Tag Archives: Tibetan people

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Nancy Pelosi – House Dems and the Headlines : March 2013


nancypelosi

Pelosi Statement on Cesar Chavez Day

“Today, the spirit of Cesar Chavez lives on in our ongoing fight for progress for the Hispanic community and for the American people.  It continues in the fight to make the minimum wage a living wage and to ensure equal pay for equal work.  It goes on in the struggle to protect the rights of voters and citizens no matter what their race or background.  It inspires our drive to respect our borders, advance our values, respect our history as a nation of immigrants, and enact comprehensive immigration reform.”
Saturday, March 30, 2013
“Congressman Young’s comments were deeply hurtful, offensive and inappropriate for anyone to utter, let alone a Member of the United States Congress.  Congressman Young should fully apologize for deeply offensive comments that were not appropriate in his youth or now.”
Friday, March 29, 2013
“There is no question that we face a continuing need to remove the obstacles that block too many Americans from the polls.  Under the leadership of Congressmen John Lewis, Jim Clyburn, George Miller and John Larson, we’ve proposed election reforms to strengthen enforcement of voting laws, provide for same day and modernization of voting registration, require early voting and other resources to prevent long voting lines and reduce the problems that voters everywhere are facing.”
Thursday, March 28, 2013
“The complete cleanup of Hunters Point is long past due.  Bayview residents have waited nearly 40 years for the Navy to fulfill its commitments while experiencing the highest rates of asthma and breast and cervical cancer in San Francisco.”
Thursday, March 28, 2013
“The – I – on the basis of what I heard, the questions of the justices, the response of the participants, I’m very optimistic that DOMA will be struck down.  It doesn’t seem to have a rational basis, which is one of the criteria, a rational basis, a justification for being and secondly, probably, I should say first, full protection of all people in our country.  So equal protection has been a principle that our country was founded on, that our Constitution was written on, and I think on the basis of those two – the debate was going back and forth – ‘is it about equal protection?’  ‘Is it about rational basis?’  I think on either score, it – the arguments, the debates seem to favor striking down DOMA, which is very important.”
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
“The DOMA challenge involves the heartbreaking case of Edie Windsor, who was required by the federal government to pay hundreds of thousands in taxes after her wife, Thea, passed way.  Regardless of the fact that Edie and Thea were married and together for over 40 years, the federal government discriminated against Edie.  House Republicans intervened in this case in their efforts to preserve injustice and defend discrimination, and impose an unjust tax liability on an American family.”
Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Pelosi Statement on the Third Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

Friday, March 22, 2013

Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

In the past month, eight Buddhist monks and nuns have self-immolated to protest a growing Chinese crackdown in Tibet.


Days ago, Tenzin Wangmo walked out of her nunnery, covered herself in petrol and set herself on fire while pleading for a “free Tibet”. Minutes later she died — she was just 20 years old. In the past month, seven other monks have self-immolated to protest a growing Chinese crackdown on the peaceful Tibetan people.

These tragic acts are a desperate cry for help — machine gun toting Chinese security forces are beating and disappearing monks, laying siege to monasteries, and even killing elderly people defending them — all in an effort to suppress Tibetan rights. China severely restricts access to the region. But if we can get key governments to send diplomats in, break the blackout, and expose this growing brutality, we could save lives.

We have to act fast — this horrific situation is spiraling out of control behind a censorship curtain. Over and over we have seen that when diplomats themselves bear witness to atrocities, they are motivated to act, and increase political pressure. Let’s build a massive petition to the six leaders with the most influence in Beijing to send a mission to Tibet and speak out against the repression. Sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_tibetan_lives/?vl

Tibetans are suffocating under China’s stranglehold. They are unable to practice their religion freely — just downloading a photograph of the Dalai Lama can land a Tibetan in prison. And it is getting worse: columns of Chinese troops have blockaded the largest monasteries and are abducting monks in “patriotic re-education” programmes. This horrific situation is spiraling out of control.

Just yesterday another monk, Dawa Tsering, was rushed to hospital after setting himself ablaze, and with every protest China tightens it’s grip. For Tibetans, self immolations are a very severe sacrifice and reveal their level of despair. They are deeply religious and believe that if you commit suicide it has a devastating impact on the cycle of re-incarnations and may even put you back 500 lifetimes. But their situation is so horrific that they are forfeiting their position in the cycle in exchange for the hope of international attention and freedom for their brothers and sisters.

The Chinese government won’t allow journalists and human rights monitors into the region — Sky news and AFP journalists were forced out last week. But diplomats can request access and get in and, as we have recently seen in Syria, they are the best way to get first hand reports, let China know that the world is watching and start high level political conversations on Tibetans’ human rights.

It’s up to us to raise the global alarm. If we can get the US, UK, Australia, India, France and the EU to send a delegation now, they could push China to action. We have no time to lose — sign the urgent petition and share this email:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_tibetan_lives/?vl

Avaaz members have supported projects that are piercing the blackout and defending Tibetan culture and religious practice. But China’s ruthless crackdown is escalating. It’s time for our whole community to take a stand together with these peaceful people sacrificing their own lives for basic rights. Let’s show them that the world has not forgotten them.

With hope and determination,

Emma, Iain, Dalia, Ricken, Diego, Shibayan, Giulia, and the whole Avaaz team

More information:

Tibetan Nun Who Set Herself On Fire Dies (Sky)
http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16095074

Self-immolation ‘trend’ at restive Tibetan monastery (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15169007

Study points to heavy handed repression of Tibetan area in China (The New York Times) (including HRW report)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/world/asia/study-points-to-heavy-handed-repression-of-tibetan-area-in-china.html

China is fuelling the fires of Tibetan resistance (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/17/china-tibetan-resistance-self-immolation?newsfeed=true

Graph showing China’s increased spending in Tibetan regions:http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/12/china-end-crackdown-tibetan-monasteries