U.S. House Resolution Calls on China to End Crackdown in Tibet
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on April 10, 2008
On April 8, as the arrival of the Olympic torch was met by Tibetans and Tibet activists in San Francisco, the U.S. House of Representatives debated House Resolution 1077 calling on China to end its crackdown in Tibet and for the Beijing government to enter into a results-based dialogue with the Dalai Lama. On the morning of April 9, H.R. 1077 passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 413 to 1 (Ron Paul was the lone Nay vote.) H.R. 1077 was introduced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others, including the nine members who made up a delegation that visited the Dalai Lama in Dharmsala in March as the crackdown in Tibet began to unfold. The full text of H.R. 1077 follows.
H. Res. 1077
Calling on the Government of the People’s Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet and to 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 freedom of all Tibetans
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;
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Pressure on China Continues to Increase
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on April 2, 2008
Tibetan Caucus established in U.S. Congress
U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Rep. Neil Abercrombie have founded the Tibetan Caucus, which seeks to oppose reported human rights violations by the Chinese government.
“We urge you to join the Tibetan Caucus to uphold the rights of the Tibetan people and give a voice to those that the Chinese regime has silenced,” he and Abercrombie wrote in a letter to Congress.
Rohrabacher used the occasion to repeat his call for a boycott of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, calling the country a repeat human rights violator that lacks the moral stature to host the games.
“Just as Hitler used the 1936 Olympics as a platform to showcase his fascist propaganda, it’s wrong for the United States to support such a prestigious event in a venue hosted by a similarly fascist regime,” he wrote.
U.S. Treasury Secretary will raise Tibet concerns with China
The US treasury secretary Henry Paulson is expected to raise US concerns over China’s crackdown of Tibetan protests during a visit to China. Paulson said he will pass on concerns by George Bush, the US president, as well as discuss economic issues.”I’m also going to carry the message from the administration that we care a lot about what’s going on in Tibet, and human rights and Tibet, and so they will clearly hear that from me,” he told the CNBC television network before leaving the US.
Japan’s royals likely to skip Olympics
Japan’s Emperor Akihito and other members of the royal family are unlikely to attend the Beijing Olympics amid concerns here about China’s crackdown in Tibet and other issues, a report said Wednesday.
The Japanese government thinks it is not a good time for a rare royal visit because of the unrest in Tibet, a recent health scare over Chinese-made “gyoza” dumplings and a spat over disputed gas fields, the Sankei daily said.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says Bush should consider boycotting opening ceremony
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives says President George W. Bush should consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics to oppose China’s crackdown on protesters in Tibet.
“I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on the table,” Pelosi said in an interview taped for airing Tuesday on ABC television. “I think the president might want to rethink this later, depending on what other heads of state do.”
San Francisco condemns China’s human rights record
San Francisco’s board of supervisors has passed a resolution protesting China’s poor human rights record ahead of the Olympic torch’s visit to the city. The resolution asks city officials to express their disapproval when they receive the Beijing Olympic Torch on April 9. San Francisco is the only U.S. city to host the Olympic torch relay.
Amnesty International: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy
With little more than four months to go before the Beijing Olympics, few substantial reforms have been introduced that will have a significant, positive impact on human rights in China. Recent measures taken by the authorities to detain, prosecute and imprison those who raise human rights concerns suggest that, to date, the Olympic Games has failed to act as a catalyst for reform. Unless the Chinese authorities take steps to redress the situation urgently, a positive human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics looks increasingly beyond reach.
It is increasingly clear that much of the current wave of repression is occurring not in spite of the Olympics, but actually because of the Olympics. Peaceful human rights activists, and others who have publicly criticised official government policy, have been targeted in the official pre-Olympics “clean up”, in an apparent attempt to portray a “stable” or “harmonious” image to the world by August 2008.
India’s Soccer Captain Refuses to Join Beijing Olympic Torch Run
India’s soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia says he will not carry the Beijing Olympic torch during its run through the Indian capital of New Delhi later this month. Bhutia said he is refusing to hold the torch because he wants to show his solidarity with Tibetans and voice his opposition to China’s handling of recent protests in Tibet and neighboring areas.
Tibet-China-Olympics Update: March 31, 2008
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on March 31, 2008
This comes from Tibet will be Free, via Hold Fast: The Globe and Mail, “Canada’s National Newspaper”, devotes most of its front page to an article titled, “How 3 Canadians Upstaged Beijing“.
China’s week has become Tibet’s moment. Tibetans and their supporters are being driven by the belief that this Olympic year and its vast media attention are a last opportunity to challenge Beijing’s rule. It now looks like activists have succeeded in making China’s 57-year occupation of the territory the dominant issue of the 2008 Olympic Games.
It’s not at all clear why the 2 blogs chose to title their post “Activist Media Porn”, but it’s a good article detailing the planning and coordination involved in the protests designed to highlight China’s brutal repression of Tibet during the buildup to the Beijing Olympics. The article also has a good section detailing recent developments concerned with the 2008 Olympic protests, as well as a section highlighting the history of Olympic protests since 1920. Read the full article here.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will boycott the Olympic opening ceremonies. Phayul reports that Merkel is “first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing,” but I believe that distinction belongs to Poland’s and/or the Czech Republic’s leaders, as indicated in the Globe and Mail article: “Poland’s Donald Tusk and the Czech Republic’s Vaclav Klaus had previously announced they had declined to attend the opening ceremonies.” Members of the European Union continue to lead the way in speaking out forcefully against China’s treatment of Tibetans. I expect we’ll see other European leaders join with Merkel, Tusk, and Klaus in boycotting the opening ceremonies.
China has allowed foreign diplomats to enter Tibet to survey the situation, but as Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith notes, “At all times, the delegation was in the presence of Chinese officials.”
Agam’s Gecko publishes an article titled “CCP’s Media Manipulation“, which includes a reiteration, along with a possible alternative explanation, of the allegations that members of the Chinese People’s Army masqueraded as monks in order to incite the riots in Lhasa. For the time being, I’m regarding this story as an unverified rumor in need of further investigation.
The Avaaz.org petition in support of Tibet and the Dalai Lama exceeded its initial goal of 1,000,000 signatures, so they’ve upped their target to 2,000,000. They’re at 1.4 million now. If you haven’t signed already, you can sign it here.
Global Reaction to the Tibet Crisis Continues to Grow
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on March 28, 2008
Calls for a boycott of the Beijing Olympic games and/or its opening cermony continue to be heard.
EU foreign ministers to debate response to Chinese crackdown in Tibet:
Foreign ministers from the European Union’s 27 countries were to debate ideas for an EU response to China’s crackdown in Tibet during talks starting Friday [March 28], amid calls from some politicians for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony.
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday suggested that a boycott of the opening ceremony was a possibility.
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Arriving at the foreign ministers’ meeting Friday, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the German government would not be represented in Beijing at the ministerial level, but spoke against a full boycott of the games.
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Last week, some former world leaders and dissidents, including former Czech President Vaclav Havel and former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk, questioned whether the Olympics should go ahead at all. But the idea of a full-blown boycott of the games has gained no support from the EU and has even been rejected by the Dalai Lama.
Czechs, Poland leaders to boycott Olympic opening:
Leaders from the Czech Republic and Poland have declined invitations to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, in protest of recent crackdowns on Tibetan protesters.
Czech President Vaclav Klaus says those who voted to give the Games to China should now not be surprised by the recent trouble.
“China is what it is,” he said.
Read more“Olympic Spirit Killed in the Streets of Tibet by the Most Repressive Regime on Earth”
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on March 26, 2008
REUTERS reports that the Dalai Lama has been invited to address the European Union Parliament on events in Tibet, and that the idea of a boycott of the games or, at least, of the opening cermony was the subject of an emergency debate on the Tibet issue.
I genuinely say that all politicians must ask themselves whether they can attend the opening ceremony if China fails to take part in dialogue,” [Parliament President Hans-Gert] Poettering said.
Greens floor leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a leader of leftist student protests in France in May 1968, compared the Beijing Games with the 1936 Berlin Olympics staged by Nazi Germany. “The EU must altogether refuse to attend the opening ceremony, because it is a political act,” he told the house.
British Conservative Edward McMillan-Scott accused China of committing genocide in Tibet and said that for politicians of principle, it was no long a question of “whether a boycott of the Olympics but what sort of boycott”.
“The Olympic flame may have been lit last weekend, but the Olympic spirit was killed in the streets of Tibet. It was killed by the most repressive regime on earth,” he declared.
Monasteries Starve, Death Toll Increases, China Alarmed
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on March 26, 2008
Agam’s Gecko posts an extraordinarily comprehensive update of the current situation in Tibet.
Amnesty International: Human Rights in China and the Beijing Olympics
Filed Under Human Rights, China | Posted on March 25, 2008
Amnesty International has produced this graphic poster challenging China’s record on human rights. The caption reads:
CHINA IS GETTING READY
In the name of ensuring stability and harmony in the country during the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese government continues to detain and harass political activists, journalists, lawyers, and human rights workers.In an article titled Human Rights in China and the Beijing Olympics, Amnesty International notes
The Games are being used as a justification to extend the use of detention without trial in Beijing as part of the city’s “clean-up” ahead of August 2008. Meanwhile, human rights activists are increasingly subjected to harassment, house arrest and unfair trials.
To Boycott or not to Boycott?
Filed Under Human Rights, China | Posted on March 25, 2008
Poor China. They’d hoped the Beijing Olympics would propel the PRC into reputability as a world leader; instead, their continued human rights abuses direct the spotlight on the darker side of Chinese communism.
Tricycle Editors Blog points out that “Olympic boycotts hurt young athletes who spend years training for these events” and suggests that protest may be a better solution than an outright boycott. I’m open to any idea, but feel compelled to point out that the disappointment felt by a young athlete denied the ability to compete in this year’s Olympics pales in comparison to the torture faced by hundreds of Tibetan protestors at the hands of the Chinese government. Compared to being sodomized by an electric cattle prod (one of China’s favorite techniques), skipping the pole vault competition doesn’t sound so horrible.
Supporting calls for an Olympic boycott, the Washington Post’s Anne Applebaum asks, “Why should we believe that the Beijing Games will be an innocent display of sporting prowess, bearing no relation to Chinese politics?” The answer: We shouldn’t. Applebaum directly addresses some of the “Olympic Fallacies” currently being promoted by apologists for the Beijing 2008 games.“A boycott doesn’t solve anything.” Well, doesn’t it? Some boycotts do help solve some things. The boycott of South Africa by international competitions was probably the single most effective weapon the international community ever deployed against the apartheid state.
“The Olympics are a force for good.” Not always! The 1936 Olympics, held in Nazi Germany, were an astonishing propaganda coup for Hitler.
“The Olympic Games are not the place for demonstrations.” Aren’t they? Actually, the Olympics seem an ideal place for demonstrations.
No wonder then, that everyone who hates or fears China, whether in Burma, Darfur, Tibet or Beijing, is calling for a boycott. And the Chinese government and the International Olympic Committee are terrified that those appeals will succeed. No one involved in the preparations for this year’s Olympics really believes that this is “only about the athletes,” or that the Beijing Games will be an innocent display of sporting prowess, or that they bear no relation to Chinese politics. I don’t see why the rest of us should believe those things, either.
“Flame of Shame”: Protests Disrupt Olympic Torch Lighting Ceremony
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights, China | Posted on March 24, 2008
From CNN:
Three protesters charged onto the field of an ancient Greek stadium to unfurl a banner calling for a boycott to the Beijing Summer Games. The brief disruption unnerved thousands of spectators, dignitaries and Olympic officials who packed into the sprawling ancient stadium to watch actresses posing as priestesses light the Olympic flame from the sun’s rays. More protests, however, followed later as the torch relay began. A Tibetan woman covered herself with red paint and lay on the ground, forcing torchbearers to weave around her as other protesters shouted “Flame of shame.”
And a senior Greek Olympics official said: “We have Tibetans popping out of every corner protesting during the torch relay. It will be very difficult to guard this relay.”
The BBC has video of the protests.
CNN video of a Students for a Free Tibet leader being arrested by Greek police following confrontation with Jacques Rogge of the IOC.
Dalai Lama: Time Cover Story
Filed Under Tibet, Human Rights | Posted on March 22, 2008
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is on the cover of the current edition of Time magazine. You can read the story, “A Monk’s Struggle” by Pico Iyer online.
As the world prepares for the Olympic Games in Beijing this August—and as Tibetans (and those in other occupied areas across China, like Xinjiang) inevitably use the world’s attention to broadcast their suffering—a farmer’s son born in a stone-and-mud house in a 20-home village in one of the world’s least materially developed countries has, rather remarkably, become one of the leading spokesmen for a new global vision in which we look past divisions of nation, race and religion and try to address our shared problems at the source.
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