beijing olympics

07/08/2008 News

Olympics and Tibet under a cloud of repression

On the eve of China’s first Olympics, as the world prepares to gaze more intently than ever on the grand spectacle of the 29th Olympics, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) deplores and expresses its deepest dismay on China’s failure to uphold the Olympic principles particularly with regard to continual of repression in Tibet. The communist regime continues to cling on to its old authoritarian ways and still ruthlessly suppresses peaceful dissent. Over the recent past the Chinese authorities under the pretext of security measures has intensified clampdown on the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people.

Spontaneous pan-Tibet protests since 10 March 2008 are sincere manifestation of brutality and oppression suffered by the Tibetans at the hands of the Communist party for more than half a century. This goes in contrast to the authorities’ projection of the image of “harmonious society” and failure of Beijing long held Tibet Policies.

30/07/2008 News

China arrests four Tibetans for protesting against festival to greet Olympics

Four Tibetan youth in Nangchen County in north eastern Qinghai Province were arrested on 26 July 2008 by the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials for protesting against the Summer Festival planned by the Chinese government to greet the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

According to sources, the Chinese authorities of Nangchen County, Jyekundo (Ch: Yushu) “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (‘TAP’) in Qinghai Province, have ordered all the township and villages authorities under it’s administration to prepare and bring out a festive spectacle/performance during the planned summer festival in Drokshog Township, Nangchen County, to greet the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The planned five days Summer Festival with song and dance, and custom competition among villages at Drokshog Township in Nangchen County was officially announced about two months ago ordering compulsory participation from each family with rehearsal date set on 25 July 2008. It was confirmed that lyrics of songs prepared by each and every villages were thoroughly scrutinised by the authorities to ensure that no songs contain lyric latent with bereavement message of separation or message in praise of the exiled Dalai Lama or Gyalwa Karmapa. The people were known to have shown great displeasure over stern enforcement by the Chinese authorities.

20/06/2008 News / TCHRD Statements

Tensions are High as the Olympic Torch Arrives in Lhasa

The Olympic torch relay will travel to the heavily guarded Tibetan capital, Lhasa, on 21 June after the three-day tour that was initially planned was cut to one day. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) remains highly concerned about the level of restriction imposed on the Tibetan people’s fundamental freedoms in the months that have followed in the wake of the March protests.

Since the beginning of June this year, several thousand of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) forces were redeployed into main market squares, streets, major monasteries and road junctions around Lhasa city to check and respond to any untoward incidents during the Olympic torch relay, which is scheduled to travel from Norbulingka to Potala Palace square tomorrow. According to an official Chinese government website, the 11-km relay will start from Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama and end at the Potala Palace, but it has not mentioned the timing of the torch relay. An official internal circular had been sent to Chinese government departments ordering their heads to discourage their own employees, as well as the common citizens, from taking part in any political activities during the torch relay.