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29/07/2008

Sen. John McCain Meets With H.H the Dalai Lama

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Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) meets with the Dalai Lama (2nd L) and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (L) in Aspen, Colorado, July 25, 2008. McCain slammed Democratic rival Barack Obama on Friday for poor judgement on the Iraq war, laying out in sharp terms his argument the Illinois senator should not be commander in chief. The man on the right is not identified. Photo: AP {The Tibet Post International -26 July 2008}-(AP)With the Beijing Olympics just two weeks away, Sen. John McCain brought China to the forefront of the foreign-policy debate Friday by meeting with H.H the 14th the Dalai Lama. U.S.

Despite a recent focus on Europe and the Middle East because of Sen. Barack Obama's overseas trip, China is likely to dominate the news coverage in the coming weeks as the Games get under way.

The Republican presidential contender sat down with the exiled Tibetan spiritual and political leader in Aspen, Colo., to discuss "issues of mutual concern," a McCain aide said, including talks between the Dalai Lama and China, as well as how "the international community can best support the Dalai Lama in his efforts."

After the meeting with the Dalai Lama, Sen. McCain offered tough criticisms of China and urged its leaders to show more progress in addressing political grievances.

"The U.S. welcomes good relations with China, but it does no service to the Chinese government and certainly no service to the people of China for the U.S. and other democracies to pretend that the suppression of rights in China doesn't concern us," Sen. McCain said.

Over the years, activists have turned the Dalai Lama into a symbol not just of the struggle for Tibetan autonomy but, more broadly, of political and human rights in China. Especially given the timing, Sen. McCain's meeting is a strong show of sympathy for critics of the Chinese regime at a time when the world's attention is focused on the country.

Most voters see China as more of an adversary than an ally, according to The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released this week -- the survey showed 54% think of China as a foe, while only 23% view it as a friend -- even though a clear majority, 63%, believe President George W. Bush should attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, while only a quarter said he shouldn't. Sen. McCain's meeting with the Dalai Lama appears to be partly an effort to inoculate himself from the criticism Mr. Bush is likely to get from human-rights activists.

To some extent, "he's trying to draw a distinction between himself and the president, who's going to the Olympics," said Charles Freeman, a China scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Sen. Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, has spoken with the Dalai Lama twice in recent months, a campaign aide said. He talked by phone with the Dalai Lama in April, at the height of the Chinese government's crackdown on Tibet, and met with him in Sen. Obama's role on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Obama also has expressed a willingness to meet with the spiritual leader one-on-one.

China's government strongly objects to foreign leaders meeting with the Dalai Lama, who Beijing insists wants to wrest Tibet from Chinese control. In the past year, Beijing has publicly lashed out at Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and German Chancellor Angela Merkel for hosting him. When Mr. Bush met privately at the White House with the Dalai Lama in October, a Chinese government spokesman blasted the meeting as "gross interference in China's internal affairs."

For his part, Mr. Bush tries to strike a delicate balance in his interactions with the Dalai Lama and with China more broadly. Mr. Bush has met three times with the Dalai Lama, but each time, the meeting has occurred in the presidential residence, not in the Oval Office -- a distinction meant to signal to the Chinese that the Dalai Lama was being received as a spiritual leader rather than as a political one. Still, on the last visit, in October, Mr. Bush presented the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, the nation's highest civilian award, in a ceremony at the Capitol.

White House officials declined to comment on whether they thought Mr. McCain's meeting was meant to distance the candidate from Mr. Bush or score political points off China.

"As the Chinese tell us, any meetings on Tibet or with the Dalai Lama are a sensitive subject for them," said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe. But he added that "when the president meets with him, he meets with him because he's a great spiritual leader, not a political figure."

John Ackerly, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, said Sen. McCain had requested the meeting months ago and that the Dalai Lama was looking for international support for his "efforts to engage the Chinese in a direct dialogue" on Tibetan autonomy. Talks earlier this summer were unsuccessful, and Mr. Ackerly said there were hopes for new talks after the Olympics.

Mr. Ackerly said the Dalai Lama was concerned that the meeting not appear to be an endorsement and that the Dalai Lama has talked with Sens. Obama and Hillary Clinton.

--Jay Solomon in Paris contributed to this article.

TYC launches indefinite hunger strike without food and water in New Delhi


Phayul[Monday, July 28, 2008 15:42]
By Tenzin Sangmo

Hunger strikers (Photo by Tenzin Dasel)
New Delhi, July 28 - TYC is back with its second phase of Tibetan People's Mass Movement to protest against the Beijing Olympics and the unacceptable colonial occupation of Tibet. As part of its series of campaigns in the run up to the Games, TYC launched an 'Indefinte Fast for Tibet- without Food and Water' at Jantar Mantar today. The Mass Movement began last year which saw some 25,000 Tibetans from around the world gather in the Indian Capital on August 8 to demonstrate against China hosting the Summer Olympics and support the demands laid down by the 14 Tibetans who were on an 'Indefinite Hunger Strike Unto Death' for 33 days.

This time six Tibetans have volunteered to go on without food and water until China gives in to their demands. Shitser Nyima, 37, Sonam Dakpa (Sodak), 31 and Tenpa Darge, 25 are from Sera Je Tehor in South India. Tsering, 23 hails from Drepung Loseling in Mungod, Jangchup Sangpo, 28 is from Mcloed Ganj, Dharamsala and Wangdue Phuntsok, 31 is from Norbulingka in Dharamsala.

TYC President Tsewang Rigzin speaking to media. (Photo by Tenzin Dasel/Phayul)
Sonam Dakpa who was also a core marcher with Tibetan People's Uprising Movement's 'March to Tibet' earlier this year said, "We are protesting against the Olympics in Beijing because China has failed to live up to its promise of improving human rights in the region. They accuse His Holiness of being a separatist and the Tibetan Youth Congress of being a terrorist organization. I sincerely ask them to back their accusations with material proof."

The gravity of the situation arises when unlike in the past where hunger strikers were allowed water, the six individuals among whom five are monks will not drink a drop apart from not eating. Many doctors agree that a healthy person can survive without food as long as he has water. But there is a major difference in living without water and living without food. Assuming that a person is in a reasonably healthy condition and not exposed to extreme heat or cold, he can go on for about 3 to 5 days without water. Healthier humans can live another day or perhaps longer. An absence of both food and water can prove to be fatal and it is medically recommended that one should never go without water for more than a day.

Chief Guest Shri Bashist Narain Singh, MP and Convenor of the All Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet. (Photo by Tenzin Dasel/Phayul)
According to TYC these six individuals represent the plight of the six million Tibetans across the globe.

Chief Guest Shri Bashist Narain Singh, MP and Convenor of the All Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet lit the inaugural ceremonial lamp which marked the official launch of the day's main event.

Special Guest Vijay Kranti, prominent Journalist and Editor of Tibbat Desh said, "It is our responsibility to stand up and at least communicate to the world that Olympics should not be misused for the colonial interest of a colonial country. We are here at the opening of an event which personally I must admit am not very happy about, although a very non violent way of expressing your opinion it is being very cruel to oneself.
Special Guest Vijay Kranti, prominent Journalist and Editor of Tibbat Desh. (Photo by Tenzin Dasel/Phayul)
But I also think this is far better than those people who to express the political opinion of one particular group plant bombs killing those who have nothing to do with any political issues."

TYC President Tsewang Rigzin said to the media, " The Tibetan Youth Congress launched this hunger strike today because of the serious situation inside Tibet where Tibetans are suffering tremendously under the brutal oppression of the illegal Chinese communist regime and since March 10, because of the historic uprising by Tibetans inside Tibet, Tibet is virtually under siege right now without any freedom whatsoever. We feel that it is the responsibility of the Tibetans in exile to further our sustained movement and keep the Tibetan issue on the international stage and also put as much pressure as we can on the Chinese government."

TYC also aims to launch People's Mass demonstration on August 7, 2008 which is based on the principles of Gandhi's non violence and 'Satyagraha' (insistence on truth).