Tibet Update - Google decision, Wangchen sentenced, Clinton on Tibet

Support Tibet | Get Updates

The Tibet Update enewsletter is a bimonthly summary of news and governmental actions related to Tibet. Past issues in PDF format are located at http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/tibet-weekly-updates. INSIDE TIBET: China jails Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen for 6 years According to information received, Dhondup Wangchen, the Tibetan filmmaker who was arrested last year, soon after completing filming of the documentary, "Leaving Fear Behind," has been tried and sentenced to six years in prison on December 28, 2009. It is not known where the trial took place. Wangchen's film documented Tibetan views of last year's Beijing Olympics, the current situation in Tibet and the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet. Read the full report >> ICT Report: Tibetans defy security crackdown to demonstrate in support of imprisoned Lama Deleg Rinpoche is a highly respected religious teacher serving a life sentence. According to sources, a group of local Lamas appealed to the county government to allow local people to see Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, fearing that if this request was not granted, Tibetans in the area might 'rise up' in protest. At least 20 Tibetans remain in detention, and many were injured and hospitalized. Read the full report >> U.S.: Google decision a "crack in the wall of censorship" that sets new standard Google's decision to halt censorship on its search engine in China and its threat to pull out of the Chinese market in response to cyber-attacks that seek to access the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists sets a new standard for other companies operating in China. Mary Beth Markey, ICT Vice President for Advocacy said, "For 20 years, we've battled against putting profits in the China market ahead of human rights. It's impossible for us not to see Google's decision as anything but a real victory for the people and those who support their struggle for greater freedoms." Read the full report >> ICT Report: Chinese government fails to block Tibet film screening at major festival in U.S. January 7, 2010: Chinese government has failed to stop a film on Tibet from being shown at a major international film festival in Palm Springs, California despite pressure on festival organizers. In protest, the Chinese withdrew two films from the festival, blaming it on being a decision taken by the Chinese film directors. Darryl Macdonald, director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) said, "After meeting with representatives from the Chinese government regarding their request to cancel our screenings of 'The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom,' we have respectfully declined their request ...." Read the full report >> DALAI LAMA: Statement by the Dalai Lama on Chinese writer Liu Xiaobo's prison sentence In a statement released on December 28, the Dalai Lama said he is saddened by the Chinese Government's sentencing of Liu Xiaobo, a well-known Chinese writer to an 11yr jail term. He said, "By forcefully sentencing Liu Xiaobo, and others like him, who use freedom of expression to publicly articulate their opinions, the Chinese Authorities have not only violated the binding principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the freedom of expression mentioned in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China." Read the full statement >> U.S. GOVERNMENT: Secretary Clinton on Tibet On January 12, the Washington Post reported that Secretary Clinton, while speaking on the first day of her nine day, three nation Asia-Pacific journey, played down the friction between United States and China and said, "What I'm expecting is that we actually are having a mature relationship. That means that it doesn't go off the rails when we have differences of opinion." Read the full article >> NEPAL: China pledges to bolster aid and trade in Nepal; as Nepal's PM says anti china activities will not be tolerated On December 30, Chinese State media reported that China pledged to bolster aid and trade in Nepal as the Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who is on a six day trip to China, said that his government would not tolerate anti-china protests in the Himalayan nation. In comments reported on Chinese state television, Nepal told Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, "The Nepalese government ... believes that Taiwan and Tibet are inalienable parts of Chinese territory, .... Nepal will not allow any forces to use Nepalese territory to engage in anti-China activities."Read the full article >> FROM THE ICT BLOG: A Google alert, indeed - January 13, 2010 China unwittingly promotes Tibetan film it tried to ban - January 13, 2010 How About the Tibetan Personnel Changes in Lhasa? - January 12, 2010 Kasur Ngapo Ngawang Jigme and His Autobiography - December 28, 2009 Why climate change in Tibet is a global issue - December 22, 2009

International Campaign for Tibet 1825 Jefferson Place NW | Washington, DC 20036 info@savetibet.org | 202-785-1515 http://www.savetibet.org/