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China Hits Back Says Tibet A Paradise
Beijing (AFP) March 11, 2009 China reacted angrily Wednesday to a storm of international criticism over its rule of Tibet, telling the United States to stop interfering and calling the Dalai Lama a whingeing child. As security forces kept a tight grip across the Himalayan region to ensure no anti-Chinese protests, China described Tibet as a paradise in response to the Dalai Lama's claim that his homeland had been made a "hell on earth". The spike in interest in China's 58-year rule over Tibet came on Tuesday's 50th anniversary of a failed uprising that led to the Tibetan spiritual leader fleeing into exile. The United States led condemnation of China's treatment of its six million Tibetans, voicing "deep concern" over human rights and calling on Beijing to resume talks with the Dalai Lama. "The United States, ignoring the facts, has made unwarranted criticism of China on the issue of Tibet... We express our resolute opposition and strong dissatisfaction with this," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Wednesday in response. "We ask the US side... to acknowledge that Tibet is a part of China and oppose Tibetan independence, avoid harming overall China-US relations, and stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China's internal affairs." Ma reiterated Beijing's stance that the Dalai Lama was bent on Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama has repeatedly denied such charges and acknowledges that Tibet is a part of China. "Our door to dialogue with the Dalai has always been open," Ma said in a statement. "Whether or not our contacts and negotiations can bear fruit depends on whether the Dalai can completely reflect on and change his political position and truly abandon his plan for 'Tibet independence'." China also poured scorn on the Buddhist spiritual leader through state media, describing the 73-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner as talking "gibberish" in criticising Chinese rule. Commentaries by the official Xinhua news agency accused the Dalai Lama of scheming to restore "theocratic" rule and rejected his statement that Chinese control had turned his homeland into hell. "This 'hell on earth' is precisely 'paradise on earth' for ordinary Tibetans," Xinhua said in one of a series of sharply worded editorials. "Like a child trying to draw attention from other people by crying, the marginalised old monk started a round of false accusations which were rhetorically inflammatory and demagogic but untenable in fact." There was no sign China had loosened its security stranglehold on Tibet and neighbouring areas with Tibetan populations. Residents of Tibet's capital, Lhasa, told AFP by phone that the situation was calm but armed police roamed the streets and people were required to carry their identity cards when going outside. "It's quiet here. But there are many police cars on patrol all day and night, and there are police at all of the intersections," said one man who works at a Lhasa Internet cafe, asking not to be identified. The security build-up was to prevent a repeat of protests that have flared in the past on the highly sensitive anniversary. Last year, four days of peaceful protests in Lhasa erupted into rioting that swept across the Tibetan plateau. Tibet's government-in-exile says more than 200 people died when Chinese security forces clamped down after that unrest, although China denies this and says "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths. Similar security to Lhasa was reported in other parts of western China with Tibetan populations. In major towns of Gansu and Sichuan provinces with big Buddhist monasteries, residents said security remained ultra-tight and foreigners were banned from entering. "We won't be receiving any guests until the end of March," a receptionist at a hotel in Xiahe, home to the famous Labrang monastery and a scene of protests last year, told AFP by phone. "Nothing has happened in recent days. But there are armed police on patrol. We feel it's better not to go out at night." Foreign journalists, who are meant to be allowed to travel freely through western China, also continued to be stopped from visiting Tibetan areas. Police stopped two AFP journalists on Wednesday when they tried to visit Rebkong, a Tibetan-populated town of Qinghai province that has three Buddhist monasteries. Foreign reporters are not allowed to travel independently into the Tibet Autonomous Region. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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China's Yang in US amid Tibet, navy rifts
Washington (AFP) March 10, 2009China's foreign minister was slated for his first talks Wednesday in President Barack Obama's Washington as rifts emerged between the Pacific powers over Tibet and naval rights. |
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