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Want to Hurt China's Feelings?  
Just Say Tibet 

or mention the Dalai Lama (you could die for it in Tibet)

Please send non-religious cards of support to:

Ngawang Sangdrol
Xizang Zizhiqu Di Yi Jianyu
Lasashi 850003
Xizang Zizhiqu
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Ngawang Sangdrol
CHINA (TIBET) 
Ngawang Sangdrol is the longest serving female political prisoner in Tibet. A Buddhist nun, Ngawang Sangdrol was imprisoned in 1992 at the age of 14 for taking part in a peaceful demonstration calling for Tibetan independence from China. For this "crime," she received a three-year sentence. In 1993 she was sentenced to a further six years for composing and recording pro-independence songs in prison. In 1996 her sentence was increased by eight years for minor acts of disobedience while in prison. In 1998 her sentence was extended yet another four years for participating in prisoner protests at Drapchi Prison, where most of the political prisoners in Tibet are detained. At 24 years of age, Ngawang Sangdrol is now serving a total sentence of 21 years. Because she has been beaten severely in prison in the past, Amnesty International remains very concerned about her safety and health. Amnesty considers Ngawang Sangdrol to be a prisoner of conscience and seeks her immediate release.


http://www.drapchi14.org

The site spotlights the case of 14 Tibetan Buddhist nuns, known
collectively as the Drapchi 14. The site is named "Drapchi14.org." The
Drapchi 14 are jailed in Tibet by the Chinese Government for advocating
Tibetan Independence. The site gives background information and dozens
of ways for visitors to take action on the nuns' cases.
Here is some of their music and lyrics:

In an Iron House, a Cave with Iron Bars (MP3 version)

Within an iron house, a cave with iron bars
Fellow Tibetans outside
The reason why Tibetans suffer in prison
Is because of what the Red Chinese do to us
This wretched generation of Tibetans
We have to suffer during this time
Because we had true freedom
They oppress us
Seize our freedom and peace
Back from the Red Chinese

The Panchen Rinpoche is Poisoned (MP3 version)

Our root Lama Panchen Rinpoche la
When he lived, prisoners were released
The barbaric Red Chinese
Poisoned and killed our root guru
Killed
The food is like pigs’ swill
The beatings are violent
The prison years unending
Made limitless
The food is like pigs’ swill
The beatings are violent
The prison years unending
Made limitless

Ngawang Choezom 22 03/21/92 5 6 11 
Gyaltsen Drolkar 19 08/21/90 4 8 12 
Ngawang Sangdrol 15 06/17/92 3 6 21** 
Lhundrub Zangmo 23 08/21/90 4 5 9 
Phuntsog Nyidron 20 10/14/89 9 8 17 
Tenzin Thubten 20 08/21/90 5 9 14 
Ngawang Tsamdrol 21 05/14/92 5 5 10 
Jigme Yangchen 23 10/01/90 7 5 12 
Rigzin Choenyi 24 08/28/90 7 5 12 
Namdrol Lhamo 28 05/12/92 6 6 12 
Ngawang Choekyi 23 05/14/92 5 8 13 
Ngawang Lochoe 19 05/14/92 5 5 10 

* Age at time of first sentencing.
** Has had sentence extended two more times since her second sentence; one 
*****

The Times of India
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2001
"An unnamed official of the Foreign Affairs Committee quoted by Xinhua accused
the Dalai Lama of plotting rebellion and "terrorist activities" in Tibet.
"He sent secret agents and intelligence personnel to carry 
out terrorist activities in Tibet.
"The Dalai Lama, as then the highest dictator of Tibet, bears inevitable
responsibilities for this, and he is the real arch-criminal who has trampled
upon human rights and freedoms in Tibet," it said.
The Dalai Lama's speech at the EP general assembly once again revealed his
true nature of not being a mere religious fellow but a politician-in-exile
under the robe of Buddhism who engages himself with activities aimed at
splitting the motherland, and one can easily tell his intention and ulterior
motives, the statement said.

However....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Beijing produces videos glorifying terrorist attacks on 'arrogant' US
By Damien McElroy
(Filed: 04/11/2001)

THE Chinese state-run propaganda machine is cashing in on the terror
attacks in New York and Washington, producing books, films and video
games glorifying the strikes as a humbling blow against an arrogant
nation.
Video discs filled with lurid images along with dramatic opera music
and even the theme from Jaws have flooded the nation's markets in the
wake of the attacks.
Disc after disc bear the imprimatur of the Communist Party-controlled
media. The most popular DVDs have been produced by the Xinhua
information agency, Beijing Television and China Central Television.

Communist Party officials say President Jiang Zemin has obsessively
watched and re-watched pictures of the aircraft crashing into the
World Trade Centre. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks,
workers at Beijing Television worked round-the-clock to produce a
documentary they called Attack America.

Scenes from Hollywood films have been spliced between shots of the
events of September 11, including footage from the 1998 remake of
Godzilla, in which a monster destroys New York buildings.

As rescue workers pick through the rubble of the twin towers, the
commentator proclaims that the city had reaped the consequences of
decades of American bullying of weaker nations.

He said: "This is the America the whole world has wanted to see.
Blood debts have been repaid in blood. America has bombed other
countries and used its hegemony to deny the natural rights of others
without paying the price. Who until now has dared to avenge the hurts
inflicted by unaccountable Americans."

The many shops that stock pirated DVDs compiled in China and Hong
Kong report that their most popular products are similar productions
that use video graphics to show the United States suffering other
damaging attacks on its tallest buildings and military installations.

On the unofficial films the commentary is even more callous: "Look at
the panic in their faces as they wipe off the dust and crawl out of
their strong buildings - now just a heap of rubble. We will never
fear these people again, they have been shown to be soft-bellied
paper tigers."
*****

and moreover...

Taliban leader cites help by China
Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published 10/31/01
     A Taliban military commander said in a published interview that
China is secretly assisting the ruling militia in Afghanistan.
     Taliban commander Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani told an Urdu-
language newspaper in Pakistan that the ruling militia's strategy is
to conduct a long war aimed at entrapping U.S. forces on the ground.
     Asked about the Taliban's relations with China, Mr. Haqqani
said: "China is a good country. Taliban are in contact with it even
now.
     "China is also extending support and cooperation to the Taliban
government, but the shape of this cooperation cannot be disclosed,"
Mr. Haqqani said in the interview published Oct. 22 in the newspaper
Islamabad Pakistan....  A representative of the Northern Alliance Afghan opposition said
China has been supplying weapons to the Taliban for several years,
primarily small arms...China's Foreign Ministry said in response to a report in The
Washington Times earlier this month that China "has not established
any kind of official relations with the Taliban."
     The comments were made in response to intelligence reports
disclosed by The Times that two Chinese companies have been building
a telephone switching network in Kabul for the past 21/2 years.
     The Taliban also helped Chinese government agents recover pieces
of U.S. cruise missiles fired during the 1998 U.S. raids on terrorist
training camps in Afghanistan.

www.washtimes.com

China strengthens Anti-Dalai Lama campaign - http://www.tibet.ca/wtnarchive/2001/7/16_1.html The Chinese authorities distributed official circulars 'illegalising' Trunglha Yarsol - the celebration of the Dalai Lama's birthday. Thanks to the enlightened beings who favour Beijing--they have given legitimacy to the continuing genocide of Tibetans and Mongolians

 

'China Assisting Us In War Against US' Says Taliban Commander
Hindustan Times
10-23-1
Taliban Commander-in-Chief Jalaluddin Haqqani has claimed that the
militia was "in touch" with China, which was assisting them in the
war against US.
 Before leaving for Afghanistan after holding talks with Pakistani
officials here, Haqqani, who is also the Minister for Frontier
Regions, told reporters "China is still assisting Taliban in the war
against the United States".
 He also said the Afghan militia "continued to be in touch with
Beijing".

China Supports Bin Laden, Taliban
by J.R. Nyquist

JRNyquist.com

On Sept. 28 Bill Gertz reported in the Washington Times that China was helping the Taliban by installing a telephone system in the Afghan capital. Previously Beijing denied its companies were assisting the Taliban. "China does not have any kind of formal relations with the Taliban," insisted the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

To be sure, the Chinese were lying.

According to Gertz, "[American] Defense and intelligence officials said Beijing appears to be following a dual-track policy of voicing official support for U.S. efforts against terrorism while maintaining ... ties to the Taliban militia."

According to Gertz's intelligence sources, bin Laden called for "good relations" between Afghanistan and China last August. And why not? China openly preaches against U.S. global dominance, threatening war and destruction if the U.S. should interfere with a future PLA invasion of Taiwan. At the same time, Beijing is supporting North Korea's massive military buildup along the DMZ, which has U.S. and South Korean military officials worried.

When all is said and done the Chinese communists hate the United States. That is why they have allied with Russia. That is why they are making nice with communist Vietnam. Consider, as well, Beijing's growing military ties with Cuba and Beijing's support for Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. The Chinese see America as their main enemy. A secret Chinese alliance with Osama bin Laden and the Taliban is therefore something we ought to expect.

This may seem unbelievable, but as far back as 1998 the Iranian official press said there was a secret defense agreement between China and the Taliban. The West ignored this story, as it has ignored other bad Chinese behavior. And now it is time to reap the whirlwind.

After the terrorist attacks of last month, the London Sunday Telegraph reported significant Chinese troop movements toward the Afghan border. "Convoys of Chinese military trucks roared along the Karakoram Highway last week," claimed the Telegraph.  Nobody in the West thought these movements were significant. Western pundits speculated that the Chinese were eager to protect their Central Asian frontier, to prevent terrorist infiltrators from crossing into China (as if China, which genuinely represses Muslims, would ever be targeted by bin Laden).

What were these troop movements all about?

According to Debka File, a leading intelligence publication, a convoy of 3,000 PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) troops crossed into Afghanistan last Friday, Oct. 5. Three additional PLA Convoys were said to follow. According to Debka File's  sources, Beijing's troops are ethnic Muslims sent to reinforce the Taliban. If Debka File is correct, the total Chinese reinforcement of the Taliban may amount to 15,000 troops.

Anticipating America's October 7 airstrikes against the Taliban, Beijing probably hopes to stem the deterioration of Taliban morale with a show of support. Beijing thereby hopes to check U.S. progress against bin Laden and his Afghan allies. Already the Chinese have seen the Kitty Hawk battlegroup and the U.S. 3rd Marine Division pulling away from the Far East. They also see that the U.S. 25th Infantry Division has been sent from Hawaii to the Persian Gulf. The East Asian communists may be tempted by the present vulnerability of Taiwan and South Korea. Why not extend that vulnerability by bolstering the Taliban with four PLA regiments?

This strategy makes perfect sense once we realize that the Chinese leadership hates the United States and privately cheers the destructive attacks of Sept. 11. Readers should be reminded, in this context, of an August 1998 document from the Chinese Central Military Commission that was sent to all corps commanders of the Peoples Liberation Army.  According to this document, which leaked out of China last year, the United States is vulnerable and could not withstand even a limited nuclear strike from China. Despite the possession of great power America remains unwilling to sacrifice cities in a tit-for-tat war. On the other side, the Chinese are fully prepared to sacrifice their cities. Therefore, Beijing could outface Washington if hostilities erupted over Taiwan. That is the logic of China's Central Military Commission.

On Sept. 13 two leading Chinese military strategists were interviewed by China's state-owned Ta Kung Pao newspaper. Senior Col. Qiao Liang and Col. Wang Xiangsui credited themselves with predicting the Sept. 11 terror attacks in their 1999 book, "Unrestricted Warfare." The terrorists used no military weapons, said Qiao and Wang, yet the attacks were more effective than those resulting from open warfare.

The two Chinese experts said that those killed in the Twin Towers were the victims of U.S. foreign policy, plain and simple. "September 11, 2001 probably marks the beginning of U.S. decline as a superpower," said the Chinese colonels. "The attacks demonstrated the U.S. fragility and weakness and showed that, basically, it is unable to withstand attacks. The National Missile Defense system cannot save it." 

Asked about the adverse effects the attacks may have on the Chinese economy, the two colonels admitted that a short-term negative impact was to be expected. "However, from a long-term viewpoint, the attacks could be favorable to China," they said.

American observers should not be surprised at Chinese strategic moves in relation to the Sept. 11 events. China is our enemy. Therefore, China is sure to align itself with America's other enemies, wherever they might be. In light of this, it was foolish for Nixon to go to China.  It was blameworthy to finance China's modernization program, and it was short-sighted to establish trade relations with the Beijing communists. It has to be understood, in the final analysis, that the People's Republic is run by gangsters who dream of America's destruction. It has to be admitted that we have supplied them with the means to strike us by our own complacency and greed.

Think of the situation in purely moral terms:  It did not concern American businessmen that millions languished in the Chinese prison camps, that Christians were brutally persecuted, that protesters were crushed by tanks. None of this bothered those who were eager to build factories in the People's Republic of China (PRC) in order to make a profit.  Yet consider the long term consequences.

The unanimous and bipartisan report of the House Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China (i.e., the Cox Report) stated the situation in plain terms: "The PRC's massive potential consumer market is the key factor behind the willingness of some U.S. businesses to risk and tolerate technology transfers. Some of these transfers could impair U.S. national security, as in the cases of Loral and Hughes...."

The United States is a country that has made serious mistakes in its economic and security policy. We have supported countries that should have been blockaded and isolated. And now we face a deadly combination because the enemy we face is not merely the terrorist, Osama bin Laden. The enemy we face is in Beijing and Moscow, Pyongyang and Hanoi, Havana and Pretoria.

***

 

October 17, 2001
No horse-trading of human rights for Chinese support of the global coalition
against terrorism.
[London] Free Tibet Campaign is calling on the US President, George W Bush,
not to forget his promise to the Dalai Lama that he will promote dialogue
between Tibet and China, when he meets Jiang Zemin on Friday, before the
APEC meeting in Shanghai on 20 - 21 October.
"The US President has an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to pursuing
peaceful resolutions to long-standing problems such as the occupation of
Tibet; a message made more relevant by the current political situation" said
Alison Reynolds, Director of Free Tibet Campaign. "The Tibetan people not
only have a just cause, but have followed a path of non-violence: an
approach surely, now more than ever, deserving of international support."
Free Tibet Campaign is also looking for assurances that the US-led coalition
will neither be silenced on the subject of Tibet in return for Chinese
support for the 'campaign against terrorism', nor allow China to use the
current political climate to crackdown on what it calls
'separatists'. Evidence is emerging that China may attempt to capitalise on
events, as reported by the BBC shortly after September 11. Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said, "China, by the same token, has reason
to ask the United States to give its support and understanding in the fight
against terrorism and separatists." This indicates that China does not
distinguish between terrorism and separatism: the Dalai Lama is regularly
referred to as a 'splittist'.
Campaigners across the globe have additionally asked President Bush to press
Jiang Zemin for the release of Ngawang Choephel on medical parole. Ngawang,
an exiled Tibetan jailed since 1995 for 'spying', received an eighteen year
prison sentence for recording traditional Tibetan music and dance. He is
believed to be suffering from at least four major ailments, and is currently
being held in a prison in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

**

 

China lists conditions for backing U.S. drive Support linked  to  policies on Taiwan, Tibet John Pomfret Washington Post Wednesday, September 19, 2001 Beijing -- China sought yesterday to link its backing for a U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign to a demand that America support China's own fight against separatists in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhu Bangzao, said China is willing to discuss proposals to combat terrorism around the world, but in the context of the U.S. Security Council. He added that any U.S. military retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington would need "concrete evidence," should adhere to international law and should not hurt innocent civilians. The statements from Zhu, at a news briefing, provided the clearest signs to date on the limits China intends to impose on its support for America's declared war on terrorism. The Chinese position followed a trend among many governments that have lined up with the United States to combat terrorism but added their own cautions about what actually should be done. Like many of those countries, China hopes to wrest policy changes from the United States in exchange for its support. Specifically, China wants changes in America's long-term support for and arms sales to Taiwan; its moral support for Tibet's Dalai Lama, and its plans to create national missile defenses, according to Chu Shulong, an expert in security affairs at Qinghua University. "The United States has asked China to provide assistance in the fight against terrorism," Zhu said. "China, by the same token, has reasons to ask the United States to give its support and understanding in the fight against terrorism and separatists. We should not have double standards." Asked, however, if China had set specific conditions in exchange for its  support, the Foreign Ministry spokesman demurred. "The fight against terrorism is a different issue," he said. "We are not making bargains here." China's position is important to the United States because it occupies a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and arguably has the closest relations of any country with Pakistan, which has emerged as a key nation in the Bush administration's plans. Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi headed to Islamabad yesterday, and China's reaction to the crisis will be the key topic during the visit to Washington this week of Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan. Because of its stand on nonintervention, China is uneasy and most probably would oppose the prospect of U.S. ground forces in Pakistan to topple the Taliban government in neighboring Afghanistan, Western diplomats said. It would also be nervous about U.S. troops using Central Asian nations to the north as a base of operations, they also said. But China also views the attacks as an opportunity to improve what have become shaky ties with the United States. Yesterday's editions of the official China Economic Times carried an analysis predicting that the two countries would emerge from the crisis with closer ties.

China Sets Terms for Backing U.S. War on Terror (Reuters) BEIJING, Sept 18 (Reuters) -  China demanded U.S. support for its own struggle against ``terrorism and separatism'' -- shorthand for groups that include Taiwan independence advocates and the Tibetan Dalai Lama --in return for backing a U.S.-led war on terrorism. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao also said China was prepared to discuss any proposals to combat international terrorism at the United Nations Security Council, where it wields a veto as one of five permanent members. But he insisted any military action in retaliation for last week's attacks on the United States would have to be based on ''concrete evidence,'' should not hurt innocent people and should be conducted within international law. ``The United States has asked China to provide assistance in the fight against terrorism,'' Zhu said. ``China, by the same token, has reasons to ask the United States to give its support and understanding in the fight against terrorism and separatists,'' he said. ``We should not have double standards.'' China is battling what it calls ``terrorists'' waging a violent campaign against Chinese rule in the far western Muslim region of Xinjiang.  It reviles the Dalai Lama, who is struggling for greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, as a ``splittist.'' State media have accused him of plotting bombings and assassinations in Tibet. On self-governing Taiwan, Beijing reserves its fiercest wrath for former President Lee Teng-hui, whom it accuses of plotting to split the island from China. It is also intensely suspicious of current Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian for his past open advocacy of independence. Asked whether China was imposing specific conditions for its support for the United States, such as an end to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Zhu said: ``The fight against terrorism is a different issue. We are not making bargains here.'' But he went on to say the United States and China had ''common interests'' in combating Taiwan independence activists he said presented the main threat to stability across the Taiwan Strait. ``We should stem the development of Taiwan independence forces,'' Zhu said. Zhu reiterated China's support for the war on terrorism. ``We should crack down on all international terrorism,'' he said. But he qualified his statement by making clear China expected the United Nations to be consulted on any action. ``China is willing to discuss in the United Nations Security Council any proposals against terrorism,'' he said. ``An attack against terrorism should be based on concrete evidence and have clear orientation without hurting innocent people,'' Zhu said.  ``We believe all activities should go along with international law, especially the U.N.. charter.''

 

International Campaign for Tibet Statement on Terrorist Attacks
The International Campaign for Tibet condemns the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001, which took thousands of innocent lives. We extend
our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims as well as their
friends and colleagues.
The greatest honor the United States could bestow upon the victims and
upon our scarred society, is to show that a profound dedication to
justice and the rule of law can prevail over violence. The perpetuators
of this cruelty must be brought to justice but the United States must
not respond in ways that bring suffering on other innocent people.  We
urge the U.S. Government, in the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
not allow itself to be drawn into a "cycle of violence."  Our greatest
triumph as a people, a country and a world will be to turn this tragedy
into an enduring commitment by all peoples and countries to renounce
violence and to resolve conflicts peacefully. Tibetans and so many other
peoples look to the United States Also, we must be vigilant not to associate terrorism
 with any ethnicity, nationality or religion. Right now, Arab-Americans are facing reprisals
and discrimination. This is a time for Americans to show to the world
that we will not let terrorism cloud our judgment of fellow Americans or
take away our hard-won civil liberties.
We are also concerned that China may take advantage of this situation by
citing rare violent incidents to further crack down on the Tibetan
nonviolent resistance movement. The U.S. Government should guard against
an anti-terrorism coalition from being used by countries to suppress
legitimate, nonviolent dissent.
The International Campaign for Tibet calls on its 80,000 members to
actively take part in assisting the victims of this tragedy and
rededicate themselves towards promoting the peaceful resolution of
international conflicts.
**

It didn't take Nostradamus to see this coming!
Is  terrorism defined as ANY GROUP fighting 
for freedom from oppression?
Will Tibet and Taiwan be Next on the hit list?

ACTION ALERT - CHINA (TIBET)
12 October 2001
NFFE protests Chinese authorities' jamming of radio signal
SOURCE: Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE), Oslo

(NFFE/IFEX) - The NFFE has expressed concern over stepped-up efforts by the
Chinese authorities to interrupt the "Voice of Tibet" (VOT) signal.
According to information from the VOT Foundation, in Oslo, Norway,
high-ranking Chinese officials stated that the VOT "should be silenced once
and for all."
The VOT Foundation is a non-governmental organisation providing daily radio
programmes in Tibetan and Mandarin languages, with an administrative office
in Oslo and a main editorial office in India. VOT's daily radio service,
focusing mainly on Tibetan related issues, is beaming its signal on short
wave to most parts of Asia, with Tibet and China as the main target area. In
addition, the signal is clearly audible in Europe and elsewhere when not
jammed.
BACKGROUND:
Since starting the Mandarin language service in late 1999, VOT has faced
increasing efforts by the Chinese authorities to interrupt the VOT signal.
The jamming by China has increased to an unprecedented level this year, with
China using all means to block VOT's signal and prevent citizens from
accessing unbiased information. Towards this purpose, the Chinese
authorities have produced distorted high frequency sounds which are being
aired over VOT's signal. VOT is an independent station providing unbiased
news and information to a region where free speech is denied. It sees the
Chinese jamming efforts as confirmation of the fact that unbiased
information and facts about Tibet are not tolerated by the central
authorities in Beijing, who are breaking international agreements and
treaties, which require them to make radio programmes available to the
Tibetan and Chinese people. VOT has received reports from meetings in both
Lhasa and Beijing, where high-ranking officials stated that the VOT "should
be silenced once and for all" and that the money needed to do so will be
made available.
Due to very limited financial resources, VOT can only afford to beam its
signal on a maximum of two simultaneous frequencies. VOT broadcasts
simultaneously on meter band 19 and 13 in the evenings (8:15 p.m. to 9:00
p.m., Beijing time), making slight frequency changes regularly to avoid
jamming. According to numerous reports from inside Tibet, listeners have
gotten used to searching in order to find VOT's signal on the radio. All the
frequencies used by VOT are registered under VOT and cannot be used by other
stations.
Other radio stations, especially Radio Free Asia and Voice of America
(Mandarin/Chinese and Tibetan short wave services), have also experienced
Chinese efforts to block their signal. VOT and its many listeners in Tibet,
who see VOT as a lifeline to the free world, feel the jamming is severely
threatening the very existence of the service.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the president:
- protesting China's continuous jamming of the VOT radio service
- requesting an explanation for China's illegal actions
- noting that the jamming by China is a serious breach of international
agreements and treaties
- calling on China to stop breaking these international agreements and
treaties immediately
APPEALS TO:
Jiang Zemin
President
People's Republic of China
Central Committee Zhongnanhai Xi Cheng Qu
Beijing, People's Republic of China
c/o: The Chinese Embassy in your country

In Canada, appeals can be sent to:
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
Ambassador Mei Ping
515 Patrick St.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1B 5H3
Fax: +1 613 789 1911/789 1414

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact Carl Morten Iversen, NFFE,
Menneskerettighetshuset, Urtegata 50, N-0187 Oslo, Norway, tel: +47 2330
1120, fax: +47 2330 1101, e-mail: nfy@nffe.no, Internet: http://www.nffe.no
__________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622    fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org    general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/

 

Want to Hurt China's Feelings?  
Just Say Tibet 
or mention the Dalai Lama (you could die for it in Tibet)
Would The United Nations stand on the side of totalitarian nazis like the current 
Chinese Government rather than champion the cause of  oppressed Tibetans?
YOU BET!!!!

Dalai Lama urges India to talk tough with China over Tibet (AFP)
NEW DELHI, Sept 23 (AFP) - Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai
Lama, Sunday urged India to raise the issue of greater freedom for the
Tibetan people during talks on delineating border areas with China.
The Indian government was "overcautious" in bringing up the subject with
China, despite its greater military clout after conducting nuclear tests
in 1998, he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
The Dalai Lama said that since China was aware of India's strategic
importance on the global stage, it was important New Delhi should from
time to time express concern on the Tibetan issue.
The 65-year-old Tibetan leader fled to India when China crushed an
anti-Beijing uprising in Tibet in 1959.
China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it has described as a
"peaceful liberation" and tried to legitimize its rule in 1951 with an
agreement which the exiled Tibetan government does not accept because it
was signed by Tibet's leaders under duress.
Beijing has ruled the Himalayan region with an iron fist since, with
human rights groups alleging widespread abuses and attempts to destroy
Tibetan culture.
The Dalai Lama said the Tibetan struggle was gaining support worldwide.
"Many nations are showing their concern during talks with China in spite
of their economic relations with that country," he told a press
conference in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala where the Tibetan
government-in-exile is based.
"The Chinese have lost trust in the Tibetans. They think that once their
demand (for genuine autonomy) is accepted, the Tibetans would go for
independence," he added.
The Tibetan leader said the Chinese government viewed Tibet's "unique
culture" as a threat and therefore wanted full control over the region.
"The Chinese strategy now is to wait till such time as when the
composition of the population and the economy of Tibetan region changes
(to such extent that the demand for autonomy dies down)," he said.
The Dalai Lama said the Tibetans only wanted true autonomy. "I will not
ask for independence, when the genuine autonomy is granted to the
Tibetans. That is my commitment", he said.
 Teams from China and India meet regularly to discuss their long-running
border dispute, which caused a war between them in 1962.

AlterNet Launches New "Understanding Terrorism" Page
http://www.alternet.org/?IssueAreaID=27

 

A MESSAGE TO TROOPS, WOULD-BE TROOPS AND OTHER YOUTH
Jeff Paterson, AlterNet
The first active-duty military resister of the Persian Gulf
War talks about his refusal to kill people in the Middle East,
and why today's soldiers should do the same.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=11648

Today's links:

www.debka.com

http://www.globalism.com.au/

Highly Suggested Links to Honest Reporting

 

Two Ottawa women have been arrested for throwing teddy bears in Canada's House of Commons.
They were supporting a man jailed for lobbing stuffed toys during the Summit of the Americas.
Other supporters turned up at Edmonton police station in Canada admitting they too were responsible for launching a huge catapult full of soft toys over the security fence surrounding the summit.
Jaggi Singh has been jailed in advance of his trial for using the catapult. 
The protesters took a signed confession to the police, saying they had all taken part in the stunt.
Mr Singh is charged with possession of a dangerous weapon and breach of bail conditions, reports the National Post.
Jonathan Oppenheim, a spokesman for the Edmonton group, said: "The people that signed the confession hope to put enough pressure on the Crown to drop the ludicrous charges against Jaggi Singh.
"The charges are a bit silly given that this catapult was just lobbing stuffed animals."
The activists' confession read: "The catapult was a prop which was used in an absolutely non-violent manner to mock the absurdity of holding the secretive and undemocratic summit within a walled fortress."
The women in Ottawa, Rebecca Lake and Marika Schwandt, were led away from parliament after unfurling a banner reading 'Decriminalize Democracy'.
Liberal MP Dan McTeague said: "If you have a statement to make, make it by the ballot or make it verbally. Write us a letter or do what you have to do, but throwing stuff at us doesn't accomplish anything."
(except moral satisfaction and good karma!)

See this story on the web at http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_284015.html

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Published on Tuesday, October 16, 2001 in the Guardian of London 
Gagging the Skeptics
The US, founded to protect basic freedoms, is now insisting that its
critics are its enemies.
 by George Monbiot
(excerpted from a longer article)

Earlier this year the director of the FBI named the chaotic but harmless organizations Reclaim the Streets and Carnival Against Capitalism in the statement on terrorism he presented to the Senate. Now, partly as a result of his representations, the Senate's new terrorism bill, like Britain's Terrorism Act 2000, redefines the crime so broadly that members of Greenpeace are in danger of being treated like members of al-Qaida. The Bush doctrine - if you're not with us, you're against us - is already being applied.

This government by syllogism makes no sense at all. Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida have challenged the US government; ergo anyone who challenges the government is a potential terrorist. That Bin Laden is, according to US officials, a "fascist", while the other groups are progressives is irrelevant: every public hand raised in objection will from now on be treated as a public hand raised in attack. Given that Bin Laden is not a progressive but is a millionaire, it would surely make more sense to round up and interrogate all millionaires.

"anti-American"

 This term, as used by everyone from the US defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and the Daily Mail to Tony Blair and several writers on these pages, applies not only to those who hate Americans, but also to those who have challenged US foreign and defense objectives. Implicit in this denunciation is a demand for uncritical support, for a love of government more consonant with the codes of tsarist Russia than with the ideals upon which the United States was founded.

The charge of "anti-Americanism" is itself profoundly anti-American. If the US does not stand for freedom of thought and speech, for diversity and dissent, then we have been deceived as to the nature of the national project. Were the founding fathers to congregate today to discuss the principles enshrined in their declaration of independence, they would be denounced as "anti-American" and investigated as potential terrorists. Anti-American means today precisely what un-American meant in the 1950s. It is an instrument of dismissal, a means of excluding your critics from rational discourse.

Under the new McCarthyism, this dismissal extends to anyone who seeks to promulgate a version of events other than that sanctioned by the US government. On September 20, President Bush told us that "this is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom". Two weeks later, his secretary of state, Colin Powell, met the Emir of Qatar to request that progress, pluralism, tolerance and freedom be suppressed. Al-Jazeera is one of the few independent television stations in the Middle East, whose popularity is the result of its uncommon regard for freedom of speech. It is also the only station permitted to operate freely in Kabul. Powell's request that it be squashed was a pre-emptive strike against freedom, which, he hoped, would prevent the world from seeing what was really happening once the bombing began.

 

 

http://members.tripod.com/~mercer4peace/loftparty.html
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This editorial is reprinted from the International Herald Tribune.   Eric Hurwitz, assistant professor at the School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, at the University of California, Los Angeles  According to recent medical findings, many parents believe that childhood vaccines are unsafe and seek exemptions from school mandates. Because unvaccinated children put themselves and others at greater risk of highly contagious diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, it is worth exploring the possible origins of these beliefs and whether they are scientifically justified...In the United States, vaccine safety has historically taken a back seat to development and rapid deployment. Remarkably, even today, we lack procedures for the systematic collection of valid long-term safety data. Documented cases of abuse of power, unethical studies and vaccine-induced injury and death may contribute to parents' conceptions. Evidence of conflicts of interest involving U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel members, the withdrawal of the recently approved vaccine for rotavirus (responsible for severe diarrhea), changes in the hepatitis B vaccine schedule because of possible harm from a

mercury-containing preservative and reports from the Institute of Medicine are also likely reasons for concern. The institute concluded that (a) the measles-mumps-rubella and hepatitis B vaccines may cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, and (b) the causes of many other adverse outcomes could not be determined because of insufficient data. Moreover, a recent study suggests that the most widely used current vaccines for whooping cough may be linked with anaphylaxis, while surveillance of the  chickenpox vaccine revealed anaphylaxis, encephalopathy (a disorder affecting the brain) and other reactions. Links of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and other immunizations with autism have been neither proved nor disproved because of inadequate data...Thus, because of how vaccines are tested and marketed, without large, long-term safety studies before widespread public school use, lack of confidence in vaccine safety may not be a misconception, but a scientifically justifiable concern...Until we can predict which children are at risk from current and future vaccines, voluntary, written informed consent rather than coercion may help to restore parents' trust and maintain the public's health.