Thursday, October 30, 2008

Enviados Tibetanos partem para a R.P.C.

Os enviados de S.S. Dalai Lama, Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari e Kelsang Gyaltsen, partiram hoje para a China onde decorrerá a oitava ronda de conversações com representantes do governo Chinês.
A delegação, liderada por Gyari, incluirá também três assistentes séniores.
Um comunicado à Imprensa divulgado hoje não fornecia, no entanto, mais pormenores acerca da visita dos enviados a Pequim.
Os enviados Tibetanos permanecerão cerca de uma semana na R.P.C.

In
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=23106&article=Tibetan+Envoys+Leave+for+China

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

His Holiness' Remarks on Tibet Misquoted: Office

The office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama issued a clarification yesterday on remarks made by the Tibetan leader at the TCV school's 48th founding anniversary on October 25. His Holiness’ office stated on its website that the remarks of the Tibetan leader had been reported out of context in some media reports.


In its clarification, the Office of His Holiness said, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that Tibetans have long been pursuing a path to find a solution to the issue of Tibet that would be mutually acceptable to Tibetans and Chinese. This has received widespread appreciation from the international community, several governments included. More importantly, it has gained the support of many Chinese intellectuals.


The office stated, “His Holiness went on to say that, unfortunately, the Chinese leadership has so far not responded positively to our overtures and does not seem interested in addressing the issue in a realistic way. Beginning in March this year, a series of protests and demonstrations erupted in Lhasa and in many other traditional Tibetan areas. These were clearly a spontaneous expression of the Tibetan people’s deep-seated resentment and dissatisfaction over more than five decades of repressive Chinese communist rule.”


“Since the Chinese Government has accused His Holiness of orchestrating these protests in Tibet, he called for a thorough investigation to examine these allegations, even offering access to Central Tibetan Administration files and records here in India. So far, this offer has not been taken up, but the situation in Tibet becomes graver by the day. Therefore, His Holiness said that it is difficult for him to continue to shoulder such a heavy responsibility when the present Chinese leadership does not seem to appreciate simple truth, reason and common sense. In the absence of any positive reciprocal response from the Chinese leadership, His Holiness feels that if he cannot help find a solution, he would rather not hinder it in any way. His Holiness feels that he cannot afford to pretend that his persistent efforts to find a mutually satisfactory solution to the Tibetan problem are bearing fruit.”


Following is a translated excerpt from His Holiness’ address to the October 25 gathering posted on the official website of the Tibetan government in exile.


His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Sino-Tibetan Relations andthe Special Meeting in November— An Excerpt from His Address During the 48th Founding Anniversary of the Tibetan Children's Village on 25 October 2008


Recently Tibet has witnessed a crisis. Across the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the Tibetan people courageously articulated their discontentment with — and vented their long-simmering resentment against — the Chinese government. The outburst was not just restricted to the community of monks and nuns; it included believers as well as non-believers of all ages, including Party members, students, and even those Tibetan students who are studying in Mainland China. Realistically, at that time there was no way for the Chinese government to altogether ignore this fact and it should have come up with measures that were appropriate to what was happening on the ground. However it did not. Completely ignoring Tibetan aspirations, it went ahead and cracked down upon the Tibetan protestors, calling them various and sundry names such as "Splittists", "Political Rebels".


At this critical moment when the great mass of our brothers and sisters inside Tibet have made such great sacrifices, it would not do for us living in the free world to remain silent or inactive — as though we are oblivious to what was happening in our country.


Until now, we have adopted a position that is based on an endeavour to benefit both the parties concerned. As such, it has gained the appreciation of many countries across the world, including India. Among Chinese intellectuals, in particular, there is a growing support for this approach. These are indeed victories for us. To bring about a positive change inside Tibet is not just our fundamental duty; it is also our ultimate objective. The sad reality, however, is that we have not been able to fulfil this objective. Therefore when I made my first statement to the European parliament in Strasbourg way back in 1988, I categorically mentioned that the ultimate decision with regard to the issue of Tibet would be taken by the general Tibetan public.

In 1993, direct contact between the Chinese government and us came to an end. We once again held consultations with the general Tibetan populace on the best possible way forward. It was decided, however, to continue to follow the same position as before.


The common cause of Tibet concerns the welfare of the Tibetan people as a whole. It is not at all an issue about my person. As such the Tibetan people collectively should think over the issue of the common good of Tibet and decide accordingly. Seen from a different angle, we have from the very beginning committed ourselves to treading a genuine path of democracy. On our part, we do not preach democracy and practise autocracy. So, at this critical juncture whatever suggestions, views and opinions the general Tibetan public have should be thoroughly discussed. This should be done in a manner that takes into account the best possible course for the realisation of our fundamental cause, rather than for the glorification of ideologies and policies of respective political parties or the simple articulation of different political viewpoints.


All Tibetan people — whether they belong to the laity or the ecclesiastical community — must work towards the sustenance of our national identity. Generally speaking, the sustenance of the Tibetan national identity is quite different from that of any other nations or peoples on this planet. If the Tibetan national identity is sustained well, its value systems — based as they are on the Buddhist tenets of loving kindness and compassion — have an innate quality of being beneficial for the whole of the world. Therefore, our struggle for truth is not only related to the benefit of the six million Tibetans, it is also closely related to our ability to provide a certain amount of benefit to the entire world. Our struggle for truth, thus, has reason behind it. If in the future the Tibetan struggle for truth is amicably and properly resolved, it will certainly help millions of people, including those in China, to discover new prospects for leading a healthier, more meaningful life, securing both mental and physical happiness.


On the other hand, if Tibet were to become a society that pursues only material benefit — as a result of China's complete obliteration of Tibetan religion and culture, the very basis of which is compassion — this will, instead of benefiting the Chinese people, lead to their loss in the future. Therefore, this struggle of ours is, in reality, beneficial to everyone involved. Realising this, we should think over and discuss the ways and means available to us. I am asking all of you to do so, because this is an issue that concerns the common good of all of us Tibetans.


The Chinese government has accused me of inciting the recent unrest in Tibet. As well as making direct representations to the Chinese government, I have made public appeals that Beijing should provide a detailed explanation on this matter. In these representations and appeals, I have said that they can dispatch investigating teams to Dharamsala to check the files of our departments and offices. I have also said that they can go through the recorded tapes of my speeches or statements to the new arrivals from Tibet. No investigating teams have arrived thus far. But China continues to hurl criticism against me.


Taking these developments into account, it appears that my continuing to hold on to this position is creating obstacles to the Tibet problem, rather than helping resolve it. Therefore the issue of the common good of Tibet would be better decided by the Tibetan people. There is no need for me to interfere in this.


On 11 September I reached a decision that I can no longer bear this responsibility. I see no useful purpose being served by my continuing to take up this responsibility. However, if the Chinese leadership honestly engages in talks, then I may be in a position to take up this responsibility again. I will, then, sincerely engage with them. It is very difficult to deal with people, who are not sincere. So I say this very candidly to representatives of the media: I have faith and trust in the Chinese people; however, my faith and trust in the Chinese government is diminishing.


I have called upon the elected Tibetan leadership to discuss these points at a special meeting. I feel this matter cannot be decided all at once by the convening of such an extensive meeting. The principal point, however, is that all the people should take responsibility, should take a keen interest in the matter and should come up with the ways and means, as well as practicable actions, for the realisation of our cherished goal. In other words, all Tibetans should work together in a spirit of collective responsibility to discuss the matter before us, taking into full consideration the short- and long-term benefit of the Tibetan people. However, the final or the actual decision must be made by the Tibetan people.

In
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=23101&article=His+Holiness'+Remarks+on+Tibet+Misquoted%3a+Office

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Is there ever a right time to give up a struggle?

The Dalai Lama says he's "giving up" negotiating with China for greater autonomy for Tibet. Is it ever acceptable to throw in the towel when you're involved in a struggle?
Is it a sign of weakness or real moral authority ?
AUDIO:

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Dalai Lama losing hope for Tibet autonomy - aide

The Dalai Lama has lost hope of reaching an agreement with Beijing over Tibetan autonomy under Chinese rule, but is not going into retirement, a senior aide said on Sunday.

"Because of lack of response from Chinese we have to be realistic, there is no hope", Tenzin Taklha told Reuters.

"His Holiness does not want to become a hindrance to the Tibetan issue, and therefore has sent a letter to the parliament regarding what options he has".

The Tibetan spiritual leader has called for a special meeting of Tibetan exiles in the second week of November to discuss the future of the Tibetan movement.

His candour is seen as a vindication for the many exiled Tibetans who say his conciliatory "middle way" approach to seeking greater autonomy has not worked.

"I think the statement by his Holiness is an eye opener for the Tibetan people", Tsewang Rigzin, the president of the pro-independence Tibetan Youth Congress told Reuters.

"We are not against the middle way approach of his Holiness, the fact is that China is not sincere and has never been sincere in talking about the middle way".

Taklha denied speculation that the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was going into retirement.

Karma Cheophel, the speaker for the Tibetan government-in-exile, earlier said the Dalai Lama had "hinted he is now on full retirement", sparking some rumours in the local media.

The Dalai Lama gave his first public address on Saturday since undergoing gallstone surgery, in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala, the seat of the exiled government.

Beijing vilifies the Dalai Lama as a traitor and earlier this year accused him of orchestrating a deadly wave of unrest in Tibet ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Taklha said he hoped the eighth round of talks between Tibetan envoys and Chinese officials will be held by the end of October.

The two sides have met to try to ease tension in Tibet since violent riots broke out there in March.

Many Tibetans, especially younger generations, see the talks as a Chinese ploy to delay progress on the question of either independence or regional autonomy for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since fleeing a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
(Writing by Matthias Williams; Reporting by Abhishek Madhukar; Editing by David Fox)

In
http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINDEL21181720081026?sp=true

Friday, October 24, 2008

China furious at EU human rights award to 'criminal' dissident Hu Jia

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denounced the European Parliament for giving the prestigious Sakharov Prize to Hu Jia, an imprisoned human rights activist.
"We express strong dissatisfaction at the decision to issue such an award to a jailed criminal in China, in disregard of our repeated representations," said a foreign ministry spokesman."This is gross interference in China's domestic affairs."
The row has blown up as Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President and current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, joins José Manuel Barroso, European Commission president, in Beijing for a critical two-day Asia-Europe summit.
Mr Sarkozy and Mr Barroso are using the Beijing meeting, between the EU and 16 Asian countries including China and India, to ask for Asia's help in tackling the current global economic crisis ahead of the global summit in the US in November."I very much hope that China gives an important contribution to the solution of this financial crisis," said Mr Barroso yesterday."I think it's a great opportunity for China to show a sense of responsibility."
Mr Barroso promised that human rights would be raised at the talks, a pledge that, coming after the human rights award to Mr Hu, risks straining EU-China negotiations.
Mr Hu received a three and half year jail sentence last April for "subversion", becoming China's best-known human rights campaigner for his work highlighting government abuses, environmental degradation and the plight of China's HIV-Aids sufferers.
Hans-Gert Poettering, the president of the European Parliament, made it clear on Thursday that the prize sent out "a signal of clear support to all those who defend human rights in China"."Hu Jia is one of the real defenders of human rights," he said.
Named for a Soviet dissident, the Sakharov Prize, is considered the EU's top human rights award and comes with a £40,000 purse.
Previous winners include former South African President Nelson Mandela, East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao and Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya.
Charles Tannock, a Conservative Euro-MP, said that China's ambassador to the EU, Song Zhu, had "lobbied heavily" to stop the award going to Mr Hu."The people of China, who yearn for the same freedoms and values that are sacrosanct to us in the West, should know that the European Parliament will not hesitate to highlight the authoritarian and repressive nature of the communist government," he said.

Large human rights delegation heads for China

"I'm very sorry about that," Raymond Johansen of the Foreign Ministry told newspaper Aftenposten. Johansen was only allowed to visit Tibet himself if he agreed to travel without a Norwegian press corps.

He did so, because he feels it's important to get an impression of the situation in Tibet that he didn't want to cancel the trip. Johansen said he also felt it was important to demonstrate to the Chinese officials that Norway remains highly interested in Tibet.

He said he tried several times to get the Chinese to change their minds and allow journalists to accompany him, but was turned down. Johansen never was given a reason as to why reporters aren't being allowed with him into Tibet.

Around 40 Norwegian politicians, civil servants and experts on China are in the delegation that will be discussing human rights in Beijing next week. The annual "round-table" discussion will take place October 30-31.

Also included in the delegation are representatives from Norway's Supreme Court, the national legal and medical associations, the trade union federation LO, the employers' group NHO and Amnesty International.

Johansen told Aftenposten that he thinks human rights are moving in the right direction in China, even though the country still has a long way to go. The rights of workers, prisoners and minorities are high on the agenda.

Norway has had formal discussions on human rights in China since 1997. China has similar discussions with the EU twice a year as well.
In

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Galardão europeu para a liberdade de pensamento


O Prémio Sakharov 2008 para a liberdade de pensamento foi atribuído ao dissidente chinês Hu Jia, apesar das pressões exercidas por Pequim sobre os eurodeputados.


O Governo chinês já reagiu considerando que a atribuição do prémio "a um criminoso" é "uma ingerência nos assuntos internos da China".


O Parlamento Europeu atribuiu o Prémio Sakharov 2008 a Hu Jia "em nome dos sem voz na China e no Tibete", anunciou o presidente Hans-Gert Pottering, em sessão plenária hoje em Estrasburgo.


"O Parlamento Europeu rende assim homenagem ao combate diário pela liberdade de todos os defensores dos Direitos do Homem na China", sublinhou Pottering.


Activista dos direitos humanos e das vítimas do vírus da Sida, Hu Jia foi condenado a três anos e meio de prisão a 3 de Abril último por "incitar à subversão contra o governo chinês".


Formado em engenharia de informação pela Escola de Economia de Pequim, Hu Jia, 35 anos, tem-se destacado pelas suas tomadas de posição a favor dos direitos políticos, do ambiente e dos doentes com Sida.



Governo chinês considera Hu Jia "um criminoso"


O governo chinês considera a atribuição do Premio Sakharov 2008 ao dissidente Hu Jia "uma ingerência nos assuntos internos da China".

"Opomo-nos à ingerência nos assuntos internos de outros países a pretexto dos direitos humanos", disse ao princípio da tarde de hoje (hora local) um porta-voz do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros chinês.


Questionado sobre a eventual atribuição do Prémio Sakharov a Hu Jia o mesmo porta-voz, Qin Gang, afirmou: "É um criminoso, condenado por subversão".


Quando o seu nome foi citado, no início de Outubro, como um dos possíveis vencedores do Prémio Nobel da Paz, Pequim considerou que uma atribuição do Nobel a Hu Jia seria uma ingerência nos seus assuntos judiciários.


Ao longo dos últimos dias, os representantes do governo chinês exerceram várias pressões sobre os eurodeputados para evitar que o Prémio Sakharov 2008 fosse entregue ao dissidente.


Numa carta de 16 de Outubro endereçada a Poettering, da qual a agência noticiosa francesa AFP obteve uma cópia, o embaixador da China junto da União Europeia, Song Zhe, advertiu que "se o Parlamento Europeu atribuísse este prémio a Hu Jia, isso atingiria inevitalmente o povo chinês e significaria uma deterioração das relações entre a China e a UE".


Song Zhe considerou ainda que "não reconhecer os progressos da China em matéria de direitos humanos e insistir no confronto só vai aprofundar a incompreensão" entre a China e a UE.
Prémio Sakharov entregue a 17 de Dezembro.


Além de Hu Jia, o opositor bielorrusso Alexandre Kozulin e o abade congolês Apollinaire Malu Malu eram favoritos à atribuição do prémio Sakharov 2008.


Este prémio, entregue pelo Parlamento Europeu, recompensa há 20 anos personalidades que se distinguiram na defesa dos direitos humanos.


A entrega do prémio decorre numa cerimónia solene em Estrasburgo a 17 de Dezembro, durante a sessão do Parlamento que, este ano, celebra também os 20 anos do Sakharov, na presença dos anteriores laureados como o antigo presidente da África do Sul Nelson Mandela, a militante birmanesa Aung San Suu Kyi e o ex-secretário-geral da ONU Kofi Annan.

In

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Taiwanese protesters attack Chinese envoy

Scores of Taiwanese pro-independence activists on Tuesday shoved a top Chinese official to the ground during his visit to the self-ruled island, sparking anger in Beijing.

Television footage showed the protesters surrounding Zhang Mingqing and pushing him to the ground while he was visiting a temple in the southern city of Tainan.
Zhang, the vice president of China's quasi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, had to be supported by a guide and escorted back to his car as protesters tried to punch him and prevent him leaving.
After he ducked into the car a man climbed onto its roof and stamped on it repeatedly, shouting "Get out!"
Zhang later told reporters that he was slightly injured in the fray and said such violence "should not be tolerated in any civilized society," but insisted the development of cross-Strait ties "would not be hampered."He attributed the incident to a "small group of people trying to sabotage cross-Strait ties".
Later in Beijing, China angrily demanded that Taiwan severely punish the activists who manhandled Zhang.
"We express strong indignation and condemnation at this type of uncivilized behaviour and demand severe punishment of the culprits," an unnamed spokesman for the cabinet-level Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement.
China and Taiwan split in 1949 following a civil war, but Beijing regards the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.Zhang's semi-official association is authorized by Beijing to handle civilian exchanges with Taiwan, in the absence of official contacts between the two sides.Taiwanese police promised to beef up security for Zhang after the scuffle, which was also condemned by Taiwan Premier Liu Chao-shiuan and the ruling Kuomintang party."
The incident seriously damaged the image of Taiwanese people and this is not the way to treat a guest," the Kuomintang said in a statement.Tainan, where the incident took place, is a stronghold of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which favours independence, and the Kuomintang called on the DPP leadership to apologize.
The DPP in turn accused Zhang of being an "enemy" of Taiwan."China uses toxic milk to poison Taiwanese people and deploys missiles to threaten us. We do not consider Zhang a guest, but an enemy, and no one will treat an enemy nicely," opposition lawmaker Yeh Yi-jin told reporters.
Prosecutors in Tainan later summoned Wang Ting-yu, a DPP city councillor, for questioning on suspicion of pushing Zhang.Wang insisted Zhang had simply tripped."He fell after kicking tree roots in the temple and we pulled him up . . . he fell on his own," Wang told reporters.Zhang had arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, and Monday attended a seminar at a university in Tainan where he was heckled by pro-independence activists.
His trip comes as Taiwan is trying to arrange a new round of cross-Strait negotiations, after talks with China in June led to the first regular direct flights between the island and the mainland in nearly six decades.Ties have improved dramatically since Taiwan's China-friendly president Ma Ying-jeou took office earlier this year.
He has promised to improve business and tourism ties with China following eight years of strained relations under his pro-independence predecessor Chen Shui-bian.Zhang's boss Chen Yunlin is expected to visit the island in the coming weeks for more talks, but Tuesday's scuffle heightened concerns that those plans could be scrapped.No itinerary has been finalized for those talks, but newspapers here have said they will be held in Taipei between late October and early November and will focus on cargo flights and shipping links.

In
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=23050&article=Taiwanese+protesters+attack+Chinese+envoy

Monday, October 20, 2008

Tibetan filmmaker temporarily released from prison

Jigme Gyatso, who assisted filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen for taping interviews with Tibetans in Tibet about their lives under Chinese government rule, has been temporarily released and placed under probation after being held for nearly seven months, their production company, based in Switzerland, disclosed today.

Jigme Gyatso, also known as "Golog Jigme", was temporarily released from Kachu (in Chinese: Linxia) prison on October 15, 2008, a statement released by the production company, Filming for Tibet, said.
According to the statement, the 39-year old Buddhist monk is now back to his Labrang Tashikyil Monastery in Gansu Province. The statement, however, said it was not clear from the information received from Tibet if all charges against Jigme had been dismissed. “He was told by the authorities that he will stay under observance and his probation will last one year,” it said. Chinese police in the western province of Qinghai (Amdo) arrested Jigme and Wangchen in March 2008, shortly after they sent footage filmed in Tibet to the production company, which is headed by a relative of Wangchen. A 25-minute film titled "Jigdrel," or "Leaving Fear Behind," was produced from the footage and is available online. The film was intended to shed light on the lives of Tibetans in China in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Dhondup Wangchen, 34, is still in detention and there is no news on his pending trial. Wangchen and Jigme traveled to remote corners in the eastern region of Amdo and across the Tibetan plateau from October 2007 to March 2008 filming over thirty five hours of interviews. The tapes were transported in March 2008 to Switzerland, where Wangchen's cousin Gyaljong Tsetrin put the final cut together.
The film features twenty ethnic Tibetans; their views on the Beijing Olympics, the present situation inside the country and the return of the Dalai Lama.Following his release, the statement said, Jigme Gyatso told sources that he was severely tortured after his arrest in March 2008. The interrogators beat him continuously and hanged him by his feet from the ceiling for hours and kept him tied for days on the interrogation chair. During the interrogations he fainted several times due to the beatings. After May 12 when the region was shaken by strong earthquakes beatings stopped and after August 11 there was a noticeable improvement.
According to the statement, a big crowd of fellow monks and nearby Tibetans gave Jigme an emotional welcome upon his arrival at Labrang Tashikyil monastery on October 15.
“According to sources in Tibet who were present, the crowd cheered him and thanked him for filming the documentary ‘Leaving Fear Behind’", the statement said.
Jigme Gyatso was born in 1969 in Golog Serta, in the Kardze region of Kham (in Chinese: Ganzi, Sichuan province).
Tenzin Lushol, another monk from Labrang, arrested for activities not in connection with the filming, was also released from Kachu prison and accompanied Jigme Gyatso to Labrang, the statement said.
However, Dhondup Wangchen is still in detention, and the statement said there was no news on his pending trial. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday condemned the detention of the two filmmakers and said information about their arrests have not been formally acknowledged by Chinese authorities.

In
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=23020&article=Tibetan+filmmaker+temporarily+released+from+prison

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Western Mining to start production in Tibet

Western Mining Co, China's seventh-largest copper miner, said on Wednesday it will launch trial production on Friday at a smelter at its Yulong copper mine, the country's largest copper deposit in Tibet.


The plant will produce at most 2,000 tonnes of refined copper by the end of the year if the trial run is successful, according to a company statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.By 2010, the plant is expected to have production capacity of 20,000 tonnes, the company said.


Yulong has proven reserves of more than 6.5 million tonnes of copper in ore and prospective reserves of 10 million tonnes. Western Mining holds a 58 percent stake in the mine.Western Mining shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange were trading at 6.78 yuan on Wednesday morning, down 20 percent this month and trailing the Shanghai Composite Index's .SSEC 12 percent decline.A unit of Goldman Sachs (GS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) owns just over 8 percent of Western Mining.

In
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=22998&article=Western+Mining+to+start+production+in+Tibet

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Fareed Zakaria entrevista PM Chinês

Zakaria: Posso colocar-lhe outras questões? O Dalai Lama disse recentemente que aceitaria que a China governasse o Tibete, que aceitaria o sistema socialista no Tibete e que tudo o que pede é a autonomia cultural e um certo grau de autonomia politica. Ao que parece as conversações entre os governos tibetano e chinês encontram-se num impasse. Tendo em vista o seu poder e as suas capacidades de negociação, porque é que o Sr. e o/ou o Presidente Hu Jintao não negoceiam directamente com o Dalai Lama e resolvem este assunto de uma vez por todas para o beneficio do povo Chinês e do povo tibetano que também se encontra na China?

Wen Jiabao: A nossa questão com o Dalai Lama não é étnica, religiosa ou cultural. Trata-se de uma questão de princípio que diz respeito à salvaguarda da unidade do país ou com a permissão de acções que contribuem para a sua separação. Temos de adoptar duas visões no que diz respeito ao Dalai Lama. Por um lado, é verdade que o Dalai Lama é um líder religioso, particularmente nas regiões onde os habitantes acreditam no Budismo. Por outro, temos de ter em atenção que o Dalai Lama não é uma simples figura religiosa. O Governo no exílio fundado pelo Dalai Lama pratica uma regra teocrática. E o objectivo deste governo no exílio é separar o Tibete da China.

Em muitos lugares à volta do mundo, o Dalai Lama fala da ideia de autonomia na maior região tibetana. E a autonomia que defende é usar a religião para intervir na política. Querem separar a grande região tibetana da sua pátria. Muitas pessoas nos Estados Unidos não fazem ideia do que é a grande região tibetana, a dita grande região tibetana, aclamada pelo Dalai Lama, abrange o Tibete, Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai e Gansu, todas as cinco províncias. E a área que abrange a grande região tibetana é um quarto do território chinês.

A nossa política em relação ao Dalai Lama não muda há décadas: isto é, enquanto o Dalai Lama estiver disposto a reconhecer que o Tibete é parte inalienável do território da China e desde que desista de actividades separatistas, estamos dispostos a contactar e a conversar com ele ou com os seus representantes.

Agora, sinceridade é a chave para o resultado das conversações. Depois do incidente dos anos 1950, o mais alto dignitário do governo central, o Sr. Deng Xiaoping, também se encontrou com os representantes do Dalai Lama.

Por isso penso que não há qualquer problema em relação ao meu contacto com o Dalai Lama. O ponto fulcral reside na eficiência do contacto e das conversações.

Esperamos que possa usar acções reais e mostrar sinceridade e acabar com o impasse.

Zakaria: O que gostaria que o Dalai Lama fizesse para mostrar sinceridade?

Wen Jiabao: Na verdade, já tornei claro que quando observamos alguém, incluindo o Dalai Lama, deveríamos não observar apenas o que diz, mas também o que faz.

A sua sinceridade pode ser demonstrada desistindo de actividades separatistas.

Zakaria: E quando é que se vai encontrar com o Dalai Lama?

Wen Jiabao: Até lá, tudo depende do desenvolvimento da situação. É claro, as negociações podem continuar, e tendo em vista o progresso das conversações, possamos considerar aumentar o nível das conversações.
In

Os esforços Chineses...

As autoridades na província Chinesa de Sichuan planeiam gastar 5 bilhões de yuan de forma a transferirem 470,000 nómadas Tibetanos para casas permanentes, de acordo com a imprensa oficial, e inserido nos esforços Chineses de promoção do desenvolvimento das áreas étnicas Tibetanas...
NT:
Lembramos que na província de Sichuan e até há bem pouco tempo decorriam ainda protestos por parte de Tibetanos, e que esta medida foi severamente criticada pelos nómadas Tibetanos que desta forma vêem a sua cultura ser ainda mais destruída.

In
http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINSHA14950220081011

Monday, October 6, 2008

30 die after 2 strong earthquakes hit Tibet

A pair of strong earthquakes jolted the capital of Tibet and surrounding areas Monday, killing more than 30 people and causing hundreds of houses to collapse, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Rescuers rushed to the scene to try to save an unknown number of people buried under rubble.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the first quake measured magnitude 6.6 and struck at 4:30 p.m. (0830 GMT) 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Lhasa, more than 1,600 miles (2,600 kilometers) away from Beijing.The second temblor measuring magnitude 5.1 hit about 15 minutes later, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of the Tibetan capital, it said.
Thirty people died and hundreds of houses collapsed in Gedar township near the epicenter in Dangxiong County, and traffic and telecommunications were cut off. An unknown number of people were still trapped under rubble, and soldiers and rescue workers were hurriedly dispatched to the site, Xinhua said.
Deaths were also reported in a neighboring county, the report said, but no figures were available. The Lhasa airport and the Qinghai-Tibet railway — which stretches from western Qinghai province to Tibet — continued to operate, Xinhua said.
China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for most of that time. On March 14, monk-led protests against Chinese rule turned violent in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, and ethnic Chinese residents were attacked.
China's State Seismological Bureau said the initial temblor was centered in Dangxiong county, which has a population of about 42,000 people, mostly herdsmen.
"I felt the building shaking a little bit and saw a bench overturn," said Ge San, an employee at the Baima Hotel in Dangxiong, who was sitting in a room with about five other employees.
"The shaking was not heavy. We stayed in the room and were not frightened," she said, adding that all the hotel's guests remained on the premises.
In Lhasa, employees at the Civil Affairs Bureau rushed out of their building when the tremors began but returned soon after, said an official who refused to give her name.
"I was in my office on the third floor," she said. "The shaking lasted for about half a minute."
Xinhua said that so far, none of the city's landmarks, such as the famed Potala Palace, appeared to be damaged.
One of the agency's reporters in Lhasa said shops remained open and there was no panic on the streets.
Authorities said seismologists and officials had been sent to the area and were assessing the situation.
China's far west is fairly earthquake prone. On Sunday, a magnitude-5.7 earthquake shook the Xinjiang region, which borders Tibet, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which also suffered a 6.6-magnitude quake hours later. At least 60 people were killed when a village collapsed.
Tibet, a remote, sparsely populated region, has been hit by several moderate earthquakes in recent weeks.
Last month, a magnitude 6 quake struck near its border with Nepal but there were no reports of damage or casualties.
In late August, the USGS reported that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 hit the region. Chinese state media said schools, a hydropower station and 622 homes were damaged and about 2,000 people forced to seek temporary shelter.
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake on May 12 devastated a swathe of Sichuan province, just east of Tibet, killing 70,000 people and leaving 5 million homeless.
In

Thursday, October 2, 2008

DIIR submits report on ‘torture against Tibetan people’ to the UN

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), through its Tibet Bureau based in Geneva, submitted a report on “ the continuing use of torture against the Tibetan people” to “the United Nations Committee Against Torture on Violations by the People’s Republic of China Against The People of Tibet”, on 29 September.

The report details narrative of events from 2000 to 2008, presenting evidence of torture used against Tibetan people under the political and religious repression imposed by the Chinese government in Tibet.

It presents a detailed account of the Chinese government’s violations of the convention against torture by attributing those with ‘evidence of torture in connection with recent protests in Tibet’, ‘torture as a common practice in Tibet even before the March demonstration’, ‘failure of China’s legal system to ban the use of torture’, ‘absence of independent judiciary’ and the ‘Chinese authorities threat of disciplinary action against lawyers’.

The report, which evaluates China’s compliance with the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment (torture convention) with respect to Tibet, said, “China continues to engage in widespread and systematic violations of the torture conventions against the Tibetan people.”

China has also failed to make genuine progress in the areas of concern noted by this committee in its ‘1996 and 2000 Concluding Observations’, which is supported by the recent findings of the Special Rapporteur on Torture, following his mission to China, noted the report.

The report asked the committee to examine China’s compliance with the Torture Convention taking into consideration the significant events in Tibet since 2000.

It said significant measures were implemented to curtail and repress the free practice of religion in Tibet, to deny the Tibetan people any meaningful right of free expression, and to marginalize Tibetans through a concerted effort to support the influx of Chinese settlers.

These measures have been enforced through police intimidation, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture used to punish and terrorise the Tibetan communities. Indeed, across a broad array of economic, social and political rights, the Chinese government has failed the Tibetan people, the report added.

The report is critical of the increasing repression and economic marginalisation of Tibetans, which culminated in a sustained and widespread series of protests – almost all peaceful – throughout Tibet beginning on 10 March 2008.

Chinese authorities responded by detaining thousands of Tibetans, many of whom were treated with extreme brutality both while being detained and during their detention, shooting and killing unarmed protesters, locking monks and nuns inside their monasteries, imposing a heavy police and military presence in all cities and most towns of any significant size as well as remote nomad encampments, severely restricting travel within Tibet, and instituting “patriotic education” campaigns within the monasteries, the reported noted.

The Central Tibetan Administration urges the United Nations Committee Against Torture to scrutinize China’s compliance with the Torture Convention with particular attention to Tibet.

It also requests the committee to address the continuing use of torture against the Tibetan people and submit recommendations for its consideration in order to end the use of torture in Tibet.
In

Wednesday, October 1, 2008


O montanhista Esloveno Pavle Kozjek, que forneceu as imagens da morte da monja Tibetana de 17 anos, Kelsang Namtso, por parte dos guardas fronteiriços Chineses no passe de Nangpala, a 30 de Setembro de 2006 faleceu no dia 25 do mês passado durante uma ascensão no Karakoram.


Kozjek, 49 anos, faleceu após queda de 2000 metros durante a ascensão à perigosa Torre Mustagh de 7273 metros, no Paquistão.


No segundo aniversário das mortes de Nangpala, a International Campaign for Tibet prestou ontem tributo a Kozjek, um montanhista com 20 anos de experiência e aclamado pela sua coragem.


In



O Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete saúda tal iniciativa e relembra,
com admiração,

a coragem de Pavle Kozjek pelo Tibete.