The weekend saw the Olympic torch pass through the streets of the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, amid heavy Chinese security and suggestions that the people lining the route were hand-picked by the authorities. The re-released story briefly topped the news charts, before being toppled by the exciting news that Coldplay have their first number one hit with their current single, ‘Viva La Vida’.
TV viewers around the world were puzzled to see Tibet and the Olympic torch back on their screens after a gap of several weeks. BBC switchboards were jammed with calls, with “Is this a repeat?” the most common complaint.
“I thought we’d sorted Tibet out weeks ago,” said one viewer. “Now I’m worrying about the fuel prices. When that blows over, I might bother myself slightly about the A-level results, or get vaguely worked up over the length of the parliamentary recess. But Tibet is old news. Boring.”
Showing posts with label Tibet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tibet. Show all posts
Monday, 23 June 2008
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
PM To Appear in Undignified Farce With Priest and Lama
The Dalai Lama has arrived in Britain at the start of an 11-day tour.
Gordon Brown will be meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader over a cup of tea with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace on Friday, as the Chinese government told him they would be very cross if the meeting took place in Downing Street. The Prime Minister is expected to demonstrate his renowned authority as a moral paragon on the world stage by asking the Dalai Lama if he had a nice journey, and suggesting a visit to the London Eye and Madame Tussaud’s.
During his visit, the Dalai Lama will also receive an honorary degree in Retail Therapy from the prestigious London Metropolitan University.
Gordon Brown will be meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader over a cup of tea with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace on Friday, as the Chinese government told him they would be very cross if the meeting took place in Downing Street. The Prime Minister is expected to demonstrate his renowned authority as a moral paragon on the world stage by asking the Dalai Lama if he had a nice journey, and suggesting a visit to the London Eye and Madame Tussaud’s.
During his visit, the Dalai Lama will also receive an honorary degree in Retail Therapy from the prestigious London Metropolitan University.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
France, China On Brink of War
China has reacted angrily to the decision by Paris city councillors to award the freedom of the French capital to the Dalai Lama.
"The fact that this moment the Paris city council decides to make the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen can only be seen as a serious challenge to 1.3 billion Chinese," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu. "China requires that France immediately take effective steps to remove the severely negative impact of its erroneous action."
The Chinese armed forces are reportedly on standby flights ready to invade Paris-Orly Airport, while France has put its Terrible submarine on a low loader and sent it in search of the fabled Silk Road.
Chinese protesters have been demonstrating against France since the Olympic flame met with angry protests as it passed through the streets of Paris, holding anti-French rallies and targeting supermarket Carrefour’s Chinese outlets.
Carrefour has released a statement denying that it supported Tibetan independence claims. “Freedom? Justice? We’re a supermarket,” it said. “Special this week: three highly-combustible French flags for the price of two!!”
The Dalai Lama, meanwhile, remains serenely unperturbed by the degenerating state of Sino-French affairs as he is in India, some way away from the forthcoming conflagration.
"The fact that this moment the Paris city council decides to make the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen can only be seen as a serious challenge to 1.3 billion Chinese," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu. "China requires that France immediately take effective steps to remove the severely negative impact of its erroneous action."
The Chinese armed forces are reportedly on standby flights ready to invade Paris-Orly Airport, while France has put its Terrible submarine on a low loader and sent it in search of the fabled Silk Road.
Chinese protesters have been demonstrating against France since the Olympic flame met with angry protests as it passed through the streets of Paris, holding anti-French rallies and targeting supermarket Carrefour’s Chinese outlets.
Carrefour has released a statement denying that it supported Tibetan independence claims. “Freedom? Justice? We’re a supermarket,” it said. “Special this week: three highly-combustible French flags for the price of two!!”
The Dalai Lama, meanwhile, remains serenely unperturbed by the degenerating state of Sino-French affairs as he is in India, some way away from the forthcoming conflagration.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Olympic Fans Delighted By All-In Torch Wrestling Contest
The Olympics officially got under way in London yesterday, with Britain’s Konnie Huq emerging victorious from the first round of the all-in Torch Wrestling competition.
The eagerly-awaited big fight began outside Wembley stadium, with pro-Tibetan protesters making several attempts to break through the cordon of Chinese security staff and Metropolitan police. At one point, the Chinese ambassador found himself holding the torch, but he managed to get rid of it before being tackled on the issue of human rights abuses. Faced with a particularly large group of protesters along the Fleet Street leg of the route, the police even directed the Olympic torch onto a London bus, where they fined themselves for smoking on public transport. Finally, the torch made it to the steps of 10 Downing Street, where Gordon Brown greeted the torch without actually touching it.
“Hello, torch,” he said, “How the devil are you?”
With this moving speech the Torch-Wrestling contest was over. Former Blue Peter women’s endurance champion Konnie Huq was declared the winner, after managing to keep the torch from a protester who nearly broke through the ring of security.
“I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way, even though that might be the way it looks to most people," she said, adding: “It's just unfortunate that China has such a terrible track record when it comes to human rights and they are the host nation."
The losers - as usual - were the people of Tibet.
The eagerly-awaited big fight began outside Wembley stadium, with pro-Tibetan protesters making several attempts to break through the cordon of Chinese security staff and Metropolitan police. At one point, the Chinese ambassador found himself holding the torch, but he managed to get rid of it before being tackled on the issue of human rights abuses. Faced with a particularly large group of protesters along the Fleet Street leg of the route, the police even directed the Olympic torch onto a London bus, where they fined themselves for smoking on public transport. Finally, the torch made it to the steps of 10 Downing Street, where Gordon Brown greeted the torch without actually touching it.
“Hello, torch,” he said, “How the devil are you?”
With this moving speech the Torch-Wrestling contest was over. Former Blue Peter women’s endurance champion Konnie Huq was declared the winner, after managing to keep the torch from a protester who nearly broke through the ring of security.
“I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way, even though that might be the way it looks to most people," she said, adding: “It's just unfortunate that China has such a terrible track record when it comes to human rights and they are the host nation."
The losers - as usual - were the people of Tibet.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Sportsman Refuses Beacon of No Hope
India’s football captain, Baichung Bhutia, has stunned sports fans the world over by refusing to carry the Olympic torch on its journey through Delhi later this month.
“I sympathise with the Tibetan cause,” the Buddhist football hero told the Times of India. “This is my way of standing by the people of Tibet and their struggle. I abhor violence in any form."
Bhutia comes from India’s north-eastern state of Sikkim, the subject of a longstanding Chinese territorial claim. India has traditionally shown sympathy for the Tibetan cause; but in recent years it has seen an improvement in relations with the Chinese authorities, and now officially recognises Tibet as a part of China.
Sport personalities and fans around the world scratched their heads in bewilderment at Bhutia’s principled stand. Leading British athlete Konnie Huq, lately of Blue Peter, has already confirmed that she will take part in the British leg of the torch’s journey, despite earlier suggestions that she once had a political conscience.
Supporters of the Olympics believe that the Games embody the never-ending human quest for the ideal of absolute perfection, and as such should not be tainted by such petty concerns as politics, freedom, justice, fair play or human dignity – although, needless to say, money is fine.
“I sympathise with the Tibetan cause,” the Buddhist football hero told the Times of India. “This is my way of standing by the people of Tibet and their struggle. I abhor violence in any form."
Bhutia comes from India’s north-eastern state of Sikkim, the subject of a longstanding Chinese territorial claim. India has traditionally shown sympathy for the Tibetan cause; but in recent years it has seen an improvement in relations with the Chinese authorities, and now officially recognises Tibet as a part of China.
Sport personalities and fans around the world scratched their heads in bewilderment at Bhutia’s principled stand. Leading British athlete Konnie Huq, lately of Blue Peter, has already confirmed that she will take part in the British leg of the torch’s journey, despite earlier suggestions that she once had a political conscience.
Supporters of the Olympics believe that the Games embody the never-ending human quest for the ideal of absolute perfection, and as such should not be tainted by such petty concerns as politics, freedom, justice, fair play or human dignity – although, needless to say, money is fine.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Put That Bloody Light Out
The Olympic flame continues its six-day journey through Greece, despite continuing protest efforts to disrupt its journey.
Yesterday’s lighting ceremony was marked by the unfurling of a banner highlighting host nation China’s crackdown on demonstrators in Tibet and neighbouring provinces. The protesters were quickly arrested by Greek police.
The demonstrators are angry that the route of the Olympic torch runs through occupied Tibet amid record levels of Chinese security, claiming that this makes a mockery of the spirit of the Olympics. Some observers, however, said that Beijing Games chief Liu Qi did that yesterday at the ceremony when he said: “The Olympic flame will radiate light and happiness, peace and friendship, and hope and dreams to the people of China and the whole world", apparently without a trace of irony.
Since leaving the Temple of Hera, the flame has so far successfully escaped the protesters’ traps - including phoney diversion signs leading to a rickety bridge, a grand piano suspended from a cable strung across a gorge, a fake tunnel painted on a rock face and being chased by a Tibetan monk on rocket-powered Acme roller skates.
Yesterday’s lighting ceremony was marked by the unfurling of a banner highlighting host nation China’s crackdown on demonstrators in Tibet and neighbouring provinces. The protesters were quickly arrested by Greek police.
The demonstrators are angry that the route of the Olympic torch runs through occupied Tibet amid record levels of Chinese security, claiming that this makes a mockery of the spirit of the Olympics. Some observers, however, said that Beijing Games chief Liu Qi did that yesterday at the ceremony when he said: “The Olympic flame will radiate light and happiness, peace and friendship, and hope and dreams to the people of China and the whole world", apparently without a trace of irony.
Since leaving the Temple of Hera, the flame has so far successfully escaped the protesters’ traps - including phoney diversion signs leading to a rickety bridge, a grand piano suspended from a cable strung across a gorge, a fake tunnel painted on a rock face and being chased by a Tibetan monk on rocket-powered Acme roller skates.
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Chinese Whispers
The Chinese government has denied unofficial estimates that up to 80 people have so far died in the continuing Tibetan protests. The claim was made yesterday by exiles and backed up by officials in India, amid spreading unrest in Tibet and Sichuan province, home to a large monastery.
“There is no trouble in Tibet, or anywhere else in China,” said the official Xinhua news agency, over pictures of the smouldering rubble that was once the city of Lhasa. “What happened is that a chip fat fire started accidentally. A small crowd of ethnic Tibetans gathered to watch their much-loved, heroic Chinese firefighters at work and, as an unfortunate result of the congestion in the streets, the fire unfortunately spread a little. The People’s Army was called out to clear a little space for the fire crews to work in, and some citizens were so happy to see their brave defenders on the streets that they fainted with delight, falling directly into the path of the oncoming army convoy. The soldiers were of course very upset by this tragic incident, not least because they find human remains very hard to scrape out of the tracks.”
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said that they had no interest in the long suffering of the people of Tibet, as the pure ideals of sporting excellence should always rise above petty politics - and anyway there was a lot of money tied up in the Olympics, so they’d be silly to risk any of it over something as trivial as fifty years of repression towards a bunch of impoverished hermits living halfway up a mountain.
“There is no trouble in Tibet, or anywhere else in China,” said the official Xinhua news agency, over pictures of the smouldering rubble that was once the city of Lhasa. “What happened is that a chip fat fire started accidentally. A small crowd of ethnic Tibetans gathered to watch their much-loved, heroic Chinese firefighters at work and, as an unfortunate result of the congestion in the streets, the fire unfortunately spread a little. The People’s Army was called out to clear a little space for the fire crews to work in, and some citizens were so happy to see their brave defenders on the streets that they fainted with delight, falling directly into the path of the oncoming army convoy. The soldiers were of course very upset by this tragic incident, not least because they find human remains very hard to scrape out of the tracks.”
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said that they had no interest in the long suffering of the people of Tibet, as the pure ideals of sporting excellence should always rise above petty politics - and anyway there was a lot of money tied up in the Olympics, so they’d be silly to risk any of it over something as trivial as fifty years of repression towards a bunch of impoverished hermits living halfway up a mountain.
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