Poll adds to woes over Brown future

LONDON (Reuters) - Speculation about Prime Minister Gordon Brown's future gathered pace on Saturday with media reports of concern amongst senior Labour figures and a new opinion poll putting the Conservatives 22 points ahead.
Ministers have openly spoken of their support for the embattled prime minister but a day after Labour lost one of its safest parliamentary seats, newspapers were rife with rumours of backbenchers were sharpening their knives behind the scenes.

The Guardian newspaper said that discussions were under way at cabinet level on whether to seek Brown's "orderly resignation" while the Independent said Labour MPs were urging senior ministers to tell Brown to quit.

"I do not recognise those comments from the Cabinet colleagues I talk to," Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband told BBC's Newsnight programme when asked about the claims.

"People realise there is a big collective responsibility here -- the collective responsibility is not to turn inwards but to turn outwards and understand the concerns of the country."

The BBC also reported that Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who papers said had been approached by Labour backbench MPs to tell Brown to step down, had told them to "calm down".

The speculation has grown since the Scottish National Party (SNP) snatched a slim 365-vote majority in the Glasgow East constituency with a 22.5 percent swing that overturned the 13,500 majority enjoyed by Labour at the 2005 election.

In further bad news, an opinion poll for the Independent on Saturday showed the Conservatives with 46 percent support of voters, way ahead of Labour on 24 percent.

That would give the Tories a landslide victory at the next general election, which Brown must call by May 2010.

This weekend the party's main policy-making forum is meeting to try to work out how to win back voters disillusioned by a string of political gaffes, rising inflation, falling house prices and a slowing economy.

Brown, whose popularity has slumped in the 13 months since he replaced Tony Blair, has vowed to fight on, saying he is the right man to be at the helm as the country deals with difficult worldwide economic problems.

Former minister David Blunkett backed that stance.

"The issues that affect people are not ones which divide the party or Gordon Brown from any potential successor," he told BBC radio.

"We are not a hatchet job party like the Conservatives who can drop their leader literally at the drop of a hat.

"So grow up, don't go for what might be a popular quick fix that you couldn't actually put in place and let's actually combine in the way we know best and work out what will actually reach people."

Development in Tibet irked the miscreants

Lhasa (Tibet), July 21, (ANI): The recent demonstrations by people of Tibet, which disrupted the normal life, according to the Chinese have harmed development work being carried out by the Chinese Government.The vice chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Baima Chilin, who was recently in Lhasa, has blamed the Dalai Lama and his supporters who, according to him, instigated violent protests in Tibet.During the anti-China riots on March 14, the activists had allegedly burnt several shops and a school building in Lhasa. The violence left 18 people dead and several others as injured.While giving details of several development works being carried out by the Central government with the help of local government to a team of foreign mediapersons, Baima Chilin claimed that over 98 per cent of the students were receiving primary education at present in Tibet.In 1959, during Dalai Lama’s rule here, more than 90 percent of the people of Tibet were illiterate, he added.He admitted that transportation facilities in Tibet were not in very good shape at the moment, but all efforts were being made to improve them and soon there would be good infrastructure in the region.There had been, he claimed, steady improvement in agricultural production.According to available figures, in 1978 Tibet’s per capita GDP was 375 Yuan. It rose to 10,430 Yuan in 2006. Output value of Agriculture, Forestry, Animal husbandry and Fishery in Tibet during 1959 was 14,417 units, which has also risen to 704,765 units in 2006.The export and import trade value in 1970 was 10,30,000 (1.03 million) US dollars. In 2006, it was over 176.18 million US dollars. Output of major crops like Rice, wheat, winter wheat and Qingke Barley has also risen to many folds in the region.Total grain production in 1959 was 182,905 tonnes. In 200, it was 923,688 tonnes. The figures say that the financial revenue of the region has also risen from 133.02 million Yuan in 1959 to over 2.56 million Yuan in 2006. In Beijing, Dong Yunhu, the Director General of the State council information office said that Tibet issue is an issue of modernization of Tibet.Yunhu said since 1959 when the Tibet was taken over by the Chinese Government from the clutches of Dalai Lama, the Central government decided to work for Tibet’s modernization and for the uplift of the inhabitants in the region, which is also and main human right issue.He alleged that most of the income of the monasteries and other religious places situated in Tibet was either spent for the maintenance of standard of living of the masters of the monasteries and not much had been spent over the development of Tibet and its people’s welfare.“It was the policy of the China's government to speed up development works in Tibet” Yunhu said.The rapid development in the region, it is argued, has forced Dalai Lama's supporters to run away from the monasteries.Yunhu said that the Dalai Lama and his administrators would find it difficult to maintain the pace of reforms in Tibet undertaken by the Central government of China. The Dalai Lama, he alleged, was not qualified to administer Tibet properly.Dong said that if Dalai wanted to return to China he could come as a Chinese citizen.While expressing his views on India China relations, Dong said, " I believe that the friendship between India and China is not only important for South Asia but for the whole world.”Dong appreciated the steps taken by India to contain the impact of demonstrations by the supporters of Dalai Lama against China during the march of Olympic Torch in New Delhi. He urged India to stop Dalai Lama and his supporters to indulge in activities against China.The Chinese and Tibetans leaders in Lhasa admitted that the issues connected with Tibet were difficult to solve and looked for support from India.

John Nichols: Obama, McCain & Tibet

The Capital Times[Monday, July 21, 2008 00:21]President Bush has announced that, despite China's violent crackdowns on dissent in Tibet and its support for the brutal dictatorships of Sudan and Burma, he will attend next month's opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.In response, Barack Obama distinguished himself from the man he seeks to replace.Asked whether he, as president, would convey legitimacy on the Chinese government's recent actions by attending the opening ceremonies, Obama said, "In the absence of some sense of progress, in the absence of some sense from the Dalai Lama that there was progress, I would not have gone."This was not Obama's first statement regarding Tibet or the Dalai Lama, who this week is in Wisconsin as part of a visit to the United States.In a foreign policy address delivered in March, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee member said that the advancement of human rights must be a central U.S. priority. And he pointedly declared, "We can start now by speaking out for the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet."Around the same time, Obama announced, "If Tibetans are to live in harmony with the rest of China's people, their religion and culture must be respected and protected. Tibet should enjoy genuine and meaningful autonomy."While Obama's election would represent a clear break with the compromised commitments of the Bush administration -- and of the Clinton administration before it -- the jury is still out on Republican John McCain.Without a doubt, McCain is more sensitive to concerns regarding China's human rights abuses than Bush. This spring, when the Chinese crackdown in Tibet turned particularly violent, the senator from Arizona issued an excellent statement."I deplore the violent crackdown by Chinese authorities and the continuing oppression in Tibet of those merely wishing to practice their faith and preserve their culture and heritage. I have listened carefully to the Dalai Lama and am convinced he is a man of peace who reflects the hopes and aspirations of Tibetans. I urge the government of the People's Republic of China to address the root causes of unrest in Tibet by opening a genuine dialogue with his holiness, the Dalai Lama, aimed at granting greater autonomy."At the time, McCain suggested that he might also boycott the opening ceremonies as a protest against Beijing's policies.In recent months, however, McCain has been increasingly critical of Obama's emphasis on diplomacy and respecting human rights when it comes to international affairs. When Bush announced he would attend the opening ceremonies, McCain made no formal move to condemn the decision.While Obama has been firmer in his embrace of human rights, McCain's past statements suggest a consciousness of what is at stake in the dispute over China's treatment of Tibet that runs far broader than that evidenced by George Bush or Bill Clinton during their presidencies.As such, though Bush's decision to attend the opening ceremonies is both disappointing and embarrassing, 2008 might yet be the year when America moves from the shadow of complicity into the sunlight of a more genuine commitment to human rights.

MICHAEL STIPE - STIPE JOINS FREE TIBET CAMPAIGN

R.E.M. rocker MICHAEL STIPE and British actor JEREMY IRONS have voiced their support for Tibetan independence by appearing in a poster campaign on behalf of the Free Tibet organisation.The stars are among a host of celebrities who have taken part in the T for Tibet initiative, which features them making a 'T' sign with their hands in the photographs.And Anne Holmes, the Acting Director of Free Tibet Campaign, hopes the hand gesture will catch on ahead of the summer (08) Olympics in Beijing, China.She says, "We are confident the campaign and the T hand signal will go global quickly. Now all we need are some brave athletes who are willing to show they care about human rights by making the T sign in Beijing."Tibet lost independence to China in 1951, and Chinese authorities have come under fire in recent months over their human rights record in the region.
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/stipe%20joins%20free%20tibet%20campaign_1074916

Update on Tibet Demonstrations, 21 July 2008

Monday, July 21 2008 @ 11:55 pm BST10 July 2008
Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Ngaba "TAP", Amdo (incorporated into the Chinese province of Sichuan) - Three given arbitrary sentencesOn around 10 July, three people, who allegedly participated in a protest held in Ngaba county on 16 March, were given arbitrary sentences by the People's Intermediate Court of Ngaba "Tibetan Autonomous Region".Kelbar (23) from Lota township in the lower division of Ngaba county was sentenced to life prison. Terzoe (25) from Drongtoe Tsang family in Ngaba county was sentenced to 15 years and Tsegor (27) from Gongma Tsang family to 13 years of imprisonment.
18 June 2008
Nyagchu (Ch: Yajiang) County, Karze "TAP", Kham (incorporated into the Chinese province of Sichuan) - A monk commits suicide due to "patriotic re-education"Trangma, a monk from Minyak Drapa Yangdhen monastery in Nyagchu county, committed suicide on 18 June for not being able to undergo the "patriotic re-education" which mainly includes denouncing His Holiness the Dalai Lama.His aged mother Ache and other monks were warned and intimidated against disclosing information about this incident to the outside world. The work-teams have temporarily withdrawn from the monastery following his suicide.A school within the above-mentioned monastery with around 30 monk-students were closed down by the Chinese authorities as a part of their "patriotic re-education".
No Specific Date
Bathang (Ch: Batang) County, Karze "TAP", Kham (incorporated into the Chinese province of Sichuan) -Numerous men from Lingkha-Sho and Gangri villages flee to mountainsA few days back in July, Jampa Gyaltsen, a leader of Gheymo village with an influential personality, successfully mediated to resolve the long-standing land dispute between the Lingkha-Sho and Gangri areas.However, the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and officials from Bathang county arrived at the village, and decided to give the disputed land to Lingkha-Sho village saying that none other than the Chinese government has the authority to resolve the land disputes.The people of Gangri village were outraged by their decision. They opposed the authorities saying that their decision was an unfair and they were intentionally creating rift among the Tibetans. Therefore, the people can't listen to the Chinese authorities, and they should leave the village.However, the people were instead intimidated at a gun point by the PSB which has further infuriated them. As a result, the people started shouting slogans such as "Tibet belongs to Tibetans. Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tibet is an independent county." This has led the PSB and the officials to run away from the scene.Later, two truck full of Chinese forces and work-teams led by the county head arrived at the Gangri village to suppress its people. However, all the men from the village have already fled to the mountains. The Chinese forces continue to guard the village and have already ordered those to surrender. Till now, no one has surrendered. There are over 100 families in Gangri village.