China closes Tibet to foreign tourists: agencies, hotel

BEIJING (AFP) — China has closed Tibet to foreign tourists ahead of next month's highly sensitive 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, tour agencies and other industry people told AFP on Tuesday.
"Authorities asked tour agents to stop organising foreigners coming to Tibet for tour trips until April 1," an employee at a government-run travel agency in Lhasa, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, told AFP.
A hotel in the Tibetan capital and three travel agencies in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu that normally organise trips into Tibet also confirmed the ban for foreigners during March.
Chinese authorities have reportedly increased security in Tibet ahead of March 10, which marks the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule that led to the Dalai Lama fleeing his homeland.
China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending in troops to "liberate" the region.

Tibet clergy warned against protest

Source: Al Jazeera
Buddhist clergy in Tibet have been warned not to take part in any political activity in the run-up to the anniversary of last year's massive protests against Chinese rule.
The warning from Lobsang Gyaincain, a member of the Chinese communist party's regional standing committee, came in the wake of a reported crackdown earlier this week on Tibetan protesters in Lithang, a volatile traditionally Tibetan region in China's Sichuan province.
In comments reported in the official Tibet Daily newspaper, he said clergy must "refuse to take part in activities aimed at splitting the motherland, and not take part in illegal marches, demonstrations and other activities that disrupt social order."
On Wednesday Lobsang Gyaincain, who heads a body that directly supervises Buddhist temples and clergy, called a meeting of Buddhist leaders at which he was quoted as urging monks and nuns to recognise the "reactionary nature" of the Dalai Lama's supporters.
The meeting has been seen as an indication of mounting nervousness among Chinese officials ahead of next month's anniversary.
He reportedly also warned religious leaders to be wary of plots to use temples and the clergy to carry out "infiltration and disturbances".
Beijing's violent crackdown on protesters last March sparked international condemnationNext month marks 50 years since the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Earlier this week witnesses reported Chinese paramilitary police wielding truncheons and rifle butts broke up protests by ethnic Tibetans in Sichuan.
At least 21 people were arrested according to two Tibetan advocacy groups.
China insists that Tibet has been part of its territory for four hundred years, althoughmany Tibetans say they were effectively an independent nation for much of that time.
Last year, what began as peaceful anti-government protests to mark the anniversary of the 1959 uprising turned into massive demonstrations that rocked Lhasa, the capital of the Chinese autonomous region, badly affecting the economy and once-thriving tourism industry.
State-run Chinese media have reported that more than 100 monks and others have been jailed for their part in the March protests.

China complains about Rome award for Dalai Lama

BEIJING: China complained Tuesday after Rome made the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen, saying the decision offended the Chinese.
China accuses the Tibetan spiritual leader of backing separatists in Tibet, and speaks out loudly whenever he receives an award or meets a world leader.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate received the honor during a ceremony Monday in which Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno also pledged his support for the Dalai Lama's struggle to seek greater autonomy for Tibet.
Alemanno presented the Dalai Lama with a small statue of the she-wolf, a symbol of Rome.
"We express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news conference. She said the award had "offended the Chinese people."
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Beijing canceled a China-EU summit late last year after French President Nicolas Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama.
"We hope the Italian side will take seriously China's concern and take effective measures immediately to eliminate negative impacts and safeguard sound and stable development of bilateral relations," Jiang said.
She did not say what the negative impacts could be.
In Rome, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that it "firmly backs" a "one-China policy" and said Italy's municipalities "are autonomous and make decisions independently from the government."
The Dalai Lama was in Venice on Tuesday where he also was to receive honorary citizenship.
The awards come ahead of a sensitive time in Tibet. Next month marks the 40th anniversary of a failed uprising there against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama was forced to flee into exile in India after the uprising was crushed.
There were violent riots in Tibet's capital of Lhasa last March.

FACTBOX - Sensitive anniversaries in China in 2009

(Reuters) - Protests could surround the following politically sensitive anniversaries in China this year, adding to government worries about unrest as unemployment rises:
TIBET - The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, fled into exile 50 years ago in March after an abortive Tibetan uprising. Monks' protests that broke out across the Tibetan region and escalated into deadly riots last year could occur again around March 10, the start of the 1959 uprising.
TIANANMEN PROTESTS - Hundreds were killed when Beijing sent the military to crush student-led pro-democracy protests in and around Tiananmen Square 20 years ago this June 4. Demonstrations could be led by families of victims or intellectuals who signed "Charter 08," a document calling for democratic reforms issued in December.
FALUN GONG - July marks 10 years since Beijing banned the Falun Gong, a spiritual movement that draws on Buddhism, Taoism and traditional Chinese breathing exercises. Falun Gong has since accused Beijing of detaining and torturing tens of thousands of adherents, which China denies. Falun Gong supporters who have staged protests in China and abroad could plan demonstrations in Beijing.
NATIONAL DAY - Beijing will hold a major military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist China's founding on Oct 1. Dissidents could use the day to demonstrate for political reforms.

Dalai Lama leave hospital, feels 'almost normal'

NEW DELHI - The Dalai Lama said Tuesday he was feeling much better after being treated in a New Delhi hospital for a pain in his left arm that doctors diagnosed as a pinched nerve.
The 73-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who underwent three hours of medical tests Monday, returned Tuesday to the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala, where he has his headquarters.
Speaking to reporters before his departure, the Dalai Lama said he was feeling "much better, almost normal."This treatment would not affect a visit to Italy and Germany, scheduled to begin Feb. 8, said Tenzin Takhla, his spokesman.
The Dalai Lama has had a number of health problems in recent months that have interrupted his busy schedule of international travel to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetan struggle for more freedom under Chinese rule.
The spiritual leader has lived in exile in Dharmsala since fleeing Tibet following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule over the Himalayan region.
In October, he had surgery to remove gallstones, while in August he was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort. His aides said then he was in good condition, but doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.
Following March protests in Tibet, China has stepped up its campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, accusing him of leading a campaign to split Tibet from the rest of the country.
The Dalai Lama has denied the allegations, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for the region to protect its unique Buddhist culture.
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Dalai Lama resting after treatment: spokesman

NEW DELHI (AFP) — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was resting in his home-in-exile Tuesday after being treated for a pinched nerve in hospital, his spokesman said.
"He is in residence, wearing a collar which has been prescribed," Tenzin Taklha told AFP.
The 73-year-old Buddhist monk had been rushed by air to New Delhi's Apollo hospital on Monday from his home in the northern hill town of Dharamshala after he complained of discomfort.
He was released the same day after being prescribed medication and spent the night in New Delhi recovering.
"He will resume his schedule tomorrow as audiences are lined up for religious discourses," said Taklha.
The Dalai Lama was admitted to a New Delhi hospital in October last year for keyhole surgery to remove stones from his gallbladder.
A similar health-related episode last August forced him to cancel regular engagements and be admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamshala since he fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.