China closes Tibet to foreign tourists: agencies, hotel

SINO DAILY

Tibetans to boycott China plans for New Year party
Tibetans are planning to boycott their own New Year celebrations starting Wednesday to protest against Chinese rule, exiles say, pitting them against China's communist authorities who want them to party. The battle of wills comes amid reports of increased security in Tibet and neighbouring Tibetan-populated regions of western China as Chinese authorities fear unrest ahead of two highly sensitive anniversaries next month. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, has called for the boycott of Tibetan New Year -- or Losar -- partly to mourn those killed or jailed in a crackdown following unrest that swept across the Himalayan region last year.

"Usually its a day of festivity and gaiety when everyone gets together," Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama's India-based spokesman, told AFP. "But this year it's going to be observed as a day of prayer in memory of all the Tibetans who died and all those who are still suffering under Chinese rule." Rights groups and Tibetan bloggers have also reported extensively on what they call an "act of civil disobedience," which they say is gathering momentum in Tibet and western areas of China with Tibetan populations. Chinese authorities, meanwhile, are trying to spur Tibetans into celebrating, by giving them money and food donations, and organising a televised gala extravaganza. Officials have recently handed out 800 yuan (117 dollars) each to nearly 70,000 poor and retired Tibetans "to enable people in difficulty to enjoy a happy and auspicious Tibetan New Year," according to the government's China Tibet News website.

The four-hour long gala will be broadcast on state television Tuesday evening to mark Tibetan New Year's Eve. The New Year comes ahead of the highly sensitive anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet on March 10, 1959, that led to the Dalai Lama fleeing his homeland. China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending in troops to "liberate" the region. Protests began on March 10 last year to mark the 49th anniversary of the uprising, then escalated into riots four days later in Tibet's capital and elsewhere. Tibet's government-in-exile says the government crackdown following last year's unrest left 200 Tibetans dead. China denies this, but has reported police killed one "insurgent", and blamed "rioters" for 21 deaths. The Dalai Lama has spoken out forcefully ahead of these two sensitive anniversaries against what he describes as heavy persecution in his homeland. "Today there is too much anger... the situation is very tense. At any moment there can be an outburst of violence," he told journalists in Germany this month.

In one of the first reported signs of unrest this year, protesters in a Tibetan area of southwest China's Sichuan province took to the streets last week in support of the Dalai Lama, leading to a severe crackdown, according to rights groups. The information is difficult to confirm as foreign reporters are banned from large swathes of Tibetan regions in western China, as well as Tibet itself. Chinese authorities have vowed to ensure there is no unrest. Leaders in Tibet last week said they would "firmly crush the savage aggression of the Dalai clique, defeat separatism, and wage people's war to maintain stability," the state-run Tibet Daily reported. The China Tibet News also reported in January that police had investigated over 8,400 people and detained 81 during a week-long 'Strike Hard' campaign in Lhasa. Barry Sautman, a Tibet expert at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said that despite the increased security, protests were still likely during the sensitive period coming up. "It's not possible for the security forces to anticipate all protest actions, especially at the sites of the many hundreds of monasteries, nunneries and temples," he said.

by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Feb 24, 2009
China has closed Tibet to foreign tourists ahead of next month's highly sensitive 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, tour agencies and other industry people told AFP Tuesday.

The ban comes amid deep tensions in the Himalayan region, with a reported increase in security forces and a call by the Dalai Lama for a boycott of Tibetan New Year celebrations on Wednesday, in protest against Chinese rule.

"Authorities asked tour agents to stop organising foreigners coming to Tibet for tour trips until April 1," an employee at a government-run travel agency in Lhasa, who could not be named for fear of reprisals, told AFP.

He said the city's tourism bureau had decided this at a meeting in mid-February, although it was unclear when exactly the orders were given.

A hotel in the Tibetan capital and three travel agencies in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu that normally organise trips into Tibet also confirmed the ban on foreigners.

"Foreigners cannot go there in March because we have stopped giving out permits," an employee at the Chengdu Overseas Tourism Company, another government-run travel agency, told AFP.

This is the second time in less than a year that the Himalayan region has been sealed off to foreign tourists.

The Chinese government banned travellers from going to Tibet immediately after riots erupted in Lhasa on March 14 after four days of peaceful protests to mark the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The uprising, which took place on March 10, 1959, led to Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fleeing his homeland.

On Tuesday, the Dalai Lama said restrictions had been placed on monasteries in Tibet as well as on foreign tourists, warning of an "unprecedented and unimaginable forceful clampdown" in the region.

"The strike-hard campaign has been re-launched in Tibet and there is a heavy presence of armed security and military forces ... all over Tibet," he said Tuesday.

China's recent moves suggested it planned "to subject the Tibetan people to such a level of cruelty and harassment that they will not be able to tolerate and thus be forced to remonstrate," he said.

"When this happens, the authorities can then indulge in an unprecedented and unimaginable forceful clampdown," he added.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending in troops to "liberate" the region.

Tibet's government-in-exile says a government crackdown following last year's unrest left 200 Tibetans dead.

China denies this, but has reported that police killed one "insurgent", and blamed "rioters" for 21 deaths.

Foreign tourists were allowed back in at the end of June, but only as part of an official tour group and after applying for a permit.

China Tuesday said foreigners were still able to apply to go to Tibet through "normal channels," but did not say whether applications would be accepted.

"The policy of an open Tibet will not change," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters.

"As for foreign people, including foreign journalists travelling to Tibet, they can apply through normal channels."

Calls made to the government of Tibet went unanswered.

Authorities have vowed to ensure there is no unrest next month.

Leaders in Tibet last week said they would "firmly crush the savage aggression of the Dalai clique, defeat separatism, and wage people's war to maintain stability," the state-run Tibet Daily reported.

The China Tibet News also reported in January that police had investigated over 8,400 people and detained 81 during a week-long "Strike Hard" campaign in Lhasa.

earlier related report
China crackdown for Tibet anniversary: Dalai Lama
The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, warned Tuesday of a Chinese crackdown in Tibet ahead of next month's highly sensitive 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing.

The warning came as China reportedly closed Tibet to foreign tourists and tightened security in the Himalayan region.

"The strike-hard campaign has been re-launched in Tibet and there is a heavy presence of armed security and military forces ... all over Tibet," the Dalai Lama said in a message on the eve of the Tibetan New Year Wednesday.

"In particular, special restrictions have been imposed in the monasteries... and restrictions have been imposed on the visit of foreign tourists," he said in this southern Indian town, home to thousands of exiled Tibetans.

More than 200 Tibetans were killed last March in a Chinese crackdown against protests that coincided with the 49th anniversary of the March 10, 1959 failed uprising against Beijing, according to Tibet's government-in-exile in India.

Beijing denies this, but has reported that police killed one "insurgent", and blamed "rioters" for 21 deaths.

China's recent moves suggested it planned "to subject the Tibetan people to such a level of cruelty and harassment that they will not be able to tolerate and thus be forced to remonstrate," the Dalai Lama said.

"When this happens, the authorities can then indulge in an unprecedented and unimaginable forceful clampdown," he added.

"Therefore, I would like to make a strong appeal to the Tibetan people to exercise patience and not to give in to these provocations so that the precious lives of many Tibetans are not wasted."

The Dalai Lama has been living in India since fleeing his homeland in the wake of the failed 1959 uprising.

His warning came as tour agencies and other industry people said China had closed Tibet to foreign tourists ahead of the anniversary.

A hotel in the Tibetan capital and three travel agencies in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu that normally organise trips into Tibet also confirmed the ban on foreigners.

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SINO DAILY

China says 'relics for rights' offer ridiculous

Beijing (AFP) Feb 24, 2009
China said Tuesday an offer to exchange two imperial bronzes looted 150 years ago by foreign troops for human rights was "ridiculous," as it called once more for the return of the relics.

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