More from QQ

At the end of February, High Peaks Pure Earth blogged about the Chinese IM service QQ and how it suddenly wasn't allowing users to type in Tibetan. It now looks as though Tibetan users typing in Chinese also face strict restrictions, according to this short blogpost from April 24, 2009, view the original written in Chinese here. QQ is owned by the company Tencent.


How can Tencent.com set even the term "lama" as a sensitive phrase?

Recently, I've realised that when posting on QQ Space, the word "lama" cannot be displayed, why is this? Tibetan people cannot be separated from Buddhism, Buddhism cannot be separated from monasteries, monasteries cannot be separated from monks.

What is incorrect about the word "lama"! Why is Tencent.com not allowing this phrase to be displayed? As members of the Tibetan nationality, we must strongly oppose this!

Comment:
You know the reason why? Because we are backwards!

Tibetans in London mark missing XIth Panchen Lama’s 20th Birthday

London, April 25 – 20 years ago, in 1995, the Dalai Lama recognized Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. Days later, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was kidnapped along with his family by the Chinese government. Only six years old at the time, he was then the world's youngest prisoner of conscience. He has not been seen nor heard from since. The Chinese government continues to insist that it has the right to appoint Tibtan Lamas, and says it's nomination, Gyaltsen Norbu is the true 11th Panchen Lama. However, Tibetans inside and outside Tibet view him as little more than a puppet for Communist propaganda. The Chinese government maintains that Gedghun Choekyi Nyima does not wish to be disturbed by the outside world, and repeatedly denies foreign human rights organisations access to him and his family. Today Tibetans everywhere deeply mourn his absence as they observe his 20th birthday. In London, Tibetans and supporters gathered for a vigil opposite the Chinese embassy. People sang 'Happy Birthday' wishing for the well-being of Panchen Lama. Birthday cards were dropped into the letter box of the Chinese embassy. Prayers and a minute silence were followed for the long life of Panchen lama and to remember the brave Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan cause.

report and pictures by: Luke Ward

(Birthday Cards for the Panchen Lama)

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Tibetans in London mark missing XIth Panchen Lama’s 20th Birthday

London, April 25 – 20 years ago, in 1995, the Dalai Lama recognized Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. Days later, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was kidnapped along with his family by the Chinese government. Only six years old at the time, he was then the world's youngest prisoner of conscience. He has not been seen nor heard from since. The Chinese government continues to insist that it has the right to appoint Tibtan Lamas, and says it's nomination, Gyaltsen Norbu is the true 11th Panchen Lama. However, Tibetans inside and outside Tibet view him as little more than a puppet for Communist propaganda. The Chinese government maintains that Gedghun Choekyi Nyima does not wish to be disturbed by the outside world, and repeatedly denies foreign human rights organisations access to him and his family. Today Tibetans everywhere deeply mourn his absence as they observe his 20th birthday. In London, Tibetans and supporters gathered for a vigil opposite the Chinese embassy. People sang 'Happy Birthday' wishing for the well-being of Panchen Lama. Birthday cards were dropped into the letter box of the Chinese embassy. Prayers and a minute silence were followed for the long life of Panchen lama and to remember the brave Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan cause.

report and pictures by: Luke Ward

(Birthday Cards for the Panchen Lama)

SEARCHING FOR OLD TIBET

About a year ago I was driving my two girls (Namkha and Namtso) to school, early one morning, when the languid voice of Salman Rushdie drifted over on National Public Radio. He was being interviewed about his novel, Shalimar the Clown, which is set in Kashmir. Rushdie’s grandparents, on his mother’s side, were born and [...]

A Day of Pain

We reported in an earlier post here that hotels in China were discriminating against Tibetans and Uigyurs. Since last March 2008 the official media's depiction of Tibetans as terrorists has infiltrated to every level and Tibetans travelling in China still face discrimination and hostility from the public.

High Peaks Pure Earth brings you a personal account of an example of ethnic discrimination that took place in Beijing recently as documented by a Tibetan student blogger and posted on his blog (photo below) on April 16, 2009.

A Day of Pain


April 12, 2009 is a day I’ll never be able to forget. This was one of the most painful days of my life, a day that made me realize how small and insignificant I am and how wretched my Tibetan compatriots are.

On April 12, my girlfriend from my hometown came to see me and we went to Beijing. By the time we got to Beijing it was already gone six in the evening and so we went to find somewhere to stay. As soon as we got to the hotel, their service was extremely friendly and I said at the time to my girlfriend: “This is the capital city of the motherland, and so of course the levels of service are going to be high.” But as we were registering, the receptionist said something that pained me deeply. She said, “Tibetans can’t stay here.” At the time I didn’t want to believe my ears and so I picked up my student’s ID and showed it to them again but they still wouldn’t let me stay, saying that they needed certification from the local police. I went to seven or eight different hotels but they all gave the same answer. Angry and disappointed, the only question going round my head was “why?”

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was declared to have been established, and from then on there was an historic and qualitative change brought about in relations between China’s nationalities, and the era of ethnic oppression progressed to the era of ethnic equality.

But sixty years later and we can still be confronted with the tragic reality of “Tibetans can’t stay here.”

Sixty years later and Tibetans still live in the shackles of apartheid and chained by racism, every step an ordeal and misery.

Sixty year later, amidst a vast ocean of material glory, Tibetans still live on an island of poverty.

Sixty years later, Tibetans are withering and fading in the corners of Chinese society.

Why?

Why?

Qiaga Tashi Tsering