Previous chronologically: A Few News Stories Regarding Tibet
A little insight into some of the games played by the Chinese in Tibet, followed by an open letter from some Chinese intellectuals…..
Chinese Regime Implicated in Staging Violence in Lhasa—UPDATED
| Epoch Times[Saturday, March 29, 2008 17:29] | ||||||
Witness identifies policeman who played part of ‘rioter’By Qin Yue and Qi YueUpdated March 28
Evidence is accumulating that the Chinese regime orchestrated violence in Lhasa in order to discredit the peaceful protests of Buddhist monks. According to the Dalai Lama’s Chinese translator, Ngawang Nyendra, a witness reported that a Chinese policeman in Lhasa disguised himself as a Tibetan and joined the protesters holding a knife in his hand. This witness also recognized the man from BBC news footage and news photos provided by China. A Chinese woman from Thailand (who prefers that her name not be used) was studying in Lhasa when the protests broke out in March. As one of her friends is a policeman, she visited him at the local police station quite often and got to know other policemen there. After the protests on March 14, she and other foreigners were sent to the police station where she saw a man with a knife in his hand walking in with some arrested Tibetans. The man later took off the Tibetan-style clothes and put on a police uniform. This woman was sent out of Lhasa with other foreigners the next day. When she arrived in India via Nepal, she recognized the policeman she had seen in Tibetan garb from BBC TV news and photos that the Chinese embassy had provided to the media. Ngawang Nyendra said the witness was shocked when she saw the policeman in the BBC broadcast. She realized then that the man had disguised himself as a Tibetan in order to incite people to riot. The witness contacted a Tibetan organization in India and told them what she had seen. At a rally on March 17, the organization publicized a news photo originally provided by the Chinese Embassy in India in which the policeman appeared as a Tibetan rioter.
On Xinhua and other Chinese-language Web sites friendly to the regime, after the rally at which the witness spoke, the policeman in disguise had disappeared from photos taken at the same scene in which he had previously been visible. Recently, the original man-with-the-knife photo has returned to these Web sites. Ngawang Nyendra said, “This photo with this man in it was sent by the Chinese embassy to BBC and Radio Free Asia. The other photo was sent out later. They are exactly the same except the man has disappeared from the second photo. “From the TV news footage, you can see this man attempting to stab other people with a knife. But in later shots you can’t find this person any more. They were acting. After people raised questions about these shots, this footage never appeared on TV again.” Other Evidence The main claim of the dramatic story told last week by the Dalai Lama’s translator—that the Chinese regime incited the riots in Lhasa—has lately found corroboration from other sources. There is first of all the Chinese regime’s track record of staging this kind of deception. This is not the first time that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sent policemen to act as rioters in civilian protests in Tibet to stir up violence and frame the protesters. In his “Events in Lhasa March 2-10, 1989″, the Chinese journalist Tang Daxian revealed how the CCP orchestrated violence as part of a plan to suppress the 1989 protests in Tibet. According to the article, “On the dawn of March 5, the Armed Police in Tibet received the action order from the Chief Commander of Armed Police headquarter, Mr. Li Lianxiu.…The Special Squad should immediately assign 300 members to be disguised as ordinary citizens and Tibetan monks, entering the Eight-Corner Street and other riot spots in Lhasa, to support plain-clothes police to complete the task. “Burn the Scripture Pagoda at the northeast of Dazhao Temple. Smash the rice store in the business district, incite citizens to rob rice and food, attack the Tibet-Gansu Trading Company. Encourage people to rob store products, but, only at the permitted locations.” According to the commentator Mr. Chen Pokong, “In this year’s protest, the riot scene was quite similar to that of 1989. A group of young men in their twenties acted in a well organized way. They first shouted slogans, then burnt some vehicles near the Ramoche Monastery, and then broke into nearby stores and robbed them, and finally burnt scores of the stores. “The actions seemed well planned and coordinated, and were conducted with skill. At the crossroads near the Ramoche Monastery, someone prepared in advance many stones of a similar size, each weighing a couple of kilograms. These stones magically escaped the attention of numerous policemen and plainclothes agents who flooded the city.” Mr. Chen’s account of what happened this year is corroborated by the British high-tech spy agency GCHQ, whose satellites observed Chinese police incite the riots in Lhasa, according to a report in the G2 Bulletin.
These accounts also help make sense of puzzling aspects of a report in the New York Times on the scene on the streets of Lhasa on March 14. According to the NY Times, “Foreigners and Lhasa residents who witnessed the violence were stunned by what they saw, and by what they did not see: the police. Riot police officers fled after an initial skirmish and then were often nowhere to be found.” “One monk reached by telephone said other monks noticed that several officers were more interested in shooting video of the violence than stopping it. ‘They were just watching,’ the monk said. ‘They tried to make some videos and use their cameras to take some photos,’” according to the NY Times. The publication of the photo of the man with the knife by Xinhua and its distribution by the Chinese Embassy, as reported by the Dalai Lama’s translator, would be consistent with this monk’s observation. Meanwhile, the Tibetans continue to assert that the Chinese regime has been hoodwinking the world about what happened during the protests in Lhasa. 30 young monks broke into a press briefing behind held on Thursday by the Chinese regime in Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. According to USA Today reporter Callum MacLeod (as reported by Reuters), the young monks shouted, “Don’t believe them. They are tricking you. They are telling lies.” With reporting by Stephen Gregory and Hao Feng |
By Gordon Thomas Thursday, March 20, 2008 LONDON — Britain’s GCHQ, the government communications agency that
electronically monitors half the world from space, has confirmed the
claim by the Dalai Lama that agents of the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army, the PLA, posing as monks, triggered the riots that
have left hundreds of Tibetans dead or injured.
GCHQ analysts believe the decision was deliberately calculated by the
Beijing leadership to provide an excuse to stamp out the simmering
unrest in the region, which is already attracting unwelcome world
attention in the run-up to the Olympic Games this summer.
For weeks there has been growing resentment in Lhasa, Tibet’s
capital, against minor actions taken by the Chinese authorities.
Increasingly, monks have led acts of civil disobedience, demanding
the right to perform traditional incense burning rituals. With their
demands go cries for the return of the Dalai Lama, the 14th to hold
the high spiritual office.
Committed to teaching the tenets of his moral authority — peace and
compassion — the Dalai Lama was 14 when the PLA invaded Tibet in 1950
and he was forced to flee to India from where he has run a relentless
campaign against the harshness of Chinese rule.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the year of the Tiananmen
Square massacre.
But critics have objected to his attraction to film stars. Newspaper
magnate Rupert Murdoch has called him: “A very political monk in
Gucci shoes.”
Discovering that his supporters inside Tibet and China would become
even more active in the months approaching the Olympic Games this
summer, British intelligence officers in Beijing learned the ruling
regime would seek an excuse to move and crush the present unrest.
That fear was publicly expressed by the Dalai Lama. GCHQ’s
satellites, geo-positioned in space, were tasked to closely monitor
the situation.
The doughnut-shaped complex, near Cheltenham racecourse, is set in
the pleasant Cotswolds in the west of England. Seven thousand
employees include the best electronic experts and analysts in the
world. Between them they speak more than 150 languages. At their
disposal are 10,000 computers, many of which have been specially
built for their work.
The images they downloaded from the satellites provided confirmation
the Chinese used agent provocateurs to start riots, which gave the
PLA the excuse to move on Lhasa to kill and wound over the past week.
What the Beijing regime had not expected was how the riots would
spread, not only across Tibet, but also to Sichuan, Quighai and Gansu
provinces, turning a large area of western China into a battle zone.
The Dalai Lama has called it “cultural genocide” and has offered
to resign as head of the protests against Chinese rule in order to
bring peace. The current unrest began on March 10, marking the
anniversary of the 1959 Uprising against Chinese rule.
However, his followers are not listening to his â?omessage of
compassion.â? Many of them are young, unemployed and dispossessed and
reject his philosophy of non-violence, believing the only hope for
change is the radical action they are now carrying out.
For Beijing, the urgent need to find a solution to the uprising is
one of growing embarrassment. In two weeks time, the national
celebrations for the Olympic Games start with the traditional torch
relay. The torch bearers are scheduled to pass through Tibet. But
the torch could find itself being carried by runners past burning
buildings and temples.
A sign of this urgency is that the Chinese prime minister has now
said he is prepared to hold talks with the Dalai Lama. Just before
this announcement, Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared he
would meet the Dalai Lama, who is to visit London next month. This
is the first time either leader has proposed to meet the Dalai Lama.
Leading Chinese Intellectuals Ask China to Rethink Tibet Policy
March 22nd, 2008Leading Chinese intellectuals and writers released a petition today that appeared on several websites in Chinese, entitled ‘Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation’. It is a significant indication that Chinese voices are being raised in China in response to the way Beijing has handled the protests that began on March 10. An English translation is published below.The letter, demonstrating great courage among its 29 signatories, strongly urges the Chinese government to “stop the violent suppression” in Tibet, and appeals to the Tibetan people likewise not to engage in violent activities. It also urges the Chinese government to end the propaganda and news blockade, saying: “The one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of safeguarding national unity.”The signatories include Chinese writers Wang Lixiong, Liu Xiaobo and Yu Jie, Professor Ding Zilin, of the pressure group Tiananmen Mothers, as well as other scholars, and several lawyers and artists.The petition states that the language used by the Chinese government to describe the Dalai Lama is not “in keeping with the situation, nor is it beneficial to the Chinese government’s image,”, saying: “As the Chinese government is committed to integrating into the international community, we maintain that it should display a style of governing that conforms to the standards of modern civilization.”
The leading intellectuals point out that the demonstrations in the late 1980s which led to the imposition of martial law in March 1989, presided over by China’s top leader Hu Jintao, were limited to Lhasa, while the protests of the past 10 days have spread across Tibet. The writers says: “This deterioration indicates that there are serious mistakes in the work that has been done with regard to Tibet. The relevant government departments must conscientiously reflect upon this matter, examine their failures, and fundamentally change the failed nationality policies.”
The letter urges dialogue between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama, so as to “eliminate animosity and bring about national reconciliation”, and appeals for calm and reflection among Chinese people in China.
March 22, 2008
Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation by Some Chinese Intellectuals
|
1. At present the one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of safeguarding national unity. We call for such propaganda to be stopped. |
|
2. We support the Dalai Lama’s appeal for peace, and hope that the ethnic conflict can be dealt with according to the principles of goodwill, peace, and non-violence. We condemn any violent act against innocent people, strongly urge the Chinese government to stop the violent suppression, and appeal to the Tibetan people likewise not to engage in violent activities. |
|
3. The Chinese government claims that “there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique.” We hope that the government will show proof of this. In order to change the international community’s negative view and distrustful attitude, we also suggest that the government invite the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights to carry out an independent investigation of the evidence, the course of the incident, the number of casualties, etc. |
|
4. In our opinion, such Cultural-Revolution-like language as “the Dalai Lama is a jackal in Buddhist monk’s robes and an evil spirit with a human face and the heart of a beast” used by the Chinese Communist Party leadership in the Tibet Autonomous Region is of no help in easing the situation, nor is it beneficial to the Chinese government’s image. As the Chinese government is committed to integrating into the international community, we maintain that it should display a style of governing that conforms to the standards of modern civilization. |
|
5. We note that on the very day when the violence erupted in Lhasa (March 14), the leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region declared that “there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique.” This shows that the authorities in Tibet knew in advance that the riot would occur, yet did nothing effective to prevent the incident from happening or escalating. If there was a dereliction of duty, a serious investigation must be carried out to determine this and deal with it accordingly. |
|
6. If in the end it cannot be proved that this was an organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated event but was instead a “popular revolt” triggered by events, then the authorities should pursue those responsible for inciting the popular revolt and concocting false information to deceive the Central Government and the people; they should also seriously reflect on what can be learned from this event so as to avoid taking the same course in the future. |
|
7. We strongly demand that the authorities not subject every Tibetan to political investigation or revenge. The trials of those who have been arrested must be carried out according to judicial procedures that are open, just, and transparent so as to ensure that all parties are satisfied. |
|
8. We urge the Chinese government to allow credible national and international media to go into Tibetan areas to conduct independent interviews and news reports. In our view, the current news blockade cannot gain credit with the Chinese people or the international community, and is harmful to the credibility of the Chinese government. If the government grasps the true situation, it need not fear challenges. Only by adopting an open attitude can we turn around the international community’s distrust of our government. |
|
9. We appeal to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese to be calm and tolerant, and to reflect deeply on what is happening. Adopting a posture of aggressive nationalism will only invite antipathy from the international community and harm China’s international image. |
|
10. The disturbances in Tibet in the 1980s were limited to Lhasa, whereas this time they have spread to many Tibetan areas. This deterioration indicates that there are serious mistakes in the work that has been done with regard to Tibet. The relevant government departments must conscientiously reflect upon this matter, examine their failures, and fundamentally change the failed nationality policies. |
|
11. In order to prevent similar incidents from happening in future, the government must abide by the freedom of religious belief and the freedom of speech explicitly enshrined in the Chinese Constitution, thereby allowing the Tibetan people fully to express their grievances and hopes, and permitting citizens of all nationalities freely to criticize and make suggestions regarding the government’s nationality policies. |
|
12. We hold that we must eliminate animosity and bring about national reconciliation, not continue to increase divisions between nationalities. A country that wishes to avoid the partition of its territory must first avoid divisions among its nationalities. Therefore, we appeal to the leaders of our country to hold direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama. We hope that the Chinese and Tibetan people will do away with the misunderstandings between them, develop their interactions with each other, and achieve unity. Government departments as much as popular organizations and religious figures should make great efforts toward this goal. |
Signatures:
Wang Lixiong (Beijing, Writer)
Liu Xiaobo (Beijing, Freelance Writer)
Zhang Zuhua (Beijing, scholar of constitutionalism)
Sha Yexin (Shanghai, writer, Chinese Muslim)
Yu Haocheng (Beijing, jurist)
Ding Zilin (Beijing, professor)
Jiang Peikun (Beijing, professor)
Yu Jie (Beijing, writer)
Sun Wenguang (Shangdong, professor)
Ran Yunfei (Sichuan, editor, Tujia nationality)
Pu Zhiqiang (Beijing, lawyer)
Teng Biao (Beijing, lawyer and scholar)
Liao Yiwu (Sichuan, writer)
Wang Qisheng (Beijing, scholar)
Zhang Xianling (Beijing, engineer)
Xu Jue (Beijing, research fellow)
>Li Jun (Gansu, photographer)
Gao Yu (Beijing, journalist)
Wang Debang (Beijing, freelance writer)
Zhao Dagong (Shenzhen, freelance writer)
Jiang Danwen (Shanghai, writer)
Liu Yi (Gansu, painter)
Xu Hui (Beijing, writer)
Wang Tiancheng (Beijing, scholar)
Wen kejian (Hangzhou, freelance)
Li Hai (Beijing, freelance writer)
Tian Yongde (Inner Mongolia, folk human rights activists)
Zan Aizong (Hangzhou, journalist)
Liu Yiming (Hubei, freelance writer)
Leave a Comment