|
We never thought we'd see the day when there would be so much Tibet related news
that there would be a need for daily updates. But as events continue both inside and outside Tibet, and as the Olympics approach,
we will be culling a selection of the key stories of the day from publications, broadcast outlets, websites, eyewitness accounts
and internal communications between Tibet Support Groups (TSGs). We hope that this one stop shopping for daily updates will
help you to keep track of the fast moving events affecting the Tibetan community both inside and outside of Tibet. We are making a concerted effort to include news
and opinions from the Chinese and Chinese American perspective as well. Please send suggestions to: contact@thetibetconnection.org Christal Smith, Senior Producer
July 3
june 21-26 Breaking
IOC tells China to stop
mixing politics and sport
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) told China on Wednesday to stop mixing sport
and politics after a speech by Tibet's Communist Party boss at the end of last weekend's Beijing torch relay leg in
Lhasa.
Reporters
stopped from seeing sensitive Tibetan temple
Chinese officials on Sunday abruptly cancelled a planned visit
by foreign media to a temple in the Tibetan capital that was at the heart of deadly anti-Chinese violence in March.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080622/wl_asia_afp/chinaunresttibetrightsoly2008media
Tibet prepares plan to fight environmental hazards
<http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPEK210996>
China demolishes mosque for not supporting Olympics: group
Chinese authorities in the restive far western region of Xinjiang have demolished a mosque for refusing to put up signs in
support of this August's Beijing Olympics, an exiled group said on Monday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK18996820080623
Return to Repression
China muzzles journalists who asked too many questions after the recent earthquake.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062201586.html
China's censorship of Web unacceptable: EU
EU's telecoms chief Viviane Reding said on Friday that China's
censorship of the Internet was "unacceptable" and that the Beijing Olympics were a chance for the country to show
its commitment to free flow of information.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSSIN30210920080620
OLYMPICS
Protesters urge Olympic sponsors to press
China
Activists holding signs reading "Genocide:
It's the real thing" demonstrated outside Coca-Cola Co.'s offices in Manhattan on Friday as part of a nationwide
protest targeting several Beijing Olympic sponsors for failing to press China to help end the violence in Darfur.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002766.html
China rights questioned weeks before Olympics
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Olympics/idUSN1838966320080620
China 'arrests' fake terrorists
Three men who reportedly posed as terrorists to try to extort more
than $300,000 (£150,000) have been arrested in the Chinese Olympic city of Qingdao.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7465828.stm
China Unveils Anti - Graft Plan, Warns Task "Arduous"
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-china-corruption.html
China deploys surface-to-air missiles to protect Olympics
Human rights groups and pro-Tibet groups say the government
is using the
Olympics as an excuse to crack down on its
critics even harder than usual.
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4211500.ece>
China's Visa Policy Threatens Olympics Tourism
With the Beijing Olympics less than two months away, hotel operators,
travel agencies, and foreign businessmen say new Chinese visa restrictions are proving bad for business, casting a pall over
Beijing during what was supposed to be a busy and jubilant tourist season leading up to the Olympic Games. Hu Bin, a visa
official at the foreign ministry, said the ministry had no statistics on the number of visa denials, but that the new policies
were put in place for "security considerations."
PROTESTS
Nepal Tibetans begin their March to Tibet
<http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Nepal+Tibetans+begin+their+March+to+Tibet&id=21761>
China says NGO stir anti Chinese phobias in Darfur
China's envoy to the strike-torn Sudanese region of Darfur on Thursday accused western media and non-governmental
groups of stirring up anti-Chinese feelings among opposition groups in the African country. China has faced widespread
Western criticism that it has not used its oil, arms and business stakes in Sudan to press for an end to deadly
...
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/06/china-says-ngos-stir-anti-chinese-feelings-in-darfur/
JUNE
15-20 BREAKING
More
than 1,000 protesters detained during anti-government riots in Tibet three months ago have not been accounted for. Amnesty
International said a quarter of about 4,000 people detained by police in Tibet in March are unaccounted for. The others have
been either released or placed under formal arrest says Amnesty International
Amnesty International press release: http://tinyurl.com/3jy4qn
Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to censor dissenting
voices in the run-up to the Olympic Games, a report by the Geneva-based World Organisation Against Torture and the Paris-based
International Federation of Human Rights.
A Chinese dissident who criticized authorities has
been detained on charges of allegedly possessing state secrets,Huang Qi, founder of the human rights Web site 64Tianwang,
was detained in the southwestern city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province
.http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/17/news/China-Online-Dissent.php
An unidentified Tibetan girl, who came from a village, was shot dead using a silencer gun by the People's
Armed Police (PAP) outside the southern gate of the Tsuklakhang temple, in Lhasa, at about 12:00 noon somewhere around May
20.
Breaking...this from a bulletin from the TIbetan Government in Exile...more info soon....
Authorities in Xinjiang
are telling people who want to watch the Olympic torch as it passes through the area to stay at home and tune into the television
instead. Local newspapers have warned that "uncivilized behavior" would be "appropriately dealt with".
"
China on alert for unrest a month after quake
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/12/china.quake.ap/index.html
A month on from the Sichuan earthquake, Chinese officials
have imposed tight security in some of the damaged areas, apparently to prevent protests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7449814.stm
Burning questions of quake bereaved
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7439413.stm
OLYMPICS
Beijing
says anti-terrorist force nearly 100,000 strong is already on alert for terrorists
China has tightened
controls on Muslims in Xinjiang ahead of the Olympic torch's arrival next week to thwart any actions aimed at disrupting
the relay, residents and exiles said. The measures include detaining thousands in the region and forcing Muslim religious
officials to undergo "political education" on "protecting" the Olympics,
Australia PM to attend Olympics, critics fume .
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessCompany/idUKSYD14472120080619>
Australian
athletics team to skip opening ceremony
Hong Kong warns of possible Olympics
sabotage threat
Reporters
Without Borders is alarmed by the introduction of new rules aimed at reinforcing controls over Chinese "fixers"
working for foreign journalists and over all foreigners visiting China during the Olympic Games. The organisation also condemns
an increase in police controls of foreign journalists trying to cover protests by parents whose children were killed when
schools collapsed in the Sichuan earthquake.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=27414
China promised
to make improvements to human rights ahead of the Olympic Games but its record may have actually deteriorated, according to
Human Rights Watch.
NEPAL
Three Tibetan leaders, Kelsang Chung, Director of the Tibetan
Reception Center, Ngawang Sangmo and Tashi Dolma, President and Vice President of the Regional Tibetan Women's Association
were arrested this week
Three
detained at Shipkila border post after staging protest; 38 others detained in Pooh, Reckong Peo and Rampu
Watch low-resolution video: http://blip.tv/file/1005157
UPRISING MARCH
The Tibetan Uprising March from Dharamsala to Tibet,
which began in March culminated on Tuesday with the arrest of 50 activists near the Tibet-India border.
JUNE 7-14 BREAKING
China says Tibet still off-limits to foreigners (Forbes) On Thursday China's Foreign Ministry said Tibet remains closed
to foreign journalists and tourists. "Due to the violent incident in Lhasa on March 14, at present Lhasa and all of Tibet
are still not open to the outside world," said spokesman Qin Gang. "But the responsibility should not fall on our
shoulders," he said, blaming "the Dalai clique".
Tibetan monks forced to take "patriotic
tests" (Reuters) In
Gannan, a heavily Tibetan area in southern Gansu province, monks say they now have to pass a patriotic test, possibly in September,
to be allowed to remain as monks. They struggle to pay fines and master texts on "patriotic education", while armed
paramilitary units guard access to main monasteries. One of the textbooks, titled "propaganda material", has chapters
on "What happened during unrest in our prefecture" and "The history of how Tibet became part of China".
More than 2,000 people were initially detained in Gannan in March, with all but a few hundred released within a month. Some
of those still in detention were charged with "intent to kill" after burning local police stations or government
guesthouses. (Includes quotes from monks.)
Olympic torch arrives in Tibetan areas amid tight security
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUSHKG30362720080611
<http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-11-voa58.cfm>
Chinese Hacked Computers US lawmakers say - Two US congressmen have accused hackers from
China of breaking into their computer systems and stealing information on political dissidents, raising concerns at a time
of growing global concern about cyberwarfare.Chinese hacked computers, US lawmakers say
200 Tibetan exiles detained after red-paint
protest in Nepal's capital
Tibetan exiles dressed as Chinese soldiers squirted
other demonstrators with red paint in Nepal's capital Tuesday in a symbolic
protest ...
<http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/10/news/Nepal-Tibetan-Protest.php>
Cyber-dissident
Huang Qi kidnapped, foreign journalists expelled (RSF) Huang Qi, leading cyber-dissident and founder of the human rights website 64Tianwang, was kidnapped
with two other activists on 10 June in Chengdu. According to RSF, the abduction bears all the hallmarks of an operation by
the Public Security Bureau and may be linked to the arrest on 9 June of Zheng Hongling, a retired professor who posted articles
about the earthquake on a US-based website. On Thursday police expelled around 10 foreign journalists from Dujiangyan in Sichuan.
Chinese
Embassy admits PR shortcomings (PR Week) China should have responded quicker to the Western media following recent negative headlines, according
to the Chinese Embassy in the UK. "We need better crisis management and media relations. We should respond rapidly and
quickly when something happen', said Lirong Zhang. Referring to the Lhasa protests he said, "there was a few days
interval between the official comment and the event. An official response would have helped the outside world know better
about what happened in Lhasa." But he also said the Western media "should report according to the truth. They used
some of the wrong pictures and their reporting didn't coincide with fact." OLYMPICS
Olympian
steps up Tibet campaign
The Australian - Sydney,Australia
AUSTRALIAN Olympic cyclist Cadel Evans will step up his free-Tibet
campaign
by producing T-shirts to bolster support for the
organisation behind the
cause. ...
<http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23856595-26103,00.html>
Beijing
has declared time out on Time Out. The English-language edition of
the monthly magazine that gives foreign residents and visitors the latest lowdown on the coolest bars, the hippest shops and
the hottest shows in the Chinese capital has disappeared. OLYMPIC VISITORS DATA AT RISKPeter
Eisler reports in the USA Today, via www.accountability-central.com: National security agencies are warning businesses and federal officials that laptops and e-mail devices taken to the Beijing
Olympics are likely to be penetrated by Chinese agents aiming to steal secrets or plant bugs to infiltrate U.S. computer networks.
Chinese government and industry ...
Spanish gov't reaffirms support for Beijing Olympics (Xinhua) Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
reaffirmed the support of the Spanish Government for the Olympic Games in Beijing. Boycotting the Olympic Games goes against
the spirit of concord of the games, Moratinos told a joint press conference with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi
after their talks. Moratinos said an official Spanish delegation will attend the opening ceremony of the games.
Mexican sportsmen asked to act responsibly
in Beijing Olympics (Xinhua) President
of the Mexican Olympic Committee Felipe Munoz asked his athletes to represent Mexico with responsibility in the 2008 Olympic
Games. Munoz invited the sportsmen to behave with respect inside and outside of the competitions. "This is a great responsibility.
All the country will be observant of what you do. You must be careful with what you say, we have to think twice what we say,
what we do", Munoz said.
Tokyo governor to attend Beijing Olympics
opening ceremony (Xinhua) Tokyo
Governor Shintaro Ishihara said that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. Ishihara said that
he wants to have a look at the opening ceremony and learn some management strategy and techniques in the meanwhile.
Amnesty asks Kiwi Olympians to take
stand (New Zealand Herald) Amnesty
International is sending information packs to New Zealand Olympic athletes in the hope they will speak out about human rights
abuses in China. The packs tell the stories of those who have suffered under the Chinese Government, outlines Amnesty's
position on the Olympics, suggests ways athletes can take action and contains badges, bumper stickers and tattoos. Athletes
are being asked to speak out, write to those jailed by the Chinese regime, sign petitions and a banner, place an Amnesty sticker
on their luggage or sports bag, and put their views on Amnesty's China campaign website.
MARCH TO TIBET
March restarts with leaders (TPUM) At 2.30pm on Monday, the March to Tibet restarted from Berinag, with the previously arrested leaders
heading a group of 50 Tibetans. The marchers broke into song and joy as they saw the snow-capped Himalayan ranges in the horizon.
The march from Berinag to Tibet is expected to take more than a week during which the 50 marchers will traverse approximately
180 km along the historical Himalayan trade route. They will reach Tibet around the time when China's controversial Olympic
torch is expected to pass through Lhasa.
ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Athlete Outreach Campaign (ITSN)
The goals of the athlete outreach are two-fold: 1) To inspire athletes to take action for Tibet when in Beijing,
and 2) To remind the Chinese government, the media, and the global public that the issue of Tibet will be highlighted in Beijing
during the Olympics.
We
are currently completing a website targeted at athletes (http://www.athletewanted.com.) The concept of the name "Athlete Wanted" is to advertise a worldwide calling for a brave athlete (or athletes) to
step forward and commit to being a spokesperson for Tibet while in Beijing. The website is not online yet, but should
be going live in English sometime this week and in several additional languages soon. I will send another email notice when
the site is fully functional.
June 1-6 BREAKING
Symbol
of Tibetan resistance addresses Council | Takna Jigme Sangpo. Photo: Humberto Salgad |
Tibet's longest serving political prisoner
and a symbol of resistance to Chinese rule addressed the 8th session of the Human Rights Council Wednesday (June 4). Despite
spending 32 years in various prison camps, 82-year old Takna Jigme Sangpo is far from being chastized by this experiences.
|
Tibet, China talks
postponed after quake - Dalai aide Talks between Tibetan envoys
and Chinese officials set for 11th June have been postponed due to last month's earthquake. Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide
to the Dalai Lama, said, "We are trying to work on a new set of dates, the earlier date was June 11, but that has been
postponed right now. Because of the situation in China in regard to the earthquake, because of that, we had to postpone the
date. But hopefully it will be sometime at the end of June."
China tightens
media limits loosened after Sichuan earthquake China has
begun rolling back many of the media and online freedoms that were permitted in the immediate aftermath of last month's
earthquake. Restrictions on foreign and domestic reporters have been tightened in recent days. Web discussion groups have
seen postings deleted. Internet filtering has been stepped up. Officials are also urging the media to "emphasize positive
propaganda" and "uphold unity, stability and encouragement."
Reporters
conclude Lhasa trip, saying much to write about in region (Xinhua) The
three day Chinese Government-organised media trip for 30 journalists from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao ended on Thursday. During
the tour, the group talked with local officials, interviewed monks and other religious people, and spent time with local residents.
In Lugu, Drakpa Yonten, director of the neighbourhood committee, told reporters the area was once-again peaceful and people
could now walk the streets and do their religious services in the monasteries at any time. At the Jokhang Temple, Ngawang,
a management official with the temple, told reporters no monk was punished after the March 14 Lhasa riot. "All religious
activities are going on as normal," he said. Reporters also visited Yichun Garments Store where five girls burnt to death
and spoke to the only sales girl to survive. On the protests, Lok Pou-wa, a Macao Daily News reporter, said, "This was
an attempted political conspiracy aiming to split the country." Indian Police arrest 265 Tibetans marching
to Tibet 259 Tibetan marchers and six members of the organizing
committee were arrested by police after resuming the March to Tibet following a 13 day stand-off with police. They had covered
16 km when they were arrested at Berinag, approximately 180 km from the Indo-Tibetan border area. Fifty marchers stayed behind
at the campsite at Banspatan, determined to continue to Tibet in the event that their fellow marchers were stopped. The five
presidents of the NGOs organizing the March and one coordinator are still being held in Roshanabad Jail near Hardwar.
OLYMPICS
IOC's Verbruggen in awe of Beijing Games preparations
Hein Verbruggen, the IOC's chief inspector, praised the organisers
of the Beijing Olympics. He also responded to recent criticisms about China saying, "There is a pretty biased perception
in the West about China. There is some fear. It is a fascinating country and there is a lot to be learned from China by us."
On the accusation of the IOC doing little to press Beijing to improve human rights ahead of the Olympics: "That is a
no. The IOC is a non-political organization. We do not do that and we will never do that. I am absolutely convinced that bringing
the Games to China is way better than not giving the Games to China. The Games are certainly, for China, a force for good."
Verbruggen said China's long-term strategy was to open up to the world through the Olympics. "I will never say that
the Games will change China but the changes will definitely be there," he said. "Their strategy is to further open
their country."
Rogge defends torch relay in Tibet (Reuters)
[In report "IOC to crack down on illegal betting in Beijing"] On the final day
of the IOC executive meeting, IOC President Jacques Rogge defended China's plans to pass the torch relay through Tibet.
"The Chinese have expressed the wish to pass the torch in all their provinces and regions," Rogge said. "Tibet
is a part of China and a region of China so it is normal that they pass through Tibet." Rogge did, however, say the IOC
would review plans for international torch relays for future Games following several violent protests. "We are not blind,
neither naive," he said. "We will consider what we will do in the future."
Greek police
stop Tibet activists' protest Greek police removed Tibetan
activists who blocked the venue of an IOC conference in Athens on Thursday. About seven members of SFT took part in the protest,
demanding the IOC cancels the Olympic torch relay in Tibet and puts pressure on China on human rights. The IOC said in a statement
the Olympics inevitably bring wider attention to a host country. "The Olympic Games shine a spotlight on any host country's
activities and draw attention to non-sports-related issues. What happened this morning is an example of that."
(Includes qoutes from SFT. Photos also on Reuters website.)
Watchdog
warns of risks to media, Chinese staff Foreign journalists covering
the Beijing Olympics must take care to avoid placing Chinese assistants and news sources at risk of arrest when covering sensitive
topics, according to a report issued by The Committee to Protect Journalists. The US-based group also called on the IOC to
press China to honor promises of press freedom for 21,500 foreign reporters covering the Games - a pledge it said authorities
ignored during recent unrest in Tibet. Report by The Committee to Protect Journalists:
Beijing
approves Olympics 'cheer' Beijing Olympic chiefs are introducing
an official cheer for patriotic spectators to spur on Team China at the Games. It involves clapping twice, giving the thumbs-up,
clapping twice more and then punching the air with both arms. The cheer is accompanied by chants of "Olympics",
"Let's go" and "China". As well as public advertising, BOCOG has hired 30 cheering squads to show
spectators how it is done at Games stadia.
Rogge defends torch relay in Tibet [In report "IOC to crack down on illegal betting in Beijing"] On the final day of the IOC
executive meeting, IOC President Jacques Rogge defended China's plans to pass the torch relay through Tibet. "The
Chinese have expressed the wish to pass the torch in all their provinces and regions," Rogge said. "Tibet is a part
of China and a region of China so it is normal that they pass through Tibet." Rogge did, however, say the IOC would review
plans for international torch relays for future Games following several violent protests. "We are not blind, neither
naive," he said. "We will consider what we will do in the future."
Greek police stop Tibet activists'
protest Greek police
removed Tibetan activists who blocked the venue of an IOC conference in Athens on Thursday. About seven members of SFT took
part in the protest, demanding the IOC cancels the Olympic torch relay in Tibet and puts pressure on China on human rights.
The IOC said in a statement the Olympics inevitably bring wider attention to a host country. "The Olympic Games shine
a spotlight on any host country's activities and draw attention to non-sports-related issues. What happened this morning
is an example of that." (Includes qoutes from SFT. Photos also on Reuters website.)
Watchdog warns of risks to media, Chinese
staff Foreign journalists
covering the Beijing Olympics must take care to avoid placing Chinese assistants and news sources at risk of arrest when covering
sensitive topics, according to a report issued by The Committee to Protect Journalists. The US-based group also called on
the IOC to press China to honor promises of press freedom for 21,500 foreign reporters covering the Games - a pledge it said
authorities ignored during recent unrest in Tibet. Report by The Committee
to Protect Journalists:
Beijing approves Olympics 'cheer'
Beijing Olympic
chiefs are introducing an official cheer for patriotic spectators to spur on Team China at the Games. It involves clapping
twice, giving the thumbs-up, clapping twice more and then punching the air with both arms. The cheer is accompanied by chants
of "Olympics", "Let's go" and "China". As well as public advertising, BOCOG has hired 30
cheering squads to show spectators how it is done at Games stadia.
Beijing reminds foreigners to behave during Olympics
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7555500>
Tibet, Burma and the Olympic Games dominate talks between MEPs and ...
Europaparlamentet - Sweden
Tibet, Burma and the Olympic Games were the three main issues discussed on
Monday, the first day of the 26th EU-China Interparliamentary Meeting in
Brussels ...
<http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/030-30643-154-06-23-903-20080603IPR30642-02-06-2008-2008-false/default_sv.htm>
COMMENTARY
Why does the Dalai Lama feel
helpless?
Xinhua - China
In Tibet, the ruthless serfdom, which integrated church with state, lasted
to the middle of the 20th century. The democratic reform in the 1950s
ushered in ...
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/05/content_8315967.htm>
***NEW CATEGORY: ACTIVISM OPPORTUNITIES****
As you know, the IOC has just finished its last Executive Board meeting before the torch goes to Tibet, and has again
refused to re-route the torch relay. We suggest focusing now on pushing for media access to Tibet, as well as on preparing
solidarity events to be held while the torch is in Tibet.
Media freedom is one of the "positive changes" the IOC likes to say the Beijing Olympics have brought to China,
and yet the IOC is doing nothing to influence the Chinese government to let journalists back into Tibet. Please help step
up the pressure on the IOC about this before the torch gets to Lhasa.
- Ask your members to participate in an urgent action alert targeting Kevan Gosper, the head of the IOC's
Press Commission, at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Tibet_access (sample text you can use in an email to your members is below)
- Organize a
high-profile visa application action. Ask prominent people – politicians, celebrities, friendly journalists
– to go with you to the Chinese consulate on a specific day between now and June 17th and apply for Chinese visas with
the stated purpose of going to Tibet during the torch relay. Issue a press release about the result (presumably you will be
denied) to highlight the lack of media access to Tibet right now and call on the IOC to stand up for media freedom in Tibet.
You can also contact Mr. Gosper,
c/o the Oceania Foundation (a project of the Oceania National Olympic Committees; Mr Gosper is the President of ONOC and a
direct of the Foundation), at:
Milton House
25 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Phone: +61 3 9666 8655
Fax:
+61 3 9666 8686
(We do not have a working email address)
Solidarity Events When the Torch is in Tibet
The torch will first go to Tibet (Gyalthang) on June 11th,
but the next date is unconfirmed - either June 18th or 19th, in Lhasa. As far as we know, it will then go to Gormo, Kokonor,
and Xining over the next three days. We encourage everyone to hold daily solidarity actions during this time, if possible
with the largest on June 18th (or, if you can be flexible and we hear that the torch will arrive in Lhasa on the 18th, then
hold your event on the 17th.) Slightly anticipating the torch's arrival in Lhasa will help get our message into any media
coverage. Organize vigils at the Chinese embassy, consulate, IOC or National Olympic Committee office, or a central place
in your town/city, to express solidarity with Tibetans. Use symbols and actions that show visually what is happening in Tibet
right now and what will happen when the torch is there: tanks, jail bars, die-ins, etc.
May 27-May 31 Breaking
From ITSN: leaders of the 5 Tibetan NGOs being arrested in India along with one of the coordinators of
the march.
B Tsering la of TWA - who is one of ITSN's much loved Steering Committee members
Tsewang
Rigzin of TYC
Ngawang Woeber of Gu Chu Sum
Chime Youngdrung of NDPT
Tenzin Choeying of SFT India
and
march Coordinator Lobsang Yeshi have all been transferred from Haldwani Police Station to Roshanabad Jail in Hardwar.
We're advised that more photos and some video will be available fairly soon. Please pass the news releases that the
group issue on to any media contacts you have, and visit the website for updates and information on how to support this non-violent
Tibetan initiative (understandably they need money!)
As Tibet remains under lockdown, the actions of these Tibetans
in India is intended to keep the spotlight on the issue, with the positive message of wishing to return home to their country,
so please help them to succeed.
http://tibetanuprising.org/
From The Independent: The founder of one major
Chinese cinema chain has pledged to boycott showing Sharon Stone's films. The American actress caused quite a stir and
lost her beauty-ad contract with Dior after making some insensitive remarks about the May 12th ...
From Digital Journal: There’s a quiet movement
of activism taking place on the Web. In an effort to provide every nation with unfettered access to websites, some tech experts
want to banish censorship from countries such as China and Iran. Leading the charge is the Open Net Initiative at the University
...
From New York Times: China acknowledged Thursday
that it was willing to receive disaster relief assistance from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces in what would be the first
Japanese military air mission to China since the end of World War II. Word of discussions on military aid between the countries
was first reported in ...
From CSR Asia: Chinese netizens have been highly vocal
in the last few months. They were instrumental in organising a boycott and protests against Carrefour in April. More recently,
they ranked companies by the size of their donations to earthquake relief efforts and put pressure on those perceived to have
donated ...
Rivers of money not flowing to Tibetans
AUSTRALIAN officials were recently stunned to hear a senior Chinese policy maker
give an honest diagnosis of why China's Tibet policies had gone so badly wrong. At that point four weeks ago it was hard
to find clear-eyed analysis anywhere.
http://business.smh.com.au/rivers-of-money-not-flowing-to-tibetans-20080525-2i1r.html
Behind the Saffron Robes, a Savvy Politician
When most people think of the Dalai Lama, they think of his
saffron and maroon robes, his shiny shaven head, the mala beads around his wrist, his puckish smile and cosmic insight. He
is, after all, the incarnation of the god of compassion. Yet part of the drama and power of his life is that while his head
may be in the clouds, for more than half a century his feet have been firmly planted in the unforgiving realm of realpolitik.
Over the years, as I've reported from El Salvador to Lebanon, from Ethiopia to Sri Lanka, I've come to see the Dalai
Lama as one of the most realistic, far-sighted politicians in the world.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302451.html
Woeser’s Middle-Way Blog Hacked Again
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/05/woesers-middleway-blog-hacked/
Parents’ Grief Turns to Rage at Chinese Officials
Bereaved parents whose children were crushed
to death in their classrooms during the earthquake in Sichuan Province have turned mourning ceremonies into protests in recent
days, forcing officials to address growing political repercussions over shoddy construction of public schools.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/world/asia/28quake.html
China enjoys rare moment of global support
The country won long-sought international sympathy for its tragic
earthquake and rapid government response.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0527/p01s01-woap.html
'Internet freedom' bill targeting China cooperation faces rough road
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9952815-38.html
The China Earthquake and its economic aftershocks
http://www.todaysfinancialnews.com/international-investing/the-china-earthquake-and-its-economic-aftershocks/
The Tiananmen Effect
The Sichuan quake has inspired a powerful, and unpredictable, movement among China's
youth.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/138418
China’s Relations with the West: The Role of Taiwan and Hong Kong
http://www.fpri.org/footnotes/1307.200805.tucker.chinawesttaiwanhongkong.html
From AP: Mainland Chinese lawyers known for defending
rights have been unable to get their licenses renewed ahead of an annual deadline, a Hong Kong group said Friday. China Human
Rights Lawyers' Concern Group chairman Albert Ho identified three of the lawyers at a news conference in Hong Kong on
Friday, and ..
MAY
21-26
Be sure to listen to the May 25 Tibet Connection Newsdesk segments for the latest this week
Breaking ITSN News release..more details soon....Indian Authorities block Return March to Tibet; 19 Tibetan Marchers detained
China Blocks Thousands of Hindus From Tibet Pilgrimage
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/world/asia/21trek.html?ref=world>
THE
Dalai Lama's Tibetan government-in-exile has called for a temporary
halt
to protests against China as a mark of respect to earthquake victims.
<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23735167-38197,00.html>
OLYMPICS Dalai Lama happy to go to Olympics if talks yield results
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7531091> In-flight Film Will Urge Olympians to Protest
A film in which the great Australian
sprinter Peter Norman implores the current generation of Olympians to protest against human rights violations will be screened
on all Qantas flights carrying team members to Beijing.
MAY 14-20
Testimony by a Tibetan youth in LhasaA rare testimony
in detail of a Tibetan youth who was arrested in the aftermath of Lhasa unrest in March 2008 is
obtained by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). The interviewee
describes the use of extreme torture in prison, cries of pain in the corridors of the prison, harrowing
stories that he constantly hears, unwavering hope of support from the outside world, and perception
of life post imprisonment. The interview which is reproduced below has been dictated to a third party and edited
by TCHRD in order to protect the identity of the youth. While (*) denotes information withheld, further details,
comments or explanations are provided in square brackets.Read the full testimony at http://tchrd.org/press/2008/pr20080519.html
Over 55 nuns in Kardze protested against
the Chinese authorities on 14 May 2008 according to reliable information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and
Democracy (TCHRD).
http://tchrd.org/press/2008/pr20080517.html
Premier Wen's compassion
after the quake may represent a new type of leadership.
Read More ...
Chinese mourn for quake dead in unison
[CCTV's article about China's official mourning of the earthquake victims includes
section about activities in Tibet.] In the
Jokhang Temple more than 90 lamas held a 1.5-hour prayer ceremony for people in the quake-affected regions. "We pray
for the lifting of the souls of the earthquake victims and for blessings on the survivors," said Ngagwang, one of the
lamas. Some residents burnt Tibetan incense while chanting prayers for quake victims. On Monday, relief materials worth 11
million yuan (US$1.6 million) donated by the Tibetan people were sent to Sichuan by a special train via the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway. [The article goes on to say:] "Just two months ago, Lhasa itself suffered the worst riot in decades, with
violent "Tibet independence" separatists indulging themselves in a spree of beating, smashing, looting and arson,
causing heavy losses of civilian lives and property."
OLYMPICS
IOC briefs teams on Beijing protests, TV under control
(Reuters) The IOC has told National Olympic Committees their athletes
should refrain from making political statements during the Beijing Games. Athletes should adhere to Rule 51.3 of the Olympic
charter, which essentially says politics must stay out of the Games. "The Games are about sport. They are not a stage
for different kinds of political statements," the IOC said in a memo sent earlier this month to all NOCs. "The conduct
of participants at all (Olympic) sites, areas and venues includes all actions, reactions, attitudes or manifestations of any
kind by a person or group of persons, including but not limited to their look, external appearance, clothing, gestures, and
written or oral statements."
German sponsors
inch across Olympics highwire (Reuters) German firms Adidas and
Volkswagen, are now busy with a balancing act that sponsors must carry off as the Games approach. On the one hand, their involvement
in the 2008 Olympics lets them burnish their brands in a fast-growing market: on the other, it is raising objections at home
which they need to manage to preserve their image. "They cannot stand by without commenting on the situation, as a sponsor
they must clarify why they are doing it and explain why there are good reasons to sponsor the Olympics," said Wigan Salazar,
managing partner of a German public relations group. "They can say it will encourage dialogue, that changes can only
come when economic cooperation takes place, and so on. But keeping quiet is the worst thing to do right now."
Factbox:
Sponsors for Beijing Olympics (Reuters) Facts about the Beijing
Games' top 12 global sponsors, which have marketing rights to use the Olympics logo worldwide as members of "The
Olympic Partner Program".
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