US envoy Gary Locke urges China to review Tibet policy

"We implore the Chinese to really meet with the representatives of the Tibetan people to address and re-examine some of the policies that have led to some of the restrictions and the violence and the self-immolation. We have very serious concerns about the violence, of the self-immolations, that have occurred over the last several years. Nobody wants that type of action, or of people having to resort to that type of action. Too many deaths. We have grave concerns about self-immolation in Tibet and about the underlying grievances that the Tibetan people have. And we have consistently urged dialogue between the Chinese government and the Tibetan people with regard to those grievances"

excerpt of American ambassador to Beijing, Locke on Monday at China Town Hall.

These words of concern from his side comes not immediately after his visit to Ngaba region of Tibet but after a highly disastrous week of chauvinist Tibetans burning continuously in Tibet after several weeks of his visit to Tibet. Though such solidarity words and supports keep coming towards the grave Tibetan cause, about 62 Tibetans have already set themselves to fire without any tangible result against the crisis in Tibet!

7 Tibetans Self-Immolate in Last 7 days, Toll reaches 62

"DHARAMSHALA: With the confirmation of twin self-immolations in Driru county in Nagchu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region earlier reported by Central Tibetan Administration, a total of 7 Tibetans have self-immolated within the last 7 days.

Tsepo, 20, and Tenzin, 25, set themselves on fire near a school in Nagro Phampa village in Driru county on Thursday (25 October). They raised slogans calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet, independence, and unity among the Tibetan people. 

Tsepo died on the spot, while the whereabouts and well-being of Tenzin remain unknown.

Local Tibetans in Driru county say the Chinese government has poured in a large number of security forces across the region during the widespread peaceful protests in 2008.  The security clampdown was further intensified following the first self-immolation incident took place there last month.

The Central Tibetan Administration is gravely concerned by the worsening situation in Tibet. Despite repeated appeals by the Central Tibetan Administration to refrain from drastic actions, over 62 Tibetans have now set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese government’s repressive policies. All of them have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans."

shared from CTA website

Three Tibetans Self-immolate in TIBET again!

The Beijing government has allegedly blamed His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his followers responsible for the endless chain of self immolation practices occurring most seriously inside Tibet. At least three Tibetans have assorted to self immolation since last weekend which now piles up the record of total such cases among Tibetans to around 60 since 2009!

On 20th October 2012, a father of two, Mr. Lhamo Kyap from Amdo Bora had self immolated in Sangchu part of Tibet who also succumbed to the burns and lost the life on the spot. Then on 22nd October 2012, a monk from Drepung Monastery sacrificed his precious life for the cause of Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama back to Tibet. Dhondup was 61 years old and that has made him the oldest Tibetan self immolated till now! Yet again, yesterday, on 23rd October 2012, an old Tibetan identified as Dorjee Rinchen who is 58 set himself on fire near a Chinese Army camp in the same county as the previous two and this was followed by a minor scuffle between the Chinese authorities and the local Tibetans over there.

Now the situation in Tibet is coming to such an extreme of nearly losing a Tibetan with the passage of every single day and this situation still being taken as a matter of blame game to be won by the Chinese authorities. Just a few days before only, the American ambassador to Beijing, Mr. Locke made a visit to Ngaba part of Tibet which wasn't followed by any comment on the ongoing self immolation! Though they have serious ties and responsibilities to see to, it will never bring any peace to the world by ignoring the grave issue of Tibet. It was an obvious hope from Mr. Locke's visit to express about his experience of what is going on in Tibet that is propelling such extreme method of protest again and again without any fear of dying under fire alive!

So the question is now what is going to happen with the Tibetans? We have only six million people of which around 1.5 million were killed during the national uprising in Tibet in 1959 and following revolutions against the occupation by the Communist China. Now a continues chain of Tibetans a giving up their lives by self immolation to which the world is just creating media sense and nothing worthwhile and effective till now!

Know Tibet: Shared from CTA website.

Tibet at a Glance

The term TIBET here means the whole of Tibet known as Cholka-Sum (U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo). It includes the present-day Chinese administrative areas of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, two Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures and one Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan Province, one Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and one Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu Province and one Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province.

Land Size: 2.5 million square kilometres, which includes U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo provinces. “Tibet Autonomous Region”, consisting of U-Tsang and a small portion of Kham, consists of 1.2 million square kilometres. The bulk of Tibet lies outside the “TAR”.

Political Status: Occupied country and without United Nations’ representation.

Average Altitude: 4,000 metres or 13,000 feet above sea level.

Administration: Under Chinese rule, Tibet is divided into the following administrative units: a) Tibet Autonomous Region, b) Qinghai Province, c) Tianzu Tibetan Autonomous County and Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, d) Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Mili Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan Province, e) Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province.

Population: The total Tibetan population in Tibet is 6 million. Of them, 2.09 million live in the “TAR” and the rest in the Tibetan areas outside the “TAR”.

Major Rivers: Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra in India), Machu (Yellow River in China), Drichu (Yangtse in China), Senge Khabab (Indus in India), Phungchu (Arun in India), Gyalmo Ngulchu (Salween in Burma) and Zachu (Mekong in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos).

Native Wildlife: Tibetan antelope, wild yak, wild ass and Tibetan argali, blue sheep, black-necked crane, Tibetan gazelle, giant panda, red panda, golden monkey.

Economy: Agriculture and animal husbandry.

Literacy Rate: Approximately 25 per cent.

collected from CTA Website

A statement from Rep. Frank R. Wolf of US on Tibet Crisis:

"I stand in solidarity with all of the friends of Tibet who today have gathered in Washington, D.C. and in cities around the globe to testify to the deepening crisis in Tibet and find common cause with the suffering people of Tibet.

You are rightly holding vigil outside of the Chinese embassy for it is the Chinese government’s brutal and repressive policies which are the source of this human rights crisis.

"The free world has been horrified by the string of self-immolations of Tibetans over the last year, including several monks and nuns. These peace-loving Tibetans have set themselves aflame in desperation at the abuses suffered by their people at the hands of the Chinese government.

I’ve been to Tibet. I’ve visited Buddhist monks and nuns in Drapchi Prison. I’ve met frightened Tibetans who quietly showed me their forbidden photos of the Dalai Lama. I am saddened by the recent loss of life but unsurprised that the people of Tibet are crying out for the world to recognize their plight and take action on their behalf.

In recent months, Western reporters trying to visit Tibet have been turned away by security forces. As many as 11 innocent Tibetans, according to some estimates, were killed when police fired into a crowd of peaceful protestors. Chinese troops have been moved into the region. Internet access has been shut down. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Lest any officials think of going soft, Tibet's official newspaper warned that leaders who fail to maintain stability would lose their jobs. A ‘thankfulness education’ campaign requires Tibetans to hang the portraits of Chinese leaders in homes.”

The stakes are high in Tibet and the Chinese government knows it. They are tightening their grip on the region.

I have urged U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke to raise the government’s repressive policies in Tibet with senior Chinese party officials and publicly use his platform to make it clear to the Tibetan people that they have a friend in the United States of America.

Furthermore, I call on President Obama, during his visit next week with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to publicly voice his strong concern about the current atmosphere in Tibet and the repressive policies of the Chinese government, which are directly impacting the everyday lives of Tibetans. I also urge the president to continue to push for Lhasa to be the next U.S. consulate in China.

In a Constitution Day speech, President Ronald Reagan famously described our founding documents, which enshrine base liberties, as a “covenant we have made not only with our ourselves, but with all of mankind.” We risk breaking that covenant with the people of Tibet if we do not champion their cause during this time of need."

courtesy: ICT

Letter to US Ambassador to China Gary Locke

"Dear Ambassador Locke:

You have undoubtedly seen news reports of the recent wave of self-immolations of Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns since March of this year in desperation at the abuses suffered by her people. Just last week a second nun did the same. According to the International Campaign for Tibet, she apparently called for religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama before setting herself aflame.

Recently the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on which we serve held a hearing during which we heard form Dr. Lobsang Sangay with the Central Tibetan Administration and His Eminence Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche with Kirti Monasteries. Their testimony was moving and deeply disturbing. They spoke of the abuses suffered by the Tibetan people which in recent months have driven these peace-loving people to desperate forms of protest.

In light of these realities, we urge you, in your capacity as U.S. ambassador to visit Tibet. Speak with the Tibetan people and faith leaders. Press for a fact-finding mission into the Kirti monastery which has featured prominently in the recent wave of self-immolations. Raise the Chinese government’s repressive policies in Tibet with senior party officials and publicly use your platform as Ambassador to make it clear to the Tibetan people that they have a friend in the United States of America.

You are uniquely positioned to reflect American values and priorities to the Chinese people and the Government of China. In that light, it is important for you as the lead representative of the United States in China to publically declare that the Chinese government must respect the peaceful religious, political, civic, and cultural expressions of the Tibetan people. For the United States, this is both morally imperative and politically prudent

We wish you continued success as Ambassador to China and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Frank R. Wolf, Member of Congress
James P. McGovern, Member of Congress
Joseph R. Pitts, Member of Congress"

courtesy: ICT

Excerpt from Mother Teresa's speech at 1979 Nobel Peace prize ceremony:

"I never forget an opportunity I had in visiting a home where they had all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them in an institution and forgotten maybe. And I went there, and I saw in that home they had everything, beautiful things, but everybody was looking towards the door. And I did not see a single one with their smile on their face. And I turned to the Sister and I asked: How is that? How is it that the people they have everything here, why are they all looking towards the door, why are they not smiling? I am so used to see the smile on our people, even the dying one smile,and she said: This is nearly every day, they are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten, and see--this is where love comes. That poverty comes right there in our own home, even neglect of love. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried, and these are difficult days for everybody. Are we there, are we there to receive them, is the mother there to receive the child?"

Excerpt from Statement of Dr. Lobsang Sangay on 53rd Tibetan National Uprising Day:

"Blessed by the historic transfer of political power from His Holiness, empowered by the mandate received from the people, and buoyed by the support and solidarity from Tibetans inside Tibet, I can say with pride and conviction that the Central Tibetan Administration legitimately represents and speaks for all six million Tibetans.

Beijing’s view that a generational change in leadership may weaken the Tibetan freedom movement has not and will never materialize.  The resiliency of the Tibetan spirit combined with a coming generation of educated Tibetans will provide dynamic leadership and sustain the movement till freedom is restored in Tibet.

If the Chinese government’s claim that Tibetans enjoy freedom and equality are true, then it should allow democratic, transparent, free and fair elections in Tibet. In the fifty-three years of Chinese occupation, no Tibetan has ever held the Party Secretary post of the so- called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Chinese hold majority of the decision-making positions in all branches of the government and constitute more than fifty percent of the public sector workforce. Seventy percent of the private sector enterprises are owned or operated by Chinese. Forty percent of Tibetan high school and college graduates are unemployed.

The Tibet issue concerns far more than the rights and welfare of six million Tibetans. It impacts the entire planet. The unique Tibetan culture, with its rich language, spirituality and history must be protected. The Tibetan plateau is the ‘world’s third pole’ as it contains the largest ice fields outside the two poles. Tibetan glaciers, the source of ten major rivers, affect the lives of more than 1.5 billion people. Billions of dollars worth of mineral resources are exploited annually to fuel China’s economy. Decades of logging have reduced Tibet’s pristine forest cover by half. Clearly, the management of this global common, and the Tibetan people’s traditional role as its stewards, ought to be a planetary concern.

When China invaded Tibet in 1949, it promised to usher in a ‘socialist paradise.’ In actuality Tibetans are treated as second-class citizens. When Tibetans gather peacefully and demand basic rights as outlined in the Chinese constitution, they are arrested, fired upon and killed as in the January 23-24th peaceful protests when Chinese were celebrating their new year. The Communist Party cadre members in the TAR have been ordered to prepare for a “war” against the Tibetan protestors."
From Official website of CTA

Another Tibetan burns self: Now 54

Sangye Gyatso,27 has burnt himself on fire this afternoon from Amdo region of North-Eastern Tibet to protest against the Chinese repressive invasions and policies imposed in Tibet. He torched himself near a Stupa close to Dhokar monastery in Tsoe township of Kanlho, Amdo and later succumbed to the injury. The sources also say that the man leaves behind a seven year old son and a six year old daughter to face the pain of his sacrifice.

This man who self immolated today is the latest of Tibetans to burn oneself and the second person to self immolate in the last three days. After the self immolation of the Tibetan writer Gudrup in central Tibet on 4th October 2012, Sangye mounts the total number Tibetans self immolating since March 2012 to 54! From the total of 54 Tibetans, 44 of them succumbed to the injuries of the burn and lost their lives.

The heightened situation rising from inside Tibet is highly sensitive and it decides the live and death of lot more Tibetans. So, this is to urge all the individuals, groups, organisations, personalities and Governments around the world to kindly not ignore the situation and raise their voices against the Chinese government!

Some quotes from H.H. the Dalai Lama:

"World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity."

"I totally disagree with the view that the Tibet struggle will die, and there will be no hope for Tibet, after the Dalai Lama passes away."

"The Chinese government wants me to say that for many centuries Tibet has been part of China. Even if I make that statement, many people would just laugh. And my statement will not change past history. History is history."

"One thing I want to make clear, as far as my own rebirth is concerned, the final authority is myself and no one else, and obviously not China's Communists."

"As long as I am alive, I am fully committed to amity between Tibetans and Chinese. Otherwise there's no use."

"It is difficult to violently suppress people in the long run, as the example of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries has shown."

"China has to go along with world trends. That's democracy, liberty, individual freedom. China sooner or later has to go that way. It cannot go backward."

"Chinese people themselves, they really want change."

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dalai_lama_2.html#VMh4g3k9k2zBp0qS.99 

China railways record 1.44 bn passengers carried

China's railways which completed just a few years back on the highest plateau of the world has a record that it has already ferried about 1.44 billion passenger in just the first three quarters of the year which is about 4 percent up by last year. With this much of hectic railways plying, the poor Tibet prefecture which is directly linked with this railways is already diminishing fast in its population with the transfer of population! Tibetans have become minorities with Chinese people shifting to Tibet in this much of large numbers!

Another statement was found saying that the country's railways delivered 2.91 billion tonnes of good. The trains have particularly transported 1.68 billion tonnes of coal, 102.35 million tonnes of oil, 76.16 millions tonnes of grain and 68.75 million tonnes of fertilizer and pesticide. 

This round figure can easily provide us an idea of how much the transport trains might be plied for the transport of mines from the Tibetan territory to China. The prime objective of constructing the railway line to Lhasa was to transport population and natural resources. They have transport extensive quantity of copper, gold and especially wood.

There is this urgent need of saving Tibet from the Chinese government that is fleecing off the naturally rich resource field of the world whose survival sustains larger part of Asia!

Tibetan Self Immolation; not a fashion in patriotism

The wave of continuous Tibetan self immolation that has been coming out of Tibetan people over the past years has perplexed the countries across the borders. The unbelievably large number of people assorting to the practice of self immolation has been something confusing initially but with larger number of people taking the step proved to be less effective! But the truth is that the pain inflicted upon the Tibetans has been extremely huge that it has become hard to imagine for the outer world!
As a Tibetan relishing the freedom of living beyond the reach of Chinese government, we are not at all satisfied with the kind of reaction shown from any part of the world to the mountain large number of Tibetans torching their bodies selflessly. The extend of pain came to such a bound that Tibetans in exile also assorted to the practice of self immolation. So it is my humble prayers to the deceased and those in pain to have their sacrifices not be in vain and reach the extend of success for the freedom to Tibet.
But now again, Tibetan intellectual, who is a writer, poet and a blogger has assorted to self immolation and passed away on the spot of practice. Gudrup though an learned member of the Tibetan society, torched his body alive for the same demands that the earlier 52 people had torched themselves! It is not a fashion of expressing one's aspirations through burning oneself that many people seem to conceive from the Tibetan because fashion is found somewhere there is freedom. Burning oneself on fire is not a joke and I can bet that no other national can find such a large number of people of sacrificing for the cause of their people through self immolation in the entire millenniums to come.
"My brothers and sisters of the land of the snows, although, looking back at our past, we have nothing but a sense of loss, anger, sadness and tears, I pray that the coming new year of the Water Dragon brings you health, success and the fulfillment of aspirations." writes Gudrup, the Tibetan writer who self immolated in Nagchu town of Central Tibet on 4th October 2012.
Now the count is 53, which is nowhere to be seem through the entire history of the world and nowhere to be imagined in the entire millennium, what will follow now? China openly refuses opening of Indian Consulate in Lhasa, Australia Investigative visit to Tibet but still the world is not unanimously waking against the open crunch of human rights and torture going on there.
Raise your voice and help save the Tibetan lives and their freedom. The Hu Jintao reign is at the dusk and most probably Xi Jingping is at the dawn and we would like request Xi not steps on the footprints stained with bloodshed and rethink with a genuine human touch about the cause of Tibet.