Originally Posted by ICT

Dear Friend,

The still unfolding demonstrations and unrest in Tibet are bigger than anything since the Dalai Lama fled in 1959.

After 49 years of rule by China, Tibetans throughout the country are showing how they feel about the “progress” China has brought. And it is a resounding vote of "no confidence."

The size and scope of demonstrations continues to grow -- and have spread from the monks to the laypeople, from central Tibet to eastern Tibet, and now to Tibetan university students throughout China. We are witnessing an amazing display of solidarity between Tibetans from all of Tibet’s regions.


The Chinese military brings tanks into the streets of Lhasa during recent protests.


Tibetan demonstrators are taking enormous risks. They could easily be arrested and tortured and spend months or years in prison. Yet they still demonstrate.

Earlier today I received an email with an eye-witness account of events in Lhasa...

“It is not clear how many people were arrested. All of the main streets have been blocked by military. The soldiers have been checking for everybody’s ID. Specially, people who were wearing Tibetan clothes were searched thoroughly. Soldiers forced their way in civilian homes to arrest people. They were using stick to beat those who have been arrested, and teargas to drive away onlookers.”


In coming weeks, we expect hundreds if not thousands of Tibetans will be arrested and tortured.

Today, we received the first photo showing bodies of Tibetan demonstrators in eastern Tibet. China is rapidly moving tourists, aid workers and journalists out of Tibet so that a much larger and systematic crackdown can begin without witnesses.

As I write this, we know that twenty-five journalists have already been expelled from eastern Tibet and only one is left in Lhasa. Without their coverage, we may never know how many Tibetans have been killed, how many arrested.

Monday night at midnight was the deadline for Tibetans to surrender and be treated more leniently -- but only if they agree to cooperate with Chinese authorities to identify friends, neighbors and relatives involved in protests. You can read more about this, and see the translated Chinese ultimatum at http://www.savetibet.org/.


March 8th, protests begin near Labrang Monestary as monks begin to march.
Photo credit: Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy

China’s propaganda machine is working overtime to quash news of the dozens of peaceful demonstrations, to focus on the damage to Chinese establishments by Tibetans in Lhasa, and to constantly broadcast the news and images that most inflame the Chinese people.

No historical civil rights movement can be reduced to the small handful of events that precede a shift in our culture and ethics.

Tibet’s movement for justice and freedom cannot be reduced to the burning of Chinese shops.


And now in this emergency, there is a great need for those of us who can stand up without fear of repression to do so.
1. Urge President Bush to speak out publicly and ask China to show restraint, as well as address the fundamental causes that have led to events of the past week. Please call the President at 202-456-1111 or contact him by email at comments@whitehouse.gov.

2. It is urgent that reporters be allowed into Tibet to independently verify what has happened. If you live in the U.S., please contact your member of Congress and ask them to demand that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao honor his promise to open Tibet to journalists.

If you have not already, please make a donation to support ICT’s response during this critical time so we will continue to have the resources we need to react quickly and effectively.


In solidarity,

John Ackerly
President

Originally Posted by Darkilla

In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns.

Originally Posted by Yoshi MCF

The fact that you speak Wyz doesn't disprove his insanity. It only proves yours.

Originally Posted by Pokerface

It's now cheaper to put gas on my cereal. I am saddened.

Originally Posted by El_Gringo_Grande

E-mailed them. (I have all three in a group list.)

There is very little noise about this. Part of it is because of China's secrecy. The other part is because nobody wants to upset them?

Shameful on our part. Where is the seeking of democracy and freedom for all peoples?

Originally Posted by Steeler

As the world becomes more wired, the fact that we look the other way when confronted with China's injustices increasingly undermines our own moral claims in other regions.

The State Department upgraded China's Human Rights status just three days before the riots began.

Originally Posted by Switch

USA, where we will go to the other side of the earth to spread democracy, except in countries that own a majority stake in our debt!

More fun facts about china:
Falun Gong / Falun Dafa is a peaceful philosophical practice (border line religion) whos popularity has soared in china (think the monks of tibet). The chinese government is not a fan, so they made it illegal to practice such religion/philosophy. They routinely arrest practitioners and torture them a la Orwell's 1984 to give up the practice. Those who refuse are put into forced labor/executed/or languish in prison.

As it turns out, the practice espouses a very healthy life style and the meditation has been shown to provide some very substantial health benefits as far as immune system regulation and general health are concerned. The chinese thought this useful so they now execute these prisoners on demand for wealthy transplant patients who can buy the organs!

Gooooo CHINA!

Back to the original post topic --- good information, I'll be sure to find a way to act on it. I saw the dali lama speak at rutgers a few years ago.. there is certainly something special about him. A peaceful man fighting diplomatically for his oppressed nation.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Li has lived in the United States of America since 1998.

Attention had been given to Li Hongzhi because of the content of his lectures, including his direct or indirect claims of having "supernatural powers".[8] Maria Hsia Chang suggested that, based on Li's quotations, especially his direct or indirect claims of divinity, Falun Gong can rightfully be considered a religion.[8]

Li had given open-ended responses when asked about his identity. When asked in May 1999 if he was a human being, Li responded: "You can think of me as a human being."[9] When asked to name his teachers, Li replied that he had masters in two schools, but declined to divulge their names.[9]