Protests erupted in Eastern Tibet today in Machu, Luchu and Aba in what China calls Sichuan province but is actually the Tibetan province of Kham. And yesterday demonstrations were reported in Lithang and Sershul in Kham and at Samye monastery, south of Lhasa. Monks from Kirti monastery in Amdo also took to the streets along with lay-people and at least 6 people are reported dead. Also in Amdo, as of 4pm China time today, more than 500+ students are reported to be holding a sit-down protest at North West University for Nationalities in Lanzhou.
There is a feeling of dread in the air everywhere as news comes out that Lhasa is being locked down. There are thousands of troops in the streets. People are not allowed to leave their homes and there are house-to-house raids with the police dragging away any men who don’t have proper identity papers to be in the city. All the political prisoners are apparently locked up.
Dharamsala was swamped with news crews today here for the Dalai Lama’s press conference. When I woke up this morning there was a huge CNBC satellite newstruck at the end of the lane. By the time I got to the temple for the rally, the streets were lined with Chinese flags for us all to walk over.
Before the press conference the His Holiness gave an exclusive interview to the BBC. When asked if he called for Tibetan protesters to stop, would they stop? His Holiness said:
“I don’t know. I received a warning from Tibet. Don’t ask them to stop…I’m a spokesman for the Tibetan people, not the controller, not the master. It’s a peoples’ movement, so it’s up to them. Whatever they do, of course, I have to act according to their wish…”
And while Jacques Rogge, President sof the IOC, remains the perfect ice king and the furthest thing from a representative of Olympic values, the head of the Swiss Olympic Committee is showing some heart. He expressed concern about the situation in Tibet and told German radio that he wants the IOC to do something about it.
“The Rubicon has been crossed,” Joerg Schild said. “I can’t bring myself to say that we’re going to go there and do sport.”
Dalai Lama told BBC news that “There will be more deaths in Tibet,unless Beijing changed it’s policies towards Tibet”.
Osama Bin Laden threatened US by saying “there will be more deaths, unless Washington changes it’s policies towards Mideast”.
Sounds similar?
Native Americans have sued the US government many times for occupying their native lands. You know what the Supreme Court did? They rejected each and everyone of them. Why don’t the US people give the land back to native Americans?
Please read Johnson v. M’Intosh and Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States for the “intelligent” rulings of US Supreme Court Justices. They are all white people, by the way.
[...] Lhadon writes: Dharamsala was swamped with news crews today here for the Dalai Lama’s press conference. When I woke up this morning there was a huge CNBC satellite newstruck at the end of the lane. By the time I got to the temple for the rally, the streets were lined with Chinese flags for us all to walk over. [...]
Hi Lhadon, thanks a bunch for putting updates. gosh! it’s finals week and i can’t focus!!
Bhod Rangzen.
California
Does anyone know more of what has happened in Litang?
These Tibetans are really riots and killers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6XD5A7-Fqg
Nice how this video begins in the middle of the incident. There’s no telling what led up to it without some eyewitness stories or unedited video. Regardless of whether there was any immediate provocation however, no foreigner living in occupied Tibet without the consent of Tibet’s people is fully innocent. I don’t like to see people harmed like this but compared to what Tibetans have endured under China for 59 years it’s really trivial.
It’s also quite telling that the best China can muster against Tibetans with all it’s physical might and propaganda machine is a few isolated incidents like this among protests which have been overwhemlingly nonviolent. If there were really large-scale violence being committed against Chinese, surely the all-powerful Chinese government would have thousands of videos to show us rather than just one or two. After all, they don’t have to deal with smuggling their videos out past hostile authorities like Tibetans do.
Oh, I just noticed BiasedMedia’s stupid comment too. The Dalai Lama’s statement was about Tibetan deaths, not Chinese deaths, so your analogy really doesn’t make sense.
“I don’t like to see people harmed like this but compared to what Tibetans have endured under China for 59 years it’s really trivial.” You death would be pretty trivial compared to it too. Are you willing to die, Rich?
“no foreigner living in occupied Tibet without the consent of Tibet’s people is fully innocent” OK, how guilty is such a person. Who is to say? You, me, the Tibetan rioters? o
“propaganda machine is a few isolated incidents like this among protests which have been overwhemlingly nonviolent” On the contrary, there are plenty of footages like this which you should be able to find on youtube. They show arsons, looting, damaging privately own properties, beating innocent people, confronting violently with police, etc. What else do you expect to see, Rich? Murders and raping in public? Is this what you really expect the Tibetan monks and ordinary people to do?
” … The Dalai Lama’s statement was about Tibetan deaths, not Chinese deaths, so your analogy really doesn’t make sense. …” I partially agree with you, Rich. But I think His Holiness was talking about both Tibetan, and non-Tibetan people in Tibet. To me, it seems that His Holiness should utilize his authority and prestige to call on its followers to abandon violence. But he didn’t.
peaceful tibetan protesters in belgium,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-Hhv_Ve54
I can say nothing more than “FREE TIBETCAMPAIGN = Terrorism!!!!”.
S. Cai, I respectfully reject your allegation that any action other than physical harm to a human being is violence. Destruction of the Chinese infrastructure and businesses that dominate Tibet’s cities and marginalize Tibetans - which came to exist via hostile population transfer, recognized internationally as an act of genocide - is fully within Tibetans’ rights and is a nonviolent act. Moreover it’s the only way to undo the sinicization of Tibet that has already been done. The Chinese colonizers must go home - this is what Tibetans all over Tibet are telling your people and I hope you listen before the uprising turns into real violence.
Hi, I’m a liberal Chinese university student studying abroad who is interested in understanding what is really happening in Tibet. To all the Tibetan separatists on this website I want to ask, what is it that you people really want? The Chinese government have given you roads, schools, hospitals, affirmative action policies, governmental representation, and built up your region faster than any other government on earth. They have upheld the dignity of the underprivileged, honest populace and removed most if not all of the former bigotry from the religious elite. Today, any Tibetan can walk on any street of the republic free from bigotry, discrimination from the Han majority. They are judged based on their conduct and not on their race. And yet you people are STILL NOT SATISFIED? Because of the affirmative action policies, a Tibetan student will have a far better chance at college than a Han counterpart and face far more favorable govt. policies. And yet you still resort to violence? What do you people want? Do you want the Han to automatically instate your people to the highest positions in society regardless of merit? Is this what you people want?
I have seen some Tibetans talk/write about past and present oppression both from a political and religious perspective. On the issues of the past, the Chinese govt. could very well have oppressed the Tibetan religious community. I am perfectly willing to believe this, since knowing human nature and the violent political and social turmoil during the 40s, 50s, and 60s, I would guess the crude peasant soldiers who liberated that area must have handled the high priests roughly. They were brainwashed with one sided information, the communist indoctrinated rejection of religion, and this must have led to their unjustified and fanatical responses. But understand this happened everywhere in China at the time, not just in Tibet. And the communist party have publicly apologized over its past conducts.
Today, from what I see in Beijing, nobody cares what you believe in as long as you don’t subvert the government or engage in criminal acts that endanger society. The muslim (hui) community is vibrant there and Christian groups are also gaining popularity. The reason that the Han majority aren’t practicing or acknowledging YOUR form of buddhism is because you people never publicized it. It’s not because we hate you, or we hate your religion but rather we don’t quite know you because you never wanted us to know you. From an average Han’s perspective, I see Tibetans as very nice but very lazy people who aren’t competitive in trade and at this point violent with an unjustified, terrorist inclination.
Tian, you’re just like white Americans who can’t seem to understand how blacks here could possibly feel oppressed. After all, we ended slavery, ended segregation, and ended racism, right? And on top of that we gave them affirmative action! Yeah. Whatever. Try listening to people who are sick of being told by someone else that they should be happy with their situation and try understanding the concepts of privilege and power dynamics.
Tibetans are not Chinese. They never wanted to be Chinese. Chinese came in and told Tibetans, “Hey we know what’s best for you!” and have never given up this sick notion that they are Tibet’s saviors. Chinese are almost universally hated in Tibet. This has nothing to do with race or religion and everything to do with nations. Chinese stole everything that belongs to Tibet and now try to buy Tibetans’ happiness with Chinese-style “development”. The revolution taking place now is proof that it won’t work.
DEAR TIAN,
I am Tibetan. Thank you for your willingness to ask what it is that we Tibetans want. Speaking for myself, the only thing I want for my fellow Tibetans is our ability to rule ourselves in dignity.
Whether you call it self-determination (a legal term) or independence (the practical result), I hope you will understand the basic human desire to be free and not to be subjugated by others.
I’m sure many Chinese think Tibetans are ungrateful for what China has done. First, we see the death and destruction especially from 1951 to 1979 as far outweighing any benefits. Second, those material benefits are what CHINA thinks Tibet should have, not what TIBETANS think we should have. Tibetans have no input, and are distressed at how their country is being developed in China’s image.
The key thing that is overlooked in all of this is: economic development is not enough when you are living under foreign occupation. The Japanese government in World War II claimed it was bringing a “co-prosperity sphere” to East Asia. It brought railroads in Manchuria, and agrarian reforms in Taiwan. BUT NO MATTER WHAT A COLONIZER DOES, GOOD OR BAD, THEY ARE STILL A COLONIZER.
This may be hard to read, given what I am sure you have been taught in China. I’m sorry that you government has lied to you, but I am so happy you are trying to find out Tibetans’ point of view. It is really so simple; like people everywhere, we want to be free, to not feel like we’re living under someone else’s boot at the mercy of their whims.
Tibetans are Tibetan, we are not Chinese. It is as simple as that. We believe that Tibet was independent in 1951 when the PLA invaded, and we believe that it has to be independent again. Then hopefully Tibet and China can live in peace.
Thank you for your candid responses. A couple of things I want to point out. First, the west and I guess Tibetans living in the west believe that all Chinese are brainwashed. This is simply ignorance. Most modern Chinese youth know far more about the outside world than you or western youths know about China. Government censorship of media is true, but they censor stuff deemed unhealthy such as Marilyn Manson or dangerous to public safety such as Tibetan independence. Now why do I say it’s dangerous? This is because Chinese society is so volatile right now that any small spark could trigger large protests which will lead to civil war and massive bloodshed. The government is humane in that it cares about its people so that in view of the bigger picture they are resorting to the present violence.
I think something the government must not have factored into their grand strategy is the fact that some Tibetans truly don’t want to be rich. They never anticipated this and I think they are still not sophisticated enough to realize the reason behind this. To them, they can’t understand why some people will rather choose beggarly monk drabs rather than princely robes. But this is changing, recently when I went back I saw a local exhibition of Tibetan buddhism and culture in Beijing that had a large admiring crowd.
But I still believe the truth is something else. Judging from human nature, I am more inclined to believe that the few ardent rebellious Tibetans are foreign descendants of the former religious elite living overseas. These people have the most to grumble about. Their parents lost all of their former power and thus must have indoctrinated in their children a firm animosity toward China. And since these children grew up in the west, they are further brainwashed by irrational western propaganda of unrealistic expectations. And when these people receive sufficient funding from govt. agencies such as the CIA which has an agenda of splitting China apart, you have your typical vociferous FREE TIBET organization with its caucasian looking foreign born Tibetan leader.
Now with that said, I have no doubt many Tibetans dislike the Han populace in Tibet. This situation also exists in Europe and America, it’s equivalent is called anti-semitism there. Some stupid, incompetent, conservative Americans and Europeans hate the jews because they absorb all of the wealth, keep it to themselves, and openly flaunt their cultural distinction from the country they live in. Is this right? Most of my Jewish friends here in the states are very patriotic Americans but they keep on asking themselves why should they be penalized/discriminated against for being smart and industrious?
The same situation applies to Tibet. The Tibetans I saw, on average, are very good and kind people but they are woefully incompetent in trade and very lazy. When the Tibetans living in Tibet see the “foreign” Han coming to their “homeland” and becoming rich while they are still poor, resentment will be obvious. Overtime, this will lead to violence. But is this economic oppression? Will independence solve the problem? I guess many Americans can relate to this “economic oppression” because they are also incompetent in the face of globalization and equal competition.
On the issue of “Tibetan cultural genocide”, I would like to point out that although I’m not an anthropologist on this issue, from what I heard talking to my Tibetan friends in Beijing, over there the education system operates on dual formats. Tibetan students are taught in Tibetan and Mandarin and teachers try to incorporate as much of the local Tibetan cultural customs as possible into their curriculum. As a result, my Tibetan friend, who is a history major, is having significant problems in college over there because he can’t understand the intricacies of archaic Chinese.
But one thing is certain, the current govt. is anti politicized religion. Because of the fact that Tibetan religious elites have had a bad history of dealing in politics and subversion, there’s a mistrust in the higher level of govt. If the Tibetan religious community model themselves on the muslims/huis and stay out of politics the govt will most assuredly let them do whatever they want.
And Nyima, please don’t compare the current Tibetan situation to the Japanese occupation of China. Although I admit and believe that the Chinese soldiers/police must have beaten up some of the monks, which I highly condemn, I know for sure that they would not have done biological tests on them or openly showed racial superiority over them. The latter is absurdity and pure bs.
Rich, I have lived in the United States for five years and having been fully exposed to this country’s culture, politics, “power dynamics”, I will venture to say that I know more about racism, bigotry, and injustice in this democratic country than your typical “white American”. Keep in mind that I’m Asian, and Asian Americans are the most marginalized minority in the democratic, “free” United States. When do you ever see an Asian in a big-box office Hollywood movie?
I have many Chinese friends who came to this country at very young age. They went through all forms of economical and social obstacles you can imagine and they still managed to go to a good school and become a high earning professional. Keep in mind that these are people from VERY poor and sometimes illiterate families who don’t speak the language or know anything about the culture. Mainstream American society gave them no help and actively tried to oppress them through unfair racial discrimination and bigotry. Yet they still made it in the end because they are strong and competitive. Chinese Americans were used like slaves to build the railroads during the 1800s, but did we grumble about compensation?
Truly, the african american community have everything to help them succeed. They have thousands of subsidies such as the Negro Scholars Fund and affirmative action and yet they are still grumbling. It is truly their own fault if they don’t succeed.
You are wrong to say that all Tibetans want to separate from China. I think you are getting the wrong impression from reading the comments of all the foreign born Tibetans on the web. Today’s Chinese culture is defined by rational self maximization. There’s no “Chinese” culture anymore because the communist have largely eradicated it during their crazy idealistic orgies during the 50s and 60s. In this sense, many Tibetans are Chinese. If you only talk in terms of anthropological culture, some of the Hans are not mainstream “Chinese”. For example, some Hans in Shaanxi are clearly considered unChinese by the other Hans elsewhere.