PEOPLE

Dalai Lama is a `terrorist’

The Dalai Lama came under attack from an official Chinese newspaper which dubbed the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader a `terrorist’ for supporting India’s nuclear tests in May. “The Dalai Lama’s words only remind people of a terrorist who greatly admires violence and shows no respect for the well-knownworld rules,” the Tibet Daily said in an editorial, excerpts of which were published in the English language China Daily. The Dalai Lama had called for “full understanding” of the tests conducted by India in the face of global condemnation, it said. “Peace is just a cloak for him to cheat the world,” the article said. “Granting Dalai the (Nobel Peace) prize shed discredit on the prize. Dalai’s `smart’ comments on the nuclear tests tore off his mask and showed the nature of a faked pacifist,” it said. “Black turns into white and threats are called peace in his mouth.” London-based pressure group the Tibet Information Network (TIN) said last month that China had intensified a campaign against the Dalai Lama’s followers in Lhasa. A directive from the region’s Communist Party leadership said any party members who displayed Dalai Lama images would be expelled from the party.

Trooping out the titles

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) based in Hong Kong is planning to erase alltraces of British colonial titles at its garrisons, a spokesman for the Chinese troops said. “We have been considering the plan to remove any colonial titles in our camps for some time,” he said, adding an official announcement will be made “soon”. Troops have already started dismantling the sign at the Prince of Wales Building, the former British Army headquarters now taken over by the Chinese troops. It is not known what the building will be renamed. The Prince of Wales building was named after Britain’s heir to the throne Prince Charles in 1979 when he opened the site, known as HMS Tamar. British troops withdrew from the territory when it returned to Chinese rule in July 1997 and have been replaced by an estimated 4,000 Chinese forces.

Monica’s debut on British TV

Britain’s Channel 4 has paid $600,000 for the only interview by a non-US television company with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, the company said. The channel, which has a remit for `alternative’ and minorityprogramming, said its star presenter Jon Snow would be “both tough and fair” with Lewinsky. She had agreed to speak about “her life and the events of the last year, including her relationship with Bill Clinton.” Channel 4 said. The channel will be able to cash in on the worldwide rights for the exclusive — a planned American network television interview is restricted to screenings in the US and Canada. Already the station has had expressions of interest from other broadcasters around the world. “This is a real coup for Channel 4,” David Lloyd, head of news, current affairs and business said. Other British broadcasters have reportedly been trying to get the interview themselves, but Channel 4 insisted negotiations were not over money. “The problems have been about what she can and cannot say,” a Channel 4 source said. “We have been talking to her lawyers and are now happy we are going to have an interview with some editorial value. If you think of the questions you would like to ask Monica Lewinsky,I am sure those will be the questions Jon Snow will ask.” The interview will be conducted in the US on a date to be fixed — in February — within hours of her American interview, with Barbara Walters. It will precede publication of a book on the story of Lewinsky’s affair with Clinton ghostwritten by Andrew Morton.