living in the UK , it is important for me to voice my protest to the Chinese government on behalf of Tibetans in Tibet who face this persecution and cannot speak out for fear of government reprisal.”

Tibetans and its supporters strongly protests against the China’s inhuman act against innocent Tibetans in Tibet shouted slogans of “Stop killing in Tibet”; “Stop torture in Tibet” and “Free Tibet”. Lighting of candles and recitation of prayer pays tribute to the brave Tibetans who have lost their lives.

There are frequent reports of Tibetan refugees being shot at on both sides of the Nepal-Tibet border but this is the most serious known attack in recent years. The fact that many Tibetan traders frequently cross the Nangpa Pass to sell goods in a nearby market without attracting the attention of the border patrol suggests that this was a calculated attack.

“Every year, 3,000 Tibetans attempt to escape into Nepal and India to seek freedom and education in Tibetan culture and Buddhist studies. If the situation in Tibet is fine as claimed by the official Chinese propaganda, then there would not be any need for Tibetans to risk their lives to cross over into Nepal and India. We condemn this atrocity and call on the Chinese government to immediately halt their oppression and violence against the Tibetan people.” Metok Sither, a spokesperson from the Tibetan Youth in the UK stated.

Tibetans and their supporters call on the Chinese government to immediately release the detained children and other refugees and to halt their persistent violence against the Tibetan people.


Friday, October 06, 2006

 

Tibetan Refugee Shot Dead by Chinese Guards

Chinese guards 'kill Tibetans'
BBC

At least two Tibetans were killed and seven others wounded when Chinese border guards opened fire on them, a refugee support group has said.

The head of the UN-sponsored Tibet Refugee Reception Centre in Nepal, Loudhup Dorjee, said the alleged incident happened on Saturday.

He said about 70 Tibetan men, women and children had been trying to cross the Nangpa La pass from China into Nepal. Forty-two managed to enter. He had no information on the fate of the others.

'Two people down'
Earlier, mountaineering website MountEverest.net carried what it said was an eyewitness report of the shooting from an unnamed climber in the area.

"Without warning, shots rang out. Over, and over and over. Then the line of people started to run uphill," the climber said.

"We saw two shapes fall. The binoculars confirmed it: two people were down, and they weren't getting up. Then more Chinese army swarmed through Advanced Base Camp."

Within sight of horrified climbers preparing an assault on Everest, Chinese troops stationed on the Tibet-Nepal border have shot dead at least two Tibetan refugees trying to cross the border.

The refugees were trying to reach Nangpa La pass last Saturday and the Everest advance base camp was swarmed by Chinese troops after the shootout. Climbers regularly see caravans of traders and refugees crossing out of Tibet, but this is the first witness report by western climbers of the People's Liberation Army shooting refugees.

The killings highlight the yawning gap between China's state propaganda, which cast it as the friend and protector of the Tibetan people and the harsh reality of a brutal military occupation as experienced by three million Tibetans. The shootings also revive concerns about Beijing's human rights record as it prepares to host the Olympic Games in two years.

Every year, hundreds of Tibetan refugees escape from Chinese occupation. They try to cross at more isolated passes which are usually unguarded. About 70 Tibetan men, women and children were trying to cross the Nangpa La pass from China into Nepal within sight of the advance base camp at Cho Oyu, which was teeming with climbers preparing for Everest.

An unnamed climber, writing on the website mounteverest.net, said that the Chinese troops opened fire on the defenceless column and that the refugees panicked as the soldiers moved in.

"Early morning of 30 September, I walked out of our dining tent to gaze over towards the Nangpa La pass. I saw a line of Tibetans heading towards the start of the pass, a common sight, as the trade routes are open this time of year.

"Then, without warning, shots rang out. Over, and over and over. Then the line of people started to run uphill; they were at 19,000ft. Apparently the Chinese army was tipped off about their attempted escape, and had showed up with guns.

"Watching the line snake off through the snow, as the shots rang out, we saw two shapes fall. The binoculars confirmed it: two people were down, and they weren't getting up. Then more Chinese army swarmed through ABC (advance base camp)."

Refugees have been shot at along the border before, but this was the first time in recent years that Chinese troops had killed any.

The wide Nangpa La pass, between Tibet and Nepal, has been a common traders' route for centuries.Many Tibetans cross the pass to sell their traditional craft and Chinese goods in Namche Bazaar's Saturday market then return home, but some seek refuge in Nepal or India.

A 25-year-old who survived the shooting escaped to Nepal. He told activists in Kathmandu: "When the machine-gun fire started hitting around us, we ran in all directions. We ran back where we came from just trying to avoid the army. After hiding from the gun blasts for many hours, we climbed over Nangpa La in the middle of the night and walked the entire day on the Nepal side because we were so scared."

Lhundup Dorjee, of the Kathmandu-based Tibet Refugee Centre, said that 42 people had managed to enter Nepal but there was no information about the others. The refugee centre is in contact with the survivors.

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has been in exile in India since the Chinese invasion of 1959. He has repeatedly said he was willing to engage "reasonable talks" with Beijing to protect those Tibetans who have stayed behind in their homeland. But the Chinese government has always rejected his offer and continues to treat harshly those who flee Communist repression in their country.

There has been no comment by the Chinese authorities on the shootings.

Tibetan refugees shot dead as Everest Climbers watch
By Leonard Doyle, Independent News

Within sight of horrified climbers preparing an assault on Everest, Chinese troops stationed on the Tibet-Nepal border have shot dead at least two Tibetan refugees trying to cross the bordre.

The refugees were trying to reach Nangpa La pass last Saturday and the Everest advance base camp was swarmed by Chinese troops after the shootout. Climbers regularly see caravans of traders and refugees crossing out of Tibet, but this is the first witness report by western climbers of the People's Liberation Army shooting refugees. Click More...

Chinese 'Kill nun' in Tibet refugee attack

by Jeremy page, Timesonline.co.uk

Chinese border guards who fired on Tibetan refugees heading for the border near Mount Everest killed a Buddhist nun and possilbly one other person.

However, several climbers reported watching in horror from Everest's advance Base Camp as the border guards started shooting early last Saturday morning. Click More...

by Mounteverest.net

Five days back, people including children were shot at right before the eyes of a large international community of mountaineers. At least one young nun lost her life. A couple of climbers made sure the world knew.

An American climber reported straight from Cho Oyu to ExploresWeb, "There is a story that happend here on 30th and the 1st that is not being told," he reported on October 2nd. His email was a horrible eye-witness report of climbers on summit push spotting Tibetan refugees getting shot while crossing Nangpa La. "Watching the line snake off thru the snow, as the shots rang out, we saw two shapes fall. The binoculars confirmed it, 2 people were down, and they weren't getting up." More click



Wednesday, September 13, 2006

 

 

WEN YOU GO HOME, TAKE BLAIR WITH YOU !



[London] The long arm of the Chinese government was witnessed again today during the arrival in the UK of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. A large crowd of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) supporters had gathered to welcome Wen Jiabao upon his arrival at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge. The media and human rights activists were kept in the dark as to his movements and schedule.

“The CCP supporters had flags, drums and even a Chinese dragon! Such extravagance clearly required beforehand planning. But the London police claimed they had no knowledge of Wen’s itinerary and were not making it public. So how did the CCP supporters know when to be where?” asked Pete Speller speaking on behalf of Students for a Free Tibet UK.

Xinhua, China’s state news agency, made headlines yesterday for announcing that foreign media in China now needed to seek its approval before distributing any news and pictures within China, raising state censorship on foreign media to a higher level.

“It appears that the British government has caved in to pressure from the Chinese embassy and decided to keep the people in the dark, a tactic regularly used by Beijing and other authoritarian regimes,” said Alice Speller, National Coordinator of Students for a Free Tibet UK. “ChinaChina itself is proving them wrong. Instead of liberal western corporations coercing china to open up and introduce more political freedoms, so far China has successfully forced western corporations and free countries to compromise their values and principles.” apologists have advocated free trade and open market economies as catalysts for freedom and democracy, but

Pundits have speculated that Wen Jiabao try to influence Britain’s policy on the EU arms embargo during his meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair today. Students for a free Tibet and Tibetan Youth UK will be demonstrating at Downing Street during Wen’s meetings. Since the Tiannaman Square massacre, which inspired the embargo, Tibet and China have seen little change in terms of freedom of expression.

“My country has been destroyed and everyone looks the other way. My people are suffering and everyone looks the other way. My religion and culture are being annihilated and everyone looks the other way,” said Karma Churatsang, president of Tibetan Youth UK. “Tony Blair must use this chance to stand firm on trade and the embargo. To stand firm for those whose voices have been ignored for too long. He should end his political career on a high and positive note by standing up for freedom and human rights, not on a shameful note for underhanded tactics and media secrecy. It is a shame to see the British government support China’s clamp down on freedom and human rights.”



Tuesday, September 12, 2006

 

No Trade With China Until Tibet Is Free

IMMIDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Alice Speller: 07786 982 222
Karma Chura-Tsang: 07725501995

[LONDON] Tibetans and Tibet supporters will call on Britain not to trade with China until TibetUK this week. Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan Youth UK will be demonstrating throughout his visit including outside Downing Street is free as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits the on Wednesday as Wen Jiabao meets the Prime Minister Tony Blair.

It is likely that Wen Jiabao will try to put pressure on the British government to support a lifting of the European Arms Embargo on China. During the recent EU-China summit held in Helsinki he made several public attempts to push the Finnish government into supporting a lifting of the ban.

Speaking on behalf of Tibetan Youth UK Karma Chura-Tsang said, “The British government must not miss this opportunity to push Wen Jiabao on Tibet. Findings of the recent Foreign Affairs Select Committee East Asia Report demonstrate that China is doing little to deal with the ongoing human rights and environmental abuses. With such current evidence in the hands of MPs it would be embarrassing for the government not to demand change in Tibet but to kowtow to Chinese trade demands.”

Alice Speller, National coordinator for Students for a Free Tibet UK added “Students and young people must demand change from our government on Tibet. Tibet has been ignored or pushed to the sidelines for too long. It is time we took a stand in support of a non-violent movement. Blair must not support the removal of the EU arms embargo and must realize that increased trade with China comes at a cost, Tibetan freedom.”
SFT UK is part of the international organization Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), with Headquarters in New York and offices in Vancouver, Canada and Dharamsala, India, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action, SFT campaigns for Tibetans fundamental right to political freedom.


Friday, September 08, 2006

 

Premier Wen Jiabao to attend the China-EU Summit, Asia-Europe Summit Meeting, the SCO Prime Ministers Meeting and to visit Finland,Britain and Germany

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang announces:

At the invitation of Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tajikistan Prime Minister Akil AkilovChinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit Finland, the United Kingdom, Germany and Tajikistan from September 9 to 16.

Premier Wen will also attend the Ninth China-EU Summit and the Sixth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be held in Helsinki, capital of Finland, and the Fifth Meeting of Prime Ministers of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to be held in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan.

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t270537.htm


Thursday, September 07, 2006

 

China Detains Tibetan Abbot in Sichuan

DHARAMSALA—Authorities in the Tibetan region of Karze in southwestern China's Sichuan province have detained the abbot of a major monastery, possibly in connection with the appearance of posters supporting Tibetan independence one year ago, sources in the area said.

"Chinese security officials arrested Khenpo Jinpa of Choktsang Taklung Monastery based in Choktsang village, Serda county, Karze prefecture, on Aug. 23," a caller from the region told RFA's reporter in Dharamsala. Karze is known in Chinese as Ganzi.

"His room was raided and searched without any kind of advance notice," the caller added.

Read More......

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2006/09/07/tibet_abbot/


Wednesday, September 06, 2006

 

Media will be free to roam during Olympics, pledges Beijing

Jonathan Watts in Beijing
Wednesday September 6, 2006
Guardian

Beijing's Olympics organisers have promised that the international media will be allowed to travel freely around China by the time the Games start in 2008, Britain's minister for culture, media and sport Tessa Jowell said yesterday.

The assurance - given by the head of the organising committee, Liu Qi - would require a loosening of some of the tightest restrictions on foreign journalists in the world. Correspondents are frequently detained by police and sent back to Beijing when they try to cover sensitive stories in the provinces.

Britain, Germany and other European countries have urged China to drop these controls and to grant the same freedoms permitted to Chinese reporters in London, Berlin and other western capitals.

Mrs Jowell, who is visiting Beijing as UK Olympic minister, said she received a positive response when she raised the issue with her counterpart, Mr Liu. "He gave me a clear assurance that he would support unimpeded movement of accredited and non-accredited journalists to report not just on the Games but on China," she said. Read More....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1865766,00.html


Tuesday, September 05, 2006

 

British minister to raise press freedom with Beijing

By Nick Mulvenney Reuters
Monday, September 4, 2006; 8:13 AM

BEIJING (Reuters) - Britain's Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said on Monday she would raise the issue of press freedom in a meeting with Beijing Olympic organizers (BOCOG) this week.

Jowell, who is responsible for her government's media and sports portfolios as well as the 2012 London Olympics, said reports of harassment of journalists in China were "matters of concern."

"I will be talking about press freedom with organizers tomorrow," she told reporters at the site of the main stadium of the 2008 Olympics.

"I think what is to be welcomed is that I understand BOCOG have made it clear that access will be granted to accredited and non-accredited journalists.

"This is an important step in the commitment the organizing committee gave the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that hosting the Games would turn China to face the rest of the world.

"These kinds of basic freedoms are freedoms the rest of the world in some cases take for granted and in others aspires to." Read More........

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/04/AR2006090400219.html


Wednesday, August 30, 2006

 

Time running out for Tibet : French senators

Wed Aug 30, 1:52 AM ET Reuters

Time is running out to reach an agreement on Tibet's future which, if not sorted out by 2008, could become a blemish on the Beijing Olympics, a French parliamentary delegation said on Wednesday.

After meetings with Communist officials in Tibet, the group said they had the impression the authorities took a more "nuanced" tone toward the region's problems than the propaganda would suggest, but questions on Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, were rebuffed.

"There is one chance for Tibet and that's before the Olympics," Louis de Broissia, president of the French Senate's Information Commission on Tibet, told a Beijing news conference

after returning from the remote far-western Himalayan region.

"With so much international attention, the Tibet question could become a stain on the Olympics. After that, it's all over," he said.

De Broissia said it was possible a new generation of Tibetan leaders could espouse more violent forms of protest once the Dalai Lama dies.

The Dalai Lama, accused by Beijing of being a separatist, has lived in exile in the Indian hill station of Dharamsala since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese Communist rule.

"The youth in exile are very impatient," he said. "It's in the interests of China to work fast and concretely."

The group was allowed only very limited contacts with people in Tibet other than officials, de Broissia said.

When they asked about the Dalai Lama, officials responded with questions about unrest among young Muslims in France, or the problem of Corsican separatists, he added.

"They told us the Dalai Lama was forgotten, discredited," the senator said. "We couldn't get anyone to really talk about the Dalai Lama. They would hide behind a disarming smile." Read More......


Saturday, August 19, 2006

 

UK Parliamentary Committee Says China's Assertion on Dalai Lama Flies in the Face of His Public Statements

International Campaign for Tibet
August 16th, 2006

Logo of the United Kingdom Parliament

The Select Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom has said that "the Chinese assertion that the Dalai Lama advocates Tibetan independence flies in the face of public statements made by the Dalai Lama." It has recommended that the British Government continue to press the Chinese Government on the issue of the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet.

This conclusion and recommendation are contained in the seventh report of the Committee that was made public in July 2006. The report was compiled after committee members visited TibetChina, met Chinese and British government officials and heard from expert witnesses as well as from the Office of Tibet in London. and

Committee members Sir John Stanley, Mr Fabian Hamilton, Andrew Mackinlay, Ms Gisela Stuart, and Mr. Richard Younger-Ross visited Lhasa and Tsethang from May 13 to 15, 2006 and met the Abbot and Management Committee of Sera Monastery, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, Vice Chairman of the Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Deputy Mayor of Lhasa Municipal Government, Officials from the Development and Reform Commission, Public Security Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau, Tibet Autonomous Region, Tsering, Deputy Director-General of the Working Committee of the People's Congress of Lhoka Prefecture, and the Abbot and Management Committee of Samye Monastery.

The Committee has said "freedom of religious belief and worship in Tibet remains significantly restricted." Further, it said that China's appointment of a Panchen Lama "is a serious abuse of the right of freedom of religion" and has recommended that the British Government press China to respect the right of the Tibetan religious leaders in choosing the next incarnation.

In response to a question by a Committee member on the British Government's views on Tibet, Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, a Member of the House, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said, "We are also seeking to use what I think is a degree of goodwill and mutual confidence that we are gradually building up with the Chinese Government to encourage political dialogue and try to encourage from all quarters an approach of trying to identify a greater degree of common ground so that there can be a more peaceful approach and peaceful settlement in the area of Tibet."

The Foreign Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the administration, expenditure and policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its associated agencies.

Following are the full text of the Tibet section of the conclusions and recommendations, the Tibet section of the report, and proceedings of the examination of British Foreign Office officials on Tibet. The full report is available at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmfaff/860/86002.htm.

Conclusions And Recommendations Read More.........


Tuesday, August 15, 2006

 

Beijing pledges' a fight to the death' with Dalai Lama


From Jane Macartney, of The Times, in Beijing

China’s new top official in Tibet has embarked on a fierce campaign to crush loyalty to the exiled Dalai Lama and to extinguish religious beliefs among government officials.

Zhang Qingli, was appointed Communist Party secretary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in May. An ally of Hu Jintao, China’s President, Mr Zhang, 55, has moved swiftly to tighten his grip over this deeply Buddhist region.

He was previously head of the paramilitary Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in that mainly Muslim western region, overseeing migration of ethnic Han Chinese as well as border security.

Mr Zhang’s drive to stamp out allegiance to the Dalai Lama, who fled to India during an anti-Chinese uprising in 1959, has adopted a tone rarely seen since the mid-1990s. At the time Beijing launched a barrage of angry rhetoric against the region’s god-king and banned his photograph after he enraged China by unilaterally announcing the discovery of the reincarnation of Tibet’s second holiest monk, the Panchen Lama.

In May Mr Zhang told senior party officials in the region that they were engaged in a "fight to the death" against the Dalai Lama. Since then he has implemented several new policies to try to erode the influence of the 71-year-old monk who China’s rulers believe is waging a covert campaign to win independence for his Himalayan homeland. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25689-2312796,00.html

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