Tibetan Parliament to extend its 7th Session till 27th March 09

Dharamsala: As announced earlier by the Tibetan Parliament Secretariat, the 7th session of the 14th Parliament-in-exile has been extended to six days. It will take place from 9 to 27 March 2009.

The members of Parliament have to report at the Parliamentary Secretariat on 8 March.

Updates on Casualties in Tibet Demonstration

Dharamshala: According to reliable information received from Tibet, a Tibetan youth aged around 20 was brutally beaten and arrested by officials of the Public Security Bureau for raising slogan of Tibet’s independence in the capital Lhasa around 5 p.m. on 20 November.

In a separate incident, officials of Public Security Bureau arrested the abbot of Woeser monastery in Markham, Khenpo Jampa Gyaltsen, from his monastery on 28 November.

Meanwhile, sources continue to send information on Tibetans killed during brutal torture sessions by the Chinese security officials following its crackdown on peaceful demonstrations by Tibetans in the capital Lhasa in March this year. For more, Read

More Tibetans Being Jailed: Report

Dharamsala, Dec. 23 – China is handing down further prison terms to Tibetans arrested for protests earlier this year in southwestern province of Sichuan, according to sources, Radio Free Asia reported.

Many of those recently sentenced are said to have taken part in a March 18 protest in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

“Recently, two monks, Orgyen Tashi and Tenzin Ngodrub, were sentenced by the Kardze People’s Intermediate Court to three years’ imprisonment,” the source told RFA. The source said the fate of another monk named Lobsang, who had at first been detained with the others, remains a “mystery,” For more, “Read”;http://phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=23482&article=More+Tibetans+Being+Jailed%3a+Report

Nobel Leaureates, Intellectuals, Writers Call for Chinese Dissident’s Release

Dharamsala. Dec. 23 – Writers, scholars, lawyers, and human rights advocates from around the world today sent a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao urging immediate and unconditional release of the writer Liu Xiaobo.

“As President of the People’s Republic of China, you have yourself often pledged to strengthen China’s legal system, stressing recently that ‘the rule of law is important for the promotion, realization and safeguarding of a harmonious society.’ We urge you to honor your commitment to ensure the civil rights of citizens who peacefully express their views on public affairs”, the letter read. For more, Read

Dalai Lama one of world’s 50 most powerful

People used to say that Pope John Paul II’s power increased as he aged; at 73, the Dalai Lama is the same way. The more he speaks, the more he travels, the more word of his ill health leaks out (he recently had a gallbladder operation), the more he matters.

Now, thanks in part to the high visibility of Tibet-China relations during the 2008 Olympics, the religious and political head of Tibetans presides over a diplomatic situation that looks ready to combust. For decades the Dalai Lama has advocated a “middle way”: he has said he wants autonomy, not independence, for his people; he would be happy for Tibet to remain part of China in exchange for protection of Tibetan education, culture and religion. In an interview with The New York Times earlier this year, he even said he would accept China’s communist rule. But after eight unproductive rounds of talks with Beijing, members of the exile community are fed up; some are advocating violent resistance and a fight for independence. For more, Read

Dalai Lama to open world religions conference

The Dalai Lama will inaugurate a conference on world religions in the Indian state of Gurajat on 6 January. The Dalai Lama’s secretary Tenzin Taklha confirmed the travel dates.

The conference, organised by Ram Kathakar Morari Bapu, will be held at Kailash Gurukul in Bhavnagar, Gujurat, from 6 to 11 January 2009, according to reports. The conference is aimed at seeking ways and means to deal with the discord among major religions.

The six-day conference will be attended by eminent religious scholars. For more, Read

Kashag Welcomes UN Chief’s Tibet Remarks and Reaffirms Its Commitment to Dialogue

The Kashag welcomes the remarks made by Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the UN, saying that “I hope the Chinese authorities will continue to resolve all these issues through dialogue. The dialogue started some time ago between the representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government. I hope this will continue in a sincere manner so that all the concerns coming from Tibet will be resolved smoothly and harmoniously.”

These forthright remarks by the Secretary General of the world body indicate the concerns of the international community as whole on the current sad state of Tibet. We believe that such remarks will serve as an impetus for the Chinese authorities to resolve the issue of Tibet to the satisfaction of the Tibetan and the Chinese people. For more, Read

China pressure apparently disrupts Russian delegation’s visit

Dharamsala, December 21: Apparent Chinese pressure has caused an untimely wrap-up of an ongoing visit by a Russian delegation to Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-exile in northern India. Russia, a close ally of China, has sent an unexpected last minute signal on an unofficial delegation visiting Dharamsala, mainly to meet the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to have a better understanding about the Tibetan situation, cautioning them from carrying forward their remaining schedule.

The Delegation included three members of State Duma (Lower House of Russian Parliament), Prime Minister of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia Mr Singleev Vladmir, and Vice Speaker of the Kalmyk Parliament Mr Ebikov Hongat. For more, Read

Saga of fake tiger photos rears head again in China

BEIJING, Dec 21 – A saga in China about a farmer nearly jailed over photos he took of a critically endangered tiger that were later judged to be fake has taken a new twist—the photographer now claims the pictures were real.

Zhou Zhenglong, a 54-year-old farmer from a mountainous county in northern Shaanxi province, was awarded a 20,000 yuan ($2,922) bonus last year, after he produced pictures which authorities said were evidence of a South China tiger.

The pictures, which showed a tiger crouching in a forest setting, sparked an Internet furore led by experts who identified the photos as faked. Local media accused officials of endorsing them as a means of promoting tourism in a poor region. For more, Read

After 30 Years, Economic Perils on China’s Path

SHENZHEN, China — The ruling Communist Party threw itself a big party on Thursday. The country’s leadership marked the 30th anniversary of the reform era that transformed China into a global economic power and, in doing so, changed the world.

At a triumphant ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Hu Jintao invoked Deng Xiaoping, who consolidated power in 1978 and began “reform and opening.” Mr. Hu emphasized the party’s unwavering focus on economic development. “Only development makes sense,” said Mr. Hu, quoting Deng. For more, Read

Protesting China workers in standoff with police

DONGGUAN, China — Police held hundreds of protesting workers inside a suitcase factory in southern China to prevent them from staging a public demonstration about a wage dispute Friday, a worker said from the compound.

The standoff at the Jianrong Suitcase Factory in the southern city of Dongguan is the latest unrest arising from layoffs, poor working conditions and slashed wages in China, where thousands of companies have gone bust in recent months.

On Friday, more than 30 police, some with helmets and riot shields, were guarding the front of the factory.

Workers could be seen pressed up against the metal bars at the dormitory’s windows looking out at the police. About 30 workers were on the roof of the building. For more, Read

Taiwan: DPP asks government to grant asylum to Tibetans

Taipei, Dec. 20: The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday asked the government to grant asylum to about 110 Tibetan refugees.

DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling told a press conference that the Tibetan refugees had endured much hardship, traveling across the Himalayas from Tibet to India or Nepal before reaching Taiwan.

They fled their motherland in search of religious and political freedom and to escape oppression by Chinese authorities, Kuan said. For more, Read

Sergiu Matei: Dalai Lama told me that I did a favor for humanity

It is not only the first Romania but also the first journalists who met Dalai Lama. The reason is already widely known: Sergiu Matei became wide known in September 2006 when he taped the killing of Tibetans by the Chinese and helped a Tibetan escape, while on an expedition together with Alex Gavan on the Cho Oyu mountain.

Even though Dalai Lama expressed his wish to meet the Romania, a journalist at a local television PRO TV, it was only four days ago that the two managed to meet in Warsaw, where the Tibetan spiritual leader was on an official visit. For more, Read

China Blocks Access to The Times’s Web Site

HONG KONG, Dec. 19— Chinese authorities have begun blocking access from mainland China to the Web site of The New York Times even while lifting some of the restrictions they had recently imposed on the Web sites of other media outlets.

When computer users in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou tried to connect on Friday morning to nytimes.com, they received a message that the site was not available; some users were cut off on Thursday as early as 8 p.m. The blocking was still in effect on Saturday morning. For more, Read

Nobel Not so Noble

Dharamsala, December 19 – The prestige of the Nobel Prizes may be at stake if an investigation for possible bribery proves China’s influence on Nobel committees for medicine, physics and chemistry.

Swedish media reported that members of the Nobel jury went on free trips to China on the expense of the Chinese government. Swedish Radio said that the Chinese ministry of education paid for the trips and hotel bills of some members of the jury for Nobel Prize on two occasions, 2006 and 2008. For more, Read

EU expresses deep concern over China’s Charter ‘08 arrests

Dharamsala, December 19: A statement from European Union on Tuesday expressed “deep concern” at China’s recent arrest of rights campaigners, including Liu Xiaobo, a leading activist famous for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The EU’s French presidency, on behalf of the 27-nation bloc, urged Chinese authorities to provide “prompt information” on the “conditions under which Mr Liu is being held and the reasons for his arrest.”

Last week, just two days before China celebrated with pomp its so called 30th Anniversary of “Reform and Opening-up,” Liu was taken away by police from his home. For more, Read

Hu Jintao pledges open China amid 30-year celebration

Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged Thursday that China would never turn back on its path of opening to the world, as he led celebrations for the nation’s 30 years of spectacular economic reforms .

In a long speech to thousands of faithful from the ruling Communist Party in Beijing , Hu hailed China’s rise from deep poverty to the world’s fourth largest economy and a political power as a turning point in history.

“There’s no way for us to turn back,” Hu told the audience at the Great Hall of the People on the edge of Tiananmen Square, China’s political heart. For more, Read

Battle opens over China’s future By Chris Buckley

The new year is not here yet but already China’s government and dissidents are in battle over how to mark 2009, a year that will be overshadowed by contentious anniversaries and economic woes.

Chinese President Hu Jintao told officials on Thursday that Communist Party rule must not waver. But “Charter 08,” a petition campaign launched last week, wants dramatic democratic changes to end decades of uncontested Party control.

There is no doubting the defiant ambition of the fast-growing campaign, said Wang Yi, a law lecturer and rights campaigner who signed its list of 18 demands. For more, Read

The Year of the Shoe-Olympics By Thubten Samphel

Dharamsala Diary has learned while ago that Chinese scholars had started sometime back to put their heads together at the fag end of every year to give it a name. 2007 was the year of prices go up. This year is the messy year. Some bloggers have pointed out that this story of Chinese scholars holding a meeting to christian years is a hoax. There is no such gathering of scholars in China. Whatever, the case, Dharamsala diary likes to believe this story. In this vein, watching world events from our mountain perch, this diary would say, this is the Shoe-Olympics Year.

Reporters’ Shoes and Presidential Response For more, Read

Tibetan Government Welcomes UN Chief’s Remarks, Reiterates Commitment for Talks

Dharamsala December 18: While welcoming UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s statement urging China to continue dialogue with the envoys of the Dalai Lama, the exile Tibetan government today reiterated its commitment to resolve the Tibet issue through talks. For more, Read

China’s Court Ruling on “Riot” Charges Questioned

Dharamsala, Dec 18 – China’s Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court has passed sentences on 7 Tibetans for their alleged involvement in crimes of ‘espionage’ ‘endangering State security’ and ‘illegally providing information to outside agents’.

The sentences passed over a few months’ time range between 8 years to life imprisonment, says Tashi Choephel of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). For more, Read

Opinion: Chinese intellectual Ran Yunfei on China’s Rights and Liu Xiaobo

Reclaiming China’s rights Liu Xiaobo, An author of the ‘08 Charter calling for constitutional reform in China, has been detained. He must be freed

By Ran Yunfei

The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights witnesses more human rights violations in China. A couple of days ago, police in Shanghai detained Liu Xiaobo, an intellectual and human rights activist, who had been in and out of prison in the last two decades because of his activism.

The reason this time is the ‘08 Charter, a document calling for constitutional reform in China, initiated by Liu Xiaobo and his colleagues, and signed by more than 300 people, including me. Hearing the news, I felt not only angry, but also pity towards the authorities whose fierce reaction can’t disguise the fear underneath. One will always claim and protect one’s rights. No authority can stop that. For more, Read

China’s Charter

A new movement offers a democratic alternative to the regime of the Beijing Olympics.

The Washington Post / Editorial Wednesday, December 17, 2008

CHINA’S Communist regime spent much of this year selling itself to the world as a rising power that offers an alternative to the democratic capitalism of the West. Its symbol is the Beijing Olympics, for which stadiums were built, crowds orchestrated and events staged with brutish efficiency—even as political dissidents and unsightly poor people were jailed or exiled from Beijing. But Olympics China is not the only forward-looking vision of the country, as a group of more than 300 intellectuals, journalists, rural activists and artists made clear last week. Their manifesto, Charter 2008, sketches a free and democratic China where human rights, democracy and the rule of law are paramount. While it might seem less formidable than the Bird’s Nest Stadium, our long-run bet is on the charter. For more, Read

China: Teachers’ protest in Hunan suppressed

More than 4000 teachers in Shaodong County, Hunan Province held a sit-in protest in front of the County government offices on December 1, to complain that the teachers have not been paid their performance wages for the past two years.

The County government replied by threatening to fire the teachers or to relocate them to remote areas. The deputy County Party Chief who was in a passing car which hit one of the teachers, said that it would not matter if some teachers were crushed to death. For more, Read

I feel like a citizen of Himachal, Dalai Lama says

Dharamsala, December 17: Exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama Wednesday reportedly said he had been living in the hill station of Himachal Pradesh for so long that he feels “like a citizen” of the state.

“I have spent most of my life in this hill station. Now I feel like a citizen of Himachal Pradesh,” the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying by IANS during his visit to the state assembly complex here this morning. For more, Read

Beijing Clamps Down After Call for Democracy

The release last week of a human rights manifesto signed by hundreds of mainland scholars, lawyers and ex-officials has prompted a stern response from Chinese authorities who have jailed one signer and contacted dozens.

Charter 08, which takes its title and inspiration from the “Charter 77” document that demanded rights for Czechoslovakia in 1977, called for an extensive list of rights in China, including free speech, freedom to form political parties, an independent legal system and direct elections. The 4,000-word document was released during a time of several sensitive anniversaries, including 100 years after the promulgation of China’s first constitution, 60 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 30 years after Beijing’s “Democracy Wall” movement. The charter was first signed by 303 intellectuals living in China, a number that has since grown to more than 3,000. For more, Read

China bans foreign websites again

Beijing: China appears to have banned a number of foreign websites, including the BBC’s Chinese language news site and Voice of America in Chinese.

The sites had been unblocked after journalists attending the Beijing Olympics complained that the government was censoring sites deemed sensitive.

But they have been banned again, along with some Hong Kong and Taiwan sites.

A foreign ministry spokesman refused to confirm that the government was behind the censorship. For more, Read

China to teach children “ethnic unity”

BEIJING: Chinese children will study “ethnic unity” from primary school, the Education Ministry said at the end of an Olympic year marred by violent riots in Tibet and unrest in the north-western Muslim Xinjiang region.

An outline of the new policy suggested Beijing is worried about discontent among minority groups, although its policies in regions like Tibet, which have attracted foreign criticism, are widely supported at home by a generation of vocal nationalists.

The new classes will run all the way through school, with high school students getting up to 14 hours a year to help them “recognise the superiority of our government and Communist Party’s ethnic policies,” and ensure they reflect them in their work. For more, Read

New Speaker of Tibetan Parliament sworn in

Dharamsala, December 16: A parliamentary representative from the Domey (Amdo) Province Mr Penpa Tsering was Tuesday sworn in as the new Speaker of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE).

Mr Penpa was officially sworn in by the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama at a ceremony held at the latter’s residence here earlier this morning. For more, Read

Doors for Talks on Tibet Always Open:China

Dharamsala, Dec 16 – China said Tuesday it was still open to dialogue with representatives of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, reported AFP. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged China Friday to continue the negotiations on the future of Tibet with representatives of the Dalai Lama.

“The Chinese government… always expresses sincerity towards the contacts and negotiations, and the door to talks with the Dalai side is always open,” the foreign ministry said in a statement faxed to AFP. For more, Read