The China-Tibet Conflict

The other day, I saw Richard Gere speaking about the China-Tibet conflict, and that set me thinking about the whole China-Tibet situation.

I remember going to Dharamshala and Mcleodganj some years ago (the Namgyal monastery, where the Dalai Lama is based, is there). At the time, China had just won the contract to host the Olympics and even then the Tibetians were circulating flyers telling everyone to boycott those Olympics and other Chinese products etc. I remember thinking at the time, that this is not much of a protest or struggle, ensconced safely in India hundreds of kilometers from their actual homeland. Ever since India offered the Tibetians and their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama a safe haven in Dharamshala, Tibetians moved to India in their thousands and settled here, continuing to wage their agitation against Chinese oppression from afar. I had thought to myself they are living a comfortable enough life here in India, not really putting them in the line of fire, so do they really deserve support?

In a word, Yes! The fact is that they have been agitating for many years and not only have their pleas fallen on deaf years thru the years; the Chinese have been oppressive and unconcerned and have presented a false picture to the world. A recent media event organized in Lhasa (capital of Tibet) was a disaster from China’s point of view. Wailing, protesting monks (who China would not have wanted anywhere near the cameras) could be seen telling the world of their woes and this blew the lid off China’s pretenses.

The Tibetians have been suppressed and denied basic rights such as religious freedom under Chinese occupation and these factors are only now coming to the fore with the Tibetian call to the world to boycott the Olympics and to support their struggle against Chinese oppression. Tibetians who have been able to escape continue to live in India or elsewhere, unable to return to their homeland because of this.  In this article the Dalai Lama appealed to the world community to "please help" resolve the crisis in his homeland. He was so disturbed by some of the protesters turning violent that threatened to resign as the religious and spiritual head of the Tibetian people.

World leaders, including George Bush have been urging China to hold talks and have a dialogue with the Tibetian people. The reason why I think that Tibet deserves support is the imperious and impervious manner in which China has behaved in this issue, by refusing to even hold talks or negotiate. The Dalai Lama has said that he would like to “remind the Chinese that in order to be respected hosts of the Games human rights in Tibet must improve” I agree with this, do you? What are your thoughts?