Dalai Lama too soft, say Tibetan 'radicals'

Dalai Lama too soft, say Tibetan 'radicals'



TIBETAN spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been criticised by prominent radical exiles demanding a review of his non-violent campaign for autonomy within China.

The leader of the pro-independence Tibetan Youth Congress publicly criticised his refusal to call for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics and urged protests in the Himalayan region to continue.

He said an explosion of protests and rioting in the vast Himalayan region signalled the 72-year-old Dalai Lama, who has lived in northern Indian since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising in 1959, was out of step with his people.

"China does not deserve to host the Olympics. Human-rights issues inside Tibet have deteriorated. It's evident they do not deserve the Olympics,'' Tsewang Rigzin said in Dharamshala, the hilltop base of the Tibetan exile community.

The Dalai Lama had yesterday condemned China's "rule of terror'' and "cultural genocide'' in Tibet, but said Beijing should be "reminded to be a good host'' of the Olympics - and did not call for a boycott.

According to the Tibetan government-in-exile and aides to the Dalai Lama, the Chinese crackdown in Tibet left about 100 Tibetans dead, though it could be "hundreds''.

China has rejected those estimates, saying today that Tibetan rioters killed 13 "innocent civilians'' during the protests and also said it did not use lethal force to quell the rioting.

Mr Rigzin said there was now mounting frustration among Tibetans over the Dalai Lama's so-called "Middle Way'' policy - a non-violent campaign for autonomy rather than independence for his homeland, a region that China considers to be an undisputed part of its territory.

"I disagree with his stance,'' Mr Rigzin said.

"There is a ground frustration within the Tibetan community, especially in the young generation. After six years of dialogue (with Beijing), there are still fundamental differences,'' the prominent activist said.

"There are a lot of frustrations. I certainly hope the Middle Way approach will be reviewed,'' Mr Rigzin said.

"As we can see from the protests here and all over the world, the Tibetan people remain committed to achieving independence.''

The ever-cheerful Dalai Lama argues his approach is the most realistic, with China certain to never give up its sovereignty over Tibet.

But many younger Tibetans say this considered approach has not yielded any results, with his people continuing to flee their homes and China continuing to cement its grip over Tibet.

"Everyone knows my principle - knows (it is) completely non-violence. Violence is almost like suicide,'' the Nobel peace laureate said yesterday.

The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Samdhong Rinpoche, also said the alternative to non-violence was difficult to even contemplate, saying: "I cannot easily believe the Tibetan people would resort to violence.''

But Lhagyal Tsering, a teacher in Dharamshala, signalled many of the over 100,000 refugees living in India may start looking elsewhere for leadership.

"We're demanding a peace dialogue between His Holiness and the Chinese. But at the moment, Dalai Lama is out of the picture. It's a Tibetan people's movement,'' he said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23394296-401,00.html?from=public_rss







So the chinese are under a big microscope with the lead up to the Olympics... what's everyone's opinion on the situation between Tibet and China

also what are people's opinons of China hosting this year's Olympics?


Please keep it respectful

I dont know how an aggressive attitude suggest by some Tibetan leaders would work. China is determined to stay put in Tibet and wont flinch to crush every aggressive movement with a heavy hand, specially when there is little support to the Tibetan cause in the international community. I have to agree with the Dalai Lama that the only way to end the crisis is to find a middle ground. China will never grant Tibet independence, so autonomy is the best that can be hoped for.

The history of human rights violations by China goes beyond Tibet. In recent years the world has been awed by the rapid development and technological advancement that have taken place in China. However beneath the glitter, the conditions of the peasants who form the majority of the Chinese population continue to be deplorable and they are treated as second class citizens.

I dont think China deserved the Olympics if the Olympics indeed is a sign of acceptance of China's policies in the international community. However as a culture with a rich history and having the world's largest population, the people of China probably deserved the Olympics.

China to 'crush, smash' Tibet protesters

From correspondents in Beijing
March 22, 2008 02:01pm

CHINA said today it would pursue its crackdown in Tibet to the bitter end in a bid to smash opposition to Beijing's rule in the remote region.

Turning a blind eye to appeals for dialogue with Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the People's Daily, mouthpiece of the ruling communist party, said the "Dalai clique'' must be shattered.
"China must resolutely crush the conspiracy of sabotage and smash 'Tibet independence forces','' the newspaper said in an editorial.
Earlier today, China said the death toll in rioting in Lhasa had risen to 19, including one police officer, from the previous official toll of 13 civilians, and that 623 people had been injured.
Tibet's government in exile has put the "confirmed'' death toll from a week of unrest across the Himalayan region and neighbouring provinces at 99.
In a commentary, the People's Daily said that "1.3 billion Chinese people, including the Tibetan people, would allow no person or force to undermine the stability of the region''.
"It is for that very purpose that China resolutely cracks down on and severely punishes a handful of lawless criminals.''
It said the Dalai Lama masterminded anti-Chinese unrest in the hope of undermining the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics and splitting Tibet from China.
The exiled Tibetan leader says he wants more autonomy not independence for Tibet and dialogue rather than confrontation with China.
The Lhasa protests began last week to mark the anniversary of a 1959 uprising against Beijing's rule of Tibet, amid widespread anger over what Tibetans say have been brutal and repressive policies.




http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23416036-401,00.html?from=public_rss

Tibet protests to keep out 'bloodstained' torch

From correspondents in Ancient Olympia
March 24, 2008 07:41am



A TIBETAN freedom student activist today called on the International Olympic Committee to keep the "bloodstained" torch of the Beijing Olympics from crossing into the Himalayan province which has suffered a week of deadly unrest.

"Taking China's bloodstained Olympic torch through Tibet to the top of Mount Everest would be adding insult to 50 years of injury that the Chinese government has inflicted on the Tibetan people," Tenzin Dorjee, deputy director of Students for Free Tibet, said.
"I demand on behalf of the Tibetan people that the IOC drop Tibet from the China Olympic torch route."
Hours earlier, IOC President Jacques Rogge had argued that the Olympic Games can be a factor for change in China but "are not a panacea for all ills".
"The events in Tibet are a matter of great concern to the IOC...but we are neither a political nor an activist organisation," he said.
"We believe that China will change by opening the country to the scrutiny of the world through the 25,000 media who will attend the Games," Mr Rogge said.
But Mr Dorjee insisted that "Mr Rogge and the IOC are personally responsible for what happens in Tibet", where a week of unrest following demonstrations against China's 57-year rule of the province are feared to have killed around 100 people.
Mr Dorjee was part of a small Tibetan delegation who tried to light a symbolic protest flame in ancient Olympia on March 10, but were stopped by Greek police.
The Chinese have planned a separate relay leg for the Olympic flame, which will be kept in a special lantern that will be transported to base camp at Everest, ready for the ascent of the world's highest peak.
In Olympia this weekend, concern about anti-Chinese protest has brought unprecedented levels of security ahead of a Monday ritual to light the flame that marks the countdown of the Games.
Uniformed and plainclothes police were patrolling the town streets and the hills around the ancient stadium where the ceremony will be held, while the usual presence of spectators along the relay route has been forbidden.
Hotels have also been told to open their guest lists to police inspection.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23422038-401,00.html?from=public_rss

The history of human rights violations by China goes beyond Tibet. In recent years the world has been awed by the rapid development and technological advancement that have taken place in China. However beneath the glitter, the conditions of the peasants who form the majority of the Chinese population continue to be deplorable and they are treated as second class citizens.

Click to expand...

I agree Rocky the class issue in China is very depressing.

It is obvious that official China absolutely has no interest to increase pressure on Tibetans prior to Olympics, so provocateurs are responsible for the latest "death toll". On the contrary, there were acts by official government to "mild" situation in the region in recent years, even though for "radicals" it is not sufficient.

Human/animal right concerns exist for every country which hosted Olympics, so either there should have been protesting outcry of equal scale for every games' host, or situation is hypocrisy/double standard, as usual in politics.

Of course, I do not say with this that human/rights should be oppressed. However, single standard/equality principle should be applied to every county and its problems.

denisrs said:

It is obvious that official China absolutely has no interest to increase pressure on Tibetans prior to Olympics, so provocateurs are responsible for the latest "death toll". On the contrary, there were acts by official government to "mild" situation in the region in recent years, even though for "radicals" it is not sufficient.

Human/animal right concerns exist for every country which hosted Olympics, so either there should have been protesting outcry of equal scale for every games' host, or situation is hypocrisy/double standard, as usual in politics.

Of course, I do not say with this that human/rights should be oppressed. However, single standard/equality principle should be applied to every county and its problems.

Click to expand...

I don't remember cleaning the streets of animals in Sydney when Australia hosted the games in 2000, but then again we were one of the first countries not to end up with an enormous debt at the end of the event.

If China's people think they are suffering now, wait until the games are over and the country slides into debt -_- :no: