The Secret Tibet (The Forbidden world)

{The Tibet Post International - Thursday, 20th March 2008}
Tibet- 18th March 2008. The attached photos of dead Tibetans provide the most damning evidence seen so far that lethal force was used by Chinese security forces at protests staged by Tibetans in Aba town (Ngawa) in Sichuan province.

 

The photos, which clearly show gunshot wounds, were taken on Sunday night and Monday morning at Kirtii monastery. As Free Tibet Campaign reported on 16 March 2008 (release below) an eyewitness told Free Tibet Campaign's contact in Dharamsala that he had seen Chinese security forces fire into the crowd of Tibetan protesters and that he had seen 13 Tibetans killed as a result of the firing. Other eyewitnesses reported seeing 30 Tibetans shot dead.

These photos, together with the eyewitness statement, provide conclusive force that lethal force was used at Aba town by the Chinese security forces on 16 March 2008. The photos directly contradict recent denials to the press by Jampa Phuntsog (Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region Govt) and China Premier Wen Jia Bao that Chinese security forces had not used lethal force.

The photos were taken long before the Chinese government's deadline of midnight Monday and prove that the use of lethal force has been in force long before the Chinese government's supposed deadline for protesters to turn themselves in before the use of force would be used.

Matt Whitticase of Free Tibet Campaign said: "These photos provide shocking proof of the brutality being exercised by Chinese forces in forcefully putting down Tibetan protests. It is not acceptable for national governments to call merely for restraint from the Chinese government. Government leaders must immediately condemn China's clear use of lethal force and demand that China's leaders stop their brutal crackdown on Tibetan protesters."

Release sent on 16 March:

3. Kirti Monastery, *Ngaba* County (Ch: Aba) Sichuan Province

Free Tibet Campaign's contact in Dharamsala has received by phone several eyewitness accounts to events in Ngaba County today.(Ch: Aba)

One eyewitness reported seeing Chinese security forces shooting dead thirteen Tibetans. One of the Tibetans was named as Lobsang Tashi. The eyewitness reported that the protest was started by three monks from Kirti monastery and was joined by hundreds of monks and lay people. The protest took place 2km from Kirti monastery in Ngawa County. The protestors called for the release of the Panchen Lama. Protestors demanded the release of two monks from Kirti monastery who got arrested yesterday. According to the eyewitness police shot tear gas into the crowd and beat many of the protestors. The police then shot live round of ammunition into the crowd. According to the eyewitness this led to the confirmed deaths of thirteen Tibetans. Many more Tibetans were injured. The eyewitness then reported that the protestors reacted angrily to the use of firearms and the deaths. The protestors burned down several police vehicles and the Public Security Bureau HQ.

Other eyewitnesses to the protest that have spoken by phone to our contact in Dharamsala are reporting that up to 30 Tibetans were killed when the armed police shot into the crowd.

Our contact in Dharamsala spoke to a monk who had returned to Kirti monastery after the protests to which he had been an eyewitness. In a telephone conversation at 3pm Beijing time the monk told our contact that he had seen 8 Tibetan bodies arrive at the monastery. Two were monks, one a lay female and five were lay people. The eyewitness told our contact that a further 2 bodies arrived at the monastery half an hour later. The bodies were thought to be those of students involved in the protest.

misstibet.com[Wednesday, December 05, 2007 19:25] Tsering Chungtak, Miss Tibet 2006 with Lobsang Wangyal, director Miss Tibet at the press conference in New Delhi. (Photo by Tenzin Dasel/Phayul.com) Press Club of India, New Delhi, December 5 — Miss Tibet 2006 Tsering Chungtak has withdrawn from the Miss Tourism Pageant in Malaysia, after China put pressure on the organisers to bar Tibet from the event. Tsering Chungtak was asked to either wear a sash labelled Miss Tibet-China, or pull out of the pageant after the Chinese consulate in Kuching in eastern Malaysia pressured the organisers. Chungtak opted to pull out, since the title of "Miss Tibet-China" was not acceptable to her. "I felt that this was not acceptable to me at all. The Tibetan issue is still the same as ever. China is in control of Tibet, and there is no freedom in Tibet. China constantly violates human rights, and threatens the environment in Tibet, causing concern about the very survival of the Tibetan people," Chungtak said after returning from Malaysia. She returned to Delhi on Tuesday, after spending eight days with the other contestants. Chungtak with the Chinese representative Until and unless the Tibetan issue is resolved, fulfilling the wishes of Tibetans for greater freedom in Tibet, such a title is unacceptable to Miss Tibet. Delegates from thirty countries around the world have congregated in Sarawak, a state in eastern Malaysia, for this pageant, which was first started in 2003. The finale will be held on 7 December. The pageant is organised to promote international goodwill and understanding, and to celebrate the diversity of cultures. Alaric Soh, the founder of the pageant, said through email, that he felt saddened about the whole issue. "I wish politics didn't show its face in this pageant." Chungtak with the Indian representative Priyanka Shah. We feel that such high-handedness by China, interfering even in an event like this, not only reflects its attempt to wipe out any trace of the Tibetan people and their unique culture, but also violates basic human rights, and the aspirations of the young Tibetan women. The Miss Tibet pageant is an event organised to empower young Tibetan women, and to celebrate the evolving contemporary Tibetan culture. The pageant is not aimed at promoting any political agenda. This is all happening at a time when China is gearing up to build a clean image for itself, in its run-up to the Beijing Olympics. Such acts obviously demonstrate the hollowness of Chinese propaganda, and its false promises. These actions are only helping to exacerbate the poor human rights record of the Chinese government. After the press conference on 24 November We believe that the Tibetan people have the right to determine their own cultural identity. Not only do we condemn China's attitude, we hope that such things will never be repeated in the future. In Sibu with other delegates Singing with Indian and Pakistani delegates in a Karaoke bar

Spiegel[Tuesday, December 04, 2007 17:35] A diplomatic squabble over a meeting between Angela Merkel and the Dalai Lama has chilled relations between Berlin and Beijing. But behind the arguments lie two fundamental ideas about how democrats should contend with dictators. Pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel mounted this week when the head of the most powerful German industrial lobby, Jürgen Thumann, called for more pragmatism in her dealings with China. "After the tension of the last few weeks we need constructive dialogue," Thumann told the Financial Times Deutschland on Tuesday. "I am confident that the German government will adhere to a China policy that is based on partnership and mutual respect." China's Premier Wen Jiabao gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel fancy diplomatic treatment in Beijing last August -- before he knew about her upcoming chat with the Dalai Lama. (REUTERS) The remark was more than just a backhanded slap from a big economic interest group. One of the most important questions of German diplomacy hangs in the balance: How should Germany deal with an economically powerful dictatorship? The temperature in German-Chinese relations has "dropped almost to the freezing point," wrote the publication Welt-Kenntnis(World Knowledge), which is published by an institute run by the German foreign ministry. "How could the chancellor have done something so despicable," said an outraged Chinese diplomat at a reception given by the German ambassador in Beijing, Michael Schaefer. A jazz orchestra played Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" in the background, but the Chinese diplomat wasn't in the mood to relax. The "despicable act" was an hour-long meeting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel granted to the Dalai Lama in her own office last September. The visit was called a "private" meeting, but it quickly became political. The visit not only damaged relations with Beijing; it has also drawn criticism within Germany's grand coalition government from Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their rival Social Democrats (SPD). At first Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder -- both Social Democrats -- rapped the chancellor for taking an unpragmatic moral tone toward countries like China and Russia. The chancellor struck back in an interview last Wednesday with the tabloid Bild. "As chancellor," Merkel said, "I decide with whom I meet and where I meet them. I would like to see everyone within the government standing squarely behind this position, otherwise China's respect for us can hardly be expected to grow." But the SPD -- which sees itself as almost equally entitled to the chancellorship as the chancellor herself -- refused to back down. Merkel would be well advised, said Social Democratic leader Peter Struck, "to avail herself of the expertise of the foreign ministry and its minister (Steinmeier)." Germany's politicians are back in campaign mode, and this time their antics look more inappropriate than ever. On the one hand, the quarrel does weaken Germany's position toward China. On the other hand, the underlying issue is far too important, and too fundamental, to be subject to partisan bickering. At issue is how Germany should interact with a dictatorship. Also at issue is the recipe for a foreign policy that can address the sweet and sour aspects of a liberalizing Communist state. What China brings to the table is its vast economic strength, which is gradually paying off in political power. China is also an important buyer of German exports, as well as a potential ally in crisis situations and for international negotiations. Germany needs China, which explains Berlin's normally congenial relationship with Beijing. But the Chinese government also shows a general disregard for human rights and continues the brutal suppression of Tibetans, who revere the Dalai Lama as their religious and political leader. Germany, as an export powerhouse, derives a growing share of its wealth from China. But Germany is also a democracy, which forces its government to consider whether to promote democracy and human rights in other countries, both for the people in those countries and out of respect for its own principles. Until now, Germany has largely been spared this sort of dilemma. The world's socialist dictatorships have lacked the economic power China has today. The need to engage China forces Berlin to find and establish its own position in a new world order. Speak Softly, or Carry a Big Stick? Behind all the squabbling, two basic positions have emerged. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier represents the first position: He rejects the idea of competition between a democratic Western model and an authoritarian Asian model. He recognizes the challenge from Asia, but he hopes to find a solution in peaceful coexistence rather than confrontation. "We can no longer assume, as a matter of course, that the Western-European culture is unquestionably accepted as the universally valid guideline," Steinmeier said in a speech in Potsdam outside Berlin in September. Germany faces a choice between "fearful isolation and the path of courageous revitalization," for Steinmeier. He warns against defining conflicts of interest with China -- over the protection of intellectual property, for example -- as "cultural conflicts," insisting that such rhetoric only increases the "risk of escalation." Steinmeier argues for a relaxation of tensions and qualifies the Western world's claim to global leadership. "The essence of the world will not depend on the SPD as a global force, on the German foreign minister or on a German chancellor," he said in a speech at SPD headquarters in Berlin in July. He thinks the global balance of power is dramatically shifting, and he says, "It is important to understand that European values and ideas can no longer be foisted automatically on other parts of the world, as was possible in some phases of the past." Steinmeier believes Germany should not overestimate its strength. Asia's rising powers do not share the values and worldviews of the West, he argues, nor should the West presume to impose its ideas on Asia. This doesn't mean that Steinmeier, when traveling in Asia, makes a wide berth around sensitive topics like protections for the political opposition. During a tour through Central Asia last year, he launched into a dispute with the post-Soviet leaders in five capitals over respect for human rights, the advantages of civil rights and the temptations of opening up their countries to the West. He presented his hosts with lists of political prisoners and informed them that aid from the European Union would come with conditions attached. Nevertheless, Steinmeier prefers a low-key approach with little fanfare -- one that allows his counterparts to save face. At his party's annual convention he referred to Merkel's approach, with its public criticism and her meeting with the Dalai Lama, as "shop-window politics." He was even more critical in Potsdam in September, when he said: "I, at any rate, do not believe that the Chinese reality depends on the approval of the German press." The problem with Steinmeier's attitude is that his quiet approach is sometimes barely perceived by dissidents around the world who pin their hopes on Western democracies. And even citizens in those democracies must ask themselves how much human rights are really worth if leaders in their own societies aren't vocal enough about violations of the same rights in the wider world. The German constitution regards human dignity -- and not just German dignity -- as unassailable. By its nature, the expression "human rights" implies a universal applicability. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder got along just fine with China. (AP) Europe's history teaches us that a yearning for democracy developed because the bourgeoisie, as it became reasonably affluent, began demanding the right to security and participation in the political process. Will China necessarily follow in those footsteps? Or will the Chinese realize one day that a dictatorship offers them more affluence than a democracy? This would present a completely new challenge to the world's democratic nations. They would have to change their offensive stance -- in which they demand more human rights and more democracy -- to a defensive position, and they might have to explain to their own citizens why they are falling behind in the competition for wealth. A more concrete challenge has already materialized. A few weeks ago, before resigning as Germany's vice chancellor, Franz Müntefering argued that a democracy had to consider the extent to which it can allow foreign corporations, especially state-owned Chinese companies, to gain influence over Germany's economy and society by buying their way into its industry. Müntefering's comments highlighted the fear that democracies could be undermined and changed by economically successful dictatorships. Resisting the Asian Challenge On a flight from the Chinese city of Nanjing to Tokyo in late summer, Merkel seemed to agree: She said it was clear to her that democracies could come under pressure if a country like China continued its rapid economic growth. Not every German, Merkel said, would agree that the right to vote is more important than the rise of earning power. Merkel -- like the rest of her party -- is more concerned than Steinmeier about the Asian challenge. She and other Christian Democrats argue that Europe should join forces with the United States to prevent the combination of authoritarian government and an early capitalist economic system from spreading. China's rise to prominence, reads a CDU/CSU strategy paper, diminishes the appeal of liberal Western principles of order. According to the document, the German government's Asia policy in recent years has been "too business-centric and too China-centric." The Christian Democrats want to see Germany cooperate more closely with democracies like India. "The relationship with China will not develop in a harmonic way," says Eckart von Klaeden, the CDU/CSU's foreign policy spokesman and one of the authors of the Asia strategy document. The document has already made waves in China: Mei Zhaorong, China's former ambassador to Germany, says it expresses a "Cold War" way of thinking. Beijing suspects Merkel wants to follow a foreign policy direction similar to that of the neoconservatives in the United States. For the Chinese leadership, the strategy document is proof that Germany's relationship with China will no longer be shaped by trade and investment, or friendship and exchange, but also by ideology. Just as Washington is making war in the Middle East in the name of democracy, the Chinese magazine Outlook wrote, Berlin plans to "impose the Western model of values" on the Far East. The problem with Merkel's approach is that anyone looking to emphasize the strengths of their own system over the competition must put their views on public display. In doing so, they invite criticism, because their own strengths are usually someone else's weaknesses. So Steinmeier's approach is more peaceful, at least on the surface. The debates over this divide are taking place in democracies, for the most part: To what extent is a velvet-gloved approach compatible with the fundamental principles of a democracy? Embarrassing the Chinese The Dalai Lama conflict has unfolded against this background. Beijing considers him an enemy of the state. Tibet has been part of China for centuries, in the government's opinion. Chinese troops invaded Tibet in 1950, and eight years later the Dalai Lama fled to India. The fact that he has long since given up his calls for an independent Tibet, and instead supports extensive autonomy for the region today, makes no difference to Chinese leaders. In their view, anyone who meets with "separatists" like him -- on official premises, no less -- is committing a political deadly sin, because in doing so he undermines the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country." The Chinese ambassador to Germany, Ma Canron, told the Reutlinger General-Anzeiger that the meeting had offended the Chinese people -- adding that relations between the two countries have been "seriously damaged" as a result. With the Beijing Olympics only months away, of course, Chinese officials are nervous. They fear critics could use the games as a backboard for political attacks which could attract worldwide attention. None of which means that receiving the Dalai Lama was a bad move. But it does suggest that high diplomatic skill should have been the order of the day. On that front, Merkel has failed. She didn't mention her meeting with the Dalai Lama during her trip to China. The word in Beijing is that German experts in the Chinese foreign ministry, including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, are now keeping a low profile. Apparently Communist Party officials have voiced their displeasure with the experts for misjudging Merkel. On their advice, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao spent more time with Merkel than is customary for state visits, even taking a stroll with her through a park. That memory must be sour in Beijing by now. Merkel's supporters reject the accusation that she should have mentioned the meeting with the Dalai Lama during her visit. They say it was impossible at the time, since details were still unclear. They add that Merkel's foreign policy advisor, Christoph Heusgen, gave the Chinese ambassador in Berlin sufficient advance notice and provided him with an account of the conversation the day after the meeting. Foreign Minister Steinmeier, though, also felt blindsided. Merkel and Steinmeier discussed the meeting only three days before it was scheduled, during a debate over Afghanistan in the German parliament. Merkel apparently told Steinmeier that she had unfortunately neglected to notify him earlier -- although the real problem was a breakdown in communication between their two offices. Still, it was too late to make changes. To emphasize the private nature of the meeting, Steinmeier recommended a reception at CDU headquarters or at a government guest house in Meseberg outside Berlin. Truth and Consequences The chancellor won't discuss whether arrangements for the visit were handled poorly. "Have I ever questioned whom China invites?" she said angrily to a group of advisors. If the leader of a world religion asked for a meeting, she said, there was no reason to turn him down. The Chancellery asked the Chinese ambassador to provide proof to support the claim that the Dalai Lama is a separatist. It has yet to receive a response. Members of Merkel's staff say Austria, Canada and the United States have all received the Dalai Lama. The chancellor doesn't believe her advocacy on behalf of human and civil rights contradicts German interests. On the contrary, she says, it encourages other countries to take Germany more seriously. But if the Chinese notice that the Germans are afraid of losing their next business deal, she claims, the Beijing leadership will feel emboldened. But the Chinese have cancelled several meetings over the Dalai Lama controversy, including an annual dialogue between Berlin and Beijing over the rule of law and human rights. A planned trip to China by Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück has also been cancelled until further notice, and this cancellation eliminates an important meeting for the Deutsche Börse Group, the operator of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, which had planned to sign a cooperative agreement with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Otherwise, consequences have been minimal. "We haven't noticed anything," Richard Haussmann, the head of Siemens in China, said last week. According to Haussmann, Merkel's meeting with the Dalai Lama will have "no significant consequences for our business." He is convinced that "China will remain an important partner for Germany in the future." Merkel's staff is convinced that China needs Germany as much as Germany needs China. Without German technology, they argue, China's rise to world prominence would falter. "Much depends upon how our partners in the European Union behave," says Gudrun Wacker, a China expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew to Beijing on Sunday. Whether he will turn the German position into a European position, or whether he will merely seek to benefit from the tensions -- both diplomatically and economically -- remains to be seen. Merkel, for her part, has no plans to make concessions. At some point she will return to discussing routine issues like Iran and Burma, or reforming the United Nations Security Council, with Chinese President Wen by telephone. In the process Merkel will more than likely address the strains in German-Chinese relations -- but probably as a secondary matter. The truly difficult conversation Merkel faces will not be with the leader of a competing political system, but with a member of her own government, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, her partner in forging Germany's China policy. Steinmeier, as the freshly minted Vice Chancellor (a job that normally comes bundled with Foreign Minister), has gained new confidence. Even worse for the chancellor is the fact that, in a poll conducted last week to determine who respondents considered Germany's most important politician, Steinmeier edged out Merkel. This is far more irritating to the chancellor than her problems with China. By Ralf Beste, Dirk Kurbjuweit, Andreas Lorenz and Ralf Neukirch Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan

Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:54am IST

By Lindsay Beck

BEIJING (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama has been racking up air miles, and China isn't happy.

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, considered a traitor by Beijing since leading a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has recently been received in capitals from Washington to Canberra, and will meet the Pope at the Vatican next month.

The diplomatic push has been met with a stream of vitriol from Chinese officials and state media, calling the 72-year-old a "splittist" bent on independence for Tibet and accusing him of orchestrating anti-Chinese activities in the remote region.

None of which bodes well for two sides which are supposed to be engaged in a process of rapprochement.

After six rounds of talks over five years that have nothing to show in the way of progress, analysts say both sides are hardening their positions, leaving Tibetans frustrated and China with a festering source of instability.

"The Chinese feel that the Dalai Lama has used his moral and religious authority to destabilise Tibet," said Tsering Shakya, a Tibet scholar at the University of British Columbia.

"They have not only abandoned discussions about Tibetan autonomy, they have also abandoned offers of accommodation with the Dalai Lama as an individual religious figure."

For a Tibetan government-in-exile that has operated for nearly five decades from the Indian hill station of Dharamsala, many feel there is nothing to lose by intensifying diplomatic engagement -- even if it antagonises China.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after the failed uprising against nine years of Chinese Communist Party rule.

"It's hard to see for the Tibet government-in-exile what alternatives they would have that could serve them better," said a Western diplomat in Beijing.

"Foreign governments are part of the advocacy push, but it's a double-edged sword."

The sharp end of the blade is Beijing's response to the Dalai Lama's wave of visits.

 

PERSONAL ATTACKS

China has stepped up its campaign against him with personal attacks featured regularly in state media.

"He is trying to internationalise the issue of Tibet with a two-step splittist approach. The first step is autonomy and the second step is independence," Xinhua news agency quoted Ciren Jiabu, a local Tibet scholar, as saying.

"The Dalai Lama should be fully responsible for the failure of those dialogues," the same piece quoted An Caidan, a member of China's delegation to the talks, as saying.

An internal Communist Party memo that surfaced last month also showed the Party questioning the loyalty of ethnic Tibetan members. And analysts say university campuses in Lhasa are strewn with banners personally attacking the Dalai Lama.

Pro-Tibet groups say such attacks have little effect on public support for the movement.

"This hysteria, this vitriol that comes out of Beijing, people roll their eyes at it. Nobody's quaking in their boots," said Mary Beth Markey, a vice president of the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet.

 

BUSY OR BAD YEAR?

Markey also disputes the idea that the Dalai Lama has been on a diplomatic offensive, saying that he always has a busy calendar, but the difference is that he is being received by more leaders.

This year, he met U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House, in addition to leaders of Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

"Western leaders are frustrated in their own outreach to China and they see the Dalai Lama as a figurehead for human rights and a signal to Beijing that they are concerned about political freedom," Markey said.

But for the Chinese side, it's a bad year for compromise. 

A five-yearly Communist Party Congress in October brought a wave of leadership changes, meaning China's bureaucracy charged with spearheading the Tibet dialogue is in transition.

China is also loath to change the status quo and risk instability ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.

But as talks stagnate, signs of discontent in Tibet and ethnic Tibetan areas of western China are increasing.

Last year, almost 10,000 Tibetans converged on a monastery in China's northwest, mistakenly thinking the Dalai Lama was there.

This month, four ethnic Tibetans were jailed for "inciting to split the country" and engaging in "splittist activities" after publicly calling for the Dalai Lama's return.

"Whatever China thinks about the Dalai Lama, it is quite clear he has moral authority and religious authority in Tibet," said Tsering Shakya. "Without some sort of accommodation or reconciliation with him, the Tibetan issue will fester."

Written by Harjot Singh

Sunday, November 11, 2007

New Delhi: When India acts, it does so without shame. Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral was to preside over a function to felicitate Dalai Lama while Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was also to be present. Gujral marked his presence, Dikshit did not show up. Reason? India's top bureaucrat, the Cabinet Secretary, sent a written order asking everyone to "avoid" the function. New Delhi wants to befriend Beijing; the Tibetian cause be damned. Dalai Lama was presented the US Congressional Gold Medal and that was the reason to felicitate him. The Gandhi Peace Foundation, the All-Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, the Core Group for the Tibetan Cause and representatives of major religions had organised Saturday’s function. The office of Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar issued what it called "an advisory" to the ministers but stated no reasons for it. Everyone seems to have gulped such an order. So much for the world's biggest democracy. New Delhi did not want to annoy Beijing which protests every time the Dalai Lama is accorded a warm reception anywhere in the world. Beijing had made known its displeasure over the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to the United States, where he had received the US Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest civilian award, at a function attended by President George W. Bush. Bashishtha Narain Singh, MP, who is convenor of the All-Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, Delhi mayor Arti Mehra, scholar Kapila Vatsayan, certain diplomats, the Dalai Lama’s followers, fellow Tibetans and supporters of the Tibetan cause were in attendance. Earlier, in his address, the Dalai Lama accused China of what he called "demographic aggression", saying that his people had been reduced to a minority in his homeland under Beijing’s rule. "Every Tibetan mind lives with fear and a feeling of terror," the exiled leader said. "The population of (Tibet’s capital) Lhasa used to be 50,000 to 60,000. Now it is 300,000, of which 200,000 are Chinese," he said. For the Sikhs, Dalai Lama's concerns should make important news as the Indian government's machinations are currently in full flow to change the demography of Punjab. Some Sikh organisations have been lately raising their voice on the issue. The Dalai Lama said that Tibetans were being denied an opportunity to learn their language and monasteries were being politicised under what he called "cultural genocide." Just as in India, the Punjabi language was being marginalised increasingly and the children of the Sikhs are being weaned away from the Sikh culture and even their own religion. "It’s quite silly to criticise the Dalai Lama," he chuckled, referring to Tibetans sometimes being arrested if they did not agree to denounce him at monasteries. The 72-year-old leader said that a railway line launched last year, linking Tibet to the rest of China, was being used for "exploitation of natural resources." The Tibetan leader added that he was semi-retired, and was looking forward to retirement from his political role. "I am looking for complete retirement and (to) spending time on preparation of my next reincarnation," the Dalai Lama said. "I want to make clear: the Dalai Lama may die, (but) the Tibetan community will remain," he said to prolonged applause. The Dalai Lama said that he wanted his authority to be handed over to the Tibetan government-in-exile, based at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

by Tibet Intergroup
November 12th, 2007

The European Parliamentarian Conference on Tibet in Brussels today expressed deep concern about the continuing violation of the rights of Tibetan people by the Peoples Republic of China, and unanimously called upon the European Union (EU) and national governments of European countries to push for a political settlement of the long standing Sino-Tibetan issue.

More than 200 participants from 20 countries - Members of the European and National parliaments, Members of the EU Commission and the Council, Ambassadors, Human Rights and Environmental activists and Olympic gold-medallists - attended the conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. They were invited by the European Parliament's Tibet Intergroup.

The conference was opened by President of the Tibet Intergroup, Mr. Thomas Mann and the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering and comprised two workshops on the Tibetan Environmental Situation and on the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. In a statement to the conference, Mr Poettering welcomed the renewed contact between the government of the People's Republic of China and the envoys of H.H. the Dalai Lama, but urged the Chinese leadership to embark upon earnest and sincere negotiations with the object of finding a just and lasting political solution on Tibet's Autonomy situation.

"The EU must ensure that the EU and its member States implement effective policies to promote an end to the tragic oppression of the Tibetan people," said Mr. Mann.

The European Parliamentarian Conference on Tibet adopted two resolutions. The first one highlighted ongoing risks to the health and sustainability of the Tibetan environment, resulting from Chinese government policies, including reckless resource extraction and timber harvesting, social re-engineering that interferes with traditional livelihoods, rapid urbanization and the radical increase of Chinese settlers into Tibet. The resolution raises awareness about the spiritual, cultural, economic, and health significance of the Tibetan environment for the Tibetan people, as well for the people of China, for Tibet's immediate neighbours and for the world at large.

"The Tibet Intergroup appreciates that Chinese President Hu Jintao has made commitments to addressing environmental issues during the October 2007 17th Party Congress. But there must also come the acknowledgement that it is the Chinese government's own failure to implement genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people that denies them local communities the opportunity to participate meaningfully in environmental decision-making and to contest environmental projects Tibetans regard as detrimental to their cultural, religious and/or economic interests", said Thomas Mann.

"We must investigate and utilise NGO, governmental and international environmental programs that can be applied to Tibet and that will provide Tibetans with the opportunity to participate in the management of their environment", added Mr. Mann.

In its second workshop, the conference participants discussed the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing 2008 and the role that previous Olympic Games have contributed to social and political change, and that the 2008 games in Beijing can also represent an opportunity to contribute to positive change in China and Tibet. They underlined that His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has consistently supported the Chinese people's desire to host the 2008 Olympics.

Dolma Gyari, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, called upon the EP to reaffirm its support for the dialogue between representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government, and its expectation that this dialogue will lead to tangible progress towards a negotiated settlement on the issue of Tibet within the framework of the PRC."

Speaking on the Sino-Tibetan dialogue, the envoy of the Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyaltsen said, "the pursuit of international recognition, respect and admiration is a top priority of the Chinese leadership. Without the cooperation, acceptance and deference of the members of the international community this ambition cannot be achieved. World opinion is far from being immaterial to the Chinese leadership."

Mr. Vincent Metten, EU Policy Director for the International Campaign for Tibet, said that policymakers should call upon their governments to ensure that China's actions and deeds actively contribute to the realization of the UN Olympics Truce, as passed by the UN General Assembly on 31 October 2007.

The conference participants also called on China to promote the freedom of press and independent reporting for international and domestic journalists. This should include all travel to and reporting from Tibetan areas.

"We intend to sign an official petition to President Hu Jintao urging that all rights to free expression, free religious belief and free association be respected in the run up to the Beijing Games and beyond", added Mr Mann.

Other speakers at today's conference included:

• Isabel Hilton (UK), columnist for british newspapers, author of "the Search of the Panchen Lama", editor of a website devoted to climate change and environment;
• Penpa Tsering, Member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Director of the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre;
• Peter Stastny MEP, participant of 4 Olympic Games (Winter);
• Dieter Baumann, German athlete (1500 m and 5000 m distance), Olympic Medallist, gold medal winner of 5000 m at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

"This conference has provided an inspiring platform for supporters of Tibet to meet and discuss the challenges facing the Tibetan Issue", said Ms. Tsering Jampa, Director of International Campaign for Tibet Europe. "We appreciate the engagement of policymakers all across Europe on the Tibet issue and for adopting the strong resolutions that encourage the Tibetan people to continue their non-violent struggle towards freedom", she added.

The conference was organized by the European Parliament's Intergroup for Tibet, in association with Bureau du Tibet, Brussels, and the International Campaign for Tibet Europe.

Please contact for more information:

Mr. Thomas Mann, President of the Tibet Intergroup
Tel: +32 - 2 - 2 84 53 18

Ms. Tsering Jampa, Executive Director, International Campaign for Tibet Europe
Tel: +32-2-609-4410
Mbl: +31-6-2900-4547

Emorywheel.com[Friday, November 09, 2007 14:13] By Thupten Tendar First of all, thanks to Ryan Seals for reading the wonderful article on Tibet and Paige Wilson for being a peaceful messenger and supporter for the truth. As a Tibetan refugee, I’d like to give my perspective on our dying nation. Historically speaking, Tibet was led by kings, lamas and others based on the law of “Ten Virtues” and the 16 human principles, introduced by King Songtsan Gampo in the seventh century. I am not claiming that Tibet, prior to 1950s, was free of any conflict. No part of our world was. However, the ruling communist party has afflicted the brain of many non-Tibetans with its baseless propaganda by teaching fabricated history classes. So I, being a refugee with a parent who survived our genocide and diaspora, have a personal responsibility to make people understand Tibet properly. Upon the Chinese takeover, thousands of monks, including my own uncle in Kham, were dragged off their meditation cushions and beheaded for nothing else than being a monk. The only allegation Mao Tse-Tung and his army made against these men was that they were monks practicing their religion, which the communists believe is poison to a society. The lay communities in Tibet pay their highest respect to the ordained people. They consider it a great honor for their son or daughter to join a monastery or nunnery because of their own faith. They rejoice in the spiritual community. Anybody who tries to break this relationship doesn’t understand Tibet and the Tibetan spirit properly. My mother ran into exile with her mother and two sisters. She barely made it to India. She was separated from her mother and sisters, and to this day has never heard from them again. They might have been killed by the so-called liberators, buried under snow or dead of hunger. More than one million Tibetans were heartlessly killed by those who some people still claim were bringing liberation and prosperity to Tibet. If the real purpose of their invasion is for development of Tibet, then why did they divide it into many new parts and rename them in Chinese? Why did they destroy the Tibetan ecology, which caused deadly floods in China? Why do they choose their own version of the Panchen Lama and claim the right to select the future reincarnations of Tibetan lamas — even as they decry religion? Why do they build prisons and military bases rather than hospitals and schools? How can the words “freedom and democracy” appearing on Google, Yahoo and other websites hamper their mission development? Why are they afraid of dialogue with a figure of peace? Is the free media really harmful to growth and modernization? I don’t hate China. I appreciate most of my Chinese brothers and sisters for being nothing but warmhearted, courageous and compassionate toward me. But the Chinese occupation of Tibet was the first time in more than 2,000 years of Tibetan history that so many people were massacred in the region. Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans had to flee their homeland to become refugees. Our basic human rights were snatched away. They say communism brought peace and prosperity to Tibet. Sorry, we don’t need any such blessings! Thupten Tendar is from Berkeley, Calif. He is currently traveling with the Drepung Loseling Monastery’s Mystical Arts of Tibet tour.

  

  

Just two months after having paid a visit to Hamburg, the Dalai Lama will come back to Germany to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin for a "private conversation" later this month.