This is What Resistance Can Look Like

The International Campaign for Tibet has posted new photos from Lhasa and Labrang, showing Tibetans thronging to offer incense and light fireworks to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s Congressional Gold Medal.

This despite intense warnings and intimidation from Chinese authorities, who are revealing themselves to be increasingly powerless to stop concerted actions by the Tibetan people.

The Tibetan people see that the Chinese emperor has no clothes. China’s apparatus of terror and control in Tibet relies on people being intimidated and afraid. When enough people refuse to be intimidated and afraid, the whole system of control can unravel.

More photos can be seen here.

Update on Lhasa Crackdown

Information on the crackdown in Lhasa continues to trickle out. After clashes following Tibetans’ celebration of the Congressional Gold Medal being awarded to the Dalai Lama, Chinese security forces are “mopping up.”

Radio Free Asia reports:

Chinese authorities in Tibet have detained three monks and are questioning more than a dozen others after the monks tried to put up prayer flags celebrating the award of a U.S. congressional gold medal to the Dalai Lama, local sources say.

Chinese officials are also threatening those Tibetans with government jobs or pensions, which in Lhasa is the majority of middle-class professionals:

officials also warned current and retired Tibetan staff against any religious activities until Oct. 30, the sources said, including burning incense or putting up prayer flags.

“If they do, current employees would face disciplinary actions including termination of their services. If any retired Tibetan staff engage in these activities, their retirement benefits will be forfeited,” one source said.

In a sign of how afraid Chinese officials are, they also temporarily closed Pangsa Monastery in Lhasa. This was after thousands of Tibetans started flocking there as a result of a comment by the Dalai Lama on the sacred nature of the monastery’s main reliquary statue. Chinese officials are clearly worried about large gatherings of Tibetans, and are also desperate to fight the Dalai Lama’s influence in Tibet (clearly a losing battle, sorry China).

All these developments amount to a strong statement of Tibetans’ loyalty to the Dalai Lama, and a reminder that the Chinese government may have the guns, but it does not have Tibetans’ hearts.

Defiance in Tibet Continues

Tibetans in Tibet continue to defy the Chinese government as they celebrate the Congressional Gold Medal being awarded to their beloved leader, the Dalai Lama. The Chinese government, predictably, reacted with repression.

The BBC reports:

Thousands of police were deployed at monasteries in Lhasa, and scores of monks are said to have been arrested….

Tight security measures had already been put into place in the capital Lhasa.

Police intervened when the monks in Drepung began decorating the quarters traditionally reserved for the Dalai Lama, the most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism.

Security forces sealed off the monastery and another nearby, and there are reports that the unrest there carried on for several days.

We have heard one report of a similar incident in Labrang, as well as a threatening new presence of military vehicles in another region.

We know that at least partial international telephone service in Lhasa was disconnected on October 17, the day the Dalai Lama received the Gold Medal. However, despite official warnings, many Lhasa residents lit incense and set off fireworks that day.

Meanwhile in the north-eastern part of Tibet, Phayl.com reports that

at least five Tibetans were arrested in Tibet’s Amdo province for celebrating after the Dalai Lama received the US Congress’ highest civilian honour while a website and two bogs were closed down…

On October 16, a day before the Dalai Lama was due to be honoured with the Congressional Gold Medal, www.tibettl.com/blog was closed down and soon after www.tibetcm.com and blogwww.tibetcm.com/blog were also reportedly closed.

Reports also indicate that Chinese security forces confiscated satellite dishes in at least one part of Tibet, to prevent Tibetans from watching satellite broadcasts of the Gold Medal event at the U.S. Capitol.

Our prayers are with the Tibetan people who are suffering through this latest round of repression from the Chinese forces occupying their country. China’s actions show that its claim of religious freedom in Tibet is a lie. It also shows the extent of Tibetan reverence for His Holiness, and how proud Tibetans are to have such a respected and world-renowned leader.

Clashes in Tibet after US award to Dalai Lama

Breaking news…

From the AFP Exiles say clashes in Tibet after US award to Dalai Lama

DHARAMSALA, India (AFP) — Chinese police used force to suppress Buddhist monks’ celebrations in Tibet’s capital of a hugely controversial US award for the Dalai Lama, exile groups in India said.

They said police arrested scores of monks and Tibetan activists, over four days in Lhasa last week, who attempted to celebrate the awarding of the United States’ highest civilian honour on the exiled spiritual leader.

The clashes were centred at the Drepung and Nechung monasteries in Lhasa which were sealed to keep the thousands of monks inside and away from the public, according to sources in the Tibetan government-in-exile who did not wish to be named.

and from the Times Online UK: Tibetan monks beaten as police halt dissent

Dozens of monks had begun repainting with whitewash the exterior of a hall assigned as the residence of the Dalai Lama inside Drepung to show their joy after the US Congress awarded its highest civilian honour, personally bestowed by President Bush in Washington last week.

Members of the paramilitary People’s Armed Police moved in to stop the monks, who left peacefully to take part in morning prayers. When the monks returned to resume painting the police moved in again, resulting in violent scuffles, according to sources who declined to be identified for fear of repercussions. The Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao said that the clash involved hundreds of monks.

Stay tuned here and check Phayul.com for more information as we have it, as well as our plan for a reaction to China’s typically oppressive crackdown.

Interview with Jamyang Norbu final part

“…whatever happens, what I see is a future of complete uncertainty in China and in such a situation Tibetans must never - it would be absolutely irresponsibly foolish to - give up the struggle for Tibetan independence. It is out of such conditions that Tibet has been independent.” - Jamyang Norbu

This is the third and final part of my interview with acclaimed Tibetan writer and activist Jamyang Norbu. He talks about an uncertain future in China and what it could mean for the Tibetan freedom struggle, Spielberg’s involvement in the Beijing Games and his belief that the Tibetan Government in Exile should be more active in leading the opposition to next year’s Olympics in China.

You can watch part 1 here and watch part 2 here.