The Tibet PThe Tibet PThe Tibet PThe Tibet PThe Tibet P st st st st stBig Photo: Long life prayer to His Holiness Page1 Human Rights Annual Report 2009 Page 2 Facing Extremely Dangerious Page 3 Refugee Story Page 4 Tibet Talks Commence Page 5 China-Tibet Talks Page 6

Internet Censorship

Tibetan Women

A witness of 2008 Protest

Conference on Tibet

Bi-MonthlyB o d - K y i - Cha- Trin

I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Rs.5Vol. 01, Issue 10, 31 January 2010T P I Forum Ninth Round

www.thetibetpost.com

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WFDA report highlights Google censor-ship case and unjust Chinese arrests

The World Forum for Democracy in Asia(WFDA) published a press release on the latesthuman rights abuses and positive developmentsin the region. The report highlighted events inChina and Tibet, noted below.

China: The high-profile dispute between Googleand China has put the spotlight on issues ofinternet censorship. Some democracy andhuman rights groups are cautiously optimisticthat this could be a breakthrough in the strugglefor Internet freedom in China, which would

......See page 6

See detail on page 4

China Holds Meeting On De-velopment In Tibet

TWA calls for women’s reproductive andsexual health rights at international platform

As a member of the Women's Global Network forReproductive Rights (WGNRR), the TibetanWomen's Association (TWA) represented WGNRRat the 1st International Congress on Women's Healthand Unsafe Abortion (ICWHUA) in Bangkok 20-23 January. The conference was organized by theWomen's Health and Reproductive RightsFoundation of Thailand (WHRRF).

Exiled Tibetan Rights Group ReleasesHuman Rights Annual Report 2009

Dharamsala: Mr. Urgen Tenzin, Executive Director of the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Center forHuman Rights, and Assistant Director Mr. Jampa Monlam have just released the organization's2009 annual report on the human rights situation in Tibet. The report consists of two books inTibetan and English, and reporters are invited to the release ceremony.

The Executive Summary began by stating that 2009, "marked 50 years of exile for Tibetanspiritual leader Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people. During these five decades, the Tibetan peoplehave suffered enormous hardship and systematic human rights abuses by the government ofPeople's Republic of China. Human rights violations continue with impunity and there is no signof reform by the government."

The report cited the Chinese government's aggressive implementation of death sentences as oneexample of its abuses. Despite international and UN appeals, the Chinese carried out numerousexecutions in Tibet, and East Turkestan, as well as that of a mentally ill Briton for whom theBritish government sought clemency.

According to the summary, 2009 saw 145 known cases of detentions or prison sentences. Out ofcontinued on page 2 .....Detail on page 6

The 9th Round of China-Tibet Talks Commence

Dharamshala: The representatives of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama and the Chinesegovernment have commenced the 9th roundof China-Tibet talks.On 26 January, Ma Zhaoxu, a spokesmanof China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs,stated that "we hope that the Dalai Lamawill cherish the opportunity and respondpositively to the requests of the Chinese

...See page 5

Top Chinese officials, including President HuJintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, gathered in Beijingfrom 18 to 20 January for the fifth conferenceon Tibetan Work. The meeting, a probablereaction to continuing unrest in the "TAR" andother Tibetan regions since the March 2008protests, aimed to promote development andintegrate the Tibetan Autonomous Region withneighboring provinces.

His Holliness the Dalai Lama speaking after offering him long life prayers on 23 January 2010 at the mainTibetan temple in Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI/Sangay

Rigzin Dolma

22 January, Mr. Urgen Tenzin, Executive Director of the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Center forHuman Rights, and his Assistant Mr. Jampa Monlam. Photo: TPI/Yangsham

.....News on page 3

ChinaConfirms....

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NinthRound

of Talks......

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The Tibet Post2 31 January, 2010 Dharamsala

these, 62.06% (or 90 Tibetans) werefrom Sichuan, 18.62% (27 Tibetans)were from the "TAR", 4.13% (6Tibetans) were from Qinghai and1.37% (2 Tibetans) were from Yunanprovince. The report warned thatcontrol in areas outside the "TAR"which used to enjoy a relative freedommay be made tighter in the near future.

The authorities have already takenstringent measures and heightenedvigorous patrolling of the border areas.Around 2000 Tibetans escape toNepal each year on average; however,this year only 691 Tibetans managedto get out, while 627 fled Tibet in2008.

In order to protect the party interestand legitimize the party leaders callfor "people's war", laws of the countryhave been twisted to convict Tibetandemonstrators. According to TCHRDdocumentation, over 334 knownTibetans have received legalconvictions since spring 2008 protest.Out of the total convictions, 11 areknown to be life imprisonmentsentences. The legal proceedings havebeen performed with politicalmotivations and were not "free andfair" in any sense.

One of the most high profile casesthis year was the sentencing of PhurbuTsering Rinpoche. Rinpoche's lawyerfrom Beijing was barred fromrepresenting him and in a closed door

trial the court sentenced him to eightand a half years in prison on chargesof "possessing weapons".

Tibetan intellectuals, artists andInternet bloggers were alsoprosecuted by the Chinesegovernment in 2009. They weremostly charged for "leaking statesecret" and for activities which areotherwise a standard practice ofexpression of opinion or belief. Oneof the most prominent cases was thatof Kunga Tsangyang, who wassentenced to five years in prison forwriting essays and photographingenvironmental degradation in Tibet.

Monks and nuns were also targetedin 2009. Kalden, a monk fromDrepung Monastery who wasarrested on 10 March 2008 forparticipating in the demonstration,died in August 2009 after aprolonged period of confinementand torture. Another prominent caseof death due to torture came to lightwhen a 33-year-old nun, YangkyiDolma, died in December 2009 atthe Chengdu government hospital.She had been arrested for staging apeaceful protest calling for " humanrights for Tibetans in Tibet".

Freedom of religion is severelycurtailed in present day Tibet. TheChinese authorit ies ' tact ic ofintimidation and restriction of thereligious activities of monks andnuns in religious institutions ensures

Exiled Tibetan Rights Group Releases Human Rights Annual Report 2009........continued from frontpage

World Economics and China’sPolitical Dramatics

Dharamshala: -China’s economicgrowth is notably high. This issolidifying its political power on aglobal scale, and rousing foreignpolit icians, governments andsocieties to adopt a political stanceon the Tibetan issue. In 2008, asignificant number of columnists,analysts and activists voicedopinions regarding theamalgamation of sports andpolit ics. Chinese leaders inparticular stress the rift between thetwo, and assert that politics andsports should not be intertwined.But when the Olympic torcharrived in Lhasa, the capital ofTibet, the head of the Olympiccommittee strongly crit ic izedChinese leaders for using the torchas a political platform.

The Olympic Games strive topromote peace and freedom ofexpression. But the Chinesegovernment committed genocideand imposed restr ict ions onmovement on the Tibetan peopleduring this time. This begs thequestion: what did the BeijingOlympics represent? The BeijingGames were a stain on humanhistory and the worldwide humanrights movement.

The current world economic crisisis one of the gravest in history,surpassing the magnitude of the1980s crisis and comparable to thatof the 1920s. It will take overtwenty years to neutralize this crisis,according to many analysts. In thelast forty years, The Chinesecommunist regime has attemptedto si lence the internationalcommunity’s criticism using thedeteriorating economic situation toinfluence world polit ics withparticular regard to various nations’stances on the issue of Tibetansovereignty. Never theless,international support for theTibetan cause has remainedunchecked. The significant questionhere is: can we find a solution tothe Tibetan issue by mixing China’spolit ical drama with globaleconomics? We cannot.

From the beginning of the new

millennium, China has amplified itscriticism of Tibet’s spiritual leader,His Holiness the Dalai Lama,regarding his visits to variousforeign countries and his meetingswith their leaders. The Chinesegovernment has augmented itsforeign policy to include theenactment of pressure uponactivists and alleged “separatists,”despite the fact that His Holinessseeks only a great autonomy forTibet within China. “We are not‘separatists.’ The whole worldknows we are not seekingindependence,” he assured the EUParliament last year. China canceledits high-level summit with theEuropean Union following Frenchpresident, Sarkozy’s meeting withHis Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The aforementioned President ofFrance held the EU presidency atthe t ime, and endured opencrit icism from the Chinesegovernment. China subsequentlyencouraged its individual citizens toboycott French goods; however,the vast majority of Chinese peoplecannot afford to purchase importsfrom France. China expressedfurther disapproval of SouthAfrica, resulting in the country’sdenial of a visa to His Holiness theDalai Lama, who had planned toattend a peace conference there. Inaddition, China inflicted economicpressure upon Denmark, Hollandand Iceland to prevent theirrespective governments frominterfering in China’s policyconcerning Tibet – a practicablepolitical strategy in the midst of aglobal economic crisis.

China’s economic growth isextensive, but it is dangerous and,ultimately, limited. Over sixty-fivepercent of the Chinese populationis poverty-stricken. Plus, the level ofunemployment is steadily increasing.If the quantity of goods importedby China’s economic partners in Asia,Europe and North Americacontinues to wane, China will face agreat economic deflation. If theChinese government persists in usingits economic influence to conductpolitical manipulation, it will lose the

the steady decline in the quality ofreligious education.

The Chinese state is obsessed withprojects involving resourceextract ions rather than thedevelopment of human capacity.This is evident in the UN HumanDevelopment Report, where Tibet'shuman development index is at thebottom of al l of the PRC'sprovinces.

In April 2009, China prevented theTibetan Center for Human Rightsand Democracy to participate in theUN Durban Review Conference. InAugust 2009, the UN Committee onthe Elimination of RacialDiscrimination met to scrutinizeChina's compliance with theConvention on the Elimination ofRacial Discrimination. In February2009, while accepting somerecommendations, China rejectedmost of the substantiverecommendations made by the UNmember states through the UniversalPeriodic Review system to advancehuman rights in China.

While 2009 has been a year ofarbitrary and unjust legal convictionsin the wake of March 2008 Tibetanuprising, there is a certain amountof positive energy in the Chineseintellectual community which seemsto be increasing, and raises hope forthe prospect of change in thePeople's Republic of China.

trust and confidence of theinternational community. I see nolong-term benefits of this strategy.As a result of the policies inflictedduring the Olympic Games, Chinainvited only criticism, and itsinternational reputation suffered.Recently, during a conference in theUnited States, Tibetan spiritualleader, His Holiness the Dalai Lamadescribed the Chinese government'spropagandized statements regardingthe lives of Tibetans in the homelandas infantile.

International support for the Tibetancause is essential, but Tibetansthemselves must act as the key playersin the struggle. I recently attended apress conference with great hope ofunderstanding the incredible

determination of the Tibetan peoplein the struggle for sovereignty andhuman rights. The conference washeld by Tibetan heroes who openlyprotested in front of the internationalmedia in Tibet last year. They wereheavily restricted by the thousands ofarmed military forces which Chinapromptly deployed. One of thespeakers present, Jamyang Gyaltsen,emphasized the importance ofinternational support all the whilestressing that the Tibetans’ pursuit offreedom must remain unshakable. Healso shed light on the realities of life inTibet, mentioning deforestation, nuclearwaste, and Tibet’s increasing Chinesepopulation which may one day renderTibetans a minority in their own land.

On the subject of China’s deadly

crackdown in all parts of Tibet lastMarch he stated, “When we hear astatement made by a governmentleader which raises awareness of ourcause, we feel encouraged and thatwe are not alone; that there is a placewhere people speak the truth.” Ibelieve that the Tibetan issue will befully recognized as a matter ofhuman rights when the globalcommunity comprehends the factthat they are merely pawns in China’spolitical game. People can change agovernment and China will alsochange; it is only a matter of will andsupport.

Translated and Edited by: Natalia Idz'kowski,

The Tibet Post International

TPI THE EDITE PAGE

Tibetans performing tradtional dance and songs after offering long life prayers to His Holiness in Dharamshala. Photo: TPI/Sangay

31 january, 2010 DharamsalaTPI DALAI LAMAThe Tibet Post 3H.H the Dalai Lama and HarrisonFord Film Inspires Prison Inmates

to Resolve Conflicts

The Dalai Lama Renaissance film,narrated by Harrison Ford(www.DalaiLamaFilm.com), and aQ&A with Director KhashyarDarvich, offer insights on innerpeace to men behind bars, half ofwhom are incarcerated for murder.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 20,2010 -- In a rare opportunity tocontemplate the nature of their ownexistence and explore the essence ofinner peace, dozens of inmates attwo Texas prisons gained insightsduring screenings of the award-winning documentary film DalaiLama Renaissance, narrated byHarrison Ford(www.DalaiLamaFilm.com). Thefilm screened at the prisons as partof an ethics program organized by"Project Clear Light," a nonprofitBuddhist volunteer organization thatworks with the Texas Departmentof Criminal Justice, and isscheduled to screen at other prisonsacross the United States in thecoming months.

"There is such joy in being able toshow films like Dalai LamaRenaissance to inmates," said TerryConrad, a certified volunteerChaplain's assistant, and Director ofProject Clear Light. "It is sorewarding to sit in meditation andhave a conversation with themabout what is really important, andto understand who we are and whatwe are capable of."

Conrad asked the film's Producer-Director, Khashyar Darvich, toshow Dalai Lama Renaissance toinmates whom Conrad regularlymeets with and teaches. Withapproval from prisonadministrators, two screenings werescheduled: one in the Stiles prisonin Beaumont, Texas, and one inRamsey prison, south of Houston.Darvich then volunteered to fly toTexas to speak with inmates aftereach screening. About half of theinmates in the prison audiences wereconvicted of murder.

"The intention of making this filmwas to impact audiences in a positiveway," said Director-ProducerKhashyar Darvich of Wakan Films.

"I had never been to a prisonbefore, but I had a deep sense thatinmates may have something to sayabout the film's theme ofovercoming the ego and openingone's heart."

Both Darvich's and Conrad'spurpose in screening the film forinmates was to provide them witha message that urges them to focuson improving themselves from theinside out.

"I heard the Dalai Lama talkingabout the importance ofcompassion for compassion's sake,because it's the right thing to do,"said David, an inmate at the RamseyUnit. "Because that's what makesyou happy inside, it's what helps youdevelop inner peace.... When hestarted talking about it, I just startedgetting tingly all over.... It reallytouched me."

"What I thought was so profoundabout the film was the child-likesimplicity of the Dalai Lama andthe profoundness of hisunderstanding of how humannature and humanity works," saidDeon, another inmate at Ramsey.

The award-winning film, which isnarrated by Harrison Ford and hasscreened in hundreds of cinemasaround the world in severa llanguages, follows a group ofWesterners who travel to Indiawith the task of solving worldproblems under the spir i tua lguidance of the Dalai Lama. Thefilm contrasts the Westerners'intellectual approach to problem-solving against the enlightenedapproach of the Dalai Lama, andillustrates how the participantsexperience a profound personaltransformation.

Besides opportunit ies forintrospection, the film also offeredinmates some chances to laugh atthe imperfection of humanity.

"It was funny to see these super-smart people and realize that theywere too smart for the task," saidJason, a prisoner at Ramsey, aboutthe scientists and other world

thought-leaders in the film.

Inmate Kelly added, "I sawsomething in the Dalai Lama that Inow see in my own personal life,which is joy and compassion andpeace."

At both prisons, the inmates wereattentive to the film and looked forways to apply its lessons to theirpersonal lives.

"I took a few notes, but I feel like I

missed about 20,000 more than Iwas able to put down," said John,an inmate at Stiles prison.

Fellow Stiles inmate Antoine added,"I could watch something like thisevery day, especially in theenvironment I'm in. You know, it'slike a snake pit. But if you've gotinner peace, you will affect everyperson around."

Darvich plans to offer the film forscreenings at other prisons around the

country, and would like to attend andspeak with other inmate groups inperson.

"The fundamental intention ofmaking this film was to impact andtransform audiences in a positiveway," Darvich said, "and I can thinkof no better place to screen the filmthan a prison."

Details about Dalai Lama Renaissanceand prison screenings are available atwww.DalaiLamaFilm.com.

Dharamshala: Tibetan culture,identity and religion are "facing anextremely dangerous situation," butthe patience and strength of Tibetanpeople inside Tibet have genuinelyunited, Tibetan spiritual leader HisHoliness the Dalai Lama said onSaturday after offering him a speciallong life prayer on behalf of TibetanGovernment in-exile and people ofTibet.

The 74-year-old Tibetan spiritualleader and Nobel Peace Prizelaureate addressed the hundreds ofpeople including Tibetans, foreignersand the exiled top Tibetan officialsduring a gathering for a special longlife prayer in Dharamshala. HisHoliness urged his exiled fellowTibetans to represent the peopleinside Tibet as they are under a long-lasting Chinese occupation andrepression. "Never forget that youare the people of snow-land ofTibet, most importantly, there are

significant signs that the patience andstrength of Tibetan people insideTibet have genuinely united,therefore, we, the people who arein-exile have responsibility torepresent them," he added.

The Tibetan spiritual leaderexpressed concern over the impactsof Tibetan education for youngergenerations. "Think about widerperspective, and do not give-upyour strength and patient as you arein a free country unlike Tibet, fromour historical eras of Dharma kings,we have the rich culture and religion,in-additional, as I usually urgepeople, all Tibetans, whether men orwomen, it is very essential to learnmodern education and alsoBuddhism which mean depth togreat philosophical views," said HisHoliness.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama alsosaid that Tibetan students have great

Tibetan Culture Is Facing AnExtremely Dangerous

Situation: His Holiness TheDalai Lama

possibility to engage with betteracademic specialists. "I am pleasedand appreciated that Tibetans insideTibet recently have got a genuineinterest in modern education,particularly in their culture andreligious' educations, he added.

Tibetan spiritual leader alsoemphasized the importance ofpreservation of Tibetan Buddhismand culture toward a nonviolentsociety for the sixty billion peopleof the world. "Tibetan Buddhismand culture should not use for merelyoffering objects and inner believe, ithas power to contribute a good andhappy life, not only yourenvironments but for all sentientbeings, therefore we must needunderstanding of Tibetan Buddhismand culture, it is a very essential topractice by your three practicaldoors; mind, speech and body,” saidHis Holiness.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressing after offering him a long life prayer in Dharamshala

TPI TIBET The Tibet Post4 31 January, 2010 Dharamsala

Four Tibetans Sentenced to 1 to 3 Years Imprisonment

Four Tibetans from the Sok Countyin eastern Tibet, were eachsentenced by the so-called Chinese"Nagchu Municipal IntermediatePeople's Court" for up to threeyears imprisonment, according toinformation provided by NgawangTharpa, from Sok County who iscurrently living in exile. The fourwere sentenced by the Court on 5January, 2010.

Tenzin Dhargye was sentenced tothree years imprisonment forallegedly taking part in pro-independence demonstrationswhich spread throughout Tibet in2008 and allegedly fleeing to India

illegally. Yeshi Jinpa was sentencedtwo years imprisonment forallegedly fleeing to India illegally.Tharpa informed Tibet PostInternational that both were takenfrom Sok County to Lhasa, thecapital of Tibet.

Jinpa went to Lhasa for medicaltreatment but since his arrival he hasbeen hospitalized due to a furtherdecline in his health.

In addition, Choedon, a 48-year oldTibetan nun, and 17-year old NorbuSangpo, each received a one yearprison sentence. The two Tibetansremain in Nagchu prison to serve

their respective terms.

The arrests came on 2 December,2009 while Dhargye and Jinpa wereperforming their prostrations atJokhang Temple, the most sacredshrine in Lhasa. Choedon andZangpo were delivering food tothem at the time.

Tharpa concluded that, since thebeginning of 2010, a work teamconsisting of 31 Chinese officialshave been in Sok County toreinforce Chinese political policy inaddition to surveying the numberof people who have lived in foreigncountries.

Signature Campaign For The Release Of Trulku Tenzin DelekDharamsala: For the release ofTrulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, ahighly revered Tibetan Buddhistlama and communityleader, from Chinesedetention, Students for aFree Tibet (SFT India)today launched a signaturecampaign here inDharamsala.

“Today, Tibet groups andsupporters are holdingactions around the worldfor the release of TrulkuTenzin Delek, whose initialdeath sentence wascommuted to a life in prison dueto international pressure fromhuman rights groups and the UnitedNations”, Tenzin Choeying, SFTIndia International Coordinatorsaid.

“To bring pressure on the Chinesegovernment to bear is veryimportant”, Mr. Tenzin furtheremphasized, “Thanks tointernational pressures from Tibetsupport groups and human rightgroups, many Tibetan politicalprisoners got released in the past”.

The 60 year-old Trulku TenzinDelek was charged with "incitingseparatism", "causing explosions"

and "illegal possession of guns andammunition", but no credibleevidence for his crime has ever

found by Chinese authorities.

The petition calls for the case againstTenzin Delek to be re-opened and,if no credible evidence is presented,for his release. And along with thepetition, a letter will be sent to ZhouYongkang, who was Party Secretaryin Sichuan Province, where TenzinDelek Rinpoche was detained, andhe is currently the Secretary of theCentral Politics and LawCommittee.

The letter says:

Dear Mr Zhou,

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche (Chinese

name: A’an Zhaxi) was unjustlypersecuted by the Chineseauthorities in Sichuan Province

during your term as PartySecretary there.

Like the people of Lithang,Kham (Ch: Litang, SichuanProvince), we do notrecognise the verdict againstTenzin Delek Rinpoche. Nocredible evidence has everbeen presented to supportthe charges against him. Asa revered Buddhist leader,it is unfathomable that hewould have been involved

in "conspiring to cause explosions".

We, the undersigned, call on you toimmediately grant Tenzin DelekRinpoche independent legalassistance and a new trial on the basisof three points: that there is noproof against him, that he steadfastlyasserts his innocence, and that thereis a widespread belief in Tibet andworldwide that he was framed byChinese officials who viewed hisinfluence as a threat to their power.

If, in a new trial, no credibleevidence is presented against TenzinDelek Rinpoche, we demand hisrelease.

The 2008 Protest in Tibet - A Refugee’sStory of the Beatings and Killings

Dharamshala: A newly arrivedTibetan woman, Rigzin Dolma,from Karze County in eastern Tibet,talked about her participation in thepeaceful protest on 18 March 2008and Chinese crackdown. "They werebeating people, killing them. I sawit," said Dolma.

"During the protest Chinese armedmilitary and police personnel killed,by shooting, and tortured, bybeating, many Tibetans. It wasunbelievable, but They were beatingpeople, killing them. I saw it. Ibecame unconscious after beingcontinuously beaten police batons.When I came to I realized I waslying in the mud and water withpolice walking over me so Iimmediately hid behind a vehicle. ATibetan man came and placed hisshirt over me.

I managed to escape after hidingfrom door-to-door and shop-to-shop but it was not easy. Everyroadway and intersection wasblocked by the Chinese militarypersonals. My friends helped me byallowing me to carry their baby,some food and clothing to give theappearance I was a mother on ajourney.

At Takchu Dhabchak bridge the

police also held a check-point but didnot ask me for my identity card so Imanaged to escape from the bridgeto Serchu and Wosang villages. WhenI arrived at Dzakhok Monastery Iheard that one monk was shot at bythe Chinese so I realized I could notsafely stay there so I continued myjourney.

I remained hidden for one year inRongpa Tsakha and Lingdhabvillages. For safety reasons, I cannotname the families and villagers whoI was hiding with.

After that, the situation becamecalmer and I secretly planned toescape to Lhasa, the capital of Tibetwhere I arrived on 10 October 2009.After hiding for eight days in LhasaI managed to escape to Nepal andsafely arrived in Dharamsala on 14January 2010".

When the peaceful protest began,more and more people joined in andwe shouted "His Holiness, the DalaiLama return to Tibet!" and "Wewant minority rights and the releaseof the Panchen Lama" as we walkedfrom Takchudhab to KyabgonSchool. All Tibetans in the areajoined in the protest but, as I said,after a half hour the Chinese militaryand police began their crackdown.

Zoomed in view from Kardze Monastery, the military camp. Photo: TPI

Chinese government reportedly seeks"leap-frog" development of the TibetAutonomous Region (TAR) by raisinginfrastructure quality and agriculturalincomes to national levels by 2020,according Xinhua news agency report,claiming comments from senior Chineseleaders at a conference Tibet earlier in theweek.

The announcement came during a high-level planning conference on Tibet fromJan. 18 to 20, attended by Chinese PresidentHu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

The report said such investments had beenconducive to Tibet's opening wider to theoutside world, the restructuring of itsindustries and expansion of the job marketon account, no doubt, of rising numberof Chinese immigrants.

Whether Tibet is currently stable now, orwill remain so, is of course a hotly contestedtopic. In 2008, mass demonstrationserupted in Lhasa, Tibet's capital which

China claims phenomenal economic growth in Tibet

spread throughout Tibet, after the arrestof thousands of Tibetans include monksand women seeking to commemorate afailed uprising against the communistregime's harshful rule and policy. Last year,China executed four Tibetan men forparticipating in that protests.

But China is claiming phenomenaleconomic growth in the region. "Tibet hasbeen able to maintain double-digit growthin terms of GDP for 17 straight years,outpacing the national average," reportsofficial Chinese news agency Xinhua.Tibet's GDP was expected to top $5.85billion in 2009, up 12.1 percent year-on-year and up 170 percent from 2000,according to Xinhua.

Tibetans inside the country say Tibet is"hell on earth,but the communist regimeof China claimed that $45.4 billion in aidto the TAR over the past nine years hashelped "boost Tibet's leapfrogdevelopment" and achieve "lastingstability."

So called Soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) carry out an anti-terrorism training at a military basein Suining, Sichuan province May 20, 2009. Photo: Reuters

TPI FORUMThe Tibet Post 5

The Tibet Post InternationalPress of Tibet(Head Office)1st Floor, Dolkhang House, JogiwaraRoad, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, Distt.Kangra H.P 176219 India

Advicer Mr. Thomas KeimelAdvicer Dr. Vincent BrucelEditor Mr. YC. DhardhowaSub Editor Mrs. Yangyal ShamReporter Mr. Sangay DorjeeReporter Ms. Keary HuangCircular Ven Phuntsok DhondupPublisher Mr. Tenzin Kunga

I n t e r n a t i o n a lThe Tibet P st

Tele: 0091-1892-224641Moble:+91-9882423566

E-mail: editor@thetibetpost.comwww.thetibetpost.com

31 January, 2010 Dharamsala

The 9th Round of China-TibetTalks Commence

Central Government". However,the Mr Zhaoxu also pointed outthat "China's policy towards theDalai Lama is consistent and clear

cut", meaning that the Dalai Lamashould publicly state Tibet is aninalienable part of China, in thesame way that Taiwan is an

inalienable part of China, and issuesrelated to Tibet are China's internalaffairs which foreign countriesshould not interfere with.

The Tibetan Post interviewed anumber of exiled Tibetan officials,members of non-governmentorganizations and Tibetan freedomactivists to gain their view pointson the talks, and to understand whythe exiled Tibetan governmentcontinues to send delegates toChina to attend the talks in light ofThe Chinese government's strictmaintenance on it 's policyregarding the future autonomy ofTibet.

The Deputy Speaker of the TibetanParliament, Dolma Gyari, notedthat "since the start of the China-Tibet talks in 2002, the Chinesegovernment has maintained a harshpolicy towards the Tibetan peopleand has continually denounced HisHoliness, the Dalai Lama. Therecent Chinese crackdown on theTibetan people in 2008 was, andcontinues to be, very widespreadso I don't believe that the Chinesegovernment would readily changetheir position to benefit Tibet orthe Tibetan people. However,whilst preparing for the worst, weTibetans should not give up hope.It should be remembered thatpolit ical dialogues betweencountries takes time to arrive at asatisfactory resolution. I don'tbelieve that this round of talks willbring immediate results but it isimportant to keep ourcommitment clear and strong".Mrs Gyari did not make anycomment on the Chinesestatement.

The Secretary, and spokesperson,of the Department ofInformation and InternationalRelat ions, Thupten Samphel,pointed out that "in cherishing thisopportunity, and with a greaterhope for a fruitful result, ourdelegates have gone to China toattend the talks. We stronglyrecommend that the Chinesegovernment base this talk on ourMemorandum, which wassubmitted to the Chinesegovernment in 2008, requesting

genuine autonomy for the Tibetanpeople". Mr Samphel went on tonote that "the Tibetan people insideTibet are not satisfied with Chinesepolicy, a position which manyChinese scholars and legislatorsalso acknowledge. So, we hope thatthe Chinese government wil lreview their policy towards Tibet".

Mr Samphel also acknowledgedthat there is a direct connectionbetween this round of talks andthe 5th National Conference onTibetan Work, held in Beijingrecently.

The for mer Minister of theSecurity Department of theTibetan Government in Exile, AlakJigme Rinpoche, noted that "thetalks between China and theTibetan government in exile are notnarrowed down to a single point.We have lowered our demands togain an autonomous region for thethree provinces of Tibet and it isunclear if it can be achieved or not,but we should continue to try ourbest".

Tibetan freedom activist, LhazangTsering, does not believe that thetalks will be fruitful in achieving apositive outcome. Mr Tseringpointed out that "the real intentionof the Chinese government is toswallow Tibet whole and to do sothey need time. These talks aredelaying the issue and playing forsuch time".

The Director of the Gu Chu SumMovement of Tibet, NgawangWoebar, and the Vice President ofthe Tibetan Youth Congress,Dhondup Dorjee, both suspect thevalidity of the Chinese intention tosolve the Tibetan issue withdialogue because the situation inTibet is becoming more intenseand the Chinese government is notmeeting the recommendations setout in the Memorandum.

Edited by Tony Collier, staff writerfor The Tibet Post International

continued from frontpage

1st line: Gyari Dolma, deputy speaker of TPIE (L), Thupten Sampehl, secretary of DIIR (C) and Alak JigmeRinpoche, former minister of CTA (R). 2nd Line: Ngawang Woebar, director for Guchusum (L), Lhazang

Tsering, Tibetan freedom activist (C) and Dhondup Dorjee, vice president of TYC (R). Photo: TPI

..............continued from frontpage

China Holds Meeting OnDevelopment In Tibet

The Washington Post pointedout that this was the first high-level meeting on Tibet in nineyears. China's leaders agreed atthe confe rence to deve lopTibetan regions in neighboringSichuan, Gansu, Yunnan andQingha i p rov inces a s we l l ,according to China's state-runXinhua news agency. Most, if notall, of these regions saw protestsshortly after the 2008 violence.

Pre s iden t Hu warned thosega the red tha t deve lopment

as a deve lopment i s sue todownplay the region's distinctculture.

"They ' r e pe r s i s t ing in th i sa rgument tha t i t ' s a l l aboutmoney and that Tibetans have noother concerns ," Michae l C .Davis, a professor at the ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong, toldWash ing ton Pos t re por t e r s."Including or connecting theTibetan Autonomous Regionwith other autonomous areasmay just be more of that. MaybeI'm too suspicious."

At the meeting, Hu asserted thatthe per capita income of Tibet'sfarmers and nomads should beclose to the national level by2020, Xinhua reported. As oflast year, Chinese governments t a t i s t i c s showed tha t thesegroups earned barely one quartero f the na t iona l ave rage o faround $2,000 a year. However,reports on the meeting gave nodeta i ls on exact ly how muchmoney will be allotted to Tibetunder this new policy.

e f fo r t s wou ld need to beprotected from "penetration andsabotage" by "T ibe tansepara t i s t s " in f avor o findependence, Xinhua reportedon Friday.

Many be l ieve that there i s apo l i t i c a l mot iva t ion beh indChina's recent efforts to speedup economic progress in Tibet.According to the WashingtonPost, One expert on Tibet saidCh ina ' s l e ade r s l i ke to"homogenize" Tibet's problems

TPICHINA-TIBET TALKS The Tibet Post6 31 January, 2010 Dharamsala

Dharamshala: A High level Tibetandelegation lead by Mr Lodi GyaltsenGyari, the special envoy of Tibetanspiritual leader the Dalai Lama willleave on Monday for Chinese HunanProvince for new talks on Tibetissues. The meeting will be the firstface-to-face contact between thetwo sides after submitting a"Memorandum" to Chinese officialson genuine autonomy for theTibetan People was submitted in2008.

"Mr Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, specialenvoy of His Holiness the DalaiLama and Mr Kelsand Gyaltsen, alsoenvoy of His Holiness leading a highlevel delegates comprising of twosenior assistants, Bhuchung K.

Tsering, member of Tibetan TaskForce and Tenzin Phuntsok, secretaryof Tibetan information Departmentwill leave on 25 January for new talkswith Chinese officials in ChineseHunan Province," a Tibetan officialtold The Tibet Post (TPI).

China-Tibet Talks stuck at a standstillafter the envoys of His Holiness theDalai Lama presenting a"Memorandum" to Chinese leadershiptwo years ago asking a genuineautonomy for the Tibetan People.

"The Tibet issue needs to be resolvedthrough dialogue and negotiationbetween the Tibetan and People'sRepublic of China leadership,"Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister

Envoys of His Holiness The Dalai Lama LeaveFor China For Tibet Talks

The United States, Canada and Britainwelcomed the ninth round of China-Tibet talks, expressing hope thatprogress could be made towardsmeaningful autonomy for Tibet.

The Obama Administration onTuesday welcomed the ninth roundof meetings between the SpecialEnvoy of Tibetan leader HisHoliness the Dalai Lama and theChinese authorities in Beijing, andstated hope that the negotiationswill lead to positive results. "TheAdministration hopes this meetingwill produce positive results andprovide a foundation for futurediscussions to resolve outstandingissues," Assistant Secretary of Statefor Public Affairs P J Crowleystated.

"The United States was pleased tolearn that the Dalai Lama's SpecialEnvoys arrived today in China fortheir ninth round of meetings withChinese officials," he continued.

"The United States stronglysupports dialogue between Chinaand the Dalai Lama'srepresentatives to addresslongstanding differences," Crowleyadded.

On Monday, Britain commentedon the resumption of talksbetween China and the DalaiLama, expressing hope thatprogress could be made towards"meaningful autonomy" for Tibet.Britain's Junior Foreign OfficeMinister Ivan Lewis, who made thefirst ever trip to Tibet by a Britishgovernment member inSeptember, welcomed the news.

"I urge both sides to enter thesetalks in good faith and to makeprogress towards meaningfulautonomy for Tibet," Lewis said.

He continued, "Peaceful dialoguebetween the Chinese governmentand the Dala i Lamasrepresentatives is the only way tobring about a lasting and peacefulsolution to the problems in Tibet."I made this clear during my ownvisit to Tibet and Beijing last year."

The Honourable LawrenceCannon, Canada’s Minister ofForeign Affairs of Canada, onTuesday issued the fol lowingstatement in approval of the firstmeeting in 15 months betweenrepresentatives of the Chinesegovernment and the Dalai Lama.“Canada has consistent lyadvocated substantive dialoguebetween China and the DalaiLama or his representatives. I urgethe two sides to approach thisnew round of ta lks wi th acommitment to ser ious andmeaningful dialogue aimed atresolving outstanding issues in amanner acceptable to both,” hestated.

“The Government of Canadaat taches a grea t dea l ofimportance to the treatment ofethnic Tibetans in China, and totheir ability to exercise their rightsto f reedom of express ion ,association, spiritual belief andpeaceful protest,” the statementcontinued,

A White House spokespersonalso has confirmed on Saturdaythat Pres ident Obama "mostcertainly" will meet the DalaiLama this year, and that this hasbeen conveyed to Beijing. WhiteHouse spokesman MikeHammer told foreign journalists,"The President has made clear tothe Chinese government that weintend to meet with the DalaiLama, i t has been h i s everyintention."

U.S. Canada AndBritain Welcome

China-Tibet Talks:Hope For Positive Results

Welcoming the resumption of talksbetween China and exiled Buddhistleader His Holiness the Dalai Lamaover the political status of a meaningfulautonomy for people of Tibet,government pf Denmark yesterday hassaid that the two sides should ensurethat the Tibetans attain genuine self-rule within the framework of theChinese constitution.

Envoys of His Holiness the DalaiLama, Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari andKelsang Gyaltsen, reached BeijingTuesday for a meeting with Chinesegovernment officials, the first since aNovember 2008 round of talks endedin mutual recrimination.

"I am very satisfied that thenegotiations between representativesof the Dalai Lama and China havenow been resumed after a 15-monthbreak," says a post quoting DanishForeign Minister Per Stig Moller on thewebsite of the Tibetan government-in-exile yesterday.

"I, therefore, again call on both partiesto engage themselves constructively in

the negotiations and hope that thedialogue will be carried through to aresult which ensures that Tibetans attaingenuine self-rule, with cultural andreligious freedom and respect forhuman rights within the framework ofthe Chinese constitution," said Moller.

He said that dialogue is the only wayforward to a peaceful solution to thequestion of Tibet.

Earlier, the US, Canada and Britainwelcomed the talks and said it hopesthis meeting will produce positiveresults and provide a foundation forfuture discussions to resolveoutstanding issues.

The two sides have held eight roundsof talks since 2002 to try and find asolution to the Tibetan issue.

During the last meeting, called theeighth round of talks, differencescropped up over the memorandumon genuine autonomy for the Tibetanpeople submitted by the exiles. TheChinese rejected it, saying that it wasaimed at dividing China.

Denmark Welcomes Resumption OfChina-Tibet Talks China Confirms The

Ninth Round Of TalksWith Tibetan Envoys

Chinese officials confirmed that envoys of Tibetan leader His Holiness theDalai Lama met with representatives of Chinese government Tuesday forthe first time in 15 months. "We hope that the Dalai Lama will cherish theopportunity and respond positively to the requests of the central government,"China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told journalistsin Beijing.

Ma told a press briefing that at the request of the Dalai Lama side’s, theChinese Central Government had recently made arrangements for privaterepresentatives of the Dalai Lama to visit China to renew dialogue.

“At the request of the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Government has arrangedfor his representatives to come to China for consultation,” foreign ministryspokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.

The central government’s policy towards the Dalai Lama is consistent andclear, Ma told reporters, without disclosing the venue or other details of thetalks.

In November 2008, negotiations between representatives of His Holinessthe Dalai Lama and Chinese government officials ended with China’s rejectionof the Tibetans’ demand for “genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people”.

The upcoming meeting marks the ninth round of talks between the twosides since 2002.

of the Tibetan government in exile,told Asia Times Online last week. "Iwish Tibetans' hopes will become areality."

Both sides have been officiallydeclared that no real progress wasmade during seventh and eight roundof talks held in 2008. China-Tibettalks have resumed after two-daymeeting of the Tibetan Task Forcefor negotiations concluded last weekat the headquarters of the CenterTibetan Government In-Exile andanother meeting so called the fifthconference on Tibetan Workconcluded last week in Beijingattended by top Chinese officials,including President Hu Jintao andPremier Wen Jiabao.

Special Envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen in Dharamshala on 17 November 2008. Photo: TPI

Printed at Imperial Printing Press, Gurudwara Road, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamshala-176215 (H.P.) Tel: - 222390/224453

The Prime Minister of Thailand Mr.Abhisit Vejjajiva gave the openingspeech on 20 January, at theprominent conference which offersthe latest information aboutexpanding the means of care forwomen's health and abortion safety.

Prior to the ICWHUA conference,the TWA members, along with 52women's organizations from the

Asia Pacific region, attended the Asia-Pacific Regional ConsultationMeeting (RCM) of the WGNRR,also held in Bangkok, from 17-19January, 2010. 52 participants from27 countries gathered to reassert theirsupport for the realization ofreproductive rights for all womenand in particular for women underrepressed regimes like Tibet. "Awomen's body is her right and she

has the right whether or not toreproduce, and a state cannotinterfere in this regard," statedSamten Choedon, Vice President ofTWA.

The 52 members of the Asia-Pacificnetwork of WGNRR jointlydeclared that women's rights are notprotected, because conflict, sexualviolence and discrimination against

TWA calls for women’s reproductive andsexual health rights at international platform

sexual minorities are common.According to Amy Kesterton, PolicyOfficer of WGNRR, "Though ourgovernments have made numerouscommitments to fulfill the sexual andreproductive rights of theirpeople...[they are] failing to put theseinto practice. Neoliberal policies arehindering progress, widening the gapbetween rich and poor and betweencommitments and realities."

Kathy Mulville, the coordinator ofWGNRR said that, "There is a lackof information, education andaffordable services, persistence ofdiscriminatory social norms and arise in political and religiousfundamentalism. She furtherreminded the conference that, "We,the citizens, are failing to hold ourgovernments accountable, to standup and demand our rights."

As a member of WGNRR, theTWA is committed to advocatingand campaigning for theadvancement of sexual andreproductive health and rights for all.The organization works to includethe presence of Tibetan women andtheir voices at international meetingslike the WGNRR's ‘RCM' and theWHRRF's ‘ICWHUA'.

"We attended the women'sconferences in Bangkok to furtherour cause, to share experiences, buildknowledge and capacity and to raise

our voices at such momentousinternational platform," explainedDhardon Sharling, TWA's Researchand Media Officer.TWA and the 51 other participantsat the WGNRR Asia-PacificRegional Consultation Meetingresolved to:

* Build our capacity to analyzeinternational and country policies,commitments and laws and revealthe discrepancies' between these andrealities on the ground;* Gather and disseminate reliable,credible information on the rates andconsequences of unsafe abortion;* Hold governments to account andpress them to meet theircommitments* Join together and campaign,uniting the voices of mostdisadvantaged including those ofwomen and young people andstrengthening the Reproductive andSexual Health and Rights movementat the grassroots level;* Share our experiences and helpbuild each other capacities tostrengthen support and advance thecause of Reproductive and SexualHealth and Rights.Press contact:Samten Chodon; 9418936118 /221527T. Dhardon Sharling; 9418791189 /221704Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 January2010 12:13 )

have worldwide implications. On 13January, the International Campaignfor Tibet issued a statement calling it"a crack in the wall of censorship thatsets a new standard." Students forFree Tibet released a statementpraising Google for announcing itwould end its censorship of searchresults in China, reminding the publicof SFT's 2006 campaign to boycottGoogle in response to the launch ofGoogle.cn, and pointing out that anSFT activist at Stanford University wasone of the Gmail users whoseaccounts were hacked. ReportersWithout Borders also welcomedGoogle's announcement; a few dayslater the press freedom organizationcondemned cyber-attacks on theGoogle email accounts of severalBeijing-based foreign journalists,"call[ing] on [China's ]ministry ofindustry and information technologyto provide an explanation." YangJianli, founder of Initiatives for China,also applauded Google's stance, whilecautioning it "not to withdraw fromChina ¡V at least, not without a fight."

In a ceremony on 16 January, the Hon.David Kilgour, WFDA partner andformer Canadian Secretary of State,

WFDA report highlights Google censorship case and unjust Chinese arrests..........continued from frontpage

together with human rights lawyerDavid Matas, were awarded the2009 Human Rights Awardby theSwiss Section of the InternationalSociety of Human Rights. They wererecognized for their advocacy to endthe trafficking of organs in China,and Kilgour's acceptance speechdrew attention to the persecution ofFalun Gong and the disappearanceof Chinese human rights lawyer GaoZhisheng.

On 6 January, global democracy iconVaclav Havel attempted to deliver apetition calling for the release of

Charter '08 founder Liu Xiaobo,who was sentenced to 11 years inprison on 25 December, but theChinese embassy in Prague refusedto open the door to meet him. Formore details, read the statementfrom Chinese Human RightsDefenders.

Tibet: The 29 December sentencingof filmmaker Dhondup Wangchento six years imprisonment wascondemned in a press release fromthe Tibetan Youth Congress andanother statement from ReportersWithout Borders.

Geneva - A U.N. warning that Himalayanglaciers were melting faster than any otherplace in the world and may be gone by2035 was not backed up by science, U.N.climate experts said on 20 January — anadmission that could energize climatechange critics.

In a 2007 report, the U.N.Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange said the Himalayan glaciers arevery likely to disappear within threedecades if the present melting ratecontinues. But a statement from the panelnow says there is not enough scientificevidence to back up those claim.

The warning in the report "refers topoorly substantiated estimates of rate ofrecession and date for the disappearanceof Himalayan glaciers," the IPCC said. "Indrafting the paragraph in question, theclear and well-established standards ofevidence, required by the IPCCprocedures, were not applied properly.".

The Himalayan glacier claim, made in thegroup's voluminous, Nobel-winningreport, was little noticed until The SundayTimes said the projection seemed to bebased on a news report.

The leaders of the U.N. panel areinvestigating how the forecast got intothe report, Chris Field, director of theecology department at the Washington-based Carneige Institution for Science,told The Associated Press.

The U.N. panel did not give a newestimate of when Himalayan glaciersmight melt away, but said "widespread

mass losses from glaciers and reductionsin snow cover over recent decades areprojected to accelerate throughout the21st century."

This will reduce the availability of waterand change the seasonal water flows inmajor mountain rangers, including theHimalayas, it said.

India's Environment Minister JairamRamesh on Tuesday repeated his previouscriticism of the panel's initial assessmentof the Himalayan glaciers.

"The health of the glaciers is a cause ofgrave concern, but the IPCC's alarmistposition that they would melt by 2035was not based on an iota of scientificevidence," Ramesh was quoted as sayingby The Times of India.

The IPCC's Fourth Assessment Reportof 2007 said the Himalayan glaciers werereceding faster than any other place inthe world. "The likelihood of themdisappearing by the year 2035 andperhaps sooner is very high if the Earthkeeps warming at the current rate," itsaid.

But, in a confusing note, the reportadded the glacier's total area "will likelyshrink from the present 500,000 to100,000 square kilometers (193,000 to36,000 sq. miles) by the year 2035."

The U.N. climate change panel said "thechair, vice-chairs, and co-chairs of theIPCC regret the poor application of well-established IPCC procedures in thisinstance."

UN Climate Panel: Himalayan Glaciers WarningNot Backed Up By Evidence

TPI WOMENThe Tibet Post 731 January, 2010 Dharamsala