Condoleezza Rice on Tibet

Condoleezza Rice Urges China to Change Tibet Policy

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-24-voa35.cfm

In an unprecedent move, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is encouraging China to reconsider its policy towards Tibet and to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Secretary Rice says there should be a peaceful resolution to the problems in Tibet, and says the Dalai Lama could help.

"We believe that the Dalai Lama could play a very favorable role, given his belief in nonviolence, given his stated position that he does not seek political independence for Tibet, and given his unassailable, authoritative moral stature, not just with the people of Tibet, but with people from around the world," she said.

This is hardly likely to go down well with the Chinese who recently described the Dalai Lama as a 'jackal'. Presumably because he is not too pleased that Mao Tse Tung sent the Chinese army to invade his country.

Condoleezza Rice met with Pranab Mukherjee the Indian Foreign Minister on Monday. She told reporters that it would be unacceptable if violence were to be used in the Tibet conflict, and that China should try to evolve a more sustainable policy. She did not mention the fact that the Dalai Lama has stated that 130 people have been killed in Tibet.

Foreign Minister Mukherjee agreed that it could be helpful for the Dalai Lama's to be involved in negotiations. He also said that the 180,000 Tibetans living in India are free to practice their religion as they see fit, but they should refrain from taking part in political activities in India. This is rather difficult as their very presence in India is a political activity, as they are there to escape from Chinese oppression in their own country.

China's reaction so far is the same as it has been for the last 50 years. They know that they have a population of over a billion and the largest army in the world, so in typical Chinese inscrutable fashion they restrict themselves to repeating "Mind your own business!".

U.S. Speaker Visits Dalai Lama

U.S. Speaker Travels to Dharamsala to Meet with Dalai Lama

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will meet with the Dala Lama today at his headquarters in Dharamsala in India in an attempt to bring international pressure on China to show restraint in Tibet.

The Dala Lama is appealing to countries around the world to "tell China to settle the Tibet issue through dialogue.'' Full story here : http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aXozib.LsGqM&refer=asia

It also appears that protests are far more widespread in China than the Chinese government will admit, including some protests in Beijing itself - see map of protests here : http://blog.studentsforafreetibet.org/2008/03/17/map-sites-of-tibetan-demonstrations/

BoingBoing meanwhile has a roundup of all the bloggers blogging about Tibet and the Chinese repression - http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/16/tibet-china-blocks-y.html

Many Deaths in Tibetan Demonstrations

Unconfirmed sources have reported that about 100 Tibetan demonstrators have been killed by Chinese police and many more have been injured during protests against the Chinese invasion.

Full story here in the Times of India - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Tibetan_exile_group_claims_100_killed_in_Lhasa/rssarticleshow/2868792.cms

and also here
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/03/15/news/doc47db5db609792849622426.txt

Gandhi Turns in His Grave

India Bans Peaceful Tibetan March

In a speech today the Dalai Lama said to supporters in Dharamshala, to mark the anniversary of the uprising in Tibet :

"Repression continues to increase with numerous, unimaginable and gross violations of human rights, denial of religious freedom and politicisation of religious issues," he said.

His comments contrasted with what, according to his critics, has been a "soft" approach to China over the years.

The Dalai Lama said however that he will not abandon his call for autonomy in Tibet, despite Chinese intransigence and the claim that the country they invaded belongs to them and their violation of human rights.

He also said the Beijing Olympics will be a golden opportunity for the international community to expose China's treatment of Tibetans.

India, on the other hand has decided to side with China, and has banned about 100 Tibetan exiles from taking part in a protest march to the Tibetan border.

Police in Dharamsala say the marchers have been prevented from leaving the area on their trek home, as part of pro-independence protests ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

District police chief Atul Phuljile said authorities issued a restraining order to the marchers not to leave the Kangra district, and "all necessary actions will be taken" if the order is violated.

This is very disappointing from the country which gained its own independence by carrying out its own peaceful marches in their bid to get the British out of India. The India government in a hypocritical move has decied that what was good enough for them is not good enough for Tibetans. A clear case of a democratic country kowtowing to a dictatorship. What kind of democracy is that?

What would the great Mahatma Gandhi have said we wonder ?