HONG KONG: A leading Chinese historian and a veteran of the committee that advises on official Chinese history textbooks has broken step with the official Chinese line on historical sovereignty over Tibet and said that to claim that the ancient Buddhist kingdom “has always been a part of China” would be a “defiance of history”.
In an article in the China Review magazine, Professor Ge Jianxiong, 62, director of the Institute of Chinese Historical Geography and the Research Centre for Historical Geographic Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, states that while considering how big China was during the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th century), “we cannot include the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which was ruled by Tubo/Tufan…”
Tubo/Tufan, notes Ge, “was a sovereignty independent of the Tang Dynasty. At least it was not administered by the Tang Dynasty.” If it were not, he argues, there would have been no need for the Tang emperor of the day to offer Princess Wen Cheng in a “marriage of state” to the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo.
“It would be a defiance of history,” asserts Ge, “to claim that Tibet has always been a part of China since the Tang Dynasty; the fact that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau subsequently became a part of the Chinese dynasties does not substantiate such a claim.”
Ge’s article is an exploration of a larger theme of Chinese identity in history — and precisely when it evolved. And his comments on Tibet conform to scholarly accounts that acknowledge that the takeover of Tibet during the Qing Dynasty (17th to early 20th century) was the starting point for “Chinese sovereignty” over the region.
Yet, Ge’s comments are controversial insofar as they deviate from the official Communist Party line that Tibet has always been an inalienable part of China; in the past China has regarded as any weakening of that theory as “anti-national” and “split-ist”. It will be interesting to see how the authorities respond to Ge’s scholarly article.
Ge’s major research fields include historical population geography, population and migration history, and cultural history. He has written and edited numerous books, and over 100 articles on historical population geography, population and migration history, and cultural history.
In his latest article, Ge notes that prior to 1912, when the Republic of China was officially founded, the idea of China (in Chinese, Zhongguo) wasn’t clearly conceptualised. Even during the late Qing period, he writes, the term ‘China’ would on occasion be used to refer to the “Qing State, including all the territory that fell within the boundaries of the Qing empire”; but at other times, it would be taken to refer only to the “18 interior provinces”, excluding Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang.
Therefore, he argues, “if we want to understand the extent of ancient China’s territory, we can only speak of how large the actual territory controlled by a particular dynasty was at a particular moment.” Noting that notions of a ‘Greater China’ were based entirely on the “one-sided views of Qing court records that were… written for the court’s self-aggrandisement”, Ge criticises those who feel that “the more they exaggerate the territory of historical ‘China’ or China’s successive dynasties and kingdoms, the more patriotic they are.”
In fact, he says, the opposite is true. “If China really wishes to rise peacefully and be on a solid footing to face the future, we must understand the sum of our history and learn from our experiences.”
A group dedicated to the freedom of Tibetans in their own homeland. Find us on Facebook
Monday, 20 April 2015
Schoolboy sends fan letter to Dalai Lama
From the Birmingham Mail
Edgbaston 13-year-old George Morris and dad stunned when Tibetan guru jets them out to meet him
It's a story so fantastic, heart-warming and brimful of hope it could have been scripted by Disney.
The schoolboy who sent fan mail to the Dalai Lama and received an invitation to meet Tibet’s spiritual leader.
Incredibly, 13-year-old George Morris was granted a private audience with the exiled Holy Man in a monastery in Dharamsala, India.
After talking about faith, he left the “life-changing” meeting with 18 books and a blessed statue, presented by the Dalai Lama.
“Buddhists do not believe in one god,” says the Edgbaston teenager who made the religious journey with dad Andrew.
“But it did seem God himself had dropped the words into the Dalai Lama’s mouth.”
Andrew, a teacher, was equally moved by the meeting.
George Morris and his dad Andrew meet the Dalai LamaGeorge Morris and his dad Andrew meet the Dalai Lama
“I was stunned,” admits the 53-year-old. “It was one of those moments when you really don’t know what to say, when your brain goes blank. It had a massive effect on me.”
George, a pupil at King Edward VI Five Ways School, is no ordinary youngster.
Sharp, perceptive and with an intellect way beyond his years, he searches for spiritual answers and rails against global injustices. He has strong views on poverty when many his age are simply worried about the Premier League title race.
Of China’s brutal crackdown on Tibet’s campaign for independence, he says: “There has been a genocide since 1959. Some 1.2 million people have effectively been slaughtered, and 200,000 forced out of Tibet.
“Yet this is a country we are striving to strike trade deals with.”
He converted to Buddhism 18 months ago – “Granny thinks it’s a fad, she thinks I’m a hippy,” he laughs – and wrote a speculative letter to the Dalai Lama last September.
“I expressed my sympathies and views on the situation in Tibet,” he recalls. “I expressed how I thought he is doing good work in trying to end that in a peaceful way.”
To George and his family’s shock, the Dalai Lama replied, inviting him to Dharamsala.
George and Andrew began a long journey, punctuated by a three day stop-off in Dubai, the unbridled luxury providing a stark contrast to the poverty they encountered on the Indian sub-continent.
They were among 1,500 devotees from 56 nations who gathered at the monastery gates, but George and Andrew were among just a handful to be granted a one-to-one meeting.
George Morris who got to meet the Dalai LamaGeorge Morris who got to meet the Dalai Lama
“I was paranoid about doing something stupid, like not turning my phone off,” says George.
“Imagine if it rang in the middle of our conversation. Now that would be embarrassing!”
During the 10-minute meeting, the Dalai Lama described the boy’s conversion to Buddhism as an inspiration, but warned: “Do not follow a faith blindly.”
“He told me not to look on Buddhism as just a philosophy, but as a revolutionary science,” says George. “I thanked him for everything he has done for the Tibetan people.”
“He was everything I thought he would be and much, much more. He had a God-like aura.”
And it may not be the last conversation between the unlikely pair.
“He said I could call him and ask him anything,” reveals George.
Andrew admits to dwelling on more earthly thoughts.
“He came in so normally. I remember thinking he had soft hands,” he chuckles, “and wondering if he uses moisturiser.”
“It was a life-changing moment,” he adds on a more serious note. “And I thought his message not to follow a faith without question was phenomenal. He wasn’t pushing his religion. He was saying, ‘Don’t just be a Buddhist, look into it first’.”
Since their return from the two-week trek, George has struggled to find people who believe a tale that seems too tall to be true.
Thankfully, he has the photographic evidence.
“The usual response is ‘That’s amazing, but did it really happen?’ shrugs George. The meeting has strengthened his faith, and his parents support the path their son has taken.
“I thought Buddhism made the most sense,” he explains. “It impacts on my decisions, but it does not impact on my routines. The way that I think about what I do is impacted.
“Granny thinks I’ll grow out of it – but she thought the same when I became a vegetarian.”
The stark contrast between life in oil-rich Dubai and India has only hardened George’s resolve to pursue a legal career centred on civil rights.
“I loved India, but hated Dubai,” he admits. “Dubai is a capitalist venture, built solely to get money out of people. It is a hideous place.
“In India, at times I felt guilty because I was in a nice, air-conditioned car and I was seeing people begging for water.
“But they love their country, they are very patriotic. I loved the people and I loved the culture.”
George publicly thanks King Edward VI Five Ways head teacher, Mrs Y Wilkinson, for allowing him time off to make the incredible journey. She has asked for only one thing in return – the prize pupil has to give an assembly on his meeting with the Dalai Lama.
He is bracing himself for the inevitable whispers from classmates: “C’mon, it’s a wind-up.”
It’s not.
George Morris has the statue and books to prove it.
Edgbaston 13-year-old George Morris and dad stunned when Tibetan guru jets them out to meet him
It's a story so fantastic, heart-warming and brimful of hope it could have been scripted by Disney.
The schoolboy who sent fan mail to the Dalai Lama and received an invitation to meet Tibet’s spiritual leader.
Incredibly, 13-year-old George Morris was granted a private audience with the exiled Holy Man in a monastery in Dharamsala, India.
After talking about faith, he left the “life-changing” meeting with 18 books and a blessed statue, presented by the Dalai Lama.
“Buddhists do not believe in one god,” says the Edgbaston teenager who made the religious journey with dad Andrew.
“But it did seem God himself had dropped the words into the Dalai Lama’s mouth.”
Andrew, a teacher, was equally moved by the meeting.
George Morris and his dad Andrew meet the Dalai LamaGeorge Morris and his dad Andrew meet the Dalai Lama
“I was stunned,” admits the 53-year-old. “It was one of those moments when you really don’t know what to say, when your brain goes blank. It had a massive effect on me.”
George, a pupil at King Edward VI Five Ways School, is no ordinary youngster.
Sharp, perceptive and with an intellect way beyond his years, he searches for spiritual answers and rails against global injustices. He has strong views on poverty when many his age are simply worried about the Premier League title race.
Of China’s brutal crackdown on Tibet’s campaign for independence, he says: “There has been a genocide since 1959. Some 1.2 million people have effectively been slaughtered, and 200,000 forced out of Tibet.
“Yet this is a country we are striving to strike trade deals with.”
He converted to Buddhism 18 months ago – “Granny thinks it’s a fad, she thinks I’m a hippy,” he laughs – and wrote a speculative letter to the Dalai Lama last September.
“I expressed my sympathies and views on the situation in Tibet,” he recalls. “I expressed how I thought he is doing good work in trying to end that in a peaceful way.”
To George and his family’s shock, the Dalai Lama replied, inviting him to Dharamsala.
George and Andrew began a long journey, punctuated by a three day stop-off in Dubai, the unbridled luxury providing a stark contrast to the poverty they encountered on the Indian sub-continent.
They were among 1,500 devotees from 56 nations who gathered at the monastery gates, but George and Andrew were among just a handful to be granted a one-to-one meeting.
George Morris who got to meet the Dalai LamaGeorge Morris who got to meet the Dalai Lama
“I was paranoid about doing something stupid, like not turning my phone off,” says George.
“Imagine if it rang in the middle of our conversation. Now that would be embarrassing!”
During the 10-minute meeting, the Dalai Lama described the boy’s conversion to Buddhism as an inspiration, but warned: “Do not follow a faith blindly.”
“He told me not to look on Buddhism as just a philosophy, but as a revolutionary science,” says George. “I thanked him for everything he has done for the Tibetan people.”
“He was everything I thought he would be and much, much more. He had a God-like aura.”
And it may not be the last conversation between the unlikely pair.
“He said I could call him and ask him anything,” reveals George.
Andrew admits to dwelling on more earthly thoughts.
“He came in so normally. I remember thinking he had soft hands,” he chuckles, “and wondering if he uses moisturiser.”
“It was a life-changing moment,” he adds on a more serious note. “And I thought his message not to follow a faith without question was phenomenal. He wasn’t pushing his religion. He was saying, ‘Don’t just be a Buddhist, look into it first’.”
Since their return from the two-week trek, George has struggled to find people who believe a tale that seems too tall to be true.
Thankfully, he has the photographic evidence.
“The usual response is ‘That’s amazing, but did it really happen?’ shrugs George. The meeting has strengthened his faith, and his parents support the path their son has taken.
“I thought Buddhism made the most sense,” he explains. “It impacts on my decisions, but it does not impact on my routines. The way that I think about what I do is impacted.
“Granny thinks I’ll grow out of it – but she thought the same when I became a vegetarian.”
The stark contrast between life in oil-rich Dubai and India has only hardened George’s resolve to pursue a legal career centred on civil rights.
“I loved India, but hated Dubai,” he admits. “Dubai is a capitalist venture, built solely to get money out of people. It is a hideous place.
“In India, at times I felt guilty because I was in a nice, air-conditioned car and I was seeing people begging for water.
“But they love their country, they are very patriotic. I loved the people and I loved the culture.”
George publicly thanks King Edward VI Five Ways head teacher, Mrs Y Wilkinson, for allowing him time off to make the incredible journey. She has asked for only one thing in return – the prize pupil has to give an assembly on his meeting with the Dalai Lama.
He is bracing himself for the inevitable whispers from classmates: “C’mon, it’s a wind-up.”
It’s not.
George Morris has the statue and books to prove it.
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Cafe Momo and Three Times Tibet
Its Cafe Momo on Sunday 15th February 2015 starting at 12:30, with momos, soup and a selection of cake. Teas and Coffee.
At 3pm Special Slide show: A Bike ride from Manali to Leh by Valerie Parkinson. Valerie has spent the last 30 years leading trips in the Himalayas. At this Cafe Momo she will give a talk with photogtraphs on her cycle trip across the Indian Himalayas from Manali to Leh, one of the most demanding cycle journeys in the world.
see http://www.bathtibetsupport.org.uk/three-times-tibet/
Hennie and Martin Simmington (1986), Richard Moulton (1993) and Sharon Penwell (2010) who has led tours of Tibet will be recounting their respective visits to Tibet and showing their pictures taken during those visits.
The evening is complemented with live traditional Tibetan music from Tashi and Sherab and contemporary solo guitar from Ben Powell (guitarist)
Tickets are £5 each (under 12s go free).
At 3pm Special Slide show: A Bike ride from Manali to Leh by Valerie Parkinson. Valerie has spent the last 30 years leading trips in the Himalayas. At this Cafe Momo she will give a talk with photogtraphs on her cycle trip across the Indian Himalayas from Manali to Leh, one of the most demanding cycle journeys in the world.
Three Times Tibet
An event at Hartham Park Friday 10th April starting at 7:30 -see http://www.bathtibetsupport.org.uk/three-times-tibet/
Hennie and Martin Simmington (1986), Richard Moulton (1993) and Sharon Penwell (2010) who has led tours of Tibet will be recounting their respective visits to Tibet and showing their pictures taken during those visits.
The evening is complemented with live traditional Tibetan music from Tashi and Sherab and contemporary solo guitar from Ben Powell (guitarist)
Tickets are £5 each (under 12s go free).
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
Next Cafe Momo
We finished our year with a big 'Thank You' from the TADRA Project Team, which we would like to pass on to all of you, as you all helped to raise the money by coming to our Cafe's.
Speaking of which, our next Cafe Momo is not far away, on the 18th this month to be precise and this time we have a special guest !!!
Sue Dowle will be joining us to talk about her trip to N.India (Autumn 2014) where she travelled by motorbike through the Spiti Valley.
The Spiti Valley is a high altitude desert valley in the Himalaya, located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name means ' The Middle Land', the area between Tibet and Northern India that was once part of western Tibet. It is home to a homogenous population of about 10000 people who are ethnically Tibetan and has been described as 'one of the last undisturbed enclaves of Tibetan Buddhism on Indian soil'. The valley is cut off by snow for much of the year and is not easily accessible, which adds much to its character. The talk will be accompanied by some photographs and followed by 'question time' where Sue will be happy to answer all your questions.
Sue will start at 3pm, so make you sure you had your share of soup and cake by then.
Speaking of which, our next Cafe Momo is not far away, on the 18th this month to be precise and this time we have a special guest !!!
Sue Dowle will be joining us to talk about her trip to N.India (Autumn 2014) where she travelled by motorbike through the Spiti Valley.
The Spiti Valley is a high altitude desert valley in the Himalaya, located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name means ' The Middle Land', the area between Tibet and Northern India that was once part of western Tibet. It is home to a homogenous population of about 10000 people who are ethnically Tibetan and has been described as 'one of the last undisturbed enclaves of Tibetan Buddhism on Indian soil'. The valley is cut off by snow for much of the year and is not easily accessible, which adds much to its character. The talk will be accompanied by some photographs and followed by 'question time' where Sue will be happy to answer all your questions.
Sue will start at 3pm, so make you sure you had your share of soup and cake by then.
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
Another Tibetan dies in flames, thousands gather in solidarity:Tawu
| Phayul[Tuesday, December 23, 2014 22:28] |
Kalsang Yeshi/file
Kalsang Yeshi, a 37 year old Tibetan monk of Nyitso Monastery in Tawu in eastern Tibet, set himself on fire right in front of the police post in the premises of the monastery today around 11 AM (local time), said Lobsang Jinpa, a Tibetan from Tawu now residing in India. Kalsang had studied at the Ganden Jhangste monastery in south India in the past after he left home in Thewa village in Kunor township, Tawu County, according to Jinpa, who accompanied him during his flight to exile. “I knew him very well. We came into exile together in 1997. I met him a few years ago when I went to Tibet,” said Jinpa. 
Graphic image/charred body of Kalsang Yeshi, 37, who died after immolating himself, Dec. 23, 2014
Kalsang called for the return of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, said Jinpa, citing an eyewitness. Kalsang collapsed to the ground within minutes of sustaining severe burns. Police have immediately taken away the charred body despite protests from the local Tibetans who appealed to the police to hand over the body to the family. Kalsang was held in high esteem by the local Tibetans for his contribution towards the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion. He taught Tibetan and Buddhism to local Tibetans, especially elders and children, said Jinpa. Authorities fear of more protests by the Tibetans who have gathered in huge numbers outside the police station. Communication lines have been cut off to monitor the tense situation in the area as the authorities fear more Tibetans will join in tomorrow. Kalsang became 135th Tibetan to self immolate in protest against the Chinese government since 2009 and 116th to succumb to the burns. His self immolation is the third by a Tibetan in just less than a month. |
20 yr old Tibetan woman immolates self to death
|
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Breaking: Tibetan dies after setting self on fire
| Phayul[Tuesday, December 16, 2014 19:43] |
Palden Khar
Sangyal Khar set himself on fire right in front of the Police Station Tuesday around 9 AM (local time). A Tibetan source said that Khar's charred body was taken to Sangchu County by the Chinese police who refused to hand over the body to his family despite protests from the local Tibetans. The situation in Amchok town remains tense as authorities cordoned off the area and put restrictions on local people's movement and communication lines. Khar became the 134th Tibetan to immolate self, and 114th to succumb to the burns. |
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Last week, the Irish broadcaster RTE
transmitted several reports from Tibet. RTE was participating in a Chinese
government-controlled media trip to the region, which RTE described as
"carefully choreographed". In its reports, RTE challenged the authenticity of
China's version of Tibet presented on the trip, saying a true picture "remains
out of reach".
In the first of two video reports, RTE's Philip Bromwell reports from Lhasa, which he describes as a "modern, sprawling city".
During an interview at
the Jokhang temple, a monk says he hopes Dalai Lama will return to Tibet.
However, when he is asked why some Tibetans are protesting, the Chinese
interpreter interrupts, the monk looks concerned and only says, "This is a
difficult question for me".
In its report, RTE refers to the self-immolation protests Which China blames the Dalai Lama for inciting. In addition, China counters claims that it restricts religious freedom and expression of culture in Tibet by stating it has brought development and prosperity to Tibet. However, RTE notes China has responded to the protests with"tighter security and surveillance" which is "far from subtle", such as security cameras disguised as prayer wheels.
RTE also makes it clear that there is clear message the Chinese government wishes to convey, as Tibetans provided for interview praise the government. For example, a lecturer at a college of Tibetan medicine says, "Tibet has received support from the government and has been well-developed and grows very rapidly." At a thangka painting workshop, the manager says "Business has been better than before because the government has fully supported this business."
Philip Bromwell concludes the first report saying, "A carefully choreographed trip like this perhaps is only ever going to reveal one version of events but even inside Tibet it seems a true picture of what life is really like here remains out of reach."
In the second report, Philip Bromwell visits Kongpo prefecture (Chinese: Nyingchi) located east of Lhasa, to examine recent changes in Tibet.
The report looks at the rapid development of Tibet. Whilst showing images of construction on an industrial scale, the report says of Tibet, "One thing is clear. It's changing, quickly." As well as economic development, the report also highlights the issues of large-scale immigration of Han Chinese and tourism. In 2013, almost 13 million tourists visited the Tibet Autonomous Region, compared to a population of 3 million Tibetans.
RTE notes that China rejects criticism that Tibet's unique way of life and its environment is being threatened, by reiterating its claims to have brought prosperity to Tibet and is protecting Tibetan culture.
Philip Bromwell concludes, "This trip has given us a fascinating glimpse of a beautiful region, but in terms of seeing the true Tibet, well, that may have already disappeared from view."
Further reading & listening:
Inside Tibet - RTE's multimedia report
Tibet: A rare insight - RTE Radio broadcast (4 minutes)
Undercover reports from Tibet:
BBC evade ban, report from inside Tibet: December 2013 (video)
BBC: Lhasa under heavy security and predominantly Chinese: Sept 2013 (audio)
France24: Seven Days in Tibet - extended undercover report: June 2013 (video)
In the first of two video reports, RTE's Philip Bromwell reports from Lhasa, which he describes as a "modern, sprawling city".
During an interview at
the Jokhang temple, a monk says he hopes Dalai Lama will return to Tibet.
However, when he is asked why some Tibetans are protesting, the Chinese
interpreter interrupts, the monk looks concerned and only says, "This is a
difficult question for me".In its report, RTE refers to the self-immolation protests Which China blames the Dalai Lama for inciting. In addition, China counters claims that it restricts religious freedom and expression of culture in Tibet by stating it has brought development and prosperity to Tibet. However, RTE notes China has responded to the protests with"tighter security and surveillance" which is "far from subtle", such as security cameras disguised as prayer wheels.
RTE also makes it clear that there is clear message the Chinese government wishes to convey, as Tibetans provided for interview praise the government. For example, a lecturer at a college of Tibetan medicine says, "Tibet has received support from the government and has been well-developed and grows very rapidly." At a thangka painting workshop, the manager says "Business has been better than before because the government has fully supported this business."
Philip Bromwell concludes the first report saying, "A carefully choreographed trip like this perhaps is only ever going to reveal one version of events but even inside Tibet it seems a true picture of what life is really like here remains out of reach."
In the second report, Philip Bromwell visits Kongpo prefecture (Chinese: Nyingchi) located east of Lhasa, to examine recent changes in Tibet.
The report looks at the rapid development of Tibet. Whilst showing images of construction on an industrial scale, the report says of Tibet, "One thing is clear. It's changing, quickly." As well as economic development, the report also highlights the issues of large-scale immigration of Han Chinese and tourism. In 2013, almost 13 million tourists visited the Tibet Autonomous Region, compared to a population of 3 million Tibetans.
RTE notes that China rejects criticism that Tibet's unique way of life and its environment is being threatened, by reiterating its claims to have brought prosperity to Tibet and is protecting Tibetan culture.
Philip Bromwell concludes, "This trip has given us a fascinating glimpse of a beautiful region, but in terms of seeing the true Tibet, well, that may have already disappeared from view."
Further reading & listening:
Inside Tibet - RTE's multimedia report
Tibet: A rare insight - RTE Radio broadcast (4 minutes)
Undercover reports from Tibet:
BBC evade ban, report from inside Tibet: December 2013 (video)
BBC: Lhasa under heavy security and predominantly Chinese: Sept 2013 (audio)
France24: Seven Days in Tibet - extended undercover report: June 2013 (video)
Chinese state media reports compliments for China's work in Tibet
China's state media has reported that a senior UK politician has told a meeting in Lhasa that the “Chinese government has done a great job in developing Tibet to the current stage, where people live happily”.
The reports have not been independently verified but if correct, the comments by Lord Davidson at the Chinese government's Fourth Forum on Development of Tibet back Chinese propaganda and provide a deeply misleading picture of life for Tibetans.
Misrepresentation of Tibet
Lord Davidson described economic development in Tibet as "remarkable" and is quoted as saying:
"Many western reports are written by enthusiasts of the Dalai Lama. And they may feel uncomfortable when their presumptions or assumptions are challenged. It is uncomfortable and expensive to have their prejudice challenged."
Free Tibet Director, Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren said:
“We hope that the comments attributed to Lord Davidson significantly misrepresent his contribution at this event. If the reports are accurate, Lord Davidson should have acquainted himself with the facts before regurgitating China’s propaganda on Tibet.Economic development in Tibet is far from what it seems from the window of a car or a plush meeting room in Lhasa.”
Tibetans far from 'happy'
The UN Economic, Cultural and Social Rights committee recently issued a report noting that Tibet is the worst area in China for child malnutrition. Immigration of Han Chinese people into Tibet, the use of Chinese labour and restrictions on freedom of movement for Tibetans have excluded them from most of the benefits of the economic development that has taken place.
China's heavy investment in transport infrastructure is designed to help China's security forces move quickly around Tibet and make it easier for Tibet's natural resources - including copper, gold and lithium - to be exported to China.
Western media blocked
The report stated that Lord Davidson said Western media did not report Tibet because travel there was too “costly”. In reality, international media are banned from Tibet by the Chinese government.
Chinese state media does not report criticism of its Tibet policies so it is possible that Lord Davidson also addressed issues such as human rights abuses in Tibet.
Lord Davidson is a senior spokesman for the Labour Party in the UK Parliament's House of Lords.
Take Action
Tibetans are constantly under surveillance and subject to arrest at any time. Since 2012 at least eleven singers have been arrested, joining thousands of other political prisoners in this occupied country. Pleasetake action
Monday, 6 October 2014
Tibetan immolates self in Golok
| Phayul[Monday, October 06, 2014 19:35] |
Kunchok, 42,
Kunchok, 42, set himself on fire on 16 September near a police station Tsangkor Sholma township, Gade County, before onlookers doused the flames and rushed him to hospital. He became the 133rd Tibetan to resort to self immolation as a form of protest against the Chinese government. "News of his protest has just emerged as local Tibetans did not want to put him or those who assisted him at risk of arrest," said Tibet Watch. “I failed to accomplish my wish,” Kunchok kept saying after regaining consciousness at hospital. A father of two, Kunchok has sustained serious burn injuries and is currently undergoing treatment. His family, however, are concerned that he will succumb to his burns. Details of the hospital are being withheld to prevent him from being detained by security forces, said the Tibetan Watch. "Most surviving self-immolators are detained incommunicado; those who die in custody or whose bodies are taken by the police are usually cremated by the authorities who return the ashes to the family, preventing them from conducting normal funeral services." |
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Dalai Lama may return to Tibet
From the Washington Post
DHARMSALA, India — The Dalai Lama said Thursday that informal talks with the Chinese are continuing over his possible return to his homeland of Tibet — if only for a visit — and cautiously praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a realist.
The Dalai Lama, 79, sat down for an interview in his temple in the north Indian town of Dharmsala before a celebration of the 25th anniversary of his Nobel Peace Prize, after a month of media speculation of a thaw between the exiled leader and the Chinese government.
The two sides have sparred for years over the future of Tibet. The Dalai Lama argues for autonomy for the Himalayan region he fled in 1959, while the Chinese accuse him of being a separatist. Just this week, another gathering of Nobel winners was canceled in South Africa after that country refused the Dalai Lama a visa, reportedly under pressure from China.
Meanwhile, the Chinese have continued to increase their control over the Tibetan region, with the opening of a new railway line last month that will give greater access to its rich natural resources. Foreign travel is still greatly restricted. And more than 130 people have self-immolated to protest the Dalai Lama’s exile and press for freedom for Tibet since 2009, including two during Xi’s recent visit to New Delhi.
Elsewhere in China, the streets of Hong Kong have been filled in recent days withthousands of pro-democracy protesters.
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Kate Bush support Tibet
A note for Tibet
From Kate... Everyone will know that events in Tibet have taken a terrible turn. I want to express my sadness at such a gentle and spiritual culture suffering so greatly.I am so shocked by the desperate measures being taken by people whose only way to call out for help is by taking these horrific actions. I would feel ashamed if I didn't express my feelings. I just hope the world is listening to them.
Kate
Thank you
Saturday, 16 August 2014
Tibetan writer Woser detained at Lhasa airport
| Phayul[Saturday, August 09, 2014 09:30] |
Woser, who has never seen the Dalai Lama in person, pays her respect to the Tibetan leader before an interaction with Chinese human rights lawyers on Skype/highpeakspureearth
Tibetan writer Tsering Woeser said Chinese authorities detained her on her arrival at the Gonkar airport, around 60 miles from the capital Lhasa. The Beijing based Tibetan writer who supports the exile Tibetan government’s policy of Middle Way Approach said on Twitter that airport security authorities took pictures of her lingerie, medicine, cosmetics, books, DVDs and even copied the contents of her laptop. “They also thoroughly checked my cell phone. “Last year I had the same problem, but this time the one thing I couldn't tolerate was that they even interrogated my 72-year-old mother yesterday,” she said. Her mother lives in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Woser and her husband Wang Lixiong were briefly put under house arrest to prevent the couple from attending a dinner at the US Embassy residence last month as US Secretary of State John Kerry visited China. Tsering Woeser was awarded the 2013 International Women of Courage Award by the U.S. State Department in March 2013, but was banned from traveling to Washington to receive the award. At the award ceremony, Kerry praised Woeser for her courageous writings on Tibetan people and their causes at a time of deteriorating human rights. "Tsering Woeser has emerged as a clarion voice of the people, even as the Chinese government has worked to curtail the flow of information from Tibet," Kerry said at the time. |
UK politician's Tibet visit under fire
Labour's Lord Davidson in hot water over Tibet comments made in China
 |
| Lord Davidson is a Labour party front-bencher in the House of Lords, the UK's upper house |
by CHRIS GREEN SENIOR REPORTER Thursday 14 August 2014
Lord Davidson is a Labour party front-bencher in the House of Lords, the UK's upper houseA senior Labour peer who praised the “remarkable accomplishments” of the Chinese government in Tibet while attending a conference in the disputed region has been accused of taking part in a “cynical exercise in propaganda”.
Lord Davidson of Glen Clova, a front-bench member of the House of Lords, has been participating in the Fourth Forum on the Development of Tibet in Lhasa this week. His party says it is “deeply concerned” about the human rights situation there.
In a video released by China’s state-run broadcaster China Central Television, the shadow Advocate General for Scotland is seen telling a journalist: “It’s very clear that the investment that has been put into Tibet has raised the standards of living of people here quite remarkably. I was hearing about the doubling, more or less, of the longevity of the population. These are remarkable accomplishments achieved in a very short time.”
At the end of the two-day conference, which was organised by China’s Communist Party and concluded on Wednesday, a “Lhasa Consensus” was issued which was extremely critical of the Dalai Lama. China claimed it had the backing of all 100 attendees although this has not been confirmed.
One part of the agreement read: “Participants unanimously agree that what they have actually seen in Tibet differs radically from what the 14th Dalai and the Dalai clique have said.
“The Dalai clique’s statements on Tibet are distorted and incorrect. Many Western media reports are biased and have led to much misunderstanding. Seeing is believing. Participants express the aspiration to introduce the real Tibet to the world.”
The document also said attendees agreed that Tibet “enjoys sound economic growth, social harmony, deep-rooted Tibetan culture and beautiful natural scenery, and the people enjoy a happy life”.
The idyllic picture of Tibet painted by the Lhasa Consensus is rather different from reality, where the violent repression of protests at Chinese rule is common. In the past three years, more than 120 Tibetans are thought to have resorted to self-immolation, many of them dying in the process.
Lord Davidson could not be reached to clarify his comments, which may have been manipulated or taken out of context by China’s state media. It is unclear who paid for his trip to Lhasa.
Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren, director of the UK-based group Free Tibet, which campaigns against China’s “occupation” of the region, said he should never have attended the conference in the first place. “The statement issued at the end of this event makes clear that the whole thing was an utterly cynical exercise in propaganda which Western participants blindly or willingly allowed themselves to become part of,” she said.
“It remains to be seen whether the claims that they all agree with the outrageous and wholly inaccurate statements in the ‘consensus’ are actually true. Many may well be surprised to find themselves endorsing these views. Nevertheless, an invitation to an event on Tibet organised by the State Council Information Office of China belongs in the bin, not on the mantelpiece.”
On the second day of the conference, police in China’s Sichuan province reportedly opened fire on a group of Tibetan demonstrators who were protesting about the detention of a respected village leader. Ten people were seriously wounded in the incident.
“As Lord Davidson was enjoying China’s hospitality in Lhasa, unarmed Tibetans were being shot by China’s security forces,” Ms Byrne-Rosengren said. “This highlights how grave his misjudgement was in attending this meeting. We look forward to hearing his urgent response.”
A spokesman for Lord Davidson’s law firm Axiom Advocates said he could not be reached for comment. A Labour Party spokesperson said he had attended the conference in a personal capacity.
“As part of the People’s Republic of China, it is in Tibet’s interest to build long term stability,” they added. “But that can only be achieved through respect for human rights and greater autonomy for the Tibetans. Labour remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation there.”
Chinese police ‘fire on Tibetan protesters’
From the BBC
Ten people were injured when Chinese police opened fire on Tibetan protesters demonstrating against the detention of a village leader, two activist groups and overseas news reports say.
The incident is said to have taken place on Tuesday in Sichuan province's Ganzi prefecture, also known as Kardze.
Arrests were also made and some people fled, the activist groups said.
The incident does not appear to have been reported in Chinese state media.
Obtaining independent confirmation of events both in Tibet and in ethnic Tibetan areas in surrounding regions is extremely difficult.
Both access to these areas and information flow out of them is tightly controlled.
Chinese state media does confirm some of the incidents but not all. Accounts from activist groups have proved reliable in the past.
Armed police
According to UK-based group Free Tibet, a village leader named Wangdak was arrested on Monday over a dispute with local authorities.
The group said the row related to alleged harassment of female members of a dance troupe at a celebration villagers had been ordered to stage for senior officials.
The US-based International Campaign for Tibet said it also related to a dispute over official restrictions on a traditional gathering at a local horse festival.
After Mr Wangdak was detained, a crowd of Tibetans gathered to protest.
Both groups said armed police were deployed, used tear gas and then opened fire.
Mr Wangdak's son was among those who were shot, both activist groups said.
Free Tibet said at least two people were shot but the nature and cause of the other injuries was not clear.
The village was now surrounded and many adults had gone into hiding,Radio Free Asia reported, citing a Tibetan exile monk.
Many ethnic Tibetans live in Gansu and Sichuan provinces, which lie near Tibet. Activists say China enforces tight restrictions over Tibetans' religious and cultural activities.
China argues its investment into Tibetan areas has greatly advanced standards of living.
In recent years more than 100 young Tibetans have set themselves on fire in what activists say are protests against Chinese rule. Most of these incidents have taken place in Tibetan communities outside Tibet.
There have also been other shootings. Last year, activist groups said Chinese police opened fire on Tibetans who had gathered to mark the Dalai Lama's birthday, injuring several.
Monday, 23 June 2014
China opens 24 police stations in monasteries in Labrang
| Phayul[Saturday, June 21, 2014 12:25] |
police officers affixing an official Public Security Bureau nameplate to their new office in a Tibetan monastery in Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
The International Campaign for Tibet said the move is a part of Chinese government “policies of placing almost every monastery in Tibet under direct government rule and intensifying Party presence in both rural and urban Tibetan areas.” “Following the protests that swept across Tibet in 2008, the Chinese government has adopted a strategy of actively stepping up Party presence as the answer to 'instability.’ This has led to a more pervasive and systematic approach to 'patriotic education', the ‘management’ and securitization of monasteries and a dramatic increase in work teams and Party cadres in rural as well as urban areas of Tibet,” the Washington DC based NGO said in a report on its website. The ICT said the Chinese government seeks to replace loyalty to the Dalai Lama among Tibetans with allegiance to the Chinese Party-state, and in doing so, to undermine Tibetan national identity at its roots. Speaking about the policy in February, 2012, Communist Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region Chen Quanguo said that ranks of cadres stationed in monasteries should ensure that monks and nuns “become an important force in loving their country, loving their religion, observing regulations, abiding by laws, safeguarding stability, and building harmony.” Chinese Communist Party cadres, the ICT said, are being encouraged to befriend monks and nuns and gather information about them and their family members, while guiding them to be "patriotic and progressive". Meanwhile, the Tibetans have submitted petitions at the regional Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference held in Xining, Qinghai province, in January this year, appealing the government to stop deployment of troops in monasteries. China has long considered Buddhism as a key element of Tibetan identity and monastic institutions as the hotbed of political dissidence. Following widespread unrest against Chinese rule, largely led by monks and nuns, in 2008, Chinese government launched renewed and intensified "Patriotic Education" campaign covering almost every sections of society and mainly targeting the monastic institutions. Under the campaign, Chinese “work team” officials are sent especially to monastic institutes on a regular basis to “educate” monks and nuns to be patriotic towards nation and one's religion, and to oppose ‘splittist’ forces, which include denouncing the revered Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, whom China reviles as a “splittist”. Meted out with serious threats involving imprisonment and expulsion from monasteries, monks are compulsorily forced to give their signatures or finger prints to express their non-allegiance to the Dalai Lama. Reports have surfaced in recent years of monks committing suicides in the aftermath of political indoctrination classes and in the face of growing religious oppression in the monastery. |
Dhondup Wangchen released from prison
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Dhondup Wangchen released (source: Filming for Tibet)
Six years’ punishment for giving Tibetans a voice
The Tibetan film maker was driven by the police to his sister’s home about 3.00pm local time, after his release.
In a phone call with his cousin (Gyaljong Tsetrin) in Switzerland, Dhondup Wangchen said:
“At this moment, I feel that everything inside me is in a sea of tears. I hope to recover my health soon. I would like to express my feeling of deepest gratitude for all the support I received while in prison and I want to be reunited with my family”.
Mr Tsetrin, the president of Filming for Tibet and co-producer of Leaving Fear Behind, said:
“Though Dhondup is still under the control of the Chinese authorities I am very relieved that he could finally leave prison and has now the possibility to consult a doctor.”
During his incarceration he was subjected to prison labour and six months of solitary confinement. In 2013 he was moved to the Qinghai Provincial Women’s Prison, where he was the only male Tibetan political prisoner.
International recognition
Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme travelled across Tibet in 2007 and 2008 documenting Tibetan voices on the eve of the Beijing Olympics and unprecedented Tibetan protests in Tibet.
These short interviews culminated in the documentary Leaving Fear Behind which has been translated into a dozen languages and screened in over 30 countries worldwide.
Friday, 25 April 2014
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
China scraps human rights talk with UK
Phayul[Wednesday, April 16, 2014 09:33]
DHARAMSHALA, APRIL 16 :
China has cancelled a bilateral human rights dialogue with Britain, accusing the British government of interfering in its internal affairs by using human rights as a pretext.
Chinese and British officials were to meet for a round of Human Rights Dialogue in London on Wednesday.
"The UK should stop making irresponsible comments and using human rights issues to interfere in China's internal affairs, to create the conditions for the human rights dialogue between China and the UK in the next round," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
"Britain's path on this issue is not helpful to dialogue and discussion on the subject of human rights, and not good for the stable development of the health of China-U.K. relations," Hua added.
In its annual human rights report, Britain listed China as "a country of concern" saying it had observed increased curbs on freedom of expression, association and assembly in 2013. The report had made references to human rights issues and unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet.
British Prime Minister David Cameron had cited the resumption of the dialogue this spring as one of the successes of his December visit, which followed a diplomatic standoff between China and UK due to his meeting with the exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in 2012.
"We are disappointed that the Chinese government this week unilaterally postponed the dialogue, which was due to take place on 16 April. It is not for us to say why it was postponed,” a Foreign Office spokesman told the Guardian
"We are now in discussion to agree new dates for the dialogue. We consider the dialogue to be an important part of our bilateral relationship with China. It was agreed at the last UK-China summit in December 2013 by the prime minister and Premier Li [Keqiang].
"We have registered our disappointment with the Chinese government. We believe a human rights Dialogue is essential, and are working on agreeing new dates."
Nicholas Bequelin, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "China is responding to a critique of its shortcomings on human rights by cutting back further on human rights engagement.
"I don't think that indicates that China is genuinely committed to the outcomes of this dialogue … China is trying to intimidate its international partners by walking away from the table."
China has cancelled a bilateral human rights dialogue with Britain, accusing the British government of interfering in its internal affairs by using human rights as a pretext.
Chinese and British officials were to meet for a round of Human Rights Dialogue in London on Wednesday.
"The UK should stop making irresponsible comments and using human rights issues to interfere in China's internal affairs, to create the conditions for the human rights dialogue between China and the UK in the next round," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
"Britain's path on this issue is not helpful to dialogue and discussion on the subject of human rights, and not good for the stable development of the health of China-U.K. relations," Hua added.
In its annual human rights report, Britain listed China as "a country of concern" saying it had observed increased curbs on freedom of expression, association and assembly in 2013. The report had made references to human rights issues and unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet.
British Prime Minister David Cameron had cited the resumption of the dialogue this spring as one of the successes of his December visit, which followed a diplomatic standoff between China and UK due to his meeting with the exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in 2012.
"We are disappointed that the Chinese government this week unilaterally postponed the dialogue, which was due to take place on 16 April. It is not for us to say why it was postponed,” a Foreign Office spokesman told the Guardian
"We are now in discussion to agree new dates for the dialogue. We consider the dialogue to be an important part of our bilateral relationship with China. It was agreed at the last UK-China summit in December 2013 by the prime minister and Premier Li [Keqiang].
"We have registered our disappointment with the Chinese government. We believe a human rights Dialogue is essential, and are working on agreeing new dates."
Nicholas Bequelin, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "China is responding to a critique of its shortcomings on human rights by cutting back further on human rights engagement.
"I don't think that indicates that China is genuinely committed to the outcomes of this dialogue … China is trying to intimidate its international partners by walking away from the table."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)