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China news tagged with: Tibet Dialogue (41)

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Tibetans Sentenced to Death

Two Tibetans were sentenced to death and two to death with a two-year reprieve for their role in the unrest in Lhasa last March. From the Guardian:

According to the Xinhua news agency, Lobsang Gyaltsen will be executed for arson attacks on two garment shops in central Lhasa on 14 March that killed a shop owner. The same sentence was handed down to Loyak for torching a motorcycle dealership in Deqen Township, which left five people dead, it said.

Suspended death penalties were passed on an accomplice, Kangtsuk, and on Tenzin Phuntsok who reportedly confessed to starting a separate lethal fire. A fifth defendant is still being tried.

“The three arson cases are among the crimes that led to the worst consequences in the 14 March riot,” the court spokeseman was quoted by Xinhua as saying. “Their crimes incurred great losses to people’s lives and property and severely undermine the social order, security and stability.”

Christian Science Monitor correspondent Peter Ford writes on his blog that the news was officially released by Xinhua in English before it was reported in the domestic media:

Bizarrely, the news first appeared Wednesday evening on the English-language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency. But nowhere was it to be found on the Chinese language service for another 24 hours.

That meant that, while the world knew, not a single paper in China ran a story Thursday about the first death sentences known to have been passed on Tibetans for last year’s riots, on individuals identified as Losang Gyaltse and Loyar – except the government-run “Tibetan Daily,” published in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital.

They put it in their hard-copy edition, but for some reason it was not findable on their website until Thursday afternoon. Only then did a handful of news portals elsewhere on the Chinese Web pick the story up.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that negotiations between Beijing and the TIbetan government-in-exile have stalled:

Speaking in London today, Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama’s envoy and chief negotiator, said the Tibetan leader remained committed to dialogue but he admitted the talks process was at a halt and that no new meetings were planned. The Dalai Lama was waiting for a sign from Beijing that it was serious about resolving Tibet’s myriad problems, he said. Meanwhile Tibetans wanted a “strong and clear” position by the international community to step up pressure on China.

Gyaltsen said China had imposed “undeclared martial law” in Tibet in recent months and had greatly increased its military presence to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first Tibetan uprising. Chinese forces had penetrated even the remotest areas and were building barracks in preparation for a long occupation, he said. Officials said repressive measures, including torture, remain in widespread use. A massive Chinese propaganda effort to “whitewash their subjugation of the Tibetan people” was underway at home and abroad in parallel with the continued banning of independent foreign media.
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- April 9, 2009 9:51 PM
Dalai Lama Welcomes China Openness to Talks

The International Herald Tribune reports on cautious moves to restart negotiations between Beijing and the Tibetan government-in-exile:

The Tibetan government-in-exile over the weekend welcomed China’s stated willingness to hold more talks with its envoys but stressed that it was ‘‘not seeking separation’’ and said it hoped Beijing would demonstrate sincerity in dealing with the region.

‘‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama is always ready to engage with the Chinese leadership to find a mutually acceptable solution to the problems of the Tibetan people,’’ Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said in a statement issued late Saturday.

The Chinese prime minister, Wen Jiabao, said Friday that China was open to more talks with envoys for the Dalai Lama as long as the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader renounced what Beijing describes as separatism.

The assertion that the Dalai Lama wants separation from China is ‘‘far from truth,’’ Samdhong Rinpoche’s statement said.

Xinhua has published reports that the Beijing-selected Panchen Lama, the second highest leader in Tibetan Buddhism, has made public statements backing Beijing’s policies in Tibet:

The Panchen Lama, one of the religious leaders of Tibetan Buddhism, went to the Cultural Palace of Nationalities to see the exhibition titled “50th Anniversary of Democratic Reforms in Tibet” that has been in running in Beijing since Feb. 24.

The Panchen Lama said documentary pictures, files and relics vividly reproduced the tragedy of slaves in old Tibet and the progress in human rights since the abolition of the serfdom.

Tibetan people could only achieve progress and have a bright future under the leadership of Communist Party of China, the Panchen Lama said.

Overseas groups are reporting a smattering of protests during the sensitive anniversary of last year’s unrest in Tibetan areas:

The Indian-based Tibetan government in exile said Sunday it has received new information about peaceful demonstrations in Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) county in western Sichuan province. The exile government said Chinese authorities arrested a Buddhist nun, a monk and two other Tibetans during protests in early March.

There was no immediate Chinese government confirmation.

Exile sources also reported scattered acts of protests in other Tibetan towns in the Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as neighboring Qinghai and Sichuan provinces. In some places, Tibetans were said to have written slogans on walls calling for Tibetan independence and the return of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Reuters has a timeline of the past year of protests in Tibetan areas.

Meanwhile, The National reports on exiled Tibetans who are using the Internet to try to engage Chinese citizens:

With each new interlocutor she gently introduces the subject of her homeland Tibet and if they seem responsive she tells them more about her culture, religion and the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet 50 years ago tomorrow.

Tsering is able to do this because she was brought up in Tibet where she received a Chinese education.

Now, as part of a groundbreaking project she and 10 other recent arrivals, are putting that knowledge to use, as they seek to bypass the Chinese government and speak straight to the Chinese people, in the hope that one day they will help shape Beijing’s policies.

Their job, however, is not an easy one.

Al Jazeera also has a report on Tibetans living in exile and their efforts to seek independence for Tibet:

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- March 15, 2009 6:22 PM
China Still Open To Tibet Dialogue: Govt

From AFP:

China said on Tuesday it was still open to dialogue with representatives of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, after the United Nations chief urged Beijing to continue the talks.

But, repeating its long-held position, China insisted that making headway in the negotiations was up to the Dalai Lama.

“The Chinese government… always expresses sincerity towards the contacts and negotiations, and the door to talks with the Dalai side is always open,” the foreign ministry said in a statement faxed to AFP.

“The key is whether the Dalai Lama examines and corrects his political stance, abandons his wrongful position on ‘Tibetan independence’ and genuinely matches his words with actions.”
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- December 16, 2008 7:31 PM
Dalai Lama Urges Caution in Tibet’s Dealings With China

From The Washington Post:

The Dalai Lama said it might be premature to cut off ties with China, which was one proposal at a week-long meeting of 600 of his countrymen at the headquarters of his government-in-exile in this north Indian town.

“Wait a month” and “then we’ll see” whether the Tibetan side will seek future contacts, the Dalai Lama told journalists at a Sunday morning news conference at his Namgyal Monastery.

With the Tibetan movement seeking fresh ideas this week, he stepped back from offering alternatives to his “middle way” approach, which seeks autonomy and compromise with China. Exiled leaders this week said they might push for full independence if China refuses to grant it autonomy soon.
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- November 23, 2008 6:36 PM
Senior Chinese Leaders Taunt Tibetan Leader

After talks broke down between Beijing and representatives of the Dalai Lama, Chinese officials have already begun talking about the septuagenarian religious leader’s passing. From The Globe and Mail:

The 73-year-old Tibetan leader, who has suffered a bout of ill health and hospital treatment in recent months, has already given up most of his political duties. Now he faces taunting from Chinese officials, who yesterday spoke openly of his “poor health” and his “passing away.”

The Dalai Lama, hugely popular in the West and in the exiled Tibetan community, has been the nemesis of the Chinese government for decades. Beijing accused him yesterday of planning “apartheid and ethnic cleansing” in his Tibetan homeland.

In a report later, China’s state news agency said the government is looking to the “post-Dalai Lama era.” It quoted an official who made repeated references to the advanced age and “poor health condition” of the Tibetan leader.

The remarks are certain to deepen the gulf between Beijing and the Tibetan exiles, who are planning a major summit from Nov. 17 to 22 to decide on a new strategy in the aftermath of the failure of the latest talks between the two sides.

According to an AFP report, the Dalai Lama would like to continue talks with China.
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- November 11, 2008 6:25 PM
China Says No Progess Made at Tibet Talks

From AP:

China said Monday that no progress was made at recent talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama and said it would never accept the exiled leader’s demands for greater autonomy for the mountain region.

The talks last week were frank and sincere but the “two sides had great divergence over China’s policy over Tibet,” said Zhu Weiqun, a vice minister of the United Front, the government department in charge of the talks.

“The sovereignty is the most fundamental issue. The Dalai has — by denying Chinese sovereignty over Tibet — been trying to seek a legal basis for his claims of independence or semi-independence over Tibet,” Zhu told a news conference.
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- November 10, 2008 2:17 AM
Tibetan Envoys Leave China After 8th Meeting

From the New York Times:

Senior envoys of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans, announced Thursday that they had presented Chinese officials in Beijing with a memorandum on “genuine autonomy” for Tibetans living under Chinese rule.

Two senior envoys of the Dalai Lama left Beijing on Wednesday. They had arrived in China on Oct. 30 for an eighth round of talks between Tibetan and Chinese officials.

The envoys represent the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala in northern India. They returned to India on Thursday and released a statement.

It did not elaborate on the talks or the memorandum, which seems likely to have set out details of the Dalai Lama’s longstanding call for autonomy in China, rather than independence, a stance that in the past has made Chinese authorities suspicious.

Read also China, after talks, strikes hard line on Tibet from AP:

A senior Chinese official who met this week with representatives of the Dalai Lama on Thursday ruled out giving Tibet the kind of autonomy that Beijing grants Hong Kong, saying the Tibetan spiritual leader should “face reality.”

The remarks by Du Qinglin, head of a government department in charge of the talks, were the first public comment by China since the two days of discussions ended Wednesday. They add to the pessimism over the negotiations after the Dalai Lama said earlier this week he was unsure if they would produce any breakthroughs.

“It is impossible for Tibet to become independent, semi-independent, or independent in a disguised form,” Du said in remarks carried by the official Xinhua News Agency. “The Dalai Lama should respect history, face reality, comply with the times and correct his political stance fundamentally.”
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- November 6, 2008 9:35 PM
Dalai Lama Accepts ‘Failure’ Over Tibet Talks With China

From Telegraph:

As envoys of the Dalai Lama this week prepared to stage fence-mending talks in China, the exiled spiritual leader urged Tibetans to be open to all possible options in relation to finding a resolution.

Speaking in Tokyo during a week-long visit for talks on spirituality, the Dalai Lama said: “My trust in the Chinese government has become thinner, thinner, thinner. Suppression (in Tibet) is increasing and I cannot pretend that everything is OK.

“I have to accept failure. Meantime among Tibetans in recent years, our approach failed to bring positive change inside Tibet, so criticism has also increased. So there is no other alternative than to ask people.

“Things (are) not going well… I have to accept failure.”
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- November 3, 2008 6:14 PM
China Plans Ethnic Tour for Dalai Lama Envoys

Chinese officials have plans to bring the Dalai Lama’s envoys to minority areas, in an effort to improve the fence-mending efforts. Reuters reports:

China plans to take the Dalai Lama’s envoys to visit a non-Tibetan minority, a source said on Friday, as they try to persuade their wary visitors Beijing is sincere about talks on the Himalayan region’s future.

[...] The rare trip out of the capital would be a chance for officials to showcase ethnic relations less fraught than those of Tibet, which erupted into deadly anti-Chinese riots in March.

But it is also a risky gamble because there are few areas of the country where minorities are entirely content, and most major ethnic groups have vocal advocates abroad who would be keen to undermine any picture of harmony presented by the government.
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- October 31, 2008 5:29 PM
Dalai Lama’s Envoys Due In Beijing For Fence-mending

From Reuters:

Envoys of the Dalai Lama fly to Beijing on Thursday for closed-door, fence-mending talks, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said, days after he expressed dismay at China’s attitude about Tibet’s future.

The talks, the eighth round since 2002 and the first after Beijing hosted the Olympics in August, come amid growing concern about the Dalai Lama’s health and the diminishing possibility of a meaningful settlement.

The exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate, revered by Buddhists in Tibet and elsewhere, has said he wants a high level of autonomy for Tibet, but not outright independence. China considers him a trouble-making separatist.

Read also New talks to be held with Dalai Lama team from China Daily.
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- October 29, 2008 11:04 PM
Dalai Lama Says He Has Given up on China Talks

The Dalai Lama has said that he has lost faith in the negotiations with China over Tibet’s status, and will not participate any further. According to AP, he told a public gathering in Dharamsala:

“I have been sincerely pursuing the middle way approach in dealing with China for a long time now but there hasn’t been any positive response from the Chinese side,” he said in Tibetan at a public function Saturday in Dharmsala, the north Indian town that is home to Tibet’s government-in-exile.

“As far as I’m concerned I have given up,” he said in an unusually blunt statement.

“The issue of Tibet is not the issue of the Dalai Lama alone. It is the issue of 6 million Tibetans. I have asked the Tibetan government-in-exile, as a true democracy in exile, to decide in consultation with the Tibetan people the future course of action,” the Dalai Lama said.
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- October 25, 2008 12:19 PM
Nicholas D. Kristof: After the Games, Tibet

From New York Times:

China’s cup runneth over. The Olympics are a milestone in Chinese history, a celebration of the Middle Kingdom’s return to international greatness after nearly two centuries of torpor and humiliation.

Yet the Olympics could end up being the second-most-significant event in China this year.

The Chinese leadership and the Tibetan government in exile have delicately discussed a possible visit by the Dalai Lama to China, nominally to commemorate the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan Province in May. That would be the first meeting between the Dalai Lama and Chinese leaders in more than 50 years and would give enormous impetus to resolving the Tibet question.

The opportunity arises in part because of the Dalai Lama’s public acknowledgement last week for the first time that he could accept Communist Party rule for Tibet. Previously, the Dalai Lama had seemed to demand something like the “one country, two systems” model of Hong Kong, and his concession was a courageous signal of his yearning to reach a deal with the Chinese government.
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- August 15, 2008 4:59 AM
An Olive Branch From the Dalai Lama

From New York Times:

When the Olympics open on Friday, the Dalai Lama won’t be there. Each side put out feelers about his attendance and was tantalized by the idea, but in the end the mutual distrust was too great to overcome.

Tibet is one of the major shadows over the Olympics and over China’s rise as a great power, sullying its international image and triggering unrest that is likely to worsen in coming years. Yet that doesn’t have to be.

In June, I sat down for a private meeting with the Dalai Lama, and we talked at length about what kind of a deal he and China might be willing to accept. He was far more flexible and pragmatic about a resolution of the Tibet question than public statements had led me to believe. But he also wonders if his engagement policy with China is getting anywhere: If the stalemate continues, he may just give up on Beijing.

I have continued the discussion with Tibetan officials since then (just as I have had similar discussions with Chinese officials), and China’s perception of the Dalai Lama as sticking rigidly to old positions is mistaken. The Dalai Lama recognizes that time is running out, and he is signaling a willingness to deal — comparable to the way President Richard Nixon sent signals to Beijing that he was ready to rethink the China-U.S. relationship before his visit to China in 1972.
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- August 6, 2008 7:38 PM
Lodi Gyari: Standing With The Dalai Lama

From NPR:

With the Olympics in Beijing less than a month away, the global spotlight is on China. The host nation’s human rights record is under renewed scrutiny, particularly its response to recent unrest in Tibet.

Lodi Gyari is the special envoy of the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader.

As the Dalai Lama’s chief negotiator, Gyari has twice traveled to meet Communist Party officials in Beijing since this spring’s widespread protests in support of Tibet’s push for self-rule. Those protests, which centered on the Olympic torch’s trip to Beijing, also set off counter-demonstrations in China and elsewhere.
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- July 22, 2008 8:03 PM
China Says It Is ‘Sincere’ in Tibet Talks

From AFP:

China Thursday rejected accusations by a representative of the Dalai Lama that it was not serious about talks over the status of Tibet.

“The central government is sincere about holding contact with the Dalai side,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters.

“Both sides have expressed their will to continue the contact.”

Kelsang Gyaltsen, an envoy of the Dalai Lama — Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader — said on Tuesday that Tibetans saw little point in the dialogue with Beijing, the last round of which ended at the beginning of the month.
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- July 18, 2008 6:33 AM