Tibet update

Many of us have seen the terrible images of violence and repression in Chinese-occupied Tibet - today I was sent a link from a Canadian news service claiming Britain's GCHQ (the government communications agency that electronically monitors half the world from space) has confirmed the claim by the Dalai Lama that agents of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the PLA, posing as monks, triggered the riots that have left hundreds of Tibetans dead or injured.

Photo: This was taken from the report - it is apparently not an uncommon 'tactical move' from the Chinese government as could be seen from the 2003 annual TCHRD Report

GCHQ analysts, according to this report, believe the decision was deliberately calculated by the Beijing leadership to provide an excuse to stamp out the simmering unrest in the region, which is already attracting unwelcome world attention in the run-up to the Olympic Games this summer. I have found it hard to confirm this report - there is lots on the web about it but little in the way of sources....nevertheless this fits with other evidence and the photo is interesting and indeed chilling in itself if it really is what it looks like...there is indeed lots of hard evidence of the shocking Chinese tactics - see the Free Tibet and Amnesty websites.

It was however great to read that the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing. European leaders have rightly condemned human rights abuses in Burma and Zimbabwe, but it seems that it is increasingly difficult not to conclude that the desire not to upset trading relations with China is persuading the West to put money before morality.

In 1986 I spent a month in Tibet that was very special indeed - and two months in China. I have taken a keen interest in this issue since then and strongly consider that we need to hear our governments using every possible political and diplomatic instrument to change China's policy in Tibet. We need an end to violence in Chinese-occupied Tibet, and the recognition of Tibet’s right to self determination.

People supporting China's hosting of the Olympics have argued that it gives us leverage to influence China on human rights. If that is the case, we need to use that lever and be prepared to boycott aspects of the Games unless China acts. The Chinese government must end human rights abuses, release political prisoners, and allow full media access within Tibet.