Double Entendre in Delegation Diplomacy
The off-again on-again visit to Tibet by the fifth fact-finding delegation from Dharamsala may be on again again. But then, by the time this goes to press, it may be off again. Such is the way of the way of the world—the Chinese world, that is.
Peking has decided that only the Dalai Lama’s relatives can visit Tibet as Tibetans; others must travel as “overseas Chinese.” This is an important departure from previous practice of allowing all members of official delegations to visit Tibet without having to carry any Chinese papers. The Tibetan government, naturally, is not submitting to this change of rule mid-way through the game, and that is why the fifth delegation is in a limbo.
It would be a serious mistake to view the imposition of this double-standard as an irrational and childish behaviour. With their interest firmly in mind, the Chinese are being very rational and clever. The Tibetan government cannot get around this obstacle by, for instance, selecting people who were in previous delegations. Two members of the present delegation, Lobsang Thargay and Alak Jigme Rinpoche, were in previous delegation; and the Chinese are not exempting them from the new rule.
The fact of the matter is that the Chinese do not want any more delegations visiting Tibet because none of them so far had anything good to say about conditions there. But if future delegations are composed entirely of the Dalai Lama’s relatives, that would be a different matter altogether. The Chinese would then gain an almost fool-proof evidence to support what they have been claiming, and the Dalai Lama has been refuting, all along: that the Tibet issue is solely the issue of whether the Dalai Lama would be allowed to return. Their claim that the delegations are there to negotiate this “family matter” would then sound more plausible.
It is vitally important therefore for the Tibetan government to avoid this political trap and continue to press for all or nothing.
The off-again on-again visit to Tibet by the fifth fact-finding delegation from Dharamsala may be on again again. But then, by the time this goes to press, it may be off again. Such is the way of the way of the world—the Chinese world, that is.
Peking has decided that only the Dalai Lama’s relatives can visit Tibet as Tibetans; others must travel as “overseas Chinese.” This is an important departure from previous practice of allowing all members of official delegations to visit Tibet without having to carry any Chinese papers. The Tibetan government, naturally, is not submitting to this change of rule mid-way through the game, and that is why the fifth delegation is in a limbo.
It would be a serious mistake to view the imposition of this double-standard as an irrational and childish behaviour. With their interest firmly in mind, the Chinese are being very rational and clever. The Tibetan government cannot get around this obstacle by, for instance, selecting people who were in previous delegations. Two members of the present delegation, Lobsang Thargay and Alak Jigme Rinpoche, were in previous delegation; and the Chinese are not exempting them from the new rule.
The fact of the matter is that the Chinese do not want any more delegations visiting Tibet because none of them so far had anything good to say about conditions there. But if future delegations are composed entirely of the Dalai Lama’s relatives, that would be a different matter altogether. The Chinese would then gain an almost fool-proof evidence to support what they have been claiming, and the Dalai Lama has been refuting, all along: that the Tibet issue is solely the issue of whether the Dalai Lama would be allowed to return. Their claim that the delegations are there to negotiate this “family matter” would then sound more plausible.
It is vitally important therefore for the Tibetan government to avoid this political trap and continue to press for all or nothing.
posted by editorla at
9:08 PM
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