50 Tibetans held in Nepal for protesting against China

Kathmandu, June 27 (PTI) Nepalese police today detained over 50 Tibetans protesting against Chinese rule in Tibet, a day after the United States expressed concerns over the harsh treatment meted out to the Buddhist exiles by the security forces in Kathmandu.
Chanting anti-Beijing slogans, over 50 Tibetans gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy's visa office, protesting against the Communist rule in their country. The police broke up the protest and detained over 50 Tibetans, including monks and nuns, officials said.

The United States has expressed serious concerns over the harsh treatment meted out by Nepalese security forces to Tibetans, particularly three leaders of the Buddhist community, linked to the anti-China protests in Kathmandu.

Nepal police has arrested Kalsang Chung, Ngawang Sangmo and Tashi Dolma, raiding their houses and accusing them of instigating anti-China activities in Nepal. They have been put in jail under the draconian Public Security Act with three month sentence.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the Government of Nepal's recent detention without charge of Tibetan community activists Kelsang Chung, Ngawang Sangmo, and Tashi Dolma. We call for their immediate and unconditional release," the State Department's Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.

The official asked Kathmandu "to adhere to its international human rights obligations as Nepal continues on its path as a democratic nation." Nepal has also been criticized by human rights groups for its handling of the Tibetan protests, which have been an almost daily occurrence since March. Tibetan refugees have been protesting in Kathmandu since unrest broke out in Lhasa in March that was violently suppressed by the Chinese Communist regime. PTI

US asks Nepal to release pro-Dalai Lama leaders immediately

WASHINGTON: Demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of three pro-Dalai Lama leaders in Nepal, the US on Friday voiced "deep concern" over the "harsh" treatment of Tibetan protesters in the Himalayan country.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the Government of Nepal's recent detention without charge of Tibetan community activists Kelsang Chung, Ngawang Sangmo, and Tashi Dolma. We call for their immediate and unconditional release," the Department's Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said in a statement.

Under intense pressure from China, Nepal launched its strongest crackdown on Tibetan refugees on June 19, arresting the three top pro-Dalai Lama leaders and 700 other activists.

The US official said the "ongoing harsh treatment" of peaceful protesters during their arrests by the Nepali police is distressing.

"We understand and respect Nepal's national security concerns and the importance of protecting diplomatic premises," Casey said and urged Nepal to "ensure the humane treatment of peaceful protesters".

The official asked Kathmandu "to adhere to its international human rights obligations as Nepal continues on its path as a democratic nation."

Three Tibetans arrested for pro-Dalai Lama demonstration

The Nepalese government supports the one-China policy, and considers it a crime to demonstrate against repression in Tibet. According to the police, the three activists "broke the law on public safety".


Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - On the International Day for Refugees, the Nepalese government arrested three Tibetan activists, who are accused of "fomenting anti-Chinese activities in the country". According to the charges, the three (who were demonstrating in in favour of the Dalai Lama) are also guilty of violating the "one-China policy" adopted by Kathmandu.

The police have confirmed the arrest of Kelsang Chung, director of the Tibetan Refugee Centre, and Ngawang Sagmo and Tashi Dolma, leaders of the Tibetan Women`s Association. Speaking to AsiaNews by telephone, Chung says: "We are not doing anything wrong. The government is not allowing us to fight for democratic rights. These are false accusations".

Sarbendra Khanal, head of the local police, explains that the three were arrested on the basis of the law on public safety, and can be held in jail for 90 days even without formal accusation. The International Campaign for Free Tibet has criticised the arrests and asked for the immediate release of the three activists.

Nepal does not allow anti-Chinese protests on its territory, and considers Tibet an inseparable part of China. According to some estimates, at least 20,000 Tibetans fled to Nepal during the revolts against the Maoist invasion in 1959.

I am an honest friend of China: Dalai Lama

MELBOURNE: The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, believes that he is an honest friend of China and describes himself as pro-Chinese.

"Actually as far as social economy goes, I'm a Marxist. I am more red than the Chinese leaders, who seem to be only concerned with money. In Marxist theory there is a concern with the equal distribution of wealth. So this has a moral principle which capitalist theory doesn't," he said.

"I don't agree with the authoritarian side. Authoritarianism has ruined Marxism," The Australian quoted him, as saying.

The Dalai Lama does not seek independence from China for Tibet and the six million Tibetans who live there and in surrounding Chinese provinces. Nor does he support violence of any kind, not that directed at the Chinese state or conducted by anyone else.

He proposes a middle way, in which China would grant Tibet a degree of internal autonomy under a one-country, two-systems style of arrangements somewhat similar to those pertaining in Hong Kong.

The Dalai stressed how pro-Chinese he is, and said that he has never urged a boycott of the Beijing Olympics and wants other countries to go to Beijing.

The Australian reported that he supported China's entry into the World Trade Organisation and has consistently supported all reasonable outside engagement with China.

However, he also tells the truth about China's behaviour inside Tibet, which is frankly appalling and accuses Beijing of undertaking cultural genocide in Tibet.

"The Chinese Government accuses us, they say these problems (demonstrations in Tibet) are started from outside, by the Dalai clique," the Dalai Lama said.

"So I want to carry out investigations. I say to the Chinese, please allow the international community, the international media, to go to Tibet, and I say to the international community and media, please go there and see what's happening," he added.

In the fifth round of talks in February 2006, he told The Australian, the Chinese acknowledged that Tibetans were not seeking independence: "But then in April-May 2006 the Chinese intensified their accusations against me as a splittist, and political repression in nunneries and monasteries (in Tibet) increased."

As a result, he says, his own people are criticising his moderate, middle-path approach.

The Dalai Lama is hopeful of one day returning to Tibet after forging a compromise with Beijing. He does not believe the communists can win forever through repression alone.

Dalai Lama baulks at Sharon Stone's 'karma' quake remark

SYDNEY (AFP) — The Dalai Lama distanced himself Thursday from Hollywood star Sharon Stone's controversial comment that China's earthquake was bad "karma" for its handling of Tibet.

Stone cited the Tibetan spiritual leader as her "good friend" when she made the remark at the Cannes film festival last month.

Confirming "yes, I've met that lady", the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Sydney he did not share her viewpoint on the May 12 quake that killed nearly 70,000 people.

"Of course from a Buddhist viewpoint, every event is karma," the 72-year-old monk said.

"Tragedy in Tibet, tragedy in Burma (Myanmar), tragedy in China, all this is karmic ... but her particular sort of comment -- that I don't know."

Stone has apologised for the remark, which sparked outrage in China and prompted Christian Dior to drop her from its advertisements in the country.

On May 12, a massive earthquake struck China's southwest Sichuan province, leaving nearly 88,000 people dead or missing.

The tragedy occurred after Tibet was rocked by unrest in March, when the Dalai Lama's aides estimate 203 people were killed in protests against Chinese rule and a subsequent crackdown in the region.

China says it killed no one and that "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.

Australian Govt silent on talks with visiting Dalai Lama

Sydney, June 10: The Australian government remained tight-lipped today about any plans for high-level talks with the Dalai Lama when he visits this week.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is due to arrive in Australia tomorrow on the second leg of a five-country world tour which started in Britain last month, where he was met by Prime Minister Gordon Brown despite protests by Beijing.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of fomenting secessionist unrest in Tibet, where a clampdown on dissent in march brought international criticism of Beijing's policies in the Himalayan region.

Australian premier Kevin Rudd, a mandarin speaker and avowed Sinophile, is on a trip to Japan and Indonesia and his spokesman said that he would not be back in time to meet the monk.

The Australia Tibet Council Support Group said, however, that Rudd would have time to meet the Dalai Lama before he left Australia next Monday and urged him to do so.

"Rudd was to the forefront of recent international diplomatic efforts to encourage direct talks between the Chinese government and the dalai lama but so far appears less than enthusiastic to meet the Dalai Lama himself," said spokesman Paul Bourke.

Rudd publicly raised concerns over human rights issues in Tibet when he visited Beijing in April and it is seen as unlikely that his government would snub the Dalai Lama.

Bourke admitted that silence over whether any senior government representative would meet the Dalai Lama was most likely aimed at limiting the period Beijing has to protest ahead of any meeting.

China strongly criticised brown for meeting the Dalai Lama during his visit to London last month, calling it interference in China's internal affairs.

450 Tibetans detained in Nepal: police

KATHMANDU (AFP) — Police on Saturday detained 450 Tibetan activists, beating some with bamboo sticks and punching others, as they staged a pro-Tibet protest in Nepal's capital, officials and witnesses said.

Police rounded up the activists as over 500 Tibetans, mostly monks and nuns, crying "Down with China" and "Free Tibet," staged a rally near the sprawling royal pink palace, an area out of bounds to demonstrators.

"We detained around 450 Tibetan exiles as they tried to march into the off-limits area for protests," police officer Bharat Lama told AFP.

"We had to beat them as they forcibly tried to enter the restricted zone despite repeated warnings," Lama said, adding all would be freed later Saturday.

Police dragged the protesters to waiting police vans and shoved them inside.

Those who resisted were punched and kicked, an AFP reporter said.

The Tibetan exiles in Nepal began staging almost daily protests in Kathmandu in March after deadly unrest in their homeland.

They suspended their protests after a catastrophic earthquake hit China on May 12, leaving about 70,000 people dead, 18,000 missing and 15 million more homeless.

But this week they restarted protests in which usually hundreds of demonstrators gather, many are detained and are then released without charge.

They return the next day to be detained again.

Nepal officially respects its giant northern neighbour's "One China" policy that regards Tibet and Taiwan as indivisible parts of China.

More than 20,000 Tibetan refugees live in Nepal and around 2,500 still arrive annually in Kathmandu before heading to Dharamshala in northern India, home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Dalai Lama lauds Fukuda backing

Chiharu Mori / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

NOTTINGHAM, England--The Dalai Lama, who is currently visiting Britain, on Sunday expressed his appreciation of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's series of remarks on Tibet, in an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

"We very much appreciate them," the Dalai Lama said in the interview in this city in central England.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader also urged Japan to send further clear messages to China with regard to human rights issues.

"If you are a close friend [of China], it is important to make clear your friend's mistake," the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama also said he planned to visit Japan around November, after the Beijing Olympics.

When Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited Japan in April, Fukuda reportedly told Yang that China has to "squarely face the reality that the situation in Tibet has become an international issue."

In his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Tokyo in May, Fukuda asked Hu to make further efforts to dispel the concerns of the international community over the issue.

The Dalai Lama welcomed the Japanese government's firm stance against China, which insists that the Tibet issue is an internal affair, saying Fukuda's comments "were helpful to make clear some mistakes, [some] wrong policy carried out by the Chinese government."