Former President Jimmy Carter speaks about Israel

 

China confiscates Tibetan farmland for hydroproject in Muge

DHARAMSHALA, July 13: In another major incidence of official land grabbing, large areas of farming land and grassland used by Tibetans in the Muge region of Sungchu in eastern Tibet have been confiscated by local Chinese authorities.

The Dharamshala based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a report Friday cited sources as saying that local Chinese authorities have appropriated all farmlands in Achu nomadic camp in lower Muge area in the name of hydropower projects to generate electricity.

Traditional grasslands in Achu camp used by local herds for grazing in autumn, in addition to farmlands in neighbouring A-ngag and Agon camps have also been confiscated for ‘development’ projects, the group said.

“The Chinese authorities gave no explanation for the large scale land-grab,” TCHRD noted. “They were not consulted before, during or after the execution of the so-called development projects. Their participation and agency in shaping policies conducive to local conditions were denied.”

The security apparatus in the region has also seen a new boost with the ongoing construction of additional police stations in the region.

“At the time of reporting, a new police station is being built near Muge Monastery. The initial plan was to build the police station within the monastery. But the plan was changed when the authorities met with stiff resistance from the senior monastic staff,” TCHRD said while adding that the upcoming police station has “heightened concerns and tension” among local Tibetans in Muge.

The group said that currently no reports are available on whether any displacement occurred during the confiscation of farmlands, particularly in Achu camp, which lost all farmland. No information is also available on official compensation given to the aggrieved families.

“Local accounts report that local Tibetans are facing enormous challenges in freely expressing their grievances given the violent official reprisals,” TCHRD said. “Addressing these legitimate grievances peacefully should be the priority of to ensure true harmony and stability in Tibet.”

Earlier this year, a Tibetan man Gachoe, around 35, was arrested on January 19 for taking part in a public-led protest against Chinese government land seizures from local Tibetans in Nangchen region.

Protests against land seizures by Chinese authorities in Tibet have led to mass demonstrations and at least two self-immolations by Tibetans.

On September 13, 2012, Passang Lhamo, 62, set herself on fire in China's capital city of Beijing in protesting the illegal land grabbing in her native Keygudo region of eastern Tibet.

She was reportedly taken to hospital where she was treated for "severe burn injuries."

Passang Lhamo was forced to head to Beijing after local authorities in Keygudo refused to allow her to retain her ancestral home following the major rebuilding process in the region in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Repeated appeals to the central authorities in Beijing had also failed to yield any concrete results. More

 

China confiscates Tibetan farmland for hydroproject in Muge

DHARAMSHALA, July 13: In another major incidence of official land grabbing, large areas of farming land and grassland used by Tibetans in the Muge region of Sungchu in eastern Tibet have been confiscated by local Chinese authorities.

The Dharamshala based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a report Friday cited sources as saying that local Chinese authorities have appropriated all farmlands in Achu nomadic camp in lower Muge area in the name of hydropower projects to generate electricity.

Traditional grasslands in Achu camp used by local herds for grazing in autumn, in addition to farmlands in neighbouring A-ngag and Agon camps have also been confiscated for ‘development’ projects, the group said.

“The Chinese authorities gave no explanation for the large scale land-grab,” TCHRD noted. “They were not consulted before, during or after the execution of the so-called development projects. Their participation and agency in shaping policies conducive to local conditions were denied.”

The security apparatus in the region has also seen a new boost with the ongoing construction of additional police stations in the region.

“At the time of reporting, a new police station is being built near Muge Monastery. The initial plan was to build the police station within the monastery. But the plan was changed when the authorities met with stiff resistance from the senior monastic staff,” TCHRD said while adding that the upcoming police station has “heightened concerns and tension” among local Tibetans in Muge.

The group said that currently no reports are available on whether any displacement occurred during the confiscation of farmlands, particularly in Achu camp, which lost all farmland. No information is also available on official compensation given to the aggrieved families.

“Local accounts report that local Tibetans are facing enormous challenges in freely expressing their grievances given the violent official reprisals,” TCHRD said. “Addressing these legitimate grievances peacefully should be the priority of to ensure true harmony and stability in Tibet.”

Earlier this year, a Tibetan man Gachoe, around 35, was arrested on January 19 for taking part in a public-led protest against Chinese government land seizures from local Tibetans in Nangchen region.

Protests against land seizures by Chinese authorities in Tibet have led to mass demonstrations and at least two self-immolations by Tibetans.

On September 13, 2012, Passang Lhamo, 62, set herself on fire in China's capital city of Beijing in protesting the illegal land grabbing in her native Keygudo region of eastern Tibet.

She was reportedly taken to hospital where she was treated for "severe burn injuries."

Passang Lhamo was forced to head to Beijing after local authorities in Keygudo refused to allow her to retain her ancestral home following the major rebuilding process in the region in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Repeated appeals to the central authorities in Beijing had also failed to yield any concrete results. More

 

WATCH: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Zone series produced by National Geographic

Just over a year ago I started filming for a web series produced by National Geographic. My goal was to highlight the conflicting narratives and the different points of view while inspiring hope. As Obama is visiting the region, I no longer believe that he or other leaders will bring an end to this conflict. It must be people who lead the leaders. However, I have found that the majority of Israelis and Palestinians are indifferent and ineffective. Indifference is the greatest enemy to peace and justice. In this series, I try to understand why this conflict is still going on. I try to examine the narratives and perspectives. But most importantly I also explore the effect of interactions between the sides.

This special online 4-part video series, Conflict Zone, follows Aziz Abu Sarah, a cultural educator, a native of Jerusalem, and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer who works in international conflict resolution.

Part 1: Uneasy Coexistence
This first segment shows Israelis and Palestinians trying to lead ordinary lives, but the complications of living in a conflict zone can be extraordinary.

Part 2: Israel Defense Force

This segment features the Nabi Saleh protest from the Israeli military’s point of view.

Part 3: Palestinian Protesters

This segment features the Nabi Saleh protest from the Palestinians’ point of view.

Part 4: A Space to Talk

This segment highlights the process of creating safe places for dialogue among people who are on opposing sides of a conflict.

For more original analysis and breaking news, visit +972 Magazine's Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. Our newsletter features a comprehensive round-up of the week's events. Sign uphere.

Privatization Leads To Catastrophic Loss Of Cambodia’sTropical Flooded Grasslands

Around half of Cambodia's tropical flooded grasslands have been lost in just 10 years according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

Tonle Sap, Cambodia

The seasonally flooded grasslands around the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, are of great importance for biodiversity. It is a refuge for 11 globally-threatened bird species. They are also a vital fishing, grazing, and traditional rice farming resource for around 1.1 million people.

Research published today in the journal Conservation Biology quantifies for the first time the area's catastrophic loss of tropical flooded grassland.

The grassland area spanned 3349 km² in 1995, but by 2005 it had been reduced to just 1817 km² -- a loss of 46 percent.

Despite conservation efforts in some areas, it has continued to shrink rapidly since, with a further 19 percent lost in four years (2005-2009) from the key remaining grassland area in the southeast of the Tonle Sap floodplain.

Factors include intensive commercial rice farming with construction of irrigation channels, which is often illegal. Some areas have also been lost to scrubland where traditional, low-intensity agricultural activity has been abandoned.

The research has been led by Dr Charlotte Packman from UEA's school of Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia Program and BirdLife International. It was funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.

Dr Packman said: "Tropical and flooded grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems globally. The area around the Tonle Sap lake is the largest remaining tropical flooded grassland in Southeast Asia. It is hugely important to both biodiversity and the livelihoods of some of the world's poorest communities. Our research shows that these grasslands are disappearing at an alarming rate.

"These unique grasslands are home to many threatened birds including by far the largest remaining population of the critically endangered Bengal florican -- the world's rarest bustard. This bird has experienced a dramatic population decline of 44 percent in seven years due to the destruction of its grassland habitat. Other birds under threat in this area include sarus cranes, storks, ibises and eagles.

"Rural communities have been left vulnerable to land-grabbing and privatization of communal grasslands. Traditional, low-intensity use of the grasslands by these communities, such as burning and cattle-grazing, help to maintain the grasslands and prevent scrubland from invading.

"Intensive commercial rice production by private companies, involving the construction of huge channels and reservoirs for irrigation, is denying local communities access to the grasslands on which their livelihoods depend and destroying a very important habitat for threatened wildlife. More