2 February 2012 | International Campaign for Tibet

27 January 2012 | Michael Sainsbury, The Australian

The US has expressed “grave concern” over violence in Tibet that has seen Chinese security forces shoot up to a dozen people in the past week. There were reports of up to five people killed in the latest shootings in Seda in Sichuan province.

And there were reports of six people being killed in a confrontation in Luhuo on Monday. At least one person died in a clash 10 days ago and dozens were injured in a number of protests.

China’s leader-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, will visit Washington from February 14 in what is effectively a presentation of his credentials before taking charge from Hu Jintao in October. Tibet has been a particularly sensitive issue in talks between the US and China.

“The Chinese government is calling the Tibetan protesters a violent mob in order to justify their violent actions,” a spokeswoman for the Australia Tibet Council told The Australian. “This is the tactic China used during the widespread uprising in Tibet in 2008 and they are doing it in 2012. The Tibetans are protesting for three reasons: to demand freedom and basic human rights, to call for the return of the Dalai Lama and to call for the end of Chinese rule in Tibet. This message is made loud and clear in every Tibetan protest.” Read more

24 January 2012

[This is the latest, and most direct, statement by the US Government on the self-immolations, and the first statement on the new protests and shootings.]

As United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, I am gravely concerned by reports of violence and continuing heightened tensions in Tibetan areas of China, including reports of security forces in Sichuan province opening fire on protesters, killing some and injuring others.

These reports follow the self-immolation of four Tibetans earlier this month, bringing the number of reported self-immolations by Tibetans to 16 - mostly monks and former monks, and two nuns - since March 2011.

The U.S. Government consistently and directly has raised the issue of Tibetan self-immolations with the Chinese government. The U.S. Government repeatedly has urged the Chinese government to address the counterproductive policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions and that threaten the distinct religious, cultural and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people.

As I have noted previously, these policies include dramatically expanded Chinese government controls on religious life and practice; ongoing “patriotic education” campaigns within monasteries that require monks to denounce the Dalai Lama; the permanent placement of Chinese officials in monasteries; increasingly intensive surveillance, arbitrary detentions and disappearances of Tibetans; and restrictions on and imprisonment of some families and friends of self-immolators. Over the last year, Chinese government security and judicial officials also have detained and imprisoned Tibetan writers, artists, intellectuals, and cultural advocates who criticized Chinese government policies.

We call on the Chinese government to safeguard the universal human rights of all of China’s citizens. We urge Chinese security forces to exercise restraint, and we renew our call to allow access to Tibetan areas of China for journalists, diplomats and other observers. We call on the Chinese government to resume substantive, results-oriented dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to address the underlying grievances of China’s Tibetan population.

23 January 2012 | International Campaign for Tibet

Three Tibetans were killed and several injured when police opened fire on Tibetans who gathered to protest in Drango, Kardze (the Tibetan area of Kham) today, the first day of Chinese New Year. The escalating crackdown in Drango follows the circulation of leaflets in the area saying that Tibetans should not celebrate the New Year in 2012 because of the self-immolations, and declaring an intention by the unnamed author of the leaflets to set fire to themselves at the time of Tibetan New Year (Losar, which falls on February 22).

The Chinese state media confirmed that one Tibetan had died (Xinhua, January 23) in the protest. More Tibetans may die of their injuries following the incident today as Tibetans who were wounded by being shot or beaten by police are too frightened to seek medical treatment at the local government-run hospital due to concerns of arrest. Read more

18 January 2012

Australia Tibet Council has urged the Australian government this week to make an urgent representation to China in the wake of the escalating crisis in eastern Tibet.

Tibetan immolations continue in Tibet into 2012 - the fourth having taken place on 14 January. A total of 17 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest against the Chinese government’s policies and to demand “freedom in Tibet” and the “return of the Dalai Lama”.

In response to a question by an Australian journalist on 15 January, a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd made the following comments:

- The minister has been deeply concerned by the tragic Tibetan self-immolations. - The Australian government again calls on China to address the underlying causes of tension in Tibet and other Tibetan regions in China.

- The government reminds the Chinese authorities that economic development should be complemented by protection of the unique linguistic, cultural and religious identities of China’s minorities.

- Officials from the Australian embassy in Beijing visited Sichuan province in October 2011 to hear firsthand from the monks there of what was happening.

- The Australian ambassador raised the government’s serious concerns with the vice-governor of Sichuan province on 29 November.

- On the minister’s instructions, representations have been made repeatedly to the Chinese authorities in Beijing and to the Chinese embassy in Canberra.

- The foreign minister also discussed the treatment of Tibetans with vice-president Xi Jinping in 2010 and again with senior politburo member Jia Qinglin in April 2011.

- The government continues to monitor closely the situation on the ground in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan regions in China.

- The foreign minister receives regular reports from the Australian embassy in Beijing.

- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade meets regularly with Australia Tibet Council including to discuss Australia’s Human Rights Dialogue with China.

- The government receives correspondence from a range of people and groups concerned about the situation in Tibet and ethnic Tibetan regions of China.

Australia Tibet Council has briefed our government officials and parliamentarians on the Tibetan immolations regularly over the past year. We have advocated for the Australian government to take a strong stand against China’s repressive policies in Tibet, which are driving the Tibetans to breaking point. Many hundreds of our members have also written to the foreign minister and their local MPs.

At this critical time for the Tibetans in Tibet, we need to step up our call for stronger government action. Please send an email to Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd today.

Are you on Twitter? Rudd is an active user of Twitter, giving us another powerful way to reach him. Use this link to send a direct message to @KRuddMP.