Posted on 03/22/2008 7:01:20 PM PDT by indcons
China on Saturday vowed to “resolutely crush” the “Tibet independence forces” even as the Dalai Lama, Buddhist spiritual leader, warned that the younger generation may launch more vigorous and violent struggle against Beijing after his death.
Updating its earlier toll of 13 in the unrest in Lhasa, which started on March 10 coinciding with the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Communist rule in Tibet, Chinese authorities said the violence claimed the lives of 18 civilians and a police officer.
“[We must] resolutely crush the ‘Tibet independence’ forces’ conspiracy and sabotaging activities,” The People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), said in a hard-hitting commentary on Saturday as Beijing poured in thousands of Chinese troops to assert control in the restive Tibetans-inhabited regions of the country.
China alleged that the violent incidents were “masterminded” by the Dalai Lama “clique” with the “vicious intention” of undermining the Olympics and splitting China. The Dalai Lama has denied the charge, and said he is ready for a dialogue with Beijing. The Tibetan leader, however, cautioned China that his death may result in a more vigorous struggle by Tibetans against Communist rule as the younger generation had a “stronger spirit” to fight injustice.
“Both inside and outside (Tibet), the older generation may go away, but the newer generations carry the same spirit. Sometimes it’s even stronger. So after my death a younger generation will come up,” the Dalai Lama told the Newsweek magazine.
He said he was worried about the possibility of greater violence after him as he was fully committed to amity between the Tibetans and the Chinese. Amid attempts by the U.S. and other Western powers to ratchet up pressure on Beijing to hold a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, China hit back, claiming that nearly 100 countries had demonstrated their support to its action to maintain its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability in Tibet.
“It is a clear proof that the international community is on the side of China,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.
Dismissing the Dalai Lama as a political refugee engaged in activities of splitting China, Mr. Qin said China opposed any “encouragement or support” for the secessionist attempts of the “Dalai clique” which violated the basic principles of international relations.
China’s tough response came a day after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India and demanded an “independent, outside” investigation into Beijing’s allegation of the monk being the instigator. She also asked all “freedom-loving” people to speak out against China’s “oppression” in Tibet.
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, now on a visit to Paris, also criticised China’s actions, saying the crackdown in Tibet “is not correct.”
“The people there are being subjected to mistreatment that is not acceptable with the conduct of a world power, which China is,” Mr. McCain told reporters.
European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering said a boycott of the Beijing Olympics was “justified” if China shunned talks with the Dalai Lama.
China has insisted that the Dalai Lama must recognise Tibet and Taiwan as parts of China and undergo a “thorough review of himself” to create conditions for talks.
Authorities in Beijing said the charred bodies of five persons, including a married couple and an eight-month-old baby girl, were found in a motorcycle garage in Dagze county of Lhasa on Friday, taking the toll in the unrest to 19. Quoting the regional government, the official Xinhua news agency said 382 civilians were injured in the riots which also caused an economic loss of $ 34.59 million.
Beijing has also intensified its hunt for the “most wanted” suspects for the Lhasa riots, which had spread to Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan and Gansu provinces.
Police said 183 “perpetrators” of the riots had surrendered to them so far ever since a deadline was issued to turn themselves in before Monday midnight. — PTI
Which they have already started doing,.
Under Sarkozy, France has taken a very proactive role.
Ah! You, yourself, said it takes effort to look.I have found many Wal-Mart items(especially housewares) that are USA made.
Good. I shopped at Wal*Mart in the days when they were very proud to sell US goods (when Sam was still alive). I may have to try Wally World again.
So true. I really only started to pay real attention on Wednesday after I was working a movie premiere (movie set in Tibet) and one of the people who was to be a guest could not arrive sent a letter stating her regrets at not attending, but said there had been much violence in the last week.
I was just thinking that I wouldn’t be surprised if several countries, including the United States, boycott the Olympics altogether.
I made the argument earlier today that “ethnic cleansing” is not a bad concept, in and of itself. Now, it should be done with a minimum of bloodshed but the reason why I make such a claim is that sometimes you cannot co-exist with another people.
I’d argue the Jews would be better off sending off most of the Israeli Arabs elsewhere.
But anyway, the Chinese sent in lots of ethnic Chinese to assist in the cultural genocide of the Tibetan people and if Tibet somehow DOES gain an independence or autonomy or if they want to have a HOPE of that, they will have to expel the Chinese agents of influence, even if they’ve been there for 15-25 years. There simply is no relating to them or ‘hoping’ they assimilate to a unique culture and religious tradition.
Proactive it is, and may Baron Pierre de Coubetine won’t wake up from his grave and trottles Mr. Sarkozy.
No matter what happen or how ugly it is, Olympic shouldn’t become a political tools. Ancient Greeks and their neighbouring rivals has pledged to lay down their weapons and be politic-free before the Olympic games started.
China may be in hot water this time. But those who suggest Olympic boycott because of political purpose isn’t the winners at all. In fact all sides will end up with full of eggs and pies on their face.
On The Ground reports (through Japanese TV tonight).
Two of importance:
a) Troops pouring into Tibet from Communist China, are coming in from the furthermost areas with Red China, away from Tibet. i.e. reporters are noting vehicles coming in as far from as former Manchuria (Heiliungjang, etc). This confirms to the traditional Soviet and China crackdown of sending troops to rebelling areas with ethnics not connected in the remotest way to the area to be suppressed, to be more effective. It will be easy to order troops from Harbin to fire upon citizens in Lhasa in this way.
b) PLA troops are covering over their tanks that have the Chinese PLA marks ("81": 八一) for the 8th Route Army, with newspapers, to avoid coverage from foreign media or others (side and front of the tanks where these normally appear--a Japanese military specialist commented on the photos taken out of Tibet by Japanese tourists today). I saw these photos on Japanese TV just two hours ago.
(9:00 a.m. Eastern, Easter Sunday morning)
Don’t underestimate the power of keyboard warriors, if they’re seriously working to make something happen, rather than just aimless chatting.
Believe me, no country in this world got perfect human right record. My country Malaysia is one of them.
Human right matters need to be view wisely on the other and also, ourselves.
Sure, every country has problems. No shocker there. However, a sporting event pales in comparison to gross human rights abuses. In the end, the Olympics are just a big sports event.
BTTT...thanks
And all my prayers to the ancient Greeks. For my sincere hope that they won’t get unrest when they heard their fellow westerners sounded Olympic boycott. Olympic is a sacred ancient sport that no matter how bad is the host, it must never ever become a political tool.
Oh yes, I heard there’re lots of protest outside the Olympic fire ceremony. I hope that the Ancient Greeks won’t come out from their graves and strangle those who dare to sound the boycott.
What brand of crack are you smoking?
The Olympics are a sporting event. A big, subsidised one, but a sporting event none the less that a fraction of the public cares to watch. So, you’re telling the Tibetans and the oppressed in China, “Hey, put some ice on that, we have some games that trump your human rights.” As for the Olympics being a sacred ancient sport, you don’t read much history, do you? The current Olympics arose in the late 19th Century and were as much a peacenik idea as Esperanto and have about the same effect on forging human understanding.
Wir haben eine Live One.
ChiCom troll, and a bad one at that.
I think it’s time for all the “free Tibet” cheerleaders in Hollywood to buy a ticket to Lhasa and lend their famous faces to the front line of the movement. It’s bound to happen any day now, I’m sure ...
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