China strikes back on Arunachal

Pranab Dhal Samanta
Posted: Friday , Sep 18, 2009 at 1439 hrs New Delhi:

Barely weeks after it failed in its attempt to block Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds to a project in Arunachal Pradesh, China has successfully struck back.
Last month, in a development New Delhi has been quiet about, China won a vote on a “disclosure agreement,” which prevents ADB from formally acknowledging Arunachal Pradesh as part of India. (A disclosure agreement is a formal notification of a project once it’s approved by the ADB Board).
On June 16, India had successfully isolated China — the entire ADB Board except Beijing had voted in India’s favour — and secured approval for its $2.9-billion country plan. China had raised objections to the plan because it included $60-million projects in Arunachal Pradesh. It argued that ADB cannot fund projects in “disputed areas” like Arunachal Pradesh.
Clearly, China did not give up after that defeat and the reversal is symptomatic of its growing clout. It’s learnt that India lost the vote despite US and most of the Western bloc voting in India’s favour. In what was relatively a narrow margin, the scales were tilted in China’s favour by Japan, Australia and a group of other South East Asian countries. Despite US support, India was also surprised by the fact that Australia chose to go with China. Pakistan, of course, also went with China.

FILM SCREENING ON TIBET; A Report

Pune: Well at least the plan was to have a packed auditorium with people jeering China and applauding and giving us standing ovation but, it didn’t happen. There were quite a few empty seats and the screening went by rather quietly, and lesson learned that support comes seldom and in meager measures.

With a total of( 20 members), the film screening was held in Symbiosis college auditorium and three films, two documentary films and a feature film was shown. An introductory SFT footage was shown first and then another titled ‘leaving fear behind’, filmed by Dhondup Wangchen who has been arrested for filming the same. The last motion picture shown was ‘Kundun’ a biographical film on His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama , followed by a speaker who thanked the guests and let them know the vacancy for SFT’s membership if they were willing to join and concluded the evening saying ‘thank you’.

The evening had ended officially except for the guests that included students from different countries including Bhutan, Ethiopia, Belgium and even China who came to us and told us to continue the good work and put pen to paper joining the organization which is at the end of the day is fruit to our labor and aid to our cause. SFT Pune thus stepped its first step and we know there is a much longer walk to go.

Tenzin Dharpo
SFT Pune, reporter.

Freedom calling

Mustafa Naley’s Tibetan friend once told him, “I can’t go back to my country. If I go, I will be killed. We are fighting to get our country back and I am confident that we will get it back once.”

Naley, a Somalian national and a graphic design student in the city, who until then, had no knowledge of the history of Tibet and its present crisis, did a research on the Tibetan struggle and decided to join Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), an organisation of students which works in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and independence.

SFT, formed world wide in 1994, is soon going to have the formal launch of its Pune chapter as more and more non-Tibetan students like Naley, are coming forward to support the cause of Tibet.

“It all started with the informal talks we have had with our classmates and their friends on Tibet. Most of them didn’t know anything about the country. Some even thought that Tibet is part of India. That is how we thought we should have a forum where even non-Tibetan students can support us that will strengthen our fight for justice,” says Tenzin Dolkar, a Tibetan member of SFT.

The SFT had been active during Olympic protests and uprising day marches across the world in support for a free Tibet. Up till now, the city had only a Tibetan Students' Association, which had close to 15 members. The association also will be merged in SFT now. So far, nearly 30 students in the city have registered with SFT, which include students from countries like Sudan, France, Mauritius, Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Bhutan and Eritrea. “I could relate to Tibetan struggle better. The ongoing civil war has shattered my country. I too cannot go back to my homeland. So, I know how it feels like,” says Naley, 25, who has lived most of his life in Saudi Arabia. He added that he is trying to create awareness among as many friends as he could on the Tibetan issue and bring them under SFT's fold.

“I have nothing against China. But, I am against Chinese policies on Tibet. A country should have its freedom. Its people should be allowed to live peacefully,” says Naley, who is also the cultural co-ordinator of International Students’ Council, Symbiosis University.

Dolkar, who was the vice president of the erstwhile Tibetan Students Association, Pune, says they would like to have more Indians in SFT as well. “We live in India and we are grateful to the country. But, it is sad that most Indians do not even know that there exists a country called Tibet. Also, SFT would serve as a platform to discuss various international human rights issues. There will be more voices and more ideas now and we are confident that we have support from across the world,” she says.

Until the Beijing Olympics torch reached his country, which invited widespread protests from the supporters of Tibet, Joseph Danamme, a French national and now a student of Symbiosis Law College, didn’t know what Tibetans were fighting for.

But, as he started learning more about it, he felt students should be educated on the subject and thus, he joined SFT. “Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, was a spiritual city and China converted it into a business capital. There were lots of temples then but now pubs are aplenty. This is cultural genocide. SFT can do a lot to create awareness,” he says.

SFT will be organising a movie screening on Tibet at Symbiosis, SB Road, 5 pm onwards today, as part of the organisation’s worldwide screening of the same. “It will serve as a platform for many to get to know about Tibet,” says Dolkar. This is also SFT’s maiden event in the city.

WHY.. MY COUNTRY???

I lost my homeland even before i was born,
under the oppression of mighty empire.
I've been taught that truth always holds the victory,
But why there are no ears listening to the truth of my country?
People are executed if convicted of single murder,
But why hundreds of murders in my country are being ignored?
Young kids anywhere are always embraced by their parents,
But why kids of my country have to leave their parents in search of freedom?
Freedom of religion is observed in any part of the world,
But why my countrymen are stopped from following their religious leader?
Everyone is born with the birthright of freedom of speech,
But why people in my country are not allowed to voice their heart out?
Laws are passed to protect the endangered species everywhere,
But why species in my country are still brutally hunted?
This poses a serious question the world's CONSCIOUS...
Where is the justice 21st century claims to give???
TENZIN CHUNZIN
B.sc nursing

"TIBET FILM FESTIVAL" pune

Event: Screening of movie “KUNDUN”

What: Informational Meeting
Host: SFT Pune
Start Time: Friday 28th.august.09 at 5:00pm
End Time: Friday 28th.august.09 at 8:30 pm
Where: symbiosis auditorium, SP ROAD.

contact : +91-9970219257,+91-9975691757

www.studentsforafreetibetpune.blogspot.com
Email-sftpune@gmail.com

ENTRY FREE

p:s- i request all the visitor to wear "MASK" during the film. symbiosis authority have requested us to do so..
thank you