Uncle Sam need YOU to free Tibet!
17 03 2008I know I’ve stayed away from being personal, political, or otherwise in-your-face about the world we live in and the absolute messes we create. We have political blogs for that, thankfully.
Unfortunately, the furor over recent events in Tibet (please tell me you know what’s going on, unless you’re a) imprisoned, b) recovering from a coma, c) been sleeping this weekend) has reached even my cosy little isle of dramas and the daily struggle to maintain a 4.0 average. People - and by people I mean outraged junior human rights activists who demand that China pull out of their cruel ‘occupation’ of Tibet immediately - have been pestering me for my opinion, as a Chinese citizen, on the events.
Cool your jets, people, and take a look at the facts. Two main arguments against Chinese presence in Tibet:
- Tibet is not a part of China: Tibet, territorially and legally speaking, has been a part of China since the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 AD). They were a monarchical society with their own monastic beliefs, and had submitted to become a vassal province under the combined military power of the Mongolians (who took over the rest of China too). Since then, with each successive dynasty and government, Tibet has agreed to be included as part of China - where were the protesters for justice and liberation in 1598 AD? 1845 AD? (Picking random dates out of a hat here. Of course, we are also not forgetting that at least 7 Western nations tried to colonialize parts of China concurrently in the 18-19th centuries and wrought massive damages on the people - but that’s a post for another day.)
- Cruelty, unfairness, oppression of the Tibetan people: Take the spate of attacks this weekend - they were violent, aimed at the vulnerable, and clearly trying to hurt. The irony is, most of the victims were Han Chinese. Those were the people all this deployed army and police personnel were supposed to protect (doesn’t say much for military efficiency, but then not all of us can afford to pour $180 per capita into defense spending). Historically speaking? Taking a broader look, the Tibetans before 1950s were ruled by an elite society led by the Dalai Lama (not the current one). So in the 1950s, the Communists come and set up a regional government, effectively marginalizing the Dalai Lama’s sphere of influence. After a failed rebellion, the retainers of the then youthful Dalai Lama escaped to India. Human rights under a monarchical system, I believe I do not need to expand on. Yes, there is a lack of human rights, but that applies to China in general. And I do know that the government is pouring millions, if not billions of dollars into regional development.
My biggest problem with this whole issue is that NO ONE KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON. The Western media have one story, the Chinese one another, the Tibetans maybe a third. None of them tell the full truth, but neither is willing to concede the veracity of their account. Okay, so the Chinese state media lies. Is the Western media (the so-called fourth estate) then completely unbiased and independent from their governments and thus a model for information diffusion? I doubt it.
Quite frankly, I have little to no patience for idiots who shout freedom, but intelligent, well-reasoned debate is welcome. Goodness knows we need to change this world of ours.
Respectfully,
Sevenses
So, how do you feel about this? lol
I’m not really following this whole issue, and all I know from the news (french news) is that there has been some protesting for the respect of human rights in Tibet, because apparently, chinese people are kinda all over the place (repressing the protests and imprisonning monks). But’s that what they tell us.
I don’t think Chinese are the bad guys and Tibetans good guys, it’s more like a big pizza. Chinese people are the tomato and Tibetans the cheese. Meaning it’s a big mess, and yes, sevenses, “NO ONE KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON” in that pizza. But it’s heating up anyway.
Some people want to separate the tomato from the cheese. But why can’t tomato and cheese live together peacefully?
In wikipedia, they talk about cultural genocide, which basically is converting cheese into tomatos. All we have is a bunch of cheese protesting, but what about the rest? What if they don’t mind being half-cheese-half-tomato?
flyingcrispi (who knows there’ll never be peace in the world as long as there are humans living.)
See, this is the reason why I stopped paying attention to politics.
Plainly speaking, there’s no truth to what we hear/see everyday in the news. Every fact dwindles along and eventually is censored away from the public.
It’s just the whole Quebec referendum event happening all over again. I would continue on, but I have to catch the bus to school. See ya!
Here’s something to cheer you up:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wgrrQwLdME8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o
So, how do you feel about this?
Honestly? I think the foreign media should get their heads out of their respective rear ends and do something about the human rights issues in their own countries. China has problems, many of them very serious and in need of fixing, but I defy you to find one historical instance where outside interference has helped the internal conflict in the long run.
Also, if they’re outraged at the deaths, most of the people who died in that attack were not ethnic Tibetans. The attackers were ethnic Tibetans. I know the Dalai Lama planned a protest, and whether or not he condones these actions, he didn’t speak out when it got violent. So that just crosses off his saintliness in my book.
It is rather reminiscent of 1960s Quebec, when the FLQ, in protest of the then majority English government, began guerilla attacks and kidnapping campaigns to try and get the English out. The Canadian army moved in, and rather heavy-handed measures were taken. There is basically no difference between the situations, yet we don’t hear about the mistreatment of francophones during that era by Canada. So, I demand transparency and a lack of hypocrisy, if the media is going to touch on controversial and sensitive issues.
(And the timing, don’t you think it’s just a little too convenient? Of all the times to burst out in violence, they pick the winter before the Olympics? They had 20-odd years to do this, and they start now?)
Anyway, I’m still not entirely rational on this subject, because some Japanese idiot got started on the oppression of Taiwan today, so I’m a little fired up still. Sorry for ranting.
“I defy you to find one historical instance where outside interference has helped the internal conflict in the long run.”
I actually spent 3 hours looking for a example. I found nothing… >.< It sucks.
“(And the timing, don’t you think it’s just a little too convenient? Of all the times to burst out in violence, they pick the winter before the Olympics? They had 20-odd years to do this, and they start now?)”
Awesome press coverage. So what is it going to be next? Attacks during the Olympics?
Man, I miss my young and careless days…
flyingcrispi
“I know the Dalai Lama planned a protest, and whether or not he condones these actions, he didn’t speak out when it got violent. So that just crosses off his saintliness in my book.”
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/18/tibet.unrest/index.html
(Just found it, sorry for the double post) It’s the most objective thing by the medias I’ve read so far. Don’t know if you’ve read it yet.
lol… thanks for your post. i totally agree with ALL that you have said! It really annoys me when people start making comments about how china has restritced human rights… i know there are a lot of human right problems in china, but i find it so hypocritical when other countries start crticising other countries about human rights! i mean take the americans as an example. the americans aren’t exactly perfect e.g.guantanamo bay and their policy of arresting people on ’suspicion’ terrorism (anyone watched the movie rendition?). the west should really stop meddling in other country’s affairs e.g. Iraq. They should follow Russia’s lead of minding one’s own business.
Oh, believe me, flyingcrispi, I know. I used to think all Americans were awesome and Canadians waaay too friendly for their own good. Now? Not so much. Every country has its ugly side, the side that historians deny or write over to make things all prettier. The self-righteousness just happens to smell stronger on this side of the Atlantic, that’s all.
I actually spent 3 hours looking for a example. I found nothing… >.< It sucks.
I wish you could have, just to prove the American foreign policy right, but if you look at Machiavelli’s The Prince, he does lay out a nice set of rules to operate by for conquerors-to-be. Diligent attempts to control a country from the outside usually mean less than friendly intentions.
That article was a bit disjointed, but we do get a nice contrast to what each side is saying, don’t we?
And mousie just on top, thanks for stopping by and speaking out. If there were more communication, perhaps there would be less misunderstandings. It’s worth a try.
Russia’s actually quite interesting to look at, because they seem to be doing a good job of ‘minding one’s own business’ and getting other countries to leave them alone… Though if you poke them, beware. China still doesn’t have the military/political clout to do that.
I’m not too well informed on Russia’s foreign policy, but from what little I know of Russia it isn’t the best example for non-interfering countries. It has been influencing other countries through its oil and gas supplies. Putin is making Russia into a police state once again which may be restricting the rights of it citizens. And while the some Tabetians have been fighting Chinese rule for a long time, now would be an ideal time to bring their situation into the international spotlight. While few nations would be willing to go against China, China is trying to prevent itself from being shown in a negative light. China would be very unwilling to use extreme measures and may be more willing to negotiate than to have a prolong fight. The media will also never present the complete truth as truth is not one sided, but consists of all the views from the effected parties. Also the media is a business so of course it may have its own spin on things
Thanks Soruyo, gosh, I forgot that. Bad Sevenses! I think it’s a general strategy - look for any weaknesses you can in neighbors and competitors, so that you will have the overall advantage. Everyone does this - the US, China, Russia, England, etc. Not that it’s good, it just seems to be unavoidable.
I do understand the timing, I just don’t like what’s going on and the distortions plus hysteria around this issue annoys me. Ultimately, I believe in the sovereignty of a country (under reasonable circumstances) over outside interference. If people would just stop and put another country in China’s shoes, they’d realize that most other leaders/governments would react similarly.
im not a big fan of the dalai lama, i seems to me he is using peoples trust in him in a very bad way.
and while the tibetians want peace they r just causing a lot of unpeaceful things, isn’t that just hypicritical.
i just hope this doesn’t mess up the olympics.