Hu Jintao re-elected President; Tibetan demonstrations spread to other provinces; Chinese Government publishes its first handbook for students on ‘national defence’
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    • The fifth plenary meeting of the First Session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing saw most of the key political leaders getting re-elected for key posts both in the government and in the Communist Party. While Hu Jintao was re-elected President of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the plenary meeting also re-elected Wu Bangguo as the Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and Xi Jinping as the Vice-president of the PRC1. At the same time, in a secret ballot legislators accepted Wen Jiabao as the premier of China’s State Council2.

    Last week saw the biggest ever protest by Tibetans in the last 20 years. Demonstrations by monks in Lhasa spread to other provinces of China, as supporters and activists stepped up an international campaign against Chinese rule over Tibet. Releasing a statement on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people’s peaceful uprising in Lhasa on 10th March 1959, the Dalai Lama said: “In Tibet today, due to the Chinese government's numerous actions, driven as they are by a lack of foresight, the natural environment has been severely damaged…..repression continues to increase with numerous, unimaginable and gross violations of human rights, denial of religious freedom and the politicisation of religious issues3.”

    Conflicting reports are emerging about the violence in Lhasa. Western media have been very critical about the Chinese government’s action against Tibetans. While the Chinese authorities have denied that they had fired on protesters in Lhasa, Tibetan refugees and Tibetan leaders in India have claimed that “30 Tibetans had died” in the crackdown and that the toll may well increase to more than 1004. Citing some unconfirmed reports from Tibetan exile groups, International Herald Tribune noted that the “crackdown may have left as many as 80 people dead5.”

    On the Tibet issue, People’s Daily reported that the 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu has condemned the riot in Lhasa. In his statement, Norbu said that “we resolutely oppose all activities to split the country and undermine ethnic unity. We strongly condemn the crime of a tiny number of people to hurt the lives and properties of the people6.” For its part, the provincial government in Tibet rejected the Dalai Lama’s allegation that ‘cultural genocide’ is taking place in Tibet. It is also reported that the Chinese government has issued a notice to Tibetans and their supporters to stop the current “criminal activities” and violence. On an earlier occasion, the Tibetan higher people’s court had declared that the unrest in Lhasa since March 10 is a “political conspiracy plotted by the Dalai clique to split Tibet from the motherland and sabotage the peaceful and harmonious life enjoyed by people of all ethnic groups in Tibet7.”

    Last week in Taiwan, both the ruling and opposition party supporters organised rallies to energise the campaigns of the two front-runners for the post of President. Crowds numbering in the tens of thousands marched through the day to drum up support for either the ruling Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh or his rival Ma Ying-jeou of the main opposition Nationalist Party (KMT)8. On the issue of Tibet, both candidates condemned the Chinese crackdown on the monk-led protests. President Chen Shui-bian has been very categorical in his criticism, and he was quoted saying that “Tibet seeks independence…the Chinese Communist Party runs an authoritarian government that doesn’t allow other voices besides its own9.”

    In a new development, the Chinese government has published its first handbook for students on ‘national defence’. The book is seen as a step to popularise and create awareness about the country’s national defence policies and attract the attention of students towards the military. Since 1949, China has issued more than 20 sets of policies and administrative rules related to the military but this book is the first of its kind for students who want to pursue a career in the military10.

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