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Tibetans Destroy Lhasa - Dalai Llama Again Calls for Peace
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by Swan | March 18, 2008 at 11:02 am
1323 views | 4 Recommendations | 6 comments
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Again I find myself writing about China and what is happening there. I cannot fight the ingrained sense of justice and the right to life and liberty that drives me, propelling me forward, compelled to shine a light on China's cruelty.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China accused the Dalai Lama on Tuesday of orchestrating Tibetan riots to wreck Beijing's Olympic Games, but the exiled spiritual leader denied the charge and vowed to stand down if the violence spiraled out of control.
I would not have expected the peaceful Tibetans to riot - however this is exactly what has been happening and it is they, not the Chinese who this time have perpetrated the lawlessness that has led to so many deaths.
The Chinese Army who are attempting to show restraint in the eyes of the world, have been involved in several violent clashes, resulting in the death of 99 people so far.
Premier Wen Jiabao of China had this to say about his decision last week to implement a security crackdown in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet:
"There is ample fact and plenty of evidence proving this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," [...]
"This has all the more revealed the consistent claims by the Dalai clique that they pursue not independence but peaceful dialogue are nothing but lies." [...]
"We need to respect the principle in the Olympic Charter that the Games should not be politicized."
I'm not sure if I agree with these statements, especially the latter. I've always made my belief known that venues such as the Academy Awards are no place for political statements - but does such a premise fit the Olympic Games?
I believe so. The Academy Awards are entertainment and that's exactly why it's patrons attend - not to hear political statements, such as the affair last month when Icelandic singer Björk - uttered "Tibet! Tibet! during her concert.
While the same thing can be said of sport (people only attend for the sports,) I think - or perhaps I'm only wishing that other countries would want to be informed about a country that consistently throws innocent people into jail, only to be forgotten - or surreptiously killed.
This gives other countries the opportunity to know the situation and make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to support China in their presentation of the Games.
While famous individuals such as HRH., Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and Richard Gere have made it publicly known that they are boycotting the games, I have yet to hear of any governments who have made the same decision.
Why not? Don't they care?
Wen said, "I can ensure you that Chinese people are most sincere in their wish to host a successful Olympic Games."
Wen said China is a country with 5,000 years of history and to host the Games is a dream shared by Chinese people of many generations. "I think the Beijing Olympics will be a grand gathering all over the world." [...]
"I have confidence that the smiles of 1.3 billion people in front of the world will be reciprocated by the smiles of the people from all over the world."
Beijing hopes as a result of the games that they will now be considered more of a 21st century, forward thinking, nation - when in actual fact, many are now looking at China and saying that are still nothing but an ancient, barbaric society.
After much persuasion and outcry, China has decided to consider allowing foreign media in Lhasa, so that they can see for themselves what is happening there.
Previously, all foreign media had been banned from the area.
"I fully appreciate the reason why international media organizations would like to go there at this moment," he said upon the conclusion of the annual session of China's top legislature.
"The situation is basically returning to normal...Lhasa will be reopened to the rest of the world," he said.
Yesterday saw shops reopened along the western Beijing Road, western Jinzhu Road and southern Linkuo Road and cars and taxis were back driving on the streets of Lhasa.
Not so in the Old Town area. The shops that were still standing were left shut - there were shops burnt down with the scattered charred wreckages of automobiles exclaiming the horror that occurred there.
It was a disaster area, with civil servants and local residents attempting to clean up the aftermath of the Tibetan riots.
Yangjain, a local Tibetan who helped clean up the trash, said she was appalled by what the lawless mobs did. "They stirred up a decent city and turned it into chaos. They were horrible."
Hao Peng, the Tibet Autonomous Region government deputy chairman, said the debris would be cleaned away soon and order restored to the regional capital.
It was a sad and tragic scene in Lhasa today - an echo of Friday's violence when banks, press establishments, shops, schools and hospitals were torched, along with police wagons and a main market in Lhasa, Tromsikhang Market.
The latest wisdom from the Dalai Lama came at a time just prior to Lhasa returning to normal.
"As I have always said, unity and stability under brute force is at best a temporary solution. It is unrealistic to expect unity and stability under such a rule and would therefore not be conducive to finding a peaceful and lasting solution," he said in a written statement.
"I therefore appeal to the Chinese leadership to stop using force and address the long-simmering resentment of the Tibetan people through dialogue with the Tibetan people. I also urge my fellow Tibetans not to resort to violence."
Sources:
Book: Tibet! Tibet!
Xinhua News Agency
Voice of America
China Struggles to Cope With Foreign Criticism Ahead of Olympics
by Claudia Blume
China News Agency
Lhasa Riot Aimed to Undermine Beijing Olympics
(no byline)
Xinhua News Agency
China View
Shops Reopen, Vehicles Back on Streets as Lhasa Calms
(no byline)
Reuters
Dalai Lama Tries to End Tibet Rioting
by Chris Buckley and Lindsay Beck
Dalai Lama Denies Chinese Charges Over Tibet Riots
by Chris Buckley and Lindsay Beck
Image Sources:
Reuters
Arko Datta
David Gray
Shruti Shrestha
Adnan Abidi
Dennis Balibouse
Lee Jae-Won
REUTERS/www.Phayul.com/Handout
MSNBC
Prakash Mathema / AFP - Getty Images
Telegraph.co.UK
By Richard Spencer in Rebkong, Qinghai and James Miles, the
only western journalists in Lhasa
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (6)
at 19:03 on March 18th, 2008
Swan, thanks for this important and thorough report.
at 03:45 on March 19th, 2008
Hello Swan, it is true that the Lhasa was filled with the burns of debris and the Tibetan protestors resorted to voilent protest. But the integrity of question lies in why the peaceful demonstration led by the monks in and around Lhasa suddenly changed its character when the common people joined the movement. More over, the many such protests happened in all over Tibet and almost all of them are peaceful protest. Another question is did Tibetans really destroyed Lhasa.
So for the first part of the question, the core of the demand remains same as both the monks and the common masses demanded for Free Tibet but the interesting part is that the latter acted in ransacking and burning Chinese properties. When we look at the cause and effect sequence of the recent episode of clashes, it happened largely due to the enforcement of the Chinese assimilation policy which led to the penetration of the huge Chinese immigrants. In Lhasa, Chinese are already majority. This has marginalized the Tibetan in every realm of life, from business to education, from services to integrityof cultural aspect of life. The overwhelming changes are in favor of Chinese immigrants which gave no ground of scopes for the Tibetans to join the administrations, shops and businesses are mostly owned by the Chinese, schools were taught in Chinese and purposefully meant for the Chinese kids. Prostitution is widespread, even to the end, the Tibetan beggars have no place to beg which was replaced by the Chinese beggars. Because of these hard realities, the common masses burned the Chinese shops, buildings and ransacked the Chinese properties. It was simply a desparate act of frustration to the Chinese Government which has kept the Tibetans silent for around 2 decades since the last demonstration. Does these acts justifiable, is a big question.
Secondly, the topic "Tibetans destroy Lhasa" is somewhat misleading and way too exaggerated. The place "Lhasa" which belongs to the center of every Tibetans heart can't be destroyed by the Tibetans. Historically, Lhasa which means a land of diety served as a sacred place for the Tibetan buddhism and people comes thousands of miles prostrating to worship the place. Such a place can not be destroyed til the Buddhism wiped out of tibet. It is fact that Tibetans burned and ransacked chinese shops, and building but that doesn't mean that Tibetans destroyed Lhasa. I think the topic seems beyond the reality.
Other than that, your post is readable and thanks for letting the Tibetan issues flow.
As His Holiness the Dalai Lama rightly say, "As I have always said, unity and stability under brute force is at best a temporary solution. It is unrealistic to expect unity and stability under such a rule and would therefore not be conducive to finding a peaceful and lasting solution "
Peace to Tibet, China and all over the world.
at 10:40 on March 19th, 2008
Hello,
I really appreciated all the work you put into your comments - even the one criticizing my choice of title for the article. I'm also happy that you found my work ... "readable."
Thank you for the additional, very relevant details. :)
~ Swan
at 00:07 on March 19th, 2008
Swan, I like this story. It's good stuff.
amazing details
at 10:44 on March 19th, 2008
Hello AzzayIndia,
I'm grateful that you've chosen once again to drop by an article of mine and happy that you enjoyed it. I do try to include as many details as possible for readers, so that they're able to get a "round view" of the topic at hand, rather than just what I have to say on the subject.
Such additional details and links mean news transparency, even though my articles are generally quite opinionated opinion pieces.
~ Swan
at 06:13 on April 15th, 2008
I believe that the Tibet riots were mainly a response to the economic gap between local people and immigrants. If China did not have the econmic reform, I mean if China still has the communism econmic system instead of capitalism, there would not be such economic gap. So there would be no riots.
why the riots happened today rather than 30 years ago when Mao was still in charge of China. The economic gap is always a big threat for the stability of any society.
One more thing, are tibetans suffering more than any other ordinary Chinese?