May 11, 2008
Kong Lingxi: A Chinese Student’s Interview With the Dalai Lama
Lingxi Kong (孔灵犀) is a fourth year student majoring in Greek and Latin at Columbia University. He met with the Dalai Lama on April 24, 2008, and wrote an essay recounting the meeting. The Chinese version has spread widely on the Internet, both inside and outside of China now. The following English text is also written by the author and is published by CDT with his permission:
After the turmoil in early March, China’s media heavily attacked the Dalai Lama as the sponsor of violence in Tibet, setting off a surge of nationalistic reactions among Chinese students and immigrants around the globe. Has the whole world been hoodwinked by the simple monk, or have we built up blind hatred based on distorted information? Either way, as a student supporting the Olympic Games and an individual who is determined to make contributions to the Harmonious Society, I do not wish to see Chinese and Tibetan people hating each other due to lack of necessary communication. With some questions and advice, I came to Colgate University and met with the Dalai Lama in a private house on April 24th, 2008.
In fact, after watching the turmoil in Lhasa on the Internet, some friends and I organized a panel discussion on Tibet in the International Affairs Building at Columbia University, where we included not only Tibetan speakers such as the Dalai Lama’s representative to the United States, the Director of Tibetan Youth Congress in US, but also scholars such as the Director of Modern Tibetan Studies at Columbia, as well as a political analyst representing the views of the Chinese government. It has been our firm belief that the best way to resolve bias and misunderstanding is through free exchange of ideas among people with different perspectives from all walks of life. The discussion lasted for three hours, with around one hundred and eighty attendees, including some of my friends and classmates, who, even at that time, had expressed their wish to hear the Dalai Lama’s positions towards the Olympic Games, Tibet’s future and the Youth Congress.
So on April 22nd, I zigzagged through the highway system without satellite signals, and managed to arrive at the very beautiful upstate institute, Colgate University, where His Holiness was giving a lecture on “happiness.” Five thousand eager faces crowded in the lecture hall where a fresh energy was surging through the air. Sitting in the ballroom between two large screens, he spoke slowly in a sincere manner. Despite making some occasional grammar mistakes, he was clearly a man of swift intelligence and great personal charisma. During the two-hour lecture, the main theme was always about compassion, pity, tolerance, understanding and forgiveness. After the event, when the audience was slowly dissolving into the beautiful campus with contented smiles, I saw twenty Chinese students waving national flags outside the lecture hall and shouting “We’re one family, don’t break it!” Due to a sore throat, I couldn’t engage in more communication with my fellow students, but I thought when seeing the Dalai Lama I would ask some serious questions that we all care about.
On the 24th, in Colgate Inn, a beautiful hotel with classic renaissance style decorations, after meeting several Buddhist students, the Dalai Lama was going to hold a news conference with Chinese media, including the Xinhua News Agency. He shook hands with each journalist as he walked into the small conference room, where some fifteen journalists representing ten media groups had set up their equipment behind the chairs. A female journalist not knowing the proper etiquette put a hada over his neck. Throughout the press conference, he explained his commitment to non-violence, his support to the ‘greater unity’ between Han Chinese and Tibetans, his promise of not-seeking-independence and his support for the Games, which he wishes to attend.
Finally at noon, we were led to the front yard of a two-floored house where a security check was operated in a friendly manner by some officers who, after asking where I am studying, were a little surprised by being boldly asked back where they are working. They were not those legendary CIA agents, but working for the State Department. At the door, the Dalai Lama and a Tibetan monk along with some staff from the delegation greeted us. Following Tibetan custom, I shook hands with His Holiness and offered him a hada which represents purity; he pronounced “huan ying (welcome)” in Chinese, inviting me to sit down on the sofa. I mentioned that the feverish emotions displayed by people discussing the Tibet issue are perhaps due to the limited information received and the lack of real heart-to-heart communication between Chinese and Tibetans, especially the younger generations. I was hoping to hear his opinions.
The Dalai Lama felt that this is a serious moment as both sides are too emotional, and explained the Tibetan sentiments from a historical perspective. Before Yuan Dynasty, Tibet remained relatively independent, not being part of any central administration. Even since Yuan Dynasty, from Tibetan point of view, the relationship between the emperors of China and Tibet is not like that between a subject and a ruler, but like the relationship between a priest and a patron. Tibet was an independent nation before the Liberation Army entered Tibet. Before 1949, taxes were not collected in Tibetan areas. Occasionally, some Chinese came like warlords and collected money, and created some trouble, burning down some monasteries, but the essential Tibetan life remained the same; there was no control or restrictions. After 1949, since the Liberation Army came representing the new government, of course very powerful and organized, Tibetan life in every field had some kind of interference or control. So in 1956, the reform started in the common area, which was good and necessary, but the manner of the reform, mainly class struggle, carrying the same manner as in the mainland, and was simply unfit for Tibet. Unlike that in mainland China, the relationship between landlord and peasants was generally like that between parents and children, with landlords often showing great compassion and care. During the reform, landlords were thrown into prisons, and in some cases serfs beat the landlords. In other cases serfs remained silent and kept crying. Then resentment came, and uprising started, from Tibet to Xikang in 1956 and 57, and then spread to the whole area in 1957 and 58. Numerous Tibetans were killed. A notebook that the Tibetans obtained from a Chinese military officer says that from March 1959 to September 1960, eighty-seven thousand Tibetans lost their lives in Lhasa. Several thousand Chinese soldiers were also killed. The whole event was “very very sad”.
In 1954 the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama both as representatives of the National People’s Congress went to Beijing and other cities from central Tibet. He displayed a moving voice when he remembered the scenes: “Chairman Mao was a great person, talking slowly with me, and very dignified, each word, occasionally some coughing, is really wonderful. I was so much impressed. During that period I also had opportunities to visit some heavy industries—since childhood, I had a keen interest in mechanical things, so I was interested in visiting big factories. At local places, party secretaries, vice secretaries, provincial governors and majors dined with us, drinking Maotai (the most famous Chinese liquor), though I couldn’t drink. I met all levels of officials and party members, many of which participated in the Long March. At that time, I was very interested in Marxism, so when I was in Beijing, I told communist party officials that I want to join the communist party. They told me to ‘wait a little bit’. In the summer of 1955, I left Beijing for Lhasa, and met Commander Zhang Guohua en route, a very nice person, Comrade Zhang Guohua, who was traveling from Lhasa to Beijing. I told him, ‘last year when I was traveling from Lhasa to Beijing, my heart was full of doubt and anxiety, but traveling on the same road back to Tibet now, I am full of confidence and hope.’
“At that time, not only I myself wanted to join the Communist Party, there were also several hundred Tibetans who already joined the Communist Party during the 30s and 40s. I knew a Tibetan Communist from my hometown, who had some injuries on the nose, who proudly stated to us that it was due to a Japanese bullet, because he participated in the Sino-Japanese war; he was a member of the Communist guerilla force. I was not a communist but almost like an alternate member. Now those Chinese, unlike previous Chinese, are revolutionary-minded, very caring about brotherhood, socialism and equality. The nationalists and the Manchurians always made differences between minorities. But these Tibetan communists really felt proud of being communists and part of People’s Republic of China. Chairman Mao made the Seventeen Points, in which one point mentioned Military and Political Committee. We were very afraid seeing the word ‘military’, but when we saw the frame of autonomy, everyone was very happy. Then in the year of 1956, Autonomic Region Preparation Committee was founded. Foreign Minister and Martial Chen Yi, who addressed up as a Martial in a big ceremony, actually, it was he who emphasized the importance of establishing a unified autonomous region. So what we refer to as “all Tibetan area”, which includes the whole Tibet, part of Sichuan,Qinghai, Gansu and Xikang, was first promised by Chen Yi.”
Telling from the Dalai Lama’s feelings and sentiments, he showed true sincerity in reminiscing about those veteran revolutionaries of the Communist Party, and cherished very much the relationship with the central government. I think without the Dalai Lama’s influence and advocacy for non-violence, it would not have been possible for people living in the area, where the Dalai Lama is being worshiped as the Living Buddha, to live without long-term, large-scale violence and bloodshed. On the other hand, if the Chinese government could heed the reasons and sentiments behind the long-standing resentment of the Tibetan people, so as to deal with Tibetan affairs with greater flexibility, then “Tibetan loyalty to Han Chinese will naturally come.”
While I was having a moment’s reflection, his staff reminded us that His Holiness had to go to the airport soon. So I hurried to proceed to the next part, which was the main purpose of my trip: seeking the creation of multiple communicative channels for exchange of views between Chinese and Tibetan people, which is of crucial importance for “minzu da tuanjie” (Great Unity of Ethnic Groups). I proposed to initiate an open-letter exchange between Chinese and Tibetan students, to be posted on a website with translations in both English and Chinese, so that both peoples (and the whole world) can explore each other’s feelings and sentiments. Television debate(s) may also be held between overseas Chinese and Tibetan students on an American television channel. He enthusiastically endorsed those proposals, adding that in times of crisis, instead of being antagonistic or hating each other, people may discuss and explore what is really happening. I also mentioned that a very good friend of mine, who is a computer scientist, volunteered to make documentary films on the life of Tibetan settlements in India. He was very happy to hear about it and asked his delegation to give full support. His Holiness also accepted the advice that whenever he visits a place abroad, he should meet local Chinese students and immigrants, promote the exchange of views and clear up misunderstandings, and accumulate grassroots support from Han Chinese.
Even in terms of the “Greater Tibetan Area”, he showed much room for further discussion. I advised him to return Tibet at any price, for the creation of two Dalai Lamas would not only bring too much controversy, but violence would also ensue, as his non-violence influence would fade and a Lamaist church outside Tibet would be accused of being out-of-touch. So a high degree of flexibility should be maintained, if not to abandon entirely the idea of “Greater Tibetan Area”. He responded that he welcomes any discussion regarding the issue, but the Tibetan people living in other areas have put all their hope, support and trust in him. Also in regard to language and culture, people living in Tibet and other areas are inseparable. What he hopes is that Tibetan people themselves make decisions on internal affairs, that the main posts in local Tibetan government should consist of Tibetans who know the language and culture, so positive outcomes may be ensured for protection of their religion, environment and the unique cultural identity. As for himself, he will not assume any position and will go into complete retirement, handing over all his authority to the local government after returning to Tibet. I think since the Chinese government successfully solved the Hong Kong and Macao issues with great political wisdom, ensuring their continued political stability and economic prosperity, would these also provide any experience or insights towards China’s Tibet policies? Under the Dalai Lama’s repeated promise of not seeking independence, the possibility of “Tibet governed by Tibetans” should enjoy plenty of room for consideration. Even if some details were disputed and hard to settle immediately, any constructive discussions and meaningful communications between China and His Holiness would be extremely worthwhile.
Due to time-constraints, I asked only five questions out of the nine ones that I prepared:
1. Do you seek independence? Why? He emphatically answered: “No! For our own interests. Economically, a strong China provides much benefit to six million Tibetans who may live much better and much happier joining China for another thousand years.”
2. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a press conference on April 8: “The Dalai Lama is the head representative of the serf system, which integrated religion with politics in old Tibet. The ‘middle way’ approach that the Dalai Lama is pursuing is aimed at restoring his own ‘paradise in the past’, which will throw millions of liberated serfs back into a dark cage.” So do you seek theocratic serfdom? He answered, smiling: “I think since many years, as everybody knows, that we never aim to restore the old system, and even the Dalai Lama institution, as early as 69, I made clear that this institution should continue or not is up to people.”
3. Chinese media portrays the Tibetan Youth Congress as a terrorist organization that supports violence, and also accuses Your Holiness and the Tibetan Youth Congress of operating on two sides together to split China. How would you explain this situation, and what’s your relationship with the Tibetan Youth Congress? “At the beginning, we thought the Youth Congress was very important, just like any youth organization in a community—youth is the basis of the future. But around 1974, we made up our mind that we will return to China, so independence is out of the question. Therefore, we must find a middle-way, not the present situation, nor independence or separation. But gradually, the Youth Congress becomes very critical towards our position of not seeking independence and separation. So right from the beginning (of course they are Tibetans and Buddhists who often come to see me), I made it clear that your stance is very different from ours. I also often criticize them because they’re not realistic.”
4. When you pass away and the new Dalai Lama is still young, based on what you know, who would most likely assume your position of advocating the ‘middle-way’ appeals? Also, do you think that Tibetan people will accept the China appointed Panchen Lama? “Hopefully, I think I may not be dealing with the question of my reincarnation. As for the two Panchen Lamas, I think the official one Tibetans generally are not very faithful to, so it’s for our mutual interest to avoid such controversies.”
5. China has made many investments in Tibet in the last fifty years. In your opinion, from now on, in Tibet, what are the most important things that China and international groups should devote their financial resources to? “The local people should get some benefit. That’s very important, and some portion must be shared for the constructions of the local condition: hospitals, schools and some economic projects. That’s I think really important.”
After the meeting, he sincerely stated while holding an Olympic T-shirt: “I feel very happy holding this, because right from the beginning I already support that the famous Olympic Games should take place in the ancient, most populated nation, that is the People’s Republic of China.”
And wrote down the following message in Tibetan:
With an ancient civilization and the greatest population,
I pray that China achieves development and is able to provide
great contribution towards the welfare of the international community.
From the Shakya monk
the Dalai Lama
April 24th 2008
When I returned to school, my Tibetan professor told me that for “China” His Holiness uses the Chinese word “Zhong guo”, the People’s Republic of China, NOT the Tibetan word Gyanag, which means traditional China without Tibet.
The meeting lasted for roughly 75 minutes, and I was deeply impressed by his sincerity and hospitality. His advocacy for non-violence, support for the Games and promise of non-independence are all consistent with what he has said and done in the West. As an ordinary overseas Chinese student, I think not only the future of Tibet requires formal discussions between Chinese government and His Holiness, but to abandon hatred and to promote harmony between Chinese and Tibetans also require continuous dialogue and communication between the two peoples, and this is the main purpose of my trip.
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/05/chinese-student-interviewing-the-dalai-lama/
Posted by google at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2008
Some comments on Ms. Wang Qianyuan
Hereby we have to question the direction to which the voice should be
heard. We're very fortunate, so is Ms. Wang, to hear different voices
in terms of interpreting double standards. Many friends, again, fall
into the direction of pushing themselves confused the Chinese
government with Chinese citizens ( or in general, Chinese people).
Seriously, it's not my position to judge well-financed, organized
protests representing various single-issue groups that normally do not
even talk with each other or work together. We're not even foreign to
"Free Tibet movement",
Darfur issues, global warming ( or cheap labor) , Burma's
dictatorship, jobless situation in the U.S., the Falun Gong and Taiwan
independence activists, etc. (the weirdest is Manchurians independence
movement), when we're in China, learning mess of information dispersed
all over the Internet. Ms. Wang, unfortunately, moves for a direction
being tortured by unestablished guidelines.
Why the media, as usual, continues pouring fuel onto this unrests? Why
NYT had different sections of opinions published? Why nobody dislikes
same problems in U.S. in terms of invasion of Iraq (or so called Iraq
War), unlawful detention
and mail censorship as endorsed for national security? Do they accept
all those unfairness or intentionally ignore them?
I feel very upset that most Americans or Europeans, even those
educated ones, are not informative of international issues especially
to China, which, finally turn into ignorance, instill fear,racial
hostility, or worse, hatred toward China or Chinese people.
I had confirmed a thought with a few US attorneys, ethnically
speaking, a quarter-native American, AS- American, "Taiwanese
American", and Filipino American, that they treat (believe) China as a
(potential) post-Cold War opponent to U.S. (let alone the lagged
European economy). They have fears on a united China when they think
about this fragmented world or ethnic disparities all around --
thinking about the size of China's population, economy scale and
military capacities. They have
fears (concerns) on China's reaching out to Middle-East, the Africa,
the S. America and most seriously, the reality that more and more "new
Chinese" immigrate to U.S. and Europe. Seriously, I was shocked by
such candid and bold confirmation as hopefully, we, our friends or
colleagues will become the leaders of or dominant powers on this planet
in 20 years. This voice should be heard, as well as Ms. Wang's words
as a "moderator."
True believers of democracy would view Olympics as an opportunity to
attract more and more different voices to China and more visitors to China to
learn about what is going on with this largest emerging economy and
giant country, and ferment the sense of change or nurture freedom of
all kinds with various groups IN China. I have not seen, ever never,
any event like Olympics could make Chinese that dedicated and
collectively mobilized (as we have not had hard experience on Cultural
Revolution).
U.S. and China, like many countries in the world, is flawless. U.S.
still has problems on handling treatment to minorities such as Native
Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, Chinese-Americans and others as
committed in the Constitution. China has yet to learn how to equally
take care of its minorities -- such as Tibetans, Uighurs, Muslims,
Hmongs -- as equal to Han Chinese.
I am against any anti-free-speech and anti-legitimate-protests against
biase including mistakes central Chinese government has suffered.
However, I am more opposed to taking the Olympics to demonize China
and, mostly, its people by using disruptive, confrontational, and
violent tactics. Stop insulting and blackmailing (fist in air?:))))
Neither of us likes the set-backs of openness and development of
China, where our beloved families, relatives and friends are happily
residing. Wang made a mistake, which however, is curable and
tolerable.
Posted by google at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)
March 31, 2008
Comments on the current crisis
by ShuJen from Ann Arbor Buddhist Society
One friend of mine provides the following feedback.
"In that case, please tell him that I thought his analysis on the current situation for both Dalai Lama side and for Central government side is excellent. That is the exactly the problem for both side.
Other reason that Chinese Central government does not want an independent Tibet is that it will eventually lead the independent of the following regions: Xin Jiang, Inner Mongolian, Portion of the Northeast China that ethnic Korean are majority. I do not think
communist Central government want to be the one that history book will say as the government lost vast territory. Another thing is that
currently the central government is not very strong one (although over all, the status of China is going up in the eyes of the world), each individual province has a lot of more power on their local decision
making. That is has been the problem for the last couple of thousand years for the emperors. It is still the problem for Hu Jing Tao. One can say, he has about at least 10 times more headaches than Ma Yinjue
will every have. So Any sign of weaker central government will make each individual province want more power. There may not be a civil war, but there will be more gap between rich and poor and the over all
society will be much less stable.
Actually, Tibet was not the only ethnic minority in Asia to have slaves. There are other ethnic minority in Southwest portion of China also have slavery systems. One of the famous one is Long Yun's family.
He is YI minority. He was the actual ruler of Yunnan before communist took power (he gave out his army and power to Communist before the communist really got to Kunming and in exchange he got a leader
position in name only in central government and was almost not allow to return to Yunnan after 1949). His relatives were the slave owners back in their home town. (First comment: It is very informative. One
can tell the author has a good understanding on the issues and he/she is some one really thinking a lot from both side of this debate.
However as far as he claim there is no slavery in Tibet, I do not think that is not true. I read a book about Tibet after I come to US by the child of the slave owner. He is in some European country. His
intention is to tell how bad the communist treat his family. He did not shy from mentioned the situation of his family before and after communist came. He said the people who owned by his family actually
took over the place where his family lives and push his family out to live in the slave corners after Da Lai Lama left Tibet. I can not remember the name of the book. I read it back around late 1980. Anyway, there is no right or wrong for a lot of things. We just need all have to try to understand and respect other peoples both on their believe and on their life style.)
Posted by google at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2008
Comments on Tibetian Buddhism, Media censorship and Nationalism
By Shu-li Huang from Ann Arbor Buddhist Society
I thought I would not join this conversation. Inevitably, I broke my silence by sending out this email. Two questions are up front:
(1) Does anyone believe there is an ethic political regime in the world?
(2) Can anyone approve any violence toward a group of people?
If not, let's stop arguing whether the Chinese government is making an inevitable decision or not. The point is that "people are dying in Tibet and there is no reason to legitimate this kind of violence." I don't feel sorry for the Chinese or the Tibetan. I rather give my blessing to those people who are suffering. (ps. No one is suffering because he or she is a Chinese or a Tibetan. Everyone is suffering because humanity is in crisis.) What I learn from Buddhist teaching is: There is no "good killer" in the world. People all have to pay back, if not in this life, in the near future.
What happened in Tibet is nothing about Buddhism but everything about nationalism. We have a conflict between Tibetan nationalism and Chinese nationalism, Tibetan regime and Chinese regime. Ironically, both sides are making nationalist claims to legitimate the violence. Do we really need any kind of nationalism in the world?
I am not interested in accusing China or pitying Tibet. Viewing this event as a political outrage, rather I am interested in Hu Jintao and Wu Jiabao's next move. I believe that their political career is in crisis. I can only pray that they will respect Tibetan as human beings and will always put humanity in their minds.
Few words on Media control: partial truth is never the same as truth. More reports do not equal to more facts.
More words on Cultural destruction: No culture can be destructed. Culture is here and now. Both Tibetan and Han have equal right to access any part of the world. As long as mutual respect is grounded, they are jointly inventing Tibetan culture for our contemporary and our world. I believe that the Tibetan people will welcome Mengfu as well as Yang Zhi equally.
It is true that there is a dis-consent between Dalai Lama's choosing and the government's favor. However, I doubt that the majority of Tibetan would ever dare to judge who is the real Panchen Lama. Not because they are afraid of Chinese government, but because they understand that they are not wise enough to realize the ultimate "truth", to judge their spiritual leader. The Tibetan never reach the consent on who is the real reincarnation figure of 大寶法王. For me, BBC's report is also distorted. In media, pro-China and anti-China are both distorted.
Don't give me wrong, I do not claim that China should not be accused for its media censorship policy. In contrary, I think China's political leaders are very unwise to keep an out-of-date media censorship policy. This only shows their leadership is out of date. The problem of Chinese leadership is that: They have been used to lie to themselves as if there are only Chinese people in the world. Nowadays, they are forced to confront others. Unfortunately, they choose to keep "non-Chinese" out of their own game and waste out "those non-Chinese" who have been part of this game. Their inability to talk to the world in turn put their leadership in crisis.
Posted by google at 10:33 PM | Comments (0)
My comments on Tibetan Crisis
Tibetan Crisis: Historical Context and Current Reality
by Hanlin Wang from Ann Arbor Buddhist Society
I have been sadly observing the current Tibetan crisis and the debates between people from China (China Camp) and people not from mainland of China (Western Camp, just for the sake of naming). The astonishing support of Chinese people from around the world to the government crackdown caught many westerners off guard. From one perspective, the debates offer good opportunity for both camps to better understand Tibetan issue. However, without knowing the broader historical context and the current reality, these debates cannot go very far. I came from China. Emotionally, I am with the China Camp. In the meantime, I am also a Buddhist and have great respect to Tibetan Buddhism and the DaLai Lama. Therefore, my comments just focus on context and reality. I will not touch moral or ethical issues and certainly I hope people don’t judge my comments morally or ethically either.
China Camp’s Nationalism:
I am with the China Camp that I do not support Tibetan independence. Tibetan independence will destroy China’s dream of becoming a strong nation. As a Chinese, I share the same dream with so many Chinese that one day, China will be a strong nation. Now, after so many generations, the dream is within reach (at least it seems to be). At this historical moment, any independent movement is the nightmare no Chinese want to dream. Look at former Soviet Union, the destruction of this world superpower is partially caused by the separation of many of its republicans. This has the rippling effect around the world. If Soviet Union still existed, the NATO wouldn't dare to conduct 70 days barbaric bombing to Serbia back in 1998. If Soviet Union still existed, US wouldn't dare to invade Iraq that by far has caused enormous humanitarian disaster in the country. So, a balanced world power distribution is beneficial to world peace. I believe the nationalism and patriotism are the driving forces behind the China Camp for strong support of government crackdown. It is the strength of this driving force that caught many westerners off guard.
Historical Context
Then, how about Tibet and its people? What is the driving force behind these endless unrests? Is DaLai Lama the master mind? China Camp people have very limited knowledge. I grew up in a society that we were told Tibet was an uncivilized, slavery society before being liberated by Communist army. Unfortunately, many Chinese (in China and aboard) are still holding this view! Therefore, it is very important for China Camp to look at the current crisis from broader historical context.
Before 1949
Tibet was an independent state, but not an internationally recognized country . We can say it has always been part of China. But Nationalist party did not have the capability to reach Tibet (they were so busy fighting with the Communists). That was the reality back then.
Tibet was also a Buddhist state, an unique Buddhist state that religion and politics are united. The spiritual leaders were also the political leaders. Ordinary people treated these leaders almost like god out of the religious faith. Of course, these leaders lived very luxury life and ordinary people were poor, but the state was more or less governed by Buddhism principles. People lived peacefully. The so called brutal slavery accusation was entirely fabricated by the communist government back then! If you don’t believe this, look at the story of Liu Wen Chai (劉文彩), the big landlord in SiChuan province. After his execution, the government fabricated an impressive story accusing him of routinely torturing his farmers in the secret water jail. There was a huge museum displaying his “crimes” in his home town. However, the truth came out by 1990s that this was more or less fabricated!
1949-1959
After communist took over China and consolidated its power, due to its vast region and strategic location (bordering India and on the highest land on earth), Tibet became a natural target for Chinese government. The occupation was peaceful and Tibet was an autonomy governed by joined government. However, tinted with communist ideology, most party officials did not like what they saw in Tibet that ordinary people worshiped their leaders like “slave to master”. Therefore, many changes were made to Tibet against their wills. I don’t know what exactly happened in Tibet during that period. However, any people familiar with China’s modern history can recall what happened during that 10 years period in the rest of China (punishing landlords, land ownership reform, great leaps, against rightist, etc). It is easy to imagine that these endless activities “naturally” spilled over to Tibet. For people in the rest of China, they had to endure the suffering. However, for Tibetans, they viewed these activities as something imposed on them! In addition, these activities were coincided with other things such as the steady influx of Han people into Tibet (in the name of helping Tibetan people) and the severe food shortage( as also occurred in the rest of China starting 1959). Therefore, overtime, Tibetans began to resist China’s governing and eventually, turned into armed uprising. The people from China Camp all know about the uprising, but very few know what were the true causes of the uprising. There is a book, [雪域境外流亡記], by約翰. F.艾夫唐 that detailed this uprising. The book was secretly used by the government as the “internal reference” regarding Tibetan affairs.
1959-1976
After the uprising was brutally suppressed and Da Lai Lama’s escape, Tibet, along with the rest of China, walked into the darkest age in China modern history. Relentless fighting, systematic destruction of all religions, severe brain wash movements were all the routine for ordinary Chinese people . There is no reason to assume that Tibet, as part of China, could have spared from this disaster. In fact, Tibetan Buddhism and its way of life had been severely destroyed. The destruction reached its peak during culture revolution. I saw many photos showing the completely destroyed temples! Many monks/nuns were forced out of the monasteries, some were in jails. During culture revolution, there was no concept of human right!
1976-2000
After culture revolution, Tibet, along with the rest of China, enjoyed more religion freedom. However, the issue remained. Before 1976, Tibetan suffering was caused by communist ideology and social movement. After 1976, the issue was caused by the failed policy! It is true that Chinese government poured billions of dollars to Tibet for economical development and religion infrastructure restoration. Many damaged temples were either re-built or restored and regular religion ceremonies were allowed. However, Tibet remained extremely poor compared with the rest of China. In May 1980, the government decided to send a high-level fact-finding delegation to Tibet. The delegation was headed by Hu Yaobang, then General Secretary of the party. Reaching Lhasa, he was shocked to see the level of poverty in Tibet. During a meeting with the Party officials, he asked 'whether all the money Beijing had poured into Tibet over the previous years had been thrown into the Yarlung Tsangpo river'. He said the situation reminded him of colonialism. Hundreds of Chinese officials were transferred back to China. However, the situation did not improve significantly and later, Hu Yaobang lost power. His death in 1989 was the direct trigger to 6/4 democracy movement .
Looking at this broad historical context, for most Chinese, we got out of the dark period and moved on. However, for Tibetans, they viewed these sufferings as imposed on them caused by occupation. This is a very important point that China Camp people don’t understand.
Current Situation
There is a new dimension to Tibetan issues during recent years: the economical development and the huge influx of migrants from inland China to Tibet. With Chinese economy on a very fast pace and the huge tourist market in Tibet, many Han people moved to Tibet to make a living. In some parts of Tibet, the Han population is higher than Tibetan population. On their own land, Tibetan people are experiencing the risk of being the minority. In term of doing business, the honest, “uncivilized” Tibetans are no match to the “smart” Han businessmen. Therefore, many business opportunities fall into Han people’s hands and Tibetan people are still poor. This polarization (rich-poor imbalance) is very common in every part of China. This new influx of Han people was not initiated by the government, but driven by the economical force. In any given day, half of Beijing’s population is migrants. But in Tibet, these changes triggered by economical development take a new meaning: the ethnical division. The recent violence against Han business owners is partially caused by this hatred, similar to the violence against Chinese in Indonesia. It is true that no violence can be justified. But it is important to understand the underlying problem.
The rapid commercialization in Tibet causes another disturbance to Tibetan traditional life and religion practice. Many Buddhist temples quickly become tourist attractions and gradually lose their religion significance. Quite often we see news on Chinese media that some temples are connected with electricity and TVs are everywhere in the temples. Monks/nuns are enjoying TVs and other type of entertainments. Young monks/nuns are riding motorcycles with cell phones on hand. Of course, this is happening everywhere in China, but in Tibet, it has totally different significance. The purpose of these media news is to showcase the economical development, but it actually showed the grave insensitivity (or should say ignorance) to Tibetan’s true religious culture!
There are many evidences indicating that Tibet was continuously governed by leftist policy in term of Buddhism religion freedom. Tinted with wrong ideology and gross ignorance, many party officials in Tibet do not have adequate respect to Tibetan Buddhism. Large scale Buddhism ceremonies require government permission and the process is closely monitored.
In recent years, Tibetan organizations around the world are getting stronger and more organized. Tibetan government in exile, led by the Dalai Lama, successfully raised Tibetan issue onto world stage. Emboldened by the independent movement in other part of the world, Tibetans in exile are hopping that one day, they too can succeed in independence, or complete autonomy. Coupled with the strong resentment inside Tibet, this independent movement forms a strong undercurrent that can erupt whenever there is an opportunity (like Beijing’s Olympic game).
In summary, the wrong ideology, failed policy, rapid social and economical transformation inside China are powerful forces that like a giant wheel rolling across Tibet and destroying everything on its way. It is impossible for Tibet to return to pro-1949’s life style and social structure. Even though Tibet has been crying for more than 50 years, ordinary Chinese are unable to hear this crying. If I were still in China, I would not understand Tibet at all. Even in US, if I were not a Buddhist, I would still not be able to understand this issue. Tibet is a Buddhist region (I don’t want to say it is a Buddhist country or state). Most Tibetans are Buddhist. In order to understand Tibetan issue, we need to have at least basic knowledge about Tibetan Buddhism. The Chinese government and many ordinary Chinese don’t have this knowledge, unfortunately.
The Other Side of Reality
Understanding the reality is to find an appropriate solution. In fact, there is another side of reality that western camp doesn’t understand. That is, there is no hope for Tibet to be independent from China as long as the current Chinese government is still in power and China remains to be a stable country. I know these days, there are many people around the world who would like to see the collapse of Chinese government. But with the population of 1.3 billion, such collapse would inevitably cause huge humanitarian crisis. If that happens, the whole world will suffer. For the sake of world wellbeing, let’s all pray that China’s current social and economic transformation is peaceful and orderly!
It is also important to understand that western countries, especially US, have very limited influence these days over China. Currently, there is a very strong anti-US sentiment among ordinary Chinese. It is the mainstream view in China that US is trying to contain China, to prevent China from becoming a strong nation. Human right is just one card US uses for the containment. US’s own behavior in the world does not offer any help at all. In fact, US has lost its moral leadership on these issues.
China’s internal political system lacks the necessary flexibility to deal with the issue either. To effectively maintain stability, the central government is unwilling to show any sign of weakness. Lina sent an email showing the possibility for the Dalai Lama to meet Chinese leadership. In my opinion, this is impossible under the current situation because that would create an impression that China is bending to external pressure (I hope I am wrong). The slightly soft tones are just the game the government is playing to silence external critics (for the Olympics!).
Dalai Lama has clearly seen through these barriers. Therefore, he has abandoned the claim of seeking independence. Instead, he is seeking Tibet autonomy under China. However, he may or may not understand that this is also impossible (at least for now). On one hand, Tibetan government in exile is one of the largest government in exile with well organized structure. On the other hand, Dalai Lama is still extremely popular among Tibetans. His own popularity is a barrier for him to return to Tibet. It is easy to imagine that if Dalai Lama (with his exiled government) returns to Tibet, very quickly, Chinese central government’s influence over Tibet will diminish.
Any Hope?
It requires enormous political wisdom from both sides to solve the issue. On the Dalai Lama’s side, it maybe wise for him to start the process of breaking the long tradition of having a unified political and religious system. To show the honesty, downgrading the exiled government may not be a bad option. But his hands are tight that many elements of his exiled government do not like his current moderate (non-violence) approach dealing with China. On the China side, any real changes have to come from within China. We hoped that the current social/economical transformation will allow the emergence of more moderate government that is more flexible dealing with Tibetan issues. For Tibetan people, their best hope is to let the general Chinese population to understand their causes. But the time maybe running out. H.H. Dalai Lama is 72 years old. After his inevitable passing away, there will be more violent uprising and more brutal suppression. If this occurs, Tibetan culture and its religion are on a faster pace to extinction. Are we witnessing the replay of a history showing one culture/ethnic group was gradually assimilated by a more powerful ethnic group? I don’t know.
Posted by google at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)