Comments for Beijing Wide Open http://beijingwideopen.org A Tibetan Activist Speaks Out About the Olympics Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:33:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 Comment on Olympic crackdown: China’s secret plot to tame Tibet by Stephen http://beijingwideopen.org/2008/07/20/olympic-crackdown-chinas-secret-plot-to-tame-tibet/#comment-5845 Stephen Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:50:50 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/?p=193#comment-5845 The Chinese government's policy on Tibet seems extremely hypocritical in light of their statements that they want to highlight their modernization and progress. What good is progress without recognizing human rights? The Chinese gov't is truly a leopard that never changes its spots, but just sits in a different spot. - Stephen conservativepulse.com The Chinese government’s policy on Tibet seems extremely hypocritical in light of their statements that they want to highlight their modernization and progress. What good is progress without recognizing human rights? The Chinese gov’t is truly a leopard that never changes its spots, but just sits in a different spot.

- Stephen
conservativepulse.com

]]> Comment on Who is Lhadon? by Delek. http://beijingwideopen.org/who-is-lhadon/#comment-5831 Delek. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:14:09 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/?page_id=9#comment-5831 Tashi Delek. Hi Lhadon you are the Hero of Tibetan women in this time. My name is Delek and from Amdo Golok in Tibet. My greatest respect and admire to you and you doing for free Tibet. There are so many young Tibetans come to many countries in west and after they have graduated high school they just run after money and they forget our country and language even when they speak to Tibetans who does not speak English like me. But they speak English and not Tibetan. So it makes me unhappy. The H.H the Dalai lama and the Panchen lama always say the Tibetan belongs to young Tibetans and the young Tibetans must need to learn our language and culture, then especially I need to put two my hands together on the my chest and say thank you so much to you and Tenzin thondue by the from bottom my heart, then I met to you so many times in NY and Washington last year when the Dalai lama has got the congress gold medal and I try to say thank you for you working for the next generation of Tibet. But I could not. Because my English is not so good. Then I wish you good luck and please keep going your working until the Tibet will be free. The last one is nobody will not mock me because of my English is so poor,,,, but sometimes I think it is ok. Why. It is not my language. …….. Tashi Delek.

Hi Lhadon you are the Hero of Tibetan women in this time.
My name is Delek and from Amdo Golok in Tibet.
My greatest respect and admire to you and you doing for free Tibet.
There are so many young Tibetans come to many countries in west and after they have graduated high school they just run after money and they forget our country and language even when they speak to Tibetans who does not speak English like me. But they speak English and not Tibetan. So it makes me unhappy. The H.H the Dalai lama and the Panchen lama always say the Tibetan belongs to young Tibetans and the young Tibetans must need to learn our language and culture, then especially I need to put two my hands together on the my chest and say thank you so much to you and Tenzin thondue by the from bottom my heart, then I met to you so many times in NY and Washington last year when the Dalai lama has got the congress gold medal and I try to say thank you for you working for the next generation of Tibet. But I could not. Because my English is not so good. Then I wish you good luck and please keep going your working until the Tibet will be free. The last one is nobody will not mock me because of my English is so poor,,,, but sometimes I think it is ok. Why. It is not my language. ……..

]]> Comment on Who is Lhadon? by Sorrow Mountain http://beijingwideopen.org/who-is-lhadon/#comment-5548 Sorrow Mountain Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:17:50 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/?page_id=9#comment-5548 Hey Lhadon You are elegant and sexy too! I feel really really hot for you and your SFT buddies. Hey Lhadon
You are elegant and sexy too!
I feel really really hot for you and your SFT buddies.

]]> Comment on About the Olympics by Pierre Simonet http://beijingwideopen.org/about-the-olympics/#comment-5526 Pierre Simonet Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:51:28 +0000 #comment-5526 From The TimesJuly 7, 2008 Tibetan monasteries empty as China jails monks to silence Olympic protests Tibetan monks have angered China by taking opportunities to protest to the media. The authorities have cracked down at least until the Olympics Jane Macartney in Beijing Chinese authorities tightened security around Tibet's main monasteries and banned visits to a sacred site on the edge of the capital, Lhasa, for fear of a fresh outburst of unrest on the Dalai Lama's birthday. Few monks remain, however, in the province's three most important monasteries. Many have disappeared, their whereabouts a mystery. Chinese officials have deployed troops and paramilitary police around the ancient religious institutions, suspecting these sprawling hillside communities are at the heart of the unrest that has swept the region since early March. Dozens, possibly several hundred, have been arrested or are detained and under investigation for their roles in the anti-Chinese demonstrations and riots that hit Lhasa on March 14. This, however, does not account for the empty halls in the three great monasteries, Drepung, Sera and Ganden, that lie near the city. Several hundred monks are believed to have been living in each of them before the violence erupted. Now Tibetan sources have revealed that most of the monks, more than 1,000 in total, have been transferred to many prisons and detention centres in and around the city of Golmud in neighbouring Qinghai province. The detained monks are all young ethnic Tibetans from surrounding regions who had made their way to Lhasa, their spiritual capital, to study and pray in the most prestigious spiritual centres on the Roof of the World. Related Links Real crackdown will come after Olympics Tibet reopened to foreign tourists Their detention is part of a policy to rid the monasteries of any monks not registered as formal residents of the administrative region, known as the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Family members say that the monks have been told they will be incarcerated in Golmud only until the end of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The policy is part of a campaign by the Chinese Government to ensure that the Games, opening on August 8 and lasting for two weeks, pass off without a hitch and without protests from the restive Tibetans, they told The Times. “After that they have been told that they will be allowed to leave, because they are not guilty of a crime,” one man whose brother is among the detained said. “But they will be ordered to return to their home villages and will not be permitted to go back to the monasteries in Lhasa.” There were no reports that any of those being held were being mistreated, he added. The monks' detention is, in effect, a decision by China to implement a policy first promulgated in 1994 to limit the size of Tibet's monasteries, because increasing religious freedoms were attracting growing numbers. Sera monastery, for example, is supposed to house no more than 400 monks but is believed to have grown to more than 1,000. In Drepung - at its height the largest monastery in the world - has been allocated a similar quota but has allowed as many as 900 monks to live in its high-walled compounds. The monasteries have for years allowed young boys well below the age of 18 to enter in direct contravention of the rules but the authorities had turned a blind eye. The abbots have encouraged the unofficial monks because they found that those from other regions tended to be the most devoted and diligent, Tibetan sources said. Registered monks are given a monthly stipend that can sometimes be as much as 5,000 yuan (£350) depending on the donations to a monastery and entrance ticket sales. Many prefer to spend their days playing video games and DVDs rather than reading the scriptures, they said. They voiced concern that the monasteries could lose many of their best Buddhist scholars if the monks were not allowed to return after the Olympics. Authorities have ordered all Tibetans without a Lhasa residence permit to leave the city and to return to their homes. Reports are increasing of the authorities targeting individuals whose dress, haircut or even teeth - Tibetans from Sichuan and Qinghai favour gold fillings - mark them out as coming from neighbouring regions. Tibetan residents of Lhasa say that they prefer not to wear Tibetan dress for fear they will be stopped and questioned on the street by police or soldiers. Men say that they are growing their hair so as not be mistaken for a monk and interrogated. One man, from the Khamba group that lives in western Sichuan province and is renowned for its warriors, told how he was arrested after the March 14 riot because his long hair identified him as being from that region. The huge security operation has,however, failed to halt protests by Tibetans demanding the return of the Dalai Lama and independence for their homeland. On June 18 six took place in Ganze county alone. One Tibetan source said: “They know they are going to be arrested but people still go out and demonstrate. And then you can see the cats come out and catch them like mice.” Ancient traditions Drepung monastery The largest of Tibetan monasteries, whose name means “rice heap”. Its population numbered as many as 7,700 in the 1930s and sometimes up to 10,000. Founded in 1416, it has long been been regarded as the most academic monastery of the Gelukpa – or Yellow Hat – sect Sera monastery Its name means “Enclosure of Roses”. Also founded in the early 15th century. Began as a scholarly institution but became known as the home of warrior monks whose responsibility was to defend Tibet and its Buddhist traditions Ganden monastery The oldest of the three great monasteries, its name means “continent of completely victorious happiness”. It is 35 miles from Lhasa and has long been the smallest house. It suffered most during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, when it was dynamited by the Army and Red Guards Have your say I think IOC Chair Mr. Rogge must resign before, Beijing games for not upholding the the charter of Olympic games and supporting the most hegemonic dictatorship in the world now. Or the words like "PEACE", "Friendship" etc should be take out of the Olympic Charter. RigZin, Santa Fe, USA Stop ask stupid questions,guys! You even can't imagine what does the Red Terror means! Maybe you know about that from stupid Holliwood propaganda films,but in reality it is not a joke at all. Better let's put aside your McBurgers, come together and help this small nation to stay alive! Ivar, Dublin, Ireland It is not that easy to understand. China has spies everywhere. Tibetans have been brutalized since 1950. HH wants to meet and talk. He does not want a “ Free Tibet” what he wants is true autonomy. He has said he will step down as Dali Lama if that is what it takes. For 58 years Chinese have taken over culture in Tibet, this is what we are trying to preserve. Buddha’s Warriors will fight on in some fashion. kevin klauber, Austin Texas, USA 'Beware the dog that bites the hand that feeds' Do you realize quite how appalling using that analogy makes you look? Mike, Nottingham, UK Where does she get this information from? Andy, Cambridge, England actually it is so sad that there is no justice. IOC knows that chinese government are killing innocent people and snatching their right. IOC must take responsibilities of all these life. they must be ashemed of themselves. can't believe they are doing nothing about it???? shame pasang zompa, london, united kingdom It is outrageous that China was given the plum of hosting the Olympics. They are a ruthless, brutal government. Why doesn't the news media focus on this? Don't people remember the tanks crushing the young people in Tienamen Square? The nun shot dead in the snow in Nepal by Chinese military? Carolyn Branch, Atlanta, USA After the March 14 riot in Tibet, the government should take tight security measures to keep the order and provide safety to the public. If the government does not take cautious measures for the public security, it will fail its duties to its citizens. Wayne, Princeton, USA X Wu -- isn't torture wrong? Isn't it the citizen's duty to speak out against inhumane treatment of fellow human beings? I am ashamed of your government. It has turned the Olympics into a symbol of repression and hypocrisy. Eddie, Toronto, Canada X Wu: No one has to demonize the Chinese govt - it's doing that all by itself. All the West and Tibetans have done is point out the Chinese govt's abhorrent, narcissistic, abusive behavior. The IOC is a mindless dolt for awarding the games to China based on empty promises instead of actual history. Franklin, Missouri, USA No one can be suprised at the way China rules in it's unwilling colony. I assume the IOC are still happy with their decision to award them the games now China proves it's bad reputation well founded.. Lim, your deluded fantasies about the 'Evil West' have made me smile so very much - Thank you Mike, Nottm, UK Beware the dog that bites the hand that feeds paul, notts, uk Free these monks and boycott the olympics. It doesn't matter what the Chinese government does now they have shown their true colors and they are not pretty. Chris, wiltshire, what a shame for my country to use terror and force. the government is our real source of embarrassment for the olympics, not these tibetans that they are beating wu li, beijing, china It is a Western strategy. Threaten small nations. Split big nations. Divide the world into small parts, easier to dominate and rule. The Soviet Union is now only Russia and many smaller states, so not a threat to Western designs. Now it is China starting with Tibet. The world better wake up.Unite Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. 'Dozens, possibly hundreds...........' Could it be any vaguer?? The widespread devastation caused could not have been done by only a handful of rioters, so maybe it's not so surprising. Everyone has to register in any none-home region, even tourists not staying in hotels. It's not an issue. Pu Li, Guangxi, PRC It is interesting that Jane, "the most hated woman in China" can get so much news about Tibet while she cannot enter Tibet. Where is the new source? From Dalai Dama? Demonizing China is always safe in political rightness, and attracts readers in the western world. X Wu, Beijing, China Most of the tourists won't know the history of the monasteries, or the numbers of monks who were there. The news media have not focused on the continued oppression of the Tibetan people, nor the arrests for practicing their religious traditions. Bayla, Boulder, USA i hope this disgraceful government is never given the olympics again, shame on them and shame on the olympic committee for filling their pockets with money so these thugs and tyrants can get some legitimacy... they have enslaved chinese people for decades it time something was done to free them william gibbons, chengdu, china Will the tourists notice the reduction in monks? Owen, SG, Read all 20 comments Have your say Have your say 300 characters left * Name * Email * Town Country * Required Remember me Terms and conditions PrintEmailPost to del.icio.usPost to FarkPost to Yahoo!Post to Digg Also in Olympics Martyn Rooney the boy racer is growing up fast Beijing is ready to stage Olympics, says IOC Green light for shooters boosts 2012 medal hopes Also in Sport Friday's results Media-savvy jockeys would be something to sing about Cecil puts narrow Eclipse defeat into context Swimming Is this the world's greatest athlete? 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Tibetan monasteries empty as China jails monks to silence Olympic protests
Tibetan monks have angered China by taking opportunities to protest to the media. The authorities have cracked down at least until the Olympics

Jane Macartney in Beijing
Chinese authorities tightened security around Tibet’s main monasteries and banned visits to a sacred site on the edge of the capital, Lhasa, for fear of a fresh outburst of unrest on the Dalai Lama’s birthday.

Few monks remain, however, in the province’s three most important monasteries. Many have disappeared, their whereabouts a mystery. Chinese officials have deployed troops and paramilitary police around the ancient religious institutions, suspecting these sprawling hillside communities are at the heart of the unrest that has swept the region since early March.

Dozens, possibly several hundred, have been arrested or are detained and under investigation for their roles in the anti-Chinese demonstrations and riots that hit Lhasa on March 14. This, however, does not account for the empty halls in the three great monasteries, Drepung, Sera and Ganden, that lie near the city. Several hundred monks are believed to have been living in each of them before the violence erupted.

Now Tibetan sources have revealed that most of the monks, more than 1,000 in total, have been transferred to many prisons and detention centres in and around the city of Golmud in neighbouring Qinghai province. The detained monks are all young ethnic Tibetans from surrounding regions who had made their way to Lhasa, their spiritual capital, to study and pray in the most prestigious spiritual centres on the Roof of the World.

Related Links
Real crackdown will come after Olympics
Tibet reopened to foreign tourists
Their detention is part of a policy to rid the monasteries of any monks not registered as formal residents of the administrative region, known as the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Family members say that the monks have been told they will be incarcerated in Golmud only until the end of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The policy is part of a campaign by the Chinese Government to ensure that the Games, opening on August 8 and lasting for two weeks, pass off without a hitch and without protests from the restive Tibetans, they told The Times.

“After that they have been told that they will be allowed to leave, because they are not guilty of a crime,” one man whose brother is among the detained said. “But they will be ordered to return to their home villages and will not be permitted to go back to the monasteries in Lhasa.” There were no reports that any of those being held were being mistreated, he added.

The monks’ detention is, in effect, a decision by China to implement a policy first promulgated in 1994 to limit the size of Tibet’s monasteries, because increasing religious freedoms were attracting growing numbers.

Sera monastery, for example, is supposed to house no more than 400 monks but is believed to have grown to more than 1,000. In Drepung - at its height the largest monastery in the world - has been allocated a similar quota but has allowed as many as 900 monks to live in its high-walled compounds. The monasteries have for years allowed young boys well below the age of 18 to enter in direct contravention of the rules but the authorities had turned a blind eye.

The abbots have encouraged the unofficial monks because they found that those from other regions tended to be the most devoted and diligent, Tibetan sources said.

Registered monks are given a monthly stipend that can sometimes be as much as 5,000 yuan (£350) depending on the donations to a monastery and entrance ticket sales. Many prefer to spend their days playing video games and DVDs rather than reading the scriptures, they said. They voiced concern that the monasteries could lose many of their best Buddhist scholars if the monks were not allowed to return after the Olympics.

Authorities have ordered all Tibetans without a Lhasa residence permit to leave the city and to return to their homes. Reports are increasing of the authorities targeting individuals whose dress, haircut or even teeth - Tibetans from Sichuan and Qinghai favour gold fillings - mark them out as coming from neighbouring regions.

Tibetan residents of Lhasa say that they prefer not to wear Tibetan dress for fear they will be stopped and questioned on the street by police or soldiers. Men say that they are growing their hair so as not be mistaken for a monk and interrogated.

One man, from the Khamba group that lives in western Sichuan province and is renowned for its warriors, told how he was arrested after the March 14 riot because his long hair identified him as being from that region.

The huge security operation has,however, failed to halt protests by Tibetans demanding the return of the Dalai Lama and independence for their homeland. On June 18 six took place in Ganze county alone.

One Tibetan source said: “They know they are going to be arrested but people still go out and demonstrate. And then you can see the cats come out and catch them like mice.”

Ancient traditions

Drepung monastery

The largest of Tibetan monasteries, whose name means “rice heap”. Its population numbered as many as 7,700 in the 1930s and sometimes up to 10,000. Founded in 1416, it has long been been regarded as the most academic monastery of the Gelukpa – or Yellow Hat – sect

Sera monastery

Its name means “Enclosure of Roses”. Also founded in the early 15th century. Began as a scholarly institution but became known as the home of warrior monks whose responsibility was to defend Tibet and its Buddhist traditions

Ganden monastery

The oldest of the three great monasteries, its name means “continent of completely victorious happiness”. It is 35 miles from Lhasa and has long been the smallest house. It suffered most during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, when it was dynamited by the Army and Red Guards

Have your say

I think IOC Chair Mr. Rogge must resign before, Beijing games for not upholding the the charter of Olympic games and supporting the most hegemonic dictatorship in the world now.

Or the words like “PEACE”, “Friendship” etc should be take out of the Olympic Charter.

RigZin, Santa Fe, USA

Stop ask stupid questions,guys! You even can’t imagine what does the Red Terror means! Maybe you know about that from stupid Holliwood propaganda films,but in reality it is not a joke at all. Better let’s put aside your McBurgers, come together and help this small nation to stay alive!

Ivar, Dublin, Ireland

It is not that easy to understand. China has spies everywhere. Tibetans have been brutalized since 1950.
HH wants to meet and talk. He does not want a “ Free Tibet” what he wants is true autonomy. He has said he will step down as Dali Lama if that is what it takes.
For 58 years Chinese have taken over culture in Tibet, this is what we are trying to preserve.
Buddha’s Warriors will fight on in some fashion.

kevin klauber, Austin Texas, USA

‘Beware the dog that bites the hand that feeds’

Do you realize quite how appalling using that analogy makes you look?

Mike, Nottingham, UK

Where does she get this information from?

Andy, Cambridge, England

actually it is so sad that there is no justice. IOC knows that chinese government are killing innocent people and snatching their right. IOC must take responsibilities of all these life. they must be ashemed of themselves. can’t believe they are doing nothing about it???? shame

pasang zompa, london, united kingdom

It is outrageous that China was given the plum of hosting the Olympics. They are a ruthless, brutal government. Why doesn’t the news media focus on this? Don’t people remember the tanks crushing the young people in Tienamen Square? The nun shot dead in the snow in Nepal by Chinese military?

Carolyn Branch, Atlanta, USA

After the March 14 riot in Tibet, the government should take tight security measures to keep the order and provide safety to the public. If the government does not take cautious measures for the public security, it will fail its duties to its citizens.

Wayne, Princeton, USA

X Wu — isn’t torture wrong? Isn’t it the citizen’s duty to speak out against inhumane treatment of fellow human beings? I am ashamed of your government. It has turned the Olympics into a symbol of repression and hypocrisy.

Eddie, Toronto, Canada

X Wu: No one has to demonize the Chinese govt - it’s doing that all by itself. All the West and Tibetans have done is point out the Chinese govt’s abhorrent, narcissistic, abusive behavior. The IOC is a mindless dolt for awarding the games to China based on empty promises instead of actual history.

Franklin, Missouri, USA

No one can be suprised at the way China rules in it’s unwilling colony. I assume the IOC are still happy with their decision to award them the games now China proves it’s bad reputation well founded..

Lim, your deluded fantasies about the ‘Evil West’ have made me smile so very much - Thank you

Mike, Nottm, UK

Beware the dog that bites the hand that feeds

paul, notts, uk

Free these monks and boycott the olympics. It doesn’t matter what the Chinese government does now they have shown their true colors and they are not pretty.

Chris, wiltshire,

what a shame for my country to use terror and force. the government is our real source of embarrassment for the olympics, not these tibetans that they are beating

wu li, beijing, china

It is a Western strategy. Threaten small nations. Split big nations. Divide the world into small parts, easier to dominate and rule. The Soviet Union is now only Russia and many smaller states, so not a threat to Western designs. Now it is China starting with Tibet. The world better wake up.Unite

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

‘Dozens, possibly hundreds………..’ Could it be any vaguer?? The widespread devastation caused could not have been done by only a handful of rioters, so maybe it’s not so surprising.

Everyone has to register in any none-home region, even tourists not staying in hotels. It’s not an issue.

Pu Li, Guangxi, PRC

It is interesting that Jane, “the most hated woman in China” can get so much news about Tibet while she cannot enter Tibet. Where is the new source? From Dalai Dama?

Demonizing China is always safe in political rightness, and attracts readers in the western world.

X Wu, Beijing, China

Most of the tourists won’t know the history of the monasteries, or the numbers of monks who were there. The news media have not focused on the continued oppression of the Tibetan people, nor the arrests for practicing their religious traditions.

Bayla, Boulder, USA

i hope this disgraceful government is never given the olympics again, shame on them and shame on the olympic committee for filling their pockets with money so these thugs and tyrants can get some legitimacy… they have enslaved chinese people for decades it time something was done to free them

william gibbons, chengdu, china

Will the tourists notice the reduction in monks?

Owen, SG,

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]]> Comment on Thoughts on the eve of the torch relay in Tibet by Tenzin http://beijingwideopen.org/2008/06/24/thoughts-on-the-eve-of-the-torch-relay-in-tibet/#comment-5515 Tenzin Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:11:02 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/?p=192#comment-5515 1. Lets march with pens in our hands, not guns First and foremost, we need to get the idea out of our heads that we will one day fight China. It is not going to happen, and if it ever does it will not bear anything. Isn't that really quite clear that we can not fight China. Just look at the number of people they got, the weapons and money, and not to mention technology. The main reason we should not fight them is taht we will never be victorious. I am sure there are many idiots out there who want to kill a Chinese or two. Leaders, big and small, should dissuade such ideas from ever gaining favor. If people in the know do not tell these people (who are very patriotic but don't seem to get the right picture of our fight with China), then it is sad. Instead of encouraging and fanning the fire to pick up arms, our leaders,big and small, should think of other more productive methods. First of all, I truly can not believe that there are people out there that want to go and fight China. It just seems like a very primitive way of thinking. When the rest of the world is moving forward, here we are (some of us) thinking of putting weapons in the hands of our youth. When China is busy growing at 10% per year, here we are taking a step backwards. China is not like fighting the Raj. There are few British troops in India; the British were controlling India from Britain. But in our case, China is right next door, and to think that they will not brutally supress any violent campaign is foolish. They will kill all the youth and we will become victims for nothing. Here is China aiming to put a man on the moon, and here we are thinking that we should fight them. I mean, it is just ridiculous. I think that we need to do better. I think that we need to wake up, and see where the restof the world is doing. This notion that we should fight is again an example of living in the well, like the frogs that lived in a well that thought that they knew the universe. We need to expant our way of thinking. If we are not able to accoomplish, and if the CCP holds power for a few more decades, it is too bad for some of our aging Tibetans, for they will not be able to see the day when things will change. And things will surely change, just like any government will not surely last for ever. The CCP will topple, and it is not a question of if but when. So, if some of us are getting old and think that time is running out, that is completely wrong. Time is running out for you, but Tibet has got all the time in the world, atleast for now. Secondly, we don't want to fight the Chinese because that is fundamentally not what the Tibetans are about and that is not how the world preceives us. We are special only becasue of our religion, which says that we prize all life on earth, etc. We are not the people that should blow up innocent Chinese people, like the problem that plagues Israel. Fighting China is an infantile way of thinking. i don't think that people out there encouraging Tibetans to fight should be giving a free platform to voice their contorted and convoluted ways of thinking. Don't give them guns, give them pens. I know that is not as easy as giving them guns, and sending them off to their deaths. I know that some of you are scratching your heads right now and thinking what is it that I mean by saying, "give them pens." Well, the answer always lies in teh future, and like it or not, the future is actually happening right now. If you were a farmer and grow crops, your future is growing right now in the fields. If you take care of your crops, and ensure them plenty of water and fertilizer, you will almost certainly have a good future. But if you let your crops lie to their own fates, you could possibly starve to death. Tibetans who claim themselves to be scholars, and leaders, to my utter amazement, entirely fail to see the importance of the well being of our children. If it not your child, you don't give a damn, do you. Human beings don't cease to amaze me in all their varied ways! There are people out there who don't know what they should do for Tibet. Well, if you only paid attention to Tibetan school children, there is nothing more important that you can possibly do. Since China had its one-child policy, many Chinese are extremely sensitive to the educational needs of their sole child. I read about one parent that used to go to the class room with her son, just to make sure that he was studying and not sleeping. I read about another parent who made 45 Yuans a week, and spent 35 on the education of his daughter, and providing music leasons, and tutions and such. And these are only two examples, and you can imagine some of the stories out their. We need to understand the importance of education. The internet has shrunk the world dramatically, and what a Tibetan wants to say in Dhramsala can be heard reverberating around the world. Providing good education to our school children also has to to do with nurturing capable leaders in the future. REading (and reading well and critically) is a most important skill. When I see that quite a few Americans even care to read on the bus, I just cannot help but make comparisions to Tibetans. Tibetans need to pick up a book and start reading. Stop talking, and hanging out in the restaurants (in Dharamsala) and pick up an interest ing book. Sometimes it seems like all Tibetans spend all their time and hang out in Hotel Tibet. Get out of there, and do the patriotic thing, and read a book. And where are all the Tibetan scholars when we need them. Please start writing books that will make us think; and please don't write another history book, because we know enough history already. Going back to educating our children, I am just amazed to see that people don't give a shit if it is not your own children. Becoming a doctor doesn't do Tibet any good. And yes, especially in the US, please don't become doctors or dentists or pharmacists etc. They do nothing for Tibet, and doesn't America have enough of them already. Please encourage your children to take up literature, or economics, or history, or photography, or filmmaking. Science is noble, but where we are right now, it is entirely useless. We don't need a doctor (what good is a doctor), rather we need a worldclass filmmaker, or documentarian, or researcher, or writer -- yes we definitely need exceptional writers. Writers don't necessarily make any money because there are a lot of bad one's out there. But you are expectional, you will do a lot of good for Tibet, and maybe also have a good bank balance. When I think of the many years of school doctors endure, I can not help but laugh at such waste of time. And all for what? So, that you can have a bigger house or a bigger car. I told you, didn't I about the currupting influence of America. Here is one: blatant consumerism. In America we live to buy things. I am getting the hell out of this place when the time comes. 1. Lets march with pens in our hands, not guns

First and foremost, we need to get the idea out of our heads that we will one day fight China. It is not going to happen, and if it ever does it will not bear anything. Isn’t that really quite clear that we can not fight China. Just look at the number of people they got, the weapons and money, and not to mention technology. The main reason we should not fight them is taht we will never be victorious. I am sure there are many idiots out there who want to kill a Chinese or two. Leaders, big and small, should dissuade such ideas from ever gaining favor. If people in the know do not tell these people (who are very patriotic but don’t seem to get the right picture of our fight with China), then it is sad. Instead of encouraging and fanning the fire to pick up arms, our leaders,big and small, should think of other more productive methods.

First of all, I truly can not believe that there are people out there that want to go and fight China. It just seems like a very primitive way of thinking. When the rest of the world is moving forward, here we are (some of us) thinking of putting weapons in the hands of our youth. When China is busy growing at 10% per year, here we are taking a step backwards. China is not like fighting the Raj. There are few British troops in India; the British were controlling India from Britain. But in our case, China is right next door, and to think that they will not brutally supress any violent campaign is foolish. They will kill all the youth and we will become victims for nothing.

Here is China aiming to put a man on the moon, and here we are thinking that we should fight them. I mean, it is just ridiculous. I think that we need to do better. I think that we need to wake up, and see where the restof the world is doing. This notion that we should fight is again an example of living in the well, like the frogs that lived in a well that thought that they knew the universe. We need to expant our way of thinking. If we are not able to accoomplish, and if the CCP holds power for a few more decades, it is too bad for some of our aging Tibetans, for they will not be able to see the day when things will change. And things will surely change, just like any government will not surely last for ever. The CCP will topple, and it is not a question of if but when. So, if some of us are getting old and think that time is running out, that is completely wrong. Time is running out for you, but Tibet has got all the time in the world, atleast for now.

Secondly, we don’t want to fight the Chinese because that is fundamentally not what the Tibetans are about and that is not how the world preceives us. We are special only becasue of our religion, which says that we prize all life on earth, etc. We are not the people that should blow up innocent Chinese people, like the problem that plagues Israel. Fighting China is an infantile way of thinking. i don’t think that people out there encouraging Tibetans to fight should be giving a free platform to voice their contorted and convoluted ways of thinking.

Don’t give them guns, give them pens. I know that is not as easy as giving them guns, and sending them off to their deaths. I know that some of you are scratching your heads right now and thinking what is it that I mean by saying, “give them pens.” Well, the answer always lies in teh future, and like it or not, the future is actually happening right now. If you were a farmer and grow crops, your future is growing right now in the fields. If you take care of your crops, and ensure them plenty of water and fertilizer, you will almost certainly have a good future. But if you let your crops lie to their own fates, you could possibly starve to death. Tibetans who claim themselves to be scholars, and leaders, to my utter amazement, entirely fail to see the importance of the well being of our children. If it not your child, you don’t give a damn, do you. Human beings don’t cease to amaze me in all their varied ways!

There are people out there who don’t know what they should do for Tibet. Well, if you only paid attention to Tibetan school children, there is nothing more important that you can possibly do. Since China had its one-child policy, many Chinese are extremely sensitive to the educational needs of their sole child. I read about one parent that used to go to the class room with her son, just to make sure that he was studying and not sleeping. I read about another parent who made 45 Yuans a week, and spent 35 on the education of his daughter, and providing music leasons, and tutions and such. And these are only two examples, and you can imagine some of the stories out their. We need to understand the importance of education. The internet has shrunk the world dramatically, and what a Tibetan wants to say in Dhramsala can be heard reverberating around the world.

Providing good education to our school children also has to to do with nurturing capable leaders in the future. REading (and reading well and critically) is a most important skill. When I see that quite a few Americans even care to read on the bus, I just cannot help but make comparisions to Tibetans. Tibetans need to pick up a book and start reading. Stop talking, and hanging out in the restaurants (in Dharamsala) and pick up an interest ing book. Sometimes it seems like all Tibetans spend all their time and hang out in Hotel Tibet. Get out of there, and do the patriotic thing, and read a book.

And where are all the Tibetan scholars when we need them. Please start writing books that will make us think; and please don’t write another history book, because we know enough history already. Going back to educating our children, I am just amazed to see that people don’t give a shit if it is not your own children. Becoming a doctor doesn’t do Tibet any good. And yes, especially in the US, please don’t become doctors or dentists or pharmacists etc. They do nothing for Tibet, and doesn’t America have enough of them already.

Please encourage your children to take up literature, or economics, or history, or photography, or filmmaking. Science is noble, but where we are right now, it is entirely useless. We don’t need a doctor (what good is a doctor), rather we need a worldclass filmmaker, or documentarian, or researcher, or writer — yes we definitely need exceptional writers. Writers don’t necessarily make any money because there are a lot of bad one’s out there. But you are expectional, you will do a lot of good for Tibet, and maybe also have a good bank balance. When I think of the many years of school doctors endure, I can not help but laugh at such waste of time. And all for what? So, that you can have a bigger house or a bigger car. I told you, didn’t I about the currupting influence of America. Here is one: blatant consumerism. In America we live to buy things. I am getting the hell out of this place when the time comes.

]]> Comment on The suffering continues by Pierre Simonet http://beijingwideopen.org/2008/05/26/the-suffering-continues/#comment-5504 Pierre Simonet Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:15:14 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/?p=180#comment-5504 The way nobody is concerned about what the Chinese do to Tibetan people and to their own people has changed my mind -politically : never again will i vote for someone according to what he says or because he is Left-minded or whatever, or because of what that person FISHING FOR VOTES pretends to say, but I'll vote or won't vote at all according to the records of that person on Human Rights, mainly in Tibet. Political heads of States, Ministers or anyone begging for my vote should go or not to Beijing but I expect those people not to remain silent like some politicians remained silent while the Nazi atrocities were perpetrated during the second world war : I want politician to behave like General de Gaule (during the 2nd world war), like General Leclerc, like General de Tassigny, like Jean Moulin -not like the Vichy state, a shame to every Frenchman.We, French people, owe everything to those great Human Beings ; therefore, today's politicians should say publicly : "a state kidnaping a 5 year old child is not a state respecting Human rights; a state forcing women to abort when they are 8 and a half months pregnant, is not a state respecting Human Rights; a state not helping homeless Tibetan people when an earthquake happens, isn't a state respecting Human Rights, a state throwing lawyers because they help those poor Chinese women or those poor second-class Tibetan citzens, is not a state; a state not able to build safe schools for children, and not wanting to say who are the culprits -because this state is the Number One implied in these poor school-buildings, is not a state ; a state not declaring the murderer of an innocent lady, because the murderer is a big communist party tycoon's son... is not a state respecting Human rights ; now, you, politicians, you can pretend backing up Human Rights, but if you don't, you won't make us believe you are.for Human Rights. I do not appreciate those criticizing Mrs Betancourt's having been snatched away from non-human kidnappers. If this had happeded to someone in their familly, surely theu wouldn't criticize. I know our President will do everything to free the 5 year old child (the Pachen Lama- who has been kinapped by a ruthless state ; I know he will back him up publicaly, like he did back up Mrs Betancourt. He isn't afraid to utter what he does next. We know he does what he says : Our President goes to Beijing because the Chinese pretend to talk with the Tibetan. But when our President finds out the Chinese are not talking -just pretentending : "This is the catazstophy I mentioned', our presdident will say. And he won't go to Beijing. He doesn'tt know yet... it's not because this Chinese government is very clever ( they went into the German, the French and other Military National Defences, accoerding to the News, that we are just stupid people...we'll find out , and you will see that those who criticize our President are wrong. If things don't happen this way, I 'll admit i am very naive. Which I might. May be I am not, after all. The way nobody is concerned about what the Chinese do to Tibetan people and to their own people has changed my mind -politically : never again will i vote for someone according to what he says or because he is Left-minded or whatever, or because of what that person FISHING FOR VOTES pretends to say, but I’ll vote or won’t vote at all according to the records of that person on Human Rights, mainly in Tibet. Political heads of States, Ministers or anyone begging for my vote should go or not to Beijing but I expect those people not to remain silent like some politicians remained silent while the Nazi atrocities were perpetrated during the second world war : I want politician to behave like General de Gaule (during the 2nd world war), like General Leclerc, like General de Tassigny, like Jean Moulin -not like the Vichy state, a shame to every Frenchman.We, French people, owe everything to those great Human Beings ; therefore, today’s politicians should say publicly : “a state kidnaping a 5 year old child is not a state respecting Human rights; a state forcing women to abort when they are 8 and a half months pregnant, is not a state respecting Human Rights; a state not helping homeless Tibetan people when an earthquake happens, isn’t a state respecting Human Rights, a state throwing lawyers because they help those poor Chinese women or those poor second-class Tibetan citzens, is not a state; a state not able to build safe schools for children, and not wanting to say who are the culprits -because this state is the Number One implied in these poor school-buildings, is not a state ; a state not declaring the murderer of an innocent lady, because the murderer is a big communist party tycoon’s son… is not a state respecting Human rights ; now, you, politicians, you can pretend backing up Human Rights, but if you don’t, you won’t make us believe you are.for Human Rights.
I do not appreciate those criticizing Mrs Betancourt’s having been snatched away from non-human kidnappers. If this had happeded to someone in their familly, surely theu wouldn’t criticize.
I know our President will do everything to free the 5 year old child (the Pachen Lama- who has been kinapped by a ruthless state ; I know he will back him up publicaly, like he did back up Mrs Betancourt.
He isn’t afraid to utter what he does next.
We know he does what he says : Our President goes to Beijing because the Chinese pretend to talk with the Tibetan. But when our President finds out the Chinese are not talking -just pretentending : “This is the catazstophy I mentioned’, our presdident will say. And he won’t go to Beijing.
He doesn’tt know yet… it’s not because this Chinese government is very clever ( they went into the German, the French and other Military National Defences, accoerding to the News, that we are just stupid people…we’ll find out , and you will see that those who criticize our President are wrong.
If things don’t happen this way, I ‘ll admit i am very naive.
Which I might.
May be I am not, after all.

]]> Comment on Beijing Videoblog by Pierre Simonet http://beijingwideopen.org/my-beijing-videoblog/#comment-5501 Pierre Simonet Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:47:21 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/my-beijing-videoblog/#comment-5501 http://programmes.france2.fr/les-chemins-de-la-foi/index.php?page=article&numsite=42&id_rubrique=44&id_article=46 Beautiful video. http://programmes.france2.fr/les-chemins-de-la-foi/index.php?page=article&numsite=42&id_rubrique=44&id_article=46

Beautiful video.

]]> Comment on An interview with Jamyang Norbu - part 1 by Christine http://beijingwideopen.org/2007/09/10/jamyang-norbu-gives-his-thoughts-on-the-olympics-countdown-protests/#comment-5464 Christine Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:02:12 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/2007/09/10/jamyang-norbu-gives-his-thoughts-on-the-olympics-countdown-protests/#comment-5464 Discursive inclusion offers greater potential for democracy; that being said, China has been always exclusive. People say that there is freedom of speech and information in China. Of course there is, but the question we have to ask is what kind of information and how is freedom of speech being exercised? There are limits to what can be said in China, surprisingly even the Chinese, who are the most eligible to question/criticise the government can't do so. As a result there is a monopoly of discourse in China. The exclusiveness of discourse in China denies alternatives and possibilities not just for Tibetans but for Chinese themselves. It is through blogs like this that open spaces for other discourses to exist. Blogs like this seek to leave spaces open for talk. Only when discourses are left open (that one that is at least inclusive) that change becomes possible. Discursive inclusion offers greater potential for democracy; that being said, China has been always exclusive. People say that there is freedom of speech and information in China. Of course there is, but the question we have to ask is what kind of information and how is freedom of speech being exercised? There are limits to what can be said in China, surprisingly even the Chinese, who are the most eligible to question/criticise the government can’t do so. As a result there is a monopoly of discourse in China. The exclusiveness of discourse in China denies alternatives and possibilities not just for Tibetans but for Chinese themselves. It is through blogs like this that open spaces for other discourses to exist. Blogs like this seek to leave spaces open for talk. Only when discourses are left open (that one that is at least inclusive) that change becomes possible.

]]> Comment on Beijing Videoblog by Pierre Simonet http://beijingwideopen.org/my-beijing-videoblog/#comment-5162 Pierre Simonet Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:02:34 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/my-beijing-videoblog/#comment-5162 Beijing monitored site? Just wondering. Beijing monitored site? Just wondering.

]]> Comment on Lhasa on Lockdown by Tenzin http://beijingwideopen.org/2008/06/20/lhasa-on-lockdown/#comment-5160 Tenzin Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:14:56 +0000 http://beijingwideopen.org/?p=190#comment-5160 Tibet and China will be friends in the future What does it mean to have the Torch in Tibet? Well, the CCP is adamant to show that Tibet is an autonomous minority region of China. But the things they did in Tibet and in Uyghur region are absolutely ridiculous. Telling people to not come out during the Torch relay and having such a tight control of people is ridiculous. It goes to show how much of China (since Tibet is under China right now) is not quite under the control of the CCP, and there is really no telling what will happen in China and the CCP. According to many experts, CCP bought themselves more time by hosting the Olympics in China. Also, the economic miracle of China is attributable to the CCP and the Chinese know that. Even though the Chinese may not be entirely happy with their lives, they are smart enough to realize that the CCP has worked many miracles in the past thirty years. I am relishing all the programs PBS and NPR are having on China. Two programs that I can recall right now are:”Young and Restless in China,” and another program that had to do with the rise of Christianity in China. I think both of these were FRONTLINE programs, and can be view if you go to their website. NPR has also been having a lot of programs about China. And I also watched a travelogue on China. I could not help but notice that the Chinese people are genuinely friendly to the Americans who were shooting the film. China is a very special place, and it has a very illustrious history. But after the CCP came to power some sixty years ago, the Chinese themselves have suffered greatly under the crazy leadership of Mao Zedong. And Tibet became a victim of the CCP, and we suffered along with the rest of the people of China under the Cultural Revolution. What China did to Tibet and to its people is inexcusable. When it is all said and done, Tibet will ask for reparations from China. I think she will become a friend of Tibet, because there is no other way the international community will have it. But it will have to pay for its sins, economically and through other means. But we have to remember that we have nothing against the people of China. Why did all these Chinese clash with Tibetans in the US and Europe during the Olympic Torch relay? Because they thought that it was a personal attack on them, and I don’t think we can blame them. It is very upstanding of them to defend the image of their country in the way they did. I don’t think that they have blind faith in China and the CCP. I don’t think that the Chinese are a cruel people, and that in the future they will not have any mercy and empathy on Tibet and Tibetan people. I don’t think that they are an unconscionable people. I don’t think that we want to make enemies with the Chinese people, but we want to challenge the CCP. We should have nothing against the success China is enjoying. And we should not wish ill on the Chinese people. What we should be against is the CCP, and when they will be gone one day, the two countries of Tibet and China should become great friends. Maybe there could be some of that same relationship that existed between the two countries in the past. Maybe Tibet will be a source of religion for millions and millions of Chinese people. And that in itself will be great because then the tourism industry will alone be able to sustain a sizable portion of Tibet’s economy. In the future when Tibet will be free, we will praise our luck for having China as a neighbor. So we have to keep in mind that we are not interested in perpetual enmity with China. In the future when Tibet will be free, we want to partake in the success of China. If China is where the future is, just like Rome was in the ancient times, and America was in the last half century, we want to share in its success. We don’t want to alienate it for eternity and hope that the two countries of Tibet and China will never be friends. And when ever we protest against China, I think we should also carry banners and signs that denounce the CCP. Maybe we should also carry banners that say that we consider the Chinese people our friends. We are not against China, and even if we wanted to, we will not be able to challenge China and win. We are not fighting China, but we are fighting for our right over our own country. Right now most of Tibet’s economy is based on Tourism. And in the future when Tibet will be free, it wont be much different. Tourism is going to be our saving grace. And a lot of allure of Tibet in the West and even in China is its religion. It is in our self-interest to perpetuate our religious system. In the past, Tibet used to be a feudal system, and it was not a just society. But to blame on religion out past troubles is not true. We surely do not want to bring back our stratified society of our past, but we want to keep our religion. Tibetan Buddhism under HH the Dalai Lama is the biggest reason why Tibet has been able to survive as a distinct place in China, and it has also qauranteed the survival of the Tibetan culture in exile. It has really been a boon for the past fifty years, and it promises to be a source of wealth in the past. We want to keep the institution of the Dalai Lama. The role of the Dalai Lama’s in the future may be purely religious, but we really want to preserve the integrity of our religious institutions for posterity. Tibet and China will be friends in the future

What does it mean to have the Torch in Tibet? Well, the CCP is adamant to show that Tibet is an autonomous minority region of China. But the things they did in Tibet and in Uyghur region are absolutely ridiculous. Telling people to not come out during the Torch relay and having such a tight control of people is ridiculous. It goes to show how much of China (since Tibet is under China right now) is not quite under the control of the CCP, and there is really no telling what will happen in China and the CCP. According to many experts, CCP bought themselves more time by hosting the Olympics in China. Also, the economic miracle of China is attributable to the CCP and the Chinese know that. Even though the Chinese may not be entirely happy with their lives, they are smart enough to realize that the CCP has worked many miracles in the past thirty years.

I am relishing all the programs PBS and NPR are having on China. Two programs that I can recall right now are:”Young and Restless in China,” and another program that had to do with the rise of Christianity in China. I think both of these were FRONTLINE programs, and can be view if you go to their website. NPR has also been having a lot of programs about China. And I also watched a travelogue on China. I could not help but notice that the Chinese people are genuinely friendly to the Americans who were shooting the film. China is a very special place, and it has a very illustrious history. But after the CCP came to power some sixty years ago, the Chinese themselves have suffered greatly under the crazy leadership of Mao Zedong. And Tibet became a victim of the CCP, and we suffered along with the rest of the people of China under the Cultural Revolution. What China did to Tibet and to its people is inexcusable. When it is all said and done, Tibet will ask for reparations from China. I think she will become a friend of Tibet, because there is no other way the international community will have it. But it will have to pay for its sins, economically and through other means.

But we have to remember that we have nothing against the people of China. Why did all these Chinese clash with Tibetans in the US and Europe during the Olympic Torch relay? Because they thought that it was a personal attack on them, and I don’t think we can blame them. It is very upstanding of them to defend the image of their country in the way they did. I don’t think that they have blind faith in China and the CCP. I don’t think that the Chinese are a cruel people, and that in the future they will not have any mercy and empathy on Tibet and Tibetan people. I don’t think that they are an unconscionable people. I don’t think that we want to make enemies with the Chinese people, but we want to challenge the CCP. We should have nothing against the success China is enjoying. And we should not wish ill on the Chinese people. What we should be against is the CCP, and when they will be gone one day, the two countries of Tibet and China should become great friends. Maybe there could be some of that same relationship that existed between the two countries in the past. Maybe Tibet will be a source of religion for millions and millions of Chinese people. And that in itself will be great because then the tourism industry will alone be able to sustain a sizable portion of Tibet’s economy. In the future when Tibet will be free, we will praise our luck for having China as a neighbor.

So we have to keep in mind that we are not interested in perpetual enmity with China. In the future when Tibet will be free, we want to partake in the success of China. If China is where the future is, just like Rome was in the ancient times, and America was in the last half century, we want to share in its success. We don’t want to alienate it for eternity and hope that the two countries of Tibet and China will never be friends. And when ever we protest against China, I think we should also carry banners and signs that denounce the CCP. Maybe we should also carry banners that say that we consider the Chinese people our friends. We are not against China, and even if we wanted to, we will not be able to challenge China and win. We are not fighting China, but we are fighting for our right over our own country.

Right now most of Tibet’s economy is based on Tourism. And in the future when Tibet will be free, it wont be much different. Tourism is going to be our saving grace. And a lot of allure of Tibet in the West and even in China is its religion. It is in our self-interest to perpetuate our religious system. In the past, Tibet used to be a feudal system, and it was not a just society. But to blame on religion out past troubles is not true. We surely do not want to bring back our stratified society of our past, but we want to keep our religion. Tibetan Buddhism under HH the Dalai Lama is the biggest reason why Tibet has been able to survive as a distinct place in China, and it has also qauranteed the survival of the Tibetan culture in exile. It has really been a boon for the past fifty years, and it promises to be a source of wealth in the past. We want to keep the institution of the Dalai Lama. The role of the Dalai Lama’s in the future may be purely religious, but we really want to preserve the integrity of our religious institutions for posterity.

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