Am I the only one to think that the present disorders in Tibet are a little too convenient?
Tibet has been occupied by the Chinese military since 1959. The population (you cannot really talk a bout a “Tibetan people”, too many tribes, clans, customs, cultures etc) has sufferred horribly by the hand of the (formerly) Maoist government. Ethnic Han settlers had been dispatched in Tibet and they have been freed from China’s strict “one child” policy, there has been a cultural genocide the likes of which were not seen from the days of the European “unification” movements and there have been all the assortied nasties usually associated with military occupation.
Yet the world has been largely silent about it and the present Dalai Lama was considered some kind of folkloric, colorful figure that appealed only to “alternative” movie stars until very recently when he was “discovered” by mainstream politics. I cannot but think that, being a shrewd politician as well as a charismatic religious leader, he willingly allowed himself to be drafted in by the “anti-Chinese” front so strong in Washington and Bruxelles at the moment. he probably had the best and most peaceful intentions but as an old saying go “be very careful about the friends you choose”.
Last week the mass media, which has ignored the pitiful conditions of the Tibetan population for almost half a century (including the unspeakable disasters wrought by the Red Guards movement), suddenly discovered that Tibet is occupied by very evil yellow skinned men who are oppressing the peaceful monks and their followers… now haven’t I seen this movie last year? Is this a re-run of Burma’s “Saffron Revolution”?
Yes but there’s something slightly different to it. By carefully studying the scant images available and the reports from slightly less biased media sources it would appear that, yes, the Chinese military acted heavy handed as usual, but there’s more to it.
It would appear as if part of the campaign is not directed against the well-armed occupation forces, but against unarmed Han settlers. Differently from Israel most of these persons are not heavily armed fanatics but whole families forcibly “relocated” here by Mao Zedong during China’s Great Famine or who went West attracted by higher salaries and better living conditions (government intervention at its very best again). There are reports of “Chinese citizens” been lynched or doused with gasoline and set on fire and a few pictures depict scared Han students being herded to school on foot by heavily armed soldiers. Whatever this is a sincere explosion of xenophobia against an invading people or is the work of agent provocateurs which slipped in from across the border I cannot say. But experience has taught me that there’s always more than meet the eyes when the mass media move this way.
I find suspicious to say the least that this came to the world’s attention at this moment. Beijing will host the 2008 World Chauvinistic Championships (I meant Olympics, sorry about letting that one slip) and given the present economic conjunction there’s little doubt that China will become an even heavier player in the world’s economics this year. There’s also the small issue with the US going all chummy with the present, fiercely nationalist Indian government, a long-time enemy of China which still see India’s 1961 crushing defeat by the hands of Zhou En Lai’s soldiers as an offence to be avenged in blood.
Yes, there’s something rotten in Tibet and it stinks to High Heaven… I meant to the Roof of the World.