B. McPherson
There are 80 confirmed missing in a massive slide in the Himalaya Mountains of Tibet. The slide roared down the mountainside where a reputed 10 000 workers were resting. Friday saw part of the mountainside collapse.

As of Saturday, one body had been recovered. The massive rescue mission includes sniffer dogs and about 3 000 personnel.

 “The miners worked for Huatailong Mining Development. The company is a subsidiary of the Vancouver-based China Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd (TSX: CGG), whose controlling shareholder is the China National Gold Group Corp., a state-owned enterprise and China's largest gold producer.” CBC News

The mining activities in the Tibetan Plateau have been criticised by many in Tibet, often at their peril. Not only is the wealth from the minerals transferred to Beijing, they maintain, but the mining practises are befouling the environment, dislocating herders and desecrating holy sites.

Coal mines in the PRC have often made world news due to their frequent accidents resulting in deaths. Canada recently had a brush with a Chinese mining company when a mine owned by a Chinese company in Northern BC imported Chinese workers to be employed in the workings. Pressure from the public and from the relatively strong unions here, eventually forced the foreign company to repatriate about 200 workers back to China.

The price for gold on today’s markets is pegged at $1591.75 US per ounce. With prices like that and uncertainty in the paper money markets, gold mining around the world has taken a turn unmatched since the gold rush days of the Klondike.

B.McPherson

Tibetans are risking their lives to defend one of their important holy mountains. Gold miners had moved into the precincts of Drimgye Ngo Sorma sacred mountain to exploit its wealth. The Chinese authorities in charge of the mining have warned the Tibetans to not interfere with the operation.

The Tibetans have responded by burning the tents of the miners and driving them off the mountain. While news from the region is hard to get, Radio Free Asia through its contacts, has reported that the nomads who live in the area and worship the deity they say resides there will patrol the mountain and keep intruders off.

They do so at a very real risk to their lives. Earlier this month a demonstration by Tibetans protesting another gold mining operation resulted in six people being detained and another killed by the Chinese security forces.

There are proven deposits of chromium, copper and gold in the mountains of Tibet and every expectation that more valuable minerals are also present.

This looks like the dilemma that people around the world are facing as large corporations or governments seek to fill their coffers by exploiting mineral wealth regardless of its effect on the people and environment that sequesters the treasures. The list is a long one of local people exploited for the benefit of a few in faraway places. For instance, much of Canada’s oil sands operation is owned by foreign companies/governments. The people in the far north bear the brunt of the environmental degradation.  Profits go overseas. Wars have been fought, and still are, over the control of the Middle East oil pools. Those that lose their lives are often the “little people” while the profits go to the wealthy.

 B. McPherson
Ottawa has been chosen to play host to the Dalai Lama. He will be addressing a convention of world parliamentarians on the subject of Tibet.

Earlier today the Dalai Lama will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper has met more publicly with the Buddhist religious leader in the past. It was the Conservative government that conferred honorary Canadian citizenship on his holiness in 2006.

Actor Richard Gere will act as master of ceremonies for the address on April 28. The subject of the talk will be Ethics for a Whole World. In addition to the Dalai Lama, politicians Jason Kenny and Nancy Pelosi will also speak to the audience.

The religious leader maintains a grueling schedule of lectures and travel. He was addressing a group of Nobel Peace Award recipients in Chicago April 25th. The 77 year old continues to promote peaceful dialogue to settle differences. After his conference in Ottawa, his holiness is scheduled to speak in Slovenia May 16th and address groups in Austria May 18 and 19th.

The Chinese government does not approve of the Western governments’ recognition and respect for the Buddhist leader. They accuse him of being a “Splittist” because of his efforts to achieve a peaceful establishment of human rights for the Tibetan people.

Currently, there is unrest in Sichuan Province which abuts Tibet. Buddhist monks have been assaulted and disappeared. To date 35 monks have self-immolated to protest the ongoing heavy hand of the Chinese authorities.

For further information about the activities of the Dalai Lama consult the official web page.

B. McPherson

A young Tibetan man was detained by authorities in Lhasa for gazing at the moon. The young man, Phurbu Namgyal, aged 20 and his pals were leaving a club when the incident happened. Apparently the young fellow imagined that he had seen an image of the Dalai Lama in the face of the moon before and wanted his friends to see it too.

While to many of us in the western world look at the interference of authorities when a group of young men stand around trying to see an image on the moon think “who is the lunatic?”, apparently the Chinese occupiers don’t see it that way. They have maintained a campaign of criticism against the religious leader labelling him “splittist” for his efforts to gain some autonomy for Tibet.

Ref: Radio Free Asia

Recently more Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest the heavy hand of the Chinese in their country. The Dalai Lama has criticised the Chinese government for its approach in governing that country.

“This problem started from totalitarian, blind sort of unrealistic policy. So, the people who create that policy must think seriously about this—that's my response," he said when asked about the self-immolations in the interview recorded before his Hawaii trip.” Radio Free Asia

Next time the moon is full in your neck of the woods, take some time to step outside and gaze up at it. I only see the ‘old man in the moon’ but I had never thought to look for anyone else’s image. Even so, take a moment to think about what it must be like to be arrested for gazing at the moon.
Tags: chinese government, dalai lama, politics, tibet, moon