Statement by Hillary Clinton on Olympics

The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership. These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China. At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.

I encourage the Chinese to take advantage of this moment as an opportunity to live up to universal human aspirations of respect for human rights and unity, ideals that the Olympic games have come to represent.

Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religious and political expression and human rights. Americans will also stand strong and root for the success of American athletes who have worked hard and earned the right to compete in the Olympic Games of 2008.

Tibet Undercover - Dispatches

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/

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.

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

Seeking Tibetan Freedom is Pro-Chinese Activity - Samdhong Rinpoche

Question: Asking for freedom for Tibet is considered by the Chinese as an anti-China activity.

Samdhong Rinpoche: Asking for freedom is not an anti-China act. It’s pro-China activity. We are trying to have more freedom for the Chinese people. We are trying to have more respect for human rights and we want them to have more respect for different cultures. How does it become anti-China activity? We are not seeking separation. We are not seeking independence. We are only seeking freedom. And, freedom is a birthright of every human being.

From an interview with Samdhong Rinpoche by Sheela Bhatt.

Photo courtesy of Barry Beckett.

Press Release from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to world leaders and the international community for their concern over the recent sad turn of events in Tibet and for their attempts to persuade the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with the demonstrations.

Since the Chinese Government has accused me of orchestrating these protests in Tibet, I call for a thorough investigation by a respected body, which should include Chinese representatives, to look into these allegations. Such a body would need to visit Tibet, the traditional Tibetan areas outside the Tibet Autonomous Region, and also the Central Tibetan Administration here in India. In order for the international community, and especially the more than one billion Chinese people who do not have access to uncensored information, to find out what is really going on in Tibet, it would be tremendously helpful if representatives of the international media also undertook such investigations.

Whether it was intended or not, I believe that a form of cultural genocide has taken place in Tibet, where the Tibetan identity has been under constant attack. Tibetans have been reduced to an insignificant minority in their own land as a result of the huge transfer of non-Tibetans into Tibet. The distinctive Tibetan cultural heritage with its characteristic language, customs and traditions is fading away. Instead of working to unify its nationalities, the Chinese government discriminates against these minority nationalities, the Tibetans among them.

It is common knowledge that Tibetan monasteries, which constitute our principal seats of learning, besides being the repository of Tibetan Buddhist culture, have been severely reduced in both in number and population. In those monasteries that do still exist, serious study of Tibetan Buddhism is no longer allowed; in fact, even admission to these centres of learning is being strictly regulated. In reality, there is no religious freedom in Tibet. Even to call for a little more freedom is to risk being labeled a separatist. Nor is there any real autonomy in Tibet, even though these basic freedoms are guaranteed by the Chinese constitution.

I believe the demonstrations and protests taking place in Tibet are a spontaneous outburst of public resentment built up by years of repression in defiance of authorities that are oblivious to the sentiments of the local populace. They mistakenly believe that further repressive measures are the way to achieve their declared aim of long-term unity and stability.

On our part, we remain committed to taking the Middle Way approach and pursuing a process of dialogue in order to find a mutually beneficial solution to the Tibetan issue.

With these points in mind, I also seek the international community’s support for our efforts to resolve Tibet’s problems through dialogue, and I urge them to call upon the Chinese leadership to exercise the utmost restraint in dealing with the current disturbed situation and to treat those who are being arrested properly and fairly.

Dalai Lama
Dharamsala March 18, 2008

Urgent appeal from the Tibetan Government in Exile

Since 10th March 2008 there has been successive peaceful demonstrations in various parts of Tibet (inside and outside TAR), which were brutally suppressed.The current situation in Tibet is extremely serious. The Chinese government’s ultimatum is due to expire at mid-night today. Therefore, we are extremely concerned that there is every possibility of a huge massacre of Tibetans taking place after the ultimatum.

The Central Tibetan Administration urgently appeal to the international community including the United Nations, governments, parliaments, Human Rights groups and Tibet Support groups to effectively urge the Chinese leadership to immediately stop repression and to release all those who have been detained, and to provide immediate medical care to all those who have been injured.

We particularly urge the United Nations Human Rights Council to immediately send a fact-finding delegation to all the affected areas in Tibet to prevent further deteriorations of the critical situation.

KASHAG

17th March 2008
Dharamsala