U.S. urges China to address Tibetan concerns

But the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the Dalai Lama should take the blame for the burnings, and repeated Beijing’s line that Tibetans are free to practice their Buddhist faith.

Nuland said the United States was concerned that Chinese policies in Tibetan areas including the destruction of religious property and resettlement of people in sensitive religious areas threatened the unique religious, cultural and linguistic identify of the Tibetan people.

The Dalai Lama, whom China condemns as a supporter of violent separatism, denies advocating violence and insists he wants only real autonomy for his homeland.

China has ruled Tibet since Communist troops marched in 1950. Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled nine years later after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Nuland said the United States would continue to press Beijing to allow journalists and diplomats access to Tibetan areas and called on China to respect the rights of all of its citizens “and particularly the rights of Tibetans to resolve their underlying grievances with the government of China.”

At least 11 ethnic Tibetans have burned themselves to death this year in southwest China, a region that has become the center of defiance against strict Chinese control.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) The United States on Friday urged China to correct “counter-productive policies” in Tibetan areas, saying it was concerned by a spate of Tibetan self-immolations that have underscored tensions over Beijing’s rule.

(Reporting by Andrew Quinn; Editing by Philip Barbara)

A number of the recent suicides have occurred among ethnic Tibetan herders and farmers living in areas across the vast highlands of China’s west that they regard as part of a larger Tibetan region encompassing the official Tibetan Autonomous Region.

The latest Chinese case occurred on Thursday when a Tibetan nun set herself on fire in Sichuan province, the Xinhua news agency said. Another Tibetan suffered burns to his legs on Friday when he set himself on fire outside the Chinese Embassy in India.

Tibet has been a persistent irritant in U.S.-China ties, which are also frequently strained by economic disputes. In July, Beijing reacted angrily to U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to meet the Dalai Lama.

“We have consistently and directly raised with the Chinese government our concerns about Tibetan self-immolations and we have repeatedly urged the Chinese government to address its counter-productive policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions,” State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said.

Get Katie Holmes’ Lanvin Look for Less! - UsMagazine.com

- one zippered outside pocket

A cheerful bow speaks to signature Lanvin style.

- Chain-inset shoulder straps with bow and logo medallion.

- goldtone hardware

Want to splurge on the original? Find it at bergdorfgoodman.com.

- double chain straps with double tassel detail on one strap

- Brass hardware.

Pick up the Dillard’s version at Dillards.com.

By Sasha Charnin Morrison for UsMagazine.com. To read more of the Recessionista blog, click here.

- turn-lock closure

This stylish shoulder bag features:

- two zippered and two slip inside pockets

- Flap top with turn-lock closure.

To be ultra creative, add a few DIY features like some black grosgrain ribbon. Tie the chains, maybe add a few gold coin charms (if you can find something like that) or a keychain and hello? Youre set and your heart will go on!

- Made in Italy.

- cotton lining

The Happy Bag — owned by Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon — makes me bananas enough that I decided to go web surfing and I found a very close replica to this bag on Dillards.com. The Kate Landry-designed purse is only $69, and comes in purple and the insane brown leopard PVC.

- Noir (black) metallic lambskin.

- Tonal topstitching.

I have a kind of sick, deep throbbing heart pang obsession over a handbag. Like, if I don’t get it I may go kabonkers and need to be sent to a padded cell. It’s the Lanvin Happy Bag, priced at $1,980! But I just love the way it looks. It’s similar in feeling to a classic Chanel bag, but then it has a kind of twist. It’s quirky. The chain strap has little grosgrain bows, a nice lock at the flap…it’s generally very chic. After buying so many crazy things over the years, it’s nice to buy something somewhat elegant and almost regal.

- Inside zip pocket.