Do your bit for Tibet

[MKG]

Points 1, 4 and 11 of the 17-point agreement imposed on Tibet by the PRC:

1. The Tibetan people shall be united and drive out the imperialist aggressive forces from Tibet …

4. The Central Authorities will not alter the existing political system in Tibet. The Central Authorities also will not alter the established status, functions and powers of the Dalai Lama

11. In matters related to various reforms in Tibet, there will be no compulsion on the part of the Central Authorities

So the PRC obviously supports the struggles of the people of Tibet, I would say.

The man to follow is the Dalai Lama … OK … let’s do a quick Google …

In 1991 the Dalai Lama alleged that Chinese settlers in Tibet were creating "Chinese Apartheid," stating, "The new Chinese settlers have created an alternate society: a Chinese apartheid which, denying Tibetans equal social and economic status in our own land, threatens to finally overwhelm and absorb us.

The Dalai Lama sees the millions of government-imported Han immigrants and preferential socioeconomic policies, as presenting an urgent threat to the Tibetan nation by stealing economic resources and smothering Tibetan culture.

You don't think the model British imperialism is a good fit. OK. The argument that people of a certain ethnic origin lay outside national borders was used by another famous imperialist - Adolf Hitler. He used it as an excuse to invade Austria, the Sudetenland and, initially, Poland. Thank goodness there was such a man around to look after the welfare of those people.

[johnhcrf]

The Chinese carry a heavy load of blame as did the British in Ireland. The Chinese wanted safe borders, under Mao, So they expanded for security reasons. Hitler had a nightmare vision of world domination, unique in modern times.
I have lived through similar Olympics in 1980, Moscow. The Brezhnev Doctrine to annex Afghanistan, was the death knell for Russian Communism. The boycott then by America failed. However, where the US succeeded was by backing the Mujaheddin, who used to destroy Russian convoys weaving through mountain passes, a terrific propaganda victory.

John.

[MKG]

Well, we appear to be reaching some common ground. However, I would still take issue with a couple of your statements. The US boycott (although I don't for one moment think they did it for humanitarian reasons) wasn't effective because the rest of the world was too lily-livered to join in. And I find it hard to accept that a Chinese invasion by 20,000 heavily-armed troops against a standing army of 5000 poorly-equipped Tibetans could be counted as safeguarding a border. Nor do I think that resettling a host of your own people in someone else's country can be considered to be looking after the welfare of that country - a point with which you obviously agree, because that's precisely what the British did with Northern Ireland.

The Olympics were awarded to Beijing in what I consider to be a blatantly political move as a reward to China for improving its human rights record. Now how would it look if any parents said "Oh, little Johnny, what a good boy you are. Last week you beat the shit out of ten other kids and this week you're down to five. Well done. Here's a lollipop"?

We shouldn't have to wait for politicians (a shifty and devious bunch by definition) to define our limits of acceptable behaviour. If enough nations say that IF the Olympics are to be held in a country which pays lip service to basic human rights, then they just won't go, and IF those same countries say that while they're at it they won't trade with such a country, than that country will get the message - "It's my ball and I'm not playing with you". A bit of political protest followed by commercial isolation would work wonders.

[johnhcrf]

The Chinese communists felt under threat and so extended their influence to achieve defensible borders, not an ethnic choice but a calculated political decision. I feel engagement with the Chinese should be tried, notwithstanding their horrendous human rights abuses. The Chinese people are already flexing their green muscle we should help these people assert their drive for freedom. Communism will fall as seen before in Russia.

John.

[johnhcrf]

The Chinese are prepared to have a dialogue with the Dalai Lama through his representatives. This is a positive step and will hopefully lead to direct talks. The perfect first step would be an accomodation of Tibetan interests within the Chinese Republic, where external defensible borders would remain under their control. Further improvements could be introduced within a bilateral framework.