Listen to the voice

Tibetan freedom torch reaches summit of Yushan
　

By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Monday, Jul 07, 2008, Page 2
　

Tibetans in Taiwan, Tibet support and human rights groups members cheered as they reached the top of Yushan (玉山) yesterday while carrying the Tibetan Freedom Torch, completing the Taiwan leg of the torch relay.

“Free Tibet! Free Tibet,” they cheered, waving Tibetan flags excitedly after they finally reached Yushan’s summit around 7:30am yesterday. The sound and images were broadcast live via the Internet on a Taiwan Friends of Tibet (TFOT) Web site. The climbers then lit the torch atop Taiwan’s highest peak.

“Lighting the torch atop Jade Mountain [Yushan] was the most unforgettable moment,” Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association chairman Rinzin Tsering told the Taipei Times via telephone on his way back to Taipei.

“I’m not used to climbing mountains, so my feet are sore, but it’s okay,” he said. “I’m really proud of it.”

“Today [yesterday] is the Dalai Lama’s birthday, I think this is the best birthday gift for him,” TFOT chairwoman Chow Mei-li (周美里) told a press conference later in Taipei to celebrate the accomplishment.

Own Su-jei (翁仕杰), deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation, said the summit of Yushan was chosen as the place to light the torch because “Yushan stands on a latitude that’s very close to Mount Everest — home of Tibetans.”

“We want to send the message to the Tibetans that we heard their voices, and we would like to stand behind them in their struggle to achieve freedom,” he said.

The Tibetan Freedom Torch Relay was initiated by the International Tibet Support Network and began on March 10 — the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising in Tibet — at the ancient Olympia in Greece. After passing through more than 30 cities in 18 countries across the world, the torch arrived in Taiwan early on Friday morning.

According to the plan, the torch will continue to travel to Uruguay and India before reaching Tibet on Aug. 7, a day before the Beijing Olympic Games are set to begin.

Listen to the voice

Beijing stalling for time: Tibet
　

WASTE OF TIME: Representatives of the Dalai Lama are openly questioning the use of continuing talks with Chinese officials amid growing discontent under Beijing’s rule

AFP, DHARAMSHALA, INDIA
Monday, Jul 07, 2008, Page 5
　

Representatives of the Dalai Lama and China made no headway on the status of Tibet in talks last week, an envoy of the spiritual leader said on Saturday, describing himself as “disappointed.”

“There is a growing perception among the Tibetans and my friends that the whole tactic of the Chinese government is to engage us to stall for time,” said Lodi Gyari, who led the two-man team that met Chinese officials in Beijing.

“My colleague and I told our Chinese counterpart candidly that we ourselves are beginning to inch towards this school of thought,” Gyari said.

Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen met with a series of Chinese officials on Tuesday and Wednesday for the seventh round of a dialogue process that was started in 2002 but broke off last year.

Beijing agreed to restart the dialogue amid world criticism of its massive crackdown on deadly anti-Chinese riots that engulfed the Tibetan capital Lhasa in spring and spread across the Tibetan plateau.

The Beijing talks followed an informal meeting in May, also in China.

The Dalai Lama, who said he opposed Tibetan independence, called for “real and meaningful autonomy” for the region and an end to what he said are widespread human rights violations against his people.

“The recent events in Tibet clearly demonstrated the Tibetan people’s genuine and deep-rooted discontentment with the People’s Republic of China’s policies,” Gyari said after briefing the Dalai Lama earlier on Saturday.

“We had hoped that the Chinese leadership would reciprocate our efforts by taking tangible steps during this round,” Gyari told press at a conference in the Tibetan exile enclave of Dharamshala, in India’s Himalayan foothills.

“On the contrary, due to their excessive concern about legitimacy, the Chinese side even failed to agree to our proposal of issuing a joint statement with the aim of committing both parties to the dialogue process,” Gyari said.

Gyari said the stance of the Chinese government had cast doubt on the benefit of continuing the talks.

“We were compelled to candidly convey to our counterparts that in the absence of serious and sincere commitment on their part, the continuation of the present dialogue process would serve no purpose,” he said.

But the envoys have agreed to at least one more round of talks in October, after Beijing hosts the Olympics next month, to gauge China’s level of commitment in resolving concerns over Tibet, he said.

China’s opponents accuse it of systematic political, cultural and religious oppression in the remote and devoutly Buddhist Himalayan region.

Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting unrest in the Tibetan region that erupted on March 14 after four days of peaceful protests against Chinese rule.

Representatives from the Tibetan government-in-exile said 203 Tibetans were killed and about 1,000 hurt in China’s crackdown.

Beijing insisted that only one Tibetan was killed, and has in turn accused the “rioters” of killing 21 people.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops in to “liberate” the region.

Listen to the voice

Saving the world, one solar bike at a time
　

By Song Yann-huei 宋燕輝
Monday, Jul 07, 2008, Page 8

'If half of the bikes in the world were replaced with solar-powered bikes developed in Taiwan, it would be a significant contribution both to Taiwan’s economy and to global environmental protection.'

Taiwan’s renewable energy and energy conservation industry should start research and development of solar-powered bicycles and power-conversion sunshades and hats, in addition to solar-powered home appliances. Such products could turn Taiwan into a new energy-saving and carbon-reducing high-tech kingdom.

Taiwan is still the world’s leading bike manufacturer. It used to be the leader in umbrella and hat manufacturing. If it can add photovoltaic technology to its line-up of bikes, sunshades and hats, it has a chance to monopolize the market, create more jobs and boost exports, while making a significant contribution to environmental protection.

Today’s electric bikes are mostly powered by oil and electricity. Oil price hikes affect electric-bike owners use of engine oil, fuel oil and gasoline. These bikes also create carbon dioxide emissions and consume energy when their batteries are recharged, plus discarded batteries can cause environmental problems. If Taiwan can develop solar powered bikes while lowering production costs and prices to those of ordinary bikes, it would be a breakthrough. Such bikes could automatically recharge by being left out in the sun.

Think about it: If half of the bikes in the world were replaced with solar powered bikes developed in Taiwan, this would be a significant contribution both to Taiwan’s economy and to global environmental protection.

Developing power-conversion sun umbrellas and hats is somewhat similar to developing solar powered bikes. Manufacturers should invent umbrellas or hats equipped with small boxes that would act as power converters for solar power storage and conversion. Such boxes could store solar-generated power automatically after being in the sun for a while. Consumers would then remove the converters and install them in home appliances, such as fans, radios, toasters and dryers. If half of the people in the world who use sun umbrellas or hats could use such Taiwan-made products, these inventions would be a significant contribution to not only Taiwan but also the world.

Taiwan has the potential to become a new energy-saving and carbon-reducing high-tech kingdom. Such an achievement would win international recognition of Taiwan’s efforts on energy conservation, carbon reduction and sustainable environmental protection. It could even bring a Nobel Peace Prize to Taiwan and enable it to enter the UN Environment Program.

The government should boost research and development funds to help upgrade the photovoltaic technology and develop the renewable energy and energy conservation industries.

Song Yann-huei is a research fellow in the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica.