ICT Europe: Publications
Tibet Update: E-newsletter for Parliamentarians in Europe, Edition 10
Edition 10 October 2005
Dear Readers,
This edition of Tibet Update marks the 10th edition. In the time that we have been delivering the Tibet Update to you, keeping you abreast of developments in Tibet, we have seen the amount of activity in China, Tibet and elsewhere in the world on Tibet-related matters increase dramatically. For this reason we have decided to alter the format of the Tibet Update to incorporate more information on general China affairs that have consequences for Tibet, as well as purely Tibetan info. To avoid overwhelming you with information we have created a 'Top Stories' section highlighting the most important news, followed by more in-depth sections on European Activities, Non-European Activities and the Tibet Brief and China Brief and Take Action.
We hope this 'face-lift' will aid you in balancing your need for a quick overview of the most important events, as well as continuing to provide you with a full update on Tibet-related news. We look forward to helping you further in your efforts on behalf of the Tibetan people.
Yours sincerely
Ms Tsering Jampa
Executive Director, International Campaign for Tibet - Europe
Please continue to send your feedback and contributions to us at euroeditor@savetibet.org. Your parliamentary colleagues can also subscribe to this E-newsletter by emailing this address and we urge you to pass this newsletter on to all interested colleagues. Don't forget that previous editions of the Tibet Update can be viewed here.
Contents
- Top Stories
- European Initiatives
- Take Action
- Non-European Initiatives
- Tibet Brief
- China Brief
- Important Upcoming Dates
Top Stories
UN Child Rights Body Urges China to Allow Independent Access to Panchen Lama
On 30 September the 40th session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) called upon the Chinese authorities to allow an independent body to verify the fate of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 16-year-old Panchen Lama of Tibet. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his parents following their abduction on 17 May 1995 and the International Campaign for Tibet, in cooperation with other human rights groups, has intensified its campaign for an independent body to verify Chinese claims that the child is healthy and not being held in detention.
While adopting its Concluding Observations on the second periodic report of the People's Republic of China, the CRC said that it noted the information provided about Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, but remained concerned that it had not yet been possible to have this information confirmed by an independent expert. The CRC asked that the Chinese authorities "allow an independent expert to visit and confirm the well-being of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima while respecting his right to privacy, and that of his parents."
Chinese Government Marks 40th Anniversary of TAR
On 1 September the Chinese government marked the 40th anniversary of the establishment of a regional government in Tibet. Tibet was occupied by Chinese communist troops in 1950 and part of that territory was designated the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) 15 years later. However, the TAR does not correspond to the pre-invasion territories of Tibet, with much of the original Tibetan territories of Kham and Amdo being incorporated into bordering Chinese provinces.
State media praised the economic development in Tibet during this time, and said such achievements were only possible under Chinese rule. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters "Before implementing democratic reforms, Tibet was under the dark serf system. Only today are Tibetans true masters of their own house."
Security in Lhasa had been tightened prior to the anniversary, with reports that armed police and soldiers had been increasingly visible on the streets of Lhasa in the preceding weeks. Sources in Tibet reported that around ten Tibetans were detained in Lhasa by the Chinese State Security Bureau (SSB) in the days leading up to the festivities. Some Lhasa residents were banished from the capital and sent to rural villages and made to check in daily at local police stations until the heightened security period ended on September 10.
Tibetan Democracy Day Celebrated in Exile
On 2 September, Tibetans in exile celebrated Tibetan Democracy Day, only a day after the Chinese marked the 40th anniversary of the formation of the TAR with parades and speeches attended by few Tibetans. A statement from The Kashag, the Tibetan Cabinet, lauded the Tibetan democracy, saying:
"Because of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's singular efforts, democracy has reached to a higher degree in the exiled Tibetan community, which will serve as a major gift for the Tibetan people inside Tibet when we are reunited in the future."
The Kashag also quoted Chinese President Hu Jintao as saying: "'China is a multi-national state and each nationality has its own distinct cultural, traditional, linguistic and historical development. Having a correct view on these, we should absolutely prevent all those actions, which aim to forcibly change the identity of the nationalities.' This is in tune with the reality. Therefore, we sincerely welcome the statement and hope that it will be put into practice."
President Bush Urged to Ask China to Begin Substantive Discussions on Tibet
On 11 October the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) recommended that President George Bush and Congress should urge the Chinese government to meet the Dalai Lama and to move the current contact with his envoys to substantive discussions.
In its annual report for 2005, released on October 11, 2005, CECC said, "The future of Tibetans and their religion, language, and culture depends on fair and equitable decisions about future policies that can only be achieved through dialogue. The Dalai Lama is essential to this dialogue. To help the parties build on visits and dialogue held in 2003, 2004, and 2005, the President and the Congress should urge the Chinese government to move the current dialogue toward deeper, substantive discussions with the Dalai Lama or his representatives, and encourage direct contact between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership."
European Parliament Condemns China's Repression of Religion
On 8 September the European Parliament adopted a resolution on breaches of human rights in China, in particular regarding freedom of religion. The Parliament called on the Chinese Government to put an end to religious repression and to ensure that it respects international standards of human rights. A press statement from the European Parliament urged Chinese authorities "to allow access for the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to the Panchen Lama designated by the Dalai Lama."
European Initiatives
Blair Visits China as EU President during EU-China Summit
British Prime Minister Tony Blair headed the EU delegation to Beijing on 5 September for the annual EU-China Summit. Mr. Blair spent eight hours in talks with Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Prime Minister, and said that they had had a genuine conversation about progress towards political freedoms. Blair said China showed signs of an "unstoppable momentum" propelling it towards democracy, but press in the UK criticized Blair for failing to raise sensitive issues like Taiwan, press freedom and the continued repression of Tibetans and Uighyurs with his counterpart.
European Parliament Remains Concerned at Situation of Tibetan Refugees in Nepal
During the European Parliament's Plenary Session in Strasbourg on 29 September, the current human rights situation in Nepal was debated. In a resolution, MEP's called "firmly once again on the Nepalese Government to re-establish the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office (TRWO) in Kathmandu and to allow the representative office of the Dalai Lama to resume operations in providing relief services to Tibetan refugees as an implementing partner of the UNHCR." The two mentioned offices were closed by Nepalese authorities in January 2005.
Tibetan Foreign Affairs Minister calls EU-China talks a 'gimmick'
The EU's human rights dialogue with China risks becoming a "gimmick", warned Lobsang Nyandak Zayul, the Tibetan foreign affairs and finance minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile in an interview with David Cronin of The Economist.
The Foreign Minister drew a distinction between the EU institutions in their policies on Tibet, saying that he welcomed the numerous resolutions passed by the European Parliament against China's oppression of Tibetan activists, but described the position of the European Commission on Tibet as "very dissatisfying".
"For the European Commission, trade is the top priority as of now," he said. "The moral issues of human rights and freedom have taken a back seat, even though the human rights dialogue is being continued with the Chinese counterpart."
ICT Joins Dutch NGOs on International Day of the Disappeared
On August 29, as part of ICT's efforts to highlight the case of the missing 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, ICT participated in a public action and press briefing to mark the International Day of the Disappeared. The coalition called for the Dutch government's support for the draft UN Convention against Enforced Disappearances, which was later adopted at the UN Summit in New York in September.
ICT Europe Co-hosts European Conference on Tibetan Buddhism
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist teachers and representatives from over 80 Buddhist centers from sixteen nations across Europe participated in a Conference on "Tibetan Buddhism in Europe" in Zurich, Switzerland on August 13-14. The conference coincided with the 10-day teachings by HH the Dalai Lama in Zurich, attended by over 10.000 people.
Special Rapporteur to the Council of Europe Condemns "Crimes of Communism"
Göran Lindblad, a Swedish MP and SR to the Council of Europe on the "Need for international condemnation of crimes of communism" spoke in July at the "Closer Look into China" Forum in Washington DC. He said "…there has been no serious, in-depth debate on the ideology which was, and is, at the root of widespread terror, massive human rights violations, death of many millions of individuals, and the plight of whole nations."
Dalai Lama awarded peace prize
The Dalai Lama was awarded a peace prize by the German state of Hesse in July "for his policy of non-aggression towards China", the organizers said in a press statement. The Dalai Lama received the prize in person on the second day of a three-day visit to Germany. Previous winners of the Hesse peace prize include the former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
ICT Europe to hold Tibetan Youth Leadership Program 2005
ICT-Europe will hold the fifth Tibetan Youth Leadership Program in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 9-14 December 2005. This is the second time ICT-Europe has hosted this exciting leadership program, which is specifically designed for young Tibetans in Europe and which brings them together with experts who will train them to take leadership positions within the Tibetan community.
Take Action!
Attend the 4th World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet - Edinburgh 18-19 November
The Fourth World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet (WPCT) will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 18-19 November. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will attend this meeting on 19 November as a guest of honor.
Organized by the Cross Party Scottish Parliamentary Group of Tibet in collaboration with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet (UK), the objectives of the fourth WPCT are to reaffirm support for the Middle Way Approach of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for resolving the issue of Tibet through direct negotiation with Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and to define a concrete plan of action on what Parliamentarian can do to help resolve the issue of Tibet.
The support of European Parliamentarians is essential for the resolution of the Tibet Issue
Please contact Tenzin Wangmo Dunchu for more information or to inform that you will be attending the Convention.
Non-European Initiatives
President Bush to Visit China
Both Presidents Hu and Bush agreed that, given the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, it was best not to have a planned meeting in Washington prior to the UN Summit in New York in September. Instead, President Bush will visit Beijing in November after the APEC Meeting. Donald Rumsfeld will visit China in mid-October.
US to Resettle Tibetan Refugees from Nepal
Tibetan refugees from Nepal will be provided sanctuary and resettled in the US under a new program proposed by the US government and expected to start next year.
If approved by the US Congress, the program would resettle a section of Tibetans living in Nepal, particularly those who have been in the kingdom for several years and are considered especially vulnerable to deportation to China.
The US decision was made after consultations over a long period with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). ICT served as a liaison between the CTA and the US state department and assisted Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama's special envoy, during consultations about the Refugee Admissions Program.
U.S. Says Rising China Must Address Its Intentions
US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick bluntly warned China last night that it must begin to take concrete steps to address what he called a "a cauldron of anxiety" in the United States and other parts of the world about Chinese intentions. Zoellick also addressed democracy in China, saying it is "risky and mistaken" to believe the Communist Party's monopoly can be secured "through emphasizing economic growth and heightened nationalism." He said closed politics are "simply not sustainable" and that pressure is building for political reform.
Pentagon Says China Seeks to Extend Military Reach
China has long-term ambitions to extend its power across the Asian continent and its leaders in the future "may be tempted to resort to force or coercion more quickly to press diplomatic advantage, advance security interests or resolve disputes," the Pentagon told the US Congress on 17 July as part of tis annual report. The Pentagon declared that China was looking beyond its long-standing confrontation with Taiwan and that its rapid arms buildup was increasingly aimed at expanding its military power in the region.
Hu Jintao Visit to Canada
Chinese President Hu visited Canada prior to the UN Summit in New York in September. His visit was disrupted by demonstrations by Tibetan, Taiwanese and Falun Gong activists. Trade between the two countries was the focus of Hu's tour of Canada. Canadian PM Paul Martin and Hu signed a "strategic partnership" between the two countries in Ottawa.
"I am satisfied with the achievements of the robust Canada-Chinese collaboration." Hu said he hoped the two countries would double bilateral trade by 2010 and work together on major international and regional issues toward "world peace and development." It was Hu's first trip to North America since he assumed the president's office in 2003 and only the third by a Chinese president since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1970.
Martin was heavily criticized at home for only briefly mentioning human rights issues with Hu despite promises prior to the visit that it would form a core part of his dialogue with the Chinese President.
Amnesty International Urges President Bush to Stand Up for Human Rights in China
On 2 September, Amnesty's advocacy director for Asia and the Pacific in the USA urged President Bush to send a clear message to Chinese President Hu Jintao about major human rights issues in China, saying "there is no improvement in human rights" in China, and in certain areas, it has deteriorated.
Mr. Kumar also suggested that President Bush make a public statement during Hu Jintao's visit about the whereabouts of the young Panchen Lama who was recognized by the Dalai Lama in 1995 and abducted by Chinese authorities shortly after.
"President Bush should use this opportunity to secure a timetable with specific benchmarks for human rights improvements in China in the run-up to the Olympics in Beijing in 2008," said Mr. Kumar.
Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Joins ICT's Board
Julia Taft, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, has joined the Board of Directors of the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington DC in July 2005.
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to Visit China
Manfred Nowak, the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on Torture will visit China from 21 November to 2 December 2005, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has announced. Apart from Beijing, Nowak's stops will include Xinjiang, home to ethnic Uighur Muslims, and the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. The U.S. embassy in Beijing is reported as saying that as a condition for the rapporteur's visit, China had agreed to include unannounced visits to prisons and guarantees there would be no reprisals against anyone who speaks to Nowak. The last scheduled visit to China by a UN SR on Torture by Theo van Boven was cancelled at the 11th hour due to his pro-Tibet stance.
UN Human Rights Chief Louise Arbour Visits China
U.N. human rights chief Louise Arbour has given a press conference in Beijing at the end of her first ever visit to China, saying that she was "guardedly optimistic" about Chinese progress on human rights, but stated clearly that 'human rights with Chinese characteristics' was not an option.
Ms Arbour said she had raised the issue of the "disproportionate application of the harshest penalties, including often the death penalties, on minority groups". Religious repression, democratic freedoms and Beijing's continued crackdown on the Tibetan and Muslim populations were also raised, though Arbour hadn't yet received any response to her questions. She is also reported as having submitted a request for information on the case of the young missing Panchen Lama, though she did not wish to discuss the details of her request with the media.
During the visit a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed aimed at helping China implement recommendations on economic, social and cultural rights and at facilitating the country's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Prior to her departure, leading China and human rights NGOs, including ICT Europe, met with Ms Arbour's senior staff to brief them on the core human rights issues in China and Tibet.
Tibet Brief
People's Daily Launches Attack on Dalai Lama
In a scathing attack on the Dalai Lama on the same day as the TAR Anniversary celebrations in Lhasa, the People's Daily wrote "The monk, who preaches around the world his "art of happiness," however, has shown little living wisdom when he strains all his nerves peddling his idea of the "autonomy" of Tibet in spite of the fact that an autonomous mechanism has existed on the snowy land for 40 years."
The attack, likely officially sanctioned by the CCP, comes at a time when Tibetans in exile and governments around the world are urging the Chinese government to enter into substantive negotiations with the Dalai Lama.
The commentary went on to say "Behind all of the Dalai Lama's greater claims lies insatiable greed."
Top Official Asserts Beijing's Role in Finding Future Dalai Lama
Lakhpa Phuntsok (Ch. Qiangba Puncog), executive deputy secretary of the Tibet Regional CPC Committee and chairman of the TAR government has been quoted as saying that Beijing would have a role in any future process to find a new Dalai Lama. Phuntsok was referring to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of searching for and identifying the reincarnation of prominent Buddhist teachers or lamas.
It is feared that a future search for the new Dalai Lama will see Beijing use similar tactics to those used during the search for the Panchen Lama, the second highest religious leader in Tibet. In 1995 the young boy recognized by the Dalai Lama as the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama was abducted only days after his recognition and has not been seen since. Beijing later installed their own Panchen Lama in contravention of traditional identification procedures and under tight security.
The Dalai Lama has repeatedly stated that if he passes away in exile, his reincarnation will not be born under Chinese rule.
Record Number Vote at Preliminary Round of Tibetan Elections
On 11 September the largest ever voter turnover of exiled Tibetans around the world went to the preliminary polls of the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies. Election campaigning comprised the more conventional posters and hoardings to more modern email and text messaging campaigns.
Many believe that the growing active participation of the youth in the political processes has injected new life and vigor in the exile elections. Voter registration in August in India, Nepal and Bhutan saw a 15% increase from the last registered 65,321 in the year 2001.
The final round of Assembly elections will be held on 18 March 2006.
Increasing Dangers for Tibetans Escaping into Exile
A new report by ICT, Dangerous Crossing, reveals that dangers for Tibetans escaping from Tibet into exile through Nepal, and those resident in Nepal, have intensified over the past year, as Beijing strengthens its relations with Nepal and the Maoist insurgency and political turmoil in Nepal continues.
In September, Radio Free Asia reported that Chinese border forces opened fire on a group of 51 Tibetan asylum-seekers, including six children, as the attempted to flee into Nepal. Forty-eight individuals were taken into custody and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Chinese border guards have cultivated cooperative relationships with Nepalese border police in order to facilitate the return of Tibetans. More than a third of the new arrivals in 2004 were children under 14, who have often been sent into exile by their parents who feel that it is their only chance for an education or a better life.
In early 2005 the Tibetan Refugee Reception Center and the Office of the Dalai Lama in Kathmandu were ordered closed by Nepalese authorities. In September the influential India Today magazine reported that China recently cleared a deal worth 30m euros to supply arms and ammunition to Nepal, despite a ban on arms sales to Nepal by India, the EU and the USA.
Fears for Tibetan School Founder in Prison
In September, ICT raised new concerns for the health and safety of a senior Lama and Tibetan teacher who has been serving a life sentence since 1999, in one of the most serious political cases in Tibet in recent years. Thirty-nine year old Bangri Tsamtrul Rinpoche (or Jigme Tenzin Nyima), the founder of the Gyatso children's home and school, was sentenced on charges of 'attempting to split the country' in 1999. He has been hospitalized at least once during his sentence, and an eyewitness report describes him as being shackled to a bed by the wrists and ankles in a solitary ward, although he was too weak to move.
Chinese Court Has Jailed More Than 20 'Reactionary' Tibetans Since 1996 A Chinese court in the Tibetan city of Shigatse has jailed more than 20 Tibetans in the last decade for 'reactionary' offenses, including the possession of photos of the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, court officials said.
"Any document that relates to Tibetan independence, Dalai Lama photos, or any other documents or literature containing reactionary themes or subjects are punishable...This court has decided so many of these cases," a court judge told a Radio Free Asia call-in show.
World Forum for Democratization in Asia Backs Middle Way
In September the first conference of the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) was held in Taiwan. The 300 delegates from 20 Asian countries called for participating countries to support the "middle way" approach of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the principle of self-determination for the Tibetan people and to support campaigns for the release of Tenzin Delek, the Panchen Lama, and other prisoners of conscience.
Construction of Lhasa Railway Station Finished
Lhasa railway station, a landmark building on the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, was completed at the end of August. The Qinghai-Tibet railway extends 1,142 kilometers on the Tibet Plateau, linking Gormo of Qinghai with Lhasa, Tibet's capital.
ICT and other Tibet groups have campaigned against the rail link, as it seen as a tool to help the central government tighten its grip on Tibet and increase Han migration to Tibet, increasing the economic and social marginalization of Tibetans in their own homeland. In a recent interview, the Dalai Lama told reporters "Some kind of cultural genocide is taking place...In general, a railway link is very useful in order to develop, but not when politically motivated to bring about demographic change."
The line is scheduled to reach Lhasa this year and start trial operation in the second half of 2006.
New Book Claims Chinese Nuclearization of Tibet Endangering Ecosystem
China has deployed nearly a quarter of its nuclear missile force in Tibet threatening the ecosystem of the entire region, claims a new book by a former official of the Indian Research & Analysis Wing, the Indian Foreign Intelligence Agency.
The book "Asian Strategic and Military Perspectives" by RSN Singh said China had deployed at least two dozen ballistic missiles, including nuclear-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, in Tibet, posing a strategic threat to India. The book also links the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway as an element in the Chinese militarization of the Tibetan Plateau and says that the impact of headwater pollution by nuclear pollutants can be devastating for countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan and Vietnam.
Concern over Dam Construction and Water Diversion Projects in Tibet
The Tibetan Government in Exile is attempting to raise awareness about China's water diversion plans and projects in Tibet and their social, economic and environmental impacts.
The PRC has already built more than a million water diversion projects of all sizes and there is a considerable increase in the construction of dams in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham (incorporated into Sichuan) and other parts of Tibet, displacing thousands of people and affecting the ecological balance in the region.
However, there is a growing concern in China over the construction of big dams and diversion of rivers evidenced by the growing resistance shown by people, environmental activists and NGOs within China.
China Brief
China to Review Death Sentences
China's Supreme Court is to regain its power to review death sentences, as the authorities move to stem criticism that the death penalty is too widely used.
Amnesty International says China carried out at least 3,400 executions last year, more than was carried out by all other countries combined, though Amnesty believes the true figure to be much higher. UN Human Rights chief Louise Arbour criticized Beijing in September for its "disproportionate application of the harshest penalties, including often the death penalties, on minority groups".
No News on Promised Reform of Re-education Through Labor System
China's state media announced in early 2005 that the reeducation through labor (RTL) system would soon be replaced by a new law on "Rectifying Illegal Activities." The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has reportedly incorporated this item into its legislative agenda and was to have commenced an initial review in April, but no updates on the status of the legislation have yet been reported. Observers hope reform will better protect human rights and reflect the spirit of rule of law.
Reeducation Through Labor (laodong jiaoyang) is a system of extra-judicial detention and punishment administratively imposed on those who are deemed to have committed minor offenses. It effectively provides the Chinese authorities with a tool to deprive people of their liberty without giving them access to legal counsel or trial. According to Human Rights in China, the system has been employed arbitrarily to punish political and religious dissidents, Falun Gong practitioners, petitioners and others engaged in non-criminal behavior.
New Internet Bans across China
Two new Internet bans were instituted across China at the start of October. One bars Internet news services from inciting illegal assemblies, marches and demonstrations; the other prohibits activities on behalf of illegal civil groups. The ban covers specific sites, forums, chat rooms, web journals known as blogs, sms text messaging and e-mail distribution lists.
Earlier this year, authorities ordered all Web sites, including private, noncommercial blogs, to register and identify the person in charge. In an attempt to block 'alternative' news media, the new regulations require sites to post news on current events and politics without any commentary or opinion.
Harsher Restrictions for Minority Websites
Two Inner Mongolian websites closed because of "separatist" content. The closure on 26 September of two websites based in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region for allegedly hosting "separatist" content is the result of the Chinese government's determination to gag cultural minorities, Reporters Without Borders said.
"Freedom of expression is still more restricted for the Mongols, Tibetans and Uighurs than for the rest of the Chinese population," the press freedom organization said. "These minorities are censored as soon as they express themselves on issues even remotely linked to politics. As everywhere in China, websites and local forums are carefully monitored and banned as soon as they show signs of dissent."
New Report on the Inner-Workings of Chinese State Media
In October Reporters Without Borders released a report of an investigation into the role of the news agency Xinhua News Agency in the system of propaganda and censorship put in place by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The report cites sources inside Xinhua, who describe how news is distorted to fit Party needs and how the content of the English Xinhua news site is deliberately tailored to give an impression of a more open China, while similar content is excluded from the Chinese Xinhua reporting.
Unhealthy Performances to be Banned
Xinhua, the Chinese state media, reports that "Cultural and art authorities in China will strictly ban 10 kinds of "unhealthy" and "reactionary" performances so as to make the art performance market develop in a healthy and orderly way. According to the newly revised Regulations Governing Commercial Art Performances, no company or individual is allowed to stage performances which run counter to the basic principles of China's Constitution, jeopardize national unity and security, sovereignty and territorial integrity or infringe upon national interests."
Peace Mission 2005
From August 18-25 elements of the Chinese and Russian armed forces conducted an eight-day joint exercise, dubbed "Peace Mission 2005", with the stated aim to strengthen "the capability of the two armed forces to jointly fight international terrorism, extremism and separatism." In 2003 the "Himalaya 03" exercise was conducted in Tibet, which simulated the PLA's response to a separatist/terrorist threat in the region. The Chinese armed forces will on Tuesday launch a practice code-named "North Sword-2005" in a training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Important Upcoming Dates
24 October: EU - China Human Rights Dialogue, Beijing, China
7-17 November: HH the Dalai Lama visits Washington DC
8-10 November: Chinese President Hu Jintao visits the UK
11 November: Chinese President Hu Jintao visits Germany
15 November: HH the Dalai Lama presents ICT's Light of Truth Award in Washington DC
18-19 November: Fourth World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet, Edinburgh, Scotland
19 November: HH the Dalai Lama to attend WPCT in Edinburgh, Scotland
20-25 November: MPs of the Tibetan Government in Exile visit Europe
21 Nov - 2 Dec: U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, visits China and Tibet
8-13 December: VI Tibetan Youth Leadership Program, ICT Europe, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
10 December: 57th International Day of Human Rights
10 December: 16th Anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize to HH the Dalai Lama
