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China slaat virtueel Tiananmen protest neer Gebruikers die via Foursquare inlogden op het Plein van de Hemelse Vrede kregen deksel op de neus Verleden week (4 juni) was het de 21e verjaardag van de bloedige manier waarop een manifestatie uiteengedreven werd op het plein in Bejing met de o zo cynische naam - Tien an men of Plein van de Hemelse Vrede. Om deze dag te herdenken hadden tal van Chinesen het plan opgevat om via de locatie-software Foursquare in te checken op het plein, en daar dan virtuele boodschappen achter te laten die zouden opduiken als "tips" wanneer anderen ook op deze plek zouden inchecken. Er werd dan ook danig getwitterd over dit initiatief, maar natuurlijk leest de Chinese censor die berichten mee. Gevolg: Foursquare werd geblokkeerd in Beijing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou en Hangzhou. Het is eigenlijk toch een inspirerende manier van protest; de gebruikers hebben dankbaar gebruik gemaakt van het feit dat het gemakkelijk is om via een omweg op een plek in te loggen, zonder dat je er fysiek aanwezig bent. Helaas blijkt de Chinese censor toch nog altijd machtiger. Onze sympathie gaat uit naar de protestanten! http://www.netties.be/v20/hoofdpagina.php?zoekdatum=2010-06-07#11615 Urgent Message to Tibet Supporters. 
Dear Team Tibet Supporter,We know it is many months since the Beijing Olympics, but since you care deeply about Tibet we are writing to ask you to take action - as a matter of urgency - about one of Tibet's highest profile political prisoners; film-maker Dhondup Wangchen, about whom we have just heard some worrying news. We request you to send an email to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is in China until 25 May, asking her to press China for his release. Please read on and we will tell you how you can help. Dhondup Wangchen was arrested a few months before the Beijing Olympics, in March 2008. With the Games on the horizon, he had decided to film interviews with ordinary Tibetans, in which they talked about life under Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama and about the Olympic Games. The interviews were later made into a powerful documentary, "Leaving Fear Behind" which has been screened in more than 30 countries see: www.leavingfearbehind.com. Dhondup Wangchen was held in detention from March 2008 until December 2009, when he was sentenced to a six-year jail term. Two Chinese lawyers, who offered to represent him, have been prevented from seeing him by the Chinese authorities and one of them has been threatened with the closure of his law firm. Dhondup planned to appeal against his sentence, but now his family, who live in exile, have learned that in April he was transfered to Xichuan Prison (a Labour Camp in Qinghai Province) in April 2010. They presume that his appeal must have failed. According to the Washington DC based Laogai Research Foundation, Xichuan Prison is a labour camp that manufactures aluminum alloy windows, ordinary bricks, porous and hollow bricks and sinter concrete blocks. During his detention, Dhondup Wangchen has been tortured and has not received medical treatment despite having contracted Hepititis B. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be in China from 22 - 25 May, and Dhondup's family have just released an appeal urging her to press the Chinese leadership about Dhondup during her visit. A copy of their appeal is pasted below. To support this appeal, please visit the following link and send an email to Secretary Clinton. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5380/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3128 Then please forward this message to your friends and family and request that they take action too. Many thanks for supporting Dhondup Wangchen Mandie, Jigme, Choedup, Exa and Alison, The International Tibet Support Network Appeal from Dhondup Wangchen's Family. Zurich, May 19, 2010: Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen who was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment on 28 December 2009 for "subversion of state power", has been transferred from his previous detention centre in Xining to a labor camp [1] both in Western China's Qinghai Province. Wife and family members of Dhondup Wangchen called today on Hillary Clinton who is going to China next week to press the Chinese government to release those who are arbitrarily imprisoned for political reasons. Although Dhondup Wangchen formally appealed his 6 year sentence, it is assumed that the appeal failed and the verdict was upheld as he was transferred to Xichuan prison on April 6, 2010. Chinese lawyer Chang Boyang who travelled in February 2010 to Xining to represent Dhondup Wangchen was not allowed to meet with him and then was threatened in March with the closure of his law firm if he did not drop the case [2]. Dhondup Wangchen's wife in India, Lhamo Tso, said today, "We are absolutely desperate now. We are indebted to the brave Chinese lawyer Chang Boyang and also the previous lawyer Li Dunyong who both risked a great deal to help my husband. However, China has made it clear that it is impossible for us to work inside their legal system. Therefore I appeal to foreign governments to intervene to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Dhondup Wangchen, who did nothing more than exercise his right to freedom of expression." Dhondup Wangchen's cousin in Switzerland, Gyaljong Tsetrin, himself a former political prisoner said today, "It is very dangerous for Dhondup Wangchen's health to carry out hard labour in this facility. We already heard last year that he was suffering from Hepatitis B with no medical treatment. I also know several Tibetans who have been imprisoned there in the past who testify to the harsh living and working conditions. I'm extremely worried for Dhondup Wangchen". Notes:
The complex of Xichuan Prison can clearly be seen here on this Google Maps image: xichuan-prison. 2. See Amnesty International's public statement of April 21, 2010: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA17/018/2010/en/5578278e-7772-487e-a1d4-93802bb6c50b/asa170182010en.html 3. The following information is given on page 37 of the Laogai Handbook 2007-2008: http://laogai.org/books Enterprise: Qinghai Xifa Water and Electricity Equipment Manufacture Installment Limited Liability Company Prison: Xichuan Prison Details: Location: 108 Xichuan South Rd., Xi'ning City Postal Code: 810029 Tel: 0971-5219370 / 5219352 Est. in Mar.1956. Orig. called Prov. No. 5 LRD. 1995 changed name to present. Houses minorities. Beside Tibetan, Uyhgur, also Miao, Bai and Yi prisoners. 40% inmates are minorities. Enterprise formerly Qinghai Hydroelectric Equipment Factory, controls Qinghai Gaoyuan switchgear plant, Qinghai Xifa, Jian'an limited co., Qinghai Xifa Gaoyuan machinery, Qinghai Xifa water and electricity, and Qinghai Xifa goods and utilities co. Companies have 560 equipment types including tertiary levels of electricity installation and LBAC construction quality. Produce 35KV high and low voltage switching cabinets and control equipment, aluminum alloy windows, ordinary bricks, porous and hollow bricks, sinter concrete blocks, etc. Annual production 140 mil. sinter blocks. Phayul[Tuesday, May 18, 2010 By Kalsang Rinchen 
Armed police in riot gear massing outside the cement factory in Madang Township. (Photo:ICT)Dharamsala, May 18 - Chinese Police
in Amdo Labrang Saturday (May 15) opened fire on ‘unarmed’ Tibetans who were protesting against a cement factory which they accuse
of polluting the local environment and obstructing religious sentiments of the local Tibetans.Washington based International Campaign for Tibet says fifteen people were taken to hospital with injuries sustained from gunshots and police beatings. No deaths, however, have been reported so far. Local Tibetans from 7 villages in Madang Township, Xiahe County (Labrang) in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo have signed a written petition expressing their disappointment over the pollution caused by ‘Amdo Cement Factory’ that employs around 600 workers. In addition to the expressed concerns about pollution, local Tibetans claim the factory was built on a site of religious significance. Amdo Cement Factory in Labrang The ICT, which has translated into English the petition, say that the language used in the petition “indicates an awareness not only of national law and policy on environmental protection, but also an understanding of current Communist Party slogans including "harmonious development" and a "scientific viewpoint." Tension ran high after villagers started to rebuild a road that was earlier blocked for the factory’s expansion. Photographs show armed police in full riot gear at the site. According to exile Tibetans with contact in the area, the Tibetans in Madang were preparing to rebuild a road leading to Yarshul (Ch: Yaxiu) village which had been made inaccessible by a road blockade by the Chinese authorities to expand the factory. Staff from the cement factory, cadres from Madang Township and police officers warned them to stop the road construction. The deputy governor of the county asked the Tibetans to withdraw from the site threatening them with action if they did not allow the factory’s vehicles to pass. The Tibetans were given 15 minutes to clear the area and they did move back from the road, according to the source but the police still opened fire. “...He gave them a 15-minute warning, and the villagers did start to move back from the road. But even so armed police moved forward and started to shoot," ICT quoted its source as saying. Earlier this month, Tibetan villagers in Markham (Ch: Mangkang) in the Tibetan area of Kham carried out protests against mining leading to the injury of at least five Tibetans, including two women. Tibetans in Markham have renewed protests against mining operations on mountains they consider sacred, despite strong presence of armed Chinese police, RFA earlier reported, citing sources in the region. Markham was the site of vehement protests last year against mining on a mountain called Ser Ngul Lo. Beijing attacks the monks to eradicate our culture by Nirmala Carvalho 05/20/2010 The Director of Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, tells AsiaNews about the latest wave of arrests and violence against Buddhist monks: "We denounce the cruelty of China." In two days, six other monks from the temple of Wara detained. Lhasa (AsiaNews) - Without a series of radical changes within the Chinese leadership "there is no hope for an improved human rights situation in China or Tibet. The monks and monasteries continue to be targets for Chinese persecution because of the Buddhist religion and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who embodies Tibetan identity. In fact, Beijing tries to stop the men from safeguarding, maintaining and transmitting the culture of their region”, says Urgen Tenzin, executive director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, to AsiaNews, commenting on the wave of arrests and repression against the Tibetan community. Between 15 and 16 May last, several public security officials entered the monastery of Wada and arrested six monks. On 15 May Thinley and Nangsey - 25 and 27 years old - were arrested in their rooms; Soegon was stopped as he sounded the alarm sounded about the police raid. Kelsang Gyurmey, 29, was instead found in his home of origin: officers had entered the monastery to find him. All four monks were studying Buddhist philosophy: when they are now locked up in prison in Jomda County. On 16 May, also, the police returned to Wara and arrested two other senior monks: Sonam Gonpo, 40, and Tagyal 29. Officials have accused them of "failing in educating the young monks," as required by the program of patriotic education launched after the riots of April 2008. In fact Wara Monastery was one of the most affected by government repression for its role in those disturbances: at the beginning of the clashes, born precisely from a program, the monks had declared: "We will never betray the Dalai Lama, we are ready to sacrifice our lives". Since then, Beijing has launched a series of arrests and violence against the monks of the area and their faithful. According to Tenzin, "all of us who live in the free world are deeply saddened by what is happening in China. There is a sense of uselessness, we feel unable to help our suffering brethren in the country: the only thing we can do is report what happens, because China is so concerned about its public image. If Beijing wants to become a responsible country, it should improve the situation of human rights. Non-violence is the way forward". back to top Phayul Tibet (Phayul betekend: vaderland) Nieuwsberichten, dagelijks ge-update |