- Statements from world leaders and others Intellectual.

 

Wed Apr 16, 3:02 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Wednesday called her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the situation in Tibet and Iran’s nuclear program, US officials said.

Photo: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies before the house on Capitol Hill April 15, 2008 in Washington, DC. Rice Wednesday called her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the situation in Tibet and Iran’s nuclear program, US officials said. (AFP/GETTY IMAGES/File/Alex Wong)

“They spoke about Iran, the efforts of the P-5-plus-1 to work on the two pathways, the incentives and disincentives package,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

Representatives for the United States, Russia, Britain, France, Germany, China and the European Union failed to agree in talks in Shanghai Wednesday on proposals to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.

Rice and Yang also “talked about the issue of Tibet. They talked about Taiwan,” McCormack said.

“But from our side, the secretary reiterated what you have heard us say in public, and that is encouraging the Chinese government to engage in a dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his people.”

Earlier McCormack said the talks in China on Iran’s nuclear program were focusing on possible “incentives” rather than purely punitive measures against Tehran for continuing its suspect nuclear program.

Tehran insists its program is entirely peaceful and aimed at generating energy. But its official IRNA news agency said last week it was now operating 492 new centrifuges at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, in defiance of UN calls to freeze the process.

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Sunday 06th of April 2008
The people of Tibet wish to be heard. They have long sought autonomy, and chosen negotiation and mediation as their means of attaining it. They now turn to protest. The Chinese government should hear their voices, understand their grievances and find a non-violent solution.

That solution is offered by our friend and brother His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has never sought separatism, and has always chosen a peaceful path. We strongly urge the Chinese government to seize the opportunity he provides for a meaningful dialogue. Once formed, this channel should remain open, active and productive. It should address issues that are at the heart of the tension, respecting the dignity of the Tibetan people and the integrity of China.

Throughout, the international community will be reassured if the government allows members of the press and United Nations Human Rights investigators full access within Tibet. Without that access, progress is unlikely and an opportunity may be lost.

Notes to Editors

Nelson Mandela announced the formation of The Elders, July 18th, 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa on the occasion of his 89th birthday. Founding members of The Elders are: Gra�a Machel, Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunus.

“This group can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes on whatever actions need to be taken,” Mandela commented. “Together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.”

The Elders will use their unique collective skills to catalyze peaceful resolutions to long-standing conflicts, articulate new approaches to global issues that are or may cause immense human suffering, and share wisdom by helping to connect voices all over the world.

In addition to working independently, The Elders will work to complement, not duplicate or compete with the efforts of other organizations. They will seek opportunities to partner with established groups in ways that help shine a light on work already underway or to assist in bringing the group’s efforts to another level.

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THE following is an English translation of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's speech delivered in Mandarin to Chinese students at Peking University.
A conversation with China’s youth on the future (by Kevin Rudd) 

9 April 2008

Peking University


I begin by congratulating Peking University which this year celebrates its 110th anniversary – making this university three years older than the Commonwealth of Australia.

Peking University is the most famous in China.

And it has played an important part in modern Chinese history.

In the early 20th century, when China was going through a period of rapid transformation, it was Peking University that led movements for a new era in Chinese educational, cultural and political life.

Peking University was at the centre of the May 4th Movement.

The May 4th era — for I realise that it was a transformative decade from 1917 to 1927 — was one of crucial and lasting importance in the emergence of a modern China.

Many famous figures in this period were active at your university.

One thinks, for example, of Cai Yuanpei, Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, Li Dazhao and Lu Xun.

This year, 2008, is the 90th anniversary of some key events of the May Fourth era:

— through his essays for the major magazine New Youth the writer and educator Hu Shi successfully advocated the use of modern vernacular Chinese in education and the media.

This helped bring about a major change in the way that the young people of China expressed themselves to their compatriots.

Also the writer Lu Xun published the first, and justifiably famous, story in modern Chinese, Diary of a Madman.

I would also note that Lu Xun’s design for the school crest of Peking University is still in use.

Indeed, you, the students of Peking University today, are heirs to a great tradition of intellectual engagement with your country.

Studying China

This is not the first time I have visited Peking University.

But it is the first time I have given a speech here.

It is a great honour for me.

And it is a great honour for me to address the students of this university because you are an important part of China’s future.

I first started studying China and the Chinese language in 1976.

It was a different China back then.

Zhou Enlai had just died.

Mao Zedong was still alive.

And the Cultural Revolution had not concluded – indeed our Chinese language textbooks were still full of class struggle.

Some have asked me why I decided to study Chinese.

I had grown up on a farm in rural Queensland where China seemed very remote.

I remember as a teenager following closely the visit of Australia’s Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to China on television in 1973 after the Australia Labor Government recognised China in 1972.

I remember watching the footage of him meeting Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping escorting his party on a tour to the Great Wall.

That visit inspired my interest in this extraordinary country.

When I went to university I knew that I wanted to study China.

I went to the Australian National University in Canberra.

And for the next four years I studied Chinese language, Chinese history and Chinese literature together with Japanese and Korean history as well.

I even studied Chinese calligraphy, but my calligraphy was ugly then – and it is even uglier now.

Later I became a diplomat.

Because I was a graduate in Chinese, the then Australian Government decided to send me to Sweden – where in those days I could barely find a decent Chinese restaurant.

I eventually made it to China in 1984 when I started work at the Australian Embassy.

But I did not remain a diplomat.
I wanted to enter politics.

I was elected to Australia’s Parliament in 1998 and after serving in parliament for nine years in opposition, my party won the general election last year and I had the honour of becoming 26th Prime Minister of Australia.

Australia and China

Some people think that Australia and China are new friends.

But in fact our history is already long.

Chinese settlers came to Australia first in the nineteenth century.

When gold was discovered in Victoria and Queensland in the 1850s, the first major group of Chinese migrants came to our shores.

We now have over 600,000 people who claim Chinese ancestry.

After English, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) is the most widely spoken language in Australia.

The Chinese community has deep roots in Australia and is an important part of modern Australian society.

It includes people like Dr John Yu, one of Australia’s leading surgeons and Australian of the Year in 1996.

And the young mathematician, Terrence Tao, who I met recently.

The flow of people has not all been in one direction.

Some Australians – though a smaller number – have made China their home.

George Morrison is one such person.

Morrison first came to China in 1894.

He lived here for 20 years.

In Australia, he was known as “Chinese Morrison”.

And here in Beijing, during the Republic of China, Wangfujing, home to George Morrison, was known as “Morrison Street”.

It is easy to see why people become fascinated with China.

China has thousands of years of continuous recorded history, but it is a country of constant change.

When I look at the China of 2008, I see a very different country to the one I studied in the late 1970s and the one I lived in during the mid 1980s.

China and the World

The changes in China since the 1970s have been remarkable.

And the change in China has led to a profound evolution in the relationship between our two countries.

China’s policy change 30 years ago this year to “reform and open up” was the start of your country’s re-connection with the world.

China’s companies began trading with others.

China’s people began to travel.
China’s students began going overseas to study in greater numbers.

The world began to see China, and the people of China began to see the world, in new ways.

This institution, Peking University, through its teaching, research and search for knowledge has also had a profound influence on China’s changes.

Its graduates have made a big contribution to your country’s engagement with the world.

To many people in China, these changes bring a better and richer life.

People are able to make decisions about where they work, how they live and set their own goals.

They can build their own businesses.

At the same time, there are still many problems in China – problems of poverty, problems of uneven development, problems of pollution, problems of broader human rights.

It is also important to recognise that China’s change is having a great impact not just on China, but also on the world.

The scale and pace of China’s economic development and social transformation is unprecedented in human history.

Never before have so many people been brought into the global economy in such a short period of time.
Just look at some of the figures.

China is now the world’s third-largest trading nation.

Its exports are growing at over 30 per cent per year.

GDP per capita has nearly doubled in the past five years.

People in Australia and around the world recognise that China’s economic development is having a profound global impact.

They understand that China’s demand for resources is driving global growth.

But China’s growth can also cause anxiety.

Some people are concerned about their jobs moving to China.

When people overseas are faced with big changes and uncertainties like these they get nervous.

We all need to appreciate these anxieties and their origins.

Today I would like to make a suggestion.

I think that you – the young people of China, the generation that will see China’s full integration into global society, the global economy and the overall global order – have an important role to play in the life of the world.

The global community looks forward to China fully participating in all the institutions of the global rules-based order, including in security, in the economy, in human rights, in the environment.

And we look forward to China making active contributions to the enhancement of that order in the future.

It is a necessary task of responsible global citizenship.

It is a big responsibility you have.

You are the product of China today.

And you are the representatives of China’s tomorrow.

You will be the ones who define how the world sees China.

“Harmony” was the dream and hope of that great Chinese thinker and activist Kang Youwei.

The Hundred Days reform movement, like Peking University, also marks its 110th anniversary this year.

Kang proposed a utopian world free of political boundaries.

China has variously articulated its approach to development as one of “peaceful rise”, “peaceful development” or more recently that of a “harmonious world”.

In 2005 the then US Deputy Secretary of State Bob Zoellick spoke for his part of his concept that China would and could become a responsible global stakeholder.

As I said last week in a speech to the Brookings Institution in Washington, it is worthwhile thinking about how to encourage a synthesis of these concepts of a “harmonious world” and the “responsible stakeholder”.

The idea of a “harmonious world” depends on China being a participant in the world order and, along with others, acting in accordance with the rules of that order.

Failing this, “harmony” is impossible to achieve.

“Responsible stakeholder” contains the same idea at its core – China working to maintain and develop the global and regional rules-based order.

This year, as China hosts the Olympics, the eyes of the world will be on you and the city of Beijing.

It will be a chance for China to engage directly with the world, both on the sports field and on the streets of Beijing.

Some have called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics because of recent problems in Tibet.

As I said in London on Sunday, I do not agree.

I believe the Olympics are important for China’s continuing engagement with the world.

Australia like most other countries recognises China’s sovereignty over Tibet.

But we also believe it is necessary to recognise there are significant human rights problem in Tibet.

The current situation in Tibet is of concern to Australians.

We recognise the need for all parties to avoid violence and find a solution through dialogue.

As a long-standing friend of China I intend to have a straightforward discussion with China’s leaders on this.

We wish to see the year 2008 as one of harmony, and celebration – not one of conflict and contention.

Harmony in the Natural Environment
Our shared future is not only one about harmony between nations and peoples.

It is also about harmony with nature — the “Unity of Man and Nature” — a concept with ancient roots in Chinese thought.

We all share responsibility for the future.

One of the big future challenges for Australia and China is climate change.

Australia is committed to strong action domestically and internationally on climate change.

Because we know that climate change is the great moral, economic and environmental challenge of our time – one that all nations have to work together to overcome.

That’s why climate change will be an important part of my discussions with the Chinese leadership this week.

It is important that China play an increasingly prominent role on climate change.

An effective global response to climate change will require the active participation of all major emitters.

I also believe it is important for China’s own future.

Unless we are successful, China will face increasing pressure on its water supplies, changing rainfall patterns and rising sea levels.

A strong relationship, and a true friendship, are built on the ability to engage in direct, frank and ongoing dialogue about our fundamental interests and future vision.


In the modern, globalised world, we are all connected; connected not only by politics and economics, but also in the air we breathe.

A true friend is one who can be a “zhengyou” , that is a partner who sees beyond immediate benefit to the broader and firm basis for continuing, profound and sincere friendship.

In other words, a true friendship which “offers unflinching advice and counsels restraint” to engage in principled dialogue about matters of contention.

It is the kind of friendship that I know is treasured in China’s political tradition.

It is the kind of friendship that I also offer China today.

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Rice urges China to grant media, diplomatic access to Tibet : (April 11, 2008 )

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2008 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China on Friday to open its troubled region of Tibet up to journalists and diplomats.

"We have been very concerned about the closed nature of all of this, the lack of transparency," Rice told reporters during a press conference in Washington with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"It's important that journalists be able to get in, it's important that diplomatic personnel be able to get into Tibet so that there can be independent reporting about what's going on there," she said.

"But I believe that China would really do itself a great service and not to mention the people of Tibet, if it were willing to have a more open attitude toward responsible Tibetan cultural and religious authorities," she said.

Rice and other US officials have repeatedly urged China to act with restraint against protestors there and open a dialogue with Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Rice said on Wednesday that the State Department would like to set up a consulate in Tibet after complaining that China has so far allowed only limited access to US diplomats since troubles began in March.

Rice told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the United States "has been very active in making the case to the Chinese that they are going to be better off to deal with moderate forces on Tibet like the Dalai Lama, that they should open a dialogue with him."

She added that the United States "pressed for consular access for diplomats into Tibet. We got some limited access, but frankly it wasn't good enough."

Violence erupted in Tibet on March 14 after days of peaceful protests in Lhasa against 57 years of Chinese rule and quickly spilled over into other parts of China inhabited by Tibetans.

Exiled Tibetan leaders say 150 people have died in the Chinese crackdown on the demonstrations. China insists it has acted with restraint and killed no one, while blaming Tibetan "rioters" for the deaths of 20 people.

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P6_TA-PROV(2008)0119

European Parliament resolution of 10 April 2008 on Tibet
The European Parliament,

– having regard to its earlier resolutions on China and on Tibet, in particular on:

(a) the dialogue between the Chinese Government and Envoys of the Dalai Lama (15 Feb 2007)1,

(b) the EU-China Summit and the EU/China human rights dialogue (13 December 2007)2,

(c) EU-China relations (7 September 2006)3,

(d) the functioning of the human rights dialogues and consultations on human rights with
third countries (6 September 2007)4,

– having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising against the Chinese
administration led to major demonstrations by Tibetan monks and nuns and ordinary
Tibetan citizens protesting against Chinese repression,

B. whereas, according to the Chinese authorities, 20 people died in the protests; whereas,
according to other sources, more than 140 Tibetans died in those clashes, and dozens of
others have been arrested,

C. whereas a state of emergency has been declared by the Chinese Government, and shops
and temples have been closed in Lhasa, as well as in other cities, with hundreds of armed
police officers and army troops moved to Tibet from the rest of China,

D. whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama has called this Chinese over-reaction 'cultural
genocide', and has at the same time urged Tibetans 'to practise non-violence and not
waver from this path, however serious the situation might be' 5 whereas His Holiness the
Dalai Lama has not demanded Tibetan independence but has instead proposed a middle
way of genuine cultural and political autonomy and religious freedom, thereby expressing
a view that is supported by the European Parliament,

E. whereas only peaceful means and sincere dialogue can lead to a lasting settlement,
1 OJ C 287 E, 29.11.2007, p. 554
2 Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0622.
3 JO C 305 E, 14.12.2006, p. 219.
4 Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0381.
5 Statement issued on 6 April 2008.
2

F. whereas, save for an official international press trip organised by the Chinese
Government, the international press has been denied access to the region of Tibet to
report on the events, and all journalists have been expelled; whereas the aforementioned
international press trip was heavily controlled and the participating journalists were
denied unrestricted access to the Tibetan people,

G. whereas the Chinese Government appears to be blocking foreign websites inside China
and censoring foreign television broadcasts about the situation in Tibet,

H. convinced that the Beijing Olympic Games represent an extraordinary opportunity for
China to open itself up to the world and vice versa, and to demonstrate that it can honour
its undertakings as regards the promotion of fundamental rights for all Chinese people,
without distinction,

I. whereas the EU-China human rights dialogue established in 2000 has failed to achieve
the expected results,

1. Firmly condemns the brutal repression visited by the Chinese security forces on Tibetan
demonstrators and all acts of violence from whichever source that have taken place in the
streets of Lhasa and elsewhere in Tibet, and expresses its sincere condolences to the
families of the victims;

2. Calls on the Chinese Government to guarantee adequate medical care for injured Tibetans
and legal assistance for arrested Tibetans; appeals to the authorities to present an account
of their detainees, to treat them in accordance with international human rights law and,
under all circumstances, to refrain from torture; calls for the immediate release of all
those who protested peacefully exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression;

3. Criticises the often discriminatory treatment of non-Han Chinese ethnic minorities; calls
on China to honour its commitments to human and minority rights and the rule of law;
urges China not to misuse the 2008 Olympic Games by arresting dissidents, journalists
and human rights activists in order to prevent demonstrations and reports which the
authorities view as embarrassing to them; calls, in this regard, for the immediate release
of Hu Jia, a prominent human rights activist, sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison
on subversion charges;

4. Calls for an open and independent inquiry, under the auspices of the United Nations, into
the recent riots and repression in Tibet; urges the Chinese authorities to issue a standing
invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN bodies to visit
Tibet;

5. Welcomes the fact that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has called on the Tibetan people to
protest non-violently and has rejected calls for Tibetan independence and instead
proposed the middle way of genuine cultural and political autonomy and religious
freedom; reaffirms its attachment to China's territorial integrity;

6. Calls on the Chinese authorities to open up Tibet to the media and diplomats, in particular
EU representatives; urges the Chinese authorities to immediately stop censoring and
blocking news and information websites based abroad; calls for the release of all 3
journalists, internet users and cyber-dissidents detained in China for exercising their right
to information;

7. Is concerned about the increasing economic marginalisation of the Tibetan people in
Tibet, who are faced with a rising number of Chinese migrant workers coming into Tibet
and taking Tibetan jobs and Tibetan land; points to the gross discrimination in the
education system, in which Tibetan children learn their native language as a second
language;

8. Calls on China to respect its own public commitments to human rights and minority
rights, democracy and the rule of law announced during the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) decision to allow China to organise the Games;

9. Urges China to ratify without any further delay and in any case before the Olympic
Games the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UN, 1966); calls on
Beijing to establish a moratorium on the death penalty, as called for by UN General
Assembly resolution 62/149 of 18 December 2007 on a moratorium on the use of the
death penalty;

10. Regrets that the six sessions of talks between the Chinese authorities and His Holiness the
Dalai Lama have failed to achieve results, and calls for a constructive dialogue to be
opened without preconditions, with a view to reaching a comprehensive political
agreement, including a sustainable solution with regard to the cultural and political
autonomy of Tibet and religious freedom and true minority rights for the Tibetan people
in other neighbouring Chinese provinces;

11. Calls on the Council, and in particular the Presidency, closely to monitor developments,
and to ensure that the EU adopts a consistent common position and that decisions taken
on the basis thereof are duly implemented, and considers that EU diplomatic
representatives in Beijing should take the initiative of visiting the region in order to report
back to the Council about the current situation;

12. Reiterates, in this regard, its call on the Council to appoint a special envoy for Tibetan
issues in order to facilitate the dialogue between the parties and closely follow the
negotiations once they are resumed;

13. Endorses the statement by His Holiness the Dalai Lama that the Olympic Games are a
great opportunity for freedom for all the Chinese people;

14. Calls on the EU Presidency-in-Office to strive to find a common EU position with regard
to the attendance of the Heads of Government and of State and the EU High
Representative at the Olympic Games opening ceremony, with the option of nonattendance
in the event that there is no resumption of dialogue between the Chinese
authorities and His Holiness the Dalai Lama;

15. Urges the People's Republic of China to stop scrutinising and judging Olympic athletes
on the basis of their political views and threatening to ban them from the Olympic Games
if they dissent from the Chinese Government's official position; 4

16. Looks forward to His Holiness the Dalai Lama 's visit to the European Parliament to
address the plenary session scheduled for late 2008, and calls on its Conference of
Presidents to explore the possibility of an earlier visit;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the
governments and parliaments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of
the applicant countries, the President and Prime Minister of the People's Republic of
China, the President of the Chinese People's National Congress, the International
Olympic Committee and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

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Archbishop of Durban says China diverting focus on rights violation

Wednesday, 9 April 2008, 4:17 p.m.

Pretoria:Archbishop of Durban Wilfrid Cardinal Napier said Wednesday that Chinese authorities are trying to divert world attention from their violations of human rights perpetrated against the Tibetans by accusing His Holiness the Dalai Lama of being responsible for the action of the Tibetan people to throw off the shackles of oppression and abuse.

"It is a well-tested truism in any situation of war or conflict the first casualty is the truth," he said.

He said, it is clear that those responsible for the sad state of affairs have made false accusations against His Holiness the Dalai Lama when the peaceful protests spread across many parts of Tibet. His Holiness, by his personal life and charisma stands out as a beacon for hope for the repressed Tibetans, he added.

"We, who know and respect His Holiness the Dalai Lama know where the truth lies, and no amount of lying will change the truth that is a reflection of God's presence among his people, especially the poor and downtrodden," he said.

He offered his prayer for the protection of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all those who struggle for peace and harmony especially using peaceful and non-aggressive means.

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Press Releases

Contact:
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
For Immediate Release
04/03/2008

 

Pelosi, Members of India Congressional Delegation Introduce Resolution in Support of Tibet

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after she and members of the bipartisan Congressional Delegation that met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in India introduced House Resolution 1077.  The Resolution, which calls on the Chinese government to end its crackdown in Tibet and to enter into a substantive dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, will be on the House floor next week.

"Leaders around the world have called for the Chinese government to take steps to end its crackdown on peaceful Tibetans and enter into a dialogue with his Holiness the Dalai Lama, and now the House of Representative will have the opportunity to join the international chorus of calls for peace and freedom.

"The cause of Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world.  For far too long, the Tibetan people have suffered due to the repressive policies of the Chinese government as they have sought the basic human rights and dignity to which all people of the world are entitled.

"I look forward to the House making a powerful and unified statement in support of the fundamental freedom and dignity of the Tibetan people at this critical time."

# # #

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Ms. PELOSI (for herself, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. GEORGE MILLER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. INSLEE, Ms. SOLIS, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. HOLT) submitted the following resolution;

RESOLUTION

Calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet and enter into a substantive dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to find a negotiated solution that respects the distinctive language, culture, religious identity, and fundamental freedoms of all Tibetans, and for other purposes. Whereas March 10, 2008, marked the 49th anniversary of a historic uprising against Chinese rule over the Tibetan people, which forced His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, to escape into exile in India;

Whereas Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns in and around Lhasa were blocked by Chinese authorities from staging peaceful demonstrations on this anniversary date and were met with excessive force by the Chinese authorities;

Whereas protests by Tibetans spread inside the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China;

Whereas the accumulated grievances of almost six decades of cultural, religious, economic, and linguistic repression of the Tibetan people by the Government of the People's Republic of China has resulted in resentments which are at the root of the Tibetan protests;

Whereas resentment of the Chinese Government by the Tibetan people has increased sharply since 2005 as a result of Chinese policies, laws, and regulations that have reduced economic opportunity for Tibetans and severely eroded the ability of Tibetans to preserve their distinctive language, culture, and religious identity;

Whereas the response by the Chinese Government to the Tibetan protests was disproportionate and extreme, reportedly resulting in the deaths of hundreds and the detention of thousands of Tibetans;

Whereas there have been reports that some Tibetans engaged in rioting that may have resulted in the destruction of government and private property, as well as the deaths of civilians;

Whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama has used his leadership to promote democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan people through a negotiated settlement of the Tibet issue, based on autonomy within the context of China;

Whereas six rounds of dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials have not resulted in meaningful progress;

Whereas the Chinese Government has rebuffed calls by the President of the United States, the United States Congress, and world leaders to respond positively to the Dalai Lama's willingness to be personally involved in discussions with Chinese leaders on the future of Tibet;

Whereas the Chinese Government has denigrated the Dalai Lama, labeling him as ''a splittist'' and ''a wolf in monk's robes'', thereby further alienating Tibetans who consider the Dalai Lama their spiritual leader;

Whereas the Dalai Lama was recognized for his contribution to world peace when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989;

Whereas the United States Congress, in recognition of the Dalai Lama's outstanding moral and religious leadership and his advocacy of nonviolence, awarded him with the Congressional Gold Medal on October 17, 2007;

Whereas the Chinese Government has failed to honor its commitment to improve the human rights situation in China as a condition for Beijing being selected as the site for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games;

Whereas the Chinese Government has impeded the access of international journalists to Tibetan areas of China and distorted reports of events surrounding the Tibetan protests, thereby violating the commitment it made that ''there will be no restrictions on media reporting and movement of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games'';

Whereas for many years, the Chinese Government has restricted the ability of foreign journalists and foreign government officials, including United States Government officials, to freely travel in Tibetan areas of China, thereby curtailing access to information on the situation in Tibetan areas;

Whereas the Chinese Government's use of propaganda during the protests to demonize Tibetans and incite ethnic nationalism is exacerbating ethnic tensions and is counterproductive to resolving the situation;

Whereas the United States Department of State included the People's Republic of China among the group of countries described as ''the most systematic violators of human rights'' in the introduction of the 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and in previous Human Rights Reports, but did not do so in the 2007 Human Rights Report, despite no evidence of significant improvements in the human rights situation in China in the past year; and

Whereas it is the policy of the United States ''to support the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct identity'' and ''to support economic development, cultural preservation, health care, and education and environmental sustainability for Tibetans inside Tibet'', in accordance with the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note): Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives—

    (1) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to end its crackdown on nonviolent Tibetan protestors and its continuing cultural, religious, economic, and linguistic repression inside Tibet;

    (2) calls on the Chinese Government to begin a results-based dialogue, without preconditions, directly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to address the legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people and provide for a long-term solution that respects the human rights and dignity of every Tibetan;

    (3) calls on the Chinese Government to allow independent international monitors and journalists, free and unfettered access to the Tibet Autonomous Region and all other Tibetan areas of China for the purpose of monitoring and documenting events surrounding the Tibetan protests and to verify that individuals injured receive adequate medical care;

    (4) calls on the Chinese Government to immediately release all Tibetans who are imprisoned for nonviolently expressing opposition to Chinese Government policies in Tibet;

    (5) calls on the United States Department of State to publicly issue a statement reconsidering its decision not to include the People's Republic of China among the group of countries described as ''the world's most systematic human rights violators'' in the introduction of the 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; and

    (6) calls on the United States Department of State to fully implement the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), including the stipulation that the Secretary of State ''seek to establish an office in Lhasa, Tibet to monitor political, economic and cultural developments in Tibet'', and also to provide consular protection and citizen services in emergencies, and further urges that the agreement to permit China to open further diplomatic missions in the United States should be contingent upon the establishment of a United States Government office in Lhasa.

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Contact: Natalie Ravitz (Boxer) 202 224-8120
              Bethany Lesser (Brown) 202 224-3978
              Kurt Bardella (Snowe) 202 224-8667

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2008 

 SENATORS BOXER, BROWN AND SNOWE LEAD BIPARTISAN GROUP OF 27 SENATORS IN CALLING ON CHINA TO RESOLVE CRISIS IN TIBET, MEET DIRECTLY WITH THE DALAI LAMA

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, together with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), today led a bipartisan group of 27 Senators in sending a letter calling on Chinese President Hu Jintao to bring about a timely, peaceful resolution to the current crisis in Tibet and to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people.

In the letter, the Senators encourage the Chinese government to increase transparency by removing current restrictions on the press and to disclose accurate information about Tibetan individuals who have been detained, injured, and killed since the crisis began.   

Media reports quote the Tibetan government in exile as putting the death toll from the demonstrations at about 140, while China has put the death toll at 22.

The Senators also ask that the government release peaceful protestors who have been detained and meet directly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose "deep bond with the Tibetan people make[s] him key to achieving a negotiated solution to the Tibet issue." 

Boxer said, “I am deeply concerned about the crisis and violence in Tibet – it is in the interest of all involved that we move quickly to restore peace in the region.  But

it is also my sincere hope that China will take this opportunity to listen to the valid, long-standing concerns of the Tibetan people and extend an open hand to the Dalai Lama, whose wisdom and leadership is deeply respected by the Tibetan people and the international community."

Brown said, “China’s crackdown on the people of Tibet is inexcusable.  Beijing has long sought a place at the table of global leaders. But systematic and violent repression of free speech, political protest and the eradication of ethnic culture, religion, and language are not the acts of a world leader, nor a country we should be striving to open to free trade. President Hu Jintao must take immediate steps to end the violent repression, open up to western media and release all political prisoners.”

Snowe said, “The violent crackdown perpetrated against the Tibetan people last month has already shattered the illusion that China's economic development, without political liberalization, is synonymous with modernization.  It is in all of humanity's interest to now ensure that, when the world turns its gaze to this summer's games in Beijing, the Olympic flame is not obscured by a curtain of smoke rising from Tibet.”

In addition to Boxer, Brown and Snowe, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr.(D-DE), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Max Baucus (D-MT), Russell D. Feingold (D-WI), James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Larry E. Craig (R-ID), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), John E. Sununu (R-NH), Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Mark Pryor (D-AR).

(Full text of the letter follows)

The Honorable Hu Jintao

President

People’s Republic of China

Dear President Hu:

We write today to respectfully urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to take all necessary steps to bring about a peaceful resolution to the current crisis in Tibet and to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people.

First and foremost, we ask that the Chinese government remove its restrictions on the media and communications, and allow independent monitors and the foreign press unfettered access to the region. We believe that lack of reliable information is only fueling uncertainty, causing resentment and discord on both sides of the issue. Increased transparency will be an important factor in resolving the conflict and is the best assurance against further escalation of the violence. Such transparency should include disclosing the names and whereabouts of any Tibetans, including Tibetan monks, who were detained in the wake of recent events. It is particularly critical that the world be given an accurate picture of the number of individuals detained, injured, and killed since the crisis began.
           

We also ask that the government release those detained for peaceful protest and demonstrate respect for the internationally-recognized right to peaceful assembly and expression of political opinion.   

Finally, we ask that the government move quickly, and at the highest level, to meet directly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and engage in substantive dialogue to restore stability and bring genuine autonomy to the region. The Dalai Lama’s respected stature in the international community and deep bond with the Tibetan people make him key to achieving a negotiated solution to the Tibet issue and to peacefully implementing any agreement that is reached.

The protests seem to reflect long-simmering Tibetan resentment toward Chinese policies and laws that have failed to respect the basic rights of the people of Tibet. They also appear to reflect Tibetans’ belief that the six years of dialogue conducted to date—without the direct participation of the Dalai Lama—has been too slow and unyielding of results. For stability to last, the underlying causes of the public protests must be addressed, and policies that address the interest of both the Tibetan people and the Chinese government must be considered.  
 

In any such dialogue, it is vitally important that the Chinese set forth a timeline and framework for evaluation of substantive progress. An expedient resolution of the Tibet question through official negotiations that include measurable results favors both the Tibetan people and the Chinese government. 

Again, we urge you to do everything possible to bring about a peaceful resolution to this crisis. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China would be best served by expeditiously resolving this issue in a manner that reflects international norms and respect for human rights.
              

We look forward to continued dialogue on this matter and others that are important to the US-China bilateral relationship.
 

Thank you for your consideration of this most important request.

Sincerely,

- Barbara Boxer                            
- Sherrod Brown                 
- Olympia J. Snowe                               
- Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
- Bernard Sanders                          
- Charles E. Schumer                
- Barbara A. Mikulski                   
- Tom Harkin                               
- Robert Menendez                           
- Christopher J. Dodd    
- Jon Kyl                                        
- Tom Coburn                     
- Max Baucus
- Russell D. Feingold           
- James M. Inhofe                                  
- Larry E. Craig                            
- Ron Wyden                                  
- Sheldon Whitehouse                
- Robert C. Byrd                         
- John E. Sununu
- Gordon H. Smith
- Dick Durbin
- Sam Brownback
- Amy Klobuchar                                                           
- Jon Tester                                   
- Dianne Feinstein

- Mark Pryor

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President Bush called President Hu Jintao of China today. The President raised his concerns about the situation in Tibet and encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives and to allow access for journalists and diplomats.  On Taiwan, the President said that this weekend's election
provides a fresh opportunity for both sides to reach out and engage one another in peacefully resolving their differences.

The two Presidents also discussed North Korean denuclearization. President Bush expressed appreciation to President Hu for the important role China has played within the Six-Party framework.  The two presidents pledged to continue to work closely with the other Six-Party partners in urging North Korea to deliver a complete and correct
declaration of all its nuclear weapons programs, and nuclear mproliferation activities and to complete the agreed disablement.  On Burma, President Bush expressed his concern that the regime intends to hold a referendum that was drafted without input from democratic or ethnic minority groups.  He discussed with President Hu the need for the

Burmese leadership to make changes to the referendum process to make it free, fair, and credible to the Burmese people and the international community.

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US Senator Criticizes China For Blaming Dalai Lama On Tibet [Date: Monday, April 1, 2008 ]

WASHINGTON (AFP)--A U.S. senator influential on foreign policy said Monday he was disappointed with China for "unfairly" accusing Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama of masterminding protests in the Himalayan territory. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., the ranking Republican in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also challenged China to allow journalists and diplomats full access to Tibet to determine whether Beijing allegedly overreacted to the protests.

"I am particularly disappointed that officials in Beijing have chosen to attack the Dalai Lama and unfairly blame him for the protests," Lugar said in a statement.

"I am aware of no credible evidence that he encouraged or instigated the protests, which occurred across a broad area of the Tibetan Autonomous Region and Tibetan areas of China," he said.

China has published an anonymous confession from a Tibetan protester as part of a dossier of "evidence" it said proved the Dalai Lama and his government-in- exile were behind the unrest against Beijing's rule of the Himalayan region.

Lugar noted that the Dalai Lama had deplored the violence and his call to cease violent activities, saying they appeared to have been heeded by most Tibetans in the autonomous region and elsewhere.

"I have met the Dalai Lama several times. I know him to be a man of peace. Contrary to repeated Chinese assertions, he has affirmed he does not favor an independent Tibet, but rather a Tibet with genuine autonomy as part of China," the senator said.

He urged the Chinese leadership to work with the Dalai Lama to seek a " mutually agreeable and peaceful solution" to the Tibet issue.

Beijing says rioters had killed 18 civilians and two police officers in the protests. Exiled Tibetan leaders have put the death toll from the Chinese crackdown at 135-140 Tibetans, with another 1,000 injured and many detained.

Lugar also asked Beijing "to open up more fully" to allow journalists, diplomats and other independent observers into Tibet to determine the background to the protests.

It is "to judge" whether Chinese authorities allegedly overreacted to incidents of looting, burning and attacks on individuals and whether they were detaining and lodging charges of violence against monks and others who had expressed their views peacefully, he said.

"Greater access would also be consistent with China's promise to give wider freedoms to foreign journalists in the period before the 2008 Olympics," Lugar said.

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The influx of Chinese immigrants in Tibet is a serious threat: British MP
OoT, London [Monday, March 10, 2008 12:18]

London, March 9: The 49th anniversary of the 10th March 1959 Tibetan national uprising day was marked here yesterday with a huge rally from the Chinese Embassy to the Office of the British Prime Minister and a remembrance Tibet day afternoon event, followed by an evening concert to honour the reunion of some former Drapchi prisoners of conscience, popularly know as the 'Singing nuns of Tibet' now living in freedom in exile.

Speaking on the occasion, the Guest Speaker, Mr. Fabian Hamilton, MP and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the afternoon gathering at the Westminster Cathedral Hall that the issue of Tibet is serious and worthy of every support.

“The influx of Chinese settlers in Tibet is a serious threat and is making the Tibetans a minority in their own land. When we were in Lhasa (capital of Tibet) we saw Chinese everywhere and more were due to arrive and many will have come now because of the introduction of the railway line from China to Tibet,” said Mr. Hamilton, who was one of the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons that visited Tibet in 2006 and reported their findings in a report.

He informed the audience how during their visit to Lhasa he and his colleagues and the interpreter from the British Embassy in Beijing had to dodge Chinese minders so that they could see the real situation of the Tibetan people. He also said that at one point on seeing the picture of the previous Panchen Lama in a temple, he asked the Chinese interpreter where was the picture of the Dalai Lama? He said the Chinese interpreter had no answer and was looking nervously at the Chinese official accompanying them.

“For some reason His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a man of great peace is considered a threat by the Chinese authorities,” said Mr. Hamilton, adding that for once he agreed with the current American President George W. Bush, who when presenting the US Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness said that China should not fear because the Dalai Lama is “a man of faith, sincerity and peace.”

The British parliamentarian also urged Prime Minister Gordon Brown to meet with His Holiness during his visit to UK in May. “Our duty today is to see to it that peaceful and non-violence means adopted to resolve issues makes ‘headlines’”, said Mr. Hamilton, who accompanied by his family also visited Dharamsala last year with five other members of the parliament. Besides witnessing the various aspects of the democratic set up of the Tibetans in Diaspora, they also had an audience with His Holiness.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is visiting UK in May this year primarily at the invitations received from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, Tibet Society, Dharma Network (formed of various Buddhist organisations in UK), Blackfriars Hall of Oxford University and the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, to give a series of public talks and teachings in London, Oxford and Nottingham. This visit, as other visits of His Holiness to Northern Europe, Poland and the Baltic Countries, is being coordinated by the Office of Tibet, London. An Early Day Motion (EDM) 984 sponsored in the House of Commons by Mr. Norman Baker, MP, , while welcoming the forthcoming visit of His Holiness to the UK calls upon the British Prime Minister to recognise “the strong historical connections between this country and Tibet” and “take the opportunity to met the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his visit” in line with how the Tibetan Nobel Peace Laureate has recently been met by “President George Bush, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of Australia, Canada and Austria”.

In his address, Mr. Tsering Tashi, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Northern Europe, Poland and the Baltic Countries, said Mr. Hamilton’s acceptance of the invitation to the Tibetan event despite his busy schedule demonstrates the British public’s sympathy and support for the just cause of Tibet. He also thanked everyone, including some Tibetans and supporters who had come from different parts of the UK and Europe, for coming to the event to mark the Tibet Day. He said the presence, especially of the four former Drapchi prisoners of conscience clearly proves that the global and Tibetan efforts in exile is not in vain.

“The story of their road to freedom in exile after suffering many years of hardship and even torture at the hands of the Chinese authorities in occupied Tibet is a reminder to all of us that the human sprit cannot be vanquished by force,” said Mr. Tashi, who is based at the Office of Tibet in London.

Mr. Tashi spoke about the contrasting situation of the globally acknowledged success story of the Tibetan refugee community in exile and the ongoing plight of the Tibetans back home in Tibet under the Chinese rule.

He expressed concern at the increasing Chinese population in Tibet, which is transforming the Tibetans not only into a powerless and an insignificant minority in their own land but also posing a serious threat to the very survival of the Tibetan culture and identity. He said although the work that some NGOs and Western governments are doing in Tibet aimed to help the Tibetans is much appreciated, the outcome would be diluted when faced with the reality of the overwhelming immigrant Chinese population force.

“The important work that now remains to be done is how to reverse this dangerous demographic aggression of Tibet and persuade China to discourage the settling of Chinese in Tibet,” Mr. Tashi said, while acknowledging the fact that with better awareness and information more and more Chinese were showing respect for Tibetan Buddhist culture and supporting His Holiness the Dalai Lama‘s non-violent Middle-Way Approach to resolve the Tibet issue that takes into consideration the long term interest of both the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Mr. Tashi also referred to similar concerns raised by the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who in her autobiography says, “The Chinese claim to Tibet is dubious on historical grounds,” and that “The Chinese now appear to have resolved upon a programme of ’modernisation’ that involves shifting the ethnic balance in favour of Han Chinese and away from Tibetans, as a final solution to the continuing resistance. I hope that they do not succeed.”

As in the past, the afternoon Tibet Day event was jointly organised by the Tibetan Commemorative Committee consisting of the Office of Tibet, the Tibetan Community in Britain and the Tibet Society. A specially prepared drama-song presented by the Tibetan Community Dance Group showing how Tibetan prisoners are being harshly treated by the Chinese authorities in Tibet, generated gasps and total silence in the capacity-filled hall and moved many people to tears. The event began with prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and peace in world, and closed with the singing of the Tibetan national anthem.

The former Tibetan nun political prisoners Phuntsok Nyidron, Ngawang Sangdrol, Gyaltsen Drolkar and Namdrol Lhamo, who currently live in Switzerland, the United States and Belgium respectively, are in London at the invitation of the Tibetan Community in Britain as a part of its effort to raise more awareness about the Tibet issue. With help of Students for a Free Tibet and other supporters, they will be touring for about four weeks giving talks and participating in concerts at various educational and public venues in different parts of the UK.

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Obama on Tibet Protests

March 15th, 2008

Barack Obama is the first presidential candidate to put out a statement in response to the protests by Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet and China’s brutal crackdown in response.

I am deeply disturbed by reports of a crackdown and arrests ordered by Chinese authorities in the wake of peaceful protests by Tibetan Buddhist monks. I condemn the use of violence to put down peaceful protests, and call on the Chinese government to respect the basic human rights of the people of Tibet, and to account for the whereabouts of detained Buddhist monks.

These events come on the 49th anniversary of the exile of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama. They demonstrate the continuing frustration of the Tibetan people at the way in which Beijing has ruled Tibet.

Tibet should enjoy genuine and meaningful autonomy. Now is the time to respect the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet.

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March 19, 2008
We the members of the Himalaya Buddhist Cultural Association on behalf the people of Ladakhi from J&K, Lahaul, spiti of Himachal, Uttarkashi, Sikkim, Monpa of Arunachal Pradesh, etc humbly condemn the following on the issues of recent unfortunate incidents in Tibet. We appeal all the nations as follows.

1. We condemn the military action of Chinese government for crushing the peaceful protest by the Tibetan in Tibet on Friday 14th march 2008.

2. We urge and appeal to immediately stop the ongoing brutality act of suppression inside tibet; and also demanding to release all those Tibetan people who were imprisoned during the recent demonstrations.

3. We are also requesting to people from different parts of the world to be careful and don’t come under the false picture, which can mislead the people from other countries by broadcasting altered and fabricated news through their own set-up media, not allowing the international news channels to get hold of the ongoing real situation in Tibet.

4. Our govt. of India and international community to interfere in Tibet solutions.

5. A solution for the issue of Tibet is the interest of India and will solve the security issue of India. Violence is not a solution for the genuine peace; we condemned their brutal action against the Tibetan people.

6. Out govt. should allow the ongoing peace march to Tibet.

7. Our govt. should support Tibet’s rightful and nonviolent struggle to accomplish their goal to return to their own motherland.

8. We also request all the International community to give medical facility and aid to those who are fatally and seriously injured in the recent demonstrations in Tibet since all the hospitals are closed except the chinese army hospitals. Hense we request our Govt. of India to send medical aid to Tibet on the humanitarian ground.

Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association

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POSTED: Wednesday, March 19, 2008

FROM BLOG: Status of Chinese People - News, reports, opinions about China, Chinese people and their living condition

The following blog post is from an independent writer and is not connected with Reuters News. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by Reuters.com.

Reuters, via the Guardian, UK, Mar. 18, 2008-

BERLIN, March 18 (Reuters) - European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering urged politicians to consider boycotting the Beijing Olympic Games to protest against China’s crackdown on demonstrations in Tibet in which dozens may have died.

Politicians who had planned to attend the opening ceremony of the Games in August should reconsider, Poettering told German radio, adding he was not ruling out a wider boycott.

“It is too early to say how things will end up but one should keep all options open,” Poettering said in an interview on Deutschlandfunk radio on Tuesday.
Poettering, a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), attacked China’s response to the monk-led protests in Tibet.
“We cannot agree with what is happening in Tibet. The Chinese must realize that,” said Poettering, adding repression and curbs to freedom of expression must stop if the Olympic Games were to be a success.

“We must send a signal to Beijing,” he said.

Anti-China protests in Lhasa, the biggest in almost two decades, turned ugly on Friday and exiled representatives of Tibet in India have said as many as 80 people died.

China’s premier Wen Jiabao has accused Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, of orchestrating riots, a charge he denies.

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959, wants autonomy for Tibet within China but not outright independence.

Merkel, along with other western leaders, has called on Beijing to exercise restraint but has refrained from calling for an outright boycott of the Olympic Games. (Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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Italians Show Support for Tibet; Pope Appeals for Dialogue
By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
19-03-2008
Hundreds of people turned out in Rome Wednesday to demonstrate in support of the people of Tibet following last week's unrest and a crackdown by the Chinese authorities. Also Wednesday, Pope Benedict appealed reports for VOA from Rome.

A large banner on the stage in Rome's Campo de' Fiori Square read: "We are all Tibetans." Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday afternoon to show solidarity with the Tibetan people and voice their opposition to the brutal crackdown carried out by the Chinese authorities.

Many waved flags from the tiny Himalayan state. Italian politicians from across the political divide attended the demonstration and criticized what they called China's brutal repression just months ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Maurizio Gasparri of the right-wing National Alliance said China applies the death penalty, exploits workers, and massacres people in Tibet and yet we are still talking about holding the Olympic Games in Beijing.

He said China should not be part of the international community if it does not respect the rights of Tibetans.

Tukten Tenzin, president of the Tibetan community in Italy, also spoke at the gathering.
He said his people are calling for concrete political support from the West.

Pope Benedict also raised his voice Wednesday.

At the general audience, the pope said he is following events in Tibet with trepidation. He said his heart feels pain for the suffering of so many people. He said violence only aggravates problems.

The pope did not mention China specifically. Benedict has made improving relations with Beijing and the normalization of ties, severed in 1951, a major goal of his pontificate.

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US Urges China to Use Restraint in Tibet
By Meredith Buel
Washington
21-03-2008

The United States has called on China to use restraint against protesters in Tibet and to hold talks with the country's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel reports from Washington.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi Wednesday evening to discuss the crisis in Tibet.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says Rice used the 20-minute phone call to restate U.S. policy.

"She reiterated our call for restraint on the part of the Chinese government when they are dealing with protesters in these areas. Violence does not serve anybody's purposes," he said.

McCormack says Rice also urged her Chinese counterpart to hold talks with the Dalai Lama.

"The Chinese government should engage with the Dalai Lama in a dialogue," he said. "He is a man of peace. He is a man of reconciliation. We have been calling for this for sometime. Certainly, now would be as appropriate a time as ever for that dialog to take place."

China is accusing the Dalai Lama of orchestrating protests that erupted into riots last week in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, a charge he denies.

Tibet's government in exile says about 100 people died in the protests, although Beijing says rioters killed 13 civilians.

China is acknowledging that protests have spread from Tibet to neighboring Chinese provinces.

The Dalai Lama is offering to discuss the situation in Tibet with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
China says the spiritual leader must renounce violence and not support independence for Tibet.
The Dalai Lama has said repeatedly he only wants autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty.
Some international human rights groups and Tibetan activists are calling for officials and dignitaries to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics, to be held in Beijing next August.
President Bush is scheduled to attend the games and the White House says his plans have not changed.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says the Olympics present an opportunity for China.
"We view this as a significant international sporting event," said McCormack. "We are going to treat it as such. We would also encourage China to make use of the fact that the world is watching the Olympics and this important international event to put its best face forward, not only during the Olympics, but in the run-up to as well as after the Olympics."
McCormack says the United States has requested access to Tibet to make an assessment of what is happening there.

McCormack says so far the Chinese government has not granted the request.

"The Chinese government should engage with the Dalai Lama in a dialogue," he said. "He is a man of peace. He is a man of reconciliation. We have been calling for this for sometime. Certainly, now would be as appropriate a time as ever for that dialog to take place."

China is accusing the Dalai Lama of orchestrating protests that erupted into riots last week in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, a charge he denies.

Tibet's government in exile says about 100 people died in the protests, although Beijing says rioters killed 13 civilians.

China is acknowledging that protests have spread from Tibet to neighboring Chinese provinces.
The Dalai Lama is offering to discuss the situation in Tibet with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

China says the spiritual leader must renounce violence and not support independence for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama has said repeatedly he only wants autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty.

Some international human rights groups and Tibetan activists are calling for officials and dignitaries to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics, to be held in Beijing next August.

President Bush is scheduled to attend the games and the White House says his plans have not changed.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says the Olympics present an opportunity for China.

"We view this as a significant international sporting event," said McCormack. "We are going to treat it as such. We would also encourage China to make use of the fact that the world is watching the Olympics and this important international event to put its best face forward, not only during the Olympics, but in the run-up to as well as after the Olympics."

McCormack says the United States has requested access to Tibet to make an assessment of what is happening there.

McCormack says so far the Chinese government has not granted the request.

Secretary Rice Phones China's Foreign Minister Urging Dialogue with the Dalai Lama to Resolve Tibet Problem
March 20th, 2008

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has telephoned China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi late on March 19, 2008, repeating her pleas for restraint and calling for a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

"She was able to reiterate very directly with the foreign minister our views urging Chinese restraint in dealing with protestors," Sean McCormack told reporters of the 20-minute call.

"Nobody wants to see violence ... So we have strongly urged Chinese restraint in these regards," McCormack said.

"She also urged the Chinese government to have a dialogue with the Dalai Lama as we have in the past," McCormack added.

"Implicit in what we're saying is that they should engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama and our view is that he is a man of peace and reconciliation," McCormack said when asked if China should drop preconditions.

"We don't really get into this issue of preconditions," the spokesman said.

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John McCain Says Tibet Issue to Receive Top Priority If he becomes President
March 21st, 2008

American presidential hopeful John McCain has said that the issue of Tibet would be one of the first things he would take up if he became the president. Addressing the media after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on March 21, 2008, McCain is quoted by Reuters as saying, "It's not correct that the people there are being subjected to mistreatment. That is not acceptable conduct from a world power, which China is."

According to Reuters, "McCain said he did not discuss the Tibet issue in his meeting with Sarkozy but said China, which is preparing to host the Olympic Games, risked damaging its international image."

"There must be respect for human rights, whether it be in Tibet or whether it be anyplace else in the world," McCain is quoted in the report.

"I would hope that the Chinese would announce that they are actively seeking a peaceful resolution to this situation that exists which harms not only the human rights of people but also the image of China in the world," he said.

Earlier, after meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on March 20, 2008, McCain had this message for the Chinese leaders on developments in Tibet, according to CNN, ""I strongly urge them to respect the rights of the people who are demonstrating there," McCain said. "There's a long history of Chinese treatment of the people in Tibet which is certainly not one that I think the Chinese should be proud of, and I hope that they would quickly respect the human rights of the people there.

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Canada Urges Beijing to talk with Dalai Lama

OTTAWA, March 21: Canada yesterday urged the Chinese government to start talks on Tibet with the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader-in-exile who Beijing has long viewed as a subversive force.

Despite its strongly worded calls for China to stop its crackdown on Tibet, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government was mum on whether the Prime Minister or his ministers would attend the Summer Olympics in Beijing in August.

Mr. Harper issued a statement in which he called upon China to "fully respect human rights and peaceful protest."

His Foreign Affairs Minister, Maxime Bernier, followed with a call for Beijing to engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama - in effect a message to China that the only acceptable way out of the Tibetan showdown is through talks

"The most constructive option at the present time, I believe, would be for the government of China to enter into direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his designated representatives," Mr. Bernier said in a statement. "Such dialogue may help ensure an already tense situation does not deteriorate into further violence."

The message is part of an international effort to press China into talks with the Dalai Lama - officials in some other countries made similar statements yesterday, notably U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

About 600 people demonstrated in Ottawa yesterday against China's crackdown in Tibet, stopping on Parliament Hill where Conservative backbencher Pierre Poilievre read Mr. Harper's statement, which called on China to "show restraint."

"As his holiness the Dalai Lama told me when I met him, and as he has been saying recently, his message is one of non-violence and reconciliation and I join him in that call," Mr. Harper said in the statement. Mr. Harper's meeting with the Dalai Lama in Ottawa in November angered China.

However, Mr. Harper's government has not broached the issue most dear to China: the Beijing Olympics.

The Chinese government has accused a "clique" around the Dalai Lama of organizing violence in Tibet in a bid to sabotage the Olympics. Groups around the world, including the Canada Tibet Committee, have called for political leaders to skip the Olympics to show disapproval.

The White House said yesterday that U.S. President George W. Bush will not cancel his visit to the Olympics because of the Tibet crisis, arguing the event should be more about athletics than politics, and that the event would draw attention to China and its record.

Unlike other people, "he's able to speak very frankly to the Chinese president or the Russian president or whoever it might be," spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters, recalling that Mr. Bush has said previously he wants to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Mr. Harper's spokesman, Sandra Buckler, said the Prime Minister has not yet decided whether he will attend.

"We're looking at the situation closely," said another spokesman for Mr. Harper, Dimitri Soudas.

Wayne Marston, the NDP human-rights critic, said his party's caucus will meet in about two weeks to decide if its MPs should avoid the Games. The Liberals said the question was "premature" and foreign-affairs critic Bob Rae also called for dialogue.

Adam van Koeverden, a Canadian Olympic gold and bronze medalist in the kayak singles, said athletes are caught in the middle of a tug-of-war when politicians and activists bandy about the idea of boycotts.

"The Olympics are supposed to be an apolitical arena, when people get together for sport alone," said the 16-time world champion from Oakville, Ont.

France's human-rights minister Rama Yade said yesterday there should be no hasty international decision to boycott the opening ceremony of the Games over a crackdown in Tibet.

And Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has branded the boycott idea "unrealistic" but said the European Union may discuss the idea of staying away from the ceremony in Beijing.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Slovenia next week are expected to discuss the situation, with Mr. Kouchner saying some action should be taken but nothing that would antagonize China.

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China Dissidents Call for Dialogue with the Dalai Lama

Reuters, Saturday, March 22, 2008 22:15

BEIJING, March 22: A group of 29 Chinese dissidents urged Beijing on Saturday to open direct dialogue with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in the wake of rioting in the region.

Monk-led anti-Chinese protests erupted in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, on March 10 and spilled over into Chinese provinces populated by Tibetans. Some turned violent with Chinese leaders blaming the Dalai Lama for engineering the rioting. "We appeal to the country's leaders to directly engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama. We hope to eliminate misunderstanding between Han and Tibetans," the group said in an open letter e-mailed to reporters, referring to the majority Han Chinese.

The pro-democracy activists led by writer Wang Lixiong and dissident Liu Xiaobo, urged the government to invite UN investigators to Tibet to change the international community's distrust of China.

They also suggested allowing credible domestic and foreign journalists to independently report from the predominantly Buddhist region and said those arrested should be given an open and fair trial.

The dissidents said they hoped the government would produce evidence to substantiate accusations that the Dalai Lama premeditated the unrest. The Dalai Lama has denied the charge.

The government should tone down its Cultural Revolution-era invective against the Dalai Lama which was only fanning the flames of "ethnic hatred" and undermining the country's image.

"Serious mistakes exist in (government) work on Tibet," the letter said, pressing the government to fundamentally change its "failed" policies towards ethnic groups.

But their demands are likely to fall on deaf ears in the government which has long refused to hold talks with the Dalai Lama who has lived in exile in India for almost half a century.

March 23, 2008

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Thai Olympic torchbearer withdraws in protest over China's crackdown in Tibet

AP [Sunday, March 23, 2008 16:24]

BANGKOK, Thailand, March 23: One of Thailand's representatives in the Olympic torch relay has withdrawn in protest over China's recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet, a statement said Sunday.

Narisa Chakrabongse — one of the country's six torchbearers — said in an open letter that she decided against taking part in the relay to "send a strong message to China that the world community could not accept its actions."

Anti-government protests started in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, on the March 10 anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule and turned violent four days later, touching off demonstrations among Tibetans in three neighboring provinces.

Beijing's official death toll from the rioting is now 22, but the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile has said 99 Tibetans have died.

"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."

Tibetans and their supporters have protested in cities around the world against China, where the games will be staged.

Some fear the arrival of the Olympic torch — which arrives in Thailand in April en route to Beijing — could spark violent protests against China, while others are calling for heads of state, dignitaries and even corporate sponsors to boycott the Olympics, or at least the opening ceremony.

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French President calls for end to violence in Tibet
Reuters - Monday, March 24 01:08 pm
PARIS (Reuters)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on Monday for an end to violence in Tibet and said France would be willing to facilitate talks to end it.

In a brief official statement, the presidential palace said Nicolas Sarkozy had sent a message to President Hu Jintao to express his concern over events in Tibet.

"The President of the Republic has said that France is available to facilitate renewed dialogue in the framework of the strategic French-Chinese partnership," the statement said.

The statement came amid calls for a boycott of the Olympic Games in China this year after riots in Tibet blamed by China on the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader.

Sarkozy wanted a speedy resumption of dialogue between Chinese authorities and the followers of the Dalai Lama so that all Tibetans can "fully express their cultural and spiritual identity within the People's Republic of China," it said.

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March 25, 2008
By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: March 25, 2008

New York Times[Tuesday, March 25, 2008 08:35]

SHANGHAI — Chinese officials have sharply criticized foreign reporters here over their coverage of the riots in Tibet, accusing them of biased reporting and preventing them from traveling to Tibet or neighboring provinces to report on the unrest.

The government has also begun a propaganda campaign aimed at persuading the public that the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, instigated the violence in Tibet on March 14 and that China was a victim of separatist terrorist activity.

The effort is the clearest sign yet of China’s concern that the Tibet unrest, as well as antigovernment protests over Darfur, could disrupt the Olympic Games this summer in Beijing.

The government appears to be blocking foreign Web sites inside China and censoring foreign television broadcasts here about Tibet. Youtube.com was blocked after the riots began, and CNN and BBC broadcasts regularly go black after mention of riots in Tibet. The New York Times Web site appears to have been blocked or censored in recent days.

Over the weekend, the government allowed Chinese Web sites, which are usually heavily censored for political content, to post sharp critiques of foreign news media reports about Tibet and to show graphic, violent images of Tibetans looting and attacking ethnically Han Chinese in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, on March 14.

The images have fueled outrage in China and led to a flurry of Web postings vehemently critical of Tibetans.

State-controlled news media have been allowed to report from Tibet and neighboring areas where violent protests occurred. But foreign journalists have been denied access to Tibet and blocked from reaching neighboring regions with large Tibetan populations. Many foreign reporters who managed to get into Tibet after the riots were forced to leave.

Foreign journalists in China say these actions violate the government’s pledge to give them greater press freedoms and access to the country in the months leading to the Olympics.

“At a time when China is promising to become more open with the world, this is a big disappointment,” said Jocelyn Ford, a freelance journalist based in Beijing and chairwoman of the media freedoms committee of the Foreign Correspondents Club there.

To appease foreign reporters, Beijing told several journalists Monday that a group of about 12 correspondents would be able to travel to Lhasa for a special government-guided tour of the city this week. Whether they will be allowed to interview people independently is unclear.

The government has issued no official statement criticizing the foreign news media. But in recent days state-controlled newspapers, television stations and Internet sites have been carrying stories and commentary with a common theme: foreign media distortions. The official Xinhua news agency released a story over the weekend suggesting that film shown by CNN misrepresented the situation. CNN, in a statement, said its coverage was accurate.

“I used to think the Western media were fair,” wrote one person who posted comments online, according to China Daily. “But how could they turn a blind eye to the killing and arson by rioters?”

Gao Zhikai, a former Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, said the foreign media were partly to blame and contended that many of the reports about Tibet had been biased. “If you read the foreign media, the only message you can get is that China is very heavy-handed, and they are doing a lot of bad things in Tibet, and they are totally out of their minds,” Mr. Gao said. “And they talk about the Dalai Lama as if he’s God.”

James Miles, a journalist with The Economist who happened to be in Lhasa during the riots, was praised on Chinese state television, though, after he reported in The Economist and gave an interview to CNN describing the riots and saying that Tibetans were singling out Han Chinese, burning their shops, throwing stones and assaulting them.

The point, some Chinese commentators said, was that the rioters were killing innocent Chinese rather than that the government was shooting protesters.

The government also repeats over and over that the riots were orchestrated by the “Dalai clique” to upstage the Olympics.

The Dalai Lama has said in the past week that he did not organize the riots and that he supports the decision to allow China to hold the Olympics.

The government also insists that the foreign news media do not understand Tibet or efforts by the government to bring prosperity to the region.

Journalists here say the travel and reporting restrictions are making things worse. “Reporters are not even allowed to see the whole story in Tibet,” said Ms. Ford with the Foreign Correspondents Club in Beijing. “We don’t even know why people rioted or what they wanted.”

Georg Blume, a reporter for the German newspaper Die Zeit, was one of the few Western journalists to get into Lhasa after the riots. He arrived on March 15, he said, and saw huge areas damaged by riots, fires and looting.

He says some Tibetans who took part in the riots said they were proud that they were finally able to stand up to the Chinese; others said they were ashamed of the violence.

They complained about social discrimination, unequal pay and rumors that almost everyone had heard that Tibetan monks had been arrested, and even killed, in the days before the riots.

He was ordered to leave after five days. “Every day the police were in my hotel room,” he said. “They said, ‘You have to leave.’ At the end, they threatened to take my visa away. So I left.”

Tibet issue echoes in Parliament
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The happenings in Tibet figured in Parliament on Monday, when members of the National Democratic Alliance walked out of the Lok Sabha protesting “violation of human rights” in that country.

Raising the matter during zero hour, Vijay Kumar Malhotra (BJP) described the Lhasa incidents as “ethnic genocide” and wanted the government to condemn the happenings. He said Tibet, besides being a neighbour, shared cultural ties with India.

Responding to the members’ concern, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed distress over the “unsettled situation and violence” in Tibet and wanted the causes of trouble in the autonomous region of China resolved through dialogue and non-violent means.

Ramjilal Suman (Samajwadi Party) said India should join the global community in ending “human rights violation in Tibet.” B. Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal said India should stand up against any kind of “ethnic cleansing.”

Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Yashwant Sinha (BJP) said everybody wanted good relations with China but it did not mean surrendering India’s national interest.
“India should not remain a mute spectator to what was going on there,” he said, demanding that the government make a statement.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Mr. Malhotra too said the government should make a statement and India should join the global community and the United Nations in condemning the incidents.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters that the party “expresses its concern about the violence and unsettled situation in the entire region and the deaths of innocent persons.”

There was “the dire necessity to take recourse by non-violent means to bring peace and security in that autonomous region.”

He hoped that a stabler situation would prevail there at the earliest.

George Fernandes of the Janata Dal (United) expressed disappointment that Parliament had not even attempted to pass a resolution to condemn the developments.

He called upon fellow MPs to stand up for Tibetans.
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

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STATEMENT issued by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu – 25 March 2008
March 25th, 2008

I wish to express my solidarity with the people of Tibet during this critical time in their history. To my dear friend His Holiness the Dalai Lama, let me say: I stand with you. You define non violence and compassion and goodness. I was in an Easter retreat when the recent tragic events unfolded in Tibet. I learned that China has stated you caused violence. Clearly China does not know you, but they should. I call on China's government to know His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as so many have come to know, during these long decades years in exile. Listen to His Holiness' pleas for restraint and calm and no further violence against this civilian population of monastic and lay people.

I urge China to enter into a substantive and meaningful dialogue with this man of peace, the Dalai Lama. China is uniquely positioned to impact and affect our world. Certainly the leaders of China know this or they would not have bid for the Olympics. Killing, imprisonment and torture are not a sport: the innocents must be released and given free and fair trials.

I urge my esteemed friend Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Tibet and be given access to assess, and report to the international community, the events which led to this international outcry for justice. The High Commissioner should be allowed to travel with journalists, and other observers, who may speak truth to power and level the playing field so that, indeed, this episode -- these decades of struggle -- may attain a peaceful resolution. This will help not only Tibet. It will help China.

And China, poised to receive the world during the forthcoming Olympic Games needs to make sure the eyes of the world will see that China has changed, that China is willing to be a responsible partner in international global affairs. Finally, 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.

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March 25, 2008
Bush Envoy voices US concern to Chinese over Tibet
AFP [Tuesday, March 25, 2008 08:17]

A senior envoy for US President George W. Bush met with Beijing's ambassador in Washington to express the government's "deep concerns" over China's crackdown in Tibet, the White House said Monday.

Ambassador James Jeffrey, a deputy national security advisor, met with Zhou Wenzhong at the weekend, Jeffrey "expressed our deep concerns over the widespread security crackdown in Tibet," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.

"He urged them to be more peaceful, to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, which is something we have stressed before, so we continue to have conversations with them," she said.

Bush has yet to publicly comment on the deadly protests in Tibet and neighboring regions since they erupted March 10 on the anniversary of a 1959 failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

Tibetan sources say 130 people have been killed.

Tibet remains a point of contention in the delicate ties between China and the United States, who are juggling multiple diplomatic interests as well as expanding economic ties.

The White House has indicated that the unrest in Tibet will not dissuade Bush from attending the Olympic Games in Beijing in August, but in making the trip he will be able to speak his mind to President Hu Jintao.

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Rice urges China to listen to Dalai Lama on Tibet
Tuesday, March 25, 2008

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday urged the Chinese government to pursue a more "sustainable" policy toward Tibet and said the only way to do this was for it to talk to the Dalai Lama.

"We believe that the answer for Tibet is to have a more sustainable policy for the Chinese government concerning Tibet." Rice told reporters at a news conference with India's external affairs minister.

"We are going to continue to encourage that dialogue because ultimately that is going to be the only policy that is sustainable in Tibet," she said.

China alleges the exiled Dalai Lama was conspiring to wreck the Beijing Olympic Games this summer and masterminded the wave of protests that began with peaceful rallies in Tibet's capital Lhasa on March 10, the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Five days later, the marches erupted into a riot in Lhasa in which China says 19 were killed. The Tibetan government-in-exile in India raised its death toll in the clashes to 130 on Monday. China has barred foreign journalists from Tibet and surrounding areas, making independent verification difficult.

Rice repeated her call for restraint and for all sides to avoid violence.

"There also needs to be a day after the current events and that really requires a sustainable process of dealing with the problems (in) Tibet, the grievances of Tibetans, and 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 ... moral stature," Rice said.

"At this particular point in time, to have contact (with him) I think is a good thing, not a bad thing, because he is a moderate voice on these issues and he is a voice that frankly I hope the Chinese will listen to more," Rice added.

(Writing by Arshad Mohammed, editing by Sandra Maler)

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Germany Urges China to Talk on Tibet as Olympic Doubts Persist
Bloomberg.com [Tuesday, March 25, 2008 22:17]
By Alan Crawford

March 25: Germany's government said it's ``essential'' that China holds talks with the Dalai Lama if it hopes to win over world public opinion before the Olympic Games, as French President Nicolas Sarkozy refused to rule out a boycott of the opening ceremony.

This summer's Beijing Olympics ``will be a success if the Chinese government realizes that it holds the key,'' German government spokesman Thomas Steg told reporters in Berlin today.

``The Tibetans want to retain their culture; China has an interest in political stability and territorial integrity,'' Steg said. ``The federal government sees no alternative to a dialogue, a direct dialogue between both sides.''

China blames the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, for instigating the biggest protests in the territory in almost 20 years. The unrest began March 10 in the capital, Lhasa, and spread to neighboring provinces. Security forces have killed about 140 protesters since the demonstrations began, the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala, northern India, said in a statement yesterday. Chinese authorities say Lhasa rioters killed about 20 people March 14.

Sarkozy, who yesterday called on China to ``rapidly return to and deepen'' dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama, said that ``all options are open'' in regard to France's reaction to the events in Tibet, Agence France-Presse reported.

``I appeal to the Chinese leaders' sense of responsibility,'' Sarkozy said during a visit to Tarbes in France's Pyrenees region, according to AFP. ``I want a dialogue to start and I will step up my response according to the response given by the Chinese authorities.''

`Shed Light'

China ``would be extremely well advised to shed light'' on the Tibetan unrest and allow the international media to report from those provinces hit by violence, ``because without transparency it won't be possible to win back the confidence of the public around the world,'' Steg said.

France and Germany joined the U.S. in appealing to the Chinese authorities to listen to the grievances of Tibetans. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday called for ``restraint,'' adding: ``We believe that the Dalai Lama could play a very favorable role.''

``As long as the Dalai gives up his separatist position and ceases separatist activities, the door for dialogue is always open,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing today. ``Our position is quite clear and consistent: We will listen to what he says and what he does.''

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Troops Deployed

China deployed troops in Tibet in 1950 and annexed the region a year later. The protests are the largest in Tibet since pro-independence demonstrations in 1989 prompted President Hu Jintao, then head of the region's Communist Party, to impose martial law.

The Dalai Lama says he is committed to a peaceful solution and isn't seeking independence for Tibet.

Nine people were arrested at the site of the ancient Olympics in Greece yesterday as protesters tried to disrupt a flame-lighting ceremony marking the start of the countdown to the Games in Beijing.

Qin said the protests in Greece were "shameful" and "unpopular."

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French President Asks China to End Violence in Tibet, Offers to Facilitate Dialogue with Dalai Lama March 25th, 2008

French President NicolasSarkozy has said on March 24, 2008 that he has informed Chinese President Hu Jintao about his deep distress at the recent events in Tibet and called for an end to the violence there through dialogue.

Saying that France would like "the dialogue that was started several years ago between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama's representatives, resume speedily and be taken further" President Sarkozy said in a statement that France would be willing "to facilitate this resumption of dialogue."

On March 25, 2008, Sarcozy said in Tarbes, France, that he would determine his future action regarding China on the basis of its action in Tibet, when asked about his position on the Olympics.

"Our Chinese friends must understand the worldwide concern that there is about the question of Tibet, and I will adapt my response to the evolutions in the situation that will come, I hope, as rapidly as possible," Sarkozy is quoted by AP as saying in Tarbes.

Sarkozy also disclosed contacts between his office and that of the Dalai Lama. "I have an envoy who spoke to the authorities who are closest to the Dalai Lama," Sarkozy said, according to AP. "I want dialogue to begin, and I will gauge my response based on the response that the Chinese authorities give," he added.

Earlier, in response to the Chinese Government's laying the blame on the Dalai Lama, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on March 19 that "The Dalai Lama is not a man to spread disorder and confrontation. I know him well enough to say the opposite. In all the years we've known each other, he's always displayed a very peaceful view of matters."

Following are the full text of President Sarkozy's statement and the press briefing by Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

CHINA/TIBET
COMMUNIQUE
ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC
(Paris, 24 March 2008)

President Sarkozy calls for restraint and an end to violence in Tibet through dialogue.

He has sent a message to President Hu Jintao informing him of his deep distress following the recent tragic events.

President Sarkozy wishes to see the dialogue that was started several years ago between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama's representatives resume speedily and be taken further, so that all Tibetans feel able to live their cultural and spiritual identity to the full within the People's Republic of China.

President Sarkozy has expressed France's willingness to facilitate this resumption of dialogue in the context of the French-Chinese strategic partnership.

-------------------------------
PRESS BRIEFING BY BERNARD KOUCHNER
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Paris, March 18, 2008
(excerpts)
TIBET

Q. About Tibet where there've been serious incidents since Friday. What do you think of the idea of boycotting the Games or at least the opening ceremony? The Dalai Lama is asking for an international inquiry. Is France going to back that request?

We should perhaps talk a little about the Tibetans. I can answer these three questions very quickly: There's been no international demand other than the Dalai Lama's. If there is an international demand, it has to go through the international organizations, and France will give its answer there. I don't see any demands at this point either from the UN or European Union. The EU did issue a statement on Friday. The Dalai Lama, whom I've heard and know well, isn't asking for a boycott of the Olympic Games. I also saw that Reporters Without Borders [RSF] this morning called for a boycott of the opening ceremony, not the Olympic Games. It's a different position, which can be appreciated, and of course, if asked, it would mean that Europe in any case will confer about it. We shall be meeting with foreign ministers next week for two days of work in Slovenia and we'll be considering all this.

Obviously, there must be an investigation into what has happened. You mentioned an international inquiry. Lots of international inquiries are requested. Incidentally we've not spoken about Chad, but people are asking for one there too. It's very, very slow getting all this going. But there is one initial international inquiry that ought to be made--by journalists. Journalists don't have access, and they must have access to the territory in question--to Tibet in particular but not just there since there are incidents apparently beyond Tibet. So that seems to me to be an obvious necessity since our Chinese friends have recognized the universality of human rights. Well, the right to information has to be respected.

And then I'm hearing with anger and sadness people talking about the figures of the dead and injured, which we don't even know but which are very high, apparently. We need to know: 80, 100, 20, 13? These things ought to be verified. I had a message this morning from my Chinese counterpart, Mr. Yang. He says that order has been restored and that the whole thing, all these events, was orchestrated, and he's accusing the Dalai Lama. I leave him to his opinion obviously, and I take note of this information. The Dalai Lama is not a man to spread disorder and confrontation. I know him well enough to say the opposite. In all the years we've known each other, he's always displayed a very peaceful view of matters. I would remind you that the Dalai Lama has never demanded Tibet's independence. He speaks of cultural autonomy. This is an extremely measured demand. Now, it's not up to me to decide of course, it's for our Chinese friends. We're keeping a very close eye on all this and on the development of the situation. And I repeat that the first thing should be freedom of access for the press. It's necessary, I think, without there being any provocation.

Q. - What's your position on the proposal to boycott the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games?

The Minister - I heard about the proposal this morning and I think it's interesting. I have said, and it's very clear that, if there were a position and it could only be a European one--we'll talk about it. The proposal is less negative than a general boycott. May I remind you that I took part in a boycott in 1980 for the Olympic Games in Moscow I just want to point out that then the boycott included about 50 countries, China being one of them. China boycotted the Moscow Games in 1980 at the time of the events in Afghanistan.

But you asked me for my position, and the French position is that France does not boycott the Olympic Games. It doesn't seem fair to us and at the same time, after our experience, hardly useful. As I said, how can you ask us, a government that is friendly with China that has very friendly relations with it just recently we had further exchanges to be more Tibetan than the man who is recognized as being the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama, who is not asking for this boycott. I understand the activists and am following them closely. I consider that it is the duty of a foreign minister to listen to civil society and the activists' initiatives and that in the matter of human rights there is never too much advice or too many initiatives. So I'm listening to them. The initiative proposed by Reporters Without Borders, which does not have the support of the French government, dates from this morning. Let's consider it.

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Former Advisor to Party General Secretary Claims Regime Staged Lhasa Incident
The Epoch Times [Wednesday, March 26, 2008 07:26]
By Wang Qian and Chang Qing
Sound of Hope

The violent riots that the Chinese state-run media have reported as having taken place in Lhasa are not what they seem to be, according to a former highly placed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official.

Mr. Ruan Ming claims the CCP carefully staged the incidents in Tibet in order to force the Dalai Lama to resign and to justify future repression of the Tibetans.

Since 1997 Ruan has lived in Taiwan, where he has served as a diplomatic advisor to President Chen Shui-bian. He is also the author, among other books, of Deng Xiaoping: Chronicle of an Empire.

Earlier in his life, he worked as the main speechwriter for Mr. Hu Yaobang, who served as General Secretary of the CCP from 1981-1987 and was admired by democracy activists as a reformer. Hu's death in 1989 is said to have sparked the student demonstrations in Beijing of that year.

In an interview with Sound of Hope, Ruan warned international society that in considering the unrest in Lhasa, it must keep its eyes open and be aware of the CCP's violent and deceptive nature.

At the heart of the deception in Lhasa was the murder of peaceful monks.

"The CCP carefully staged the unrest in Tibet to deceive the world. Before the incident, the authorities drove away all foreign reporters and even forbade them from going out," according to Ruan.

"The demonstration on March 10 was meant to be peaceful. You can see from the pictures that the demonstration was all monks," Ruan explained.

"The CCP arrested some of these monks and killed them. The killing angered some young Tibetans. By March 14, the Tibetans could no longer stand the killing of innocent monks and protested."

According to Ruan, when the young Tibetans reacted, they fell into the CCP's trap.

"The CCP seized this opportunity and took pictures of these Tibetans in violent actions and sent out officers to do a door-to-door search, calling on the 'guilty' to surrender themselves."

While Ruan said the CCP meticulously staged the whole thing in Lhasa, there were things it missed.

"All pictures from inside Lhasa came from the CCP, but the CCP forgot about the small Tibetan autonomous counties in Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan Provinces. Pictures of the dead bodies of those killed by the CCP that we saw came from outside of Lhasa. The CCP couldn't have imagined pictures of its killing would leak out from these small villages."

Ruan believes the events in Tibet are aimed at influencing world opinion.

"This time the CCP has a more thorough plot with carefully designed propaganda," said Ruan.

"The Dalai Lama has always proposed a peaceful solution to Tibet issues and has won the world's recognition. With all that in mind, the CCP has framed the Dalai Lama for having 'carefully planned and stirred up the event.'

"This is exactly like how the CCP framed Zhao Ziyang for the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989 and accused Zhao of 'splitting the Party and supporting unrest.'

"The Dalai Lama had already said he would resign if the unrest continued. The Dalai Lama is influential globally and if he really retired, the CCP could gradually push and label the Tibetans as terrorists like the Xinjiang independence movement.

"This will give the CCP an excuse to ignore Tibetans appeals and to further repress them."

The CCP has kept out foreign media, because their reports might expose what is really happening there, according to Ruan.

"If the CCP opens up Tibet for foreign media, someone brave has got to talk. I don't believe there wasn't a single picture taken during the suppression.

"Why did the CCP need to do a door-to-door search right after the suppression? They fear there were pictures taken during the suppression and don't want them to leak out and circulate around.

"What could the CCP be searching for door-to-door if it wasn't for the pictures? I doubt it was for guns and weapons. It there were only few violent protestors as they claimed, how come 170 people are said to have confessed?

"How many monks have the CCP arrested and killed? The international media should be allowed to go into Tibet to investigate."

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26 Nobel Laureates Condemn China's Crackdown on Tibetans
March 21st, 2008

Twenty-six Nobel Laureates have deplored and condemned China's violent crackdown on Tibetan protestors and urged Chinese authorities to exercise restraint.
In a joint statement made public on March 20, 2008, the Laureates also protested against China's campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, a fellow Nobel Laureate.

Following is the full text and the names of the Laureates who signed it.
We, the undersigned Nobel Laureates, deplore and condemn the Chinese government's violent crackdown on Tibetan protestors. We urge the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with these unarmed, peaceful demonstrators.

We protest the unwarranted campaign waged by the Chinese government against our fellow Nobel Laureate, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Contrary to the repeated claims of Chinese authorities, the Dalai Lama does not seek separation from China, but religious and cultural autonomy. This autonomy is fundamental to the preservation of the ancient Tibetan heritage.

We call upon the Chinese government to resume talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives as soon as possible in order to achieve a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution to the Tibetan issue.

Alexei Abrikosov,Nobel Prize, Physics (2003)
Peter Agre, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (2003)
Baruj Benacerraf, Nobel Prize, Medicine (1980)
Günter Blobel, Nobel Prize, Medicine (1999)
Arvid Carlsson, Nobel Prize, Medicine (2000)
John Coetzee, Nobel Prize, Literature (2003)
Paul J. Crutzen, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (1995)
Clive W.J. Granger, Nobel Prize, Economics (2003)
Paul Greengard, Nobel Prize, Medicine (2000)
Avram Hershko, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (2004)
Roald Hoffman, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (1981)
John Hume, Nobel Prize, Peace (1998)
Brian D. Josephson, Nobel Prize, Physics (1973)
Eric R. Kandel, Nobel Prize, Medicine (2000)
Roger Kornberg, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (2006)
Finn E. Kydland, Nobel Prize, Economics (2004)
Erwin Neher, Nobel Prize, Medicine (1991)
John C. Polanyi, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (1986)
H. David Politzer, Nobel Prize, Physics (2004)
Richard J. Roberts, Nobel Prize, Medicine (1993)
Phillip A. Sharp, Nobel Prize, Medicine (1993)
Jens C. Skou, Nobel Prize, Chemistry (1997)
Wole Soyinka, Nobel Prize, Literature (1986)
Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize, Peace (1986)
Torsten N. Wiesel, Nobel Prize, Medicine (1981)
Betty Williams, Nobel Prize, Peace (1976)

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LORD MALLOCH BROWN, UK FOREIGN OFFICE MINISTER
With the Olympics ahead, they really will pay a terrible cost in international public opinion if they're seen to violently crack down on dissidents.
And I very much hope they will take that to heart, and they will find a way to talk this through, and start the dialogue which is long overdue in Tibet.
                              ---------------------end-------------------

GERMANY

Chancellor Angela Merkel's statement on the Lhasa protests:

"The Germany Government is concerned about reports of unrest in Lhasa.  We call on Chinese authorities to act with restraint and to deal with protestors peacefully. We urge the Chinese Government to allow peaceful expression of dissent."

                        ---------------------------end------------------------

STATEMENT, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
Everything must be done to prevent a further escalation of the situation and to enable a peaceful end to the conflict.
Minister (Frank-Walter) Steinmeier calls on his Chinese counterparts to offer as much transparency as possible over the events in Tibet.
                                                     ---------------------end------------------------

JAPAN

MASAHIKO KOMURA, JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER
I would like to know clearly what the situation is and the facts behind what has happened.
I hope all parties involved will deal with this calmly and ensure that the number of those killed and injured does not worsen any further.
                                     -----------------------end------------------------------------------
FRANCE

STATEMENT, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY
With the approach of the Olympic Games, which ought to be a great show of fraternity, France would like to draw the attention of the Chinese authorities to the importance of respecting human rights.
                              ----------------------end---------------------------

France's Sarkozy does not rule out Olympics boycott
   
TARBES, France, March 25 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged China on Tuesday to show responsibility over the unrest in Tibet but refused to rule out a possible boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games.

"I don't close the door to any option, but I think it's more prudent to reserve my responses to concrete developments in the situation," Sarkozy said, when asked about a possible boycott.

"All options are open but I appeal to the sense of responsibility of Chinese authorities," he said.

Like other western governments, France has so far rejected the idea of boycotting the games but Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called for an end to China's "repression" of protests in the region.
                        ----------------------------end-------------------------
AUSTRALIA

KEVIN RUDD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER
These most recent developments in Tibet are disturbing and, from my point of view, I would call upon the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint.
                                    -----------------------end------------------

Media Release from Australian Foreign Minister

20 March 2008

Continuing Violence in Tibet

The Australian Government remains deeply concerned about Tibet and neighbouring areas and continues to monitor the situation closely.

The Government is particularly concerned by reports of violence extending into neighbouring provinces.

I reiterate calls for calm and restraint by all parties, and for the unrest to end quickly and without further casualties. It would be a tragedy for all sides if this situation were to deteriorate even further.

The Australian Government believe it is in China’s own interests to resolve the situation peacefully and constructively.

Dialogue is the way ahead. Constructive and meaningful talks must take place as a matter of priority.

The Australian Government has expressed our continuing concerns at the situation in Tibet directly to Chinese officials in Beijing and Canberra. This has been in addition to the public remarks made by myself and the Prime Minister.

I have instructed officials in Beijing to again speak with Chinese officials to urge restraint, and to seek further clarification of events in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas.

I urge the Chinese Government to respect the human rights of detainees.

The Australian Government has urged China to allow free access to Tibet and other affected areas so the international community and foreign media may gain an accurate understanding of what is occurring there.

The Australian Embassy has also submitted a request for diplomats to travel to Tibet.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is monitoring the safety and welfare of six Australians who we know are in Tibet.

The Department and the Embassy in Beijing have already assisted 16 Australians who have departed Tibet.

The Department’s travel advice continues to advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Lhasa and to exercise a high degree of caution in the rest of Tibet and in Tibetan areas of bordering provinces.

                                    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Australian Senate Insists China Should Protect Human Rights In Tibet          
Monday, 17 March 2008

The Australia Tibet Council welcomes the motion passed on Monday by the Australian Senate calling on China to respect human rights as it deals with protests in Tibet.

Government Support For Green’s Motion
Greens Senator Bob Brown moved the motion which urged the Government to pressure China to insist that rights are protected and not to deny the media access to hotspots.

The Government supported his motion and the Special Minister of State, John Faulkner, called on China to do more.

“We do believe … that an open and transparent approach to human rights issues would greatly assist China strengthen its standing in the international arena,” Senator Faulkner said.

Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett also backed the motion, but his criticism of China was much stronger. “This is a totalitarian regime that practices serious repression and oppression on its own people and supports serious repression and oppression in many other countries around the world,” he said.

“Its not alone in that but it is certainly up there as one of the most serious.”

Text Of Senator Brown’s Motion:

“That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The bloodshed in Tibet and the need for strong, decisive action by the government to insist that international laws and norms, including those safeguarding human and political rights and media access are observed by China.”
            ---------------------------------end----------------------------

 
NEW ZEALAND

HELEN CLARK, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER
We want to see an end to the violence. We have long urged China to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the Tibetan people, as we think this is the best way to achieve a lasting resolution of problems in Tibet.
                                    ------------------------end-----------------------------------------------------------

 

SOUTH AFRICA

STATEMENT BY TONY LEON MP DA SPOKESPERSON ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The brutal suppression of Tibetans by security forces of the People’s Republic of China should be strongly condemned by the South African government.

Almost 100 Tibetans have already been killed, while scores more have been injured.

Tibetans have been protesting their ongoing oppression by China. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has gone as far as to refer to the situation as “cultural genocide”. The Chinese have labeled the protestors “separatists”.

The Dalai Lama does not seek independence from China, but rather ‘genuine autonomy’. This would take the form of a self-governing Tibet in association with the People’s Republic of China. This approach has come to be known as the ‘Middle Way’.

The Dalai Lama communicated this to me personally when I visited him in Dharamsala in India exactly two years ago.

The Dalai Lama is a courageous champion of tolerance, social justice, freedom and human rights; the polar opposite of the Chinese government which has effectively occupied the homeland of his people.

Besides calling on restraint from the Chinese government in response to the current protests, South Africa should urge the Chinese to enter into negotiations with the Dalai Lama to find a lasting solution to the Tibetan situation. South Africa should also use its position on the United Nations’ Security Council to support calls for an urgent UN-sponsored investigation of the current situation in Tibet
                                 ------------------------end-------------------------

MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
           
Statement on Sino-Tibetan Tensions
           

IFP MEDIA STATEMENT BY:
PRINCE MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI MP
PRESIDENT OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY

18 March 2008

We have watched with concern the events unfolding in Tibet and neighbouring regions in recent days.

We appeal for cooler tempers to prevail. It is relevant to note that the Dharamsala Tibetan government-in-exile today no longer seeks fully-fledged independence, but is prepared to hold negotiations on genuine self-government and the demilitarisation and transformation of Tibet into a zone of Ahimsa (peace and no violence). His Holiness the Dahlai Lama has spoken to me about cultural autonomy. 

I encourage Tibet and China to resolve these outstanding issues around the negotiating table forthwith. 

A lasting solution must be for Tibet to find a home in a broad definition of China united by cultural diversity, language and propelled by a giant economic powerhouse.     

Economic liberation nearly always precedes democracy and freedom. I sincerely hope this development will soon replicate in China. I remain optimistic that the Sino-Tibetan debate can be resolved amicably and satisfactorily to all parties. 

We encourage China to adhere to international standards of human rights and to recognise Tibet's unique cultural and religious identity. This, we believe, is in Beijing's long-term interests as much as Dharamsala's.

We say this because we wish China well too as she prepares for this year's Olympic Games and in recognition of the global role that the new China plays in the twenty-first century. It would be a catastrophe if the troubling incidents in Tibet were to intensify and blight the Games and China's prestige.

We similarly continue to encourage Tibet to engage with Beijing and to ensure that they also benefit from the country's strong economic growth.

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP
                                    ------------------------end--------------------

CANADA

March 20, 2008

STATEMENT FROM PRIME MINISTER HARPER ON THE SITUATION IN TIBET

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement today:

  "Canada shares the concerns about what is happening in Tibet. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama told me when I met him and as he has been saying recently, his message is one of non-violence and reconciliation and I join him in that call. Canada calls upon China to fully respect human rights and peaceful protest. Canada also calls on China to show restraint in dealing with this situation."
********

March 20, 2008 (3:15 p.m. EDT)

CANADA CALLS FOR DIALOGUE ON TIBET

The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the situation in Tibet:

  "Our government continues to be concerned by ongoing reports regarding the Government of China's treatment of Tibetan protestors. We have expressed our concerns in this regard to the Chinese Ambassador and, through the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, to the Chinese government.

  "I once again call on China to respect the right to protest peacefully. The most constructive option at the present time, I believe, would be for the Government of China to enter into direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his designated representatives. Such dialogue may ensure an already tense situation does not deteriorate into further violence."
--------------------------------------------------------

For Immediate Release
March 20, 2008

Dialogue is Key to Resolving Tibet Crisis, says Rae

OTTAWA - Dialogue and not confrontation is the key to resolving the violent situation in Tibet and neighbouring provinces, Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Bob Rae said today.

"Canada must condemn the violence, which has affected both Han Chinese and Tibetans," said Mr. Rae. "We must encourage the Chinese leadership to lower the rhetoric and seek discussions."

Violence in Tibet began March 10 on the 49th anniversary of the 1959 uprising which drove the Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, into exile. Since then it has escalated and spread from Tibet to neighbouring provinces. An unknown number of Tibetans and Han Chinese have been killed.

"The Liberal Party has always been a strong advocate for human rights in China, but we believe these issues can best be addressed within a constructive relationship with China," said Mr. Rae. "We strongly encourage the government of China to engage the Tibetan people in a constructive manner that respects human rights and Tibet's cultural identity."

Mr. Rae added that the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in August have focused international attention on China, and hopefully this will provide an impetus for China to strengthen its role as an active member of the international community and to improve human rights.

"Canada's own experience has shown that it is possible to respect the desire for cultural and regional identity and self-government within a united country.  We fully respect the territorial integrity of China, and remain deeply committed to a one China policy.  We encourage the Chinese government to engage with the Tibetan political leadership in a
spirit of constructive dialogue," said Mr. Rae.

-30-

Contact:

Press Office
Office of the Leader of the Opposition
                        -----------------------------end-------------------------
17.03.2008
Chinese government jeopardizing Olympic ideal, say Greens

OTTAWA – In the wake of a recent harsh and violent crackdown of Buddhist monks protesting in Tibet, the Green Party is calling on the Chinese government, as host nation to the 2008 Olympics, to instead uphold the Olympic ideal. This must be done through an agreement with the Tibetan government-in-exile that satisfies concerns around cultural survival, human dignity and religious freedom.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May expressed shock at the heavy-handed response of Chinese authorities in Tibet. The crackdown has already resulted in at least 10 deaths and possibly as many as 80.

“Whatever happened to the Olympic ideal of using sport to symbolize the harmonious
development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity?” asked Ms. May.

Eric Walton, International Affairs critic, also condemned the recent violence. “The Chinese government’s over-reaction to the Tibetan monks’ protest in order to preserve the illusion of ‘harmony’ has in fact had the opposite effect. Through trade and tourism, China is now part of the international community and, like it or not, the Chinese government is accountable to international norms of behavior.”
                       

---------------------end-----------------------

COSTA RICA

COSTA RICAN PRESIDENT: DALAI LAMA ASKS FOR HELP INITIATING DIALOGUE WITH CHINA

The Associated Press
Tuesday, March 25, 2008

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica: Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias said Tuesday that the Dalai Lama has asked him to help start talks with China over unrest in Tibet.

Arias said the Dalai Lama sent him a letter asking for help initiating a dialogue in which "we can sit down and talk like civilized people."

"Nobody is asking for independence for Tibet," Arias said. "The Dalai Lama has never asked for that. What is at stake is preserving the autonomy of Tibet."

Several days of anti-government protests led by monks spiraled into violence on March 14 in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. China's government has said that at least 22 people have died in Lhasa, while Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans have been killed.

The Chinese government has accused the Dalai Lama of inciting the protests, an accusation he has denied.

Arias described the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader as a personal friend, and said he was disturbed by the scenes of violence in Tibet.

"I saw scenes on television in which Tibetans were busting up Chinese stores, which led to the army being called in and the death of innocent people," he said. "That just shouldn't happen."

Arias won the Nobel Peace Price in 1987 for helping broker an end to Central America's civil wars.

--------------------------------------------------------

IRELAND

International community must act to avert bloodbath in Tibet
Issued : Sunday 16 March, 2008

Michael D Higgins TD Statement by Michael D Higgins TD
Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs

There is an urgent need for the international community to respond to the events unfolding in Lhasa and throughout Tibet over recent days.

It is clear that dozens have in fact been killed and many injured, with disagreement only as to numbers. The fact that the Dalai Lama is comparing the disturbances of recent days to the events of 1959 should be considered of the utmost significance.

When, as a member of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, I visited Lhasa some years ago it was perfectly clear that the cultural suppression of the Tibetan people was part of the Chinese project of effectively colonising Tibet.

In all of his recent speeches, the Dalai Lama has stressed that it is the cultural and religious freedom of his people that is at the top of his agenda for negotiation. He has not sought political independence for Tibet. It is clear that the international community has not been able to influence China to the degree that it would accept the opening of talks on such a reasonable basis, demanding instead that all Tibetans declare that they are part of China as a precondition for any talks.

What is unfolding now in Tibet could lead to such a brutal crackdown as was witnessed in Burma. It is important that Ireland, the European Union and those members of International Community who have dealings with China urges it to return to the path of peaceful negotiations offered by Dalai Lama so that a bloodbath can be avoided.
                       

----------------------------end-----------------------------

IRISH SENATE MOTION ON TIBET

All-party support sought for motion on Tibet
JIMMY WALSH

SEANAD REPORT: AGREEING THAT there was a need for consistency in our policy, Dan Boyle (GP) deputy Government leader in the House, said Ireland had recently recognised Kosovo, which had nothing like the territorial or national integrity of a place like Tibet. He hoped that the Seanad could speak with one voice on Tibet.

He believed a motion tabled in the names of five Independent members could provide a basis, subject to checking by the Department of Foreign Affairs, for an all-party approach.

The motion asks the Seanad among other things to support the declaration of the Fourth World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet adopted by legislators from 30 countries in support of Tibet's goal of genuine autonomy,

Ronan Mullen (Ind) said Fianna Fáil had had a great record in asserting republican values internationally. However, it was regrettable that some of those moral values were being lost. He accepted that there were economic pressures and that we had to keep good relations as much as possible with countries such as China.

He thought it was tragic that when a Minister took part in the St Patrick's Day* celebrations in Beijing, it was left to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to instruct officials here to make "the point" about what was going on in Tibet.

Mr Mullen said our moral voice internationally would be lost if we could not assert our core principles in support of the dignity of the person globally.
            ---------------------------end-------------------------------

TAIWAN

Press Releases

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns China’s use of force to suppress Tibetan protestors and calls on the international community to collectively monitor the development of the situation.

China’s armed forces occupied the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and cracked down on protesting Buddhist monks who launched a rally on the 49th anniversary of an uprising crushed by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. In response to the violent bloody clash, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expresses grave concern and strongly condemns China’s brutal suppression, a direct violation of democratic ideals and human rights.
MOFA stresses that China is trying to use the 2008 Olympic Games to promote an illusion of its “peaceful rise.” In fact, China continues to increase the number of its missiles targeting democratic Taiwan and ignore the concerns of the entire international community as it suppresses the people of Tibet who merely pursue the fundamental human rights of freedom and democracy. The Chinese authorities even try to hide their brutality by censoring news coverage. However, it is obvious that China, a country that spurns democracy and stomps on human rights, has once again revealed its true ugly face.
MOFA urges all peace-loving countries of the international community to closely monitor the developments in Tibet and convince China to restrain itself and halt its use of force.
                       

----------------------end-----------------------

POLAND

27th March 2008

Polish government to boycott opening of Olympics

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that he will not participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Beijing.

By making this statement Tusk became the first head of a European government to make such a decisive declaration after the wave of Chinese repression in Tibet. "Poland is an average country, it is not fighting to be the first, but my decision is very clear: the presence of politicians during the inauguration of the olympics seems inappropriate," declared Tusk. Moreover, Deputy Foreign Minister Ryszard Schnepf announced that government representatives plan to undertake a wider diplomatic initiative to increase interest in this issue among other EU states. This is however a very difficult decision as Chinese authorities made it clear that such a boycott could put multi-billion Euro contracts between the EU and China at risk. (Dziennik, p. 1) A.K.
                                    -----------------------------end------------------------------

AUSTRIA

Plassnik calls for "an end to violence in Tibet"

Foreign Minister highlights necessity of dialogue between Beijing and the Dalai Lama

Vienna, 16 March 2008 - Following the numerous casualties during the recent violent conflicts in Tibet Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik today expressed "Austria’s deep concern over severe human rights violations in Tibet” and called for an “immediate end to violence and bloodshed".

Plassnik appealed to the Chinese authorities to respect the right of free expression and "avoid any unreasonable use of force against the demonstrators". The Foreign Minister called upon Beijing to take up direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama. "Such a dialogue could give rise to decisive stimuli for a peaceful coexistence between the people of Tibet. It is long overdue," said Plassnik.

"Recent developments show the importance of further measures for the protection of Tibetan culture and religion. Together with its EU partners, Austria will continue to advocate such moves with conviction and urge Beijing to take them," stated Plassnik.

The Foreign Minister reminded her audience that Austria had always been highly interested in a fruitful development and intensification of its relations with China. This aim remained an important objective of Austria’s foreign policy and the EU’s external policy as a whole. The EU attached great value to constructive "dialogue on an equal footing" with China, with human rights issues remaining a focus of such efforts.

Contact:
Federal Ministry for
European and international Affairs
Press Department
Tel.: ++43 (0) 50 1150-3262, 4549, 4550
Fax: ++43 (0) 50 1159-213
abti3(at)bmeia.gv.at
                                    ---------------------end----------------------------

Plassnik on Tibet: "No to a policy of blind eyes and deaf ears"

Foreign Minister on Chinese Ambassador

Vienna, 20 March 2008 - "We must actively counteract an escalation of the situation in Tibet and in the neighbouring regions, - with deeds, but also with words", stressed Foreign Minister to the Chinese Ambassador in Vienna. The Minister invited the ambassador to the Foreign Ministry to express her personal concern and the concern of the Federal Government over the situation in Tibet and the neighbouring provinces.

At the same time, Plassnik made it clear that the incident during a demonstration for Tibet in front of the Chinese embassy represents a clear violation of Austrian laws: "The attempt to enter the embassy premises using force has nothing to do with the right to peaceful demonstration and assembly, and must be clearly condemned", she stressed. "This behaviour certainly does not benefit what is in itself a justified cause. We are examining this regrettable incident. We will take the necessary steps together with the Interior Ministry to guarantee the protection of the embassy."

The Minister reiterated the clear position of the Austrian Federal Government on the situation in Tibet and on the disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters. She pointed out that the Austrian public is following the events in Tibet with great interest.

Plassnik reminded that Austria shapes its relations to China on the basis of the "one-China policy". She once again emphasized, however, the need for a serious and direct dialogue between the Chinese leadership and the Dalai Lama: "For us, the Dalai Lama is an important religious leader and a symbol of non-violence. The recent developments particularly demonstrate how important such a dialogue is. A policy of blind eyes and deaf ears is not a recipe for the future", said Plassnik, who also clearly rejected the choice of words by high-ranking Chinese officials.

Plassnik added: "Barring the international public out of Tibet is fuelling our concern about the developments there. China must choose the path of dialogue and demonstrate the greatest possible openness and transparency". Moreover, the Minister demanded clarity over the fate of the arrested protesters and a guarantee for the security of the EU citizens who remain in the country.

Contact:
Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs
Press Department
Tel.: ++43 (0) 50 1150-3262, 4549, 4550
Fax: ++43 (0) 50 1159-213
abti3(at)bmeia.gv.at
                        ------------------------end-----------------------

Statements are:-

Japan Foreign Minister

Tibet riot　“Dealing this situation calmly”said Komura

March 16th 2008

Foreign Minister Komura said on 16th, “I am very worried about it. I ‘d like to request to people concerned not to over-react to this issue. I strongly request that death and injuries should not escalate.” He showed his strong concern to the situation and asked the concerned parties to calm down. He said to the reporters at Takamatsu.

He also requested safety of Japanese in Lhasa to the Chinese government. He also answered question of concerns about human rights in China “ I would like to know real situation. I will pay attention in this”. About Beijing Olympic,  “China should act in way that Olympic is not affected”.

Japan Shadow Foreign Minister
Comment on Tibet’s situation

Next Foreign Minister of “Next cabinet” of Democratic Party of Japan Hachiro Yoshio

I am concerned about the riots in Tibet and its spread to the other parts which resulted into the death and injuries of number of people.

Also, Chinese government should understand that the world closely watching on human rights in China, especially before the Olympic. I hope China will calm down and deal with the situation peacefully soon.

All Japan Buddhist Association

Statement on Tibetan Issue

Here, All Japan Buddhist Association (the only organization that unites all traditional Buddhism sects in Japan,) and International Buddhist Association in Japan, I would like to make a statement on current situation in Tibet as below.

We, All Japan Buddhist Association who is a member of International Buddhist Association always stand on the view point of three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangya), and we have developed harmonious relationships with all other members of IBA regardless the nation, area and political standing. And this position will never change in the future, too.

Lhasa is a sacred place. We, Japanese Buddhists, are deeply concerned on the serious situation that many people were killed in the clash between monks and laypeople, and Chinese Armed forces.  We urge to concerned parties to refrain from violence, and try to find  a way to resolve the difference through dialogue.

We, Japanese Buddhists will be keeping a close watch to the situation in the region.

All Japan Buddhist Association Chairman Yasuhara Akira

Yukio Hatoyama, MP (Democratic Party of Japan)

“I strongly demand peaceful solution of Tibet problem”

I should say that this riots in Tibet is caused by oppression of human rights and destruction of Tibetan culture by China for all these 49 years. H.H. the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan always maintained non-violent approach to solve the issue peacefully. However, it produced no response yet.

I am very sorry that the anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising day, March 10th   held peacefully every year resulted into this situation this year. Chinese government should explain the truth and try to solve the problem peacefully with all the concerned and should accept independent international inspectors.

Our government demand Chinese government to solve this situation peacefully and respect human rights. Also, I want Chinese government to talk directly with H.H. the Dalai Lama and make peace with open mind.

Hatoyama Yukio and members of Democratic Party of Japan

Statement by Kokumin Shinto, Sozo and Independent group
21st March 2008
Japanese Political party belonging to Kokumin Shinto, Sozo and Independent group states that Chinese authorities should take care to see that: Situation in Tibet should not get worse to result into more casualties, Fundamental rights of the Tibetan people should be respected, Serious negotiation should be done between the 14th Dalai Lama and Chinese leaders to resolve the Tibetan issue peacefully.

Jodo Shinshu Hongan School (Buddhist school)

State on Tibetan Issue

We came to know that Chinese Armed Police have suppressed monks and laypeople in protest through media coverage. We, Jodo Shinshu Honganji School are deeply concerned the situation, as we hear that situation is getting larger and more confused,

It is very sad for Buddhists hearing that a sacred place like Lhasa is in such a situation.
Buddha said, “Everyone is afraid of violence and death. Look at other as they are as you would to yourself. Don’t kill. Don’t let other also to kill.” (Damapada)

“May the peace prevail in this planet” was a wish of Saint Shinran, the founder of our school. With this wish, we have been striving to achieve a society of “ harmony and mutual cooperation”.

Mar 18, 2008/03/21
Jodo Shinshu School
Representative Fujikawa Kousho

Translated by Hazama, Suzuki and TGA
                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following is the rough translation of the news which appeared in Japanese Sankei Newspaper.

Prime minister said, ”If necessary”, he will talk about Tibet issue with China’s leader
2008.3.24

 In the parliament budget committee, Prime minister Mr. Fukuda was asked if he will talk about the Tibet issue with Hu Jintao during the top level conference scheduled in the month May in Japan. Mr. Fukuda only answered, “If direct opinion exchange is necessary, I’d like to build a good relationship between Japan and China in which both sides can talk things candidly” and avoided to clarify if he will mention about the issue or not.　

Though Mr. Yamamoto Taichi, a MP, asked if he intend to encourage Hu Jintao to have dialogue between China and Tibet, the prime minister only harped the diplomatic doctrine saying “It is very important to find out positive aspects of each other, and try to establish a good relationship in which both sides can grow the positively together`.
 
In addition to it, he said. “It will be the best if we can establish a relationship in which China can tells us, ”Hey, Japan, you are making little mistake.” And Japan can tell to China, “Hey, China, how about doing things in this way”. In this manner, Mr.Yamamoto’s serious question was avoided.

Foreign Minister Mr. Komura when asked the same question about the visit of Chinese counter part. He said “it is hard to think that I will not talk about on this issue with Chinese foreign minister during his stay in Japan from April 17th to 21th.”

(Above news appeared in Japanese Sankei news paper on 25th March 2008)
                        ---------------------------------------------------------------

Following is the rough translation of News artical in Japanese Sankei Paper, it shows the opinion of Japanese Cabinet Secretary for your information.

SANKEI NEWS
【Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Machimura’s interview】
“China should yield to public opinion” (Mar 24 AM)
2008.3.24 13:46
 
Mr. Machimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary, answers interview at Prime Minister’s  residence, Mar 24 AM

Question: As China announced, large-scale demonstration is occurring not only in Tibetan Autonomy regions, but also in other areas. It has resulted in huge damages. In Kanze prefecture, 94 were injured some are serious condition, and there is no sign the situation will calm down. Many demonstrations are held around the world protesting Chinese government. How do you see this situation? What do you think about China’s attitude that they don’t allow foreign media and diplomats entering the region?

Machimura answered, “On Saturday afternoon, I was in a car heading to the residence of the prime minister. My car got into a huge traffic jam near Roppongi, and was strucked for more than 10 minutes. Looking out of the window, I found many Tibetan flags on the street. I believe not all of the demonstrators are Tibetans. There can’t be so many Tibetans in Tokyo. Such a huge number of various people were in the demonstration. I was impressed, and I personally felt I have never seen such a dynamic and strongly appealing demonstration for a long time.

“This Saturday, I saw many demonstrations held all over the world are covered on TV. I’m not sure, but I saw media reports many demonstrations inside China, too.
I believe transparency is expected from China in all the aspects. I believe transparency is one of the most important foundations of Democracy. In this context, it is better for both sides to start dialogue without any pre-condition. And China should seriously consider allowing journalists and diplomats to enter the local areas, in order to raise transparency. I suppose we have already approached China through diplomatic channel on this matter, though I haven’t confirmed it and it can be my wrong memory.
Anyway I suppose we had contacted China on it, and I expect China to yield to the international public opinion.` He concluded the answer.

(This is an English translation of what appeared in Japanese Sankei news paper)

www.tibethouse.jp
Tibet House, Hayama Bldg. 5 (5F)
Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku
Tokyo 160-0022, JAPAN
Tel:03-3353-4094
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