tagged w/ Dalai Lama
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A Chinese court on Saturday sentenced a Tibetan environmentalist who organized villagers to pick up litter and plant trees to five years in jail for inciting to split the nation, his lawyer said.
The environmentalist, Rinchen Samdrup, is the third brother in his family to be jailed.
Mr. Samdrup ran an environmental group in the Tibet Autonomous Region near Sichuan Province that organized about 1,700 local villagers to reforest the area and report poaching, and also ran a small magazine. His group worked with international conservation groups and was praised by Chinese media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/world/asia/04tibet.html?ref=scienceA Chinese court on Saturday sentenced a Tibetan environmentalist who organized... more
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The Dalai Lama In a Rare TV Interveiw
His Holiness is interviewed by Ann Curry on the NBC morning program The Today Show.
May 20th, 2010The Dalai Lama In a Rare TV Interveiw
His Holiness is interviewed by Ann Curry on... more
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The Dalai Lama used Twitter Friday to try to hold a rare conversation with people inside China. For an hour, the exiled spiritual leader answered questions about the fate of Tibet and criticized the Chinese government's policies there.The Dalai Lama used Twitter Friday to try to hold a rare conversation with people... more
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So what have we been doing for the past couple of weeks? Pulling our hair out, what's left of it. Making repeated calls to Verizon. Hosting a visit from their friendly and professional service person (really, no sarcasm there, the guy was good). Being granted the privilege of shelling out for a replacement modem and still not having all of our problems resolved. But we're at least back more or less to where we were before our internet went south on us, so we're going to catch up on the outage by covering two films -- both very good -- this ep.
First up is an interview with Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, the married directors of THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS, a documentary about Tibet's struggle for independence. A few years back, there were a handful of docs released on this topic. Most seemed to want to garner audience sympathy through scenic views of Buddhist temples and extended footage of prayer services -- not really the most compelling argument for this viewer. Sarin and Sonam take a less romantic approach, focusing on the protests that rose up both within and without the country in 2008, while simultaneously following the Dalai Lama on his mission to gain international support for his controversial "Middle Way Approach," wherein the struggle for independence would be ceded in return for more autonomy and religious freedom. That the filmmakers chose to present real world politics -- including divisions within the movement itself -- rather than trying to seduce people with pretty images goes a long way towards making this film a valuable and comprehensive evaluation of one country's ongoing fight for liberty.
And while we're talking about seduction, we follow up with a conversation with Nash Edgerton, the Australian stuntman-turned-director whose debut feature is the wicked noir thriller, THE SQUARE. I'd seen this film at a screening almost a year ago, and ever since have been champing at the bit for its long-delayed release. The film definitely traces its roots to the likes of BLOOD SIMPLE and RED ROCK WEST, but with a sense of brutal irony and a gratifyingly twisty interlacing of schemes and deceptions that makes it stand out on its own (and pretty much distinguish itself as uniquely Australian). It's a good, dark ride; however long it took to finally hit the screens, it's well worth the wait.
Pretty nice way to get back into production, methinks. Click the link to hear the show:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-persons/emmighty-movie-podcastem_b_532967.htmlSo what have we been doing for the past couple of weeks? Pulling our hair out,... more
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Health insurer sued Maine to increase profits
Healthcare Watch is taking on WellCare, the health insurance provider that recently made headlines for alleged illegal actions such as coercing employees to lobby against healthcare reform. The put this video together to tell their side of the story. You can weigh in here.
Should Obama meet with the Dalai Lama?
Over on the Current News blog, Andrew posed the titular question in response to news that the White House asked the Tibetans to 'postpone' a meeting with the President. My take? I don't know what you're complaining about, Andrew. Obama's decision to postpone his meeting with the Dalai Lama only opens the door for you to spend more time with his Holiness. What are you waiting for? Weigh in on this story here.
California mulls legalizing marijuana
In a shocking change of pace, this legalization story is picking up some steam on Current.com, this time from a UK perspective (e.g. the source article comes to us from the BBC). These days California is either seen as a trailblazer (as this article points out, should we adopt a legalization plan to profit off the legal sale of the plant), or a ripe candidate for the title of "America's first failed state." Tell us what you think here.
‘Too big to fail’ must end for all, FDIC chief says
F.D.I.C. Chairman Sheila Bair told the Institute of International Finance:
"I believe that the new regime should apply to all bank holding companies that are more than just shells and their affiliates regardless or not whether they are considered to be systemic risks."
Bair's comments are striking a chord with community members who are tired of the "rewarded failure" approach, but we want to hear your thoughts, too. Add to the conversation here.
Apple sues someone because their logo looks like fruit
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="It's Woolworths, not *that* Woolworths"][/caption]
Okay, I agree with all of the unjustified lawsuit claims on the basis that Woolworths and Apple couldn't be further from each other. On an unrelated note, whenever I read word "Woolworths" I can't help but think of John McConnell's mispronunciation of the store's name in the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou?, "And stay outta the Woolsworth!"
But, I have to say, if I were Woolworths I'd have to be loving this lawsuit. I mean, what better way to announce the five-and-dime's return? Oh wait, this is an unaffiliated Australian supermarket named after the original Woolworths. Nevermind. WTF Apple? Let Apple know how off-base they are over here. jh6wcyrsf5
Health insurer sued Maine to increase profits
Healthcare Watch is taking on... more
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The Dalai Lama is to visit Washington DC this week, and for the first time since 1991, he will not meet with the US President. Obama has a big meeting with Chinese premier Hu Jintao next month, and possibly for that reason, White House officials asked the Tibetans to 'postpone' a meeting.
Why? From the Washington Post:
The U.S. decision to postpone the meeting appears to be part of a strategy to improve ties with China that also includes soft-pedaling criticism of China's human rights and financial policies as well as backing efforts to elevate China's position in international institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund. Obama administration officials have termed the new policy "strategic reassurance," which entails the U.S. government taking steps to convince China that it is not out to contain the emerging Asian power.
Is this policy of "strategic reassurance" a capitulation on points that the US has held strong on? A strengthening of China's position in relation to America? And geopolitics aside, one would expect Obama's base to be firmly behind the cause of Tibetan independence. What do you think? Is this a necessary move in what Fareed Zakaria calls a Post-American World, or is this a strategic misstep?
Comment over here on Current News.
Also on the Dalai Lama:
- Dalai Lama Cup of Coffee: Raw Video - From the Dalai Lama's recent trip to Taiwan, a hotel found a unique way to celebrate the occasion
- Dalai Lama Moves Thousands At Ceremony for the victims of Typhoon Morakot - Also from the Taiwan trip, photos and the story from his ceremonyThe Dalai Lama is to visit Washington DC this week, and for the first time since 1991,... more
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To celebrate the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday photographer Don Farber and artist Shepard Fairey teamed up to create some limited edition prints to help raise money for Tibet House and LA Friends of Tibet. They go on sale today, though the time stated is 'at noon Eastern/9am Pacific' on boing boing.
"In honor of this Diamond year, and in recognition of March 10th being Tibetan Independence Day, Shepard has created a limited-edition print of His Holiness. The work is based on an image taken by renowned photographer/documentarian Don Farber, who has spent more than 30 years covering the Tibetan leader and community in exile."To celebrate the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday photographer Don Farber and artist... more
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The Dalai Lama blasted Chinese authorities Wednesday, accusing them of trying to "annihilate Buddhism" in Tibet as he commemorated a failed uprising against China's rule over the region.
The Tibetan spiritual leader's angry comments appeared to signal his frustration with fruitless efforts to negotiate a compromise with China. However, he said he would not abandon talks.
China fought back, accusing the Dalai Lama of using deceptions and lies to distort Beijing's policy toward Tibet.
Beijing has demonized the Dalai Lama and accused him of wanting independence for Tibet, which China says is part of its territory. The Dalai Lama says he only wants some form of autonomy for Tibet within China that would allow Tibetan culture, language and religion to thrive.
The dispute turned violent two years ago, when anti-government protests erupted in Tibet and China cracked down on the region.
The police presence in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa has been heavy ever since, but was stepped up even more in recent days with rifle-toting police guarding intersections and demanding to see ID cards at checkpoints, hotel workers said.
"Because of the March 14 riot anniversary, police are patrolling in the streets every day, and they are conducting more checks," said Luo Wen, a receptionist at the Lhasa River Hotel.
In his annual address from exile in India to mark the 51st anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against China, the Dalai Lama said Chinese authorities were conducting a campaign of "patriotic re-education" in monasteries in Tibet.
"They are putting the monks and nuns in prison-like conditions, depriving them the opportunity to study and practice in peace," he said, accusing Chinese of working to "deliberately annihilate Buddhism."
more at link...The Dalai Lama blasted Chinese authorities Wednesday, accusing them of trying to... more
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Twitter's founder says the Dalai Lama laughed at the thought of using the social networking service. But the Tibetan spiritual leader now has an official Twitter site — and more than 68,000 followers.
Twitter founder Evan Williams posted a message Sunday that he'd just met the Dalai Lama in Los Angeles and pitched using Twitter.
On Monday, a Twitter page set up by the Dalai Lama's office in India carried its first message. It mentioned that the Dalai Lama had been in L.A. and gave a Web site link for details.
Six other Tweets since then provide links to interviews, photos and webcasts.
So far, the Dalai Lama hasn't posted any personal messages.
The Dalai Lama was in Florida on Tuesday where addressed about 4,000 people at Nova Southeastern University.Twitter's founder says the Dalai Lama laughed at the thought of using the social... more
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Whenever the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, comes to the West, his trips are fraught with political implications.
That's because China, which claims Tibet as part of its territory, is particularly sensitive to Western leaders greeting the Dalai Lama as a "political" leader.
When he met last week with President Obama, the White House was careful to describe it as a meeting with a "religious" leader.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123896290Whenever the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, comes to the West,... more
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Beijing today summoned the US ambassador to complain about Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama, state media reported.
The foreign ministry also demanded that Washington act to improve ties, warning in a statement that the US president's meeting had "grossly violated norms governing international relations".
But China did not threaten retaliation of any kind and its response was relatively measured, reflecting the low-key nature of the event and the fact that Obama's predecessors also met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.Beijing today summoned the US ambassador to complain about Barack Obama's meeting... more
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President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama for closely-watched White House talks Thursday, risking fallout in China over the get-together and Obama's statement supporting preservation of Tibet's identity and human rights.
"The president commended the Dalai Lama's 'Middle Way' approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said after the more than hourlong private meeting.
Speaking to reporters on the White House driveway, the Dalai Lama declared himself "very happy" with the session. The exiled Tibetan leader said he spoke to Obama about the promotion of human value, religious harmony, a greater leadership role for women around the world and the concerns of the Tibetan people. He said Obama was "very much supportive."
Obama's largely symbolic meeting with the Dalai Lama was kept low-key by comparison to other visiting leaders, out of deference to China. With Beijing considering the Buddhist monk a separatist, Obama doesn't want to overly anger China at a time when its cooperation is needed on nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea, climate change and other priorities.
So Obama sat down with his fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate in the Map Room rather than the much-more-photographed Oval Office where presidents usually visit with international leaders. Their talks were held entirely out of view of cameras and the public. Instead, the White House only released just a single White House photo.
Even the description the White House press office gave reporters of the talks was done on paper.
All these gestures - small to many but important in the supersensitive world of diplomacy - were meant to tamp down China's displeasure that Obama was holding the meeting in the first place.
"The optics of this thing are incredibly important to the Chinese," said Michael Green, former President George W. Bush's senior Asia adviser. "The Chinese government is preoccupied with protocol and how things look."
It may not seem inflammatory to Americans accustomed to presidential meet-and-greets of many shapes and sizes. But a Dalai Lama-Obama appearance held in public would enrage China, which believes that official foreign contact with the monk infringes on Beijing's sovereignty over Tibet. Although the Dalai Lama is revered in much of the world, Beijing accuses him of seeking to overthrow Chinese rule and restore a feudal theocracy in the expansive mountainous region. The Dalai Lama and analysts say that is untrue.
Still, China's feelings matter because relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained for years, most recently because of the Dalai Lama's visit and the Obama administration's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that China claims as its own.
At the same time, Obama has to balance China's views against criticism from U.S. lawmakers and activists that he buckled to China too much already on the topic, by not meeting with the Dalai Lama when he came to Washington in October.
read more:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_DALAI_LAMA?SITE=VTBEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULTPresident Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama for closely-watched White House talks... more
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Barack Obama is to go ahead with talks with the Dalai Lama at the White House today and risk inflicting more damage on the already strained relations between the US and China.
The Tibetan leader flew into Washington from India yesterday for the start of a 10-day US tour, which coincides with serious rows over the proposed US sale of military equipment to Taiwan and the US-China trade imbalance.
While rejecting a Chinese call to cancel the meeting, the White House offered the conciliatory gesture of making the talks low-profile.Barack Obama is to go ahead with talks with the Dalai Lama at the White House today... more
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The Dalai Lama has arrived in the US ahead of a White House meeting with President Barack Obama on Thursday that has raised objections from China.
The meeting comes amid tension in US-Sino relations, with disputes simmering over US arms sales to Taiwan, claims of Chinese cyber-spying and trade deals.
China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, has warned the meeting will undermine relations.
The US, while moving carefully on the issue, dismissed the fears as needless.
On his arrival in Washington on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama headed to a hotel for a ceremony to mark the Losar new year with fellow Tibetans.
The Dalai Lama's special envoy, Lodi Gayari, said that it was "important in itself that the meeting is happening".
He said that the Dalai Lama would be asking the US president to "help find a solution in resolving the Tibet issue that would be mutually beneficial to the Tibetan and Chinese people."
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8520542.stmThe Dalai Lama has arrived in the US ahead of a White House meeting with President... more
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The Obama administration couldn’t make the Chinese more mad even if it were doing so on purpose. First, the Chinese were called “currency manipulators.” Then came tariffs against some Chinese imports to the United States. Then a controversial meeting with the Dalai Lama has the Chinese up in arms. The newly announced $6 billion sale of military weapons to Taiwan could be the last straw. In fact, three Chinese generals are calling for China to start dumping its U.S. bonds in retaliation, and one of the largest news portals in China is calling for a boycott of all U.S. goods.
If Washington, D.C.’s, massive spending spree wasn’t enough to drive interest rates higher, any change in China’s policy toward U.S. debt will drive interest rates to the moon.
Are we trying to start WWIII?The Obama administration couldn’t make the Chinese more mad even if it were... more
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The world's greatest emerging superpower is frightened of the man who represents hope for millions. China, why must you cling to control at all costs?
China has warned that ties with the US would be undermined if President Barack Obama meets with the Dalai Lama. Perhaps the Chinese should ally themselves with the Teabaggers in a show of joint paranoia.The world's greatest emerging superpower is frightened of the man who represents... more
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