Sleeping with the Enemy
Some months ago when the Dalai Lama announced that his Strasbourg proposal, accepting ‘genuine autonomy’ as opposed to full independence for Tibet, is no longer valid, many Tibetans and their supporter heaved a sigh of relief. Their belief is that no such a thing as ‘genuine autonomy’ is possible within China—if you under it you are fully under it; and you are out of it only when you are fully out of it. This collective sigh of relief was soon transformed into boundless optimism when he told his follower both in India and in other countries that the Tibetan independence may be restored within five to ten years.
So what is one to make of the interview that Gyalo Thondup, chairman of the Tibetan council of Ministers, have to a Japanese newspaper almost around the same them? “We are willing to remain in and work with China,” he told the paper. The minister further indicated that he has reassured by the Chinese leadership’s statement that except for independence, everything can be discussed.” This sounds like going back to Strasbourg but, in fact it is even worse. At least the Strabourg proposal had demanded a form of self government for Tibet with only the political wing of the external affairs being handled by China. The minister’s statement is a far cry from it. If he is quoted correctly, it means Tibetans are willing live full-fledged Chinese citizen as long as they are treated like any other Chinese.
Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing the Chinse themselves have been saying all along? The Peking leadership has ever stoped singing paeans about the brotherhood and amity between the ‘Hans’ and ‘other national minorities’ of China. Despite the fully documented recent demonstrations and their violent suppressions, China maintains there is no problem in Tibet and sometimes even reverts to long-discarded claims of people thanking Communist Party of China for liberating them from serf-owning Dalai bandit. No, they say, the only problems that appear from time to time are created by agents of Dalai Lama and that the Tibetan masses are opposed to these activities aimed at ‘splitting the motherland.”
One can imagine now the Chinese leaders telling Gyalo Thondup: ‘Right what you want already exists here. So why don’t you bury the hatchet and come back?’ The minister, obviously; disagrees with the Chinese leadership on this point? He believes the Tibetan sin Tibet are being mistreated by the Chinese and judging by his statement that is the only thing that concerns him. If only they stopped the mistreatment of Tibetans, everything will be fine, and we will all return home like so many prodigal sons. Does he believe, like the Chinese leaders, that Tibet has always been an inalienable part of China. Should we cave in just like that? Aren’t we even permitted to question China’s right in being in Tibet in the first place? Do we just forget all the deaths and destruction of the past 40 years.
And all this at a time when we are getting unprecedented support for our cause all over the world! He has not done so yet but let us hope that the minister will sometime deny the statements attributed to him. Or else he has a perfectly good explanation for it all. We look forward to hearing it.
Some months ago when the Dalai Lama announced that his Strasbourg proposal, accepting ‘genuine autonomy’ as opposed to full independence for Tibet, is no longer valid, many Tibetans and their supporter heaved a sigh of relief. Their belief is that no such a thing as ‘genuine autonomy’ is possible within China—if you under it you are fully under it; and you are out of it only when you are fully out of it. This collective sigh of relief was soon transformed into boundless optimism when he told his follower both in India and in other countries that the Tibetan independence may be restored within five to ten years.
So what is one to make of the interview that Gyalo Thondup, chairman of the Tibetan council of Ministers, have to a Japanese newspaper almost around the same them? “We are willing to remain in and work with China,” he told the paper. The minister further indicated that he has reassured by the Chinese leadership’s statement that except for independence, everything can be discussed.” This sounds like going back to Strasbourg but, in fact it is even worse. At least the Strabourg proposal had demanded a form of self government for Tibet with only the political wing of the external affairs being handled by China. The minister’s statement is a far cry from it. If he is quoted correctly, it means Tibetans are willing live full-fledged Chinese citizen as long as they are treated like any other Chinese.
Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing the Chinse themselves have been saying all along? The Peking leadership has ever stoped singing paeans about the brotherhood and amity between the ‘Hans’ and ‘other national minorities’ of China. Despite the fully documented recent demonstrations and their violent suppressions, China maintains there is no problem in Tibet and sometimes even reverts to long-discarded claims of people thanking Communist Party of China for liberating them from serf-owning Dalai bandit. No, they say, the only problems that appear from time to time are created by agents of Dalai Lama and that the Tibetan masses are opposed to these activities aimed at ‘splitting the motherland.”
One can imagine now the Chinese leaders telling Gyalo Thondup: ‘Right what you want already exists here. So why don’t you bury the hatchet and come back?’ The minister, obviously; disagrees with the Chinese leadership on this point? He believes the Tibetan sin Tibet are being mistreated by the Chinese and judging by his statement that is the only thing that concerns him. If only they stopped the mistreatment of Tibetans, everything will be fine, and we will all return home like so many prodigal sons. Does he believe, like the Chinese leaders, that Tibet has always been an inalienable part of China. Should we cave in just like that? Aren’t we even permitted to question China’s right in being in Tibet in the first place? Do we just forget all the deaths and destruction of the past 40 years.
And all this at a time when we are getting unprecedented support for our cause all over the world! He has not done so yet but let us hope that the minister will sometime deny the statements attributed to him. Or else he has a perfectly good explanation for it all. We look forward to hearing it.
posted by editorla at
9:04 PM
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