I am in London now and doing continuous interviews about China’s controversial Olympic torch relay which arrives here on Sunday. Each time I speak I try to explain why Tibetans will be protesting. I try to clarify why sports and politics cannot be separated, especially when it comes to China. Over and over again, I say that the torch must not be taken to Tibet and I attempt to explain why this is wrong. But I cannot express this in a few second sound bite.
How can I sum up the overwhelming feelings of pain, disgust, despair and horror I feel at the thought of China smugly parading through Tibetan lands with this stupid torch - like a glowing international stamp of approval - while they are simultaneously beating, torturing and terrorizing my people in the dark shadows? How do I convey the sense of worry and dread my friends, and so many Tibetans the world over are feeling for their parents, sisters, aunts and cousins they haven’t heard from since the crackdown began? I want to talk about the monks who are committing suicide either because they are heroically trying to save their friends and fellow monks or simply because they can’t take the pain and suffering any longer…
***One and a half hours later (6:22pm GMT)
I was just interrupted as I wrote this post by a call from a friend here in London. She told me that reports are just breaking that the Chinese opened fire on and killed at least 8 Tibetans protesting in eastern Tibet.
So to reiterate, foreigners who do not understand China have no right to speak on this issue. However, Han Chinese are entitled to make judgements on the Tibet issue because there are legitimate interests at stake right now.
Today, some Tibet merchants in Tibet have taken out fair loans from “Han” banks. These like other business activities are legitimate transactions which must carry responsibility. Regardless of what the political outcome may be, business interests must be respected across borders. In the event that Tibet declares independence, these transactions risk default and out of legitimate interests, Han people do have a say in this issue. America and Europe, on the other hand, have no legitimate claim or interests in Tibet. Since the illegitimate should have no say on the matter of Tibetan self determination, you, my friend, have no right to say anything on this issue by your own logic.
But lets look at the issue from another angle. Lets discard the Han people’s legitimate interests in Tibet and analyze the effects of Tibetan terrorists’ “natural right” to self determination. Currently, the world economic system is fully integrated, which means that adverse effects on any major player gravely affects all. China is now the world’s factory floor, the manufacturing, processing hub of the world. Everyday, raw materials from all over the world congregate in China and Chinese workers process them into finished products which are then transported for sale worldwide. This is largely a result of the fact that the marginal cost of production in China is cheaper than everywhere else and that Chinese produced goods are of overall much better quality.
If China goes down because of civil war, then the world economy go down. European goods sellers will suddenly lose their constant shipment of Chinese produced goods which will cause the former to delay shipment to American retailers who will then sell the goods to consumers in America. The result will be shortages and dramatically higher prices on existing goods, lower consumption, bankruptcy of smaller firms, lower output, and higher interest rates. Higher interest rates also mean higher mortgage rates in the U.S. In the short run, there will be hyperinflation world wide and everyone will suffer. To the uninitiated, like you, the collapse of the world economic system might now seem like anything. But now I want you to think. Imagine if now you have to pay ten times more on everything but with the same budget. How will your finances look? How will you live your life? If you say that this is okay and you will go live the life of a Tibetan monk, then you are truly crazy. And don’t think this will not affect you, it will, trust me. You will regret it when the day comes. Lower crude oil output in the Middle East has already affected Americans right? That is the effect of an integrated world economy. If China collapse the result will be far worse. It will cause the world economy to collapse and in the end affect everybody.
In America, this will translate into higher crime levels which means that you, my friend, will have a higher chance of being killed by your own countrymen. But America will not be the only country affected. The Europeans are already experiencing high unemployment levels. And they are not as wealthy as they once were. China’s collapse and the economic disaster that follows will cause a severe toll on them as well.
So in the end, I ask the selfish Tibetan separatists and western activists like you, is this madness worth it? Is it right for a minority within the Tibetan population to declare independence at the expense of world suffering?
Keep in mind that China is not Nazi Germany and that the central government has improved the lives of Tibetans living in Tibet and attempted to create a peaceful society of unity free from prejudice, bigotry, and hatred. Even if you selfish Tibetans don’t understand the idea of appreciation, you will at least think of your own fellow Tibetans who will also suffer economically in the event of China’s collapse?
The Chinese government has done many bad things in the past. And even today, some of its policies are still very crude and in some cases wrong. But this is because China is a developing country and things are improving. If you ask any responsible, knowledgeable Chinese adult, they will tell you that the Communist Party is corrupt and crude but they get the job done and do improve the life of the people. Things are changing for the better, but if you crazy people resort to violence, the result will be catastrophic for both Tibetans and Han Chinese.
The CCP will not standby idly and let Tibetans constantly carry out terrorist riots against innocent civilians. If pushed to the limit, the central government, out of consideration for innocents might do something everyone will regret. Even though it is wrong, it would be perfectly justified. Don’t push the government to its limit. It is not good for anyone.
So much has happened since this blog was posted, and the most depressing part of that is, that of all that has gone on, none of it has been positive at all. Monks and nuns and civilians are still dying and we are inching so close to the torch passing through Lhasa… it breaks my heart. Still, people who are able must do their utmost to keep applying pressure on the IOC and home governments.
As for allegations about Tibetans orchestrating ‘acts of terrorism,’ that’s bullshit. They are fighting for their country. They are strong and they are brave and they are dying for their land to be returned to them after almost 50 years of brutal Chinese oppression. LHA GYALO!
Kat, indeed the present situation in Tibet is tearful and severe, but saying that nothing positive has come couldn’t be farther from the truth. The price has been high and likely will continue to be, but many advances have been made.
1. In Lhasa, China’s being forced to shutdown tourism, combined with what is effectively a months-long general strike by the people, has decimated Chinese-run businesses. This is on top of the direct physical damage that Tibetans did to many businesses during the uprising. I’ve heard many reports that Chinese are leaving Tibet for lack of business. The fact that they finally know the full extent of how much their presence is hated could also be a factor in this.
2. For the first time, Tibetans across Tibet and around the world understand the degree to which they are all unified and see themselves as one national identity struggling against China. Just a few months prior to the uprising, I had close Tibetan friends whose judgement I really trust pursuing plans to build and strengthen inter-province understanding and unity between Tibetans. These people were shocked to see to what extent it already exists. The importance of this realization cannot be understated in regard to how it changes the way people will operate.
3. Especially outside the TAR, Tibetans have for the first time staged nonviolent protests which have succeeded in their goals. A general pattern among many protest locations in Amdo is that a few leaders, often monks or nuns, protest for independence and get arrested, then the masses protest demanding their release. In many cases, a number of the demands have been met. Certainly the results are not good enough, but the fact that it happens at all is revolutionary.
4. The bar for what’s illegal in Tibet has been drastically raised. In prior times, even acknowledging that dissent exists in Tibet was a political act that could land one in trouble. Now that’s considered a given. Often the masses rising up are not even punished, aside from being subjected to the lethal risk from China’s barbaric crowd-control methods; the authorities are focusing on people they perceive as leaders. This treatment has sometimes been mirrored in the actual jailing and interrogation practices, where as many as 3 different levels/rings of imprisonment have been implemented in some places to temporarily restrain and beat up the masses in insecure holding areas while keeping the people they really want to abuse in the inner dungeons.
Needless to say all of these developments have both joyful and saddening aspects to them. And while it would be naive to deny or play down the severity with which China is retaliating against Tibetans, it’s also a great disservice to these brave heros and martyrs to declare that they have accomplished nothing. What they have accomplished already will have profound effects for decades to come, and there may well yet be more to see.