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NAM Round Table
The NAM Round Table consists of news, insights, visions, ramblings and rants from the writers at New America Media.
SEOUL—Reports of clashes between possibly hundreds of Tibetan monks and Chinese police forces near the Tibetan capital of Lhasa is the latest sign of growing tensions between the two groups. Tensions were increased as well by the awarding of the US Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama, a clear political move on the part of the US to pressure China. Arguments on both sides dismiss out of hand opposing views, boiling the conflict down to a simple black and white issue of bad vs. good. The reality is far more complicated, and in fact finds an historical parallel in the case of Japan’s occupation of Korea. In 1910 Japan annexed the Korean peninsula, where for more than three decades it pursued a systematic program of cultural and ethnic suppression in the name of “civilization and progress.” Koreans protested to the mostly deaf ears of world leaders, and as in Tibet, Korea’s religious sentiments were instrumental in fanning the flames of independence. As China claims for Tibet, Japan asserted historical ownership over Korea. Again as with China’s relationship to Tibet, Korea represented an integral part of Japan’s larger imperial ambitions. Lose Korea and Japan would lose its foothold on the Aisan continent. Lose Tibet and China is threatened with the loss of Xinjiang in the northwest, Taiwan, and a host of other minority dominanted regions. Beyond these fears of fragmentation China also has good reason to fear religious movements that go beyond simple Communist ideology. The Yellow Turban Revolt of the 2nd century, the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions of the 19th century, all were religiously motivated movements designed to topple the government, leaving millions of dead in their wake. From the Tibetan perspective, the issue is simply one of independence – the freedom to live the way one wants in one’s own land. Yet from the Chinese perspective, religious freedom for Tibetans translates to religious/political movements among Muslims, Christians and a host of separatist groups, threatening the “harmonious development” envisioned by Hu Jintao. Even worse, it threatens to shatter the 2000 year legacy of China’s existence. As Japan built its empire in the first half of the twentieth century Western colonial powers condemned it for its transgressions of international law while simultaneously pursuing their own expansionist agendas. Inherent in their attacks was an undercurrent of racism against a would-be “Oriental” power. There is similarly a strong anti-Chinese sentiment in promoters of Tibet’s cause, something China is well aware of. For decades Koreans looked back with hatred and anger at Japan’s colonial rule, a bitterness that is only now beginning to fade. Today Korea, while divided, remains free (a word used tentatively for the North), while the Japanese empire is a memory. China is not willing to take that risk. comments |
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Is the Japanese occupation of Korea a good comparison the Tibet situation? Let’s be honest. Tibet has not been an independent state for 700 years.
By A concerned citizen · Posted on Oct 23, 12:16 PMBritish and later Americans have tried to start civil war in Tibet, hoping that it would break away from China and be used as a base from which war could be waged against China and others. The CIA even trained a small force of Tibetan rebels in Colorado and sent them to stir up violence. The strategy failed. The latest activity by Washington to honor Tibetan religious authorities is just a continuation of a long pattern of interference in Tibet. Let’s learn about this Dalai Lama and how life was when Tibet had their theocracy and serfdom.
Tibet operated fully indepdendently from 1911 to 1949 – hardly 700 years ago. During this time it suffered invasions from both the British and the Chinese but did not lose its sovereignty. One doesn’t need to dig deep to see this; all the evidence is out in the open, from international treaties to currency and postal stamps.
Prior to that Tibet had undergone a long period of theoretical subjugation to multiple peoples (Mongol and Manchu, neither of which are Chinese) which undoubtedly had little impact on ordinary people’s lives – quite the opposite of the present Chinese colonization.
“Concerned citizen” should learn some history and stop trying to pretend to be something than a supporter of the shameful Chinese nation.
By Rich · Posted on Oct 24, 11:20 PMThere are basically three parties at work within the “Free Tibet” movement. One is Tibetans who are loyal to the theocracy and the theocracy itself. These are not the Tibetans who were slaves for the theocracy who labored to support the extravagant lifestyle of the Dalai Lama in his palace with 1,000 rooms. They’re not the ones who live in Tibet today who have land and social services, two things which were impossible for them as slaves.
By A concerned citizen · Posted on Oct 30, 07:49 PMThe second party at work in the “Free Tibet” movement is naive westerners who imagine that Tibet was some kind of paradise before 1959 where there was religious freedom, no sectarian violence, and a good life. Contrast this to the reality of feudalism, slavery, and oppression under the theocracy. Romantic notions of pre-1959 Tibet have gone far enough and it’s time to drop this fantasy and look at reality. The idea that “it’s OK” that people were slaves to the theocracy because it’s their freedom of religion or just their way of life is pure nonsense. Being born into slavery is not freedom no matter which way you try to spin it.
The third and most sinister party at work in the “Free Tibet” movement is the not-so-naive westerners who seek to profit from unrest in Tibet and take advantage of trouble that may occur at China’s borders as a result. They know exactly what they are doing by honoring the Dalai Lama. This is purely a political move against china. This is the CIA at work as they have done in many countries all over the world. These are the people who support death squads to massacre leftists in South America. They are the ones who overthrow democratically-elected leaders and support murderous dictators whenever it serves their interests. They have no morals and don’t care what the consequences of their actions are as long as it benefits them in the end.
To Concerned Citizen and Rich,
By PeaceLover · Posted on Mar 16, 11:24 AMClearly the history of Tibet is contested. While I believe one version is more accurate(I will not say which, in the interest of neutrality), the point is that history has been introduced to this debate as the central issue , when really it should be irrelevant. No matter claimed or did not claim rule over Tibet, the fact is the place is the place has been culturally autonomous for centuries, and evidence exists under both your versions of history. Religiously, linguistically and politically, Tibetans have at least made their own mark. If the argument of history holds, Bhutan, even Vietnam and Cambodia, should be annexed by China immediately. If not, all of China must disintegrate along state lines. Whichever way you consider it, using history as a baseline leads to ridiculous results. In every nation on the planet, no matter where, state lines are generally drawn on historical cultural divisions. Would it be so bad if the Tibetans had more of a say in their own government? If Hong Kong enjoys this, why not Tibet. The Chinese say SAR status for Tibet is not possible because the British weren’t there for 150 years. Once again, why is this history relevant? The real issue is that Hong Kong’s citizens had experienced some freedoms under the British and would not be expected to surrender them. In all versions of history, Tibetans had religious freedoms that are now largely denied them. Is this not reason enough for SAR status? There is an absolutely peaceful way to resolve this issue that profits both sides. Why the need to fight. For the benefit of Concerned citizen, I am not Tibetan, naive, or Western, and I in no way stand to profit from this view. Unless you consider the compassion for needless lives lost on BOTH sides as ‘profit’.
At last a blog that shows the pro Chinese view point. Not always believing what I read in the news papers I have been searching the web to see if there is another side to the story. I am a peace lover too but believe the history of an area is important and as usual there is more than one version. The history of Tibet is complicated like so many other troublesome areas and it does seem that as usual the British Government and American CIA have played their parts in making things worse. I think the Chinese government are in a no win situation and I wonder how different the west would react if China was a democracy with the same problem. I’m neither pro communist China or pro Tibetan freedom fighter but the phrase that politics kills thousands of people but religion kills hundreds of thousands comes to mind. Maybe if the Dalai Lama went on a hunger strike like Ghandi the violence would stop.
By lorretta · Posted on Mar 16, 02:40 PMTibet Problem & Solution. It is indisputable that Tibet had been and is an integral part of China; notwithstanding that for over a century up to the founding of the PRC that China herself being torn apart by internal strife and foreign subjugation had no effective means of governing herself let alone integrating Tibet an an integral part of China – that China herself did not exist as an unified nation. The claim often cited in the western media that Tibet had been an independent state up to 1950s is simply a false claim without any sustainable proof nor evidence. It is also undeniable that Tibet as well as all the Chinese had suffered from the excesses and errors of the communist regime spanning over some 20 years up to the end of the “Cultural Revolution”. It is only appropriate that China’s central government should institute some suitable form of “affirmative action” to assist the Tibetans to be elevated from poverty while limiting the influx of the Han Chinese into Tibet. It is this kind of economic inequality and the feeling of being left behind in economic gain that is causing widespread resentment among the Tibetans (the young ones in particular). As some had suggested, a Hong Kong/Macau-like Special Adminsitration Region (“SAR”) allowing Tibetans self-rule within the constitutional and policy framework of China may be a viable solution while allowing many of the descendants of the exiled Tibetans to return to their “homeland” should they so choose to become law-abiding citizens of China. As China’s current policy is that of building of a harmonious society while encouraging the “liberation of thoughts”, a “new” approach to the “Tibet
By Ye Xiaonan · Posted on Apr 3, 12:09 AMSolution” may be inevitable if such is to be resolved to the satisfaction of at the least the majority of the Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet.
Let’s see: paranoid political rulers forbid members of a religion to recognize their traditional, spiritual leader, and proceed to “oversee” the religion, appoint or approve religious leaders, ban certain religious customs, and control religious property and monasteries. Tibet? Yes. But also England in the 16th century, when Henry VIII told Roman Catholics (also for political reasons) that he was running the show. If it’s wrong now in Tibet, then it was wrong in England then. Perhaps Anglicans will return confiscated churches to Roman Catholics and reinstate Catholicism as the traditional, spiritual, Christian inheritance of the English people, which was wrongly altered or ripped away altogether from them for “political” reasons?
By Hans · Posted on May 8, 06:52 AM