China says Dalai Lama inciting unrest
　

WEN'S COMPLAINT: The Chinese premier said there was proof the Tibetan Buddhist leader had masterminded the recent unrest in Lhasa. The Dalai Lama denied the charge

　

China accused the Dalai Lama yesterday of orchestrating Tibetan riots to wreck Beijing's Olympic Games, but the exiled spiritual leader denied the charge.

The Tibetan government-in-exile said from its base in the Indian Himalayan foothill town of Dharmasala yesterday that 19 Tibetan protesters were shot dead in Gansu Province yesterday, and the "confirmed" death toll from a week of unrest had reached 99.

"This took place outside of Lhasa. Nineteen people were killed in Machu in Gansu Province. There was a protest in Machu this morning, and police fired on them," spokesman Thubten Samphel said.

In all, he said "80 people have been confirmed killed in Lhasa in the past several days and 19 killed today."

In Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) defended the security crackdown on Lhasa and other provinces where copycat rioting by Tibetans erupted over the weekend.

"There is ample fact and plenty of evidence proving this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," he told a news conference.

　

"This has all the more revealed the consistent claims by the Dalai clique that they pursue not independence but peaceful dialogue are nothing but lies," he said.

TRIAL?

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman later said that the Dalai Lama should face trial.

The Dalai Lama denied the charges yesterday.

An exiled Tibetan rights group said yesterday that 30 Tibetan protesters were arrested after staging a demonstration near Lhasa.

　

A dozen Buddhist monks from the Dinka Monastery in Duilong Deqing County near Lhasa held the protest on Monday evening and were joined by local residents, the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy said on its Web site (www.tchrd.org), citing "numerous sources and witnesses."

The report could not be confirmed because foreign media have been barred from traveling to Tibet.

Chinese authorities have said that security forces exercised restraint in response to the Lhasa burning and looting, using only non-lethal weapons, and only 13 "innocent civilians" died.


Wen said the protesters "wanted to incite the sabotage of the Olympic Games in order to achieve their unspeakable goal."

EUROPEAN WARNING

The president of the European Parliament said politicians should consider staying away from the Games opening ceremonies if the violence continues in Tibet.
　

Hans-Gert Poettering told Deutschlandfunk Radio that "all options should be kept open" about the Games, but he urged politicians who plan to attend the opening ceremonies to "consider, if [the violence] continues, whether it would be responsible to make such a trip."

He also called on China's leadership to "do everything possible to reach reconciliation in Tibet, so that the violence will stop and the Olympic Games will have a chance."

In Australia, opposition politician Andrew Bartlett called for the nation's athletes and all corporate sponsors to boycott the Games.

"The Communist regime in China is one of the worst human rights abusers in the world and by participating in the Olympics when that country is not improving its performance -- I think we've got to look at whether that makes us complicit in them," Bartlett told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio. "We can't just turn a blind eye because we all love our sport."

EXILES

Exiled Tibetans said the protests were a spontaneous outburst by a long-oppressed people aware they have the world's attention as the Games draw near.

"I know people can't believe that there isn't coordination," Lhadon Tethong, the director of Students for a Free Tibet, said in an interview at the group's office in Dharamsala. "But, it's not there."

"Tibetans inside know what's happening in the outside world," she said.

Dalai Lama threatens to resign as head of exiled government if violence worsens

AP, DHARMSALA, INDIA
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008, Page 1

"I say to China and the Tibetans -- don't commit violence."－the Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader

The Dalai Lama threatened yesterday to step down as leader of Tibet's government-in-exile if violence committed by Tibetans in his homeland spirals out of control.

He sharply rejected accusations by China that he orchestrated last week's demonstrations in Tibet -- and the violence that ensued.

"I say to China and the Tibetans -- don't commit violence," he told reporters in the northern Indian hill town of Dharmsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

While the situation inside Tibet remains unclear, much of the recent violence appears to have been committed by Tibetans. Worries have grown that Chinese troops trying to reassert control over Lhasa were exacting retribution.

"Whether we like it or not, we have to live together side by side," said the Dalai Lama."We must oppose Chinese policy but not the Chinese. Not on a racist basis."

Though clearly fearful of China's crackdown -- he compared the plight of Tibetans to that of "a young deer in a tiger's hands" -- he also said he was troubled by Tibetan attacks on ethnic Han Chinese.

He said that "if things become out of control," his "only option is to completely resign."

But the Dalai Lama refused to call on the Tibetans inside Tibet to end peaceful protests.

He also denied Chinese accusations he was behind the uprising, suggesting that the Chinese themselves may have had a hand in it to discredit him.

"It's possible some Chinese agents are involved there," he said. "Sometimes totalitarian regimes are very clever, so it is important to investigate."

He said if China had proof they should present it to the world and open up the region to international organizations, adding that Chinese officials were welcome to come to Dharmsala and search his records.

"They can examine my pulse, my urine, my stool, everything," he said.

Tenzin Taklha, a top aide, later said that the Dalai Lama meant he would step down as the political leader -- not as the supreme religious leader of Tibetan Buddhists.

Ma won't rule out Olympic boycott over Tibet
　

By Mo Yan-chih and Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTERS
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008, Page 1

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday reiterated his call for China to end its suppression of Tibet, and said that, if elected, he would not rule out boycotting the Beijing Olympics if the situation in Tibet deteriorated.

"If the Chinese government continued its suppression of Tibetans, and the situation in Tibet worsens, I would not rule out stopping athletes from attending the 2008 Beijing Olympics," Ma said in Miaoli County.

In a six-point statement issued to protest China's violent crackdown on Tibetans, Ma condemned Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) for opposing the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) UN referendum bid and any attempts to change the "status quo" in the Taiwan Strait.

"The Republic of China [ROC] is a democratic country that enjoys sovereignty. The future of Taiwan will be decided by 23 million Taiwanese people, and we won't allow China's interference," Ma said. "Wen's remarks are outrageous and unreasonable, arrogant, dumb and pretentious. We strongly protest his ignoring the mainstream opinion of the 23 million Taiwanese people."

Wen told a press conference in Beijing yesterday that Saturday's referendums in Taiwan would change the fact that Taiwan belonged to China.

"We are opposed to the so-called referendum schemes for Taiwan's membership in the United Nations," Wen said. "That would deal a serious blow to cross-strait relations, that would harm the fundamental interests of the people on both sides, cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait and threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region at large."

Matters that involved the territory and sovereignty of China should be decided by Chinese people, including the Taiwanese, and any attempts to separate Taiwan from China will not succeed, Wen said.

Ma said yesterday that he would spare no effort to apply for UN membership if elected, as entering the UN was the collective wish of Taiwanese people.

The KMT referendum calls for rejoining the UN under the formal title of the ROC, or any other "practical" title.

The DPP's UN referendum calls for joining the UN under the name "Taiwan." The KMT has called for a boycott of the DPP's referendum.

Ma yesterday also reiterated his "three noes" policy on cross-strait relations -- no unification, no independence and no use of force -- and said his policy would help maintain the cross-strait "status quo," which was supported by the majority of Taiwanese.

Ma also pledged to invite diplomatic allies to join him and extend their support for the Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, and urged Beijing to initiate talks with the Dalai Lama.

Ma's camp held a candlelight vigil last night at Ketagalan Boulevard to protest Beijing's use of force in Lhasa.

After addressing the vigil, Ma and camp members carried candles as they walked to Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall to pay their respects to a group of Tibetan exiles who began a sit-in on Monday night.

Earlier yesterday, DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) criticized Ma for making "immoral" and "cruel" comments about Beijing's crackdown in Tibet.

While the rest of the world condemned Beijing's violence, Hsieh said that Ma had claimed it was unclear who should be held responsible for the crackdown and had urged the DPP to refrain from taking advantage of the incident.

"It is like rubbing salt in the wounds of the Tibetans," Hsieh said. "It is unethical and cruel to isolate the Tibetans and vilify those showing them concern."

Hsieh said he wanted to know when Ma believed would be a good time for China to crack down on Tibet -- after the presidential election or after the Olympics?

"No government should suppress people demanding to decide their own future," he said. "Those who speak for the perpetrator or for the oppressor are the friends of dictatorship."

As for Ma's threat to boycott the Games if the situation in Tibet worsened, Hsieh said Ma was constantly shifting his position.

Ma's comment was made in haste and might sacrifice the country's interest, Hsieh said.

"It would exert tremendous pressure on China if Ma were to relinquish unification with China and abandon the `one China common market' to protest Beijing's bloody crackdown," he said.

Hsieh said that he had long suspected Ma is a "cold-hearted" person and that his remarks about Tibet only proved that Ma was indeed ruthless.

Internationalizing China's abuse of human rights is a way to protect Taiwan, Hsieh said, because only if Taiwan cares about Tibet will the world care about Taiwan.

Hsieh's campaign office also issued a statement opposing China's crackdown on Tibet, opposing China's intimidation of Taiwan and opposing Ma's ultimate desire for unification with China.

Hsieh said that Wen's attempt to blame the Dalai Lama for the unrest reminded him "that the remarks by totalitarian regimes are all the same, as the KMT blamed [my] campaign team for plotting the skirmish caused by four KMT legislators who barged into our campaign office [last week]."

Hsieh said both Ma and Wen promoted unification.

"I would like to know whether Ma will accept the `one China' principle since he has promised to negotiate with Beijing one year after taking office," Hsieh said. "I would also like to know how he plans to complete the negotiations if he does not accept Beijing's terms."

Hsieh urged Ma to abandon the idea of unification and a "one China common market."

Meanwhile, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) rebuffed Wen's comment that China "hoped to resume peace talks across the Strait as soon as possible."

"If China wanted to convince Taiwan of its sincerity in cross-strait peace talks, it should first permit Tibetans to declare independence and give Tibetans their religious freedom," Shieh said.

"It is ironic that China is preaching the spirit of peace while staging a crackdown in Tibet," he said, adding that China's offer of talks while targeting its missiles at Taiwan seemed more like a threat.

Shieh said the manner in which China has handled Tibet reflected what Beijing's "one China" principle is all about, adding that Taiwan was "lucky" to be able to enjoy democracy, human rights and freedom in the face of Beijing's actions.

"Holding the UN referendums and moving toward independence are two different things. We want to join the UN because we want to share democracy, human right and freedom with the international community and help promote these values," Shieh said.

The Mainland Affairs Council also issued a statement yesterday condemning Wen's claim that Taiwan has no right to proceed with the UN referendums on Saturday because it is part of China.

"The Republic of China is a democratic, free, independent country. Self-determination is a right of the 23 million Taiwanese," the council said.

The council also reproached China for using brutal measures against Tibetans and urged Beijing to stop smearing the Dalai Lama.

Ma won't rule out Olympic boycott over Tibet
　

By Mo Yan-chih and Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTERS
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008, Page 1

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday reiterated his call for China to end its suppression of Tibet, and said that, if elected, he would not rule out boycotting the Beijing Olympics if the situation in Tibet deteriorated.

"If the Chinese government continued its suppression of Tibetans, and the situation in Tibet worsens, I would not rule out stopping athletes from attending the 2008 Beijing Olympics," Ma said in Miaoli County.

In a six-point statement issued to protest China's violent crackdown on Tibetans, Ma condemned Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) for opposing the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) UN referendum bid and any attempts to change the "status quo" in the Taiwan Strait.

"The Republic of China [ROC] is a democratic country that enjoys sovereignty. The future of Taiwan will be decided by 23 million Taiwanese people, and we won't allow China's interference," Ma said. "Wen's remarks are outrageous and unreasonable, arrogant, dumb and pretentious. We strongly protest his ignoring the mainstream opinion of the 23 million Taiwanese people."

Wen told a press conference in Beijing yesterday that Saturday's referendums in Taiwan would change the fact that Taiwan belonged to China.

"We are opposed to the so-called referendum schemes for Taiwan's membership in the United Nations," Wen said. "That would deal a serious blow to cross-strait relations, that would harm the fundamental interests of the people on both sides, cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait and threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region at large."

Matters that involved the territory and sovereignty of China should be decided by Chinese people, including the Taiwanese, and any attempts to separate Taiwan from China will not succeed, Wen said.

Ma said yesterday that he would spare no effort to apply for UN membership if elected, as entering the UN was the collective wish of Taiwanese people.

The KMT referendum calls for rejoining the UN under the formal title of the ROC, or any other "practical" title.

The DPP's UN referendum calls for joining the UN under the name "Taiwan." The KMT has called for a boycott of the DPP's referendum.

Ma yesterday also reiterated his "three noes" policy on cross-strait relations -- no unification, no independence and no use of force -- and said his policy would help maintain the cross-strait "status quo," which was supported by the majority of Taiwanese.

Ma also pledged to invite diplomatic allies to join him and extend their support for the Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, and urged Beijing to initiate talks with the Dalai Lama.

Ma's camp held a candlelight vigil last night at Ketagalan Boulevard to protest Beijing's use of force in Lhasa.

After addressing the vigil, Ma and camp members carried candles as they walked to Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall to pay their respects to a group of Tibetan exiles who began a sit-in on Monday night.

Earlier yesterday, DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) criticized Ma for making "immoral" and "cruel" comments about Beijing's crackdown in Tibet.

While the rest of the world condemned Beijing's violence, Hsieh said that Ma had claimed it was unclear who should be held responsible for the crackdown and had urged the DPP to refrain from taking advantage of the incident.

"It is like rubbing salt in the wounds of the Tibetans," Hsieh said. "It is unethical and cruel to isolate the Tibetans and vilify those showing them concern."

Hsieh said he wanted to know when Ma believed would be a good time for China to crack down on Tibet -- after the presidential election or after the Olympics?

"No government should suppress people demanding to decide their own future," he said. "Those who speak for the perpetrator or for the oppressor are the friends of dictatorship."

As for Ma's threat to boycott the Games if the situation in Tibet worsened, Hsieh said Ma was constantly shifting his position.

Ma's comment was made in haste and might sacrifice the country's interest, Hsieh said.

"It would exert tremendous pressure on China if Ma were to relinquish unification with China and abandon the `one China common market' to protest Beijing's bloody crackdown," he said.

Hsieh said that he had long suspected Ma is a "cold-hearted" person and that his remarks about Tibet only proved that Ma was indeed ruthless.

Internationalizing China's abuse of human rights is a way to protect Taiwan, Hsieh said, because only if Taiwan cares about Tibet will the world care about Taiwan.

Hsieh's campaign office also issued a statement opposing China's crackdown on Tibet, opposing China's intimidation of Taiwan and opposing Ma's ultimate desire for unification with China.

Hsieh said that Wen's attempt to blame the Dalai Lama for the unrest reminded him "that the remarks by totalitarian regimes are all the same, as the KMT blamed [my] campaign team for plotting the skirmish caused by four KMT legislators who barged into our campaign office [last week]."

Hsieh said both Ma and Wen promoted unification.

"I would like to know whether Ma will accept the `one China' principle since he has promised to negotiate with Beijing one year after taking office," Hsieh said. "I would also like to know how he plans to complete the negotiations if he does not accept Beijing's terms."

Hsieh urged Ma to abandon the idea of unification and a "one China common market."

Meanwhile, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) rebuffed Wen's comment that China "hoped to resume peace talks across the Strait as soon as possible."

"If China wanted to convince Taiwan of its sincerity in cross-strait peace talks, it should first permit Tibetans to declare independence and give Tibetans their religious freedom," Shieh said.

"It is ironic that China is preaching the spirit of peace while staging a crackdown in Tibet," he said, adding that China's offer of talks while targeting its missiles at Taiwan seemed more like a threat.

Shieh said the manner in which China has handled Tibet reflected what Beijing's "one China" principle is all about, adding that Taiwan was "lucky" to be able to enjoy democracy, human rights and freedom in the face of Beijing's actions.

"Holding the UN referendums and moving toward independence are two different things. We want to join the UN because we want to share democracy, human right and freedom with the international community and help promote these values," Shieh said.

The Mainland Affairs Council also issued a statement yesterday condemning Wen's claim that Taiwan has no right to proceed with the UN referendums on Saturday because it is part of China.

"The Republic of China is a democratic, free, independent country. Self-determination is a right of the 23 million Taiwanese," the council said.

The council also reproached China for using brutal measures against Tibetans and urged Beijing to stop smearing the Dalai Lama.

KMT win bad for freedom: Hsieh
　

POWER CORRUPTS: As the violent crackdown in Tibet continues, the DPP hopeful and his supporters warned against the concentration of power within a single party
　

By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008, Page 3

　

To vote for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in Saturday's presidential election would be to endorse one-party rule, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday.

"One-party rule is bound to have far-reaching repercussions on the development of democracy and people's livelihoods," Hsieh said.

Since the KMT won the legislative election in January, many have wondered whether the country's hard-earned democracy is doomed, he said.

Hsieh made the remarks after visiting Huang Kun-yen (黃崑巖), co-founder of the National Cheng Kung University Hospital, in Taipei yesterday morning.

Urging undecided voters to come out and vote, Huang said he was worried the KMT's control of both the legislature and the executive would corrupt the party, whose lust for power manifested itself during its 50-year authoritarian rule.

"Power corrupts," he said. "Compared with the KMT's half-a-century rule, eight years of DPP rule is too short. We need another party to act as a check on the KMT's power."

If the KMT establishes the "cross-strait common market" and recognizes Chinese academic credentials, Huang said he expected medical quality to deteriorate, as there are as many as 5,000 medical practitioners in China waiting to enter the Taiwanese market.

While the KMT promised not to abuse its power if elected, Hsieh said the public could not afford to count on the party's goodwill alone.

"What if it [the KMT] cannot deliver on its promises? The only thing people could do is cry," he said. "We must establish a system in which the government continues to operate, but with checks and balances -- no matter who is in power."

If elected, Hsieh said, he promised to share administrative powers with the KMT and appoint a KMT member as premier.

The country would not be in idle spin, there would no longer be political infighting and government budgets would not be boycotted, Hsieh said. He would act as the gatekeeper of cross-strait policy and ensure that Taiwan-centered consciousness, national security and sovereignty are upheld while opening up to China.

At a separate setting yesterday, former national policy adviser to the president Huang Tien-fu (黃天福) expressed similar concerns, saying that Beijing's bloody crackdown on Tibet reminded him of the KMT's authoritarian rule.

"I'm afraid that Taiwan will become the next Tibet," he said. "If the KMT wins the election, we don't know when we will [get the presidency] back."

Huang Tien-fu is the brother of former DPP chairman Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介), one of the individuals accused during the Kaohsiung Incident.

Also known as the Formosa Incident, the Kaohsiung Incident occurred on Dec. 10, 1979, when the KMT government cracked down and imprisoned participants in an anti-government parade organized by Formosa magazine.

It could happen to you

Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008, Page 8

I am Italian. I live and work in China. All the news about Tibet is blocked and filtered out, including YouTube. People here are blind.

No one has any interest in politics: This is the way China is; this is not freedom.

Taiwan is one of the most free countries on this planet, according to its Freedom House ranking -- more free than my own nation. In Taiwan, news is not censored and people have the freedom to hold different opinions.

I really hope and wish that before the coming election, Taiwanese realize what Taiwan would become if it moved closer to China.

I really hope Taiwanese will wake up and choose the party farthest from Chinese ideology, because what is happening in Lhasa could one day happen in Taipei, too.

For years, Beijing has been sending hundreds and hundreds of Chinese people to Tibet in order to make Tibetans a minority in their own land. In my country we call this ethnic cleansing and one day that could happen in Taiwan, too.

Identity is very important. Where we're from and who we are -- don't let that ever be erased, because our identity is our DNA. It is all we are about.

People here in China have no identity, no rights and no hope -- just some stupid TV programs to brainwash them.

NAME WITHHELD
Guangzhou, China

Time to end the media's distortion of the truth
　

By Lillian Wang 王泰俐
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008, Page 8

`Much of the public has a sense of "relative deprivation" because of the media's unbalanced reporting.'

The economy has been the main focus of the presidential campaign. In addition to the unfavorable domestic and global economic situation, this is the result of the "relative deprivation" created by some media outlets in recent years.

They have used the public's enthusiasm for comparison to generate a sense of envy if others have something that they do not; or a sense of frustration if people believe they deserve something that they do not have.

The manipulation of "relative deprivation" has successfully dominated the campaign, crowding out other issues. The influence of the media on this issue should not be underestimated.

By controlling the social atmosphere, the media is able to shape public opinion in such a way that it can achieve predictable results.

Even voters who aren't particularly interested in the economy -- preferring to focus on Taiwan's democratic development, sovereignty and future direction -- also suffer deeply from "relative deprivation." The issues they value have been overlooked by much of the media, as if they don't exist. This is also why the Intellectuals' Alliance has attempted to provide diverse options for thought to voters before the election.

Much of the public has a sense of "relative deprivation" because of the media's unbalanced reporting, which has been lacking in diversity since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in 2000.

Take the major political events and social conflicts for example. Certain media channels report only parts of such stories to create a so-called "social reality" that meets their own objectives.

The public has been deprived of its right to know the truth. The biased coverage of the intrusion into DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) campaign headquarters by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers last Wednesday was an excellent example of this kind of manipulation.

Judging from the media's preset issues, the interpretation of both political and economic events, the partial reporting of certain news and political commentary shows, there appears to be a large gap between the supporters of the two camps in terms of access to media information, an important social resource.

Taiwan will elect a new president on Saturday. Some media outlets are portraying the political situation as the coming of a "new dawn."

However, given the prevailing media bias, we can hardly be so optimistic. If KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is elected, the media's practice of "what we say counts" will only worsen. Media resource distribution may even become more uneven.

But if Hsieh is elected, couldn't such uneven distribution be improved in the face of a ruling minority and an opposition majority?

Now is the time to keep such "relative deprivation" by the media from being employed again in the next election, causing even more social conflict.

Lillian Wang is an associate professor of journalism at National Chengchi University.