What do we REALLY know about Tibet?

[tstv_lover]

I heard the Chinese ambassador to the UK suggesting that western media is "demonising" China and really doesn't understand the Tibet situation.

Does he have a point? There does seem to be a huge amount of coverage on protests against China, either through the Olympic flame runs or other opportunities, but what do we really know? Is the West using Tibet as the stick to beat up on China?

The Dalai Lama seems to be a good guy committed to peace and winning Nobel Peace Prize. No question there. And there do seem to be some indigenous Tibet citizens complaining about Chinese presence. But is that different from anywhere else?

Are we in danger of following an anti-Chinese media thrust because China seems to be thriving while the West is recovering from sub-prime lending crisis and Tibet is a convenient topic? What's your view?

[Oli]

I thought about a couple of points while considering your post:

Is Tibet historically part of China?

Was the 1950 invasion a 'retaking of land' or a conquest?

If you look at what China 'claims' as lands historically Chinese, they include not only Tibet but Taiwan, Korea, Mongolia, parts of Siberia, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Kazakhstan, parts of Afghanistan, India, Burma, Laos and Vietnam. They also claim the Ryu Kyu islands south of Japan.

Tibet has not historically been part of China. The cultural split happened 2500 years ago. Tibetans formed a unified kingdom in the 7th century. The Chinese have periodically exercised political control over Tibet for the last 800 years (from the time of the Khans' onward). The most recent claim by China dates from 1907 when the British government granted suzerainty of China over Tibet.

That said the 1950 invasion was just that, an invasion. The Chinese conquest was a bold land grab. They exercised their rights based on an outdated and unenforceable treaty. To me, this is an occupation.

To your other points, do the Maori complain about a European presence in New Zealand? Was New Zealand not colonized against the wishes of the native population. Wasn't America? Tibetans are now outnumbered by the Han. Tibetans are generally banned from government positions in their homeland. There wasn't world wide media when Australia, New Zealand and America were colonized, but there is one now, and we can get glimpses of the colonization of Tibet by China.

That the West is struggling economically has nothing to do with the current situation. The campaign to Free Tibet has been ongoing for the last 20+ years. It has returned to the fore because China is attempting to use the Olympic games to portray itself as a benevolent nation. The Tibetan monks protested against the hypocrisy of that propaganda. World media paid attention.

[SugaSweet]

I find it a bit odd that it takes a few people in nice silk robes being butchered to get anyones attention.Over 30 million people have been killed,tortured and imprisoned since 1948 in China(and all I got was this tri colored Dali Lami Bath robe).

[trish]

Oli's correct that general awareness and sympathy with the Chinese colonization of Tibet is at least twenty years old and probably goes back to the modern invasion itself. Part of the public titillation has to do with a fascination with Tibetan mysticism. Part of the outrage has to do with the fact that Monks (in Western lingo, men of God) are being beaten and killed. The Tibetan situation is just so much "sexier" in its appeal to Western curiosity. Unfortunately, as SugaSweet implies, all the other atrocities committed by Chinese Communism have gone largely unnoticed. Now may be the time to reflect some of the light being thrown on the troubles in Tibet onto the crimes taking place inside China today.

(edited in an attempt to correct some grammar)

[Tomfurbs]

Now may be the time to reflect some of the light being thrown on the troubles in Tibet onto the crimes taking place inside China today.

Incidentally, that is what the Free Tibet campaigners/protesters are hoping to do this year with the Olympics and the Flame Tour. They hope that by highlighting China's woeful human rights violations THROUGHOUT China and its occupied lands, they might galvanise some concrete support from the West in terms of freeing Tibet.

Realistically, the only way of reaching some kind of turn-around is by shaming China so much it just cuts its losses and pulls out, which is highly unlikely.

[qeuqheeg222]

originally i think china ws after some kind of colony or buffer-zone to get back at the west but now they are sitting pretty on the origin of a lot of fresh water that sooner or later flows down into the mekong watershed........freshwater is the new oil...............