News and Views on Tibet

Tibetans urged to keep protests low-key on uprising anniversary

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Dharamsala, February 26 – Tibet’s government-in-exile has urged activists not to burn Chinese flags or effigies of Chinese leaders ahead of the 44th anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing’s rule, officials said Wednesday.

In a circular distributed among the Tibetan refugee community, the exiled leadership advised against any “abusive words,” saying that would go against the non-violent philosophy of Tibet’s spiritual leader and Nobel Peace laureate the Dalai Lama.

“The rallies and demonstrations should be carried out in a peaceful manner that may charm the onlookers,” said the statement from exiled prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche.

“Chinese flags and effigies of Chinese leaders shall not be burnt and (activists) should not indulge in any immoral manners.”

The government-in-exile last year called on Tibetans to refrain from anti-Chinese protests until at least June 2003, expressing hope for another breakthrough after a delegation from the Dalai Lama visited Beijing in September.

The militant Tibetan Youth Congress plans a march across India for the March 10 anniversary of the uprising. It rejects the government-in-exile’s approach, saying it has not shown any results.

“Dialogues happen only when there are two equal partners. Our government has to appease China too much for a possible dialogue,” said Kalsang Phuntsok, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress.

In the northern Indian hill station of Dharamsala, the base of the Dalai Lama, rumours have been spreading that a second delegation from the Tibetan spiritual leader may be heading to Beijing.

The government-in-exile declined to comment.

“It would be disclosed on the day the delegation lands at Beijing airport,” said a source in Rinpoche’s office.

China has ruled Tibet with an iron first since 1951. The Dalai Lama and his followers fled Lhasa for India on March 17, 1959, seven days after the start of massive demonstrations in the Tibetan capital.

The government-in-exile says tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed in the following months as the Chinese military crushed the uprising.

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