Rungyal Adrak: the Tibetan who spoke up for Freedom, Truth and Justice

Rungyal Adrak, aged 52, from Yonru Khashi Village, Ponkhog in Lithang in eastern Tibet, was arrested on August 1 by Chinese authorities in Sichuan after whipping up the crowd to shout in support of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama and Tibet’s independence. Mr Adrak’s openly spoke up about Tibetan political and religious aspirations during the opening official function of the popular Lithang Horse Racing festival which is held every first week of August. (Phayul.com)

Amnesty in China Olympics warning

[from www.bbc.co.uk] China risks spoiling the legacy of next year's Beijing Olympics unless it takes urgent measures to stop human rights abuses, Amnesty International has said.

In a report, the group accused China's authorities of detaining activists and journalists without trial in a "clean up" of the capital before the games.

Amnesty urged the country to halt those practices and to be more open about the number of people it executes.

Organisers have repeatedly expressed a desire to keep the games non-political.

Speaking before the Amnesty report had been issued, Jiang Xiaoyu of the Beijing organising committee said: "We welcome even more constructive criticism on faults and problems."

But he said politicising the event did not "accord with the Olympic spirit".

Positive steps

Amnesty's report said: "Official statements suggest that the Olympics are being used to justify such repression in the name of 'harmony' or 'social stability' rather than acting as a catalyst for reform."

The organisation said China had taken some positive steps in recent months by reforming the death penalty and relaxing restrictions on foreign journalists.

But Irene Khan, the organisation's secretary general, said they had also "tightened up the ability of Chinese journalists to work".

She added: "We've also seen increasing arrests of human rights activists, an increasing use of 're-education' through forced labour, and what they call enforced drug rehabilitation."

She said these concerns were still overshadowing preparations for the Olympics.

"This is a moment to be proud of the Olympic Games," she said.

"But if that pride is then stained with human rights violations, that's bad for China, it's bad for the Olympic Games and it's bad for the international community."

The Amnesty report follows a visit to Beijing by the Paris-based organisation Reporters Without Borders, which called for the release of more than 80 jailed journalists and dissidents in China.

Kasur Gyalo Dhondup to raise the cause of the hunger strikers to the Chinese Government: Day 24

In a surprise visit this morning, Kasur Gyalo Thondup, elder brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, paid a visit to the hunger strikers. While expressing his deep concern for their health, he requested them to end the fast, and assured them that he will raise the cause of the TYC-led hunger strike tomorrow to the Chinese Government, through the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi.

Later in the evening, two members of Indian Parliament visited the hunger strikers. Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Member of Parliament, Lower House, and National President of Bharatya Janata Yuva Manch, youth wing of BJP, and Mr. Brajbhushra Tiwari, Member of Parliament, Upper House, came to express their solidarity and support. Mr. Tiwari said, "I admire the courage and determination of the fourteen hunger strikers. As, the Tibetan youths takes the reins of the Tibetan struggle, I am optimistic that Chinese government will be forced to listen to the demands of the Tibetan people. I wish you all the best."

Hundreds protest in Tibet over jailed Tibetan monk

WASHINGTON, July 31: Hundreds of Tibetans staged a protest earlier this month in support of jailed monk Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, sources in the Kham region of China's Sichuan province said.

“On July 23 several hundred local women and youngsters from the nomadic community of Nyachukha county under Karze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture set up a human blockade on the main highways in the area," a caller from Kham told RFA's Tibetan service. "They demanded that Tenzin Delek be released since he was innocent."

"They also responded in unison that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was wrongly convicted and he is innocent. The two ladies also asked the rally whether they believed in what the Chinese officials alleged about the storage of explosives in trenches in the compound of Nalanda Monastery of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's Nalanda monastery. All shouted that it was wrong," the caller said.

The Sichuan Provincial People’s High Court sentenced Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, in his 50s, to life imprisonment on Jan. 26, 2005, after a prolonged international campaign to prevent his execution for an alleged bomb plot in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.

In Jan. 2003, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche made an audiotape that was smuggled out of prison to RFA’s Tibetan service, in which he reiterated his claims of innocence.

Another man, Lobsang Dhondup, was sentenced to death in the same case and executed on Jan. 26, 2003.

UN-TO-DEATH HUNGERSTRIKE DAY 19

Today marks the Nineteen day of the Indefinite Hunger Strike. The robust and healthy-looking hunger strikers in the first week of July have now turned feeble, pale and skinny after surviving only on water for eighteen days.

UN-TO-DEATH HUNGERSTRIKE DEMANDS

Following is the full text of the TYC's actual demands of the People's Movement:

• Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, has been missing since 1995. The Chinese authorities have repeatedly stated that he is alive. We demand concrete evidence that he is indeed alive.

• In 2005, Tulku Tenzin Delek was sentenced to life imprisonment on alleged charges of “endangering national security”. Many other Tibetans have been imprisoned after engaging in political activity. The Chinese authorities claim that these people were sentenced by fair judicial process. We demand that the PRC produce convincing evidence that the judicial proceedings have taken place in a fair manner.

• The PRC Government maintains the position that Tibetans enjoy human rights in Tibet, despite many reports of human rights violations, including freedom of religion. We demand that the PRC produce concrete evidence that the Tibetans are enjoying human rights in Tibet.

• China’s new railway line in Tibet is causing a massive population influx of Chinese into Tibet, marginalization of native Tibetans, exploitation of natural resources, destruction of the environment, and eradication of Tibetan culture. China's stated rationale for this railway is to bring economic prosperity to the Tibetan people. We therefore demand that the PRC produce reliable evidence that the railwayline benefits Tibetans economically.

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has aims to improve the human rights situation inside Tibet and China by giving Beijing an opportunity to host the Olympics. We therefore demand that the IOC produce conclusive evidence that the human rights situation inside Tibet is acceptable.
(from:http://tibetanyouthcongress.org/)

14 Tibetans sit in for Indefinite Hunger Strike

(source:phayul.com and edited by blogger)
New Delhi, June 10: Today marks the third day since fourteen Tibetans, mostly elderly ones, have begun staging indefinite hunger strike in the Indian capital of New Delhi on July 8 under the banner of Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC).

The hunger strike campaign is part of the larger Mass People’s Movement being initiated by TYC prior to the 2008 Beijing Games. As per TYC leaders, the movement is due to gain momentum beginning 8th of next month.

The TYC-led hunger strike started at 11:00 in the morning of June 8, at Jantar Mantar. The 14 participants of the hunger strike came from different regions of India.

The TYC leaders say that the Indefinite Hunger strike is part of the major Tibetan Mass People’s Movement which was announced last month by the organisation.

“I appeal to every Tibetan, residing in any part of the world, to come and join the Mass People's Movement, due to begin from 8 August 2007 in Delhi," Mr Godrukpa said.

United Tibet

The unity of Tibet is embodied in His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We all should know our country, people and culture are being systematically targetted and annihilated under China's illegal occupation since 1949. Situation and fate of our beloved Tibet is extremely extremely bad and worsening, however Tibetans will never give up and I reckon this is the moment we reassert our unity and work for Tibet in anyway- anyform one could.

With our love and respect for Kundun and all brave men and women of Tibet who have given thier life for Tibet and who continues to suffer in Chinese prisons, I dedicate this blogg.

I will appreciate your participation with this blogg and welcome any views and ideas with regard to topic. Thank you very much indeed... bodgyalo!!