SFT and the Bay Area coalition of Tibet groups organizing around the Olympic Torch run in San Francisco have put up this banner. Awesome. Learn more at SFTeamTibet.org.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not attend the opening ceremony to the Beijing Olympics because of China’s human rights abuses.

Hong Kong says they will deny entry to people they think will protest during the Beijing Olympics. One HK legislator says, “restricting protesters will tarnish Hong Kong’s reputation as an international city that allows freedom of movement.” It’s funny, everywhere we look around the world the Beijing Olympics are cause for places known for respecting civil liberties and democracy are becoming more and more like China. Hong Kong is a special case, as it is now part of China but retains meaningful autonomy.

Last month, while the uprising in Tibet was receiving global attention there was a similar large uprising in East Turkestan by Uighurs, who also live under a brutal Chinese military occupation. China had effectively kept the lid on the protests in East Turkestan for weeks and now are confirming the unrest.

Republican Congressman Thaddeus McCotter has introduced a bill that would prohibit American government officials from attending the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. It wouldn’t apply to athletes, but would apply to President Bush.

China is jamming Voice of Tibet radio, which is “a channel for unbiased information and news to the Tibetans living under Chinese oppression in Tibet.” This has increased in recent weeks following the uprising in Tibet.

Elliot Sperling has a very interesting op-ed in the LA Times about the tension between the Dalai Lama’s pursuit of autonomy of an ever-diminishing nature with Tibetans unequivocal desire for independence. This is a complicated dynamic for people unfamiliar with the Tibetan independence movement’s history to get, but the reality is that like any other leader, many people disagree with the Dalai Lama about what the best solution to the Tibet question is. I strongly believe that the only solution is with full independence for all of Tibet and I think the Dalai Lama’s Middle Path will not quell the Tibetan peoples’ desire for freedom. Many Tibetans share the same position as me. This all speaks to the diversity of opinions and healthy political differences that exist in the Tibetan independence movement.

Apparently the violent crackdown by China in Tibet is bad for tourism. The New York Times has a story about how tourism companies and tourists are dealing with uncertain vacation plans. I could honestly not care less about how Tibetans struggle for freedom is impacting the bottom line of western vacation companies.

Lastly, Tibet Will Be Free, the official blog of Students for a Free Tibet and the 21st Most Powerful blog in the world, has a sweet new design.

Gerhard Heiberg, a Norwegian International Olympic Committee member:

“We have the possibility of influencing the Chinese government. There’s probably no one who has so much influence and power in China as the IOC right now.”

This is the whole point.

Hu Jia, an outspoken human rights advocate and political dissident, was just thrown in jail by the Chinese government for thought crimes.

A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced an outspoken human rights advocate to three and a half years in prison after ruling that his critical essays and comments about Communist Party rule amounted to inciting subversion, his lawyer said.

The conviction of the advocate, Hu Jia, 34, one of the most prominent human rights activists in China, quickly brought outside criticism of China at a time when the government is already facing international concern over its handling of the Tibetan crisis.

Mr. Hu’s case has been followed closely, especially in Europe, and critics say his conviction is part of a government crackdown to silence dissidents before Beijing plays host to the Olympic Games in August.

But I was told that the Olympics would change China and there would be human rights improvements! I’m not sure I want to live in a world where the International Olympic Committee’s fearless leader Jacques Rogge is proven wrong in such public and repeated fashion! What will I tell the children?

China has made no attempt to hide their crackdown on dissidents, human rights advocates, the press, bloggers, Uighurs, and, most visibly, Tibetans over the last year plus. In every instance, people like my former colleagues at Students for a Free Tibet or organizations like Human Rights in China or Reporters Without Borders or the EFF have stood up and said that China is not upholding its end of the Olympic bargain. And still, nothing has been done. Not when Tibetans are murdered. Not when journalists are expelled. Not when dissidents are thrown in jail for thought crimes.

Jacques Rogge and the IOC made sure that the Beijing Olympics were a political event when they made improved human rights and press freedoms an expectation that came with hosting the Games. Yet every time outside organizations and governments step forward and point out that China has abusing human rights and not respecting press freedoms, Rogge pleads irrelevance. But at some point, Rogge, the IOC, and the world on whole must recognize that China’s totalitarian government precludes it from being treated as an equal member on the world stage. A booming economy has not been accompanied by international human rights standards. And an ornate Olympic Games, complete with billions watching on TV, will clearly do nothing to signify China’s progress as a nation. Not when everything that proceeded the August 8th festivities was defined by a reduction in freedom and a loss of life as the PRC tried to present the aura of stability for the outside world by crush dissent wherever it appeared.

These Games are a joke, but I only see the Chinese government laughing as the continue to use authoritarian tactics to stifle dissent with the implicit approval by the IOC.

Twenty-seven Democratic and Republican Senators write to Chinese Communist Party President Hu Jintao, condemning China’s violence against Tibetans. Via press release:

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, together with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), today led a bipartisan group of 27 Senators in sending a letter calling on Chinese President Hu Jintao to bring about a timely, peaceful resolution to the current crisis in Tibet and to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people.

In the letter, the Senators encourage the Chinese government to increase transparency by removing current restrictions on the press and to disclose accurate information about Tibetan individuals who have been detained, injured, and killed since the crisis began.

Media reports quote the Tibetan government in exile as putting the death toll from the demonstrations at about 140, while China has put the death toll at 22.

The Senators also ask that the government release peaceful protestors who have been detained and meet directly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose “deep bond with the Tibetan people make[s] him key to achieving a negotiated solution to the Tibet issue.”

Boxer said, “I am deeply concerned about the crisis and violence in Tibet – it is in the interest of all involved that we move quickly to restore peace in the region. But it is also my sincere hope that China will take this opportunity to listen to the valid, long-standing concerns of the Tibetan people and extend an open hand to the Dalai Lama, whose wisdom and leadership is deeply respected by the Tibetan people and the international community.”

Brown said, “China’s crackdown on the people of Tibet is inexcusable. Beijing has long sought a place at the table of global leaders. But systematic and violent repression of free speech, political protest and the eradication of ethnic culture, religion, and language are not the acts of a world leader, nor a country we should be striving to open to free trade. President Hu Jintao must take immediate steps to end the violent repression, open up to western media and release all political prisoners.”

Snowe said, “The violent crackdown perpetrated against the Tibetan people last month has already shattered the illusion that China’s economic development, without political liberalization, is synonymous with modernization. It is in all of humanity’s interest to now ensure that, when the world turns its gaze to this summer’s games in Beijing, the Olympic flame is not obscured by a curtain of smoke rising from Tibet.”

In addition to Boxer, Brown and Snowe, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr.(D-DE), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Max Baucus (D-MT), Russell D. Feingold (D-WI), James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Larry E. Craig (R-ID), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), John E. Sununu (R-NH), Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Mark Pryor (D-AR).

Full text of the letter follows:

The Honorable Hu Jintao
President
People’s Republic of China

Dear President Hu:

We write today to respectfully urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to take all necessary steps to bring about a peaceful resolution to the current crisis in Tibet and to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people.

First and foremost, we ask that the Chinese government remove its restrictions on the media and communications, and allow independent monitors and the foreign press unfettered access to the region. We believe that lack of reliable information is only fueling uncertainty, causing resentment and discord on both sides of the issue. Increased transparency will be an important factor in resolving the conflict and is the best assurance against further escalation of the violence. Such transparency should include disclosing the names and whereabouts of any Tibetans, including Tibetan monks, who were detained in the wake of recent events. It is particularly critical that the world be given an accurate picture of the number of individuals detained, injured, and killed since the crisis began.

We also ask that the government release those detained for peaceful protest and demonstrate respect for the internationally-recognized right to peaceful assembly and expression of political opinion.

Finally, we ask that the government move quickly, and at the highest level, to meet directly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and engage in substantive dialogue to restore stability and bring genuine autonomy to the region. The Dalai Lama’s respected stature in the international community and deep bond with the Tibetan people make him key to achieving a negotiated solution to the Tibet issue and to peacefully implementing any agreement that is reached.

The protests seem to reflect long-simmering Tibetan resentment toward Chinese policies and laws that have failed to respect the basic rights of the people of Tibet. They also appear to reflect Tibetans’ belief that the six years of dialogue conducted to date—without the direct participation of the Dalai Lama—has been too slow and unyielding of results. For stability to last, the underlying causes of the public protests must be addressed, and policies that address the interest of both the Tibetan people and the Chinese government must be considered.

In any such dialogue, it is vitally important that the Chinese set forth a timeline and framework for evaluation of substantive progress. An expedient resolution of the Tibet question through official negotiations that include measurable results favors both the Tibetan people and the Chinese government.

Again, we urge you to do everything possible to bring about a peaceful resolution to this crisis. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China would be best served by expeditiously resolving this issue in a manner that reflects international norms and respect for human rights.

We look forward to continued dialogue on this matter and others that are important to the US-China bilateral relationship.

Thank you for your consideration of this most important request.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
Sherrod Brown
Olympia J. Snowe
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Bernard Sanders
Charles E. Schumer
Barbara A. Mikulski
Tom Harkin
Robert Menendez
Christopher J. Dodd
Jon Kyl
Tom Coburn
Max Baucus
Russell D. Feingold
James M. Inhofe
Larry E. Craig
Ron Wyden
Sheldon Whitehouse
Robert C. Byrd
John E. Sununu
Gordon H. Smith
Dick Durbin
Sam Brownback
Amy Klobuchar
Jon Tester
Dianne Feinstein
Mark Pryor

###

The Chinese government continued their now-deafening nationalistic drum beat.

The People’s Armed Police News said a “political mobilization order” had gone out to security forces telling them to prepare for an arduous time ensuring order and control before and during the Games.

“The drums of war are sounding, a decisive battle is at hand,” the newspaper said. “For the sake of the Chinese nation’s image and for the honor of the People’s Armed Police, let us never forget our duty.”

The Olympics are a battle? China is preparing for a war? Tell me – who’s making sure that the Olympics are a political event again? Indeed, by the looks of things, the Chinese government would be happiest if the Olympics became a pitched, violent conflict on the streets of Beijing.

One thing that history has shown us – be it in protests at American political conventions, meetings of the G8, or even going back to the Hells Angels in Bass Lake, California – when police and paramilitary forces are told to act like violence and riots are coming, the militaristic preparation for how to deal with civil unrest tends to lead not to peace, but to more violence. Teach people to look for “a decisive battle” and you increase the likelihood that those people will assume any situation they are in is such a decisive battle. And when the stakes of the battle are “the Chinese nation’s image” then even someone sitting in non-violent protest in Tiananmen Square might be seen by these police as what “the drums of war” had sounded to alert them to. That is, China’s nationalistic rhetoric, use of bellicose language, and preparation of police forces for a “battle” make it all the more likely that these police and security forces will respond to any situation with violence. We have seen China’s military and police forces use deadly force against peaceful Tibetan protesters in the last month. Statements like the one above in the People’s Armed Police News seems to make certain that similar actions will continue up to and even during the Beijing Olympics.