News Overview
Tuesday, April 1 2008
ARRESTS
414 riot suspects held in custody (CCTV)
The chairman of the TAR Regional Government, Qiangba Puncog, says there
are "414 riot suspects are in custody" from the Lhasa disturbances on 14
March. "Nearly 300 others have turned themselves in. Over a hundred have
been released due to good behavior and cooperation. 53 people are still
wanted."
http://www.cctv.com/english/20080401/100975.shtml
GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION - AVAAZ PETITION
Tibetan exiles barred from handing protest petition... (Phayul)
300 demonstrators were blocked by police from marching to the Chinese
Embassy in New Delhi and submitting the global petition. The
demonstrators instead marched towards the Indian parliament.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=20206
Protests over Tibet echo worldwide (Reuters)
Video report of Global Day of Action from around the world. (1min 47secs)
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=79270&videoChannel=1
OLYMPICS
India footballer in Tibet protest (BBC)
Baichung Bhutia, India's football captain, has refused to carry the
Olympic torch when it comes to Delhi on 17 April. Saying it was a
personal decision, Bhutia said, "I sympathise with the Tibetan cause.
This is my way of standing by the people of Tibet and their struggle. I
abhor violence in any form."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7323803.stm
Pelosi suggests Bush skip Olympic opener (AP)
Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives,
said "I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives
respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on
the table... I think the president might want to rethink this later,
depending on what other heads of state do."
http://tinyurl.com/2avagq
IOC flouting Olympic charter by ignoring Tibet issue (Sify.com)
Human Rights Watch criticised the IOC for refusing to speak publicly
about human rights abuses in China. Included was criticism on allowing
the Olympic torch relay to go ahead through Tibet. The statement was
released on the eve of a 12-day IOC meeting in Beijing.
http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?id=14635196
See full statement:
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/01/china18410.htm
China fires up rhetoric before torch is even lit (Globe and Mail)
Report on the security and propaganda surrounding the torch ceremony in
Tiananmen Square on Sunday and how this is a preview of what to expect
in coming months.
http://tinyurl.com/25shvc
IOC wants Beijing to open Internet during Olympics (IHT)
The IOC have expressed concern over China's continued censorship of the
internet. Kevan Gosper, Vice Chairman of the IOC Coordinating
Commission, said China had an obligation to open internet access to
journalists during the Games. He said blocking the internet during the
Games "would reflect very poorly" on the host nation.
http://tinyurl.com/2ybx6b
Olympians Torn on Protesting China's Policies (NYT)
American Olympians are considering ways of expressing their political
views on China when at at the Beijing Games, such as wearing wristbands.
(Note: the focus of article is mainly on Darfur, though Tibet is mentioned.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/sports/othersports/01athletes.html
Olympic torch heads off on world tour as protests planned (AFP)
The Olympic torch left Beijing for Kazakhstan on Tuesday at the
beginning of the global relay. Baema Chilain, vice chairman of the
Tibetan regional government, says, "To our knowledge, some separatists
from within and outside China are seeking to sabotage the Olympic torch
relay within Tibet." Also quotes from FTC.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iHfe98eaxCm_dlTu4TRe_k7GH1Gw
China's Hu says Olympics security is top priority (Guardian)
Speaking on the Olympics in a newspaper for the People's Armed Police,
Hu Jintao said, "Security must take priority... Without security
guarantees there cannot be a successful Olympic Games, and without
security guarantees the national image will be lost." The paper also
said, "The drums of war are sounding, a decisive battle is at hand. For
the sake of the Chinese nation's image and for the honour of the
People's Armed Police, let us never forget our duty."
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7427176,00.html
NEPAL
Tibetans in Nepal stage biggest protest before Chinese Consulate (Phayul)
Over 300 Tibetans protested for the third consecutive day outside the
Chinese Consulate in Kathmandu on Monday. The police beat protestors and
made 245 arrests.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=20209
Nepal: Stop Abusing and Arresting Tibetans (Phayul)
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have sent a letter to
Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Ghimire. The letter called on Nepal
to immediately restore the rights to freedom of assembly, expression,
and movement, by allowing Tibetans to go about their daily lives and
carry out peaceful protests without fear of arrests or threat of
deportation.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=20218
See letter in full:
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/01/nepal18409.htm
POLITICAL
Exiled Tibetan Government refutes Beijing's allegations... (Phayul)
The Tibetan Government-in-exile today repeated its call for an
independent investigation while strongly refuting China's allegations
that the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government were responsible for
inciting recent unrests in Tibet.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=20205
US Senator Criticizes China For Blaming Dalai Lama On Tibet (AFP in Phayul)
Senator Richard Lugar, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, has said he is "disappointed that officials in Beijing have
chosen to attack the Dalai Lama and unfairly blame him for the
protests". He also called on China to allow journalists and diplomats
full access to Tibet.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=20221
CHINA'S PROPAGANDA ON TIBET
Do you call this peaceful? (China Daily)
Lhasa's mayor, Doje Cezhug, criticises the Dalai Lama and the Tibet
movement for organising violence in Lhasa and for attempting to
"sabotage" the Olympics. In his article he states, "Under the deliberate
planning and guidance of the Dalai Lama clique, a group of mobsters
launched an orgy of violence, looting and burning." The Tibetan Youth
Congress is also criticised.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-04/01/content_6582730.htm
Dalai Lama tells lies again (People's Daily)
An opinion piece in the People's Daily, which attempts to show
contradictions in statements made by the Dalai Lama.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/91342/6384907.html
Chinese police worried about suicide attacks by 'Tibet independence'
forces (AP in IHT)
"To our knowledge, the next plan of the Tibetan independence forces is
to organize suicide squads to launch violent attacks," Public Security
Bureau spokesman Wu Heping said Tuesday. "They claimed that they fear
neither bloodshed nor sacrifice." Article continues with rebuttal from
Samdhong Rinpoche and description of recent events in Tibet.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/01/asia/AS-GEN-China-Tibet.php
Central Government helps Tibet develop economy and society (People's Daily)
Latest economic figures from the Chinese Government for the TAR. Amongst
many figure: per capita GDP exceeded 12,000 yuan, nearly doubling from
the level in 2007 and tourist numbers exceeded 4 million, an increase of
60% over 2007.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6384840.html
MISCELLANEOUS
Myanmar Deports Tibetan Activists (AP)
Two Tibetan political activists who had escaped from Yunnan Province
were captured on Sunday and turned over to Chinese authorities. (The
identities of the two and nature of their activism was not reported.)
http://tinyurl.com/397gcg
The Roots of Chinese Nationalism (Washington Post)
Emily Parker looks into Chinese nationalism and argues that not all
nationalism stems from the ruling Communist Party.
http://tinyurl.com/39m2rx