Editor's Note

With the arrival of Human Rights Day on December 10, Tibet is once again the focus of attention throughout the world after a series of self-immolation cases was handled by local police.

Latest News

Dalai group implicated in immolations
A monk and his nephew in Sichuan Province have confessed to police their role in inciting a series of self-immolations at the behest of the Dalai Lama clique, police said Sunday.

Tibet Issue

Positive changes

Tibet is now in its best period of development, Chinese leaders said, while visiting an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet on July 8, 2011.

The peaceful liberation of Tibet was an epoch-making tipping point in Tibet's history, marking its transition from autocracy to democracy, from poverty to affluence, and from seclusion to openness, said the leaders, according to an official statement Xinhua received.

During the past six decades, under the leadership of the central government and assistance from across the nation, Tibet has undergone sweeping changes, in terms of economic development and social progress, they said.

Concerns

★ A total of 20 Tibetans, including eight monks, two nuns, eight former monks and two lay people, mostly aged from 16-25 except two, had committed self-immolation since Feb 2009 here. Of them, fifteen died and five were under hospital treatment, according to local police.

★ Across the country, the total number of Tibetan who had committed self-immolation exceeds 30, all in Tibetan populated regions.

★ The two most well-known people who committed self-immolations are Tapey, who triggered the latest wave of self-immolation by setting himself on fire at the age of 20 on February 27, 2009, and Phuntsog, 19, who ended his life in a pre-meditated self-immolation on March 16, 2011.

Source: Xinhua

Human Rights                   in China

China's efforts to advance human rights

To show its commitment to advancing human rights, China published two national action plans on human rights in 2009 and 2012.

In 2009:
Full Text: Progress in China's Human Rights in 2009
In 2009 the Chinese government promulgated and implemented the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010). This was the first national action plan in China with human rights as the theme. It is a programmatic document for directing and promoting the comprehensive development of China's human rights.

In 2012:
Human rights plan released
The Chinese government released its second national plan for human rights protection on June 11, mapping out goals, tasks and measures to promote the dignity of all citizens.

The National Human Rights Action Plan, which addresses human rights protection from 2012 to 2015, continues to put people's rights to survival as a priority and focuses on improving people's livelihood.

Related Cases

	Chen trump for US in human rights game As China continues to improve its citizens' human rights, the US has found human rights issues becoming more and more ineffective at causing any major domestic turbulence in China. This has driven the US to seek a special trump to leverage its chance in the changing game, and it has found Chen.
	West's support of Ai Weiwei abnormal As a Chinese citizen, Ai undoubtedly enjoys favorable treatment from the West, which constitutes an intrusion of China's legal system. The Western bias toward Ai results from his confrontational attitude to the government.

Viewpoints

Sacrificing young Tibetans inhuman idea
The US has a much more farsighted strategy over the Tibetan issue than the Dalai group does. It tactically raises the "human rights" issue rather than directly promoting independence of Tibet. The former provides the US continuing chances to interfere in China's domestic affairs.

Self-burnings drama shows Dalai Lama's desperation
The recent incidents when some young Tibetan monks set themselves on fire in Sichuan Province have caused a stir, despite the local governments reacting promptly to extinguish the fire and send the injured to the hospital. The social order remains stable and people from both secular and religious groups condemned the activities.

Chinese media digest
The Global Times (English edition) blamed the inhumane doctrine of the Dalai group, which sacrifices young Tibetans for their political interests.

Gansu Province-based Gannan Daily praised the regulation in an editorial, saying that it provided the legal basis for authorities to prosecute criminals.

Xiong Kunxin, a professor of ethnic studies at Minzu University of China, said in a Global Times(Chinese edition) opinion piece that most Chinese will be glad to see this regulation carried out in ethnically-Tibetan areas.

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