12 October 2008
Sonam Choedon is Miss Tibet 2008
Eighteen-year old Sonam Choedon from Lithang was crowned Miss Tibet 2008 at a beauty pageant held for the sixth consecutive year in Dharamsala by Lobsang Wangyal Productions. Born in Lithang, in eastern Tibet (Sichuan), Sonam Choedon speaks fluent Tibetan and Chinese, and came to India only in June 2008 to seek "better opportunities to study". The new Miss Tibet was presented with IR100,000 (UK£1,262; US$2009; EUR€1,582) and the runner-up, Jamyang Chentso, a 22-year old from Bir, Himachal Pradesh in India, won IR50,000. This year just two young Tibetan women participated in the contest. The organiser Lobsang Wangyal thinks Tibetan women are still shying away from taking part in the pageant and insisted that they needed more courage and confidence to come forward.
14 October 2008
Tibetan monks jailed over bomb blast
(AFP; AP) Eight Buddhist monks convicted of bombing a government building in Tibet during anti-government protests in March have been sentenced to prison, two of them for life. The monks from Thangkya (Chin: Tongxia) monastery were sentenced at the People's Court in Chamdo (Chin: Changdu) prefecture, after being convicted of setting off a bomb at the building in Gyanbe (Chin: Xiangpi) township, Gonjo county (Chin: Gongjue) said Zhang Weilai, the judge who presided over the case. Gyurmey Dhondup and Kalsang Tsering were sentenced to life in prison while the others received sentences of between five and 15 years, Zhang said in a telephone interview. He said the monks did not appeal their sentences. Zhang said that they were initially going to be charged with ‘separatism’ but then lesser charges of "causing an explosion" were brought, but he declined to explain the decision.
15 October 2008
China Western Mining to start up Yulong copper plant
(Reuters) According to a company statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Western Mining Company China's seventh-largest copper extractor launched trial production at a smelter in Chamdo (Chin: Changdu) prefecture. The Yulong Copper Mine, the largest copper deposit in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), has proven deposits of 6.5 million tons of copper and will be the second largest in Asia upon completion in 2010. It is expected to produce 30,000 tons annually, but is unlikely to produce more than 2,000 tonnes of refined copper by the end of the year.
15 October 2008
China vows to boost incomes in restive Tibet areas
(Xinhua) Beijing will take measures to boost "economic and social development" in the Tibetan regions of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu provinces, following a meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao. The meeting discussed how to support development in the regions, according to a report by Xinhua. The council pledged to narrow income gaps between urban and rural residents to "match or approach the average" in western China by 2012, and approach the average across the PRC by 2020.
17 October 2008
Tibetan Solidarity Committee concerned about continued detentions
(TSC) At a press conference in Dharamsala, the Tibetan Solidarity Committee (TSC) expressed concern over the continued arbitrary arrest, detention and disappearance of Tibetan protesters across many Tibetan areas. The committee appealed to the UN and the international community to call upon the PRC government to immediately stop the arbitary arrest, detention and killing of Tibetans. It also called for the immediate release of all those who have been arrested and imprisoned. According to TSC, the Beijing clampdown on demonstrators since March 2008 has left 218 Tibetans dead, 1290 injured and 6705 arrested or detained (as of 31 July).
17 October 2008
China issues new press rules; Tibet still controlled
(Xinhua) Beijing issued new rules on reporting activities by foreign correspondents on its territory that broadly matched those introduced for the Olympics in August. "The new rules follow the major principles and spirits of the media regulations introduced for the Beijing Olympics", Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a press conference. Journalists no longer need to be accompanied by Chinese officials when reporting, and are now allowed to interview anyone so long as written consent has first been acquired. In addition, many Internet firewalls have been removed. However, Liu also said: "Foreign reporters still need to ask for permission to do reporting in Tibet and other areas that are off-limits (...) like some military facilities".
17 October 2008
Dalai Lama leaves Indian hospital
(tibet.net) The Dalai Lama left hospital in the Indian capital, New Delhi, nearly a week after undergoing surgery to remove gallstones. His spokesman said he was now fully recovered, but that he has been advised by doctors to cut down on foreign travel and to rest more.
17 October 2008
TAR slashes tourism ticket prices
(Xinhua) Ticket prices have been slashed in an effort to boost tourism in winter 2008 and offset the impact of the Lhasa disturbances and subsequent lockdown that took place in Spring, Wang Songping, vice director of the Tibet tourism bureau has announced. Reduced prices are effective between 20 October and 20 April 2009. Admission fees to most major natural and cultural spots will be reduced by half.
18 October 2008
Beijing builds its own Tibetan Buddhist academy
(Xinhua) Construction of a central-government funded "academy of Tibetan Buddhism", in Nyetang town, Chushur (Chin: Chushui) county, near Lhasa has begun. According to Lobsang Gyaincain, head of the United Front Work Department of the TAR, the facility aims to train "patriotic and devotional religious personnel" who are "widely recognised both in their religious accomplishments and moral character". "In addition to religious theories, students will also be taught knowledge of other disciplines such as politics and sociology", he said. It is scheduled for completion in 2010. Xinhua hails the project as "the first comprehensive higher educational institution of Tibetan Buddhism in the region".
18 October 2008
Tibetan filmmaker temporarily released from prison
Jigme Gyatso, who assisted filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen while interviewing Tibetans in Tibet, has been temporarily released after being held for nearly seven months and repeatedly tortured during detention as their production company, Filming for Tibet, based in Switzerland said. The company said 39-year old monk had returned to his home at Labrang Tashikyil monastery in Gansu province, but it was unclear if all charges against him had been dismissed. "He was told by the authorities that he will stay under observation and his probation will last one year", it said. The company released a 25-minute film, available online, entitled Jigdrel or (Leaving Fear Behind) produced from footage Wangchen and Jigme gathered from Amdo and across the Tibetan plateau from October 2007 to March 2008.
19 October 2008
No Indo-Tibet barter trade this season
(PTI) For the first time in two decades, the seasonal barter trade between India and Tibet will not take place this year as Beijing has banned Indian traders from entering the TAR through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand. Due to the remoteness of the area, traders trek from Pithoragarh to reach Taklakot, where they trade basic goods. This season, 60 trade passes were issued, but so far, no trading activities could take place. Although the annual barter was postponed due to increased security before the Olympics, a group of businessmen and porters tried to cross the border in August, but they were turned back from Taklakot by the Chinese authorities.
20 October 2008
Tibetan Government Workers in Clash
(RFA) Tibetan government workers in Gansu province have clashed with soldiers and police in an incident that seriously injured one soldier and one police officer, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA) sources. Eighteen Tibetans were briefly detained, they said. A group of 20 young Tibetans gathered for dinner in Hezuo city in Kanlho (Chin: Gannan) TAP, according to one source. A group of police and soldiers confronted them as they left the restaurant, he said. "The Tibetans argued with the police and soldiers and declared that they would not be intimidated", the source said. "The argument then erupted into a brawl. One policeman and one soldier, both Chinese, were seriously injured and taken to a local hospital". 18 of the Tibetans were detained, but one source said that all of those detained have now been released. "They reported back to work", he said. "Many policemen and soldiers are stationed in Hezuo", the source said. "And they are constantly harassing local Tibetans who move around the city".
22 October 2008
Tourism infrastructure projects continue
(Xinhua) The Chinese government have opened a new airport in Dartsedo (Chin: Kangding) Kardze (Chin: Ganzi) TAP in Sichuan province. Currently scheduled flights go to and from Chengdu and Kunming but other flights had yet to be determined. Hu Bin, vice head of the Kardze prefecture said: "We are building highways connecting the airport to the main tourist attractions in Kardze. On completion, tourists will be able to arrive at the scenic spots within two hours". In addition, a new 'Class Three' highway from Pema (Chin: Banma county in Golog (Chin: Guoluo) TAP in Qinghai province to the (Qinghai provincial border), has also been completed, increasing the number of tarmac roads connecting Qinghai and Sichuan provinces from two to three. The construction project began in 2005 and involved sealing nearly 100km of track.
