Dalai Lama says oppression continues in Tibet

The exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama Monday said conditions in Tibet had "not improved at all" since the Olympics Games in Beijing, according to a media report.
The exiled Tibetan leader, currently in Poland on the last leg of his Europe tour, said "the Chinese government carried (out) immense sort of suppression" since demonstrations earlier this year against Beijing's rule in Tibet, AP reported.
The Dalai Lama said in Tibet "some arrests still continue."
The demonstrations against Chinese rule in March spread across the whole Tibetan region. China launched a massive crackdown in which Tibetan exile groups say more than 200 Tibetans died and more than 1,000 people have been detained.
China last month refused to answer questions from a United Nations human rights panel about the alleged torture and disappearance of dissidents, or provide official figures on the mistreatment of detainees in its prisons.
The UN Committee Against Torture, in its concluding observations of China's report on its adherence to the UN Convention against Torture, expressed in its section on Tibet deep concern about allegations of "longstanding reports of torture, beatings, shackling and other abusive treatment, in particular of Tibetan monks and nuns, at the hands of public officials, public security and state security, as well as paramilitary and even unofficial personnel at the instigation or with the acquiescence or consent of public officials."
The Committee also asked China to provide, within one year, a response to reports of widespread excessive use of force and other abuses related to the spring demonstrations in the Tibetan Autonomous Region and neighbouring Tibetan prefectures and counties.
China, however, rebuffed the allegations and called the UN torture report an "untrue and unprofessional outcome," saying it had prejudiced and politicized its members.
The Dalai Lama was speaking Monday in the Polish city of Krakow, where he received the Honoris Causa doctorate from Jagiellonian University.
According to a Polish online news site, Professor Beata Szymanska-Aleksandrowicz of the university's Institute of Philosophy, nominated the Dalai Lama for the honour.
The University's Senate agreed to the honourary doctorate in October 2007, thenews.pl reported, adding that the awarding of the honourary degree is based on "the Dalai Lama's high ethical standards in social and public life as observed in his inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue and non-violent fight for freedom and rights for Tibetans".
Szymanska-Aleksandrowicz, in her speech upon bestowing the degree, reportedly stated that the "honourary doctorate is not only an expression of recognition for one man, whose whole life has been about living truth and ideals, but for all those who remain anonymous but have acted in the name of higher ethical standards and work for the moral propagation of good and truth."
The Dalai Lama has, according to the professor, joined a long tradition of the University of bestowing honours upon known figures such as John Paul II and Mother Theresa of Calcutta.
Upon acceptance of the honour, the Dalai Lama reportedly told his audience that Poles have a special place in his heart – from the moment he heard about Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement, he has been interested in Poland.
"Poles survived many difficult states in their history, but the Polish nation has kept its heart adamant," His Holiness was quoted as saying by the online news site.
The Dalai Lama's ongoing Europe tour and his Saturday meeting with the President Sarkozy of France have left China fuming. In protest Beijing canceled a long-planned China-EU summit and has told France to face serious consequences in diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama urged the world to remain firm when dealing with China. He said, in order to protect the long-term interests of the Chinese people, world must not hesitate to raise human right issues with Beijing Government. Inhttp://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=23375&article=Dalai+Lama+says+oppression+continues+in+Tibet%3a+Report