"Should I save or savor the world?"

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world.

This makes it hard to plan the day.

E.B. White

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Akela and the Little Dog

The wind arrives once a week. Without warning, it comes crashing down the mountainside, seemingly gathering momentum, howling through the courtyard, whipping up clouds of dust and snow to toss in your face. It moans around corners and under eaves, finding the gaps between window and frame, slipping down the back of your shirt to empty pockets of warmth.


It's like the Provence Mistral, except multi-directional and much shorter in duration. The internet is the first to go; I can almost hear the wind streaming through my connection, halting busy electrons in their path. The lights tease on and off while I involuntarily count how many times they flicker, a knee-jerk reaction from growing up in Maine.

Sometimes I have a weird paranoia that the leaded glass window pane in my room is going to explode inwards with the force of the wind, knock me on the head, and I'll awake from my sepia-toned dream into a techni-colored world of munchkins and Glinda-the-good-witches.

As per the diligent work we put in on learning the "Crank That" dance by Soulja Boy, I have the following video clip to display the fruits of our labor. Anyone want to send it off to the hip-hop prince himself? I think it'd be a hit!




Not only do these girls have a natural talent for dancing, but they can all sing and draw! I feel like I've stepped into the Asian version of a Jane Austen (ok that's a little strange) and am surrounded by dynamic, aesthetically pleasing individuals. It would be a shame to allow the girls talents go to waste, so I have proposed the following plan to Dockpo, based on the model currently in place at the Pacific Ridge School. The girls will hand-decorate blank greeting cards, which I will bring back to the States and sell, with profit returning to the home. What we need: blank cards and envelopes! If you, or someone you know, would be interested in donating as many cards/envelopes as possible, we will be happy recipients. Just send me an email, gmwilgus@gmail.com

You will recall my bout with an unpleasant Tibetan cold/flu a few weeks back; I was pleased to report a quick return to strength at the end of that ordeal, fingers-crossed that my illness would render me immune to any accidents, natural disasters or Acts of God for the remainder of my time in Tibet... which it has thus far. What my illness doesn't protect against are the remnants of a ski accident four years passed, in the form of an overly-sensitive broken tooth lying in wait for me at the bottom of my mouth. Seriously, I'm about ready to do a Tom Hanks and knock the thing out of my mouth with a rock and a rusty ice-skate. I'll let you know if my desperation takes me that far.

Desperation, if harnessed appropriately, can be a catalyst for long-needed actions, like, doing my laundry for the first time in a month. I was thinking about leaving this story muted under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but I got a laugh out of it, and figured you would too. Laundry is a task. Not the kind of task I'm used to; I can't just drag my loaded hamper down the stairs and hope that someone tosses the whites in separately with a scoop of Tide. No, here, it requires pulling out an antique of a washing machine, hand-loading it with water from the broken well, and pulling suds-sodden clothes out after an hour and a half of being the recipients of the Jackie Chan of washing machines. In the 33 degrees Fahrenheit water, I hand-wrung my clothes, pondered whether or not to rinse the excess soap out, decided that's WAY too much work (and, who knows, maybe a little extra soap means they stay cleaner, longer) and trudged my pile of hopefully-cleaner garments back upstairs to commence the drying process in front of my space heater.


That's not the funny part. While waiting for Jackie Chan to finish teaching my clothes a lesson, I was upstairs in my room, in front of the window that allows a view of the courtyard, complete with the sight and sound of the washing machine. I happened to glance out the window to see Thabeh, a 24 year old guy who lives here, opening up the washing machine lid to peer inside. You can guess that all of my multi-colored undergarments were swirling prominently around, and must have sparked a response in Thabeh because he called out to the several young men who have been working daily here on construction. They arrived on the scene within moments, while I watched helplessly a la Rapunzel from my tower window while the more delicate items of my wardrobe were examined and exclaimed over. Wow. I pretended ignorance when I made the walk of shame within 30 minutes to claim the aforementioned articles of clothing, and gave friendly smiles in response to the leering grins of the guys on construction. Punks.

Thabeh lives here, with his wife, Mimi (23) and their two daughters, one of whom is The Monster, if you've followed recent Facebook photo albums. Mimi is a relative of Dockpo's family, and it's not uncommon for extended family to all remain nearby, or living together. Mimi and Thabeh are a lot of fun, and I enjoy the interaction with people closer to my age. My room is right over their central living area, the kitchen, and usually that isn't a problem, until Saturday night rolls around. I don't know why I should be surprised that a Saturday night has some universal meaning, but I quickly overcame that surprise as I listened to high-pitched Chinese opera and the sounds of rowdy excitement while trying to fall asleep during my first Saturday night here. Add to that the wails of over-tired 4 year-olds whose parents just want to party-hearty, and it's not the recommended wall of white noise supposedly optimal for REM. After two years in a college dorm (albeit a Cedarville college dorm) I think I can sleep through anything, and am more amused by the fact that a Saturday night is still a Saturday night, no matter where in the world.

On a typical night, and especially recently, I am joined by a Tibetan wolf, who I have christened Akela, from the Disney movie, "The Jungle Book." How do I know it's a wolf? I met him, face-to-face, on my way to the well the other night. Nothing scary, he just looked at me, started to follow me back inside until I shooed him away. Wikipedia confirmed it for me, as did the howling (as opposed to the common Tibetan dog's bark). It's become a nightly routine; Akela shows up under my window around 10:30pm and I listen to him howl and pace. Superstitious or not, it's like Akela is here for me in lieu of Ollie's recent departure, and I welcome his presence under my window.

I am constantly reminded of why I am here-- in this place of natural beauty, surrounded by the contrived beauty of a few good hearts who have dedicated their lives to the higher goals of being. Here's a quote from the short story "The Lady With The Little Dog," by Anton Chekhov, which, I think, expresses my sentiments much more capably than I ever could.

"Gurov reflected that, essentially, if you thought about it, everything was beautiful in this world, everything except for what we ourselves think and do when we forget the higher goals of being and our human dignity."

I wonder, does the altitude make my thoughts as clear as it does the mountain view?

46 comments:

  1. im so hooking you up with soulja boy hisself. ps i can get you greeting cards etc or do you want money for them? lemme know how many/much you want!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really wish you could write more about the miserable life of ordinary Tibetans under the rule of Chinese totarian dictatorship. It will be great if you can show the world the proof of the cultural genocide inside the TAR. Can Tibetans freely speak their own language? Can Tibetans go to temple and pretise buddhism? Are Tibetan kids being taught in their own language in public school? What percentage of government employees are ethnic Tibetans in TAR? Do ordinary Tibetans hate Chinese? Why Chinese hate Tibetan people and their culture?
    Chinese are killing Tibetans everyday. We must free them out of evil Chinese empire. Please bring the truth out to the world.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Simon,

    While I understand that recent media coverage has portrayed the Tibetan's as subject to the rule of an oppressive Chinese regime, I cannot support that as truth. Before arriving in Tibet, I was not involved in Free Tibet campaigns, nor was I passionately on board with the idea that China=wrong and Tibet=right. I knew that without the proper involvement in this society via immersion and on-the-ground observation, I wouldn't really know what to believe.

    And I may be offending some ears here, but China has done great things for Tibet. The home is partially funded by the Chinese government, there are benefits like health care for all Tibetan citizens, education benefits, and an infrastructure that was lacking before.

    I am not saying that I approve, I am stating my observations.

    As far as how the Tibetan people feel, there is very little desire to "Free Tibet." They feel that if China left, they wouldn't know what to do. This is information I have gleaned from having this very conversation with many of the Tibetan adults I have come across. The Tibetan's people strongest desire is to have the Dalai Llama returned to them, beyond that, maybe 1 in 20 would say "Free Tibet." That is the main contention of their news broadcasts, their prominent monks, even their pop culture icons.

    China's sealing off the region to tourists: while it sounds like an oppressive move, is the safest since the recent anniversaries of March would not have created a safe environment for the innocent bystander.

    I do think China is wrong to create such censorship surrounding the Dalai Llama and certain orders of monks who are not permitted to leave the monasteries, and I am not approving of their willful seizure of persons who openly support the Dalai Llama.. but does that qualify as cultural genocide? Not at all. The Tibetan people are free to read his works, watch him on TV, listen to his recordings, and just not flaunt him in public places. Not free, but not genocide.

    To answer some of your specific concerns,
    I would not label the life of an ordinary Tibetan as miserable. They interact and move with the Chinese in social/business settings with almost the same ease they would a fellow Tibetan. The fault of a cultural genocide, if it exists, would rest almost entirely on the Tibetan people. If they want to preserve their culture and language, they can. High-figured monks are reminding them daily to speak pure language ie, when they're speaking Chinese, speak only Chinese and when they speak Tibetan, speak only Tibetan, as most people speak both languages and mix them at will.

    Tibetans are certainly free to speak their own language. No problem there. Tibetans are free to go to the temple or practice Buddhism. China is slowly moving back into accepting religious ideologies, and you see many Chinese evidencing their personal beliefs through dress or speech.

    Tibetan children are learning both Tibetan and Chinese in school. I don't know what the percentage of ethnic Tibetans in government are, but I know that the entire local government here in Darlag are Tibetans.

    The Tibetans whom I have encountered do not hate Chinese; there is certainly a cultural difference, and both people groups have no problem making fun of each other to their face. The atmosphere is not unfriendly. Likewise, I would be hesitant to answer the question, "why do the Chinese hate Tibetans and their culture," simply because I don't agree with the premise. As to why the Chinese have consumed Tibet as part of China, the reasons have much more to do with numbers and expansion than they do a cultural censorship.

    Please understand that I am not attempting to be ornery through my response, but I would refrain from categorizing the situation in such strong terms, as it does offense to all parties involved.

    Thank you for reading my post, and please let me know if you have further questions or comments!

    Geneva

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Geneva,

    As always, I enjoyed reading this blog. Yes, it does seem as if the altitude has sharpened your mind. Then again, it was pretty sharp to begin with.

    I'm looking forward to more posts from you. If you need anything, please e-mail. I'll send you an e-mail soon with more information.

    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  5. Loved the video Geneva! Very cool. I also like your non-politicized view of things evidenced in your response to Simon. It's never as black and white as the movements and politicos want us to believe. That's not what gets people to protests. Stay true to what you actually see and hear and keep up the great work you are doing. I'd love to send some envelopes over there as well as pledge to buy some of the finished product when you return.

    Tony

    ReplyDelete
  6. Geneva,
    Thanks a lot for your enlightening response. And it’s also shocking to me to read through your response. Couple of weeks ago, his holiness Dalai Lama said China makes life “Hell on Earth” for Tibetans. Your observation apparently has a huge gap with the comments from his holiness and the reports on NYT, BBC and CNN. His holiness is Nobel Peace Prize laureate. NYT, BBC and CNN are the most prestigious news organizations. How could it be possible that they all lie about Tibet-China issues at the same time?

    ReplyDelete
  7. thank you to everyone who's been reading/posting; so happy for the support and glad you love the Soulja Boy video..it's a riot.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Simon,

    I understand the dilemma. I am in no way pointing accusatory fingers at individuals or media sources for a lack of honesty. I will say this: the media operates on conflict, and I think we can agree that they tend to err on the side of exaggeration rather than subtlety. I am not suggesting that there have not been instances of violence or inappropriate actions by China, however, because it is the role of the media to highlight those instances, it could give the impression to readers that those instances are the norm. We have to remember that the media is representative of the unusual. For example, we read about North Korea firing a nuclear missile, but we don't assume that they are always firing missiles; we realize that this is a peculiar instance and worthy of news coverage. Likewise, the relationship between Tibetans and Chinese is not characterized by violence, nor do the Tibetans live in "hell on earth."

    I am not omnipresent, nor have I spoken to a large number of Tibetans on this topic; I am just an observer, providing a fairly unbiased statement of the way things are here in Darlag, and giving you the analysis and feelings of the Tibetans I have spoken to on this subject.

    The Dalai Llama is outraged at China's occupation (and at the disgrace of exile) and is a very strong voice for the Tibetans. However, he is living in India currently, not Tibet and he is receiving his information from the aforementioned news sources and individuals here who have a well-delineated agenda against China. It is natural that the Dalai Llama will speak out as loudly as possible in order to stoke the Tibetan's to action. Not to be disrespectful to the Dalai Llama, but I think if his tone were more balanced, he would have a better chance at moving towards a more dialectic relationship with China. His inflammatory comments would be useful if the Tibetans had the capability to revolt, however, since there are over 1 billion Chinese and around 2 million Tibetans, that idea is clearly not feasible.

    Again, I do not pretend to be an expert, but I do know that my observations provide another point of view to the current media analysis, however unpopular my observations may be. I spoke with some older monks and adults before responding to your post, and they wanted me to pass along affirmations of everything I said in my first response.

    Again, I do not support China's move to occupy Tibet, nor am I in favor of the subsequent rules/regulations placed upon Tibetans. But I do know that my own eyes have witnessed many friendly, working relationships between the Chinese and Tibetans; even where I sit now, I am looking at the courtyard where both people groups are now working amiably together on construction.

    I hope that Chinese-Tibetan relations continues in this path towards a workable, equal relationship.

    Geneva

    ReplyDelete
  9. I really appreciate your response. Your insightful opinions far exceed the intelligence and integrity of the commentators in FOX and CNN. It’s hard to image that these insightful opinions come from a sophomore.  His Holiness Dalai Lama said that if unbiased reporting found Tibetans to be truly happy under Chinese rule he would abandon a 50-year agitation for greater autonomy. It is time for our media to abandon the ideological bias and do something beneficial for both Chinese and Tibetans.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Geneva,
    if i could tell you that "you would be the child of socrates and britney spears" without offending you, i would... well first, no one wants anything to do with britney spears, but also, i know that you are not the biggest socrates fan, but i also know that "all that i know, is that i know nothing"... so... with that said.. ARE YOU THE ONE TEACHING THESE GIRLS HOW TO DANCE TO SOLJA BOY! WTF! ps. i love reading all of your words! please keep writing... forever...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Simon,

    Thank you for raising the issue! It's definitely one that consumes all people connected to or interested in Tibet, and while I will make no attempt to describe whether or not the Tibetans are "truly happy," I am glad to detail my observations. Thanks for the resulting conversation!

    Vance,

    I guess I can take it as a compliment that I am both Britney's and Socrates' offspring; being multi-faceted isn't a bad thing? And yes, the girls have now had the true american experience because they can hip-hop with the best of them. I'm so proud. I will always write, especially when it's your book I'm writing. thanks friend.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Geneva,

    I need the new address - have two cases of vitamin c -

    also

    http://www.vitaminangels.org/

    check out the above link for possible more help -

    Rick

    ReplyDelete
  13. Another starry-eyed American goes abroad and sees what they want her to see, what she wishes to see. Quite sad, really.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Simon said...
    --"the miserable life of ordinary Tibetans under the rule of Chinese totarian dictatorship"
    --"the cultural genocide inside the TAR".
    --"Can Tibetans freely speak their own language? Can Tibetans go to temple and pretise buddhism? Are Tibetan kids being taught in their own language in public school?"
    -- Why Chinese hate Tibetan people and their culture?"
    --"Chinese are killing Tibetans everyday"
    I guess this Simon is totally brainwashed and helpless idiot.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ooh, elucidate please, alex roth.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi,

    I spent some weeks in Tibet myself three years ago, and I can only confirm that I don't know of any other country (and I have traveled widely!) where the national religion is so freely and obtrusively practiced as in Tibet. I did not see any oppression by the Chinese. Public signs are all in Tibetan and Chinese; how can you call that "cultural genocide." What would we in California say if the original "owners" of this state insisted on using Spanish in all public signs?

    --Walter

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am wondering how all of this is making it past the Chinese censors? And I am also wondering if you are well... perhaps I am so eager to read your blog that it seems like it has been too long since the last one.. your loving Auntie Shelley

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi,

    Thank you for your Post. However, I would like you and your readers to see this video as it is not from CNN, or FOX, or BBC.

    http://footage.tibetanbridges.com/Torture-in-Tibet.mov

    This is another documentary shot by Tibetans in Tibet and not by any media. It shows how the Tibetans feel. Within your 3 months trip to Tibet, you might have seen the materialistic developments in Tibet, but I feel that you have failed to see the deeper feelings, and emotions of the Tibetans.

    You can say news are bias, and I agree but in some ways, even you are biased as an outsider, or a (tourist). You are not a local, or a Tibetan, so it is somewhat distorted for you to say that your voice and observation is unbiased. Observation through eyes limit the deeper meanings of what is really beneath your observation. Therefore you might want to do some in depth research and look at the situation on a Macro-level level rather than just micro, judging only from what your eyes see.

    But thank you for your interest in Tibet, and I hope you learn something from these video.

    http://www.leavingfearbehind.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. by the way, the Chinese government blocked off youtube for several days when the video of the Torture became public on the internet. It has also been removed from youtube. s

    Heres the link again;

    http://footage.tibetanbridges.com/Torture-in-Tibet.mov

    I hope next time you got to Tibet, you will see things deeper, as it will also enhance your writing abilities for future reporting.

    ReplyDelete
  20. As a Chinese, I am very grateful for your non-biased description. I feel that foreign people should go to Tibet and see what is really going on there instead of just sitting in front of TV and trusting all the reports about Tibet without thinking. Honestly I feel that western media is too biased to trust on this issue, but on the other hand, CCP does not seem trustable either for most people (both foreigners and Chinese). So the only good way to know the truth is to explore by ourselves, just like what you did. Thank you again. You let me know that there is still hope for the western world to know what is Tibet like in recent days. Thank you again.

    Hongxiao

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello all,

    Thank you for reading/commenting on the blog; even if you disagree with my point of view, I am still happy to engage you in discussion!

    Let me first say, there is a reason why this blog is pointedly apolitical and that is because I am in no way an expert, nor am I interested in criticism. I believe that whatever the problems between China and Tibet, education will only prove to be an asset.

    That is my only agenda, anything I say on the topic of Chinese-Tibetan relations is an attempt to be as unbiased as possible, and I can only report what I see.

    Thank you for the support from others who have seen the same.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey Geneva! It's Lena (again) from Omprakash Service Learning Group, at Pacific Ridge. I think that it's great that you are going in with an open mind. I think that because of that, you can get more out of Tibet and it's culture. Again, if there is anything that we can do to help, please let us know by emailing Mr. Le.

    ~Lena :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi,

    I really enjoy your posts, but i just want to warn you that your blog is being used by some Chinese nationalist as a propaganda to claim that Tibetans are very happy in Tibet, and to discredit all the other reports of abuse and mass arbitrary arrest in the cities of Tibet, (Ngaba, Darze, Lhasa..)

    I am sorry to inform you this, but this is how I picked up your blog. I hope you can keep the blog safe from propaganda uses by the nationalist. As a Tibetan in exile, I always hope for a better relationship between the two nationalities, but sometimes, I feel that that tensions between the two races are fueled by these propagandist. Therefore, where ever i find them, i try to do something to keep the barriers of reconciliation down and out.

    Thank you again for you interest in Tibet.

    Be safe, and good luck with your writings.

    Peace

    ReplyDelete
  24. It's sad to read the last comment from the Tibetan-in-exile. If Geneva didn't lie, why we Chinese nationalist can't show her observation to other people in the west? As a Han Chinese, I am so happy to know that there is no hatred between Han Chinese and the majority of the Tibetans. Why you can't be satisfied with the peace and friendship between the two ethnic groups that have lived side by side for thousands of years?
    Buddhism is the most important religion among Han Chinese. The Buddhism teaching I received as a Han Chinese is peace, benevolence, sympathy, no-evil and honesty (I may not translate it correctly). Spreading hatred and lies violates the basic Buddhism teaching. Are you worried that you won't get enough donations from brain-washed American to make a living through "Free-Tibet" movement by spreading lies and hatred against Han Chinese? Hatred cause lives. Are you blind to the ethnic conflicts that are happing on the earth everyday? Are you blind to the lost lives of Tibetans and Han Chinese in last March? I don’t want to be so rude, but you are really a blood-thirsty liar.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yet, this blood-thristy liar always use "peace" as his identity. What an irony! Sorry for my rudenss. I am very very mad at these blood-thrity liars. I guess it is a kind of hatred in my mind. Apparently, I didn't live up to the buddhism teaching either.

    ReplyDelete
  26. yes, hopefully the government of China will give Tibetan real education and vocational training rather than PATRIOTIC-EDUCATION.

    Tibetans and Chinese should live side by side: yes in the past as independent neighbor states, not like today where the co-existence is rather more like oppressors and oppressed. conqueror and conquered. victors and victims. I wish we could live peacefully side by side as good neighbors.

    I am not promoting hatred. I am not mad at you my Chinese friend. Compassion is the core of Buddhism. I am sad because my words provoked you to be angry using such words as "blood-Thirsty" very common rhetoric of a party member. I am sorry if you are angry, maybe if you really want an intellectual and peaceful discussion then please be more polite in this blog. Don't get too sensitive, if anything I should be the one angry because I am in EXILE.

    May you develop a better understanding of the sufferings endured by the oppressed.

    Luck for you, you are the winner in all this. You get Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia. Maybe you will also win Taiwan someday, along with Spartly Islands, Arunchal pradesh, Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and all of Asia, including Japan someday in the future.

    YES peaceful Co-existence should replace imperialist ambitions of the PRC.

    Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  27. You have rights to question the quality of the educations that are enabled by Chinese government. But there is no way that you can compare it with the society ruled by Lamas before 1950 when there was no public school or hospital at all in Tibet. What’s wrong with patriotic education? At least it teaches you to LOVE your country and your fellow compatriots instead of HATRED. Of course you don’t like patriotic education. You make your living on the blood caused by the hatred that you spread.
    I am sorry that you are in Exile now. But you should have known that theocracy won’t be tolerated in modern society. If you can accept this simple fact, you may not have chosen exile before. You are welcome to come back. But you should show your sincerity first. You should first apologize to all the other Chinese for the lies and hatred that you had spread before.
    Second, let me correct some of your lies.
    1) Did china invade Tibet?
    If Tibet wasn’t part of China at all, should it have any necessity to declare independence in 1911? The fact that previous Dalai Lama declared independence in 1911 is an excellent proof that Tibet had been in part of China for hundreds of years. However, previous Republic of China (currently in Taiwan ) never agreed to the independence of Tibet. Up to today, the official territory of Republic of China (Taiwan) still includes Tibet and all the other mainland China territory. Do I need to provide more proof that Taiwan is part of China? The current People’s Republic of China just simply inherited the traditional territory of China and reclaimed Tibet. Besides, there is no country that ever acknowledged the independence of Tibet. Even when China and U.S. fought a war in Korea, U.S. never publicly/officially acknowledged the independence of Tibet. “Free-Tibet” has always been something that they can only supported through CIA under the table. Why? Because it is wrong to publicly support Tibet independence. It violates the international law.
    2) Han Chinese invaded Tibet?
    Tibet became part of China when China was ruled by Mongols. Actually, Tibetans had helped Mongols to conquer the China hundreds of years ago. As a result, Mongols and Tibetans were the first-class citizen in Yuan Dynasty. Free-Tibet website claims that Mongols and Manchus are not Han Chinese, so Yuan Dynasty and Qing Dynasty were not China. This is a distortion of history and truth. The population of ethnic Mongols in China is twice the population of the country Mongolia. Whether you like it or not, my Mongols and Manchus friends that I met in college never questioned that you are Chinese. Sorry to tell you that you are whining alone, except your Muslim buddies from XinJiang province that were captured by U.S. troops in the terrorist camp in Afghanistan.
    3) Chinese destroyed Tibetan culture by massive Han Chinese immigration?
    Can you show me any country that only tolerates one ethnic population? Current non-Tibetan population in TAR is only 6%. In order to prove the so-called “culture genocide”, you and your friends come up with an excuse that Han Chinese are richer and have more social power so they have more social influence to destroy your culture. This excuse sounds so familiar. Isn’t this exactly the same accusation that Hitler had accused of Jews in Germany? Will ethnic cleansing toward other Chinese ethnic groups protect Tibetan culture? Is ethnic cleansing the Buddhism teaching that you had received from the Dalai Lama?

    BTW, don’t call me “friend”. I am not a friend of liars.

    In the end, I must apologize to Geneva for contaminating her blog with this political “propaganda” since she had mentioned to be apolitical in her blog.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello all,

    To the "anonymous" posters, I appreciate the discussion, I am not partial to one view or the other, and will again assert that I am not here to promote a political agenda, nor to suppose that I am an expert on the China-Tibet situation. I am attempting to be as impartial as possible, and I welcome your views and beliefs and respect each one as being individually valid.

    I know that there are strong feelings on all ranges of this political spectrum, but don't feel that it is necessary to engage in ad hominem or other personal attacks. I would love to keep the comments open as a forum for respectful discussion and for more esoteric remarks since I in no way wish for my blog to promote violence of any sort, verbal or otherwise.

    Thank you for your interest, your comments, and for your concern for these issues. Sensitivity and lack of apathy are the first steps towards change. And regardless of your views on the China-Tibet situation, I think we can all unite and agree that secular, a-political education for the youth of Tibet (and any nation) is vitally important in order to increase personal prosperity, individuality, and compassion for others.

    I hope to continue to see your comments on upcoming posts, and wish you all well.

    Geneva

    ReplyDelete
  29. I do need to apologize for my harsh comments and personal attack to the Tibetan in exile. I am impulsive and rude. But at least I am speaking the truth. More constructive dialogue should be more helpful. I also hope that the Tibetan-in-exile will pursuit their course through a more peaceful, honest and respectful approaches.

    Sorry to Geneva for posting such as harsh comments on her comments.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks for the history lesson. A little correction.

    --1911 Xinhai revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty which was seen as the foreign dynasty in China. The little pony tail Chinese use to grow in those days is a Manchu tradition. During the revolution they use it cut it off to show their defiance against the foreign ruler (Manchu). go read your own history and the establishment of the ROC by Sun Yat sun. This clearly shows that Manchu was a foreign dynasty. (foreign to the Chinese that is in those days).

    Declare independence in 1911? China declared independence in 1911 too? after the fall of Qing, but sadly got invaded by Japan in 1935. But luckily, Pearl Harbor saved China from occupation, so yes, the civil war didn't end until 1949 when in october the PRC proclaimed victory over ROC. (well actually victory still not complete having failed to destroy ROC completely). By the point here is, Tibet declaring independence in 1911 is long before PRC.

    The reason why the population of mongolians are double in China is because PRC occupied Inner Mongolia. Terrible things have happened to the mongolians living in that region. The animosity and the level of mistrust for the central administration is still very high. Another sad story under the occupation of PRC.

    Hitler- replace Ethnic groups with social class and you get MAO and his violent class struggles that claimed the lives of over 50 million of his own people. 20-30 million alone in the cultural revolution. 6 million jews were exterminated. over 50 million Chinese were exterminated under Mao and his MODERN (in comparison to theocracy) Maoist ideologies. No such magnitude of massacre has ever taken place in the history of this PLANET.

    Look i am pretty open minded. I would pick democracy over theocracy any given day. but If you gave me a choice between theocracy and the political ideology of Mao, I'd be a fool to go with the latter. I am sure you as a Han chinese have also lost a loved one in that violent political struggle.

    In conclusion, if you really want to discuss history, please don't bring me this Xinhau.net or China Daily BS or the ones you find on the government website to carry an intellectual discussion. I am open for any discussion. If you are some what accurate, I will agree with you. If you are off, then I will politely correct your mistakes.

    By the way, if you don't know something in depth, don't just scratch the surface. It may actually do more harm to your argument than good. If you don't know Germany's history don't bring it up. If you don't know your own Chinese history, does discuss it unless your prepared to do so.

    Good luck bud.

    Bhod Gyal Lo! (if you can understand this, then you can say Tibetans are Chinese. hint: its a Tibetan word) yes we do have our own tongue.

    ReplyDelete
  31. First of all, I don’t read news from Xinhua.net. I am oversea Chinese even though my English is bad. I read the Chinese history written by both Chinese and foreign scholars.
    Second, apparently you are still distorting the history. Qing Dynasty was overthrown by Xinhai revolution. Sun YatSun didn’t declare independence from Qing Dynasty since it ceased to exist after 1911. He declared the foundation (not independence) of the Republic of China, which inherited the territory of Qing Dynasty. The official territory of ROC covers all the territory of the Qing Dynasty. How can China declare independence from herself? Since Qing Dynasty didn’t exist anymore after 1911, how could Sun YatSun declare independence from it? The royal family of Manchu king still inherited some of palaces in Beijing after the revolution, until Japanese supported him to declare independence from ROC by founding Manchu Empire. In order to invade and control China, foreign power needs to separate China into small pieces. This is the reason that Japan supported Manchu empire to declare independence, British supported Tibet to declare independence and Soviet supported Mongolia to declare independence. This is exactly the historical reason that Chinese feel strongly offended by “Free-Tibet” movement supported by western power. Mao declared the foundation of People’s Republic of China. Again, foundation is different with independence. The official territory of PRC (currently controls Mainland China) is exactly the same as the official territory of ROC (currently controls Taiwan). This is an undisputable fact that is written in the constitution of PRC and ROC. Whether you like it or not, the current president of ROC( Taiwan) agrees that Taiwan is part of China (ROC). Long before he became the President of Taiwan, he already said that unification with Mainland China is his ultimate goal.

    There is no doubt that Mao was bad. He did many terrible things in China, such as great leap-forward and culture revolution. He wanted to change China. He though the old tradition/culture in China is the hurdle to move China ahead. That’s why temples and monasteries were largely destroyed all over China. That’s how you got exiled. By the way, many monasteries in Tibet were destroyed by Tibetan red-guards who followed Mao instead of Han Chinese. Even Chinese Communist Party officially agreed that the Great Leap-forward and Culture Revolution are mistakes. This can be found in the history textbook currently being taught in China. After 1980, Chinese government corrected many wrong-doings by Mao. Atrocity of Maoism and Nazism can’t justify the atrocity of theocracy and planed ethnic cleansing to the Han Chinese in Tibet. Maoism ceased to exist in China nowadays. Of course we should also prevent theocracy and ethnic cleansing from you.

    Inner Mongolia was the territory that ROC inherited from Qing Dynasty. How can you say that PRC invaded Inner Mongolia? The invasion had happened more than seven hundreds years ago. Apparently, it was Mongols who invaded the old China and became part of China. I read the writings of some Chinese Mongols who traveled to the country called Mongolia to teach Chinese. The information I got is as follow: Mongolia changed their own language to Russian-type scripts. However, Mongols in China still kept their traditional written language. There are trains traveling between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. However, the Mongols in China didn’t choose to exile to Mongolia. I am sorry to tell you that they are not your buddies.
    I welcome you to correct my comments if any mistake exists. But please don’t distort history and insult our intelligence. Ethnic conflict is one of worst human-right violations. It’s happening on the earth everyday. If you really are the follower of Buddhism, please stop spreading hatred between Tibetans and Han Chinese. Or, you will be punished in your next life.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Taiwan issue is your problem. By the way, the ROC is no different than the PRC. I am not supporting their claim to anything. They invaded Taiwan and suppressed the indigenous people. Before there was any Chinese, there were Japanese on that island in 1895, the same year the first Japanese invasion of China took place. But Going back to the topic of Tibet.

    British only recognized Tibet as "suzerainty" under China. This proposal was drafted in Simla, India between the representatives Great Britain, China and Tibet in 1914. This would have given China the only legal right to claim Tibet as part of China, but unfortunately your Chinese representative Mr. Chen withdrew from the convention, and therefore lost this gift from the British. So you see the British did not support the independence from the beginning. They were only trying to bargain Tibet to improve their trade relations in China.

    Other than this, there is other legal documents granting Tibet to China. The only one that exist is the 17 point agreement which was signed under duress by a representative of the Tibetan central administration who was not even instructed to sign it.

    You speak of international law so eloquently, but according to the international law, such forged documents signed under duress are not legitimate. Therefore there exists no legitimacy in this document.

    By the way, you do not need the blessings of the West to declare independence. If you do then PRC didn't even get proper recognition until 1972 when it replaced ROC in the United Nations as the One China. The point here is that you should not put so much emphasis on the West. After all West is the one who saved China economically with its Ping-Pong diplomacy under Richard Nixon.

    The subject of this discussion is about the livelihood of the Tibetans, not the Brits, nor the Americans. I know how their politics operate, and I do understand your fears of encirclement by the greater superpowers. But, the point here is that Tibetans see Chinese as foreign invaders, just as you saw the French, Brits, Americans, Manchu, and the Japanese as a foreign invaders. Simply put, "You can take the Tibetans out of Tibet, but you cannot take Tibet out of Tibetans." This is why you still see an uprising after 50 years. In fact, in the past 50 years, not a single year passed without a protest in Tibet.

    Look, I have recognized the political reality of the situation in Tibet. As a Buddhist I only work for the Tibetan cause to end the systematic attempts by PRC to erase Tibet from history. You have the future of Tibet in your hands, but do you also have to take the past and the identity away from Tibetans? This is what you should think of.

    There was a time when Tibetans and Chinese lived peacefully. When the Mongol Yuan invaded China, there was a systematic attempts by Mongols to kills as many Chinese as possible to solve their political and economical problems. Later, Tibetan Buddhist Lama's spread Buddhism to Mongolia, and later persuaded them to end this genocide of Chinese in China. This is an example of the power of compassion. Buddhist seeks to win peace through persuasion, not force.

    I use to be the president of a regional Tibetan Youth Congress. I had so much hate for Chinese when I was younger because I didn't truly understand the nature of Chinese politics. Later I studied Chinese politics and history, and learned to be more tolerant for other's actions. Since then, I've been a supporter of the Dalai Lama's middle way approach which seeks to protect the livelihood and the welfare of the Tibetans in Tibet. He has traveled to Taiwan to prove that he has given up his goals of independent Tibet. Deep down, I was really sad to be in a situation where I have to denounce my own identity and adopt the identity of my enemy. But I realized that this isn't about the national pride and patriotism. These are all modern concepts that blinds us to the true nature of being a compassionate human being.

    If one always puts Nationalism before human development, then there will never be a lasting peace. A peaceful co-existence demands us to give up our blind Nationalist sentiments, and learn to see each other as humans.

    With this understanding, I appeal to you and all your Chinese brothers and sisters to work genuinely for a peaceful Tibet. This cannot be done with assimilation or aggressive developments that neglect the environmental effects and the culture (in which nature is sacred to many Tibetans). This also cannot be done with over militarizing the region in the name of National security. The ration of an armed police in Lhasa is 1 to every 3 Tibetans. It is estimated that there are over 250,000 Chinese troops and para-military force in Tibet. In the eye of the locals and the world, it will look like an occupation force rather than a police force. Wouldn't you agree? The huge influx of Han and Hoi muslim from China through the new Qinghai-Lhasa train. I am not against Chinese visiting Tibet or settling in Tibet spontaneously. You are more than welcome. But when the motivation is one driven by the State policy, then it leads to riots such as the one we saw in March of 2008. The cause is clearly economic marginalization and exclusion of Tibetans from the booming market.

    In conclusion, I would like to say that i will not challenge your history anymore. History is history, If you think its right, I will support you. If you think I am wrong, I will support you. It doesn't matter now because it was in the time of our grand parents. What is more critical is the future of Tibet. PRC has gained ownership of Tibet, or inherited as you say for the last 50 years. I am sure it will continue its ownership for the next few decades. During this period, I hope they will not be blinded by the Western materialistic solutions to all ethnic sensitive, racial, or political problems that arises. I hope China's wisdom will prevail over its political insecurities and peacefully resolve the issue with the Dalai Lama while he is alive. Please read his appeals to the Chinese and his 5 point peace plans and the strasbourg proposal to the leadership of PRC in the 1980s. We Tibetans call this the Middle Way Approach.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    Tenzin-

    ReplyDelete
  33. The historical reason that Britain and Russian changed China’s sovereignty over Tibet into “Suzerainty” in the early 20th century is to enable them to control Tibet without formally declaring a war with China. Nevertheless, both countries agree that China has sovereignty over Tibet after they lost their imperial power. Republic of China inherited the sovereignty over Tibet from Qing dynasty. Of course Mr. Chen should refuse to discuss the Tibetan issue with the imperial Britain and Russian. Or he would be the most stupid politicians in the history. To change China’s sovereignty over Tibet into “Suzerainty” was a step to bring Tibet into the status of independence. This was the same strategy as Japanese supporting the last Manchu King to declare independence in northeast China.

    Second, it wasn’t the West who saved China. We saved ourselves by hardworking. I don’t care about the recognition of PRC or ROC. I only care about “One-China”. My agenda is simple: No more civil war, no more ethnic conflict, no more revolution. One more Chinese politics 101 class for you: There are three political groups in Taiwan, the indigenous group, the immigrations from southern Mainland China before the 20th century, the immigrations from Mainland China after the Japanese were kicked out from Taiwan. The first (indigenous group) and the third groups are the major pro-China groups. The pro-independence Taiwanese are actually mostly belonging to the second group. It was the second group (pro-independence) who suppressed the indigenous group instead of the third group.

    If your only political agenda is about livelihood of Tibetan, then I can assure you that Tibetans are living a much better life comparing with the theocracy ruled by your father’s generation. Other premises of your action, such as PRC erasing Tibet from history, culture genocide and taking the identity away from Tibetans, are simply illusions or lies created by yourselves. The unbiased observation from Geneva can testify these facts. If you are full-time “Free-Tibet” activist, then you can retire now. I understand your hatred toward Han Chinese when you were younger because your father’s generation had planted the seed of ethnic hatred in your mind. If you really care about the livelihood of Tibetan, the first thing you should do is to stop planting the seed of ethnic hatred and to promote the harmony and peace. This is what a real Buddhist should do. As you mentioned, Mongols systematically killed many Han Chinese seven hundred years ago. Should we Han Chinese hate the Chinese Mongols? No, we are sisters and brothers living side-by-side. We should do our best to prevent from this kind of tragedy from happening again, including the actions that prevents you from spreading more hatred between Han Chinese and Tibetans.

    Currently, there are only 6% of non-Tibetan in TAR. You can’t find any country on earth that only tolerates one ethnic population. As you mentioned, Hoi Muslin existed in China upto today. Many Hoi Muslim groups are scattered within Han Chinese population (you can find many scattered Hoi Muslim villages all-around China besides the NingXia Hoi autonomous province) because they are traditionally the traders, small business owners such as the owners of the Muslim noodle restaurants or food stands. They had lived together with Han Chinese for hundreds of years. Yet, they kept their identity as Hoi Muslim. Many Han Chinese loved their traditional food/culture. We never tried to assimilate them. When I got married with my wife, a Han Chinese, her wedding dress is the traditional cheong-sam, also called Chi-pao. Chi-pao originated from the traditional dressing of Manchu. However, this becomes the culture of most Chinese. Many Tibetan in exile use Manchu as an example of culture assimilation by Han Chinese. The truth is that Han Chinese absorbed many culture aspects of Manchu Chinese, and vice versa. Manchu Chinese were the royal ethnic group in China for hundreds of years. You can’t blame Han Chinese for many lost cultures of Manchu Chinese. The Beijing Chinese dialect actually absorbed many aspect of Manchu language.

    It is wrong to create ethnic isolation. The inner city problem in U.S. is partially caused by the ethnic isolation, even though it is not the U.S. policy to intentionally create such an ethnic isolation in many U.S. cities. Isolation will not protect Tibetan culture. Actually, it may eventually destroy the Tibetan civilization. For more than a thousand year, Japanese and Korean had absorbed many Chinese cultures. However, we Chinese need to learn from them now. Of course, we should also learn many modern civilizations from the west, such as modern science, democracy, etc. Only by these means, we can survive prosperously as Chinese. Avoiding competition will not make you more competitive. This is the hard and painful lessons that we Chinese had learned from our history of the past two centuries.

    There is no doubt that environment in Tibetan plateau is fragile. This is exactly the reason that current secular Tibetan government want to settle down more nomadic Tibetans into cities. Tibetan population has doubled in past decades. There is a limit for the nature to support the human activities. You can’t just simply argue that Tibetans have lived on Tibetan plateau for thousands of years, so any change to your life style is culture genocide. I grow up in the Anhui province. The local government has similar policy to request the peasants to stop growing plants on hills and force them to plant trees instead. As Han Chinese, we also have to accept the un-humane “one-child” policy. You have to remember that “one-child” policy only applies to Han Chinese in China. This is the sacrifice that we Han Chinese have to endure to act responsibly for our land and environment. The percentage of minority population in China has almost doubled in the last 50 years. How can you accuse Han Chinese of genocide? The current secular Tibetan government is mostly formed by ethnic Tibetans. I don’t agree with many of their policies, such as forcing Monks to denounce the Dalai Lama. But you can’t just simplify let Han Chinese to take the all responsibility of many wrong policies by your fellow Tibetans. For the same reason, I don’t agree with African Americans to blame Whites for every difficulty that they are facing.

    Without ethnic hatred and conflict, should it have any necessity for so many para-military troops to stay in TAR? Without para-military force, who can prevent blood-shred caused by ethnic conflict conducted by you and your colleagues? If you are real Buddhist, I appeal you and your colleagues to stop planting the seed of ethnic hatred and start promoting harmony and peace. Stop reasoning with hatred in your mind, then sky will be much brighter.

    Best regards,

    Jiang

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hello Jiang,

    Thank you for responding. Watch the videos below and give me your critique. I am very interested in what you have to say about this.

    Testimony #1: home made video in Tibet.

    http://www.leavingfearbehind.com/

    Testimony #2:

    http://footage.tibetanbridges.com/Torture-in-Tibet.mov

    Testimony #3:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAI_X0h6E3o

    Testimony #4:

    http://www.guba.com/watch/3000132055

    Just few videos I want to share with you.

    Thanks,

    Tenzin

    ReplyDelete
  35. Well it seems like no one wants to talk about these videos. Yea, lets just ignore these horrendous crimes captured on videos, and go on to talk about how Beautiful Tibet is under China.

    I guess VIDEOS SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I guess the silence also says a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Your guys work me harder than my boss. :) I spent two hours to reply my last post yesterday. And I worked as late as 12:30AM last night for my own project. I have to make my boss happy to make my living. I am not in CIA's payroll as your guys. I am not "professional". So you have to be a little bit patient. I have some impression abou the first video. But I haven't watched it through yet. You can still go over my past comments. I think it has lots of good things for your guys to digest. Don't waste it.

    Jiang

    ReplyDelete
  38. Just curious, what do you guys do to make a living besides "Free-Tibet"?

    Regards,

    Jiang

    ReplyDelete
  39. Ok. I finished the first video, here is what I would like to say:
    First, the Tibetan girl in the interview is beautiful. Don’t get me wrong. My point is that I see beautiful things and that you only see hatred. As for settling down nomads, I already discussed in my last post. Tibetan meadow is fragile. As a Han Chinese, I feel it is compelling to take any necessary action to protect the sacred alpine meadow. The local government in my hometown also moved the peasants out of the remote mountains to more populated regions for better education and medical facilities and to protect the ecosystems. In the eyes of a person filled with hatred, everything is evil and against him. I don’t see the difference between this video and the propaganda from Chinese government. You can always find lots of Tibetans or Han Chinese who praise Olympic or hate Olympic. The truth is usually in between.
    Ethnic isolation is not the way to protect your culture. How many times do I need to repeat this simple fact? Can you name one country that only tolerates one ethnic group? Except the political suppression (it exists all over China, not a special treat to Tibetans) and discordance with the Dalai Lama, can you name one country that the cultures of its minorities are better protected than China? Based on the examples you choose, please elaborate how to improve. I am sure you are well-educated in the west. You should propose more constructive measures instead of just simply complain, complain and complain without any logic reasoning. Think independently. Jump out of the box of hatred.
    One thing that I do feel deeply moved is the tears from the old papa and mama. I appeal you to bring the unbiased information about Tibet to his holiness the Dalai Lama, such as the blog of Geneva. Rebuild the trust between the Dalai Lama and the current secular Tibetan government and central Chinese government. I certainly with the Dalai Lama can return to Tibet. So please stop spreading more hatred. Let’s work together to rebuild the trust.

    To be continued....

    Jiang.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thank you for watching the video. I am glad that you are open to arguments from both sides. Would you like to comment on the Video # 2 and #3?

    How do you expect a better relationship between Han Chinese and Tibetans when Tibetans are being tortured and murdered just like the ones shown in the Video #2 and #3. Stop these extreme coercive measures to suppress the Tibetans, and I will guarantee you that there will be peace in Tibet.

    I wish someone would pay me for spending so much time discussing the issue of Tibet. Unfortunately, the CIA's only worked with Tibetans to distract PRC away from Vietnam by creating two fronts. It'd be nice if they pay me to do this, because I am a poor student.



    Tenzin.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I would like to response as soon as I can. But my wife is quite angry right now because I am working more than 12 hours per day recently. I will do it soon. But it's too late for me today. Mao liberated Chinese women too much. I wish we had kept our old tradition towards women. :). just kidding.


    Jiang

    ReplyDelete
  42. I am sorry, the video might be a bit disturbing for you. Anytime you are free and comfortable to watch it, please do so.

    I am sorry to hear that your wife is angry. I wish you guys the best.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Don't worry, as I said I am just too busy now. I finished the third one. Not the second one and the third one yet. Could you wait till this Saturday? Before that, can I ask you couple of questions, you can select the choices or give your own answer.
    1. Why Han Chinese hate Tibetan culture
    A. Han Chinese hate buddhism
    B. Han Chinese just hate other culture.
    C. Because Han Chinese hate Tibetans.
    D. Provide your own answers.

    2. Why Han Chinese hate Tibetans.
    A. Han Chinese are just evil. so they hate everything.
    B. Han Chinese want to kill all Tibetans to get the land of Tibetan plateau.
    C. There are unknown historical reason?
    D. Provide your own answers.

    I would like to hear your opinion.
    Thanks.

    Jiang

    ReplyDelete
  44. I don't think they hate us. I think they envy us, thats why they want to make Tibet an inseparable part of China by force. And when we refuse, they become more obsessed and more forceful.

    When your every single move is calculated and controlled, sometimes it is very frustrating when you are unable to exercise full control over a certain population. Tibetans have 100% faith and loyalty to Dalai Lama even if he cannot provide materialistic support, this frustrates the PRC, which in turn teaches the general public to hate the Dalai Lama and Tibetan activist whom they refer to as Dalai Clique, Separatist, and in some cases "Terrorist". These words carry very strong meanings in Chinese history when the government emphasize so much on the idea of Unification, Motherland, and healing the wounds of humiliation suffered under the dominance of foreign powers. Amidst all this, the ownership of Tibet gives people a sense of pride and strength. It gives PRC & PLA credibility among its own people. To have a colony is always a show of wealth and power. But to call Tibet a colony or a occupied state contradicts the ideology of the CCP which is supposedly fighting colonialist powers. If Chinese were to know that Tibet is an occupied trophy state, then CCP in the eyes of its own followers and the international 3rd world communist movement would look like a hypocrite. This is one of the many reasons why the CCP always cover up the story of Tibet being an independent state in the past. Since the 1949, the Propaganda Department has dictated every single means of communication, education, entertainment, arts, literature in China to keep the story and history of China in line with the domestic and foreign policy agenda of the China's Communist Party.

    -This is where and how many of the illiterate Chinese and strong Nationalist have come to hate Tibetans.

    -But there are many who like Tibet and Tibetans. In fact, in Charter 08, many Han Chinese intellectuals and free thinkers have criticized the government's policy in Tibet. Link for Charter 08

    http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22210

    These signatories are the free thinkers in Chinese society today and these Han Chinese people give me hope for peace and reconciliation in Tibet, and in China.

    But most importantly, before one discusses the issue of Tibet, one must see the the conditions for one self. You be the judge.

    So here you go again:

    Testimony #2:

    http://footage.tibetanbridges.com/Torture-in-Tibet.mov

    Testimony #3:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAI_X0h6E3o

    Thanks,

    Tenzin

    ReplyDelete
  45. I have to admit that Chinese governments in any dynasty only had very limited governance in Tibet. But I definitely don’t agree that you just simplified the whole issue to China invading Tibet. China certainly has many undisputable facts to prove her sovereignty over Tibet. If Tibet wasn’t part of China, why should Tibet declared independence from China in 1911? Don’t tell me that Manchus are not Chinese. Manchus will definitely tell you that they are Chinese. China is a country with 56 different ethnic populations. I would reconsider your claim if more than half American agree that the current USA is not the United States of America because its president is black.
    If PRC didn’t reclaim Tibet, Tibet would have been an independent country at this moment just like Mongolia. However, we all have to face the reality. Mongols in Mongolia are happy to be the citizens of Mongolia. And most Mongols in Inner Mongolia are happy to be Chinese. So let’s just accept the reality and live peacefully. CCP never think it is an act of colonization to reclaim Tibet. CCP just treat Tibet in the same way as any other parts of China.
    Ok, go back to the video. Let’s start from the 2nd video. I have little doubt about the authenticity of the footage from 1:00 to 1:20. You can tell that the footage was shot undercover from quite a long distance. From 1:20 to 2:00, the para-military force was actually very refrained towards the protesters? I don’t want to discuss the authenticity of the footage from 2:17 to 3:40, it might be very offensive to you. It gave me an impression that the police dragged the protesters in front of the camera man and let the man shot how they beat the protestors. I just don’t understand why they wanted to shot such kind of footage to show their brutality and send it to the Tibetan-in-exile? If they just wanted to do it for entertainment like what some American soldiers did in Iraq, they would have done it secretly instead of so publicly. By the way, Chinese government said that the later part of the video was faked by Tibetan-in-exile. Due to limited knowledge, I have no inclination to the claim from either side at this moment.
    Nevertheless, torture by authorities is indeed very common in China. Last year, a guy from Beijing killed couple of polices in Shanghai because he was badly tortured by police before. When he was sentenced to death by a court in Shanghai, lots of people gathered outside the court to support him and regarded him as a hero. I can provide too many examples of police-torture in China, such as this one: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5772317.ece. Many Chinese hates authorities. The ultimate reason is that China is currently ruled by an authoritarian government controlled by CCP. CCP is extremely brutal towards any political dissident. That’s the nature of authoritarian government even though torture is officially illegal according to the Law of China. Torture is definitely a violation of human rights. However, it is not a special treatment towards Tibetans. There is no doubt that the 3rd video is abuse of power by authorities. Even though it is illegal to pass through border without official permission, it’s inhumane for the soldiers to shoot the violators. However, I don’t agree to make it an ethnical issue. If Han Chinese crossed borders without permission and ignored warning, the soldiers may have done the same thing to Han Chinese. Among the greatest nations on the earth, such as the United States of America, the abuse of power by police is not uncommon either. In 2006, couple of white police shot an unarmed black groom on his wedding day (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/25/AR2006112500732.html). More recently, Oakland BART police shot unarmed Handcuffed black man in the back (http://www.rbgtube.com/play.php?vid=3996). But you can’t just draw a conclusion that the government of USA is systematically torturing and killing African Americans. If I show these videos to Chinese who never visited U.S.A. and tell them that it is a proof of common racial discrimination towards the blacks by many whites in USA, they may just simply accept the information and the idea that I feed them. But the real situation is too complicated to be understood by just two incidents.

    Here is my suggestion to you and your colleagues. Gather the proof of the tortures in the video, find a human-rights lawyer in China, and sue the police or the current government in Tibet. I am sure that Tibetan-in-exile will get lots of media coverage from this lawsuit. Even if the case wasn’t accepted by the court, the wide media coverage can still be guaranteed at least outside China. If the video is truly authentic, then the credibility of Tibetan-in-exile will be restored among Chinese people and you will find more comrades within China to fight the current authoritarian government. If you goal is to fight those human right violations by CCP, we are on the same side. However, I don’t support any revolution or civil war. But if you just want to agitate the ethnic confrontation and benefit from the ethnic conflict, then we are enemies.

    It is another long topic to discuss about the democracy or human right violations in China.

    My advice to you is that don’t make everything ethnical or racial. Based on a broad classification method, we are all human-being, we all have common ancestor as homo sapiens. It’s important to keep your culture. But it doesn’t mean we all should live like homo sapiens. Culture is created by human beings and evolves with human-being.

    Sincerely,

    Jiang

    ReplyDelete