FW: [WTNN] World Tibet Network News -- December 21, 2010
Alex Bunjes
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Issue ID: 2010/12/21Compiled by Nima Dorjee
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Contents
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1. Norway involved in China-Tibet talks
2. Tibetans are real holders of Nalanda tradition, says Dalai Lama
3. India's Tibetan Exile Community Nears Critical Juncture
4. Dalai urges people to respect all religions
5. NZ leader went back on word about Dalai Lama meeting
6. Senior monk-scholars, with no political record, sentenced to life and
15-20 years imprisonment - crackdown continues at Drepung
7. Lone woman withdraws from Tibetan polls
8. Dalai Lama and Rick Warren: Top Tweeters Among Religious Leaders
9. Tibetan Mastiff sold for USD two million
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1. Norway involved in China-Tibet talks
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December 21, 2010
Norwegian officials have in all secrecy been contributing economically
to funding meetings between Chinese authorities in Beijing and
representatives for Dalai Lama¹s Tibetan government in exile.
The Norwegian involvement emerged last week in documents made available
by WikiLeaks and reported by newspaper Aftenposten.
Dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama and Chinese
authorities has been going on since 2002. The US State Department has
been aware of Norway¹s role in the dialogue, according to documents to
which Aftenposten and Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet gained access
via WikiLeaks. The documents include Tibet on the list of countries
where Norway has played a role in peace talks in recent years.
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre wouldn¹t comment. Tibet is viewed as
an autonomous region of China and been under Chinese control since
Chinese forces invaded Tibet¹s capital of Lhasa in 1950. Tibet¹s
spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, went into exile in India in 1959 and won
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
The WikiLeaks documents reveal that the ageing Dalai Lama, now 75, told
an American official that he thinks Chinese President Hu Jintao hates
him personally, and hopes China will adopt a more moderate line
regarding Tibet when Hu steps down in 2012.
China since has become angry with Norway, after the Norwegian Nobel
Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo,
and lately has been cancelling meetings involving Norwegian government
officials.
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2. Tibetans are real holders of Nalanda tradition, says Dalai Lama
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Gangtok, Dec 21, 2010, (ANI) -- Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama
has said that Tibetans are the real holders of Nalanda tradition and are
true followers of Indian gurus (teachers).
Inaugurating an International Conference on Science, Spirituality and
Education here on Monday, the Dalai Lama said: ""I am always proud to
say that we are the real holders of the real Nalanda tradition.
Important methods and concepts of Buddhism would always rely on Nalanda
masters, so we are the true followers of Nalanda tradition. That is why
I always say, we are disciples of India and Indians are our Guru," he added.
He further said that world peace cannot be achieved only through prayers
and blessings.
"World peace cannot come through prayers or through blessings; peace
must come through our actions. Action is more important than prayers or
blessings," he added.
He also said that it is the duty of the people to protect various kinds
of faith and religion.
He underlined the importance of spiritualism alongside the knowledge of
modern sciences and technologies. (ANI)
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3. India's Tibetan Exile Community Nears Critical Juncture
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Kurt Achin, VOA | Dharamsala, India 20 December 2010
Indian authorities last week detained more than 20 Tibetan independence
supporters who protested against Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to
India.
Mr. Wen has come and gone, but India's hosting of the Tibetan exile
community, which is nearing a major political milestone, remains an
irritant in the two countries' relationship.
In Dharamsala, India, Tibetan musicians pay tribute to political
prisoners held by China and Tibetan Buddhist devotees sing a daily
prayer for the safety of their spiritual leader in his travels.
Such activities would invite severe punishment for the six million
Tibetans living under Chinese control, but in Dharamsala, it is just
another day.
This quiet corner of the Himalayas has been the Dalai Lama's home for
most of the 51 years since he fled across the Indian border in 1959. By
hosting him, India has incubated not only one of the world's most
recognizable celebrities, but also a political process.
His Holiness, as followers call him, has slowly delegated political
power away from himself and towards a democratic administrative
structure. Its task is to care for the more than 130,000 Tibetans in
exile, and to seek reunification with their historic homeland.
This March, the Dalai Lama, now 76-years-old, has indicated he will
formally request that members let him retire from political duties.
Tibetan exile officials, including current Kalon Tripa Samdhong
Rinpoche, are anxious about that.
"We all at this moment are concentrating to one point," Rinpoche says.
"How to persuade his Holiness not to withdraw."
No other Tibetan enjoys anything approaching the world fame of the Dalai
Lama. And no one else, says Rinpoche, has the same influence over Tibetans.
"His Holiness is the binding force for all the Tibetan people. As the
torch of light, or the leader, he must be there," says Rinpoche.
"Otherwise, the elected person alone cannot take the responsibility.
That much I know."
Many suspect the Dalai Lama is seeking retirement not out of a desire
for a rest, but as a way of pushing Tibetan exile democracy to be more
self-reliant. He has always said he wants to step out of the way and let
democratically elected officials handle Tibetan affairs.
A more democratic Tibetan community may become more contentious, paving
the way for possible challenges to the Dalai Lama's vision of a
democratic Tibet living autonomously under Chinese rule.
Tenzin Chokey of the Tibetan Youth Congress says Tibetans should demand
more than just autonomy.
"Tibetan independence is the ultimate resolution to the problem," says
Chokey. "We cannot sit and wait for China to talk to us. Stop using the
soft power, we need to get a little more aggressive than that," she says.
Tibetan frustration boiled over visibly in 2008, when protests erupted
across Chinese-controlled Tibet. It is unclear what effect a diminished
role for the Dalai Lama will have on such emotions.
Deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile Dolma Gyari says if
His Holiness insists on stepping away from politics, it will put added
burdens on the next Kalon Tripa.
"It has to be a leader who is not only good in governance, but who's
good in uniting the strength of the people inside and outside of Tibet,
and taking them forward together," says Gyari.
After the Dalai Lama passes on, Tibet's administration will have to make
due for 15 years or more while their tradition selects a reincarnated
Lama, and raises him or her through childhood. That gives the exile
government a strong incentive to master the art of self-reliance.
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4. Dalai urges people to respect all religions
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Assam Tribune
GANGTOK, Dec 21 Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has urged people
from all faiths to give equal respect to all religions in the world.
All the major religions in the world have vision, so people should learn
the principles of such religions and use it in their daily life, the
Dalai Lama told people here on Sunday.
Earlier, thousands of people lined up the streets here from the Army
Helipad at Libing to the Circuit House to have a glimpse of the Tibetan
spiritual leader who arrived here today from Ravangla in South Sikkim.
The streets of the Sikkim capital were decorated with banners welcoming
the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama is on a eight-day visit of Sikkim from December 15 to 22.
The Sikkim Government has banned slaughter of animals in the State
during the stay of the Tibetan spiritual leader. PTI
Correspondent adds: The Dalai Lama, while addressing his followers here
at Buddha Park, stated that when anything happens, there must be some
cause; without any reason nothing happens in the universe.
³Everybody should prepare mentally to do Karma and never wait for
result², he said. The Dalai Lama said this to his devotees assembled in
front of the under construction135 ft high statue (tallest in the
country) of Lord Buddha, facing North West.
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and other Ministers visited him today.
According to sources, devotees from Mongolia, Taiwan, Thailand, Bhutan
and Nepal have come to see the Dalai Lama.
During his two day stay at Ravangla, he appreciated the Chief Minister
for setting up the Buddha Park. Dalai Lama also visited the Tibetan
settlers of Kunphenling TibetanSettlement at Ravangla.
Dalai gave a sermon on the teachings of Buddhism and said that the
uniqueness of Buddhism is that it teaches people to imbibe goodness in
their hearts. The trueteachings of Buddhism should reflect in the action
of Buddha Dharma followers thus dispensing the goodness in them towards
the welfare of the world, he said.
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5. NZ leader went back on word about Dalai Lama meeting
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December 20, 2010
New Zealand Press Association
WELLINGTON: The New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, assured the
Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, that no ministers would meet the Dalai
Lama, despite a pre-election commitment to meet the exiled Tibetan
spiritual leader, leaked cables between Wellington and Washington show.
The cables from the United States embassy in Wellington reveal that in
April last year, Mr Key told Mr Wen that neither he nor his cabinet
would meet the Dalai Lama when he visited New Zealand last December, the
Herald on Sunday reported.
That was despite a pre-election commitment to the chairman of Friends of
Tibet, Thuten Kesang, that he would meet the Dalai Lama, and despite the
Foreign Affairs Minister, Murray McCully, telling Parliament there was
no boycott.
However, a cable quoted a Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomat, Grahame
Morton, as saying: ''PM Key had earlier conversed with Premier Wen
Jiabao concerning the Dalai Lama's December 4 to 7 visit to Auckland,
saying that neither he nor any of his ministers would meet with the
Dalai Lama.
''Morton said the Chinese 'obviously registered' this. Morton added that
the PM Š made this decision without any consultation, but others in the
government are still obliged to respect it.''
The Labour leader, Phil Goff, said the cable ''demonstrates the Key
government has not been honest with New Zealanders''.
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6. Senior monk-scholars, with no political record, sentenced to life and
15-20 years imprisonment - crackdown continues at Drepung
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ICT Press Release, December 21, 2010
Tibetans in Lhasa are concerned for the welfare and safety of three
senior Drepung monks who were detained in April, 2008, two of whom have
subsequently received sentences of life and 20 years. Their whereabouts
and welfare is not known. The monks¹ long sentences are in the context
of a continued crackdown at Drepung, after monks from the monastery were
at the forefront of peaceful protests in Lhasa beginning on March 10, 2008.
Jampel Wangchuk, disciplinarian at Drepung¹s Loseling college
Jampel Wangchuk, 55, the disciplinarian at Drepung¹s Loseling college,
has been sentenced to life in prison, and Konchok Nyima, 43, the
scripture teacher at Drepung¹s Gomang college, has been sentenced to 20
years, according to information from ICT sources and the Tibetan Center
for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). A third monk, 38-year old
Ngawang Choenyi, the scripture teacher at Drepung¹s Ngakpa college, who
was arrested at the same time, is also believed to be serving a sentence
of 15 years, according to sources cited by the Tibetan government in
exile. (³China Reinforces Patriotic Education at Drepung Monastery:
Report,² CTA, January 14, 2009.
http://tibet.net/en/index.php?id=670&articletype=flash&rmenuid=morenews&...)
.
Charges against the three monks are not known.
The three monks are highly respected scholars in their community (images
of the three monks are at: www.savetibet.org). Although Drepung monks
played a prominent role in a major demonstration on March 10, 2008,
Jampel Wangchuk, Konchok Nyima and Ngawang Choenyi are not believed to
have taken part in the protests. A source in contact with people in
Lhasa said: ³The implication is that the authorities used the cover of
the protests to detain influential members of the Drepung community with
no political record. There are serious fears for the welfare of these
three monks.²
Konchok Nyima, the scripture teacher at Drepung¹s Gomang college
The whereabouts of two others from Drepung arrested at the same time,
Ngawang Sertho and a cook nicknamed Gyakpa (literal translation: Fatso),
are still unknown. A monk detained at the time, Gyalpo, died in prison
following torture in August 2009, according to TCHRD. (³Heavy sentences
for Drepung monks,² TCHRD, October 7, 2010.
http://www.tchrd.org/press/2010/pr20101007.html.) The Tibetan government
in exile has reported the sentencing of 42 monks from Drepung since
March, 2008. (³China Reinforces Patriotic Education at Drepung
Monastery: Report,² Central Tibetan Administration, January 14, 2009.
http://tibet.net/en/index.php?id=670&articletype=flash&rmenuid=morenews&...
1#TabbedPanels1.) The same report stated that Drepung monk Lobsang
Wangchuk from Lhasa was left virtually blind after maltreatment in
custody in an unknown location.
There has been an increase in the imposition of life sentences in Tibet
since the crackdown began from March, 2008. Wangdu, a former Project
Officer for an HIV/AIDS program in Lhasa run by the Australian Burnet
Institute, was sentenced to life for ³espionage² in Lhasa in 2008. (ICT
report: ³NGOG worker sentenced to fife imprisonment: harsh sentences
signal harder line on blocking news from Tibet,² ICT, December 22, 2008.
http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/ict-news-reports/ngo-worker-senten...
-life-imprisonment-harsh-sentences-signal-harder-line-blocking-news-ti.)
Respected Tibetan businessman, hotel owner and Communist Party member
Dorjee Tashi has been sentenced to life after being held incommunicado
after the 2008 protests. Monks Gyurmey Dhondup and Kalsang Tsering were
sentenced to life in September, 2008, following alleged involvement in a
bombing incident in Chamdo (Chinese: Changdu), Tibet Autonomous Region.
(³Post-Olympics: more life sentences for Tibetan monks,² AsiaNews,
October 16, 2008.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Post-Olympics:-more-life-sentences-for-Ti...
an-monks-13496.html.)
Ngawang Choenyi, scripture teacher at Drepung¹s Ngakpa college
Prior to 2008, the influential religious teacher Tenzin Delek Rinpoche,
who oversaw a religious revival among the communities in his area and
established schools, old people¹s homes and religious institutions, had
a death sentence commuted to life following his detention in 2002 on
alleged bombing charges. Monk Choeying Khedrub was sentenced on January
29, 2001 to life imprisonment by the Tibet Autonomous Region High
People¹s Court for the ³crime of inciting splittism² after he was
accused of printing and distributing pro-independence leaflets.
Drepung monks at forefront of cycle of protests
The cycle of protests that led to a violent crackdown across Tibet began
with an orderly march to Lhasa by several hundred Drepung monks on March
10, 2008. The monks, already under heavy restrictions following their
attempts to celebrate the awarding of the US Congressional Gold Medal to
the Dalai Lama in October, a year before (ICT report: ³New images
confirm security buildup at Drepubng on day Dalai Lama awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal,² ICT, November 14, 2007
http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/ict-news-reports/new-images-confir...
curity-buildup-drepung-day-dalai-lama-awarded-congressional-gold-meda),
were blocked by security forces. Dozens were arrested after a standoff
with security personnel following a sit-in protest by many of the monks,
many of whom wept as they recited long-life prayers for the Dalai Lama,
and the rest were compelled to return to the monastery.
Drepung monastery was blockaded by security forces following the
incident and on April 10 and 11, 2008, military trucks were seen moving
towards Drepung and the road to the monastery was closed again. Drepung
monks were prevented from leaving the monastery to obtain food. Jampel
Wangchuk, Konchok Nyima, and Ngawang Chonyi were detained on April 11,
and it is still not known where they are detained. Jampel Wangchuk
(layname: Tsepel), sentenced to life, is from Tsotoe in Phenpo Lhundrup
(Chinese: Linzhou) county in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Konchok
Nyima is from Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) in Sichuan, the Tibetan area of Kham.
He was believed to have been sent back to his native place, like other
Lhasa monks from outside the TAR, but never arrived. Ngawang Chonyi
(layname: Kalden), is from Shasuzur neighborhood in Lhasa.
In April, 2008, hundreds of armed police raided Lhasa¹s three main
monasteries, Sera, Drepung and Ganden, already under lockdown and with a
high security presence following the beginning of the protests in March.
The raids took place in the early hours of the morning over several
nights, and according to various reports, hundreds of monks were taken
away. According to one report, around 600 monks were taken from Drepung
at dawn on April 25, 2008, some with black hoods over of their heads.
Many of them were taken to Golmud (Chinese: Ge¹ermu) in Qinghai by train
and held in a military prison. The authorities later said they had been
³taken for study².
The Tibetan writer Woeser wrote about a song written by a Drepung monk
held in custody at Golmud at the time, which was based on a folk song
popular in Amdo, eastern Tibet. The song was learnt by many monks being
held in detention, and includes the lyrics: ³The three seats of Sera,
Drepung and Ganden[the three great monasteries of Lhasa]/ Are struck by
the vapor of the poisonous snake/ Because of this sea of adverse
circumstance/ There¹s no right to diligently study the scriptural
texts.² (ICT report: ³A Great Mountain Burned by Fire: China¹s Crackdown
in Tibet,² ICT, March 1, 2009.
http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/ict-press-releases/a-great-mountai....
)
Since the Drepung monks took to the streets on March 10, 2008 the
Chinese government has engaged in a widespread cover-up of the torture,
disappearances and killings that have taken place across Tibet combined
with a virulent propaganda offensive against the Dalai Lama. As part of
this offensive, officials have intensified the implementation of
patriotic education campaigns in order ³to offer legal education to
monks because religious activities must also be considered under the
framework of the law.² (³China scholars vow patriotism drive for Tibet,²
Reuters, March 26, 2008.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-32688320080326?pageNumber=1.)
Patriotic education is carried out at Tibetan monasteries and nunneries
in order to tighten Party control over religion and undermine the
influence of the Dalai Lama in society and religious institutions, which
includes requiring monks and nuns to sign public declarations denouncing
the Dalai Lama.
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7. Lone woman withdraws from Tibetan polls
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2010-12-21 17:30:00
Dharamsala, Dec 21 (IANS) The lone woman candidate in the election to
the post of 'Kalon Tripa,' the prime minister of the Tibetan
government-in-exile, has withdrawn from the contest, an official said
here Tuesday.
'Three contestants, including Dolma Gyari, withdrew their candidacy till
the last date (Tuesday) for the withdrawal of nominations. Now there are
three candidates, all male, for the March 20 elections,' Jamphel
Choesang, chief election commissioner, told IANS.
Gyari is the deputy speaker in the parliament-in-exile.
Lobsang Sangey, senior fellow of Harvard Law School, diplomat Tenzin
Namgyal Tethong and Tashi Wangdi, former representative of the Dalai
Lama in Brussels, are now left in the race.
Sangey emerged the frontrunner winning the highest number of votes
(22,489) in the primary poll held Oct 3 to nominate the candidates,
Choesang said.
Tethong, who is also based in the US, got the second highest of 12,319
votes, while Gyari came up third with 2,733 votes. Wangdi won just over
1,000 votes.
During the run-up to the primary, many Tibetans had posed questions on
internet to the prospective candidates.
One of the questions put to Sangey was: 'What do you see as the key
responsibilities of the next Kalon Tripa?'
He replied: 'First, we have to define whether the Kalon Tripa is a
leader or an administrator. If Kalon Tripa is simply an administrator,
then experience - both institutional and personal - is a must. However,
His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) himself has stressed that as our democracy
progresses, the Kalon Tripa should assume more political leadership.'
Incumbent Samdhong Rinpoche became the first elected prime minister for
a five-year term in September 2001 after the Dalai Lama called for the
direct election of a political leader of the exiles.
Rinpoche cannot contest this time as the Tibetan charter bars any
individual from holding the office for more than two terms.
As the Dalai Lama has turned 75, the Tibetans attach great importance to
the upcoming general elections. They feel the major political leadership
of the government-in-exile is going to rest on the shoulders of the
prime minister.
The Dalai Lama and his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India
when Chinese troops moved in and took control of capital Lhasa in 1959.
The prime ministerial election will be held along with the election for
the 46-member parliament-in-exile based in Dharmasala.
In the 2006 polls, there were 72,000 registered voters. However, only
32,205 people (26.8 percent) exercised their franchise. This time there
are over 76,000 voters.
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8. Dalai Lama and Rick Warren: Top Tweeters Among Religious Leaders
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December 19, 2010
DAVID GIBSON
Religion Reporter, AOL online
Megachurch pastor and global evangelist Rick Warren may not seem to have
much in common with the Dalai Lama, exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhism.
But they are the only religious figures to makeForbes' list of the top
20 "most influential Twitter celebrities." (Though Brazilian writer
Paulo Coelho, ranked No. 2, could also be considered something of a
spiritual guru.)
The Dalai Lama actually came in fifth, and Warren just made it at No.
20. But he shouldn't feel bad as the Buddhist leader also beat Barack
Obama (No. 11), and all three lost out to the top celeb, the
Canadian-born teen pop idol Justin Bieber.
Moreover, Warren, pastor of the influential Saddleback Church in Orange
County, California, has been Tweeting only for a little over a year but
he has more than 200,000 followers, and each Tweet reaches some 1
million people.
"When Twitter first appeared in July of 2007, my staff told me that I
should sign up, but I said no way," Warren said in a statement from his
publicist. "The idea of telling people the minutia of my life seemed so
narcissistic. But while conducting a funeral with Pastor John Piper" --
another well-know evangelical -- "he told me he used Twitter to teach.
So I decided to add it as one of the mentoring tools I use with my
network of young church leaders. I guess other people wanted to listen
in, too."
In fact, Warren has overcome any shyness about Twitter, and regularly
Tweets not only about his love for Jesus but about his love of food
("I've collected 370 different hot sauces traveling the globe. The
hotter the better. I don't just believe in hell. ... I eat it"). He also
likes to pass along the usual piffle that is broadcast on Twitter, such
as his question on Friday: "If superman is so smart,why does he wear his
underpants on top of his pants?"
Several months ago Warren alarmed his followers when he sent out an
urgent Tweet asking for prayers because he'd been blinded by the sap of
a bush while clearing brush at his Southern California home. (Warren
made a full recovery.)
The Dalai Lama, on the other hand, tends to stick to nuggets of
spiritual wisdom that one might expect of such a revered Buddhist
leader. "Within all beings there is a seed of perfection; but compassion
is required to activate that seed inherent in our hearts and minds," he
tweeted on Saturday. (The Dalai Lama had apparently not yet acknowledged
the Forbes ranking.)
Warren said he only learned about the Forbes ranking when a follower
tweeted him with the news. According to the profile of Warren from
Klout, the marketing research firm that conducted the survey for Forbes,
Warren "has built a very large and expanding network quickly through
quality, trustworthy content, and he is regularly engaged by other
influential people who often act on or amplify his messages."
To calculate the list, Klout crunched celebrity Tweets to measure the
"impact of your opinions, links and recommendations across your social
graph" -- whatever that means. According to Forbes, the Klout score is
compiled using an algorithm that takes into account 35 factors,
including a celebrity's number of retweets and followers.
Megan Berry, marketing manager at Klout, told Forbes that just because a
celebrity has "klout" doesn't mean he or she will automatically convince
their followers to adopt their brand. You have to be sure that "one's
brand actually aligns with said celebrity" -- a cautionary note for
religious leaders like Warren and the Dalai Lama.
But Warren, like many other religious leaders, says social networking
tools like Twitter and Facebook are too important to ignore if you want
to spread the word. "For 30 years we've always tried to use every means
available to help as many as possible, and share the transforming
message of the Gospel," Warren said.
Or, as the Jesuit priest and popular author, Father James Martin, has
put it, "If it wasn't beneath Jesus to talk about the birds of the air,
then it's not beneath us to tweet."
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9. Tibetan Mastiff sold for USD two million
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K J M Varma
Beijing, Dec 22 (PTI) The Chinese people''s fascination with Tibet''s
most enduring symbol -- Mastiff dog -- has touched a new high as a local
businessman bought a puppy of the ancient breed for a whopping USD two
million, the highest ever price for one.
The Mastiff puppy, which is less than one-year old, was bought by a
buyer from Dalian in China''s Liaoning province, state-run ''People''s
Daily'' said in a brief report.
It fetched the heavy price of USD two million (16 million yuan) as it
was rated as the "best quality" purebred, the report said.
The popularity of Tibetan Mastiff, considered the most ancient and
rarest canine animal reared in the extreme cold zones in Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau, is growing, especially among the wealthy Chinese.
The dog with heavy fluffy hair was being used as a guardian of herds,
flocks and monasteries and palaces. It was currently listed as one of
the famous breeds.
As it is fetching heavy sums, the breeders have gone high-tech
advertising the dogs over internet through well-made videos.
Last month, a black Mastiff hit the global headlines when a Chinese dog
enthusiast bought the mountain dog for three million Yuan (USD 4.50 lakh).
The buyer identified by the same newspaper as Jing from Hebei created a
buzz in the media here by arranging a big red carpet welcome for the dog
when it arrived at the local railway station from Tibetan Qinghai
province. The dog was taken to its home in a big convoy of luxury cars.
Dogs in general considered a delicacy in China in the past are fast
becoming part of the milieu of both wealthy and middle class families in
the country.
Their popularity has gone to such an extent that Shanghai, China''s
biggest city, has come up with a "one dog policy", stipulating that
families are permitted to have only one dog.
Beijing itself alone has about nine lakh registered pet dogs.
Recognising the fast spreading love for dogs, the Chinese government
brought about elaborate rules permitting certain breads of dogs with
specific height and length in residential flats in the cities.
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