Will this change China's place in the world?

On a Washington conference table one cold January day sixteen years ago was a very simple offer. In return for Beijing's support at the United Nations for a war against Iraq—which until then it had rejected—the United States would make no public objection to China's "final solution" for all their student demonstrators on Tiananmen Square. Beijing had decided the students would stand trial the day after the deadline against Iraq expired. In return for US compliance, President Bush would have China's support for the war. Another great deal for mankind.

In the meantime China has clamped down more and more mercilessly upon the 'minority' people trapped and disenfranchised in their own countries. Whilst we try and save Tibet here in London, China is building hatred of Tibetans in its homeland. There are going to be more clashes more killings. The Uighurs, enboldened by the effort of the Tibetans have started an expanding protest. There are 8 million Uighurs among the population of 19 million (imported) Han in Xinjiang province The Uighurs have begun to protest against the clampdown in Tibet.

Will this change China's place in the world?

Don't stop talking. Look what's happenning.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-4-7/68746.html for more info

PS it is Joanna Lumley in the picture.

Still no news reaches us from Rebiya's country

Yes, lots and lot of news from Tibet now - yet much of the truth is still repressed. We hear nothing from East Turkisthan (now known as Xingjiang Uighur Autonomous Region or XUAR). The last posted BBC news article from this country was in 2005. The Uighurs are repressed in the same way as the Tibetans. Rebiya Kadeer is losing all hope of seeing her family again.

I have not lost sight of the reason for this blog. It is to help Rebiya and her people. Rebiya says: 'We were promised wonderful things when we were given autonomous status. We would be in charge of the natural resources, they wouldn’t increase the Chinese population, jobs would be first for locals, then for the incoming Chinese. They said they only came to help us, to develop our own country and culture. The Chinese government used autonomy as a noose to hook the Uighurs and hang them. We have nothing. We’re facing an existential threat, that the Chinese government’s policies will eliminate us as a people. The Chinese government gave us the so-called autonomous status but never respected it, and transferred millions of their own people. Now you can see more Chinese than Uighurs in our own homeland. What China is doing is a frontal attack on our ethnic identity, culture and language. It’s ultra-nationalism . We don’t look Chinese, we don’t speak Chinese, everything is different, and that makes it hard for the Chinese government to justify its repression and occupation.'

Her country is being used as a nuclear testing zone. A dumping ground for nuclear waste. I have heard first hand that there are significant and awful birth defects. The good doctor who risked his life to tell us this will never see his family again.

Spread the word - it works!

The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world.
Not everyone gets out on to the streets like me (and I am pretty new to it), but its seems that positive action pays off. Gordon Brown is going to talk to the Dalai Lama and Nancy Pelosi (speaker of the US House of representatives) has asked for an investigation into China's behaviour in the Tibet unrest.

You will have heard that the Chinese will treat those Tibetans who hand themelves in to the authorities 'with lenience'. My friend has spent many years in a Chinese jail. They beat him so badly he was left for dead. I don't think China understands the word 'lenience'. My friend cries for those held in the prison - he knows what will happen. Despite everything, his needs are simple. Tibetans are not interested in money or power. "It doesn't matter whether Tibet is independent or not, as long as Tibetans live in happiness," he said.

Peace and compassion are not 'nice to haves' they are absolute necessities .

Keep talking my friends - it works

Excerpt from BBC editors page today

"There are a handful of countries where the BBC is not welcome - but not many where our services on radio, TV and online are actively blocked. Along with every other news organisation, China's internal security laws mean we can't get into the region without permission - that has been refused. In addition to our problems in the field, China also routinely blocks access to BBC services in most of the country."

Tibet is a country where news does at least get out. What about the others such as East Turkisthan. Nothing comes from there. Can you imagine the anguish of the people in this country?

What do you say to this - 'Oh dear, there goes China being silly again.' Or maybe 'This should not be allowed. What can I do about it?'

Firstly, you should talk about it - to your friends and family; anyone who will listen.

Secondly get real. Contact your MP and make your point. They will not know how you feel until you tell them. Don't be lazy.

Free Tibet Rally - Cardiff 9th March 2008

It was pretty cold in Cardiff on Sunday, but that didn't sptop many people from turning out to learn more about the situation in Tibet. I was one of the speakers, and, in case you are wondering why I support the Free Tibet campaign, I was happy to take the opportunity to compare the obscene treatment of people in Tibet with those in East Turkisthan.

It is a harsh world we live in. Too many people are reluctant to leave their comfort zone and take a long hard look at the world we really live in. The paradox is the world we live in is often sutained by the hardship of others. Our consumerism is largely built on cheap labour. That cheap labour is build on an unfair society - in many cases it is built on downright cruelty. Yes, we are responsible for the opression in the world. We allow it. We fund it.

News from East Turkisthan

Well, there is no news from East Turkisthan. Look at the neighbours. What chance is there of news. What chance to escape?

Here are the statistics for when China entered neighbouring Tibet:

• 87,000 Tibetans dead in the first day
• 80,000 refugees - 1000's perish in the mountains
• 70,000 imprisoned - more than half perish through starvation
• Crops shipped to China - hundreds of thousands die of starvation
• Those sentanced to death have their tongues torn out by meathooks to prevent them saying 'long live the Dalai Lama"
• Many buried alive, scolded to death, disembowelled, crucified.
• Little children forced to shoot their own parents
• Celebate monks forced to publicly rape nuns
• 8 out of 6259 monastries escape damage

And we support this becuse of trade. We all have a voice. Use it. Do something for these people. Tell a friend about it. A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves - and we will deserve ours if we do not speak out now.

"A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves"

Freedom of speech denied to British athletes

This picture is of the England team being forced to give a Nazi salute in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Embarassing eh? A mistake definately. But we have learnt nothing. In 2008 it was announced that British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

Exactly what planet are they all on? Oh yes, its the ' let's be nice to China' planet. Never mind that the lack of fair trials are a serious concern, with thousands of people locked up in "re-education through labour" camps without any trial at all. Thousands each year are sentenced to the death penalty, even for non-violent crimes. Free speech remains severely curtailed, with around 30 journalists behind bars and internet users denied information and jailed for their blogs. And what about Tibet? What about the Uighurs? What about (dare I say it) common sense?

Yahoo, Google and Microsoft, who built reputations and vast fortunes on the principles of free expression and access to information, have trampled over their own ideals in the rush for a slice of the Chinese market. They shut down blogs and censor their own search engines - all in the name of ..... MONEY.

Well it's not good enough is it. Can we really tolerate this type of behaviour, and indeed become infected by it? If we allow our kow-towing to China to inform many more decisions we may as well hang our few remaining shreds of democracy in the National People's Congress of the People's Republic.

Remember that Nazi salute.