An interesting piece in the New York Times addresses Tibetans living in western China, caught between several worlds. Not surprisingly, China is said to be tightening its grip on all Tibetan areas. Meanwhile, some western European countries flirt with an Olympic boycott. [Image © Mark Trepte/The Associated Press.]

Remember Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N.’s special envoy to Burma? He’s disappointed with the lack of results from his recent trip, but he reports that Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and good spirits. Meanwhile the All Burma Monks’ Association (ABMA) urged monks to boycott this year’s religious examinations, to be held on March 24th. The ABMA was formed in Mandalay on September 9th, 2007.

“During the saffron revolution, we announced the ex-communicative boycott of the regime. This boycott will remain in force as long as it is not withdrawn by another religious rite. So the boycott is still continuing. We urge our fellow monks to continue the boycott and obey the religious diktat,” U Pyinyar Zawta, patron of ABMA told Mizzima.

“During the saffron revolution, the regime beat up monks, tied them to the lamppost, arrested them and imprisoned them. This is an insult to the Buddhist sasana (religion). So we issued this statement with the intention of urging our fellow monks to boycott the religious examinations held by the regime,” he added.

The death toll from the four-year conflict in southern Thailand tops 3,000. (Or is it only 2,800?) What does Thailand’s government think about how to solve this insurgency? “No idea,” says interior minister Chalerm Yubamrung.

Meanwhile, a violent civil war rages in Sri Lanka, with 37 dead in recent clashes between the government and Tamil rebels.

From the Buddhist Channel: Tibetan exile leaders took part in a hunger strike in Delhi yesterday. And Who is the Dalai Lama?

Two more articles from Precious Metal: the blog.

Photo evidence of Tibet horror comes to light from Toronto’s Globe and Mail

News of Tibet Under Scrutiny from CNN

Update: Protest Maps updated as of 3/19/08. From Mikel Dunham’s blog.

Though the term “Zen Monster” may bring to mind the Buddha-on-Godzilla image from Brad Warner’s Sit Down and Shut Up, Zen Monster is actually a new magazine full of politics, religion, criticism, poetry, fiction, book reviews, and art. It’s described as “a voice for independent poets, artists and writers outside of any hierarchical or ecclesiastical Buddhist affiliation.” It’s very pretty, too, thanks to designer Charles Rue Woods, a longtime friend of Tricycle.

Contributors to the first issue include Norman Fischer, Philip Whalen, Susan Bee, Ann Waldman, Gary Snyder, and many more. I opened right up to a bunch of Philip Whalen epistles and Eliot Katz’s Elegy for Allen Ginsberg, plus a photo of a cool sculpture by Steven Siegel, not to be confused with the smililarly named action star / tulku.

Check it out at your local bookstore. Winter 2008 is the first issue. If you want to submit something to them, their email address is fitzunger [at] yahoo [dot] com and their postal address is:

Zen Monster c/o
New York Zen Circle
1032 Woodgate Ave.
Elberon, NJ 07740

Lots to talk about with Tibet.

China’s news agency says more than 100 protesters have surrendered. And there are no changes to their plan to run the torch down Everest and across Tibet to Beijing. The unrest won’t affect the Olympics at all, officials say.

China blacks out Tibet news on the internet. But can those within China bypass the blackout? Probably not.

The outside world continues to stir. Protests continue in Nepal. Reporters Without Borders calls for a boycott of the Olympics. A Taiwanese candidate lights a “Free Tibet” torch. They’re still marching in Chicago. And the Pope speaks out against the violence in Tibet.

Is China, worried about the black eye to their cute panda Olympic mascot, ready to talk with the Dalai Lama? The Dalai Lama, soon to meet with English PM Gordon Brown, is up for it.

And finally, a petition to the IOC, courtesy of Konchog at Dreaming of Danzan Ravjaa, and an Amnesty International urgent action (pdf), thanks to Danny Fisher.