"Does This Kind of Special Policy Really Exist?" By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser originally written for Radio Free Asia on June 30, 2009 and posted on her blog earlier today.

The blogpost, which examines China's approach to ethnic minority policy, was written after deadly riots broke out in a factory in China's south between Han Chinese and Uighur workers and before the current unrest in Xinjiang that is attracting international media attention.

"Does This Kind of Special Policy Really Exist?"
By Woeser

All nationalities of our nation have already united
into a great family of independent and equal nationalities

Recently, due to clashes between several thousand Han Chinese and a few hundred Uighur workers in a factory in Guangdong province, the internet has been loaded with extremely harsh words towards Uighurs. This is similar to what happened last year in March in the wake of the Tibet incident. The internet was loaded with extremely harsh words towards Tibetans, uttered by authorities as well as ordinary people. At the time, people were already discussing the special policy known as ‘three restraints and one leniency’ (fewer arrests, fewer sentences, fewer death penalties and greater leniency) and ‘two restraints and one leniency’ (fewer arrests, fewer death penalties and greater leniency). This time, the armed clash between Han and Uighur workers contributed more to the troubles caused by the ‘three restraints and one leniency’ and ‘two restraints and one leniency’ policy. So, what is this special policy about? Based on information gathered from the internet, let’s have a simple account of what the policy is.

The so-called ‘three restraints and one leniency’ policy was formulated in 1980 as an important part of Hu Yaobang’s ethnic minority policy, which consisted in being ‘lenient in punishments’ to people from ethnic minorities when handling criminals and in applying the principles of ‘three restraints and one leniency’. The so-called ‘two restraints and one leniency’ policy, according to information gathered, was stipulated in the No. 5 official document issued by the Chinese Central Government in [1984] and the original text stated “when dealing with criminals from ethnic minorities, we have to adhere to the principle of killing less and arresting less, and, as a general rule, we must be lenient in those matters.” These two policies were four years apart, and called ‘two restraints and one leniency’ policy was more practical than ‘three restraints and one leniency’ policy. However, since the origins lay in the first policy, and because his other policies were really daring and his speeches were considered to exceed what is proper, thus, Hu Yaobang was nicknamed Hu Luanbang*.

On the internet a lot of people are protesting the injustice, arguing that the two policies seriously violated the constitution, for according to the constitution, the citizens of the People’s Republic of China are all equal before the law. This sounds quite right. If we change the way we think, what do we base ourselves on when faced with the same crime, ethnic minorities should enjoy special rights when Han people have to endure harsh punishment? Therefore, we can totally understand that Han people took the issue to heart.

But if we take as an example the Tibetan territory of this past half-century, have these two policies been applied over the years? A long time ago, for instance between the ’50s and ’70s, before the special policy was drawn up, the main policy applied to Tibetans was for more punishment against “rioters”, in addition to severe punishment of various kinds of “counter-revolutionaries” as in inland Chinese regions. Countless Tibetans charged with ‘acts of rioting’ were beheaded. According to records of ‘Extracts gathered from important documents from Tibet Autonomous Region’, in 1980 the Tibet Autonomous Region held a “meeting for the implementation of policies”, and numbers recorded in the meeting are the following: “According to rough statistics, people affected by or involved in are counted in hundreds of thousands, which represent more than 10% of the total population”. These numbers are naturally appalling. But real numbers are much higher than those released during the meetings of the Communist Party.

I have interviewed in the past the leader of a Tibetan rebel group, who is a Han**. As early as 1969, Tibetans were sentenced by court to death by shooting because of a so-called ‘second riot’. Later, they were found to have been killed by mistake, the miscarriage of justice was redressed and the families received ‘comfort compensations’. This leader of the Tibetan rebel group said: “Tibetans are too good-natured, when they are about to be shot, they say ‘thanks’; when they are given 200 RMB, they also say ‘thanks’; when they are given 800 RMB, they say ‘thanks’ as well; these Tibetans really are pitiful”. A Tibetan who has experienced the ‘Red Terror’ several times says: “So many bloody incidents have frozen our Tibetans hearts. The so-called ‘disturbances’ of 1987 and 1989 are in fact linked to this hurt.”

What about previous years in Tibetan areas, including the years since the policy was drawn up, has there been anyone who was granted pardon according to the principles of ‘three restraints and one leniency’ or ‘two restraints and one leniency’? Ngawang Sangdrol, a Buddhist nun, yelled slogans in the Barkhor in 1990 and was consequently arrested when she was only 12 years old; she became the youngest political prisoner and remained 11 years behind bars. In 2005, writer Dolma Kyap was arrested because he wrote a book manuscript commenting on Tibetan history and reality, and he was condemned to a ten and a half year-jail sentence for “agitation and subversion of the country”. Since the age of six, the reincarnation of the tenth Panchen Lama has been imprisoned in a place that is still unknown and has remained there for 14 years already simply because he had been recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Nonetheless, from last year until today, in the whole Tibetan territory, the huge suffering that Tibetans undergo is known throughout the world, and it is even more a tremendous irony of the policies of ‘three restraints and one leniency’ and ‘two restraints and one leniency’. It is only that the lies have actually become truth after having been repeated a thousand times, and as a result they have tricked countless Han crowds who do not know the truth. If ethnic minorities are to enjoy their rights, it is essential that these facts be clarified.

June 30, 2009, Beijing

*Note: 'luan' (乱) means disorder in Chinese.
** This refers to a rebel group made up of Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution in Tibet.

"Tibetan Lawyers: Why Don’t They Come Forward?" By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser originally written for Radio Free Asia and posted on her blog on June 8th 2009.

Since the protests in Tibet that started last year in March, some Chinese lawyers have emerged publicly in support of Tibetans. As Woeser has written below, high-profile cases such as the case of Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche in Kham and of Labrang monk Lama Jigme have benefitted from their involvement.

Amnesty International also reports that amateur Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen "now has legal representation of two family-appointed lawyers" but the outcome of his case is still unknown.

For more background, please read this article from the Washington Post of June 26, 2009 and this article from February 20, 2009, presents the official Chinese position.




The top photo shows arrest warrants that were put up on the streets of Lhasa last year on March 26, 2008. The photo below shows arrest warrants that were put up in May 2008 in the northern part of Kham in a small town called Mani Gango. No such warrants have been seen in Amdo as yet.

Tibetan Lawyers: Why Don’t They Come Forward?
By Woeser

On May 31st, more than 20 Chinese lawyers were running the risk of ceasing their professional activity temporarily or indefinitely. After the “Tibet Incident” last year, among them, 8 lawyers, together with 13 other lawyers, had jointly signed a petition which openly stated that they would provide such legal service as representation and defence for Tibetan people who were being detained. These 8 lawyers are: Jiang Tianyong, Cheng Hai, Li Xiongbing, Li Dunyong, Li Jinglin, Liu Wei, Peng Jian, Wen Haibo. At that time, the 21 signatory lawyers received a tough warning from the authorities, and have been prohibited from interfering in the Tibetan legal cases; all the law firms where the lawyers work have been forbidden to accept the entrust of the Tibetans by the Bureau of Justice, and they also received a warning stating that they would be temporarily prevented from taking the annual examination for registration. Lawyer Teng Biao has had his lawyer’s licence suspended; Jiang Tianyong has been temporarily prevented from taking the annual bar examination for registration; the President of the Bar Association of the municipality of Beijing has said: “We must use our wisdom to take the means of livelihood of the signatory lawyers away”.

In addition, one of the reasons stated by authorities for preventing signatory lawyers from participating in the trial of Tibetans was that “lawyers were in sufficient numbers in Tibet and that there was no need for the help of lawyers from other regions”. This is true because in the Tibetan areas, for the Tibet Autonomous Region alone, according to the report by Tibet TV of December 20, 2008, there were 94 practicing lawyers and 17 law firms. However, what really is a shame is that during the ‘Tibetan incident’ last year, those Tibetan lawyers not only did not sign the petition but did not provide genuine and meaningful legal aid for Tibetan people who had been arrested either.

Ordinary Tibetan people have always lacked the consciousness of their rights and of how to safeguard their rights. Especially when there is high political pressure, because of extreme fear, they will not dare to fight for their own rights. Conversely, authorities excel in having tribunals appointing barristers. In other words, the authorities claim that Tibetans in custody have defence lawyers, in reality, these lawyers exist in name only. For instance, last year on May 2, Chinese official media released an article referring to the procedures of Tibetans being tried in the ‘March 14 Lhasa incident’. The article stated that there were 31 lawyers defending 30 accused. In fact, they were all barristers designated by the tribunal. In addition to the local Tibetan lawyers appointed, they also nominated two Beijing lawyers who had not signed the petition. No one would be fooled by the outcome of such a trial. A good example is the description made by Tibetan lawyer Migmar Dolkar of her meeting with the defendant Lobsang Samten: “When I entered the prison, two doctors were examining suspects who were detained. At that time there were more than ten suspects waiting to see a doctor, and in addition there were two people who were on a drip.” It sounds as though Tibetans in custody received quite good medical care. However, according to polls carried out on some people who had been released, all the Tibetans in custody have suffered different degrees of beatings and abuse. Some monks and ordinary people were injured or even died or lost their minds following beatings. Some Tibetans who became critically ill as a result of beatings were sent to hospital for treatment but were threatened by the local police who prevented them from telling anyone that they had been tortured to extort confessions.

The 21 lawyers from Beijing and other places, who signed a petition to support Tibetans who were in custody, not only had to face pressure from authorities, they also had to face pressure from netizens. A few Chinese radical nationalists sent messages to the general mailbox of the supportive lawyers, insulting and threatening these lawyers: “… wait until I catch you animals, see how I’ll punish you, go ahead and be in the limelight. Whoever comes forward to defend Tibetan terrorists, I want your life or the life of your family members…” It is really a pity, even if one would seek the limelight, it should be the local lawyers in Tibet to do so. But where are they? Why is it that Tibetan lawyers could not do what lawyers from Beijing and from other places achieved? Was it because the latter had more courage? Or was it because authorities were watching Tibetan lawyers more closely, and all lawyers are not on an equal footing? Though they are all lawyers, when Tibetan lawyers were informed about the fact that lawyers from Beijing and other places used the law in order to preserve the rights of the Tibetan people, was it with peace of mind or with shame?

In fact, many Tibetans really need to cooperate with lawyers, and obtain their legal aid. Recently, two trials taking place in Amdo and Kham, namely the trials of Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche and Lama Jigme, have had excellent results, thanks to the brave participation of two Beijing lawyers, Li Fangping and Jiang Tianyong. Let us pay tribute to them! We should also pay tribute to other human rights lawyers who are willing to assist Tibetans. We also look forward to seeing the rise of other similar genuine human rights lawyers who would become involved in cases of Tibetans enduring biased treatment.

‘June 4th’: Facing the Mirror, Seeing Our Common Fate By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser originally written for Radio Free Asia and posted on her blog on June 5th 2009 on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the historic events on Tiananmen Square, June 4th 1989.

Amidst all the media attention surrounding the anniversary, Woeser's reflections on What Being A Dissident Means, published on the blog pages of the New York Times on June 2nd 2009, were one of the few Tibetan voices on the topic.

‘June 4th’: Facing the Mirror, Seeing Our Common Fate
By Woeser

1989 Tiananmen

2008 Lhasa

One of my friends, a Chinese musician born in the ’80s, sent me one of the songs he had just written. After listening to it only once, I could remember the lyrics. Tears quietly slid down my face because that penetrating sound of remembrance contained the following melancholic lyrics: “One day in June there were only young faces. Amid the spring breeze, they forgot time. One day in June there were only young faces. Under the sunlight, they were imagining the world. A gust of wind blew you away; a strong shower cleared up the sky. A gust of wind blew me far away; a strong shower erased footprints…”

I know whom this song is dedicated to. In the meantime, appearing before my eyes were not only Tiananmen twenty years ago, but also the three Tibetan regions of Kham, U-Tsang and Amdo last year; appearing before my eyes were not only the three Tibetan regions of Kham, U-Tsang and Amdo last year but also the streets of the Barkhor twenty years ago, or Norbulingka Palace fifty years ago. That time there were the faces of Tibetan people, but not only the faces of young people; there were also the faces of middle-aged people, and of old people, although the faces of young people were in the largest numbers. This allowed people to complain about the loss of beautiful lives, which solemnly disappeared like the sacrifice. Only yesterday, I was talking about ‘June 4th’ with a Tibetan living overseas. We think that ‘June 4th’ is not an accidental special event, and it is not the sort of event that only happens in China; if you compare it with what happened last year in Tibet, there are similarities in the nature of these events.

Chinese dissident writer Yu Jie described in his writings that after the ‘June 4th’ massacre, His Holiness the Dalai Lama shed tears for the Chinese people who had been killed and said sadly: “How can they use such ruthless means to oppose students leading a peaceful demonstration? These fresh and lively lives are so precious!” His Holiness indicated that he would openly condemn the crackdown carried out by the Communist Party. However, at that time the contact between Tibet and China entered a key era, and if such a statement were to be announced, the mutual dialogue between them would probably be suspended one more time. Yet His Holiness used stronger terms and said: “In this moment of grief, we must stand together with the people who have been massacred, and we must pray for their souls.”

But before the events of ‘June 4th’, that same year in March in the old part of Lhasa, the exact same massacre was carried out against Tibetans. Except for the place and the time that were different, another difference lay in ethnic groups. However, the people who perpetrated the massacre were all the military forces under the command of the Communist Party. In Beijing, they call themselves ‘The People’s Army’ whereas in Lhasa they call themselves ‘The Liberators of a Million Freed Serfs’. When the army crushed the protests by Tibetan people in the name of putting an end to the ‘unrest’, what most Chinese believed was the authorities’ excuse. When the army crushed the protests by the students and the common people in Tiananmen and in many other places throughout China in the name of putting an end to the ‘counterrevolutionary riot’, did most Chinese people still believe the authorities’ excuse? In fact, one of the lessons taught by ‘June 4th’ is that we must have the world wake up to the reality: since this political regime can open fire without mercy on its children, on its people, therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that it opens fire against different ethnic groups (or ethnic minorities) that are governed under its rule. Thus it is an issue of the nature of the political power and not an issue originating in minorities.

In other words, in fact, ‘June 4th’ is just like a mirror, which clearly and completely reflects the nature of the political regime. Inside the mirror of ‘June 4th’, we can see that Tiananmen Square has become the scene of a bloody massacre; we can also see that Lhasa in 1959, 1989 and 2008 has turned into a scene of a bloody massacre; but there is also Kashgar, the plains of Inner Mongolia…Han people, Tibetan people, Uighur people, Mongolian people etc. As long as this autocratic political regime exists for one more day, whichever minority, they all face the risk of being plunged into misery and suffering. Some people believe that ‘June 4th’ was provoked by a mistake of the political power at one time but this is not the case. Therefore, when we recall ‘June 4th’, we also recall the events that happened in our Tibet in 1959, and we also recall the events that happened in our Tibet in 2008.

The tears of His Holiness the Dalai Lama were shed for each life that was taken away; the prayers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama were said for each person, for the fate of each person who has suffered. On the 20th anniversary of ‘June 4th’, His Holiness once again issued an open statement, appealing to the Chinese leaders while the Chinese economy has developed, “they should have the courage to accept the true principle of equality, and accommodate different views. A tolerant and normal new policy would lead the Chinese society towards genuine harmony, and could also increase the popularity of China within the international community”. If this happens, Han Chinese, Tibetans, Uighurs and Mongols would live in happiness, and everyone would live in happiness.

"Answers to Three Questions" by Jamyang Kyi

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost from Jamyang Kyi that was posted on her blog on 20th May 2009. The post is in reply to questions to Jamyang Kyi that were posed by a student.

There is much discussion in the Tibetan blogosphere about the increasing number of Tibetan women engaged in the sex trade and also larger discussions about gender equality. The debate is conducted largely amongst college students. Jamyang Kyi expresses concern over the situation in the rural community, where male dominance persists. She also raises the issue of rape in Tibetan society where the men are never punished for their crimes.

The post reflects Jamyang Kyi's personal sentiments and advocacy for women’s rights, which she considers as her life’s purpose. As mentioned in our earlier post about Jamyang Kyi, she is the only Tibetan woman either inside Tibet or amongst the diaspora who write advocating the gender issue within Tibetan society.

Earlier blogposts by Jamyang Kyi that have also been translated by High Peaks Pure Earth include the moving letters to her imprisoned friend Norzin Wangmo, a letter to her friend Chakmo-la and a letter to her missing friend Go Sherab Gyatso la.

"Answers to Three Questions" by Jamyang Kyi

Question: What do you think of the increasing number of Tibetan prostitutes in the cities?

Nowadays, there are men writing with a hostile attitude on the net and in journals describing women in general in hurtful words such as “prostitute” (smad ‘tshong ma), harlot (‘phyon ma) and floozy (g.yon ma). Even intellectuals like Sangyal Dondrub, who usually speak out for the rights and equality of woman, are fond of using these words. These words have left a wound in me and my sisters. Today when I am suddenly posed with such a question I feel so sad.

It is a universally accepted fact that if there is a market then products will be sold, whereas without markets, products cannot be sold. It is a pity that all of the men who write [about women] neglect this principle, which actually most of them should be aware of. Furthermore, it is laughable that they still do not realize that everyone who purchases the products is no different from the seller. Who is to say who is better, the seller or the buyer?

The French writer Simone de Beauvoir studied the causes and conditions of prostitution systematically. She pointed out that the causes behind becoming a sex trader are multiple, many of the young women become involved in the sex business because they have broken up with their lovers or when poor women who moved from the countryside to the city and work as a servants are raped by their employers and lose their virginity. It is not without reason why a woman would consider her virginity something extremely precious to her so that it should be protected as her soul. The custom of considering virginity as something sacred can be traced back to when society treated woman as the private property of men. And men are concerned with not mistaking their scion. Therefore, any woman at the time of marriage must be a virgin. This how the tradition of considering virginity as important originated.

According to information provided by my friend Dzamkar who comes from southern Amdo, the cult of virginity has not disappeared in her hometown. Yet, those young girls are raped, in fact someone she knows was recently raped. We have to acknowledge that such criminal activity is committed by men and the ones praising such behavior also are men.

We know that in ancient China, the source of prostitutes were women who were prisoners or mistresses of the criminal men. But where are those Tibetan prostitutes from? We do not know much about their background, the reason and their willingness to engage in such a dangerous business. There must be certain reasons for Tibetan women becoming prostitutes. No matter what reason they have, people look down upon them without hesitation and there is no room for their voices to be heard and taken into consideration.

In Tibet, most of the prostitutes are from the countryside and have not received any education, they are not aware of any epidemic diseases. They do not have knowledge of prevention and protection. Many men from rural areas also bring diseases from the city and carry them to rural areas when they return to their home villages. In her talk on women’s health care and clinics, Doctor Sonam Tso mentioned that there is a young girl from the Kokonor region who has caught syphilis. Every time her wound was bound she cried and did not want to cooperate with the treatment at the hospital. A ridiculous thing was that she caught the disease from her husband who got the disease when he visited a brothel near Xining bus station. When I asked her if the female patient complained about her husband, Doctor Sonam Tso told me that the woman came from the countryside and did not know how to complain about her husband. She could not do anything but just had to accept the reality and the fate of being a woman.

The fact is that some men are bringing suffering and even grave threats to the lives of their wives and children. This is becoming a serious problem in the poor nomadic areas where there is an obvious lack of medical care and treatment. Those men full of libido and without value for money have so much desire to meet women who want to escape hard work but love money. When they meet such a woman they throw away all their money.

We have to think of what we can do about issues like this and what we can do to save the lives of women and children from danger. One of the serious problems is of AIDS spreading worldwide and this disease transfers from one to another through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions and so on. There is no cure yet for this kind of disease.

90% of Tibetans are illiterate and we should be aware that these diseases might eliminate the whole Tibetan nation if we neglect this ongoing problem. We should educate people and make people aware of disease through media such as newspapers, radio and television. The social problem of prostitution is not something that is easy to bring to the surface but this is the reality we have to confront and cannot avoid. Here I want to appeal to all women who cannot turn away from this matter that in order to protect yourself you must please use a condom. This is a desperate appeal from me and I do not know what more I can say than this.

Question: Compared to foreign women, do you think that Tibetan women are too dependent on men?

When I hear men saying that women are dependent creatures, I suddenly imagine it means that women do not have to walk through heavy snow, they stay home with nice clothes and good food, and women do not have to do anything but relax and enjoy themselves. The reality, however, is that all men and women work equally both in the fields and on the nomadic grasslands. In particular, most of the work in the field and in the house is done by women. Due to the ideological tradition of our society, women are usually labeled as dependent on the “trinity” of the father, the husband and son respectively. In my opinion, the only things women do less are the jobs which need strong physical strength. Therefore, the title of dependent creatures is not a suitable description for women and it should be removed from their heads.

In Tibetan households in the urban areas, women work in public office as men do and they have to spend more time taking care of the family such as raising children and maintaining the daily life of the family. This means that the main responsibility is on the shoulder of the women. Therefore, the description dependent creature is not an accurate description of women but it may be more apt to describe men.

Question: Now it has become common amongst university students to say that to attract girls is just a matter of playing with words; in other words, the art of flattery wins the heart of the girl. Do you have any comment on this?

I think there are many reasons which are taken into consideration when a woman chooses a man as her friend. Yes, the skill of language may be one of the reasons. But, it is not as easy as just obtaining a skill of language - there are some other preconditions that should be fulfilled before proclaiming a woman as his lover.

It is natural for men to talk about women. In our villages, men have been talking about women ever since I can remember and at university male friends talked about women all the time. Similarly there are men in our office who chat about women. In a word, this is a topic, which can last a lifetime and never come to an end. Love is not only their precious treasure of the heart but also a thorn of the mind. When I compare the time of the past with that of the present, I find that the way of dealing with love and the attitude towards love has changed dramatically. People in the past were a bit more sincere and purer towards love, more than the people of today. They elevated love before selfish interest. Of course, I am not saying that people of today are only concerned with selfish interests, but it seems to be like this.

As the saying goes, man is a creature of worldly desire and woman is a creature of love. I am a follower of love and I have experienced both the sweetness and bitterness of love. There is evidence that love and regards between the male and female have declined.

My experience and little knowledge I have learned have given me new strength and energy. Since my brain has given me the ability to think, I have totally discarded the old habit of thinking that we need male authority. This is an important wish.

Thank you very much and I hope you will continue to pay attention to this issue of women in Tibet in order make more people aware of the condition of women and promote change.

“In the Name of Human Rights, Set Free All Tibetan Political Prisoners” by Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth is grateful to Charles Custer at China Geeks for permission to re-post his translation of Woeser’s article originally written for Radio Free Asia and posted on her blog on May 22, 2009.

The photo is from an exhibition that was held this year from March 27 - May 30 in Washington DC on "Reform Through Labour in Tibet" showing how the Chinese government has occupied Tibet for fifty years and the human rights situation, including how there is no freedom of speech, how there is religious persecution and how people are subjected to torture etc.

“In the Name of Human Rights, Set Free All Tibetan Political Prisoners” by Woeser

May 25th, 2009, Translated by C. Custer

Since the release of the National Human Rights Action Plan, the internal response in China has been large. It’s rare for a newspaper to dare to publish something like Nandu Daily’s “In the Name of Human Rights, Make Public the Names of Those Killed in the Beichuan Earthquake”, making reference to the clause in the plan that touches on the reestablishment of human rights in the wake of the quake, demanding the names be made public. In his article “Release Liu Xiaobo in the Name of Human Rights”, intellectual Ran Yunfei wrote: “…without action, only stopping for a second on the concept and doing nothing, well then ‘human rights’ can only remain a concept [in our minds, rather than a reality]…all those who have been locked up for something they said, all those who have been arrested and harmed even though their rights are protected under the constitution, including all those who [are arrested/beaten] while attempting to report [the crimes of officials] to higher authorities, officials should apologize to them, and set them free without condition. Like this we can put the Human Rights Plan into practice, turn it from conception into reality and, practically speaking, keep it from becoming another one of those often-heard-but-rarely-seen buzzwords on the tongues of fraudulent officials.”

So I will imitate; my main point here is to appeal: set free all those Tibetans who have been locked up for something they said, all those who have been arrested and harmed even though their rights are protected under the constitution. For example, there’s Dolma Kyab, sentenced to ten years for writing The Restless Himalayas and a new book on the history of Tibetan geography in 2005, or Runggye Adak, who was arrested on August 1, 2007 for calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, or Dhondup Wangchen, arrested in March 2008 for filming the documentary Leaving Fear Behind and showing the world the Tibetan people’s attitude towards the Beijing Olympics, or Norzin Wangmo, sentenced to five years for sending emails about Tibet’s geographical situation in April 2008, etc. etc. And this year, once again, many Tibetan authors were jailed for writing articles promulgating the truth, they are: Kunga Tsayang, Kunchok Tsephel, Drokru Tsultrim etc. The list I’ve provided here is very short, very short indeed, but the actual list of names is very long, very long indeed.

International human rights group Reporters Without Borders said, in terms of reporters, dissidents, netizens, and activists jailed for fighting for freedom of speech, China is far, far ahead of other countries. And it seems as though from China’s large population and 56 minority groups, Tibetans seem to be far, far ahead of everyone else as well. Chinese intellectuals appeal to the authorities: “For the future of the nation, for the happiness of the people, for the image of the ruler, please quickly set free all political prisoners!” “Human Rights don’t just need to be promoted, they also need to be practiced, and be practically implemented!” “Merely saying good things is useless, human rights without action are just words on a piece of paper, a plan without action is just a piece of wastepaper!” Moreover, if they don’t respect their own National Human Rights Action Plan and arrest people who are putting the human rights plan into practice, isn’t that just deceiving oneself along with others, and going back on one’s word to feather one’s own nest?

Early the year before last, Runggye Adak was accused of “being involved in inciting [people] to overthrow the State” and sent to prison for merely attempting to speak his mind for a few minutes. Commenting on it on Radio Free Asia, I said that as far as Tibetans who are in jail because of so-called “political problems” are concerned, whether you just look at the numbers or other aspects of the problem, there has never been a half century like this one, with so many arrested, or with the arrests so widespread and endless. It’s all Tibetans that are filling the prisons being continuously built around the region. As for the tough response of unyielding, exasperated authorities, on the surface it looks effective but it can’t last; rushing undercurrents always eventually break free and burst through the dyke. There’s concrete proof, this is not sensationalizing, last year and this year how many “Protecting Tibet” protest incidents have occurred, it proves the state of human rights in Tibet is truly grim, it certainly isn’t what officials at all levels brazenly describe as “the best time for human rights in Tibetan history.” If it were, how could it give rise to such widespread indignation and discontent? Only when there is practical improvement in the human rights situation across Tibet can a better age for human rights be realized.

2009-5-6, Beijing.


Dolma Kyab

Runggye Adak

Dhondup Wangchen



Norzin Wangmo


Kunga Tsayang (Gangnyi)



Kunchok Tsephel


Drokru Tsultrim

Courage and Wisdom: The Inspiration of the “Lama Jigme Incident” for Tibetans in Tibet by Tashibod

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated an article by Tashibod that was originally written in Chinese and published on the website “Democratic China” and also on Woeser's blog earlier this month.

Regular High Peaks Pure Earth will be familiar with Lama Jigme's story as his testimony, arrest and release have all been documented here in the past.

Also highly recommended reading, for those who may have missed it last year, is Tashibod's personal, insightful and moving "Olympics Diary of a Tibetan".

The photo is of Lama Jigme scattering “lungtas” (wind horses) on the mountains in his hometown. A few months later he was arrested, taken away again and was not released until half a year later.

"Courage and Wisdom: The Inspiration of the “Lama Jigme Incident” for Tibetans in Tibet" by Tashibod

1. On May 5, 2009 and over the next few days, media such as The Times, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and the Tibetan writer Woeser’s blog reported the news that Lama Jigme from Labrang Monastery, Tibet, has been released after he had been imprisoned for six months. They related the true story that Lama Jigme was jailed and tortured by the Chinese authorities for over twenty days and almost died after he revealed his full identity and gave an account of the protests over the various regions in a video made known to the world in September 2008. In November 2008, after Lama Jigme had been in hiding for about two months, he was again arrested and taken away from his living quarters in the monastery. He was not released until May 3, 2009. However, during the six months when he was in jail, Lama Jigme’s family did not receive any clear explanation from the authorities. Not long after his family hired two Chinese lawyers from Beijing, Lama Jigme was released on bail. The incident --- the entire process from the video of Lama Jigme being made public, his being arrested to his release – has generated great attention from all circles. Furthermore, his eventual release can be said to be a good ending.

2. To the media, the “Lama Jigme Incident” is considered to be news; to those people who care for Tibet, the incident is a case to show China’s suppression of Tibet; to Tibetans, in particular, to Tibetans in Tibet, besides denouncing the authorities and admiring Lama Jigme, if we conduct further in-depth analysis, in fact the “Lama Jigme Incident” has additional important inspiration and is of profound significance.

A Tibetan monk who was illegally imprisoned as a suspect, and cruelly abused, used a video to tell the truth to the world through the means of modern international media such as Voice of America. After he was arrested and taken away once again, under the pressure of extensive reporting by the international media, eventually he was released when Chinese lawyers hired by his family became involved. Though Lama Jigme was imprisoned, at the end he was able to get out of jail after not such a long time. Though at present we do not know what will happen next, yet judging from the current situation and taking all the representative factors into consideration, among the numerous sacrifices unknown to the outside world and countless immense sacrifices made in the Tibetan areas, even if we rationally examine the incident without any judgment or political viewpoints, the incident can be rated as a successful case for the peaceful protests by Tibetans and for exposing atrocities committed by the authorities. We can see from this incident the wonderful combination of courage and wisdom.


3. In the film "Cry Freedom", which recounts the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement Biko’s struggle against apartheid in South Africa, when Biko, who was under house arrest by the South African government, wanted to participate in the ceremony of the student movement, people around him said to him, “Your action is very dangerous” to which he replied, “you are right. My action is indeed very dangerous, because South Africa is a dangerous country.”

Similarly, living in a country where Tibetans, in particular Tibetan monks, are viewed as “terrorist suspects” and can be dealt with at any time, it is impossible for Lama Jigme who was arbitrarily arrested and cruelly tortured twice not to know the consequence of his public speech. Though he realized fully the danger, yet he still did it, and he was willing to risk his life to reveal the truth. What is courage? This is courage!

For the sake of truth and freedom, there are many actions which one knows one should not take but one will still do so. We can see in this “Lama Jigme Incident” how he brought into play his courage throughout the entire process:

A: Through international media, which has strong influence and enjoys public credibility, he revealed his full identity and told the world the truth in a short digital video clip.
B. The content of his twenty-minute testimony has not gone beyond the legal stipulations of China. He did not cross the line, on the contrary, he stuck to his position of seeking truth from facts. Therefore, while he told the truth, meanwhile he did not give the authorities a handle against him.

In addition, the following factors are important external factors ensuring the success of the incident:

C. The continuous attention paid by Tibetans in Tibet and outside of Tibet as well as the reporting of the international media.

D. The involvement of Chinese lawyers.

The final result is: Lama Jigme was released. There was no violent confrontation or fierce bloody conflict, let alone resulting in any death. If he had chosen to be silent or to engage in active violent resistance, he might have received sympathy or understanding, but there would not be any one-sided support and praise; if any of his speeches or actions had violated the laws of the Chinese Communist Party, even if his was right morally, yet it would have given the authorities excuses to imprison him; if Lama Jigme had been in jail for a long time or had sacrificed his life, though he would be worthy of respect and praise, yet if the person involved died, no matter how much significance others endowed on him, there would only be sorrow and memory. Even the noble values however worthy of seeking, should not have people sacrifice their lives at random. Lama Jigme successfully and accurately used modern media and the Chinese law, avoided a potential tragedy, and kept hold of his rights. Meanwhile, he revealed the truth to the utmost degree, and this is exactly how his wisdom worked.

4. In September 2008 Voice of America published the video clip made by Lama Jigme, after which many international media reported the news, and the video was ardently aired further on YouTube. Later the arrest of Lama Jigme caused a sensation among the international media, next, The Times and other newspapers reported Lama Jigme’s release. Furthermore, with the promotion by the well-known Tibetan writer Woeser in Beijing throughout the entire process, the international media has always paid great attention to the “Lama Jigme Incident”.

With her compassionate heart as a Buddhist, Tibetan writer Woeser heroically shoulders the responsibility for her nationality. With the prominence of the Tibetan issue, Woeser and her blog has attracted world attention because of her rich, timely and true news sources and her outstanding writing talents. In her blog which is known as “one person’s media”, she has bravely exposed many dark sides which have been carefully and brutally hidden by the authorities. And the “Lama Jigme Incident” is one of these issues hidden by the authorities.

Without Woeser promoting or appealing as well as the reports by the international media, it is unimaginable that many unfair incidents, including the “Lama Jigme Incident”, in Tibetan areas would have received so much attention from the outside world, instead of being covered up or left unsolved.

When German President Richard von Weizsäcker read the story about the Hans brother and mother who were the core members of the anti-Hitler “White Rose Group” and were later executed by the Nazi “People’s Court”, he said the following words: “The courage of each era always determines our civilization once again.” We can say that Woeser, Lama Jigme and many known or nameless, alive or dead people who have tried to have their voice heard for the sake of freedom and peace are adding new content for our civilization in a strange era like this.

5. In this incident, the involvement of lawyers, in particular the Chinese lawyers, is of great significance. The relatives of Lama Jigme hired Li Fangping and Jiang Tianyong, two famous human rights lawyers in China. Amongst these two, on April 11, Jiang, together with Teng Biao and sixteen other Chinese lawyers, signed and published an open letter making the statement that they were willing to represent and defend Tibetans who had been arrested. Meanwhile, they also appealed to the authorities to treat Tibetans who were arrested strictly in accordance with legal stipulations. Soon after, there were three more lawyers who joined the group but the authorities warned these 21 lawyers who expressed their willingness to provide legal assistance to Tibetans, forbidding them to be involved in cases of Tibetans, and they have also been repressed.

Before their involvement in Lama Jigme’s case, Li and Jiang also defended Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche in Kham (Eastern Tibet). This is the first case where there was no representation by a defense lawyer designated by the authorities since the “Tibet Incident” last year, and is of great significance. Soon after, Lama Jigme was released after the intervention of these two lawyers. This further shows the effect of the involvement of professionals in the process of the legal case.

It is like what Jiang said during his interview with Voice of America: “As Han Chinese lawyers, our providing legal assistance to Tibetans who were arrested is conducive to national unity.” The two lawyers’ actions to represent the Tibetans not only expounded and safeguarded justice but also were beneficial to eliminate the misunderstanding that people simply consider “the Tibet Issue as the conflict between Han Chinese and Tibetans as two ethnic groups”. On the other hand, it also restored Sino-Tibetan relations which have been damaged by the “Anti-splittist cliques” and the official media, and strengthened the understanding and unity of Han Chinese and Tibetans.
A year after the eruption of Chinese ultra-nationalism, the Chinese intellectual and legal circles have begun to reflect on the issue. And they are willing to remedy the situation. This is a very good beginning, and I hope there will be more intellectuals who have similar awareness and who will make similar efforts.

6. Fear has always enveloped the Land of Snows, especially since March 2008. The authorities are wantonly abusing the rights of Tibetans as citizens and have continuously suppressed the non-violent protests by Tibetans with violent means. But as the CCP leader Mao Zedong himself once said, “Where there is oppression, there is resistance”, the voices of Tibetan resistance rises one after another. The greater the pressure is, the stronger the resistance becomes. The situation has also become more and more intense, and the means of protests have also become diversified.

But it is a pity on one hand the authorities are doing their utmost to block and distort the true situation, on the other hand, Tibetans lack the awareness of individual rights and the importance of publicity, and they do not have the resources either. In addition, the overall strategy is out of the question, as a result, the voices of resistance and the truth about the persecution by the authorities are unknown to the outside world. Therefore, the heroic deeds of these protesters are even more tragic.

For a long period of time, if there had been disputes or conflicts amongst Tibetans, usually disputes or conflicts were solved through private negotiations or mediations presided over by local personages who enjoyed high prestige or by high-ranking and eminent monks. However, when faced with the injustices of the government, though there are people who have resorted to such legal means as petitioning to higher authorities or hiring lawyers, yet very few people are doing so. When investigating the reasons for this, we find factors including the government ignoring such cases, its usual practices of elevating common civil disputes so as to criticise them from the higher plane of principles, labeling people involved with such names as ethnic or religious “splittists” or “agitators”, and politicising the issues so as to cover up one’s own mistakes or errors. In addition, other reasons include such factors that Tibetans ourselves lack awareness of laws, we have not made enough effort to safeguard and strive for our legal rights through legal means and we lack confidence in doing so.

The “Lama Jigme Incident” shows that within the framework of the Chinese constitution and regional ethnic autonomy law, he took the initiative to actively safeguard and strive for his legal rights and unyieldingly express his reasonable and legal appeals through peaceful means and by means of law and media. This time Lama Jigme’s family did not yield to the government’s wonton manipulations, instead, they took the initiative to hire lawyers. In addition, the verdict on Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche, who has been framed in Kham, has been deferred after his family hired the same two Han Chinese lawyers. These two cases will surely boost the confidence of people who are still under the shadow of fear and inspire them. When faced with imperious rule, not all injustices will have undergone just trials but through the “Lama Jigme Incident” we can vaguely see the path of hope and the models to be emulated.

7. Those who have courage are worthy of admiration; those who have wisdom are worthy of being followed; however, only those who have both courage and wisdom have the possibility to defeat evil, and only such people are real heroes.

Pay tribute to heroes like Jigme! Pay tribute to Woeser and others who have worked very hard for the sake of Jigme! Pay tribute to these two Han Chinese lawyers and people who dedicate their lives to any just cause!

Last Year I Was A Prisoner

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by a Tibetan blogger from Amdo who calls his blog The Cry of Thoring Karchen or The Cry of the Dawn Star (tho rengs skar chen gyi 'bod brda).


The original posting on http://www.tibetabc.cn/u/trgq/archives/2009/2009512193944.html was uploaded on May 12 2009 but has since been removed. Although the rest of his blog can still be accessed, instead of this particular posting, the following error message appears in Chinese:

High Peaks Pure Earth has therefore uploaded various screenshots of the blogpost, including the photos he uploaded showing how he was treated during his detention.

Last Year I Was A Prisoner

To my many friends and fellow bloggers. Last year I was a prisoner. I was expelled from Tso School (slob gtsos). I was detained in the Chinese town Hidren (hi krin) for one month and several days. On my return I was fined five thousand (yuan) and wasn’t allow to attend school. Here I am appealing to all the good-hearted people to offer me some money in order to pay my student fees.

The photo below was taken by a close friend and I wasn’t able to post it until today.

Lama Jigme Has Returned Home!!! by Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser that was posted on her blog a little earlier today, readers are encouraged to follow that link to see many photos of Lama Jigme that Woeser has posted.

High Peaks Pure Earth previously reported Lama Jigme's detention and is happy to learn of his release.


Lama Jigme Has Returned Home!!! by Woeser

Extremely unexpectedly, fortunately, joyfully, I have learned --

Labrang Monastery's Lama Jigme, having spent an entire half year in detention, was released on May 3rd and has returned home!!!

Last year on September 3rd, Lama Jigme was featured on a video that was made public. Alone and facing the camera he spoke for approximately twenty minutes showing his face, using his real voice and his real name, on events that had occurred in Tibet since March 2008 and gave a full testimony, expressing his hopes as an ordinary Tibetan monk. (see http://www.highpeakspureearth.com/2008/09/voa-video-testimony-of-labrang-monk.html )

Following Voice of America Tibetan Service's broadcast of this video testimony, Lama Jigme went into hiding for almost two whole months. Finally, not long after returning to his monastery, on November 4th, over 70 police suddenly surrounded his living quarters, took him from his quarters and detained him until May 3rd without any explanation and his whereabouts were unknown.

At present, more details are not known.

In short, offer prayers for Lama Jigme, he has finally returned home and is near his close relatives, back to his monastery days, wish him a good rest and a speedy return to health!

Offer prayers to all Tibetans who are enduring suffering!

More from QQ

At the end of February, High Peaks Pure Earth blogged about the Chinese IM service QQ and how it suddenly wasn't allowing users to type in Tibetan. It now looks as though Tibetan users typing in Chinese also face strict restrictions, according to this short blogpost from April 24, 2009, view the original written in Chinese here. QQ is owned by the company Tencent.


How can Tencent.com set even the term "lama" as a sensitive phrase?

Recently, I've realised that when posting on QQ Space, the word "lama" cannot be displayed, why is this? Tibetan people cannot be separated from Buddhism, Buddhism cannot be separated from monasteries, monasteries cannot be separated from monks.

What is incorrect about the word "lama"! Why is Tencent.com not allowing this phrase to be displayed? As members of the Tibetan nationality, we must strongly oppose this!

Comment:
You know the reason why? Because we are backwards!

A Day of Pain

We reported in an earlier post here that hotels in China were discriminating against Tibetans and Uigyurs. Since last March 2008 the official media's depiction of Tibetans as terrorists has infiltrated to every level and Tibetans travelling in China still face discrimination and hostility from the public.

High Peaks Pure Earth brings you a personal account of an example of ethnic discrimination that took place in Beijing recently as documented by a Tibetan student blogger and posted on his blog (photo below) on April 16, 2009.

A Day of Pain


April 12, 2009 is a day I’ll never be able to forget. This was one of the most painful days of my life, a day that made me realize how small and insignificant I am and how wretched my Tibetan compatriots are.

On April 12, my girlfriend from my hometown came to see me and we went to Beijing. By the time we got to Beijing it was already gone six in the evening and so we went to find somewhere to stay. As soon as we got to the hotel, their service was extremely friendly and I said at the time to my girlfriend: “This is the capital city of the motherland, and so of course the levels of service are going to be high.” But as we were registering, the receptionist said something that pained me deeply. She said, “Tibetans can’t stay here.” At the time I didn’t want to believe my ears and so I picked up my student’s ID and showed it to them again but they still wouldn’t let me stay, saying that they needed certification from the local police. I went to seven or eight different hotels but they all gave the same answer. Angry and disappointed, the only question going round my head was “why?”

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was declared to have been established, and from then on there was an historic and qualitative change brought about in relations between China’s nationalities, and the era of ethnic oppression progressed to the era of ethnic equality.

But sixty years later and we can still be confronted with the tragic reality of “Tibetans can’t stay here.”

Sixty years later and Tibetans still live in the shackles of apartheid and chained by racism, every step an ordeal and misery.

Sixty year later, amidst a vast ocean of material glory, Tibetans still live on an island of poverty.

Sixty years later, Tibetans are withering and fading in the corners of Chinese society.

Why?

Why?

Qiaga Tashi Tsering

April 16, 2009, Nankai University

Thus, We Vanish!

High Peaks Pure Earth has, as always, been looking for interesting blogposts to translate into English and noticed that most netizens seem to have heeded the request from webmasters not to post political messages.

However, there are many posts written in verse which are passionate and demonstrate the mood in Tibet. Here is one poem that High Peaks Pure Earth has translated, the original Tibetan can be read here: http://www.tibetabc.cn/u/ggjj/archives/2009/200941685616.html


Thus, We Vanish!

Since the dark cloud swallowed the moonlight,
We are untouched by the warmth of the fatherland,
Our compatriots are burdened with an unbearable load
Patiently waiting for the ray of hope,

A flock of hawks chased the cuckoos away,
Destroying the warmth of spring permanently
The dark army conquered every corner of the land,
Hardly anyone even dares to mourn and utter a sorrowful sound,

The cliff where the youthful wild yak polished its horn,
The narrow valleys, where brave men left symbols of heroic deeds
Seeping into the rocks and soil
In times of rapid change,

The lofty plateau is endlessly battered by violent storms
The precious jewels of ancestors are perishing
The young, speak a stranger’s language
Declaring, we changed you into another race.

"Farming Boycott": Continuation of Non-Violent Non-Cooperation by Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser that was originally written for Radio Free Asia on 31st March 2009 and posted on her blog on 4th April 2009.

Woeser's piece focuses on the ongoing "Farming Boycott" in areas of Kham that has been reported by various media including Radio Free Asia and continues her thoughts about civil disobedience that started in her writings about the decision made by Tibetans earlier this year not to celebrate Tibetan New Year.

Woeser's article also mentions another episode of non-violent non-cooperation as exercised in Kham in May 2008. In her Tibet Update of 21st May 2008 Woeser wrote:

In Tawu (Ch. Daofu) County (Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province), for the past 15 days, many owners of trucks who are engaging in transporting goods have stopped driving their trucks so as to show their dissatisfaction with the authorities’ suppression of Tibetan people. It is learned that there are altogether over 2,000 domestic transportation trucks in Tawu County, and at present several hundred of them have stopped engaging in transportation.

Finally, for High Peaks Pure Earth readers not familiar with the term "fifty cent party", these are internet commentators in China who are paid by the government to post on internet forums and blogs, more information here in this BBC article of 16 December 2008.

The photo above shows Drakgo in Kham (Luhuo County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province), the military police are rushed in to suppress Tibetans engaged in the "farming boycott".

"Farming Boycott": Continuation of Non-Violent Non-Cooperation by Woeser

Recent media attention has been on Tibetan rural areas where Tibetans are currently engaged in a "farming boycott." What is meant by "farming boycott" is that farmers are refusing to cultivate farmland. According to information coming from northern Kham in eastern Tibet, authorities arrested a large number of young adults in last year's protests and countless households have been left with only the elderly and young children. Those Tibetans who have been caught were either heavily fined or harshly sentenced, and there are even those we never heard from again and do not know whether they are dead or alive. In Kham in June last year I saw arrest warrants that were posted everywhere in towns and villages. Of the 36 wanted people as many as 30 whose age ranged from over 10 to over 40 years old. This shows how devastating an affect this has on ground level. The information is telling us that in view of this, the family members who lost principal members of the family labour force collectively refused to farm in protest.

Lack of labour force is, of course, a reason but I think that this is similar to the decision at the beginning of the year not to celebrate Losar, this is the continuation of "civil disobedience"! Our elders and fellow villagers -- these masses who hold "no power", in their own way as farmers and herdsmen, practice the spirit of "non-violence and non-cooperation" firmly, persistently and silently when they are living under gunpoint full of hostility. Yes, the "farming boycott" and "no Losar" have the same meaning, they are ordinary Tibetan people giving up major parts of their individual lives, and even hurting themselves, in order to express protest. And the "farming boycott" compared to not celebrating Losar is far more costly. The latter only involves not wanting to be happy during a sorrowful time but the "farming boycott" involves people and their livelihoods on an everyday level similar to May last year when in Tawo and Drakgo and other places in Kham, thousands of domestic transport delivery trucks stopped their movements for scores of days out of protest.

On the eve of Losar this year, a leaflet was in circulation in Tibetan areas which said, "To the Tibetans of the three provinces; monks, nuns, lay men and women who have the same root and who belong to the same nationality, let us unite our strength, let us jointed resist, and not to surrender to the government who has invaded our homeland. People of the three provinces should share weal and woe. We must never forget that those killed did not die fighting for their own interests, they died fighting for the freedom of our nationality and justice. For that matter, as Tibetans, we must not celebrate Losar this year...". Recently, in Drakgo in northern Kham, a 27-year-old monk Phuntsok was beaten to death by police for posting leaflets. The leaflets read, "Even if we go hungry or die of hunger, because of last year's peaceful protests our brothers and sisters were tortured, arrested and killed so we must give up farming to show respect and our condolences and express our solidarity with them..." The significance of these messages are the calls for non-cooperation that are issued.

Not even taking into account last year, just this past month or so, people in Kardze in Kham have been taking to the streets to start peaceful demonstrations, more than 60 Tibetans have been arrested and the protests average one a day. According to local witnesses, all the protesters understand what the outcome of raising one arm and calling out in protest can be, but still one after another they shouted loudly for freedom and rights. Some did so after they even intentionally walked out in front of armed soldiers and police. Not one of those Tibetans who did so won't be beaten or arrested, however it is said that it was the hands of the military police that were shaking and, they were frightened by the strength of "filling up the prisons" shown by Tibetans, which is similar to what Martin Luther King advocated. The great pioneer of non-violent non-cooperation Martin Luther King also said: "We will meet your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. We will not resort to hating you but we will not obey your unjust laws. "

The "farming boycott" in this case demonstrates the "power of no power". Therefore, using both hard and soft tactics, the authorities sent work teams and the military police demanded Tibetans not to engage in this "farming boycott", and furthermore, they view the "farming boycott" as separatist activity manipulated by the "Dalai Clique". In order to intimidate other Tibetans, the authorities arrested Tibetans who refused to farm or who publicly paraded. Online "fifty cent Party" commentators have angrily ridiculed: "Refusing to farm is too slow a process, it would be better to stop drinking water and to go on hunger strike, this would appear that they are more determined and the effect would be even better." Aren't there quite many cases that Tibetans have been forced to commit suicide? One by one, Tibetans are engaging in "non-violent non-cooperation" so that the world realises that even though the Communist Party of China has been the master of Tibet for 50 years, Tibetans have neither recognized nor submitted to it.

March 31 2009, Beijing