SFT TV Ep. 24 (Hot New SFT Shirts and Fabulosa Exa!)

SFT TV: Log On. Tune In. RISE UP!!!

In Today’s Episode:

-Monk From Lithang Arrested
-Bush To Attend Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama
-NEW SFT SHIRTS!!!!
-Our Fabulous Latin American Coordinator Exa

Speaking of Bloody Hands…

Just after we posted our previous blog post, “China’s Bloody Hands,” we learned that today China blocked an emergency Security Council resolution on Burma. The New York Times reports,

In response to the violence, the United Nations Security Council called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, but China blocked a Council resolution, backed by the United States and European nations, to condemn the government crackdown.

China, of course, wants to protect its fellow dictatorship and ally. It also wants to avoid, under the guise of “noninterference,” a similar resolution in the event of future demonstrations in Tibet similar to what happened in 1987, 1988, 1989 and in the 1990s (not such an impossible thought).

Shame on China. This is the country that will host the world at the Olympics in ten months???

China’s Bloody Hands

With the Beijing Olympics now about ten months away, it seems more and more that the Chinese government simply can’t wash the blood off its hands.

Tibet. Tiananmen. Darfur. Burma. The Chinese government’s hands are bloody. We imagine China’s leaders like the scheming Lady Macbeth, furiously scrubbing her hands to no avail, muttering “Out, damned spot! out, I say!” (Macbeth (V, i, 38)) Like Beijing’s impossibly smoggy skies, however, the Chinese government won’t be able to clean its hands in time for the Olympics.

Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which she explained China’s role in propping up the brutal Burmese regime. She ended with this plea:

All of us should make it clear that Beijing’s policy of “noninterference” with repressive economic clients cannot be tolerated. We should care about divesting from Chinese companies not only for the people of Darfur, but also for the Burmese, the Tibetans, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo–to say nothing about the countless millions of Chinese denied their human rights as well.

To paraphrase “The Lady” Aung San Suu Kyi, we must use our liberty to promote theirs.

We could not have said it better ourselves.

The outspoken lawyer Gao Zisheng, who was just arrested by the Chinese government for sending an open letter to U.S. lawmakers, said that more and more Chinese citizens are calling the Beijing Olympics the “bloody Olympics” due to the increased repression from a stability-obsessed Chinese government. With the Chinese government playing the part of Lady Macbeth, we think that label is very appropriate.

HH Dalai Lama’s Statement on Burmese Protests

Our thoughts and prayers are with the brave Burmese protesters, as the brutal military dictatorship begins a deadly crackdown. Here is the statement by His Holiness the Dalai Lama supporting the protesters.

His Holiness supports call for democracy in Burma

Monday, 24 September 2007

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Dharamshala: His Holiness the Dalai Lama conveys his sincere appreciation and admiration to the large number of fellow Buddhists monks for advocating democracy and freedom in Burma.In his message on 23 September, His Holiness said, “I extend my support and solidarity with the recent peaceful movement for democracy in Burma.”

“I fully support their call for freedom and democracy and take this opportunity to appeal to freedom-loving people all over the world to support such non-violent movements,” His Holiness added.

His Holiness further said, “As a Buddhist monk, I am appealing to the members of the military regime who believe in Buddhism to act in accordance with the sacred dharma in the spirit of compassion and non-violence.”

“I pray for the success of this peaceful movement and the early release of fellow Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.” His Holiness further said.

SFT TV (Tibetan Language Edition and SFT UK Update)

SFT TV: Log On. Tune In. Rise UP!!!