Latest Appeal from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the world leaders, Parliamentarians, NGOs and public who have expressed their concern over the recent deeply saddening and tragic events in Tibet. We are also grateful for their efforts in persuading the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with the peaceful protesters, while at the same time calling for meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue.

I believe the recent demonstrations and protests are a manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment not only of the Tibetan people in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), but also in the outlying traditional Tibetan areas now incorporated into Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, where there exist substantial ethnic Tibetans.

According to reliable sources, the Chinese authorities have deployed large contingents of troops in these traditional Tibetan regions and have not only started to crack down heavily on the Tibetans allegedly involved in the unrest, but also sealed off the areas where protests have taken place.

I therefore appeal for your continued support in calling for an immediate end to the current crackdown, the release of all those who have been arrested and detained, and the provision of proper medical treatment. We are particularly concerned about the provision of adequate medical facilities, as there are reports of many injured Tibetans being afraid to go to Chinese-run hospitals and clinics.

I would also request you to encourage the sending of an independent international body, to investigate the unrest and its underlying causes, as well as allow the media and international medical teams to visit the affected areas. Their presence will not only instill a sense of reassurance in the Tibetan people, but will also exercise a restraining influence on the Chinese authorities.”

THE DALAI LAMA
Dharamsala, India

More Recent Quotes on the Ongoing Crisis in Tibet

“We are like prisoners here. There are soldiers all over the place…It’s all lies. The worshippers are really government officials. They are lying. They are treating us very badly.”
Monks speaking out at the Jokhang temple, during the carefully orchestrated tour for the Western media

“How many people watching these images in the West will buy China’s story? Instead, what you see are these heroic monks who are risking a lot for their cause. That’s something your average Westerner is very sympathetic with.”
Steve Tsang, Oxford University

“It is absolutely clear that there are human rights abuses in Tibet. It’s clear-cut; we need to be upfront and absolutely straight about what’s going on.”"
Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd (who, incidentally, speaks Chinese)

“China has a lot to answer for, and I’ve been struggling with it; obviously I condemn what they’re doing. I think the situation is terrible, and I think that anyone who is doing [the relay] should speak out on their views.”
British TV Presenter Konnie Huq, on the moral dilemma of being an Olympic torch bearer in London

“China may rail against those seeking to “politicise” a sporting occasion. But it knows that it has itself introduced the most political elements: a torch relay taking the Olympic flame round the world and, provocatively, through Tibet; and an opening ceremony to which it has invited the world’s leaders.”
The Economist

“The most efficient route to peace in Tibet is through the Dalai Lama, whose return to Tibet would immediately alleviate a number of problems. Much of the current ill will, after all, is a direct result of the Chinese government’s verbal attacks on the Dalai Lama, who, for Tibetan monks, has an incomparably lofty status. To demand that monks denounce him is about as practical as asking that they vilify their own parents.”
Wang Lixong, leading Chinese intellectual, Wall Street Journal

“Of all world leaders at this time, the Dalai Lama most convincingly provides spiritual, intellectual, and ethical leadership, exemplifying and elucidating the most reasonable path to peace and happiness. This is the secret of his worldwide popularity. His person and teaching really do matter, to the Tibetans, to the Chinese, and to all of us and our future generations.”
Professor Robert Thurman, ‘China Needs the Dalai Lama’, Washington Post

His Holiness’ Appeal to the People of China

His Holiness the Dalai Lama today issued an important appeal to Chinese people everywhere. Here are two extracts:

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.”

“Chinese brothers and sisters - wherever you may be - with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation.”

Please read the full text, which can be found here. (A translation of the prayer His Holiness refers to in his statement can be found here).

Tibetan Studies Scholars Speak Out

This is an extract from an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao signed by many (almost all, in fact) of the world’s leading scholars of Tibetan Studies:

“We call for an immediate end to the use of force against Tibetans within China. We call for an end to the suppression of Tibetan opinion, whatever form that suppression takes. And we call for the clear recognition that Tibetans, together with all citizens of China, are entitled to the full rights to free speech and expression guaranteed by international agreements and accepted human rights norms.”

For the full text, and full list of signatories, visit the dedicated website:

http://www.tibetopenletter.org/

Some Further Quotes on the Tibet Crisis

“Our Chinese friends must understand the worldwide concern that there is about the question of Tibet…I have an envoy who spoke to the authorities who are closest to the Dalai Lama…I want dialogue to begin.”
French President Nicolas Sarkozy

“There needs to be mutual respect between all communities and sustained dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities.”
David Miliband, British Foreign Secretary

“The Dalai clique refuses to give up their evil designs, and even in their death throes are planning new acts of sabotage.”
Meng Jianzhu, China’s minister of public security

“China must stop naming, blaming and verbally abusing one whose life has been devoted to non-violence, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a Nobel peace laureate.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“Awarding the Games to China has put China in the limelight and opened the [human rights] issues up to the world. Tibet, rightfully so, is on the front page. But it would not be on the front page if the Games were not being organized in China.”
IOC President, Jacques Rogge

“Either Tibet is open or it’s not. If it is, let independent monitors and the media go there. If it’s not, the torch shouldn’t go there either.”
Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director, Human Rights Watch

“…Don’t just be an engaged Tibetologist. It’s time to be an enraged Tibetologist.”
Dan, Tibeto-Logic

The Real China and the Olympics

As former factory worker Yang Chunlin begins his 5 year prison sentence for gathering 10,000 signatures for his petition entitled “We want human rights, not the Olympics,” (This on the very day that the Olympic torch was lit!) it might be worthwhile pointing people to “The Real China and the Olympics“, an open letter from two leading human rights activists outlining what those 10,000 Chinese people were calling for. One of the authors of the letter, Hu Jia, is now facing trial on the charges of “incitement to subvert state power.”

Whether or not you think there should be a boycott of the games, please read this document.

More on the Olympic Torch

Narisa Chakrabongse — one of Thailand’s six Olympic torchbearers — has withdrawn from the torch relay in her country to “send a strong message to China that the world community could not accept its actions.”

“The slaying of the Tibetans … is an outright violation of human rights,” Narisa wrote. “It happened two weeks before the Olympic torch leaves Athens and five months before the Olympic Games. This reflects the Chinese government’s negligence of world sentiment.”

Now there is already speculation that celebrity torchbearers in the UK, such as the broadcaster Sir Trevor MacDonald, will face increasing pressure to follow her lead. (Does anyone have his email address, I wonder?) The torch is due to pass through London on April 6th, and there will be protests highlighting China’s role in Darfur, Burma, and, of course, Tibet.

Of course, there are sure to be massive protests in San Francisco on April 9th.

Mind you, it is still not too late for China to follow Steve Varon’s suggestion.

More recent quotes

“China must resolutely crush the conspiracy of sabotage and smash ‘Tibet independence forces’”
People’s Daily, Newspaper of China’s Communist Party

“Every night in my Buddhist practice I give and take. I take in Chinese suspicion. I give back trust and compassion. I take their negative feeling and give them positive feeling. I do that every day.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“Beijing must decide itself, it should immediately negotiate with the Dalai Lama.”
Hans-Gert Poettering, European Parliament President

“The opening of peaceful dialogue now would have a symbolic dimension, especially in the context of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.”
Lech Kaczynski, President of Poland

“The present protests, supported from overseas, will bring only more suffering. China is not a democracy, and it will not budge.”
Patrick French, The New York Times

“I don’t hate Han people. But the government keeps using violence to suppress us, and that won’t solve any problems between the Tibetans and the Han.”
Tibetan monk from Gansu’s Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, quoted in BBC interview

Suggestions from 12 Chinese Intellectuals

1. At present the one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of safeguarding national unity. We call for such propaganda to be stopped.

2. We support the Dalai Lama’s appeal for peace, and hope that the ethnic conflict can be dealt with according to the principles of goodwill, peace, and non-violence. We condemn any violent act against innocent people, strongly urge the Chinese government to stop the violent suppression, and appeal to the Tibetan people likewise not to engage in violent activities.

3. The Chinese government claims that “there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique.” We hope that the government will show proof of this. In order to change the international community’s negative view and distrustful attitude, we also suggest that the government invite the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights to carry out an independent investigation of the evidence, the course of the incident, the number of casualties, etc.

4. In our opinion, such Cultural-Revolution-like language as “the Dalai Lama is a jackal in Buddhist monk’s robes and an evil spirit with a human face and the heart of a beast ” used by the Chinese Communist Party leadership in the Tibet Autonomous Region is of no help in easing the situation, nor is it beneficial to the Chinese government’s image. As the Chinese government is committed to integrating into the international community, we maintain that it should display a style of governing that conforms to the standards of modern civilization.

5. We note that on the very day when the violence erupted in Lhasa (March 14), the leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region declared that “there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique.” This shows that the authorities in Tibet knew in advance that the riot would occur, yet did nothing effective to prevent the incident from happening or escalating. If there was a dereliction of duty, a serious investigation must be carried out to determine this and deal with it accordingly.

6. If in the end it cannot be proved that this was an organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated event but was instead a “popular revolt” triggered by events, then the authorities should pursue those responsible for inciting the popular revolt and concocting false information to deceive the Central Government and the people; they should also seriously reflect on what can be learned from this event so as to avoid taking the same course in the future.

7. We strongly demand that the authorities not subject every Tibetan to political investigation or revenge. The trials of those who have been arrested must be carried out according to judicial procedures that are open, just, and transparent so as to ensure that all parties are satisfied.

8. We urge the Chinese government to allow credible national and international media to go into Tibetan areas to conduct independent interviews and news reports. In our view, the current news blockade cannot gain credit with the Chinese people or the international community, and is harmful to the credibility of the Chinese government. If the government grasps the true situation, it need not fear challenges. Only by adopting an open attitude can we turn around the international community’s distrust of our government.

9. We appeal to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese to be calm and tolerant, and to reflect deeply on what is happening. Adopting a posture of aggressive nationalism will only invite antipathy from the international community and harm China’s international image.

10. The disturbances in Tibet in the 1980s were limited to Lhasa, whereas this time they have spread to many Tibetan areas. This deterioration indicates that there are serious mistakes in the work that has been done with regard to Tibet. The relevant government departments must conscientiously reflect upon this matter, examine their failures, and fundamentally change the failed nationality policies.

11. In order to prevent similar incidents from happening in future, the government must abide by the freedom of religious belief and the freedom of speech explicitly enshrined in the Chinese Constitution, thereby allowing the Tibetan people fully to express their grievances and hopes, and permitting citizens of all nationalities freely to criticize and make suggestions regarding the government’s nationality policies.

12. We hold that we must eliminate animosity and bring about national reconciliation, not continue to increase divisions between nationalities. A country that wishes to avoid the partition of its territory must first avoid divisions among its nationalities. Therefore, we appeal to the leaders of our country to hold direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama. We hope that the Chinese and Tibetan people will do away with the misunderstandings between them, develop their interactions with each other, and achieve unity. Government departments as much as popular organizations and religious figures should make great efforts toward this goal.

Signatures:

Wang Lixiong (Beijing, Writer)
Liu Xiaobo (Beijing, Freelance Writer)
Zhang Zuhua (Beijing, scholar of constitutionalism)
Sha Yexin (Shanghai, writer, Chinese Muslim)
Yu Haocheng (Beijing, jurist)
Ding Zilin (Beijing, professor)
Jiang peikun (Beijing, professor)
Yu Jie (Beijing, writer)
Sun Wenguang (Shangdong, professor)
Ran Yunfei (Sichuan, editor, Tujia nationality)
Pu Zhiqiang (Beijing, lawyer)
Teng Biao (Beijing, Layer and scholar)
Liao Yiwu ()Sichuan, writer)
Wang Qisheng (Beijing, scholar)
Zhang Xianling (Beijing, engineer)
Xu Jue (Beijing, research fellow)
Li Jun (Gansu, photographer)
Gao Yu (Beijing, journalist)
Wang Debang (Beijing, freelance writer)
Zhao Dagong (Shenzhen, freelance writer)
Jiang Danwen (Shanghai, writer)
Liu Yi (Gansu, painter)
Xu Hui (Beijing, writer)
Wang Tiancheng (Beijing, scholar)
Wen kejian (Hangzhou, freelance)
Li Hai (Beijing, freelance writer)
Tian Yongde (Inner Mongolia, folk human rights activists)
Zan Aizong (Hangzhou, journalist)
Liu Yiming (Hubei, freelance writer)
Liu Di (Beijing, freelance writer)

Some Recent Quotes

“The whole world knows the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence, 100 times, 1,000 times I have repeated this. It is my mantra - we are not seeking independence.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China’s oppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world.”
US Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking in Dharamsala

1. If there is a power that wants to block information, then we should assume this power is bad.

2. If this power actually blocked the information, then this power should be assumed to be worse.

3. If the power which blocked information now publishes only one-sided information, then we should assume this information is false.

4. For all untrue information, the power which blocks information should be held most responsible.

5. The power which blocks information has no credibility to judge related information that flows around.

6. Information blocking is the only reason for making the divide deeper and the situation worse, since people in different positions are all talking from their own perspectives, and cannot be verified.

7. Ultra-nationalism is an emotion, not reason; therefore censorship is a bed for such emotion, fostering extreme-Tibetan, extreme-Han, Japan hatred, Taiwan hatred and other extreme emotions.

8. Mainland China is a place full of such extreme emotions. This extreme emotion supports the power, and likely prevents reform of the power.

9. Only sufficient information and sufficient expression can dissolve such extreme emotion. Trying to control so-called “dangerous speech” is the biggest danger.

10. Therefore, allowing the media to freely enter Tibet to report is a critical way to solve this problem.

Chinese Blogger Lian Yue

“A serious offer of political and cultural reform would not only delight the Tibetans and impress the world, it would also make the Beijing Olympics a unique opportunity to welcome the new China to its rightful place in the pantheon of nations.”
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, MP, UK Foreign Secretary, 1995-97

“Police have not allowed us to gather for holding peaceful demonstration. Police simply pick up and put into their vans if they happen to see anyone wearing monk-dress in and around Pulchowk.”
Anonymous Tibetan volunteer in Kathmandu, Nepal, quoted in the Kathmandu Post after police arrested 87 Tibetans from near the United Nations House in Pulchowk, including several nuns who were inside local teashops