Tibetan TV presenters ordered to wear skin chubas

April 30, 2006

The report below has been submitted my Belinda Wright, Executive of Wildlife Propection Society of India ( WPSI ).

--

New Delhi

28 April 2006

There was a small but alarming news item on the Tibetan service of

Radio Free Asia today.

Recently presenters at the Amdo Tso-ngo TV channel in Qinghai,

China, were instructed by the head of the Chinese government's

Information Centre and United Front Department that they must wear

animal skin costumes, chubas, while presenting the news. When they

said that they did not have any, the presenters were told that this

was a political issue and that if they did not have a skin chuba

then they must buy one. They were then immediately given money by

the authorities for this.

The Chinese head of the Qinghai TV channel was interviewed by Radio

Free Asia on 27 April 2006. He confirmed the story and that funds

had been provided by the Chinese government's United Front

Department to purchase the animal skin chubas.

The link to the Radio Free Asia programme (which is in the Amdo

We are trying to find out more, and in particular how widespread

this instruction by the authorities is regarding the purchase and

wearing of skin chubas, and whether it includes endangered species

such as tiger and leopard skins that are protected by Chinese law

and CITES.

=======================================================

Belinda Wright, Executive Director

WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI)

S-25 Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110017, India

Tel: (Int+ 91.11) 4163.5920 & 4163.5921

Fax: (Int+ 91.11) 4163.5924

E-mail: wpsi

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