The counties of Draggo (Chinese: Luhuo) and Serta (Chinese: Seda) in Karze (Chinese: Ganzi) Prefecture, parts of ethnographic Tibet incorporated into the Chinese province of Sichuan, have been inaccessible by internet and phone as well as for visitors since Chinese troops fired on protesting Tibetans on Jan 23 and 24 respectively.
China ranked among the bottom 10 in the area of press freedom in 2011, according to Paris-based international watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which released its 10th annual index Jan 26.
The head of the exile Tibetan Administration, the Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay, on Jan 26 urged Tibetans not to celebrate their traditional New Year, or Losar, which falls on Feb 22.
Chinese security forces detained eight Tibetans – seven laymen and a monk – from a protest Jan 24 involving hundreds of Tibetans in Pema (Chinese: Baima) County town, the seat of Golog Prefecture in Sichuan Province, reported voanews.com Jan 24.
INSIDE TIBET: Self-immolations mark new peak in Chinese repression, Self-immolation protests in Tibet since Feb 27, 2009, China reiterates will to select its own 15th Dalai Lama, China calls self-immolation protests ‘Dalai clique’ terror, China seeks to buy monastic loyalty with welfare benefits, Chamdo: Monks, nuns disappear after arrest, Serta Tibetans protest over trashing of flag, Dalai Lama photo, Ngaba town, Kirti Monastery under siege-like conditions, Fear stalks Tibetans as China vows more severe crackdown after self-immolations, China opens new college to train anti-splittist monks, Chinese police detain, fire on protesting Tibetans in Serta, OUTSIDE TIBET:Kalon Tripa visits Europe, draws attention to tragedy in Tibet, Nepal to ban Tibetans from business, movement? Tibetan Speaker visits Europe to drum up Tibetan cause, Global action urged G20 concern for Tibet, China accuses ‘Dalai Lama group’ of ‘disguised terrorism’ ‘Hypocrites running China on lies’
CHINA WATCH: Slave labour behind China’s miracle economic growth exposed, No place for independent-minded legislators in China’s ‘democracy’, China tightens rules for reporting internet-sourced news,
SINO-INDIA: China’s Dalai Lama objection behind aborted Sino-India border talks,
EDITORIAL: Being judgemental on Tibet self-immolations is wrong
Tibet in History this Week
Nov 4, 1964:: The 10th Panchen Lama was labelled as anti-Party, anti-People and anti-socialist for his criticisms of the Chinese Communist policies in his "70,000 Character Petition".
Nov 4-5, 2008:: The 8th (9th, according to China) round of Sino-Tibetan talks was held, during which China rejecting a Tibetan proposal for genuine autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule.
Nov 7, 1950:: The Tibetan government at Lhasa appealed to the Secretary General of the UN, seeking intervention after Chinese troops captured the strategic eastern capital of Chamdo. The letter reminded him, "The United Nations has decided to stop aggression wherever it takes place."
Nov 14, 1904:: The 13th Dalai Lama entered Urga in Mongolia to seek asylum in the face of imminent arrival of a British military expedition to Lhasa.
Nov 17-22, 2008:: A total of 560 exile Tibetan officials, representatives, activists and others held a Special Meeting in Dharamsala called by the Dalai Lama and resolved to "follow the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama based on the prevailing situation from time to time".
Nov 24, 1950:: At El Salvador's request, the General Committee of the UN debated the inclusion of “the invasion of Tibet by foreign forces" as an additional item in the UN General Assembly.
Nov 26, 1997:: A Tibet TV commentary quoted TAR's executive deputy party secretary Ragdi as declaring total war on "Dalai and his separatist forces". It also emphasized the importance of encouraging movement of Chinese into Tibet for the purposes of developing Tibet's economy and "increasing the overall strength of our country".
Nov 28, 1984:: China's official Xinhua news agency released a five-point document formulated by the party general secretary Hu Yaobang three years earlier; it welcomed the Dalai Lama to Tibet but not to live or hold any "local post".
Nov 1947:: Independent Tibet's first international trade mission, headed by Tsipon Shakabpa, left Lhasa for India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
News in Quotes
My reincarnation is to be decided by myself, nobody has the right to decide about that.
- The Dalai Lama, speaking on Sep 23, the second of a three-day, biannual conference of Tibetan Buddhist and ancient Bon religious leaders at Dharamsala, rejecting China's decision to choose his reincarnation and successor, quoted by the IANS news service in Reincarnation is My Personal Right: Dalai Lama, Sep 23, 2011.
However, because this is not a mere administrative issue but a matter that has political and diplomatic implications, we are deferring to our department of International Relations and Cooperation for advice.
- Home Affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa of South Africa, finally confirming the receipt of a visa application for the Dalai Lama on invitation from retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu for his 80th birthday, quoted by the AFP in Dalai Lama applies for S. African visa for Tutu birthday, AFP, Aug 31, 2011.
If this government are all yes men, then we're letting the people down
- The main headline in the outspoken Chinese state-run newspaper Southern Weekend, quoting former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, as it published excerpts from a new book of two speeches delivered by him in 1998 and 2003 and seen as criticizing Premier Wen under the consensus driven Chinese leadership of today, quoted by Jeremy Page in Zhu Remarks Seen as Jab at Wen , blogs.wsj.com , Sep 9, 2011.
Right now, China is experiencing a peaceful transformation.
- Zhang Kai, a Beijing lawyer and activist, referring to the scores of ordinary citizens campaigning as independent candidates for elections beginning this fall to the relatively powerless local congresses - the lowest rung in China's government structure, equivalent to neighborhood commissions - quoted by Keith B. Richburg in washingtonpost.com, Sep 7, 2011.
I am a keen but passive observer.
- Prime Minister Jigmi Yoser Thinley of Bhutan when asked how he viewed the complaints of human-rights violation in Tibet, quoted by Vishal Arora, a New Delhi-based journalist, in Bhutan plays it safe with neighbours, atimes.com (Hong Kong), Sep 16, 2011.
When are we going to respect the choice of the Chinese people?
- Yang Hengjun, a Chinese-Australian writer with millions of online followers, using the Chinese Foreign Ministry's words against it after its U-turn in support of Libya's rebels, quoted by John Garnaut in Communist Party's darker undercurrents bubbling to the surface, smh.com.au, Sep 16, 2011.
It's not worthwhile for Vietnam and India to damage the greater interests of the peace, stability and economic development between China and Vietnam, China and India, and in the whole region, for the sake of these small interests in the South China Sea .
- An article Sep 22 on the website of People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, demanding that India stop drilling for oil in Vietnamese waters in the South China sea, claiming the territory belongs to it, not Vietnam with which it had a contract to do so, quoted by Jeremy Page in India Faces Standoff With China on Sea Oil, online.wsj.com, Sep 23, 2011.
