Aug

19

Weightlifting accident - Beijing 2008

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Apr

8

Olympic torch relay: Protests spread to US

Filed Under World News | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan | Leave a Comment

Three pro-Tibet protesters scaled San Francisco’s landmark Golden Gate Bridge on Monday, as protests against China regarding Olympic torch’s arrival in the United States.

The protesters spread out a giant banner saying “One World, One Dream” and “Free Tibet 08.”

The protest ended peacefully at around 1:00pm, when the protester climbed from the bridge and were arrested.

The daredevil protest came as Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton urged President George W Bush to boycott the inaugration of the Beijing Olympics, saying he should push China over Tibet and Darfur.

Police officials in San Francisco say a strict security will be placed on Wednesday to avoid any scenes in Paris. Several hundred police are likely to line the streets for the only appearance of the torch in the US during its 21-country journey, arranging for earlier torch runs in the city.

However authorities seemed to have been caught cold by Monday’s protest at Golden Gate Bridge. The protestors scooted up the bridge’s cables and unfolded their giant banner.

A man asserting to be one of the climbers told a local radio station from his perch that he belongs to Students for a Free Tibet and hoped to focus world attention to China’s policy in the Himalayan region.

Anger over China’s actions in Tibet has been growing in San Francisco, where the city’s political leadership passed a symbolic declaration last week to welcome the Olympic torch with “protest and alarm.”

Tsering Gyurmey, secretary of the Tibetan Association of Northern California, said protestors would be encouraged to protest peacefully.

“I think in London and Paris people wanted to be calm, but they see the torch come through and see it as stained with Tibetan blood.”

Meanwhile, Clinton held that Bush should not be present at August’s opening ceremony in Beijing unless there were “major amendments” by the Chinese government.

“The sadistic clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full influence with Sudan to prevent the genocide in Darfur are occasions for presidential leadership,” Clinton said.

Bush plans to attend the games, as compared to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plans to miss the ceremony, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s disclosure that he may adhere to suit.



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Apr

3

China: Tibet to organise suicide squads

Filed Under World News | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan | Leave a Comment

As international pressure is heaving on it to recommence dialogue with the Dalai Lama, China has asserted that Tibetan ’suicide squads’ are planning to carry out bloody attacks to interrupt Beijing Olympics. Chinese Ministry of Public Security claimed that it had information that Tibetans would arrange suicide squads in a thrust for ‘Tibetan independence’.

A ministry spokesman told reporters here that the Chinese government dreaded “violent attacks” in the run up to the Beijing Olympics starting from August 8. The Chinese Ministry said, “To our knowledge the next plan of the Tibetan independence forces is to set up suicide squads to start violent attacks.” Tibetan government however on its part has refused the charge as a “propaganda.”

Rights groups have alleged they will focus protest on the London leg on Sunday. Last week, protesters disregarded tight security to disturb the traditional torch-lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia.

However, Beijing’s charge was quickly refused by the Tibetan government-in-exile which tagged the claims as “propaganda.” The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has constantly said that he is in favour of Beijing hosting the Olympics Games. The 72-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner has denied the China’s accusation of “masterminding” the brutality in Tibet.

Reacting to the claims, Tenzing Tsundue held that China is just trying to distract the real issue by creating other issues. Dorje, the VP of the Tibetan Youth Congress – said that the claims made by China are fake.

US consider Dalai Lama as ‘a man of peace‘ and thus rejected the prospect that he may support “suicide attacks” to disturb Olympics.

“I hope not. Definitely we think it’s appropriate for Chinese officials to engage in discussion with the Dalai Lama. He is an individual who has always acted in the best interest of his nation,” US State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.

“He’s (Lama) an individual who is a man of peace, and someone who advocates non-violence to resolve these issues. And hopefully this won’t be the final word from the Chinese government regarding him,” he said. The spokesman further said that Washington did not have “any clue that would support him (Lama) taking any kind of approach other than a peaceful, non-violent take on this issue”.



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Mar

31

China Puts Conditions for Talks With Dalai Lama

Filed Under World News | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan | Leave a Comment

China on Sunday alleged it was open to talks with the Dalai Lama in spite of Tibetans endeavour to disrupt the Olympic flame handover ceremony in Greece.

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao stated that “The channel for discourse is always open. Only if the Dalai Lama gives up his stand on the autonomy of Tibet, chiefly exerts his influence to end the recent violent outbreaks in Tibet, and declares that Tibet and Taiwan are inseparable parts of China.”

In the meantime, a group of pro-Tibet activists strived to stop the Olympic flame from reaching the Panathenian Stadium in Athens, but were quickly controlled by Greek police.

Protesters holding Tibet flags and shouting “Free Tibet” and “China out of Tibet” made an effort but failed to rupture through the police cordon and get to the last torch bearer entering the venue.

Human rights activists also interrupted last Monday’s flame lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia, broadcasted live around the world, unfolding banners accusing China’s rights record.

Greek authorities posted hundreds of police along the route and scores of security vehicles pursued the torch bearers as helicopters hovered overhead - the strictest security measures from the time when the torch relay begun in 1936.

“In 130 days the 2008 Beijing Olympics start on. We and the other countries of the world look forward to this moment,” said Beijing Games organising Chief Liu Qi, adding “welcome to Beijing” in English prior to receive the flame from Minos Kyriakou, President of the Greek Olympic Committee.

Liu then lit a protection lamp, which will keep the flame aflame on the flight to Beijing; where it is scheduled to arrive on Monday.

Also more than one hundred Tibetans have been detained in Kathmandu while trying to storm the Chinese Embassy there. As a reply to what happened in Delhi on March 21, the pro-independence protestors tried to scale the Embassy walls, but were controlled by policemen.

Several protestors and policemen were wounded in the clash. Nepal recognises Tibet as an inseparable part of China.



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Mar

20

China tightens grip in Tibetan areas

Filed Under General | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan | Leave a Comment

China realised for the first time that anti-government riots that rocked Tibet last week have spread to other provinces.

The moves came as the government sent armed police into far-flung towns and villages to reassert control in the Tibetan areas of western China as violent demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet.

Beijing Olympics official vowed the violence would not disrupt plans for the torch relay preceding this summer’s Olympics in Beijing. One leg of the relay have to pass through Tibet, to take the flame to the peak of Mount Everest sometime in May.

The official Xinhua News Agency said that the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader,was  blamed for riots in Tibetan-inhabited areas in the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu, both neighbouring Tibet.

The Tibet Daily reported that 24 people had been arrested for endangering state security, and for other grave crimes for their roles in riots in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.

The Xinhua report confirms previous claims by exile Tibet activist groups that the protests had spread. Foreign journalists have been banned from going to Tibet and stopped by police from entering areas in other provinces large with Tibetan populations.

The Tibet Daily reported that 24 people had been arrested for endangering state security, and for other “grave crimes” for their roles in last Friday’s riots in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.

Despite an expanding police crackdown, Tibetans have continued to take to the streets to call for Tibet’s independence and the return of the Dalai Lama.

Hundreds of protesters, some on horseback and others on foot, stormed a government compound in the town of Hezuo in Gansu province Tuesday crying “Free Tibet”.They burned the Chinese flag and hoisted the emblem of an independent Tibet.



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