The China-Tibet Conflict
evawhite on April 2nd, 2008
The other day, I saw Richard Gere speaking about the China-Tibet conflict, and that set me thinking about the whole China-Tibet situation.
I remember going to Dharamshala and Mcleodganj some years ago (the Namgyal monastery, where the Dalai Lama is based, is there). At the time, China had just won the contract to host the Olympics and even then the Tibetians were circulating flyers telling everyone to boycott those Olympics and other Chinese products etc. I remember thinking at the time, that this is not much of a protest or struggle, ensconced safely in India hundreds of kilometers from their actual homeland. Ever since India offered the Tibetians and their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama a safe haven in Dharamshala, Tibetians moved to India in their thousands and settled here, continuing to wage their agitation against Chinese oppression from afar. I had thought to myself they are living a comfortable enough life here in India, not really putting them in the line of fire, so do they really deserve support?
In a word, Yes! The fact is that they have been agitating for many years and not only have their pleas fallen on deaf years thru the years; the Chinese have been oppressive and unconcerned and have presented a false picture to the world. A recent media event organized in Lhasa (capital of Tibet) was a disaster from China’s point of view. Wailing, protesting monks (who China would not have wanted anywhere near the cameras) could be seen telling the world of their woes and this blew the lid off China’s pretenses.
The Tibetians have been suppressed and denied basic rights such as religious freedom under Chinese occupation and these factors are only now coming to the fore with the Tibetian call to the world to boycott the Olympics and to support their struggle against Chinese oppression. Tibetians who have been able to escape continue to live in India or elsewhere, unable to return to their homeland because of this. In this article the Dalai Lama appealed to the world community to “please help” resolve the crisis in his homeland. He was so disturbed by some of the protesters turning violent that threatened to resign as the religious and spiritual head of the Tibetian people.
World leaders, including George Bush have been urging China to hold talks and have a dialogue with the Tibetian people. The reason why I think that Tibet deserves support is the imperious and impervious manner in which China has behaved in this issue, by refusing to even hold talks or negotiate. The Dalai Lama has said that he would like to “remind the Chinese that in order to be respected hosts of the Games human rights in Tibet must improve” I agree with this, do you? What are your thoughts?
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:52
China-Tibet conflict has to be seen at human angle. China can not think of retaining Tibet by destroying Tibetian culture and traditions.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:52
» The China-Tibet Conflict evawhite.com:…
I remember going to Dharamshala and Mcleodganj some years ago (the Namgyal monastery, where the Dalai Lama is based, is there). At the time, China had just won the contract to host the Olympics and even then the Tibetans were circulating flyer’s telli…
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:52
The China-Tibet Conflict…
I remember going to Dharamshala and Mcleodganj some years ago (the Namgyal monastery, where the Dalai Lama is based, is there). At the time, China had just won the contract to host the Olympics and even then the Tibetans were circulating flyer’s telli…
April 4th, 2008 at 2:52
Zhao Ziyang and Hu Yaobang were Chinese Communist party leaders who wanted freedom for all citizens of China-including the Tibetans, and the people who demonstrated in Tiananmen Square and who were killed or jailed for it. They were kicked out of their leadership roles by the hardliners, kept incommunicado, and placed under house arrest for the remainder of their lives. To the list of those unjustly jailed by the Chinese government we must now add Yang Chunlin and Hu Jia, prominent Chinese human rights activists, who have been sentenced to 5 years and 3 1/2 years respectively, for advocating freedom, equality under the law, human rights, and protecting the environment.
These hardliners are the people we are dealing with when we urge Chinese negotiation with the Dali Lama. They had no respect even for their own Communist Party Secretary General when he urged humane, compassionate and respectful dialog with the Tiananmen Square protesters.
Only by making credible threats to withhold Olympic attendance or, better yet, suspend trade with China will we ever get any real opportunity to improve human rights in China.
I also urge Olympic athletes to wear black armbands in mourning for the oppressed Tibetans and Han Chinese human rights workers.
April 5th, 2008 at 2:52
I’m the chinese,i know the chinese human rights improved in this 3 decades.when i am a child there no much clothes and foods,but this year we live a rich life.so we can bid the Olympics games.we dodn’t care about politics,because chinese suffer a lot in the past hundreds years.we just want to live a peaceful life with 56 races.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:52
I LOVE what is going on now. China has soooo much power it’s will to spend on killing and stifling. But that is NOTHING when compared to the outrage they generate when really under the spotlight. Plus, this “stop the torch” thing is radical but it WORKS. Boycott the China olympics, I say.
April 12th, 2008 at 2:52
War,dead is not good for anyone.
June 13th, 2008 at 2:52
This is a very evil government. Boycott the Olumpics and Chinese goods I say!
June 17th, 2008 at 2:52
[…] This article I read in the Washington Post about the apology tendered by the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to its indigenous people shocked me. The reason it shocked me is because I did not know that Canada, a country I perceived to a benign, egalitarian and welcoming democracy has actually been guilty of a kind of abuse of human rights that Tibet is accusing China of doing today! […]
July 1st, 2008 at 2:52
I am strongly against what china is doing in the China-Tibet conflict. I feel that the world- community should unite to save the humanitarian aspects of the tibetans.