We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -from the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence
In a time of globalization, it seems incongruous that nations and people are still oppressed. Basic human rights, detailed in the document, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, were adopted by the United Nations. One of those member nations appears to be guilty of violating it. The People’s Republic of China, or Communist China, holds the small nation of Tibet under its control. The people of Tibet have been crying out for liberation for many years and their cries go unanswered.
Brief history of the Tibetan struggle
Tibet has never been formally recognized as an independent county. Since the 13th century, this nation has had loose ties with China, primarily because of its proximity. It was understood, however, that the Dalai Lama had authority over the Tibetans and was largely ignored unless a people group or nation wanted Tibet’s resources. In more recent history, in 1921 the Dalai Lama declared independence from China. It went ignored by China and in 1950, under military pressure, Tibet was forced to come back under the control of China. According to the 14th Dalai Lama, “in order to develop Tibet materially as a modern nation, Tibet must remain within the People’s Republic of China. Provided Chinese give us a burly guarantee of preservation of Tibetan culture, Tibetan environment, Tibetan spirituality, then it is of mutual benefit.” He wanted full autonomy of the Tibetans in any area they could “manage by themselves.” (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet)
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) notion that most of Tibetans lived as serfs, or slaves, to wealthy landowners and monasteries. In order to quell that, the PRC redistributed lands and caused a rebellion in 1959. The rebellion was supported by the CIA. Tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed in the uprising and the Dalai Lama had to flee to India.
Because of the rebellion, PRC exercised their authority over the small nation even stronger than before. Lands were redistributed. Claims of genocide surfaced. Tibetan culture was systematically being wiped out.
Protests in 2008
More protests flared up in 2008 and the PRC imposed severe curfews and strictly limited access to Tibetan areas. Protests against Chinese severity were held worldwide.
But to date, no country recognizes the Government of Tibet in Exile.
The unique Dalai Lama has been quoted in the South China Morning Post as saying, “We are willing to be part of the People’s Republic of China, to have it govern and guarantee to preserve our Tibetan culture, spirituality and our environment.” But he clarified the position as a governmental connection only. He wants total autonomy of the Tibetans in the areas of religious and cultural life. But if the PRC is not willing to grant some autonomy to Tibet, they will continue to fight for complete liberation.
Human Rights Violations
Tibet is the lowest ranked province in China for human rights violations (meaning they have the most violations) acccording to the UN’s Development Programme data. And Tibet ranks 153 out of 160 watched countries on the Human Development Index.
According to the Save Tibet website, these are a sampling of the human rights violations Tibetans have had to endure: self-determination, freedom of speech, assembly, movement, expression, and travel.
Since the ratification of the UN’s Convention Against Torture by China in 1988, 69 documented Tibetans died in Chinese prisons as a result of torture.
The PRC still asserts that Tibet has some autonomy in rule. However Tibetologist, Thomas Laird, maintains that there is no evidence to support that claim. He also states that the PRC continues to encourage resettlement of Chinese into Tibetan areas. This threatens the survival of Tibetan culture, identity and religious life. According to Wikipedia, “The Free Tibet website claims that unemployment in schools, discussion of Tibetan cultural, religious and social issues is discouraged, and Chinese culture is promoted.” (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet)
Human Rights groups are not allowed to enter Tibet without a PRC escort and are never allowed to train to Tibetans without a member of the PRC delegation present. The PRC strictly controls access of any outsiders to Tibet.
On a more basic level, The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy claims that unfair taxation has exacerbated the poverty in the already poor areas of Tibet. Housing, health care, and education are routinely denied. (http://www.tchrd.org/publications/annual_reports/1999/09_subsistence.html)
Boycotting the Olympics
People say that we should forget all the politics and focus on enjoying the games. Maybe that has merit. Should we, as freedom-loving Americans, attempt to forget those without the basic freedoms? We go to war to protect the rights of the oppressed. Are not the Tibetans among those people groups oppressed?
The People’s Republic of China have dark issues hanging over them as the Summer Olympics of 2008 begin.
More sources:
Laird, Thomas (2006). The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama, pp. 357-358. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1
http://www.tchrd.org/publications/annual_reports/1999/09_subsistence.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet
Filed under Automobile Insurance Wiki by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment. 
Are you searching for the cheapest auto insurance rates? Times are hard in almost all parts of the country right now, and you are not alone. But what exactly do you mean by cheap?
The dictionary defines cheap in two very distinctively different ways: costing little and worth little. Be sure you are looking for a product that is a good value, lower in price than you might reasonably expect. Where automobile insurance is the product, you do not want to be caught in the unfortunate end results of a bad decision, making an inexpensive and poor quality choice.
In this Internet age, searching for the cheapest auto insurance rates does not subject you to countless hours of high-pressure sales pitches from desperate insurance sales people just to derive a quote in hand. You can do one search engine query and you are on your device to a myriad of choices to compare.
But as you do this choice, keep in mind deductibles, liability limits, and any fine print regarding repair options in the event of a claim. If you are considering a firm outside your status, be mindful that area law varies on coverage requirements. If you choose to accept a higher deductible to save money on premiums, be sure you actually do have that distinguished cash available in the event of a claim. And, the state liability minimum coverage may not be enough.
To fully understand the importance of this, you might talk to someone who has been involved in an unfortunate accident where they were faulted with another person’s serious injuries and damages. Inquire about what are the cheapest auto insurance ratesin the event of something like that happening to you. An inadequate, cheap policy suddenly becomes a very expensive decision when you are faced with many thousands of dollars of damages and liability for which you are not covered.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Quotes by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment.
Before finalizing any contract or policy with any insurance company, it is important to know how to originate selecting the most suitable health insurance in Virginia. Buying a medical insurance policy requires vital measures and considerations at the consumer’s part, and taking time to learn how to lift health insurance in Virginia is surely going to pay in the long run.
To make sure that the consumer gets the best coverage, it is important to learn some tips about buying medical insurance in Virginia. Let’s have a look at them:
1. Glean quotes
To analyze what type of medical plans are available and how worthy budget needs to be spent in order to get a required level of coverage, the consumers should ask for health insurance quotes from various insurance companies. In fact, there are platforms that can provide health insurance quotes from various companies with minimal amount of personal information required. Getting health insurance quotes is easy and does not obligate the consumer to buy a health insurance policy.
2. Talking to an agent
Once the consumers get an notion or overview of the available health insurance plan, talking to an agent or a broker makes sense. Once again, consumers are not obligated to buy any particular health insurance policy. They should contact an independent health insurance agent, who represents the major carriers in Virginia, and discuss the options. It is not necessary that consumers should buy from the very first agent they meet in Virginia. There is nothing bad in trying multiple agents itself depending upon the time and availability that a consumer has.
3. Discuss
Consumers buying family health insurance or buying a health insurance policy the very first time should discuss and talk to their family members. Medical conditions, level of coverage, affordable budget and related issues should be discussed in detail to derive maximum optimization of the health insurance view.
4. Apply for the best plan
Once the discussion and talking has been done, the application procedure should be started with the chosen plan. With online technology available, it is easier to apply for a health insurance policy in Virginia. The agents don’t need to near to house to take your application—phone and email can help the purpose very amply.
5. Wait for the review process
Before an insurance company offers insurance, it reviews the application. Depending on the situation and to which company an application has been submitted, the review process could be 24 hours or more than 24 days. Once done, the company will speak the consumer about the date from which the coverage will become effective.
It is not easy to follow the steps because they read simple but are pretty difficult when executed practically due to time and planning the consumers need to do. But buying health insurance is not a casual activity or a sundry purchase. It requires attention and careful selection to make sure that the product is effective and beneficial.
Shaun mike writes extensively on health insurance topics for Virginians. His tips on how to buy health insurance Virginia are always read with great delight.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment.
