Chinese Checkers
We have our own Seoul in progress now. At last Peking has officially made its move after the Dalai Lama’s opening gamit in Stragbourg. And a clever move it is too. IT gives the impression of the Chinese are as concerned about the problem of Tibetans as the Dalai Lama is. However, studies carefully, their dark intentions become clearly visible.
Peking says the talks need not be held in the Chinese capital : the venue can be any of the Chinese embassies. It is well known that any accredited embassy is a sovereign territory of the country it represents. So there is no practical difference between this ‘concession’ and the earlier invitations to hold the talks in Peking.
The Strasbourg proposal as the basis for talks is not acceptable to China as it demands ‘a disguised form of independence.’ When the Dalai Lama announced the proposal in June, he fully anticipated strong opposition from many sections of the Tibetan community,; and he was proved right. However, he has assured his people that Stragbourge was the bottom line; no further compromise can be made from the Tibetan side. In other words, he has climbed down so much that there is nowhere else to go except up. So this has become another stumbling block to any further dialogue.
Most important of all, the Chinese does not talk to any delegation sent by the ‘Kashag government’, meaning the Tibetan government-in-exile. And they do not want to have any foreigner included to any delegation, probably referring to the Dutch lawyer who specialises in the status of Tibet in international law, whom the Tibetan government has named as the legal adviser to a delegation it has already formed. However, the Chinese still do not want to recognise the Tibetan government-in-exile. Throughout their offer, they specifically invite the Dalai Lama himself to talk to someone they designate. Thus they continue to try and project the question of Tibet as a personal quarrel between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership. All they are interested in is asking the Dalai Lama privately, behind the closed doors of a Chinese embassy somewhere, what they can offer to lure the prodigal son back home.
This is against everything the Dalai Lama has stood for al along. To insist on this and to offer such undignified terms for ‘a dialogue’ is a vile and insufferable insult. No further Tibetan move should be made until Peking withdraws these undiplomatic conditions and is prepared to deal with the Dalai Lama only as the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. It will be absolutely fatal for the Tibetans to view this move as something conciliatory. Because it is anything but that.
We have our own Seoul in progress now. At last Peking has officially made its move after the Dalai Lama’s opening gamit in Stragbourg. And a clever move it is too. IT gives the impression of the Chinese are as concerned about the problem of Tibetans as the Dalai Lama is. However, studies carefully, their dark intentions become clearly visible.
Peking says the talks need not be held in the Chinese capital : the venue can be any of the Chinese embassies. It is well known that any accredited embassy is a sovereign territory of the country it represents. So there is no practical difference between this ‘concession’ and the earlier invitations to hold the talks in Peking.
The Strasbourg proposal as the basis for talks is not acceptable to China as it demands ‘a disguised form of independence.’ When the Dalai Lama announced the proposal in June, he fully anticipated strong opposition from many sections of the Tibetan community,; and he was proved right. However, he has assured his people that Stragbourge was the bottom line; no further compromise can be made from the Tibetan side. In other words, he has climbed down so much that there is nowhere else to go except up. So this has become another stumbling block to any further dialogue.
Most important of all, the Chinese does not talk to any delegation sent by the ‘Kashag government’, meaning the Tibetan government-in-exile. And they do not want to have any foreigner included to any delegation, probably referring to the Dutch lawyer who specialises in the status of Tibet in international law, whom the Tibetan government has named as the legal adviser to a delegation it has already formed. However, the Chinese still do not want to recognise the Tibetan government-in-exile. Throughout their offer, they specifically invite the Dalai Lama himself to talk to someone they designate. Thus they continue to try and project the question of Tibet as a personal quarrel between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership. All they are interested in is asking the Dalai Lama privately, behind the closed doors of a Chinese embassy somewhere, what they can offer to lure the prodigal son back home.
This is against everything the Dalai Lama has stood for al along. To insist on this and to offer such undignified terms for ‘a dialogue’ is a vile and insufferable insult. No further Tibetan move should be made until Peking withdraws these undiplomatic conditions and is prepared to deal with the Dalai Lama only as the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. It will be absolutely fatal for the Tibetans to view this move as something conciliatory. Because it is anything but that.
posted by editorla at
9:25 PM
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