China again lobbies embassies not to meet Tibetan delegation

August 30: The Chinese embassy in New Delhi has once again issued letters and even paid visits to foreign embassies in the Indian capital, telling them not to receive a visiting Tibetan delegation from Dharamshala. The Tibetan parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Penpa Tsering, has been in the Indian capital for almost a week now, calling on foreign missions, seeking urgent and concrete actions to end China’s repressive policies in Tibet. Speaker Tsering, while addressing a press conference in New Delhi accused the Chinese embassy of lobbying foreign embassies, sending their staff with a letter telling them not to meet the Tibetan delegation. However, representatives of the diplomatic missions have seemingly ignored Chinese ‘persuasions’ and went on with their planned meetings with the Tibetan delegation. Speaker Tsering said 23 embassies, including that of England, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, New Zealand, Belgium, Jordan, Hungary, Germany, Canada, and the Czech Republic among others, have already met the Tibetan parliamentarians. The offices of the United Nations and the European Union in the capital have also received the delegation. Speaking to Phayul, one of the delegates, Geshe Lobsang Nyendak said that they have been raising the critical situation inside Tibet, heralded by the ongoing wave of self-immolations, during their talks with the representatives of the diplomatic missions. He added that the delegation has also been urging the respective governments to “immediately intervene and impress” upon the Chinese leadership to look into the actual causes of the Tibetan people’s discontentment. The Tibetan Parliament, in an appeal letter presented to the embassies, has expressed hope that their governments will “continue to stand for truth, justice, equality, freedom, human rights and human dignity.” “Such values cannot be held hostage to tyranny, suppression and inhuman treatment in the name of development nor in the face of growing China’s military, economic and political clout,” the appeal letter reads. “Subjugation of these values will not only be encourage China’s authoritarian ways but will also be self defeating in the long run for a peaceful world, in the pursuit of short term national interests.” The Tibetan Parliament added it was “highly unlikely” that the self-immolations would stop in the immediate future. “The responsibility of the exiled Tibetan community and the Administration is to make sure that the anguished voices of the Tibetans inside Tibet are heard by the international community and seek their help in resolving the issue,” the appeal letter states. “Watching the trend, it seems highly unlikely that self-immolations will stop in the immediate future and every time the phone rings, we are left wondering, who next?” Earlier this year, the Chinese embassy had issued a letter to the diplomatic missions, warning of adverse effect to bilateral relations if they met with a visiting delegation of Tibetan parliamentarians. That time too, China’s muscle flexing went largely ignored as a host of Ambassadors and representatives met with the four-member Tibetan parliamentary delegation led by MP Karma Chophel.

UN human rights chief urged to make Tibet "urgent priority"

August 31: A global movement of Tibet advocacy groups has written an open letter to United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, urging her to make Tibet an “urgent priority” in her second term in office, as the self-immolation toll in Tibet crossed 50 this month. The International Tibet Network, a global coalition of 185 Tibet advocacy groups, while congratulating Pillay on the renewal of her mandate for two years beginning September 1, expressed deep concerns over her failure to speak out forcefully on the human rights situation in Tibet. In the letter dated August 30, the group said there is “ample evidence” that China is the “primary violator” of human rights in Tibet and has thus failed in its responsibility to protect the Tibetan people and their rights under Chinese and international law. “Given the history of Chinese rule in Tibet and the critical circumstances of the current situation, including more than 50 Tibetan self-immolations to date, we strongly believe that a qualitatively different response from the international community is warranted,” the letter reads. “Your active engagement on the Tibet issue is necessary to bring about such a response.” The group noted that it is urging governments around the world to press China for an agreement on dates for the UN human rights High Commissioner’s visit to Tibetan areas that have been experiencing the most intense protests and crackdown. In March this year, following the month-long hunger strike by three Tibetans in front of the UN Headquarters in New York, Pillay had sent a letter, assuring that her office was working with China on finalising a date for her trip to Tibet. In the letter, Pillay further added that she had "assigned special rapporteurs of the United Nations to look into the situation inside Tibet." The International Tibet Network, while making a polite inquiry into what steps her office has taken since March towards fulfilling those assurances, expressed hope that the High Commissioner’s office will continue to exert “every effort” to get China to agree dates for such a visit at the earliest. With the 21st Session of the Human Rights Council beginning on September 10, the group further called on Pillay to express concern over the “deteriorating” human rights situation in Tibet in her Update Report to the Council. Two senior US Congress men, James P McGovern and Frank R Wolf, in a letter to Secretary Hillary Clinton this month had “strongly urged” the US to “work with partner nations and establish a contact group on Tibet to carry out strong, visible public diplomacy on this human rights crisis.” The two suggested that the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in September offered an “opportunity to take steps towards forming such a contact group.”

http://www.tibetonline.tv/videos/1184/press-conference(eng):-kalon-tripa-completes-one-year-in-office

‘Don’t encourage, but self-immolations understandable and very sad,’ says the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressing a gathering at the Tsug-la Khang temple, Dharamshala.  August 30: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that although he doesn’t encourage self-immolations, the ongoing wave of fiery protests in Tibet was “understandable and very, very said.” The Dalai Lama was speaking to Reuters in a week when two more self-immolations in eastern Tibet against China’s continued occupation of Tibet took the self-immolation toll past 50. "I will not give encouragement to these acts, these drastic actions, but it is understandable and indeed very, very sad," the 77-year-old Tibetan leader said. "Now the Chinese government, they should investigate what are the real causes. They can easily blame me or some Tibetans but that won't help solve the problem." After relinquishing his political duties last year to the elected Tibetan leadership, the Dalai Lama has been reluctant in responding to political queries, particularly regarding the self-immolations. In a July interview to The Hindu, the Tibetan leader said it is best for him “to remain neutral” on the self-immolations, calling it “a very, very delicate political issue.” “Now, the reality is that if I say something positive, then the Chinese immediately blame me,” he said. “If I say something negative, then the family members of those people feel very sad. They sacrificed their… life. It is not easy. So I do not want to create some kind of impression that this is wrong.” China has been consistent in blaming the Dalai Lama and the exile Tibetan administration for inciting the self-immolations. However, in many of the last notes and messaged left by the Tibetan self-immolators, they have called for freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama and opposed China’s occupation and repressive policies. Choephag Kyab and Sonam, who carried out a twin self-immolation protest on April 19 near a local government office in Barma township, recounted the suffering of the Tibetan people due to the lack of fundamental human rights and the forced occupation of Tibet in their last recorded message. “So, for the restoration of freedom in Tibet and world peace, both of us in sound mind, are setting ourselves on fire,” Choephag Kyab and Sonam state. “The Tibetan people’s suffering due to denial of freedom is far greater that the tragedy of setting our bodies on fire.” Tamding Thar, a lay Tibetan who set himself on fire on June 15 in front of a local Chinese police station in Chentsa, eastern Tibet wrote: “With the yearning for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to his land, For Tibet to be ruled by Tibetans, I set my body on fire as an offering of light.” The US Congressional Commission on China in a special report this month noted that the wave of self-immolations is “concurrent with increasing Chinese Communist Party and government use of legal measures to repress and control core elements of Tibetan culture, and with the failure of the China-Dalai Lama dialogue process to achieve any sign of progress.” The Dalai Lama’s strongest statement yet on the self-immolation protests came in April this year when he told a media crew from Taiwan that “this problem (self-immolations) has been started by the totalitarian, blind, unrealistic policies.” “Now, the concerned people should carry realistic work and look for the causes of these self-immolations. That’s important,” the Dalai Lama had said. “All these problems are happening due to certain conditions and certain causes.”

Tibetan writers find voice in Norway

Tibetan writer Dolma Kyab sentenced to ten years in prison for authoring an unpublished book, 'The Restless Himalayas',  August 30: The suppressed voices of Tibetan writers inside Tibet will find expression among world-renowned writers at the 'Bjørnson Festival of International Literature' in Molde, Norway. Organisers said that the Festival, from August 20-September 2, will feature an event focussing on the plight of Tibetan writers inside Tibet living under “difficult circumstances and without opportunities to express themselves in public.” Chungdak Koren, a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Dechen Pemba, Editor of High Peaks Pure Earth, a website that translates writings by Tibetans in Tibet and China, will be speaking at the event. London based Pemba, who was recently in the exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamshala, said she was “excited” to be speaking at the Festival. “I’ve been invited by the organisers to talk about the current situation for Tibetan writers in Tibet and PRC,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to speak at a literature festival and I’m very grateful to the organisers not only for inviting me but also for putting Tibetan writers in the spotlight.” Since 2008, High Peaks Pure Earth has been translating from blogs inside Tibet and China, including many by artists who have been detained and sentenced for their expressions. Earlier this month, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion was given a detailed appraisal on the Chinese authorities’ crackdown on Tibetan intellectuals in Tibet. The representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Geneva, Tseten Samdup, submitted a detailed profile of 64 Tibetan intellectuals to the UN Special Rapporteur and urged for necessary inquiry into their cases, including information on court proceedings, access to family members among others. In what Samdup called the “harshest” crackdown on Tibetan artists and intellectuals since the Cultural Revolution, he said that at least 24 Tibetans intellectuals, including monks, lay men and women, have been given sentences ranging from few months to life imprisonment for exercising their freedom of expression. “This new generation of young Tibetans born and educated under Chinese Communist rule have edited banned magazines and are tech-savvy bloggers imprisoned for gathering, expressing and sharing information about conditions in Tibet especially after the March 2008 demonstrations across Tibet,” he said. The exile Tibetan administration notes that the whereabouts of about 37 Tibetan intellectuals remain unknown, while 12 intellectuals were released on fear of custodial death after excessive torture during detention by the Chinese authorities. In her address to the European Parliament on the situation in Tibet in June this year, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton had expressed her concern over the growing restrictions on expressions of Tibetan identity by the Chinese government. “Over the last three years, an increasing number of Tibetan intellectuals and cultural figures have faced criminal charges or been imprisoned,” Ashton said. “The EU is worried by restrictions on expressions of Tibetan identity and freedom of expression in Tibet.” The 'Bjørnson Festival of International Literature' is a prestigious annual event named in honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

Nonviolent Action 'DIE-IN PROTEST' in Dharamshala

A die-in protest for Tibetan self-immolators at the main square in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala on August 29, 20August 29: Tibetans in exile have pledged to intensify their actions as the number of self-immolations inside Tibet crossed the “tragic milestone” of 50 this week. Monday’s fiery protest by two young Tibetans, Lobsang Kalsang and Dhamchoe in the beleaguered region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet, took Tibet’s self-immolation toll, since the ongoing fiery wave began in 2009, to 51. Pledging greater activism, the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Student for Free Tibet, India earlier today organised a die-in protest in the Tibetan exile headquarters of Dharamshala, demanding global diplomatic intervention to end China’s failed policies in Tibet. Activists took part in the die-in protest at the main square in Mcleod Ganj, symbolic of the Tibetans who have set themselves on fire demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet. The activists carried pictures and names of the self-immolators, as they lay motionless on the ground, surrounded by people bearing Tibetan national flags. “The tragic cases of self-immolations happening inside Tibet are a clear sign of failed Chinese polices,” Tashi Dolma, president of TWA said. “We request global intervention to save Tibetan lives; we ask world governments to apply multilateral pressure and take action against China to end the crackdown.” Dolma further expressed her sadness over India’s silence on the self-immolations and requested the Indian government for “concrete tangible support.” In a release, the groups said that self-immolation as a “political act against Chinese rule” has emerged as the “most direct and drastic” form of protest in Tibet with 49 self-immolations having taken place in the past 12 months alone. “Chinese authorities have responded with violent force, sometimes even beating Tibetans while they are still on fire and overseeing a massive security clampdown in areas where the self-immolations have occurred, including in Lhasa, Tibet's capital,” the release said. Dorjee Tseten, national director of SFT, India called on India to join “like-minded governments to immediately establish strong, public, multilateral mechanisms to hold Beijing accountable for its atrocities in Tibet.” “We have launched a petition urging Shri S.M. Krishna, the Minister of External Affairs, to support a strong multilateral action for Tibet and will deliver the petition to his office on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti,” Tseten said. The release added that SFT members in “several continents” are carrying out urgent response protests and will be joining a ‘Global Day of Action’ on September 5 to urge Foreign Ministries to take joint action for Tibet during the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council and General Assembly meetings in September. Today’s Global day of Action was also marked by activists in the Indian capital New Delhi.

More Than 47 Tibetans are self-immolated for the Free Tibet

Two young Tibetans set themselves on fire, Self-immolation toll breaches 50

Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, eastern Tibet (File photo)  August 28: In confirmed reports coming out of Tibet, two young Tibetans set themselves on fire Monday in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet. The two have been identified as Lobsang Kalsang, an 18-year-old monk of the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba eastern Tibet and Damchoe, a former monk at the monastery, aged around 17. Both of them succumbed to their injuries later in the day. Damchoe was the younger brother of Tenzin Choedron, a nun at the Mamae nunnery, the largest nunnery in the Ngaba region, who passed away in her self-immolation protest earlier this year on February 11. The exile base of the Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, in release said Lobsang Kalsang and Damchoe set themselves on fire at around 8:30 am (local time) near the eastern gate of the Kirti Monastery. “According to eyewitnesses, the two Tibetan martyrs, engulfed in flames, walked around 20 steps before falling down on the ground,” the release said. “They raised slogans against the Chinese government policies of annihilating the Tibetan race.” Chinese security personnel arrived at the scene and after dousing the flames, took both of them to the Ngaba hospital, where they were kept for a short period. Lobsang Kalsang and Damchoe were then taken to the nearby Barkham hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. It is not yet known whether the bodies have been handed over to the families. “Following the protest, Lobsang Kalsang’s room-mate at the Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Palden was detained by Chinese security personnel,” the release said. The wave of self-immolations that began in 2009 has now witnessed 52 Tibetans set themselves on fire demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama from exile. US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland, during a daily press briefing on Monday, reiterated the US government’s appeal to China to address the legitimate grievances of Tibetans through dialogue. “Whenever we see these tragic incidents, we again call on China to meet the legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people within China to protect their human rights, to protect their way of life, and to work on these issues through dialogue,” Nuland said.

China’s isolation of Tibet ‘increasingly worrying’ says press freedom group

August 27: The global press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, has called China’s complete isolation of Tibet from international media and outside reporters an “increasingly worrying” trend. In a release last week, RSF said China continues to deny independent reporters permission to enter Tibet following large-scale anti-China protests this year led by the ongoing wave of self-immolations. “Beijing’s isolation of Tibet is increasingly worrying,” RSF said. “In March this year, the head of the Tibet Communist Party, Chen Quanguo, ordered the local authorities to tighten their control over all means of communication, in particular mobile phones and the Internet, in order to ‘maintain the public’s interests and national security’.” The group condemned the arbitrary detention and the sentencing of a prominent Tibetan Buddhist monk Yonten Gyatso to seven years in prison by a Chinese court in eastern Tibet. Lho Younten Gyatso, 37, a monk of Khashi Geyphel Samtenling Monastery, was sentenced on June 18 for allegedly sharing pictures and information on nun Tenzin Wangmo, who self-immolated on October 17, 2011. He was also charged with “sharing information since 2008 about political events in Tibet by attempting to make telephone calls to human rights mechanisms of the UN.” RSF called for Gyatso’s immediate release and the withdrawal of the charges against him. “In China, leaking state secrets outside the country is a crime under article 32 of the Law on Guarding State Secrets,” the release said. “Any news that is disturbing or political in nature is liable to be deemed a state secret.” In the 2011-2012 World Press Freedom Index compiled by RSF, China is ranked 174th of 179 countries and is also on the group’s 2012 list of “Internet Enemies”. In a special report earlier this year, RSF had expressed “alarm” at the total media blackout imposed by Chinese authorities in Tibet, preventing all media coverage of the self-immolation protests and mass demonstrations in the region. “Out of sight of the world, a major crisis is unfolding. Even Pyongyang has an international media presence, which is not the case in Lhasa.” RSF also accused China of aiming to “control the Tibetan people behind closed doors” by excluding journalists, the group said Beijing is trying to restrict all communication between the region and the rest of the world. “Connections are cut off, access is blocked and content linked to the unrest is removed,” the report said. “Local community networks are particularly targeted in order to nip in the bud any attempt at mobilising support online.”

Crackdown continues in Tibet, More monks arrested

Arrested Kirti monk Lobsang Sangay in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery) August 25: Amidst continuing crackdown at the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, eastern Tibet, more monks of the Monastery have been arbitrarily detained for unknown reasons. Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a release today said two more monks were arrested by Chinese authorities in the past two weeks. “Around 14 of this month, Lobsang Sangye, 30, a monk from Kirti Monastery, who hails from Chilgdril (Chinese: Jiuzi) County in Golog (Chinese: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, was arbitrarily detained for unknown reasons,” the release said. “On August 17, another monk from Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Konchok, 40, who belongs to Gyatsotang family in Chashang Chukle Gongma Township in Ngaba County was also detained on unknown charges.” Lobsang Sangye, son of Rabten and Yumkho is a student of Pharchin class (En: Perfection of Wisdom). Lobsang Konchok, Tharten and Atso is pursuing his Karampa degree (equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Tibetan Buddhism) at the Kirti Monastery. “Both monks were detained by the Public Security Bureau personnel of Ngaba County,” TCHRD said. “Their condition and whereabouts remain unknown at the time of reporting.” Arrested Kirti monk Lobsang Konchok in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery) The rights group added that two more monks of the Monastery were also detained for over a week and later released. “On an unknown date this month, security personnel detained two more monks from Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Tenzin and Sangdhue,” the release said. “They were held in custody for a week during which they were subjected to prolonged interrogations. Both were released without any explanation for their detention.” In 1998, Lobsang Tenzin had received a three-year prison term and was again detained for a month in 2008 during the widespread Tibetan uprisings. With over 2500 monks, the Kirti Monastery is one of the largest seats of learning inside Tibet. Since Tapey, a Kirti monk set himself on fire demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile in February 2009, 18 more monks and former monks from the Monastery have self-immolated. The monastery remains under heavy military blockade with armed soldiers strictly controlling the movement of the monks. Hundreds of monks from the monastery have been disappeared, while many have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms on charges of “subversion”.

US report says Tibet self-immolations sign of Beijing’s policy failure

A young Tibetan Buddhist monk holds a photo of Tamding Thar's charred body during a solidarity candle light vigil in Dharamshala on June 15, 2012. Since 2009, 50 Tibetans have set themselves on fire, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. (Phayul file photo/Norbu Wangyal) August 24: A special report by the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, on the ongoing wave of self-immolations inside Tibet, notes that the Chinese government is unwilling to address the grievances of the Tibetan people and has refrained from admitting policy failure in Tibet. “The Party and government have not indicated any willingness to consider Tibetan grievances in a more constructive manner and to hold themselves accountable for Tibetan rejection of Chinese policies,” the report says. “The Party and government have handled the crisis as a threat to state security and social stability instead of a policy failure.” The CECC says the “frequency, geographic spread, and diversity” of self-immolations in Tibet has increased since its last report in December 2011. The special report, released August 22, maintains that the wave of self-immolations is “concurrent with increasing Chinese Communist Party and government use of legal measures to repress and control core elements of Tibetan culture, and with the failure of the China-Dalai Lama dialogue process to achieve any sign of progress.” The report titled, ‘Special Report: Tibetan Self-Immolation Rising Frequency, Wider Spread, Greater Diversity,’ covers the period from January to August 10, 2012 and documents 33 instances of self-immolations within that period. The CECC studies the spread of the fiery protests to other parts of Tibet and notes the greater involvement of laypeople in the protests. “As of August 10, 2012, an additional 33 Tibetans reportedly have committed similar self-immolation protests (29 reported fatal). Of these 33 self-immolations, 13 took place outside Sichuan province and 14 were persons who did not have a monastic background (i.e., laypersons),” the report reads. The Commission believes that several factors and trends that “developed or worsened” following the major Tibetan uprisings in March 2008 “may have contributed” to the current situation forcing Tibetans to self-immolate as a last resort of protest. The report lists multiple political, social, and environmental factors, including the “erosion or elimination” of future potential for ethnic autonomy as China “promotes demographic transformation” and the “deteriorating outlook” for the Tibetan culture, language, and environment in the face of the government “continuing to prioritise development initiatives that accelerate infrastructure construction and resource exploitation.” The US Congressional Commission also notes that the “steepening decline” in the status of religious freedom; the ongoing security crackdowns and enforced “education” campaigns; and the “lack of hope” of China engaging in substantive discussions with the Dalai Lama’s envoys are factors leading to the rise of self-immolations inside Tibet.

The Dalai Lama expressed concern over violence in Burma to Suu Kyi

Kalon Tripa (c) accompanied by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Representative Kasur Tempa Tsering (r) meeting with Syed Yahya Bukhari, President, Jama Masjid United Forum, in Delhi on August 22, 2012. (Photo/TibetNet) August 23: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written a letter to Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, expressing his concerns over the outbreak of communal violence in Burma. In the letter, the Dalai Lama said that he was “deeply saddened” and remains “very concerned” with the violence inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims. The two Nobel laureates had recently met in London, England on July 19, for the first time. The Tibetan spiritual leader also directed his representative in the Indian capital, Tempa Tsering, to meet the Ambassador of Myanmar. The Embassy, however, is yet to schedule the meeting. Details of the letter were made public by Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay during his meeting with Syed Yahya Bukhari, President, Jama Masjid United Forum on Wednesday at the latter’s residence on the auspicious occasion of Eid. Two mainstream Urdu print media, the Daily Sahafat and The Inquilab, were also present at the hour-long discussions during which Dr Sangay expressed his heartfelt Eid greetings to Bukhari and the Muslim community. The elected Tibetan leader also sought to clear misunderstandings within certain sections of the Muslim community on Tibetans by presenting a copy of the 2010 Kyegudo earthquake photo which has been “mistakenly or deliberately” used by some websites to create negative perceptions. The picture was actually of Tibetan monks performing a mass funeral for the earthquake victims in Tibet. According to a report carried by the Central Tibetan Administration, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi conveyed a message of peace and urged the “hundreds and thousands of Muslims gathered not to be swayed by photographs of dubious sources and urged them to remain calm.” “Mr Bukhari shared that His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the Jama Masjid in 2010 and that the Imam personally received Him and that he had a lot of respect for His Holiness,” CTA said. Last week, the Kashag directed Tibetan Settlement Officers to meet prominent Muslim leaders including religious leaders and members of state assembly to apprise them with the real information. Speaking to reporters recently, the Dalai Lama condemned the ethnic violence in Assam and urged everyone to practice religious harmony and non-violence. “It is very sad. Almost my whole life has been dedicated to promotion of harmony. India, overall, thousand years, you have culture of ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence) and also, culture of harmony among different religious believers,” the Tibetan spiritual leader was quoted as saying by ANI. “So, every Indian, irrespective of what religious follower and even non- believers, I think we should realise the thousand year old India’s traditional Ahimsa and traditional religious harmony, this must be retained.”

Xinhua wanted me to spy on the Dalai Lama: Canadian journalist

Xinhua wanted me to spy on the Dalai Lama: Canadian journalist

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking at the 6th World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet in Ottawa, on April 27, 2012. (Photo/Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)  August 23: In a shocking revelation, a Canadian journalist has accused China’s official news agency, Xinhua of instigating him to spy on the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Freelance journalist and author Mark Bourrie said he quit his job after Xinhua wanted him to spy on the Dalai Lama during one of his visits to Ottawa. Bourrie has made the allegation in an article to be published on Thursday in Ottawa Magazine, and in an interview with The Canadian Press. Although the Ottawa bureau chief of Xinhua news agency has dismissed the claims, Bourrie’s revelations have once again brought to light concerns over the role of overseas Chinese reporters and news bureaus. Long-standing accusations of information gathering and spying against Chinese journalists were hotly debated last year after the then Toronto correspondent for Xinhua was found to be having an “unprofessional” relationship with a Canadian M.P. Attesting to the spy allegations against Chinese overseas reporters, a former Chinese diplomat with 14 years of service in the Chinese foreign ministry told the Epoch Times last year that Chinese reporters indeed play multiple roles. Chen Yonglin, who was working as Consul for Political Affairs at the Consulate-General in Sydney, before defecting on May 26, 2005, noted that Chinese reporters use their profession as a shield to pursue political missions. “In addition, they play the role of a spy because Xinhua is actually an outreach organ of Chinese Communist Party’s intelligence agencies. The nature of their work means they must use all means to infiltrate and obtain intelligence.” Chen added that the reporters’ services are in such demand, they may have as many as three CCP officials as bosses. “As part of an intelligence network, Xinhua reporters are often under two different bosses, maybe even three different bosses, mainly CCP officials,” Chen told the Epoch Times. “If they were sent by the Ministry of State Security, then they report to the MSS, if they were sent by People’s Liberation Army General Staff Department, then they answer to the PLA General Staff Department; they all have secret missions. At the same time, they help the Consulate with political and propaganda work."

Dr Sangay expresses disappointment at global response to Tibet self-immolations

Jamphel Yeshi, 27, engulfed in flames runs at a protest rally demanding international intervention in the ongoing crisis inside Tibet on March 26, 2012. (Photo/Reuters/Adnan Abidi)  August 21: Tibet’s elected leader Dr Lobsang Sangay expressed disappointment at the global response to the unfolding crisis inside Tibet, even as the number of self-immolations touched 50 this month. Addressing members of international press in the Indian capital New Delhi on Monday, Dr Sangay noted that the wave of fiery protests inside Tibet were a reflection of Chinese government policies. “The fact that these Tibetans are going to such lengths of protest means the [promised Chinese] ‘socialist paradise’ never touched the land of Tibet – the welfare and education policies they always write on paper were never realised,” the de facto Tibetan prime minister was quoted as saying by media outlets. He added that the self-immolating Tibetans have no recourse to other forms of protest against China's rule inside Tibet. "Since I took over, the situation in Tibet became worse... and given the constraints on any freedom of speech, Tibetans have unfortunately resorted to self-immolation," he said. 50 Tibetans have set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. "We have made several appeals to Tibetan people not to resort to drastic actions like self-immolation but it continues today. It brings sadness to Tibetan people and as Buddhists we pray for them." Kalon Tripa urged other countries to pay attention to the plight of the Tibetab people. "Ignoring us or not supporting us might send a message to other marginalized groups around the world that perhaps it is not worth investing in democracy and non-violence," he said. Dr Sangay pushed for an international delegation to be sent to Tibet to investigate the causes behind the fiery protests and for unrestricted access of the international media to the region. Calling his job one of the “most difficult in the world,” the Harvard law graduate said that the Tibetan leadership will be closely observing China’s once-in-a-decade leadership change. “We need to study their background and personalities … Then only we can guess how they will deal with Tibet – but the past 50 years doesn’t give us much reason to be optimistic,” Dr Sangay said. “But as a human being one should remain always hopeful – and with so many changes in Arab countries and Aung San Suu Kyi freed, there are reasons to be hopeful.” The Tibetan leader was in New Delhi on his way back from the Bihar’s capital city of Patna, where he addressed a seminar on the topic 'Role of Tibet in Future Geo-Politics' on a day-long visit. Stressing that the Tibetan movement was based on the Indian ethos, Dr Sangay said, "The Tibetan freedom movement is a 'Made in India' concept as the exiled people of Tibet have adopted the Indian culture and democratic values, with a thrust on non-violence in their pursuit.” While in the Indian capital, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay met some “dignitaries” and is scheduled to arrive back to the exile headquarters of Dharamshala later today.

China’s Premier Could be Done Pushing Political Reform August 21, 2012 9:46 am

By Russell Leigh Moses

[Wall Street Journal, August 20, 2012, 6:35 PM HKT]

What happens to the prospects for political reform in China when Premier Wen Jiabao leaves office?

With senior Communist Party officials resurfacing after the meetings in the seaside resort of Beidaihe, and preparations commencing for the upcoming 18th Party Congress, Wen’s opportunity to move decisively in pushing political reform is clearly ticking away.

It’s never been completely clear how much party reformers owe Wen for trying to push-start political change in China. He may be, as some have charged, merely paying lip-service to the need for political reform as a way to burnish his legacy. Lately, however, he hasn’t seemed open — or able — to do even that.

Instead of charging out of the gate after the Beidaihe meetings to argue for further change in the party, Premier Wen seems intent on tending to other matters — specifically, comforting those hurt by a faltering economy.

Wen’s first public appearance after the seaside sessions was in Zhejiang, an export-dependent province hit hard by recent declines in global demand. Just a few months back, Beijing moved to liberalize the way loans are decided and disbursed there.

Wen was one of the major architects of that initiative. But now those reforms appear to have stalled. So in Zhejiang, the Premier preached “calm and confidence” amidst an economic situation he insists remains “generally good.” Wen stressed the need to control prices (especially in the real estate market), and stated that the twin goals of advancing social development and meeting economic targets could still be achieved by the end of this year.

According to one local media report, the Premier won over the crowds in Zhejiang with his “democratic, pragmatic, populist style” – this despite introducing no new initiatives.

Once the 18th Party Congress commences — an event that could happen any time between early September and the end of November, depending on which rumors you believe — Wen will officially begin the process of handing over duties to a his successor (widely expected to be Vice-Premier Li Keqiang).

But time isn’t Wen’s only problem: He’s also being hamstrung by a misbehaving economy that demands his attention.

So while Wen could be using this moment to build up momentum within the party for political reform, he’s once again being called on to deflect anger from an increasingly pinched populace. It’s tough to start fires when you’re spending so much energy fighting them.

Cadres and commoners alike may have been, in the words of the report, “encouraged by the breeze” Wen brought to this area in a scorching summer, but there are far stronger conservative winds gusting across China currently—and those are not at all encouraging for Wen and his allies.

For example, hardliners have recently signaled that they will continue to press for even more control over society — for example, striking out at television’s efforts “to mislead this generation” of younger viewers.

Conservatives also have to be heartened by the sentiments of the presumptive next leader of the party, Xi Jinping, who recently highlighted China’s “talent gap” — not the country’s lack of transparency or open elections — as a major obstacle to further and faster development.

While the premier may have wavered at producing substantive political restructuring during his tenure, he and his associates have been brave—and at least he and his allies had been holding off party conservatives from dominating decisions across the board. With Wen concentrating more on soothing the masses’ economic concerns than pushing back on politics, that era appears to be winding down.

The question now is whether anyone else at the top cares enough about political reform to take up his mantle.

(Russell Leigh Moses is a Beijing-based analyst and professor who writes on Chinese politics. He is writing a book on the changing role of power in the Chinese political system.)

Fearing protests

Fearing protests, China issues notice barring self-immolations at horse racing festival

Chinese armed forces in full riot gear deployed during the Machu horse racing festival in eastern Tibet on August 12 to deter public protests. (Photo/TCHRD)  August 21: Chinese authorities issued a notice barring Tibetans from setting themselves on fire and deployed hundreds of armed forces during a recently concluded horse racing festival in eastern Tibet. With the wave of self-immolations continuing to burn across Tibet, local Chinese authorities took stringent measures ahead of the annual horse racing festival at Machu (Chinese: Maqu) in Kanlho, Gansu on August 12 to prevent public protests. The Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a release Monday said that in addition to deploying an unprecedented number of People’s Armed Police personnel at the popular festival, local Chinese authorities also issued a 11-point public notice asking Tibetans to refrain from using the annual event to express their grievances in public. “The notice, issued in both Tibetan and Chinese language, barred anyone from carrying 'flammable' and 'poisonous' objects and engaging in protest activities at the event venue, and added that violating the rules listed in the notice would attract punishment ranging from 'detention' to prosecution in the courts,” TCHRD said. In pictures obtained by the group, Chinese armed forces in large numbers can be seen patrolling the gathering of Tibetans. TCHRD has also released copies of the notice, in both Chinese and Tibetan languages, issued at the festival. Point number ten of the notice states that activities such as demonstrations, protests, appeals, self-injury, suicide, self-immolation and beating, smashing, and looting are deemed illegal and thus banned at the event. While point number six bans objects such as fire crackers, flammable liquids, bows and arrows, swords and other objects made of iron, as well as poisonous substances from the festival, point number five bans anyone from carrying documents and leaflets relating to political, religious, cultural and economic matters to the venue without prior permission from the relevant authorities. “The notice, applicable to both participants and spectators at the event, further stated that whoever violated the rules would be barred from the festival in future and corresponding actions would be taken according to the law of the government,” the release said. Attended by thousands of people from all over Tibet and China, the Machu horse racing festival was not held for a few years after the widespread 2008 Tibet uprisings. The deepening crisis inside Tibet has witnessed large scale anti-China protests and a series of self-immolations that has now seen 50 Tibetans set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. In March this year, Chinese authorities in the same region had issued public noticesencouraging the general public to secretly report to the police any “illegal” activities aimed at harming “social stability” and “national unity”. The notice issued in all eight counties of Kanlho, labeled participation in “illegal” organisations and “fabricating and disseminating rumors on social networking sites,” as acts “endangering national security” and “harming social stability.”

‘Be united to ensure the Dalai Lama’s return,’ a self-immolator's last words

Rikyo August 19: Months after Rikyo, a Tibetan mother of three, burned herself to death, a note left behind by her calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has made its way to exile. The Dharamshala based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a release yesterday said they received the note, written in Tibetan in black ink on white paper, from a reliable source with contacts in the region. In the note, Rikyo, 36, calls on her fellow Tibetans to be united and preserve the Tibetan culture and language to ensure the return of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama. “Prayers for world peace and happiness! To ensure His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet, do not indulge in slaughtering and trading of animals, do not steal, Speak Tibetan, do not fight.” Rikyo set herself ablaze on May 30, near the Jonang Zamthang Gonchen monastery in Zamthang (Ch: Rangtang) county, in the distraught Ngaba region, the nerve centre of the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet. She succumbed to her injuries at the site of her self-immolation protest. In the note, Rikyo further urges local Tibetans not to fight with Chinese authorities if she falls into their hands alive and tells her family not to worry. Rikyo's last handwritten note. “Bearing all sufferings of the sentient beings on myself, Do not resist by fighting if I get into Chinese hands alive, Be united, Study Tibetan culture, On fire I burn, do not worry my family.” With Chinese authorities threatening to take away her body, Rikyo was cremated the same day in a haste near the Jonang Gonchen monastery. Over 5000 Tibetans attended the grand funeral ceremony to express solidarity and pay their last respects. Prayers were held until the next morning under the watch of a heavy security presence. Rikyo is survived by her husband, Nangtong, 41 and three children – two sons, Lobsang 17, Kunga, 10, and daughter Semlha, 14. The deepening crisis inside Tibet has witnessed large scale anti-China protests and a series of self-immolations that has now seen 50 Tibetans set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

'Anti-terror exercise in Lhasa a ploy to crackdown on peaceful protests'

August 19: A Tibetan member of parliament has warned that China will use its recent anti-terrorism exercise in Tibet’s capital Lhasa as a ploy to launch “indiscriminate crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters, labeling them as terrorists.”

Lobsang Yeshi, author of the paper titled ‘Dragon’s Terrorist Designs- The myth of the Tibetan Terrorism’ told Phayul that since 9/11, China has employed the ‘war on terror’ as a “massive state strategy to crush the Tibetans as terrorists” and has launched a multi-lateral campaign to achieve this “vicious” objective.

“In order to falsely indict innocent Tibetans as terrorists, Chinese security forces concoct and stage terrorist attacks and incidences, forge documents and frame evidence, implant weapons and bombs, send agent- provocateurs and wage an unabated propaganda war,” Yeshi said.

China’s state-run Global Times reported earlier this week that Chinese security forces conducted an anti-terrorism exercise at the Gongkar airport and railway station in Tibet's capital Lhasa.

The report said that the exercise named “Plateau Guards 2012” was held amid fears that "hostile forces" may attack the region in a bid to sabotage the 18th National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China, which will most likely be held in November to select the country’s new set of leaders.

The paper quoted one Xiong Kunxin, a professor with the Minzu University of China, as saying that "outside infiltrators and some people incited by the Dalai clique may launch terrorist attacks in the region." 

“Tibet faces terrorism threats from within and outside the country. The Dalai clique and hostile forces in the West hope to bring China into widespread chaos," Xiong told the paper.

The Tibetan lawmaker noted that China’s repeated attempts at labeling Tibetans as terrorists is “undoubtedly the most ridiculous and ruthless accusation China has launched on Tibetans thus far.”

Yeshi, who is also a former youth leader, cautioned that the apathy shown by world leaders at China’s accusations could lead to the situation inside Tibet spiraling out of control.

“I strongly urge the governments, reputed scholars and researchers and human rights watchdogs to effectively intervene to stop China in its vicious campaign before this gross injustice on the Tibetans spirals out of control to the detriment of all,” Yeshi added.

Since the massive uprisings of 2008, Tibet has witnessed numerous demonstrations and protest against Chinese rule. Tibetans continue to burn themselves demanding freedom in Tibet and return of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.