01 September 2008
'Five-star' tourist train service called off indefinitely
(Xinhua) Li Shunping, chief engineer of the Xining based Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corp (QTRC) said that the launch of a 'five-star' tourist train service from Beijing to Lhasa has been called off indefinitely, according to the operator. A QTRC announcement in March 2008 had said the train, with carriages on a par with a five-star hotel, would be launched on 01 September 2008. "There is no detailed schedule yet, but I can confirm it won't start in September", Li said. No reason for the delay was given but it has been speculated that the delivery time of the carriages could be a factor.
04 September 2008
Tibetan Monks Freed in Golmud
(RFA) A group of Tibetan monks, originally from Tibetan-populated regions of Sichuan province, has been released from detention in Qinghai province and returned to their home areas, according to Radio Free Asia sources. The group had been held for more than four months in the town of Golmud, in Qinghai province, with monks from other regions. All had been studying in monasteries in Lhasa, and were suspected of involvement in protests there in March. Monks originally from Qinghai had been released earlier into the custody of officials from Qinghai's United Front and Religious Affairs Bureau and taken from Golmud into house arrest near their homes.
04 September 2008
China's Chinalco unit to explore, smelt in Tibet
(AP) Aluminium Corp. of China, the country's biggest producer, has set up a local subsidiary to conduct mineral exploration, mining and smelting in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The 250 million yuan (UK£20.3m; US$36.5m; Euro€25.6m) wholly-owned subsidiary's founding was celebrated in a ceremony in Lhasa, attended by regional political and business leaders, the company, also known as Chinalco, said in a statement seen on its website. In its statement, Chinalco pledged to pursue cooperative and socially responsible development in the region. The company, the world's second-biggest producer of aluminium, has faced criticism from environmental activists who charge that waste from a smelting plant it already operates in the Amdo region of eastern Tibet is harming local livestock herds and water supplies.
06 September 2008
China calls for relaxing restrictions on border trade
(Hindustan Times) In the course of an official visit to India, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue pointed out that the two-way trade between India and China reached US$29 billion (UK£2.4bn; US$4.2bn; EUR€3bn) in the first half of 2008, up by 68.7 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year. But he also said that India must relax some restrictions, as the total trade volume at the Nathu La border trade market was only approximately 4 million yuan (UK£326,000; US$585,000; EUR€410,000) in 2007. "China (...) hopes that India will further relax and eventually eliminate restrictions on commodities for border trade, which will help fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the businesses of the two sides", Hu said.
10 September 2008
Two earthquakes rattle Shigatse prefecture
(Xinhua) Two earthquakes just 14 minutes apart and measuring 5.1 and 5.2 on the Richter scale hit Shigatse prefecture. No casualties were reported. The epicentre was 33 kilometers below Lunggar Town.
11 September 2008
Nepal to deport Tibetans
(Reuters; The Himalayan Times; TibetInfoNet) Nepal's Home Ministry Spokesman Modraj Dotel said police are screening 106 Tibetans detained for protesting in front of the Chinese embassy in order to determine if they had the necessary papers to establish their refugee status. "If they have the status they will be allowed to stay [in Nepal]", Dotel said. "Otherwise, they have to leave the country". The move likely aims at stopping regular protests against China by putting pressure on an estimated 20,000 of Tibetans living in Nepal. Many of them are vulnerable as they do not possess valid residency documents, as these are mostly not available legally.
12 September 2008
Dalai Lama calls an emergency meeting for Tibet
The Dalai Lama has called for an emergency meeting of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and the Kashag (executive body) to discuss the recent crisis inside Tibet and the situation in the world in general. The meeting will be held in November and December 2008.
