China On My Mind

Last night on my other [dharma] blog Advice to AbushriI touched upon some of the themes of these two NY Times Op Eds.

China's Loyal Youth

Don't Know Much About Tibetan History

Both these links are connected to a further conversation started below by Mr. Liang Jing in response to Nick Kristof's "Calling China."

The Real Tibet--Dispatches: Undercover in Tibet-A BBC Report

One of the best films about Tibet's lack of human rights incorporating footage from the recent protests with undercover interviews inside Tibet. 48 minutes. Posted on Google video 4.4.08.

This film touches upon all the major problems the vast number of Tibetans experience daily. The stories here come from both urban and extremely isolated people inside Tibet. They are not propaganda from some "splitist" group aiming for an independent Tibet or stimulated by the Dalai Lama as PR but real life stories bravely spoken in the shadows of a hidden camera. With compelling accuracy you'll experience the intense paranoia and fear Tibetans live with since the slightest infraction can get one imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Telling their stories is done at great personal risk.

So what are some of the issues Tibetans are faced with:

--Lack of the most basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of movement (confiscation of land and enforced resettlement), freedom of their bodies (females are forced into abortions and sterilization, their menstrual cycle monitored), freedom of religious practice.

--a punitive penal system that regularly uses torture over the most minor misdameanors such as passing out leaflets, speaking out against a policy or simply talking with foreigners.

--Extreme poverty and poor health care

--lack of skilled employment for Tibetans who do not speak and write fluent Mandarian Chinese

--Destruction of the environment through mining,building, forestry practices and destruction of natural habitat leading to endangered species and flora and fauna.

--Degradation of traditional Tibetan culture including historic buildings, Buddhist teachings, and Tibetan symbols of national identity such as the Dalai Lama.

--Distortion of the historical and archaeological record of Tibet and its relation to China.

--an implicit policy of genocide by mass influx of Chinese into the TAR who benefit from economic development

--a military state with no operative legal infrastructure based on citizen rights

Former Top Chinese official urges Chinese Government to Talk with the Dalai Lama

Bao Tong: Talk To The Dalai Lama
2008.03.26
Radio Free Asia

Bao Tong gives a rare television interview. The text is excerpted from Radio Free Asia.

A former top official in China’s ruling Communist Party has called on the Chinese government to open talks with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as a matter of urgency. Bao Tong, former aide to ousted late premier Zhao Ziyang, says both Tibetans and Han Chinese have suffered at the hands of a Maoist political philosophy. He wrote this essay, broadcast by RFA’s Mandarin service, from his Beijing home, where he has lived under house arrest since his release from jail in the wake of the 1989 student movement:

"Take harmony seriously; talk to the Dalai Lama".Bao Tong says. For complete text, click on the title above. Mr. Tong touches on some interesting analysis about the deeply entrenched philosophy of hidden communication on matters of human rights in China.

Where Does China Go From Here?

“The Chinese government pledged to the world that there will be no restrictions on media reporting and movement of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games—a pledge that’s completely undermined by its conduct in Tibet,”

Francine Prose, President of PEN American Center.


The following excellent discussion taken from You Tube took place on PBS News Hour on March 26, 2008. Both videos are well worth watching.

Guests:
Donald Lopez - University of Michigan Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies. Author of a number of books on Tibet.

Jeffrey Bader - Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute. He held Asian posts at the State Department and the National Security Council Staff during the Clinton Administration.

Abrahm Lustgarten - Writer at Fortune Magazine and author of "China's Great Train: Beijing's Drive West and the Campaign to Remake Tibet". He has visited Tibet 5 times since 2002






China has a well documented history of human rights abuses. In order to secure the Olympics in Beijing, China promised the IOC to improve its human rights record as well as allow greater freedom of speech for writers & journalists.

The lack of regulation regarding the environment, treatment of prisoners, manufacturing practices using toxic substances, illegal trade in human organs derived from executed prisoners, censorship of the media, long standing subjugation of Tibetan people and other minorities, funding of weapons to Sudan in exchange for oil, and over all denial of religious expression, does not warrant China's desire for participation on the world stage unless widespread changes occur internally. It's clear that party old liners bearing the heritage of the Cultural Revolution need to be replaced by a younger generation who are committed to China's psychological and moral expansion. Economic development alone without a moral or civil base will always result in the primitive behavior of war lords and despotic rulers who value greed above human values. Such attitudes have traumatized Chinese people for centuries. I believe that millions of Chinese people want to see these changes enacted in favor of a more open society. By refusing to consider options put forth by its own citizens and recognize world opinion, China is headed toward continued social unrest, especially in regard to Tibet. It is in China's interest to consider seriously the Dalai Lama's middle-way approach instead of engaging in tiresome rhetoric about the "dali clique" that undermines China's image in the world.

Where Are They Now?

NEWS ALERT: "China Bars Olympics Coverage From Tiananmen Square"
[NY Times, March 24, 2008]

One of the greatest moments in human history ever recorded. This is the face of China that embodies the true spirit of China's aspiration to be a part of the world. The Olympics scheduled for 2008 seems but a small flicker by comparison.