Road to Peking
Of course we now realize that this is none of our business. Despite glaring examples, including personal experiences of bottomless Chinese duplicity, Dharamsala continues to search for some sort of civilized accomodation with them. After a first round of secret dialogue, which has far from improved the situation in Tibet, we are about to witness—or rather, not witness—a second round.
It is interesting that this historic event is to take place shortly after 2 September, a date on which we commemorate our decision of plunging into the soothing waters of democracy. While the masses are busy celebrating this day, their collective wishes, expressed in every possible manner several times over, are being studiously ignored by their leaders. That any kind of clandestine negotiation with Peking can result in nothing good for the Tibetan people is a fact no longer in dispute. Moreover, the secrecy is maintained only because Peking wishes the Tibetans to do so. On the other hand, there are no Tibetan conditions imposed on the Chinese—at least not any we are allowed to know about.
Perhaps our leaders like to imagine that their mental abilities are a cut above that of the average Tibetan and almost on a par with those of the sophisticated mandarins of the Middle Kingdom. In their ecstasy at finding someone on the same intellectual wavelength, they seem to have forgotten that they have a duty towards those they are supposed to be leading—duty which consists of something more than delivering moralizing speeches.
One may be tempted to dismiss them as a bunch of ineffectual but basically harmless people. But the sad fact remains that they are not. As long as their idea of diplomacy is confined to holding secret meetings and attending impressive banquets, and nothing comes out of them, we can more or less safely continue to go about our own less glamorous affairs. However, one of these days if some sort of agreement did materialize out of these antics, then the whole thing will cease to be a laughing matter.
Of course we now realize that this is none of our business. Despite glaring examples, including personal experiences of bottomless Chinese duplicity, Dharamsala continues to search for some sort of civilized accomodation with them. After a first round of secret dialogue, which has far from improved the situation in Tibet, we are about to witness—or rather, not witness—a second round.
It is interesting that this historic event is to take place shortly after 2 September, a date on which we commemorate our decision of plunging into the soothing waters of democracy. While the masses are busy celebrating this day, their collective wishes, expressed in every possible manner several times over, are being studiously ignored by their leaders. That any kind of clandestine negotiation with Peking can result in nothing good for the Tibetan people is a fact no longer in dispute. Moreover, the secrecy is maintained only because Peking wishes the Tibetans to do so. On the other hand, there are no Tibetan conditions imposed on the Chinese—at least not any we are allowed to know about.
Perhaps our leaders like to imagine that their mental abilities are a cut above that of the average Tibetan and almost on a par with those of the sophisticated mandarins of the Middle Kingdom. In their ecstasy at finding someone on the same intellectual wavelength, they seem to have forgotten that they have a duty towards those they are supposed to be leading—duty which consists of something more than delivering moralizing speeches.
One may be tempted to dismiss them as a bunch of ineffectual but basically harmless people. But the sad fact remains that they are not. As long as their idea of diplomacy is confined to holding secret meetings and attending impressive banquets, and nothing comes out of them, we can more or less safely continue to go about our own less glamorous affairs. However, one of these days if some sort of agreement did materialize out of these antics, then the whole thing will cease to be a laughing matter.
posted by editorla at
8:59 PM
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