ITSN News Digest: February 28, 2009
INSIDE TIBET
Monk Sets himself on fire in protest; shot by police. It received widespread coverage. See Below from News Agencies and Press Releases:
Police Shoot Tibetan Monk Who Set Self on Fire (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Tibetan monk sets himself on fire: activist group (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/
Tibetan monk sets himself on fire: activist group (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/
Police 'shot monk' who set himself on fire (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
China confirms monk immolation in Tibetan town: Xinhua (AFP)
http://www.google.com/
Police shoot self-immolating monk in China: report (ABC News - Australia)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/
Press Release: Tibetan monk shot by Chinese police after setting himself alight in tense Ngaba (FTC)
http://www.freetibet.org/
Press Release: Monk in Tibet sets himself on fire; shot by police during protest (ICT)
http://www.savetibet.org/
OTHER NEWS FROM TIBET
Authorities surround monastery; issue 48 hour ultimatum for organizers to "surrender" after latest protest in Tibet (ICT)
http://www.savetibet.org/
IN EXILE
Shoes at Hu (Reuters in Times of Malta)
(includes 1 min 10 sec video report)
http://www.timesofmalta.com/
NEPAL-CHINA
Prohibitory Orders Issued Around Chinese Embassy (Himalayan Times)
The Kathmandu District Administrative Office on Friday imposed prohibitory orders against holding any demonstration, sit-in, rally or mass meeting in areas surrounding Chinese embassy in Baluwatar and its consular section in Hattisar.
http://tinyurl.com/nepal-
Nepal bans protests ahead of Tibetan revolt anniversary (Thaindian)
http://tinyurl.com/nepal-ban
Beijing warns Kathmandu against pro-Tibet rallies in Nepal (asianews.it)
http://www.asianews.it/index.
Nepal and China work on waiving visas for each other (Indian Express)
http://www.indianexpress.com/
POLITICS
Clinton Castigated for Stance on China (One World)
http://us.oneworld.net/
Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama ditch ethics and kiss up to China (Telegraph blogs)
(Opinion by Gerald Warner)
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/
CHINESE PROPOGANDA
Dalai Lama should focus on Buddhism (China.org.cn)
With his New Year message on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama once again proved his hostility toward his fellow Tibetans and his motherland. As a long self-claimed Buddhist, the Dalai Lama should have focused on spreading Buddhist tenets and culture instead of showing an extreme interest in politics in an attempt to intervene in the country's political process under religious guise.
http://www.china.org.cn/china/
China denounces US rights
China has responded in detail to a US report published this week criticising China for alleged rights abuses. Beijing released its own report on the US, saying crime is a threat to many Americans and racial discrimination prevails in social life across the US.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
HISTORY
Witness: Reporting on the Dalai Lama's escape to India (Reuters)
Reminiscences of a journalist who broke the story that the Dalai Lama had arrived in India in 1959
http://www.reuters.com/
OTHER
"Undercover in Tibet" documentary wins award
The documentary "Undercover in Tibet" won the International Current Affairs award at the Royal Television Society journalism awards in London on 26 February. (Link provides story on whole award ceremony.)
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/
OPINION
Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama ditch ethics and kiss up to China,
The Telegraph Blogs, Gerald Warner
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/
South China Morning Post, Missed cues on Tibet (subscription)
Yaping Wang Feb 28, 2009
Why European leaders get it wrong over Tibet. "The Dalai Lama problem has impeded relations between Europe and China for a long time. Only when they recognise the need to play to each other's audiences, as well as their own, will Chinese and European leaders be able to reach a compromise on the future of Tibet." Contact ITSN if you want to read the whole article.
http://tinyurl.com/scmp-tibet-
SECURITY
Taskforces set up to keep lid on protests (South China Morning Post)
Tighter watch on sources of unrest
(Subscription to read full article)
Vice-President Xi Jinping has been put in charge of a massive public security campaign to prevent and respond swiftly to any possible social unrest this year, sources say. The Communist Party leadership is facing several politically sensitive anniversaries at a time when economic growth is faltering and unemployment soaring - which could lead to social discord.
http://tinyurl.com/scmp-tibet
[ITSN has the full article if anyone wants to read it: it also names Zhou Yongkang, Politburo Standing Committee member and the top official in charge of law and order, and Meng Jianzhu, the national police chief and a state councillor, as Mr Xi's deputies on the central government taskforce. All provinces and municipalities have also been required to set up similar taskforces, headed by their deputy party secretaries and assisted by local police and law enforcement chiefs. The campaign involves heightened surveillance of, among others, political dissidents, human rights campaigners and petitioners, and a tighter grip on the media and internet chat rooms. Sources said some officials had described the campaign as "Project 6521" - a reference to this year's 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic on October 1, the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibet uprising in March, the 20th anniversary on June 4 of the suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests and the 10th anniversary in July of the outlawing of the Falun Gong movement.]
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2009-02-28
News Archive:
--> Friday, February 27, 2009 - Daily News Digest
--> Thursday, February 26, 2009 - Daily News Digest
--> Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - Daily News Digest
--> Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - Daily News Digest
--> Monday, February 23, 2009 - Daily News Digest
--> Sunday, February 22, 2009 - Weekly News Summary
by: Spring Digital