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Carrefour boycott,Non-violent protest against France from Qingdao China. Patriotic students shouted, "Carrefour, closed!" To protest the French government's unfriendly to the Chinese peopleCarrefour has been rolled into a campaign mixed up with both boycott and anti-boycott.We hope you are able to boycott Carrefour at least on 1 May, to deliver, by the empty Carrefour that day, one message to the western world: Chinese shouldn’t be humiliated! Chinese people shouldn’t be insulted!The boycott against Carrefour is going to spreading all over the country, and we anticipate your presence! Thank you. Carrefour, the French retail giant, is the newest target on the list of what cyber-nationalists in China hate and aim at. Cell phone text messages calling on boycotts are popping up, over 5000 net cafes in China, as Daqi.com summed up, have been rife with posts against Carrefour, and quite a few radical netizens have already made the slogans into practice.The boycott is supposed to be caused by the recent grief and violence the Olympic torch relay suffered from in France and the saying that a big shareholder of Carrefour, LVMH group, has donated money to the Dalai Lama.The Olympic torch relay that just ended in Paris is not as peaceful as most of Chinese know about. Let’s see what French and its government have done when Chinese carried the torch, a symbol of peace and friendship into their territory.1. Before the relay, a French TV station called on people to protest on street for the reason that they “don’t want Chinese flags flaunting all over”.2. The torch was forced to extinguish for 4 times under the violent disruptions of Tibet separatists.3. The French police in charge of security simply stood by to see the separatists snatching the torch, and striking the disabled torch carrier.4. At where the torch went by, hordes of French waved the flag of separatists, clamoring “Free Tibet’, “Shame on China” to protest against China.5. Groups of young men even scrambled the Chinese students’ Five-star flags and tore them up, two sides in conflict.6. When the sacred fire passed by the City Hall of Paris, the banners and slogans of pro-Tibet independence were hung out and all the alderman put on the pro-separatism badges, a behavior that made the planned ceremony there cancelled.7. The major media in France reviewed the torch relay with such headlines— Fiasco in Paris(Figaro) and A Slap on ChinaAnd it’s not unusual to see such comments tightly following up the petition.Completely boycott Carrefour.Furthermore, QQ groups all over China were set up to recruit boycott activists. A list shows that places including Chongqing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, more than 20 areas totally, have joined this cyber campaign, during which netizens can communicate by the IM tool to make the whole protest more organizational. In fact at Kunming, a city in southern China, netizens have extended their slogans to the realityby protesting in front of the local Carrefour. The banner reads:Support Olympic, oppose Tibet-independence; boycott French products and Carrefour!The following pictures show the protest in the city of Wuhan. Notice that the banner has exactly the same word as that in Kunming.

This time the rivaling voice doesn’t fade as years ago when the appeal of boycotting Japan products was at climax. Even on Tianya.com, a well-known marketplace of bold clamors and patriotism, the petitions of anti-boycott don’t shy away.In Tianya, netizen Lepel said in his post “you are so unwise to boycott Carrefour, or, you think us too unwise”,I feel it so ridiculous when hearing that so many people are organizing a boycott against Carrefour. I bear great sorrow for their blindness, which is as much stupid as the boycotts against Japanese, American and all western products long time ago. Do you have to isolate China from the world again? Reviewing the anti-Japan activity years ago, I wonder what we commons have really got the campaign. When the tension between the governments came to ease, the anti-Japan action that slightly crossed the line got a crackdown….and we have not yet learnt a lesson from that, and now we are going to have anti-France.Fine, with the boycott, you would simply favor advantage to all other supermarkets and let people go further and spend more for daily shopping. Anything else?Someday in the future when a new French president comes into power or the policy gets changed, everything will just go back to “Long live China-France friendship”, sooner or later. At that time, won’t it be laughable to look back at what we are doing now?Boycott Carrefour? Come on! You are actually boycotting the Chinese manufactures, Chinese workmen there and the country of our own, because Carrefour pays tax to our government!!! Are you able to boycott Paris mayor? BS. Why should I boycott? Our dynasty (allusion to the ruling party-translator) has not yet called on, and perhaps soon they will talk greatly on the China-France friendship.In history, it used to fight hard with Vietnam, but what about now? Friendly conversation and fellowship between us two peoples! Who care about those soldiers died there? F…Ten years ago when the Chinese embassy was bombed by U.S army I was even more indignant that the “patriotic young men” today. Our city is taking pain to introduce the Carrefour in, every official extremely busy on that plan. What should I do? Boycott? Then I will be clashing with our party and country.Anti-Japan anti-France anti-German anti-Korea anti-Taiwan anti-Italy anti-Australia anti-Vietnam anti-Britain anti-U.S…anti-world…anti-universe.But NO anti-autarchy and corruption. So tragic men.This is called “the government digs holes, and zealous youngsters plant trees”.Finally, an analogy might reveal how a lot of people view this patriotic action.The patriotic youngsters are the condom of the party— discarded right after orgasm.The points of the two camps diverge sharply. Rumors have been heard that Carrefour is going to make considerable discounts on 1 May to counteract the planned boycott. And it has announced that it will always be the friend of Chinese. But even not so, the chances of a successful boycott campaign is doubted, as the predominant public opinion years ago for a boycott over Japan didn’t make a good shot, while today the each side is equally strong.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/16/chinacarrefour-under-boycott-threat/

 

Nepalese police detain a Tibetan protester near the Chinese consulate in Katmandu. Photograph: Binod Joshi/APHuman rights campaigners scaled up anti-China protests today with demonstrations around the world and an unauthorised broadcast from inside Beijing as the Olympic opening ceremony began. While a heavy police presence ensured the streets of the host city remained calm, Chinese authorities were unable to stop the pirate radio transmission by media group Reporters Without Borders in the capital.Using transmitters and a homemade antenna, the message, broadcast in Mandarin, English and French, urged the government to relax state control of the media and called for the release of imprisoned journalists. Meanwhile, large protests were held in cities including London, Hong Kong, Delhi and Kathmandu.In London, around 200 protesters converged on the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place, shouting anti-China slogans and waving "Free Tibet" placards.Demonstrators from Tibet, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Burma joined forces to protest against human rights violations and China's hosting of the Olympics. Beating drums and chanting, the group unfurled banners attacking China for supporting the Burmese regime while another flag read "End murder, rape and torture in Zimbabwe". In a small side-street away from the main protest, pro-China demonstrators in smart suits held a smaller, more muted gathering in support of the games, waving Chinese and British flags.In Delhi as many as 3,000 Tibetan monks and refugees shouting anti-Chinese slogans clashed with police as they braved heavy rains to protest next to India's parliament.Hundreds of protesters dressed in yellow and green "Free Tibet" T-shirts stamped on posters of the Chinese president, Hu Jintao. In Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India, 3,000 Tibetan monks and exiles took to the streets, demanding an end to Beijing rule in their homeland.In the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, more than 1,300 Tibetans, including nuns and monks, shouted and wept as they marched on the Chinese consulate. Protesters chanted "China out of Tibet" and "Stop cultural genocide". Many wore red and blue ribbons emblazoned with "Free Tibet" around their heads.Police said they detained more than 400 people, many of them women, but that they were likely be freed later in the day.And in Hong Kong, Matt Pearce, from Bristol, England, hung two banners on road signs on the Tsing Ma bridge. The banners read "We want human rights and democracy" and "The people of China want freedom from oppression".Officials shut down traffic on the bridge's upper deck where Pearce was protesting. Television footage showed Pearce wearing a horse's head mask and a white shirt bearing the Olympic rings, while carrying a guitar. His protest ended after about an hour when men in plain clothes bustled him away.Hong Kong police said in a statement that officers arrested Pearce for causing a public nuisance and he was being held for questioning.A Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator, Emily Lau, and a Hong Kong group critical of China's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989 were expected to protest later near the Olympic equestrian venue.Olympic organisers moved the equestrian event from Beijing to the former British colony of Hong Kong because of a rash of equine diseases and substandard quarantine procedures on the mainland.The Beijing games have become a focus for activists critical of China on issues ranging from its human rights record and heavy-handed rule in Tibet to its abortion policies and repression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.Beijing considers the games - which cost billions of dollars and took seven years to prepare - a huge source of national pride, and is desperate to ensure they go smoothly. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/08/china.tibet

Beit Ummar: At a protest against Israel's destruction of Palestinian land. A crowd of young Palestinians clap and sing songs toward the Israeli Occupation Forces while the older Palestinian protestors are attacked by the Israeli soldiers. Video shot while working with the ISM (international solidarity movement) this summer, 2006

 

Czech: sametová revoluce, Slovak: nežná revolúcia) (November 16 – December 29, 1989) refers to a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the Communist government.[1] It is seen as one of the most important of the Revolutions of 1989.On November 17, 1989 (Friday), riot police suppressed a peaceful student demonstration in Prague. That event sparked a series of popular demonstrations from November 19 to late December. By November 20 the number of peaceful protesters assembled in Prague had swelled from 200,000 the previous day to an estimated half-million. A two-hour general strike, involving all citizens of Czechoslovakia, was held on November 27.With the collapse of other Communist governments, and increasing street protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announced on November 28 that it would relinquish power and dismantle the single-party state. Barbed wire and other obstructions were removed from the border with West Germany and Austria in early December. On December 10, President Gustáv Husák appointed the first largely non-Communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubček was elected speaker of the federal parliament on December 28 and Václav Havel the President of Czechoslovakia on December 29, 1989.In June 1990 Czechoslovakia held its first democratic elections since 1946.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_Revolution

 

Global Uprising to Include Exiles' March to Tibet New Delhi -- Five leading Tibetan organizations announced today the launch of the "Tibetan People's Uprising Movement", a new coordinated Tibetan resistance effort in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Games will take place only months before the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising against China's invasion of Tibet. The movement's organizers are calling on Tibetans worldwide to join protests during the Beijing Olympics and support a return march of exile Tibetans to their homeland. "Today, in the spirit of the 1959 Uprising and in memory of the courageous Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for Tibet's independence and continue to resist China's brutal occupation, we are launching a unified movement to bring about an end to Chinese rule in Tibet," said Tsewang Rigzin, President of Tibetan Youth Congress.The organizing committee that China's leadership is using the Beijing Olympics as a platform to gain international acceptance and to legitimize its illegal rule in Tibet. After almost five decades of oppression and cultural assimilation, the situation inside Chinese occupied Tibet is dire. "We are calling on Tibetans worldwide to join us at this critical moment when China is trying to spread its Olympics propaganda," said B. Tsering, President of the Tibetan Women's Association. "Together, we will seize this unprecedented opportunity to voice Tibetan resistance and reinvigorate our freedom struggle." The march to Tibet is an initiative by exile Tibetans to strengthen Tibetan resistance by taking the struggle home. The march will commence on March 10th, the 49th commemoration of the Tibetan National Uprising in Tibet. Tibetans worldwide will engage in non-violent direct actions and mass protests during China's Olympic torch relay and the Games themselves. "Our message to China's leadership is loud and clear that after fifty years, Tibetans in exile are determined to return to our homeland and be reunited with our Tibetan brothers and sisters," said Ngawang Woeber, President of the Gu Chu Sum, the ex-political prisoners' association. Members of the organizing committee: Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women's Association, Gu Chu Sum Movement of Tibet, National Democratic Party of Tibet, and Students for a Free Tibet, India.

 

Dear friend:*Now Tibet is not so far*When I packed my sleeping bag that early morning before sunrise for this long journey, I placed a white khatak at the altar of His Holiness and said I have decided, whatever happens, I will make my way through. Walking for almost 70 days with 300 people covering more than 900 kilometers hrough Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP, we reached Almora town yesterday in the Kumaon Mountains in the north Indian state of Uttrakhand. From here Tibet is not very far.The March to Tibet began from Dharamsala on 10th March, the same day similar uprisings happened all around the world, organized by Tibetans and Tibet supporters, even in Tibet -- a global Tibetan uprising. We started with 100 core marchers, on our way many more joined us. As we leave Almora tomorrow into the high mountain valleys towards Tibet, we are 300 marchers and 8 support marchers who are foreigners from different countries, some of whom have been with us all the way from Dharamsala.All along the route, the Indian people have welcomed us with warmth, cheered our spirit and in some places offered us water and shelter. At most places we spent our nights in ashrams, Gurudwaras and schools, sometimes on empty grounds on the roadside, where the local municipality provided water in tankers driven by tractors. Indians have a culture of going for long journeys across their country for pilgrimages and therefore hospitality is a natural custom. The police have been sending an escort all along the route in jeeps or on motorbikes passing the security duty from one district to the next.You must be aware that we were arrested by Indian police in Kangra District on the 13th March and jailed us for 14 days. The second batch of the March was launched 3 days later and that carried on the March spirit. After our release, all 100 of us rejoined the March, but there is already a court case slapped on us. At the end of the last month, Choeying, Lobsang Yeshi and I had to appear in Dehra court and will have to do the same again in June. I learned that some people had the impression from various media reports that the March had been canceled. I myself received phone calls from few people whose doubts I cleared. Seeing an imminent confrontation at the border, His Holiness did advise the organizers against the continuation of the March, but after seeing the courageous non-violent uprisings that happened all over Tibet and the ongoing Chinese crackdown on our people in Tibet, our commitment was revitalized by their sacrifice and inspired us. Now we can't stop it. So we re-launched the March to Tibet from Delhi on the 19th April after a temporary halt.The journey from Delhi passing through UP was difficult; it was extremely hot, dry and dusty. The trucks and buses on the highway threatened to run over us sometimes rushing by our ears, and sometimes stopping by to pick our campaign flyers that we were handing out on the road. We walked, one after the other in a long single file like the multiple legs of a millipede -- one long body. Even when the head has taken the next turn, the tail is still trailing behind from the last corner.The Marchers wake up at 4 am, after washing and packing sleeping bags, tents and mattresses, we have breakfast and start walking at 5 am. Usually walking for 6 to 7 hours a day we cover a distance of 20-25 kilometers, sometimes walking even 27 or 28 kilometers. The logistics and kitchen team move ahead in trucks and set up the camp. At many places water is luxury. We bathe under hand-pump water taps on the roadsides; scores of monks bathe together sometimes in wheat fields. It's a great experience answering nature's calls in open fields under the moonlight with a jug of water by your side. Most of the marchers are Buddhist monks from the 3 monastic universities in south India; some old people who escaped from Tibet along with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1959, the eldest one being 78. The youngest are wo 17-year-old boys, born and brought up in India and have never seen Tibet. There are several young mothers who left behind their family in the care of their husbands. Our communication team tries to reach out to the outside world and also arranges opportunities to talkto local media. During the evening gatherings, after the daily prayer, the media coordinator tells the news. Many times the Marchers applaud Tibet support actions taken in different parts of India and abroad. The protest against the torch in London, Paris, San Francisco, Canberra and Tokyo received huge appreciation. The ongoing Tibetan protests in Kathmandu are highly appreciated understanding Nepalese police brutality.We are now starting the last leg of the March. FromAlmora to the border is just barely 200 kilometers, and it will now be cold as we ascend higher into the Himalayas. I know returning to a homeland that is still under foreign occupation won't be easy. Chinese military will of course guard the border with machine guns, even Indian police will find an excuse to stop us. Confrontation is inevitable, but we are not stopping. We may even have to camp at the border for a long time, might have to call for international support and participation. We march into uncertainty.The March to Tibet is a process for us to return to our homeland and reclaim our right to be in our native land in freedom. Whatever happens, we have deep commitment to non-violence; we will not retaliate. We may be beaten, jailed or even shot at, but we are not giving up. And for me there is no other plan in life other than this March. For all of us marchers, this is our life commitment.

http://www.tibetanuprising.org/

 

As the residents of China's Sichuan province continue to come to terms with the effects of a devastating earthquake which has killed more than 62,000 people, they will find compassion expressed in some unlikely quarters. Ngawang Khunkyen, one of the many exiled Tibetan monks in India, shares in their sorrow. "The entire exile community is grieving," Ngawang, 30, told Al Jazeera. "We express our grief by praying. We gather at the temple to recite Tara mantras, praying for a speedy recovery of all those who suffer," he said from his home in Dharmasala, a city in India that is home to some of Tibet's most recognised leaders, including their spiritual leader, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. Tara mantras are a special set of prayers recited when Tibetans pray for the recovery of people who are sick or those who are mourning. As an act of compassion, Tibetans have put aside their differences with Beijing, who they say has stood in the way of their autonomy, in order to pray for victims of the earthquake. While acknowledging that they cannot forget that China has occupied Tibet since 1950, the Tibetan monks say they empathise with the Chinese families who have suffered. 'Cultivate compassion' In the past few months, the exiled community has expressed anger and discontent in the form of protests, hunger strikes, candlelight vigils, and peace marches in response to China's crackdown on dissent in Tibet. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) reports that as many as 200 Tibetans were killed during the unrest. After two months, exiles are still emotionally charged, but not without a hint of grief. "After March 10, many people were very angry at the Chinese government," says Ngawang, "but after the earthquake, [Tibetans] feel very sad for the people who died in China." As a refugee monk, Ngawang wakes up at dawn to pray and meditate. "At five in the morning, I pray for the people who suffer in this world. Until recently, I prayed for all sentient beings. But now, I really pray for China." Many would readily dismiss the idea that Tibetans pray for the Chinese; however, in a time when China has suffered from great misfortune, Ngawang sees prayer as its remedy. "When we pray, we cultivate compassion for the people we love and the people we hate." Born in Tibet during Chinese occupation, Ngawang has been a monk since childhood. His calm demeanour is often matched by the carefully chosen words he articulates. In 1993, Ngawang, then 15, participated in a demonstration outside Lhasa. "We desired human rights and democracy. We told the Chinese government to leave and have the Dalai Lama return to Tibet. We were arrested and I was imprisoned for three years." After his release, he sought refuge at a Tibetan refugee settlement in India. He now lives in a refugee centre with fellow Tibetan monks who have endured similar adversities. Transparent message With China's sphere of influence expanding both politically and economically, the Dalai Lama and the CTA believe genuine autonomy is the most pragmatic solution to this decades-old conflict. The Dalai Lama is optimistic in future dialogue with China, but the hope for amicable relations and diplomatic progress is not his immediate priority. Instead, a prayer to victims and their loved ones has become paramount. "I would like to extend my deep sympathy and heartfelt condolences to those families who have been directly affected by the strong earthquake," said the Tibetan leader in a statement. "I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and those injured." On May 14, a special prayer session was held for the victims of the earthquake. Tsering Dhondup, the secretary of the Department of Religion and Culture, requested monks, nuns, and laymen to gather at the Dalai Lama's main temple. "The prayers are dedicated for the good rebirth of all those Chinese who have lost their lives in the recent natural calamity." Whether or not their prayers are well-received in China, the impact it has on the individual and collective Tibetan spirit is limitless. "Prayer, in any circumstance, is necessary for spiritual positive fulfilment. It doesn't matter if you're from China or Tibet. It is important to preserve this tradition. And it is important for me because I must cultivate compassion for others," says Ngawang. The power of prayer Thubten Samphel, a spokesperson for the CTA, agrees: "We don't want [earthquakes] to happen to anyone anywhere in the world, be it China or Tibet. We feel deeply for those who are suffering in China." In China, the earthquake has marred the nation's collective spirit. However, it may be comforting to know that the people who have shared in the grief and prayed for a speedy recovery have been the Tibetans. Thubten N., a 35-year-old monk, who shares a life story similar to Ngawang, told Al Jazeera: "When we pray, we pray for all sentient beings to enjoy a lifetime of happiness. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from. We are all human beings."

 

Tens of thousands of demonstrators crowded downtown streets today calling for the resignation of Serbia's President as the first effects of United Nations sanctions were being felt. The President, Slobodan Milosevic, criticized the sanctions imposed on Saturday, saying Serbia was not responsible for the fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which continued today. "This is the price we have to pay for supporting Serbs outside Serbia," Mr. Milosevic said early this morning after he cast his vote in elections for the Yugoslav Parliament. "As far as the accusations that we have committed aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina are concerned, surely every citizen of Serbia knows that they are ridiculous. We have not committed any aggression against Bosnia." Election Boycotted Mr. Milosevic appeared tired as he voted today. All major opposition parties were boycotting the elections in Serbia and Montenegro, the only remaining Yugoslav republics, and the Serbian Orthodox Church denounced the vote. Polls opened just hours after the United Nations Security Council imposed the economic sanctions. [ Bush Administration officials Sunday expressed deep reluctance to use military force to enforce the sanctions, saying Washington's immediate goal was to force the Serbian-backed military to lift its two-month blockade of Sarajevo. Administration officials said they wanted to assess the effects of the embargo before taking any further steps to punish Yugoslavia. Page A8 ] The first outward signs of the embargo were lines forming at gasoline stations in the Belgrade area and the disruption of air links. Flights Are Canceled This morning, hundreds of stranded travelers milled around Belgrade Airport watching the word "Canceled" click up next to one departing flight after another on the large black timetable. Within hours, only flights for Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow and London were left and it was unclear whether they would actually depart. Yugoslavia also has been disqualified from the European soccer championship in Sweden as a result of the United Nations embargo. The peaceful demonstrators, many dressed in black, took over downtown Belgrade streets for about three hours this afternoon, unfurling a mile-long black banner along the city's main shopping thoroughfare before protesting outside the television station, the hub of the Serbian Government's propaganda network. Demonstrators jeered and shouted "Slobo Must Go!" outside the republic's Presidency Building, referring to President Milosevic. The demonstration was the largest anti-Government gathering in Serbia since violent protests in March 1991 brought Yugoslav Army tanks to Belgrade streets. Bombing of Belgrade "I am against the war and the regime that has sucked our sons into war," said a Yugoslav Airline flight attendant, laid off last week after 30 years on the job because of the cancellation of the airlines' landing rights by the United States and Canada. "I want to show the world that all Serbs are not the same," she said. "We all expect to be bombed, and we remember when the Americans bombed Belgrade in 1944." Slobodanka Karic, a 50-year-old health worker, said, "It's only a matter of time before the armed conflict comes to Belgrade. The international community should stop all the armed attacks by all sides, and then the Communists must be removed." The demonstrators scoffed at today's elections, calling them a "farce." Reports on Turnout Election officials reported only a 38 percent turnout at Serbian polling stations at 2 P.M., and by evening were asserting that 60 percent of the electorate had voted. In Montenegro, turnout reports ranged from 6 to 60 percent. About 7.3 million people are eligible to vote. Final results are not expected until Wednesday. Western diplomats said a weak turnout would not necessarily be interpreted as a vote of no confidence in Mr. Milosevic, who rose to power through the Communist Party's apparatus and has deflected criticism and held power by appealing to Serbian nationalism and controlling the republic's large enterprises and most influential media. Serbia's main opposition parties, the Serbian Renewal Movement, Democratic Party and Serbian Liberal Party called for the boycott because they said the Government pushed through the country's new Constitution without adequate discussion, allowed only a short period for campaigning and refused to end its virtual monopoly on the country's main television channel. 'Duty to Liberate Serbia' The leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk Draskovic, said: "The Serbs' enemies are not in London, New York, Paris or Moscow. They are right here in Belgrade. It's our duty to liberate Serbia." "The Serbian people are not guilty," Mr. Draskovic said. "Sanctions are needed against the regime, not the people." The Serbian Orthodox Church denounced the Serbian and Yugoslav Governments last week, disassociated itself from the new Constitution and the elections and called for the formation of a government of national salvation. Only the renamed Communist Party of Serbia and Montenegro, two ultra-nationalist parties, and several dozen tiny political groups ran candidates. Successor to Old Yugoslavia The elections were scheduled after the new Yugoslavia was formed on April 27 in an attempt to claim the status of the successor to the Yugoslav Federation as well as its assets. Government leaders say the elections are important because they will allow the Yugoslav Government to begin functioning normally again after huge gaps were torn in the Legislature and administration by the secession of Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. Officials of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Sarajevo today won agreements from Serbian leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina's government for a new cease-fire scheduled to begin on Monday at 6 P.M. local time, an official in Sarajevo said. The cease-fire agreement provides for the evacuation of a besieged Yugoslav Army barracks in the city center. Bosnian Serb forces this morning continued their bombardments of Sarajevo, while Yugoslav Army and Bosnian Serb forces also shelled the historic port city of Dubrovnik, lobbing about 17 shells into the walled Old Town. More than 2,300 people have been killed and 7,700 wounded since the Serbs began their military campaign to seize most of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fighting has driven well over 700,000 people from their homes.

(http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFD61739F932A35755C0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1)

Tibet’s longest serving political prisoner and a symbol of resistance to Chinese rule addressed the 8th session of the Human Rights Council Wednesday (June 4). Despite spending 32 years in various prison camps, 82-year old Takna Jigme Sangpo is far from being chastized by this experiences.Interview by Pamela Taylor/Human Rights Tribune – Takna Jigme Sangpo was first arrested in 1964 when, as a primary school teacher, he was accused by Chinese authorities of ‘corrupting the minds of children with reactionary ideas’. Accused of supporting Tibetan independence he was repeatedly arrested, beaten and and tortured. He was released on medical parole in 2002 and received asylum in Switzerland.Tell us about the first time you were arrested in 1964?I was a teacher and they discovered I was teaching the history, language and culture of Tibet which was of course forbidden. I was sent to a work camp in Lhasa. While I was in this camp I was asked to write a letter to the Communist Party condemning a long letter written by the Panchen Lama (number two after the Dalai Lama) with a detailed list of crimes against the Tibetan people and asking for Tibetan independence. I told them they hadn’t given me sufficient reason to condemn the Panchen Lama and so they called me a ‘running dog of the Panachen Lama” and condemned me to hard labor for three years.Were you released after that?Yes, but this was the time of the non-violent underground movement called Tiger-Dragon and a group of young people were arrested with a photo of me on them so they came and arrested me as a member of this ‘criminal’ movement, which I was not. I was sentenced to 10 years in prison. When I told the authorities that I didn’t know anything about the Tiger-Dragon movement, they didn’t believe me and put me in a type of iron brace that went behind my head and forced my arms back and I couldn’t move. I still have the scars (raises shirtsleeves). I shall never forget that first night. I screamed and screamed. But I wore that brace for 9 months – it was nearly impossible to eat. In any case all I had to eat was one bowl of ‘tsamba’ (roasted barley wheat flour) and some tea once a day.How long did this treatment go on?For 7 years. I worked in a stone quarry, making bricks. For the last three years of my ten year sentence I couldn’t work because I had gone blind. I was later diagnosed with glaucoma. But for them even a blind man is supposed to work! In 1981 I was again released and my sisters and family took me home and I was operated on for glaucoma. But afterwards I suffered a kind of banishment, not quite arrest but I had no communication with outsiders, even my family. But in 1983, they put me in a real prison again for writing a poster that was put up on walls and the gates of the city which said ‘Chinese invaders must go back to China’ and ‘Tibet belongs to Tibetans’. Since I was already in police custody, it was easy for them to put me in prison again.But you must have known those posters would get you into trouble?The Chinese have a tactic to make people think everything is normal so they will relax but all the time they are watching and waiting for the opportunity to make arrests. This time I was taken to a detention center that wasn’t a proper prison, just a large space with many men in one room, sharing a tin can for a common toilet, and with barely enough room to sleep. They constantly interrogated me, asking who had put me up to writing the posters and who was behind my activities. I said I am alone; I have no one and nothing behind me. They insisted that I couldn’t have the idea of Tibetan independence all on my own, that there must be a huge movement behind me, driving me to do these things. But I said no, that every Tibetan on this earth has that dream. So they stripped me and beat me and I still have those scars too. Then one day a Swiss delegation (ICRC) came to the detention center so I kept a vigil until I saw the delegation coming and then I began to shout: ‘Free Tibet!’, ‘Chinese go back to China!’ Afterwards I was put in solitary confinement in a completely black hole for one whole year. Because of what I did, they added another 8 years to my sentence.How did you manage not to go mad after so many years in prison?I said my prayers and the Buddhist mantra Om Mani Peme Hm (Homage to Bhudda). I wasn’t a criminal and wasn’t a threat to anyone and I knew that the truth was on my side. And the biggest truth of all was that Tibet would one day be independent because the Chinese themselves have enough problems to constantly worry about us. That kept me sane.Why have you come to Geneva? What do you expect from the Council?I want people to know that on paper the Chinese government may treat Tibetan people alright but I am the reality. If I am given the chance, I want to say that there’s no way the Tibetan people can survive without a distinct culture and that there is not a single Tibetan who doesn’t want independence. http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Symbol-of-Tibetan-resistance,3173

Gendun Cheokyi Nyima, now 18 years old, was named Panchen Lama aged five but has not been seen in public since. The Chinese authorities rejected his appointment and named their own Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, in 1995. Beijing says Gendun is living a free life but campaigners say he has been under house arrest during childhood. Kate Saunders, who represents a Washington-based group, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), said little was known about his whereabouts. "It's most likely that he's being held somewhere in the vicinity of Beijing itself because that's where the authorities could probably control him the best. "But there's no doubt that it will be in a very secure environment," she said. 'Religious persecution' The ICT has produced a report on religious freedom to coincide with the birthday of Gendun Cheokyi Nyima. Gyaltsen Norbu was appointed by Beijing as Panchen Lama in 1995The report says Tibetan religious culture remains under grave threat more than half a century after Chinese troops occupied the region. It accuses the Chinese authorities of launching a new campaign to curb the influence in Tibet of the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India. Ms Saunders says the Panchen Lama who disappeared is a victim of China's attempts to control Tibetan religious thinking. "His plight and also the installation of an alternative candidate by Beijing has come to symbolise for many Tibetans the crisis facing the survival of their religious culture in Tibet." The Chinese foreign ministry has angrily rejected the accusations of religious persecution in Tibet. A spokesman said Tibetans were guaranteed normal religious freedoms, but he refused to reveal where Gendun Cheokyi Nyima was living. Campaigners hope the boy's 18th birthday may change the approach of the Chinese authorities to his situation.

JERUSALEM -- Across Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Palestinians on Thursday mourned their exodus from the land with moments of silence, black clothing and displays of defiance.The demonstrations came a day after the 60th anniversary of Israel's declaration of statehood, an event that Palestinians refer to as the Nakba: the catastrophe. It led to a war between the new state and surrounding Arab nations -- and to lives as rootless refugees for generations of Palestinians. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, thousands of black-clad marchers marked the event by rallying in Manara Square. Protesters in the West Bank released 21,915 black balloons -- one for each day since Israel's founding.A two-minute siren and a moment of silence preceded the Ramallah event, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the rally via satellite from Kuwait."We mark this anniversary not to feel sorry for ourselves, but to remind everyone of the long and glorious struggle of this people, whose suffering and pain have not ended yet," Abbas said. "It is time the occupation came to an end and the mark of disgrace in human history called the Palestinian Nakba also came to an end."Clashes broke out throughout the day between Israeli soldiers and rock-throwing Palestinian youths near the Kalandiyeh checkpoint bisecting the Jerusalem-Ramallah road. No serious injuries were reported.In the Gaza Strip, intra- Palestinian disputes marred Nakba protests. Supporters of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, fought with cadres from the rival Fatah faction at a Fatah-sponsored Nakba rally. Thirty people were reported injured in the clashes.Thursday's events capped several days of Palestinian rallies, marches and commemorative events. This week in Jerusalem, hundreds of black-clad marchers had walked through predominantly Jewish neighborhoods, marking homes belonging to dispossessed Palestinian refugees.On Monday, students at mostly Arab East Jerusalem's Al Quds University staged a mock wedding between a bride named Thawra, or revolution, and a groom named Aid, or return. It was meant to symbolize the demand that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to Israel, a major sticking point in peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.As Palestinians marked the Nakba, President Bush appeared before the Israeli parliament and received standing ovations as he pledged unwavering U.S. support for the Jewish state and hailed "the talent and determination of a free people who refuse to let any obstacles stand in the way of your destiny."Palestinians complained that Bush made little reference to them and no mention of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, another sticking point in peace talks."I didn't expect it to be this much of a poke in the eye to the Palestinians," said Diana Buttu, a former Palestinian Authority official.Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-palestinians16-2008may16,0,196825.story?track=rss

 

How was the Raj transformed from the jewel in Britain's imperial crown to the independent nations of India and Pakistan?1858: Beginning of the RajIn 1858, British Crown rule was established in India, ending a century of control by the East India Company. The life and death struggle that preceded this formalisation of British control lasted nearly two years, cost £36 million, and is variously referred to as the 'Great Rebellion', the 'Indian Mutiny' or the 'First War of Indian Independence'. Inevitably, the consequences of this bloody rupture marked the nature of political, social and economic rule that the British established in its wake. It is important to note that the Raj (in Hindi meaning 'to rule' or 'kingdom') never encompassed the entire land mass of the sub-continent. Two-fifths of the sub-continent continued to be independently governed by over 560 large and small principalities, some of whose rulers had fought the British during the 'Great Rebellion', but with whom the Raj now entered into treaties of mutual cooperation. 'The 'Great Rebellion' helped create a racial chasm between ordinary Indians and Britons.'Indeed the conservative elites of princely India and big landholders were to prove increasingly useful allies, who would lend critical monetary and military support during the two World Wars. Hyderabad for example was the size of England and Wales combined, and its ruler, the Nizam, was the richest man in the world. They would also serve as political bulwarks in the nationalist storms that gathered momentum from the late 19th century and broke with insistent ferocity over the first half of the 20th century. But the 'Great Rebellion' did more to create a racial chasm between ordinary Indians and Britons. This was a social segregation which would endure until the end of the Raj, graphically captured in EM Forster's 'A Passage to India'.While the British criticised the divisions of the Hindu caste system, they themselves lived a life ruled by precedence and class, deeply divided within itself. Rudyard Kipling reflected this position in his novels. His books also exposed the gulf between the 'white' community and the 'Anglo-Indians', whose mixed race caused them to be considered racially 'impure'.

Please see: (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/independence1947_01.shtml) for the next seven pages.

 

Hendrix's popularity eventually saw him headline the Woodstock music festival on August 18, 1969.

Bad weather and logistical problems caused long delays, so that Hendrix did not appear on stage until Monday morning. By this time, the audience (which had peaked at over 500,000 people) had been reduced to, at most, 180,000, many of whom merely waited to catch a glimpse of Hendrix before leaving. Festival MC Chip Monck introduced the band as "The Jimi Hendrix Experience", but Hendrix quickly corrected this to "Gypsy Sun and Rainbows" and launched into a two hour set, the longest of his career. As as well as the two percussionists, the performance notably featured Larry Lee performing three songs and Lee sometimes soloing while Hendrix played rhythm in places, most of this has been edited out of the officially released recordings, including Lee's three songs, reducing the sound to basically a three piece.The concert was relatively free of the technical difficulties that frequently plagued Hendrix's performances, although one of his guitar strings snapped while performing Red House (he kept playing regardless). The band, unused to playing large audiences and exhausted after being up all night, could not always keep up with Hendrix's pace, but in spite of this the guitarist managed to deliver a memorable performance, climaxing with his highly-regarded rendition of the The Star-Spangled Banner,[80] a solo improvisation which is now regarded as a special symbol of the 1960s era.[81]The band did not last long. After the Woodstock festival they appeared on only two more occasions. The first was a street benefit in Harlem where, in a scenario similar to the festival, most of the audience had left and only a fraction remained by the time Hendrix took the stage. Within seconds of Hendrix arriving at the site two youths had stolen his guitar from the back seat of his car, although it was later recovered. The band's only other appearance was at the Salvation club in Greenwich Village, New York. After some studio recordings, Hendrix disbanded the group. Some of this band's recordings can be heard on the MCA Records box set The Jimi Hendrix Experience and on South Saturn Delta. Their final work together was a session on 6th September[82]. Hendrix's 9th September appearance on TV's Dick Cavett Show, backed by Cox, Mitchell and Juma Sultan, was credited as the "Jimi Hendrix Experience"[83].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix#Woodstock

What is Gu Chu Sum?The Gu-Chu-Sum (9-10-3) Movement of Tibet was established on September 27, 1991 in Dharamsala, India by ex-political prisoners of the Tibetan freedom movement. Initially organised by monks, nuns, and lay people, the Gu-Chu-Sum Movement grew out of the earnest, heartfelt wish to help the suffering Tibetans remaining in prisons in Tibet and to provide needed support to ex-political prisoners who have journeyed into exile. Gu-Chu-Sum is endorsed by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government-In-Exile, and the Indian Government. All 430 members of Gu-Chu-Sum are former political prisoners.The Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet was named according to the months in which major demonstrations occurred in Lhasa. "Gu" is for September 27, 1987, "Chu" is for October 1, 1987, and "Sum" is for March 5, 1988. On these dates major demonstrations were carried out by the three main monasteries in Lhasa, and the monks who participated were suppressed mercilessly by the Chinese Army. These monks were imprisoned for their efforts to regain Tibetan freedom and were brutally tortured, physically maimed, and often forced to do back-breaking labour while being fed starvation rations. Many of those tortured succumbed to their injuries and either died in prison or were released so that their families would have to deal with their relative's deaths. Currently, more than 130 prisoners of conscience are suffering torture, cold and starvation in Chinese prisons in Tibet.Our ActivitiesWe aim to follow the main agenda discussed during the general body meeting and administer the following daily activities:-• Informing the international community of the facts about Tibet and how many Tibetans are suffering under Chinese rule• Supporting political prisoners in Tibet• Supporting ex-political prisoners in exile• Collaboration with other NGOs• Organising talks and meetings with ex-political prisoners• Maintaining an extensive database on political prisoners and their treatment in Tibet• Publishing an annual magazine 'Tibetan Envoy' (Phonya) and 'Tibetan Envoy Newsletter' quarterly in both Tibetan and English languages• Publishing autobiographies of ex-political prisoners• Holding photographic exhibitions in different locations• Helping obtain healthcare for former political prisoners• Organising campaigns for the release of political prisoners• Providing a one-year computer and language course to our students along with residential accommodation at GuChuSum• Generating income for our activities by running a Tailoring Shop creating handmade Tibetan clothingInforming the international community of the facts about Tibet and how many Tibetans are suffering under Chinese rule:Throughout the year we report on new developments in Tibet, especially news about political prisoners. We organise talks led by ex-political prisoners so as to make more people aware of the suffering and anguish of Tibetans. We also publish the magazine 'Tibetan Envoy' once a year in both Tibetan and English. We have published a biography of nine ex-political prisoners in Tibetan and intend to translate them into English soon. We would also like to publish more biographies of ex-political prisoners. To provide accurate information on these various subjects, we are constantly updating our extensive database.Supporting political prisoners in Tibet:GuChuSum provides much needed assistance to political prisoners who continue to suffer in Chinese prisons within Tibet. We provide financial and moral support for these prisoners as well as to their families and organise campaigns working for their release.Supporting ex-political prisoners in exile:We provide the basic needs to the recently arrived former prisoners including housing, employment, medical care, education, job training, and economic assistance. Our goal is to meet the immediate needs while fostering ultimate self-sufficiency and self-reliance. At our new premises, Lung-ta House, we can accommodate about fifty people and we aim to give work experience to as many ex-political prisoners as possible.We have a library for use by the office staff and students. Nearby members can also use the library.Our cafeteria facility is used for the staff, trainees, and students, as well as for the members who come for treatment. All the members who come from the outside can have free food. During Monlam and other important teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, all the members who live outside Dharamsala can stay and have food at GuChuSum. Daily we have around eighty people who use our cafeteria facility.Collaboration with other NGOs:There are eight Tibetan NGOs in Dharamsala. Several times a year we organise, in collaboration with other NGOs, events such as peace marches, processions, letter writing campaigns, candle light vigils and hunger strikes. We also exchange information as much as possible so that we can all stay in touch with what is really happening in Tibet.Organising talks and meetings with ex-political prisoners:We regularly hold talks by ex-political prisoners at various places in Dharamsala and various educational centres and Tibetan settlements in India. These talks give a very vivid and human picture of prison life in Tibet and help to inform people about the atrocities occurring in Tibet under Chinese rule.Maintaining an extensive database on political prisoners and their treatment in Tibet:GuChuSum collects and releases information about political prisoners. It maintains a database on current and former political prisoners and also documents the death cases. We also collect testimonies from political prisoners who have escaped into exile. Through its networks in Tibet, Gu-Chu-Sum receives and disseminates information on political prisoners in Tibet and the conditions of those just released.Publishing an annual magazine 'Tibetan Envoy' (Phonya) and 'Tibetan Envoy Newsletter' quarterly in both Tibetan and English languages:Every year we publish the 'Tibetan Envoy,' an annual magazine which highlights the atrocities that are happening in prisons in Tibet today. So far we have published 9 volumes. 'Tibetan Envoy' in published in both English and Tibetan. The magazine contains the latest news about current and released political prisoners. It also contains a frequently updated report on current prisoners in Tibet and other information regarding GuChuSum activities.Since September 2004, we have published the 'Tibetan Envoy Newsletter' every three months in both Tibetan and English. We have also published special reports on certain issues like, 'The Tragic Fate of Bangri Rinpoche' and 'Gyatso Orphanage School.'Publishing autobiographies of ex-political prisoners:1. Life experience of Reting Tenpa Tsering2. Freedom and Tears - Phuntsok Wangchuk3. Ceaseless Tears and Blood - Drapchi Prison (description of Drapchi Prison)4. Life, In Search of Truth - Tenpa Phulchung5. The Path Crossed by Our Ancestors - Kunsang Rinzin6. The Courage to Rebel against Oppressors - Lobsang Tenzin7. Discussing the Vicissitudes of My Long Life - Ven. Thupten Tsering8. Struggle of Three Generations - Sonam Choedon9. The compiled works of Professor Lobsang Wangchuk10. I and My Brother - Tsering Sonam11. A Farmer's Diary - Rigzin Choenyi12. True Story of an Oldwoman - Dolma Choezom13. Lhaimie Yuloe Ngulthig - Yulo Trulku Dawa Tsering14. The Son of Mount Everest - Dingri Ngawang Holding photographic exhibitions in different locations:We have organized photo exhibitions and talks in different locations all over India. In the past few years, we have organised exhibitions in Bodhgaya, Hamirpur, and Chandigarh. These exhibitions depict the pain and agony of the Tibetan people, destruction of the Tibetan environment, as well as instruments used for torture, and others.We have conference hall cum photo-exhibition room on the third floor of our building. There are more than 200 rare photo collections depicting the 1980s demonstrations, wounded protestors, torture instruments, deforestation and His Holiness' journey into exile.Helping obtain healthcare for former political prisoners:GuChuSum looks after the healthcare of political prisoners both in exile and Tibet. We advise them on where to get proper medical treatment, send helpers with them when necessary, and reimburse medical and travel expenses. The helpers assist in communicating with medical staff in Hindi, as well as helping to take care of the patient's general needs.Organising campaigns for the release of political prisoners:Throughout the year, we organise several campaigns for the release of political prisoners through petition letters, campaign post cards and other media.Providing a one-year computer and language course to our students along with residential accommodation at GuChuSum:The most important way to assist refugees is to provide education in accordance with the new environment. We provide language proficiency, basic computer skills, employment skills, and self-confidence to assist in their reintegration into the community, as well as to encourage their self-reliance.Since April 2000, our school has been conducting a one-year course for former political prisoners and their family members. We teach basic computer skills, English, and Tibetan. The school has the capacity to accommodate 20 students and all students stay as boarders. After completing one year of schooling, many of our students become employed in various offices in our community.Generating income for our activities by running a Tailoring Centre & Shop, producing quality handmade Tibetan clothing:Tailoring Centre:The GuChuSum tailoring centre was established in 1991 to provide job training and employment to ex-political prisoners. In the beginning, it employed only a few tailors, but at present, it employs around twenty tailors, most of them being women. Currently, there are two tailoring centres with one in Mcleod Ganj and one on the premises of GuChuSum. These tailors can create monk's robes, Tibetan traditional clothes, bags, and various gift items, like small pouches, etc. We also take bulk orders according to your samples, make prayers flags, Tibetan national flags, etc.Lungta Restaurant: Lungta Japanese Restaurant, a popular Japanese restaurant in Mcleod Ganj serves traditional Japanese vegetarian cuisine from a part of Lung-Ta house. Several former political prisoners are trained in Japanese cuisine and are employed as chefs. Here they learn the art of Japanese cooking as well as communication skills. This is one way many ex political prisoners are able to sustain themselves by doing something productive. Part of the proceeds from the restaurant go to the care and running of GuChuSum. People who helped us along the wayOur thanks to the local Indian community and local government, volunteers, Tibetan friends and the Japanese charity Lungta.

In November 2003, a revolution took place in Georgia - a revolution of a kind the turbulent region had never seen before. Not one person was injured, not a drop of blood was spilled. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the flawed results of a parliamentary election. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, a man who had ruled Georgia for more than 30 years in total, as its Soviet-era Communist Party boss and its longest-serving post-independence president. Mr Shevardnadze told protesters they risked causing a civil war and he deployed hundreds of soldiers on the streets of Tbilisi. At that point, student demonstrators decided to give red roses to the soldiers. Many soldiers laid down their guns. Parliament stormed "People were kissing the police and military, it was really spectacular," said Giorgi Kandelaki, a 21-year-old student. Constitutional changes have boosted Mr Saakashvili's powers "And the roses of course which people had with them, which Misha carried with him into the parliament hall, that was the moment when people said that it was a rose revolution." Misha is Mikhail Saakashvili, the US-educated 35-year-old firebrand who, on 23 November, led the demonstrators to the parliament building. Along with thousands of his supporters he forced his way through the thick wooden doors of the parliament chamber where Mr Shevardnadze was inside, giving a speech. Mr Saakashvili held a long-stemmed red rose above his head and shouted "Resign!" He waved the rose in the face of Georgia's 75-year-old president. Mr Shevardnadze's bodyguards rushed him out of the parliament building by a back door. That was the moment that power changed hands in Georgia. In January 2004, Mr Saakashvili was elected president. The following month, the Georgian parliament passed constitutional amendments which strengthened the presidency at the parliament's expense, and gave the country a cabinet and a prime minister for the first time. Then in March 2004, Mr Saakashvili's National Movement-Democratic Front won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. In the first year after the revolution, dozens of former government officials were jailed on corruption and embezzlement charges. Their assets were confiscated and their savings moved to state coffers. One of Mr Saakashvili's two main allies in the Rose Revolution, Zurab Zhvania, became prime minister. The other, Nino Burjanadze, remained in her position as speaker of the weakened parliament.

 

The following letter was written by a resident of Lhasa, who wishes to remain anonymous. It gives a personal account of the current situation and the tense atmosphere in the city:

Yesterday it was quite hot outside and the soldiers guarding one of the petrol stations had a big umbrella to protect them from the intense sunlight. Today it’s the opposite: cold, cloudy and even light snowfall as storm-fronts hover over the mountains and sometimes close in on the valley. Like the weather here in Lhasa the rules are quickly changing too. One day you can go nearly everywhere, the next, military checkpoints won’t let you pass. At the beginning of last week it seemed life was getting back to normal. Guards at the checkpoints relaxed and they seemed not as serious anymore, and overall, there was less military on the streets. But then suddenly heavy military presence was back. A few days ago, in the evening, I walked up Beijing Road. As I did, many military trucks passed me and there were patrols everywhere, only a few cars were to be seen driving around, and the streets were near empty of civilian people. The atmosphere was tense and made the young, normally childish looking soldiers, suddenly look scary.

It is difficult to describe Lhasa these days, because you can only see a fraction of what is really going on. If you quickly glance at the city it may seem normal except for the old Tibetan centre, east of the Potala Palace. In the centre, the military has occupied every intersection and stand on every side street, diligently checking your identity card. Even the tiniest of alleyways have at least four military personnel, of whom at least one has a bayonet and all of them a shield, a baton and a helmet. The bigger intersections have more military, and people have to line up in order to get checked. Ethnic Chinese can pass these checkpoints much easier than local Tibetans. Tibetans living at Tromsikhang and the Barkhor area need a special permit, issued by the police, in order to be allowed to go in and out the immediate area surrounding their homes.

The square in front of the holiest Tibetan Temple, the Jokhang, normally a sea of people, prostrating, circumambulating and socialising, is now completely empty. In front of the square two military-men in blue uniforms strictly ensure nobody walks on the square. As back up, in case they miss a person, military-men in green suddenly appear out of nowhere to apprehend and push back person’s entering these normally public areas. The round pedestrian street circling the Jokhang is empty too. Only people living in this area are allowed to pass, but everyone is forbidden to do religious Koras around the Jokhang. Instead on the normally bustling retail and religious lanes you can only find small children playing football and other games, trying to get on with life, behind the military guards on these silent streets.

On Beijing Road and Sera Road the government has initiated road works. Sections of road are being dug up and replaced where cars were burnt during the March 14 protests leaving burned tarmac. Sidewalks on Beijing Road are being repaved as well after protesters used the pavement stones to throw and break shop windows. As you walk through Lhasa, you can still see many burnt or damaged shops. On Beijing Road alone, there are around 16 shops or shopping complexes burnt out, one of them being the Bank of China and one a jewellery store.

Not only are roads and shops getting rebuilt, but also some old, traditional Tibetan houses.

If you look casually around you may not think there is a heavy military presence anymore. However, if you look inside hotels and the courtyards of building, and walled grounds, you see trucks, tents and often companies of soldiers exercising. Wherever there is space, you find the military. They are hidden in any empty building, behind buildings and even in the hospital courtyard of Lhasa City Peoples Hospital.

Walking the streets of Lhasa, seeing big tea houses unusually empty and many shops still closed, makes you aware of how scared people are these days. Very few people stop on the street when they meet friends, because every gathering of people is cause for suspicion. A lot of people still stay at home because they are scared they will get arrested for no reason if they go out.

When you finally find someone not too scared to talk to you, you hear consistent, dramatic, disturbing and daunting stories that give you nightmares. But since they don’t have proof of what happened, it is difficult to inform the media. From the 14th of March 2008, there has been a heavy military presence throughout the city. But people are scared to take photographs because of the many security cameras which monitor the city. People were too scared to take photographs of the tanks in front of the Jokhang Temple and elsewhere in town. And since all the dead bodies got immediately carried away by the military or taken from people’s home during nightly military raids, nobody could prove their brother, relative or friend died. All they could do was confirm that this person had disappeared. All you hear are rumours about the death toll and the number of arrested people. These are anxiously passed on from person to person.

Yesterday I talked to a Tibetan man who was speaking for himself and his friends who want the world to know what is going on here. He asked me if I could pass all the information he has to foreign media, so people here could get help and don’t have to be so scared anymore. By talking to me he risked being arrested and being tortured in prison, but he seemed desperate enough not to care about that. In order to protect him, his family and friends and also myself, I will not mention details about the place we met, his age or job. This is what he told me:

“On March 14th in the afternoon we heard that there were demonstrations going on in front of Ramoche Temple. Later we saw four people dragging a person who was shot dead in front of the Jokhang and that was when we became really scared. Normally the government should use gas or water against protesters, but here they shoot them. So we went home as fast as possible.

In the evening my wife went to pick up our child from school around 6p.m. At that time the military was already on Jiangsu Road were the school was. The military was shooting at the locals who went to pick up their children. One woman got shot in her leg and one man was hit in the head or neck and he died. Later his brother wanted to get his body from the hospital, but the hospital didn’t want to give it to him. Finally the brother became so desperate that he threatened to burn himself and the hospital if they didn’t give his dead brother to his family. The hospital finally gave him his brother’s body, but just a few hours after that the military came and took the dead body away.

After March 14th whenever somebody died, you had to get three different papers in order to be allowed to bring the dead body to the sky burial place. If you didn’t have these papers you got pushed back inside your house with the dead body by the army; a very bad omen in Tibetan culture. These three papers one needed were from the local police, the hospital and a lawyer. The reason for this was that with this rule the government made sure that everybody who didn’t die under normal circumstances was found and taken away from the family, so nobody can take photographs and show them to friends or journalists outside Tibet. The problem for the people was that all the offices were closed during these days and therefore nobody could bring their dead family members to the sky burial place on the days they should have according to Tibetan astrology.

On March 14, 15 and 16 the military came around midnight to check the homes in our area for pictures of the Dalai Lama, and took everybody with them who didn’t have an identity card. They also had with them pictures of people who were in the demonstrations and they compared them with our faces. About 50 military men with guns came to our home and searched everything. We stayed at home for three days, only going out to go to the toilet and we only had tsampa to eat, and people whose home ran out of gas couldn’t even boil water. The gate to our house complex was closed and there were soldiers posted in front of it. If you went out, you got beaten up quite badly by them. After three days everybody who worked for the government got a phone call and had to go back to work. Without this working permit we were still not allowed to go out. I know at least seven people who got arrested and one who got shot for going out without a working permit.

When the foreign journalists were in Lhasa, I think it was from 27th to 29th of March, the military suddenly disappeared from the streets. Instead of wearing their military uniform they changed into traffic police uniforms, gatekeeper uniforms or civil dress and they were hiding inside buildings and behind corners where the journalists couldn’t see them. We were suddenly allowed to go everywhere; there were no checkpoints for those three days. When the journalists were allowed to walk around by themselves, officials in normal clothes or traditional dress followed them, answered their questions and took photographs of individuals who talked to the press. We wanted to tell the press what is going on here in reality, behind the show that was being performed for them, but we didn’t have any chance to get close to them without being punished for that later. When we finally heard that the Jokhang monks told them the truth we were very happy.

The pilgrims inside the Jokhang temple at the time were all elderly officials who were forced to go there for pilgrimage on those three day. Normally these people are not allowed to engage in any religious activities, but on those days they had to go. A lot of the other officials were given leave from their office and were told to go to the Barkhor and the Potala, if possible with their families, so that it looked like there was a lot of freedom in Lhasa.

After the journalists left the military immediately came back in strength, and we heard that the Jokhang monks got arrested for their statements to the foreign media and foreign officials two days later.

Between 17th and 20th of April most of the monks were taken away from Sera to an unknown place. Sera Monastery normally has over 300 monks but now there is only a handful left who care for the chapels. Around midnight about fifteen to twenty military trucks came and detained the monks. We have this information from inside the monastery and also from an abutting (?) owner. But we don’t know what is happening in Drepung and Ganden, two of the biggest monastic centres around Lhasa, but we have heard that monks have been arrested and taken out of Lhasa.

From the monasteries around Lhasa a lot of monks and nuns got taken away too and the ones who are still at their monastery are under house arrest. We think the government is worried that when the Olympic flame is in Lhasa there will be new protests by the monks and nuns. That’s why they detain them. They took all of them, no matter if they protested on March 10th and the following days or not, Only chapel custodians, drivers and a few other monastery workers are allowed to stay in the monasteries.

Lately there are only a few monks to be seen on the streets. It is dangerous for them, because on the Tibetan TV channel they said that for every suspicious person you report to the police you will get RMB20,000. In reality you only get about RMB2000 but still some people call when they see monk or nuns. Since last week all Tibetans who are not from Lhasa have been ordered to go back to their home districts, except students and teachers studying at government schools. Now the police come to your residence and make you leave Lhasa if you are not from this city. When the Olympic Torch will be in Lhasa only local people and Chinese will be allowed to be here. They did something like this a few years ago at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet.

There is a big problem in the jails now. There is not enough food, not enough water and not enough blankets. The prisoners have to sleep on the ground and sometimes they only get one cup of water a day and nothing else. This way they get health problems, their bodies get really weak and they sometimes die, either in prison or after they are released. The prisoners get beaten very badly. They especially hit prisoners in the kidney, liver and gall-bladder region so prisoners get internal injuries and die slowly. I know this from three friends who were just released from prison.

We are so worried about our friends and family members who are in prison. We need to help them, but we don’t know what to do. That’s why we have to tell the foreigners so the world will get to know and help us. The situation is controlled very tightly here in Lhasa. Without ID cards you cannot go out and if you live at Tromsikhang or Barkhor you need a special paper. Wherever there is a gathering or argument people get arrested.

At the schools and in the offices people have to write reports and confessions about the 14th of March and they have to speak ill of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When they write about the Dalai Lama they are only allowed to write Dalai, and not Lama. Otherwise they have to write it again. My child already had to write such reports three times.

We are scared and worried about the prisoners. After the demonstrations, I saw some military vehicles like they use in the Iraq war, the same vehicles I saw in the news about Iraq. (probably tanks or armoured troop carriers. ed) but they were in our city. I thought these vehicles are only allowed in war between two countries. On the Tibetan TV News one presenter said that the military did a very good job since this was their first experience with something like war and a good opportunity for them to practise how to shoot and how to kill people.

Now they are starting the preparations for the Olympic Flame to come here. They are putting up decorations on the Potala and Jokhang Square. Big Olympic Rings were set up in front of Jokhang and removed again yesterday evening”.

What this man told me, I have also heard from other people not connected to him in any way.

I have no doubt the Chinese government will forbid foreign tourists from visiting here for the next few months. Tibetans want a chance to tell their side of the story; they try to tell you what happened to them. They know they need help from outside and therefore I believe, by preventing tourism, the government has a way of controlling, censoring and suppressing the situation here. What has happened and continues to happen in Lhasa is extremely sad and scary. Never before have I heard monks talking about methods of torture used in local prisons and different gun types that were used by military during this year’s demonstrations in Lhasa. And never before have I seen Tibetan people so desperate and angry that they do things they know they will die for, or be put in prison for a long time.

With the up coming Labour Day Celebrations and Torch Relay in May anxiety has increased in Lhasa and fear of citywide house arrest has resulted in the stockpiling of food.

Every day you see people arguing with soldiers at checkpoints. A father and daughter wanted to pass a checkpoint however the military personnel told the man he was permitted but his daughter, who is not old enough to have an identity card, was refused access due to not having one.

But even in this difficult time you still see brave and good action. Yesterday I saw a little boy, around one or two years old; that I believed displayed a good example of Tibetan spirit. The baby looked as if he had just learnt how to walk and was out with his grandmother and her little dog. They were standing in front of the Jokhang Square where soldiers in blue uniforms ensured that nobody crossed the square. The baby walked up the three steps to the square and started to make prostrations towards the Jokhang while his grandmother also prayed but her frail body prevented her from prostrating as well. When the boy finished he looked at the guards, then at his grandmother, and then started to walk closer to the temple. The guards looked at the baby, not knowing what to do. After about ten meters the baby boy stopped and prostrated again, then turned around, walked back to one of the guards and took his hand to say goodbye. Seeing this reminded me that all Tibetan people want religious freedom and the right to preserve their culture.

They are tired of writing papers against the Dalai Lama, of patriotic re-education and all the rules and regulations that make their life so difficult.

Lhasa, 27.04.2008

 

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Protest and Persuassion

Protest and Persuassion

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