Tibet Society Newsletter

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Tibet Society Newsletter Tibet Society Newsletter February 2019 “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama News of the Tibet Society, what’s happening in Tibet and the Tibetan Exile world, and news of His Holiness the Dalai Lama We are delighted to report some changes to our Council After 50 years as a dedicated and The new co-chairs are Pempa the founding of the inspirational Society member, Riki Lobsang, a professional accountant Society by British Hyde-Chambers has who has previously served as people with a first hand stepped down from Chairman of the Tibetan Community knowledge of a free his 10-year stint as in Britain and Tomer Ben, a publisher Tibet. During the last Society Chair. Riki’s who has recently founded the sixty years countless contribution to the International Jewish thousands across the Pempa Lobsang Society and to Tibet Buddhist Council. world have benefitted over the years has Riki leaves us from His Holiness’s teaching and from been immeasurable with this message: Tibet’s spiritual heritage. But within Riki Hyde-Chambers and we are delighted This year is the Tibet, Tibetans cannot have the same that he will be staying on as a member of sixtieth year of His access to the Dalai Lama or their the Society Council, and as our Hon Holiness’s flight and spiritual heritage. So we have much to President, so that we can continue to the exodus of Tibetan Tomer Ben do so that the voice of Tibet can be benefit from his wisdom and expertise. refugees. It is also the sixtieth year of heard. International Mother Language Day: a Plea for Tashi The Tibet Society joined a coalition human rights, we join the calls from of 11 Tibet and human rights around the world, from the United support groups to send a letter to Nations and many of your trading Chinese President Xi Jinping on partners, including the United States International Mother Language Day, and the European Union, urging you 21 February, with a plea for Tashi to immediately and unconditionally Wangchuk, the man spending years release Tashi Wangchuk. in prison for exercising his human Wider action is also required to right to ask for the children of Tibet redress the harm done to the Tibetan to be educated in their mother language. We call on you to comply tongue. with international law and the Some extracts from our letter Chinese Constitution and reverse the follow: The right of peoples under protects the right to ‘take part in effective ban on the teaching of Tibetan. Chinese Communist Party rule to cultural life’. If the Chinese Communist Party’s stated learn, develop and preserve their Despite these agreements and commitment to minority rights is to be native languages is protected under protections, Tibetans continue to taken seriously, Tibetans must be China’s own constitution; Article 4, have their language rights allowed to learn and promote their provides that ‘[e]thnic minorities’ systematically violated, as Chinese language and be able to use it in their right to learn, use and develop their authorities increasingly marginalise day to day lives. own spoken and written languages is the Tibetan language. […] Learning We call on you to ensure that the guaranteed in accordance with the in the Tibetan language has been Chinese government complies with its law’ […] and minority languages are removed from the curriculum in international obligations to respect the protected under a range of other laws schools […] fundamentally cultural and linguistic rights of the and regulations. They are also undermining the human rights of the Tibetan people, and demand the protected in the International Tibetan people. immediate and unconditional release of Covenant on Economic, Social and The letter goes on to mention Tashi Wangchuk. Cultural Rights, which your Tashi Wangchuk saying, The appalling Our letter was widely published government ratified in 2001, most treatment of Tashi Wangchuk demands around the world — the Hong Kong Free specifically in Article 13 on the right immediate action. As organisations Press printed it in full and Free Tibetan to education and Article 15, which dedicated to freedom of expression and Heroes posted a video on Facebook. Confucius Institutes Under the Spotlight The Society’s campaign Chinese Communist Party will spotlighting Confucius be in power in the future in Institutes is bearing fruit! We, China, and […] increase our along with Free Tibet, made a influence around the world’.” submission to the Conservative The report also notes that “an Party for their inquiry into increasing number [at least 27] Confucius Institutes. The of universities around the world Conservative Party Human have terminated contracts and Rights Commission has closed Confucius Institutes. recently launched a new report “Incidents of censorship or calling for a review of “all suppression of discussion are agreements between British highlighted in the report, institutions and the Confucius discrimination and violate the including the widespread ban on Institutes”. Equality Act 2010 in their hiring discussion in Confucius Institutes around On the surface, Confucius Institutes processes; the world of the three key ‘sensitive’ are educational and cultural centres topics: the Tiananmen massacre; Tibet teaching Chinese language and • An investigation into whether and Taiwan. Cases of employees of promoting Chinese culture. They come Confucius Institutes are being used Confucius Institutes facing discrimination with funding for the schools and to monitor and intimidate students due to their beliefs are also detailed as a universities concerned, but there have and/or teachers in the United concern. been numerous reports that these Kingdom; “The report makes ten institutes are being used to silence recommendations, including calling discussions about “sensitive topics” • A requirement that, where Confucius for a suspension of further agreements including Tibet, Taiwan, Falun Gong Institutes provide teaching in Chinese between British universities and and the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989. history or culture, a truly schools and Confucius Institutes until These institutes are directly funded independent, holistic, balanced, and a review is completed. The report also and directed by the Chinese government, comprehensive curriculum is recommends measures to ensure which maintains overall control over the adopted, to allow for discussion of a transparency from Confucius teaching materials used in classes and diversity of topics, including Tibet, Institutes based in the United the teachers employed. There is growing Taiwan and the Tiananmen Kingdom.” concern worldwide that these institutes massacre. The report and its recommendations are promoting Chinese propaganda to have been widely reported in the British our younger generation. An increasing The Commission’s press release dated and European media, reaching as far number of universities have closed their February 18 notes that the report “calls for a afield as the Hong Kong Free Press. Confucius Institutes in recent years. review of all agreements between British The Times, under the heading The Tibet Society’s submission to institutions and the Confucius Institutes, “Chinese whispers: Confucius Institutes the inquiry called on the UK authorities concluding that these educational and are welcomed in Ireland even as other to “seize this opportunity to highlight the cultural centres embedded in universities nations kick them out” writes, “The UK ways in which these institutes are and schools around the world represent an last month became the latest country to limiting discussions on Tibet in order to extension of the Chinese Communist Party’s launch an inquiry into Confucius prevent censorship and protect freedom propaganda efforts and ‘threaten academic Institutes, centres located on university of expression”. Four of the ten freedom and freedom of expression’. campuses around the world that are suggestions in our submission have been “The report notes that in 2007 the funded by the Chinese government. included in the Conservative Party HR then head of propaganda for the Beijing claims that these are educational Commission recommendations: Chinese Communist Party, Li facilities aimed at teaching the country’s Changchun, described Confucius language and culture. Critics are • An investigation into claims that Institutes as ‘an important part of concerned that they suppress free Confucius Institutes impede China’s overseas propaganda set-up’, speech and spread propaganda. freedom of expression and academic and in 2010 Xu Lin, the director- “The FBI launched an investigation thought in discussions – particularly general of the Hanban, an agency of the into American branches this year, and in regard to the Tiananmen Ministry of Education which oversees there is growing disquiet in Australia.” massacre, Tibet and Taiwan – in Confucius Institutes, said that: The article goes on to quote an assistant order to prevent censorship and ‘Confucius Institutes […] are an professor at Dublin University’s school protect freedom of expression. important part of soft power. Because of politics, who says he would like we want to expand our influences, we “university administrators to realise that • An investigation into whether do not deny this. We agree.’ China’s in dealing with China and inviting the British educational institutions, President at the time, Hu Jintao, Confucius Institutes on campus, you’re including universities and schools, endorsed Confucius Institutes as a way putting academic freedom at risk.” with Confucius Institutes and ‘to cultivate and prepare a group (or Chinese students are big business classrooms, are involved in army) of people to make sure the for Irish universities, says The Times. Tibet News New Internment Camps Watkins aims to celebrate spiritual and that democracy is in retreat. China An exclusive satellite image published teachers, activists, authors and thinkers remains a country “in the spotlight”. Tibet by The Print on 12 February has that change the world. has been ranked the second least free revealed three new forced re-education country in the world for the fourth year in camps under construction in Tibet — Tibetans Ousted a row, after Syria.
Recommended publications
  • Is the Free Tibet Movement a Lost Cause?
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Capstones Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Fall 12-15-2017 Is the Free Tibet movement a lost cause? Tsering D. Gurung Cuny Graduate School of Journalism How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/236 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Is the Free Tibet movement a lost cause? China’s growing economic influence, internecine rivalries, and over-reliance on the West have hurt the decades-old movement In mid-October, on the day before the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened in Beijing, some 60 Tibetans gathered in front of the steel-gray facade of the Chinese Consulate in Midtown Manhattan. Waving the blue-and-yellow striped flag of Tibet, which is banned in China, they chanted for Tibet to be freed from nearly 70 years of Chinese rule. “We are here to voice our opinions, to express our concerns, not that they are going to listen, but we have to keep trying,” said Sonam Wangdu,75, a leading activist. Tibetans have been mounting such protests around the world since China first occupied Tibet in 1950. After a failed uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people, fled to India, where he has been based since. Tens of thousands of Tibetans followed him into exile, slowly spreading around the world and starting a movement that gradually soared to global prominence.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary to the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission on the Situation in Tibet, March 2013 – March 2016
    Free Tibet: Summary to the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission on the situation in Tibet, March 2013 – March 2016 About Free Tibet Free Tibet (www.freetibet.org) is a London-based international campaign organisation. Our vision is a free Tibet in which Tibetans are able to determine their own future and the human rights of all are respected. Free Tibet’s research partner, Tibet Watch (www.tibetwatch.org), promotes the human rights of the Tibetan people through monitoring, research and advocacy. It documents human rights abuse in Tibet using sources in Tibet, interviews with Tibetan refugees and monitoring of Chinese government websites and media. All of the information provided by Tibet Watch about events in Tibet is verified and corroborated as far as is possible within the limitations which apply in Tibet. The task of evaluating and analysing the human rights situation inside Tibet is extremely challenging. Since the Tibetan Uprising in 2008, independent international media, human rights NGOs, diplomats, government and parliamentary representatives and institutions of the United Nations have been given almost no access to Tibet by the Chinese government and no free access at all – the rare, officially sanctioned visits are tightly- controlled. Tibetan communication with the outside world is very closely monitored and Tibetans transmitting information about human rights abuses or concerns both within and outside Tibet face heavy penalties. China has also stemmed the flow of refugees escaping Tibet (from thousands to less than 100 last year), who were previously useful sources of detailed information. This report covers human rights concerns noted by Free Tibet between March 2013 and March 2016 within the entirety of Tibet, which has been under Chinese occupation since 1950.
    [Show full text]
  • Urged Twitter CEO Dick Costolo
    Dick Costolo Chief Executive Officer Twitter Inc. Via email 21 July 2014 Dear Mr Costolo Free Tibet is a London-based international campaigning organisation, working for the Tibetan people’s right to determine their own future, an end to China’s occupation and for the fundamental human rights of Tibetans to be respected. I am contacting you today regarding the systematic use and abuse of Twitter to disseminate propaganda regarding Tibet and to seek your urgent action to remediate this problem and prevent its future occurrence. Free Tibet has identified a large range of apparent abuses of Twitter, some clearly violating Twitter’s rules and others whose status is harder to address. The key issue is the use of a very large number of false Twitter accounts to tweet and retweet propaganda regarding Tibet which apparently originates with the Chinese government. These accounts steal images and profiles from genuine accounts and other online and copyrighted sources without permission. The specific abuses we have identified are itemised in the attached appendix, with examples provided. Free Tibet recognises the challenge Twitter faces dealing with fake accounts and other abuses but a company of Twitter’s size and high profile must take responsibility for failing to prevent abuse on this scale for the political purposes of an authoritarian regime. These accounts are not the exercise of free speech but an act of cynical deception designed to manipulate public opinion regarding an occupied and brutally repressed country. Tibetans within Tibet are completely denied the right to speak to the world online. They face even greater restrictions on their online activity than China’s own citizens and are frequently denied all access to the internet.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibet Society Newsletter
    Tibet Society Newsletter March 2019 “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama News of the Tibet Society, what’s happening in Tibet and the Tibetan Exile world, and news of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Lobby Week: a Week of Events and Rallies to Support Tibet 5 March: Wreath Laying Parliamentary Reception to mark The A wreath laying ceremony was held at Future of Tibet, Heartland of Asia the Innocent Victim’s Memorial at Exhibition at the Scottish Parliament. Westminster Abbey on 5 March, This exhibition aims to raise awareness organised by the All-Party about the situation in Tibet and the Parliamentary Group for Tibet in importance of the region to the global conjunction with the environment. The reception was hosted Tibet Society. The by Linda Fabiani MSP, Speaker of the wreath was laid in Scottish Parliament, in conjunction memory of all with the Scottish Centre for Himalayan Tibetans who have Research. Mr Sonam Frasi, lost their lives as a Representative of the Office of Tibet in result of China’s London, said, “The future of Tibet to exile, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, and Mr occupation of Tibet the whole world is far more important Sonam Frasi, Representative of the since 1950 and to Office of Tibet in London as well as the commemorate the Chair of the Tibetan Community UK. 60th anniversary of the Tibetan Statements from the APPGT and the National Uprising that began in Tibet’s Tibet Society were read during the capital city Lhasa, on 10 March 1959.
    [Show full text]
  • Iron Hare 2011: Flames of Resistance
    Iron Hare 2011 – flames of resistance ____A detailed account of the historic Self Immolation Protest against China’s oppression by Tibetans Translated and edited by Matthew Akester Published By Dhomay Alliance for Freedom and Justice To the brave men, women and children who died martyrs to the cause of a free Tibet. Dhomay Alliance for Freedom and Justice March 16th 2012 English language version translated and edited by Matthew Akester 23 July 2012 First Edition: August 2012 First Print: 1000 Copies CONTENT Contents Introduction .............................................................V Section 1 Chronicle of the Iron Hare year fire protests One: Tabey’s protest on February 27th 2009 .........................1 Two: Losang Puntsok’s protest on March 16th .....................2 Three: Tsewang Norbu ........................................................91 Four: Losang Kalsang ........................................................103 Five: Losang Konchok ......................................................103 Six: Kalsang Wangchuk .....................................................105 Seven: Kaying and Eight: Choepel ...................................107 Nine: Norbu Dramdul ........................................................112 - III - CONTENT Ten: Tenzin Wangmo .........................................................114 Eleven: Dawa Tsering .......................................................139 Twelve: Palden Choetso ....................................................154 Thirteen: Rongtsa Tenzin Puntsok ....................................157
    [Show full text]
  • 2008 UPRISING in TIBET: CHRONOLOGY and ANALYSIS © 2008, Department of Information and International Relations, CTA First Edition, 1000 Copies ISBN: 978-93-80091-15-0
    2008 UPRISING IN TIBET CHRONOLOGY AND ANALYSIS CONTENTS (Full contents here) Foreword List of Abbreviations 2008 Tibet Uprising: A Chronology 2008 Tibet Uprising: An Analysis Introduction Facts and Figures State Response to the Protests Reaction of the International Community Reaction of the Chinese People Causes Behind 2008 Tibet Uprising: Flawed Tibet Policies? Political and Cultural Protests in Tibet: 1950-1996 Conclusion Appendices Maps Glossary of Counties in Tibet 2008 UPRISING IN TIBET CHRONOLOGY AND ANALYSIS UN, EU & Human Rights Desk Department of Information and International Relations Central Tibetan Administration Dharamsala - 176215, HP, INDIA 2010 2008 UPRISING IN TIBET: CHRONOLOGY AND ANALYSIS © 2008, Department of Information and International Relations, CTA First Edition, 1000 copies ISBN: 978-93-80091-15-0 Acknowledgements: Norzin Dolma Editorial Consultants Jane Perkins (Chronology section) JoAnn Dionne (Analysis section) Other Contributions (Chronology section) Gabrielle Lafitte, Rebecca Nowark, Kunsang Dorje, Tsomo, Dhela, Pela, Freeman, Josh, Jean Cover photo courtesy Agence France-Presse (AFP) Published by: UN, EU & Human Rights Desk Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Gangchen Kyishong Dharamsala - 176215, HP, INDIA Phone: +91-1892-222457,222510 Fax: +91-1892-224957 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tibet.net; www.tibet.com Printed at: Narthang Press DIIR, CTA Gangchen Kyishong Dharamsala - 176215, HP, INDIA ... for those who lost their lives, for
    [Show full text]
  • British Newspaper Coverage of the Tibet Issue Over Time, 1949
    British Newspaper Coverage of the Tibet Issue over Time, 1949-2009: Representations of Repression and Resistance by Chunyan Wu A Doctoral Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University June 2018 © by Chunyan Wu 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest gratitude goes to my supervisor, Professor James Stanyer, who has given me the most precious intellectual inspirations, valuable advice and help on this long road. Without his generous supports, encouragements, discussions and comments, this dissertation may never appear. I appreciate the help and support from the whole faculty of Social Sciences Department at Loughborough University, especially the administrator Deirdre Lombard who is always willing to help under all conditions. I am also very grateful for the support from all my personal friends at Loughborough, including Lingqi Kong, Mingxi Yin, Hui-Ju Tsai, Xue Li, Zhijia Yang, Edward Winward, Miaoshan Pan, Jiacheng Zhen, Fabia Lin and Harry Gui. In the process of this research, they not only kept with me very insightful academic communications but also shared with me their warmest friendship which helped me move on in the darkest moments. My PhD life at Loughborough would be very dull and colorless without them around. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my parents for their selfless love, understanding, and endless support for me for my entire life, without which I could impossibly achieve what I have accomplished today. i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    [Show full text]
  • Coping and Resilience in the Tibetan Exile Community
    Spacious Minds, Empty Selves: Coping and Resilience in the Tibetan Exile Community Sara E. Lewis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2014 © 2014 Sara E. Lewis All rights reserved ABSTRACT Spacious Minds, Empty Selves: Coping and Resilience in the Tibetan Exile Community Sara E. Lewis Mental health in the Tibetan refugee community has been studied extensively; but like most research on political violence, these studies focus almost exclusively on trauma. We know little about those who manage to thrive and what kinds of sociocultural practices enhance their resilience. This dissertation, “Spacious Minds, Empty Selves: Coping and Resilience in the Tibetan Exile Community” investigates how Buddhism and other sociocultural factors support coping and resilience among Tibetan refugees living in Dharamsala, India. In contrast to other work that focuses exclusively on trauma, the aim of this project was to examine the broad range of reactions to political violence, exploring how people thrive in the face of adversity. Drawing on 14 months of extended participant observation and 80 in-depth interviews conducted in the Tibetan language, this project investigates how communities through social processes cope in the context of political violence and resettlement. The study draws upon and aims to extend theory in three distinct but overlapping areas: 1) trauma and resilience; 2) the anthropology of memory and temporality; and 3) the transferability of interventions across cultures. The dissertation argues that the Tibetan concept of resilience is more an active process than a personality attribute.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence of Abuse of Youtube for Chinese Government Propaganda 22 September 2014
    Evidence of abuse of YouTube for Chinese government propaganda 22 September 2014 Free Tibet has documented the following: 1. The establishment of bogus personal accounts use to disseminate propaganda favourable to the Chinese government. 2. The establishment of multiple bogus personal accounts solely for the purpose of distributing or commenting on content from a single account. 3. The posting of repetitive content (in the form of comments) originating from a single source through the establishment of multiple bogus personal accounts. 4. The use of copyrighted material, apparently without permission, as profile photographs for the above accounts. Free Tibet has identified four bogus personal accounts used specifically to promote China’s messaging on Tibet but others may exist. We have identified a larger number of bogus personal accounts used to promote content favourable to the Chinese government on other issues but it is likely that others exist. Please see Appendix for a full list of accounts identified by Free Tibet. All accounts and urls were accessed between 20 July 2014 and 18 September 2014. Screen grabs of selected accounts and content are available here https://www.flickr.com/photos/freetibetorg/15283217851/in/set-72157647766431441 and from Free Tibet on request. 1. The establishment of bogus personal accounts use to disseminate propaganda favourable to the Chinese government a. Accounts posting or commenting on Tibet-related material HugoTom: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvxReEGC9CltcvcOnx5e68A/channels Peters Ken: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdS64zpfZbwTphNSLrNsJiw Lewis Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBXPrIif_kkI3BX6dOQxr2w Lewis Davidson: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7H3IvNHp5mcRxJUV6LJRNQ Evidence of fake status: Hugo Tom, Peters Ken and Lewis Johnson were names given to fake Twitter accounts posting or commenting on Tibet content (now suspended).
    [Show full text]
  • Australia's Silence on Tibet
    AUSTRALIA’S SILENCE ON TIBET Australia Tibet Council 2017 How China is shaping our agenda AUSTRALIA’S SILENCE ON TIBET: How China is shaping our agenda Author: Kyinzom Dhongdue Editors: Kerri-Anne Chinn, Paul Bourke Australia Tibet Council acknowledges the input from the International Campaign for Tibet for this report. For further information on the issues raised in this report please email [email protected] ©Australia Tibet Council, September 2017 www.atc.org.au CONTENTS Executive summary 3 Chapter 1 - China’s influence on ustralianA politics and Tibet Australia’s response to Tibet 6 Chinese influence on Australian politics 8 Two Australian politicians with connections to China 11 Recommendations 12 Chapter 2 - China’s influence on Australian universities and Tibet A billion-dollar industry 13 Confucius Institutes 15 Case studies of two academics 18 Recommendations 19 Chapter 3 - Australia’s Tibetan community 20 Conclusion 22 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetans have earned widespread public support, with the Tibet cause continuing to test the conscience of world leaders. While China is far from winning over the international community on its policies in Tibet, in recent years it has been making rapid progress in numerous areas. Through a proactive foreign policy, utilising both economic leverage and soft power diplomacy, the Chinese government is making determined efforts to erode the support the Tibet movement has built up over many years. In Australia, China’s influence has infiltrated political and educational institutions, perhaps more than in any country in the western world. In fact, extensive reports in the Australian media over the past year have revealed an alarming level of Chinese influence in Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibetan Youth Activism: Role of Government-In-Exile, 1959-1976
    Tibetan Youth Activism: Role of Government-in-Exile, 1959-1976 Dissertation submitted to Jawaharlal Nehru University for the award of the degree of MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY FWJAKHANG BRAHMA CENTRE FOR INNER ASIAN STUDIES SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY NEW DELHI-110067 2018 Tibetan Youth Activism: Role of Government-in-Exile, 1959-1976 Dissertation submitted to Jawaharlal Nehru University for the award of the degree of MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY FWJAKHANG BRAHMA CENTRE FOR INNER ASIAN STUDIES SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY NEW DELHI-110067 2018 Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1-25 Chapter 2: Tibetan Youth Struggle in Exile 26-56 Chapter 3: Role of Tibetan Youth and Religion 57-73 Chapter 4: Changing Dimension of Tibetan Youth Activism and the Role of Government- in-Exile 74-100 Chapter 5: Conclusion 101-108 Bibliography: 109-119 List of Abbreviations ATPD Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies BRDL Bhod Rangwang Denpai Legul CPPCC Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference CTAO Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario CRCT Central Relief Committee for Tibetans CIA Central Investigation Agency CTA Central Tibetan Administration CTPD Commission of Tibetan People’s Deputies CIA Central Investigations Agency CTE Council for Tibetan Education CTPD Commission of Tibetan People’s Deputies GOI Government of India ITSN International Tibet Support Network NWC National Working Committee PAP People’s Armed Police PLA People’s Liberation Army PSB Public Security Bureau PRC People’s Republic of China
    [Show full text]
  • Beijing 2008: Protesters Defy Security
    FREE TIBET Issue 51 October 2008 issn 1360-4864 www.freetibet.org Beijing 2008: protesters defy security Tibet under lockdown Protests in Beijing Monasteries threatened with closure “ The Beijing Games have been used by the Chinese government as a propaganda tool to whitewash their human rights record in Tibet ” Iain Thom Tibet protester, 5 August Beijing Dear Friends, As the Olympic Games commenced in is a huge challenge. Having had the Beijing with Tibet sealed off from the privilege to work alongside Tibetan world, it was our turn to pick up the nomadic communities; hearing the baton and ensure the courage shown disappointment of Tibetan friends by Tibetans during March and April was whose children cannot read or write in kept alive. Defying arrest, detention and Tibetan as their schooling is now in in some cases deportation; in Beijing Chinese; speaking to women who were and across the globe Tibet protestors too frightened to go to hospital as scaled buildings, marched across cities, they feared forced sterilisation; seeing unfurled Tibetan flags and held peaceful machinery used to exploit the land of vigils. Our combined efforts ensured that its minerals abandoned, polluting the world leaders attending the Olympics local rivers and witnessing the rapid Stephanie Brigden and the millions watching did not destruction of a unique culture, it is Introducing Free Tibet’s new forget the tragedy inside Tibet. evident to me, that only by securing Director who joined us in July. Despite the promises that human the fundamental rights of the Tibetan rights would improve as a result of people can we help secure a just future China being awarded the Games, the for the people of Tibet.
    [Show full text]