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Paper No 2642
24-March-2008
LHASA UPRISING: CHINA’S ACTIONS CROSSING ITS BOUNDARIES
By Bhaskar Roy
The bloody crackdown on the student protestors at the Tien An Men (TAM) Square in June 1989, was described by the Beijing leaders as its internal affair. The students were demanding only transparency in government work, end to corruption, and some freedom of expression to voice their views. They neither asked for a western style democracy nor demanded the abolition of the Communist Party. The crackdown left more than 300 young people dead. The dead are yet to be properly accounted for. The TAM incident eventually became an international issue.
The Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns protests in the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa starting March 10 were airing their basic aspirations as a people – freedom of religion, perpetuation of Tibetan culture, and their way of life. They are aware that independence is no longer even a hope. But autonomy within China’s sovereignty and constitution should be rightfully theirs.
Tibet and the Tibetans within China have been generally peaceful for some years now. Starting 2002, the Dalai Lama’s delegation led by his special envoy in Washington, Lodi Gyari, have held six rounds of talks with their Chinese authorities, that is, the United Front Works Department (UFWD). The Chinese wanted to know and understand the Dalai Lama’s proposal of autonomy for Tibet. The Chinese aim was to try and examine under a microscope whether the autonomy proposal had any or the minutest speck of independence hidden in it. Therefore, while listening to the Tibetan delegation they kept up the pressure that the Dalai Lama’s proposal was “nothing but a sham” and that he actually wanted independence.
There were threats by the UFWD that they would end the talks, but were persuaded to continue by the Dalai Lama’s delegation agreeing the late paramount leader of China, Deng Xiaoping had said anything can be discussed except “independence”. And the Dalai Lama had openly discarded the independence platform.
The other aspect of the talks was what should be recognized as Tibetan Autonomous areas under the Dalai Lama’s proposal. The Chinese indicated that it must be limited to the present Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), while the Dalai Lama’s delegation persuaded that the Tibetan “autonomous” counties and prefectures in adjoining provinces like Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan should automatically be included. They argued that some Tibetans cannot be left outside the autonomous Tibet.
The Tibetan delegation was also treated quite warmly by the Chinese. They were even taken to some of the important monasteries.
A surprising hard line U-turn was noticed from the Chinese sometime around 2005-2006. Some analysts attribute the reversal to hard line by the Chinese to the appoint of Zhang Qinli as TAR Party Secretary in November, 2005. Zhang is a product of China’s Communist Youth League (CYL), the main power base of Party General Secretary and President Hu Jintao. Zhang, therefore, is considered a Hu protégé. Hu also carries the reputation of quelling Tibetan protestors with force in 1989.
It does not appear Zhang Qinli’s taking over of TAR Party Secretary is the whole story. A slight change of Chinese attitude to the Dalai Lama was becoming somewhat visible as early as 2004. The change seems to have been linked to the perceived US encirclement of China using Japan, Australia and, of course, India. They also continue to be concerned how far Pakistan had gone into US control to counter China in some way or the other. No wonder, therefore, while giving information on bursting Uighur Muslim terrorists cells preparing to disrupt the upcoming Beijing Olympics, Xinjiang Party Secretary, Wang Lequan said recently that the leaders of the Uighur terrorists were based in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On the India-US perception, however, the Chinese apparently felt that in the process of encirclement of China, it may be natural for India to assist the USA in inciting the Tibetans against China.
The Chinese were sure about US intentions, but were not sure about India’s involvement. They had no evidence, but suspicions only. According to informed people who were contacted by Chinese officials in India, the Chinese did not come up with any clue that India had any intentions to sabotage China whether using the Tibetans or by any other means. Indian officials, politicians and intellectuals were too engrossed in extolling the growing India-China relations.
The Chinese leadership was obviously irked with US President George W. Bush presenting the US Congressional medal to the Dalai Lama last year. To the Chinese this was not only an affront but also a challenge, and a threat to their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since the US was too important to Beijing, it only protested the US act but decided to proceed with the bilateral relationship. Beijing took more umbrage with German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her meeting with the Dalai Lama.
In parallel, the frustration of the Tibetans both inside China and outside with the Dalai Lama’s “Middle Path” policy is not independence but autonomy was rising. While they revered the Dalai Lama as the “Living Buddha” or the “Living God”, they felt the Chinese were in no mood to respect the Dalai Lama’s proposal. Beijing, they felt, was buying time to totally marginalize the Tibetans in Tibet, and reducing the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan diaspora into a non-entity. In “truth”, as sought from fact, this is the Chinese strategy.
The protests in Lhasa starting March 10, the 49th anniversary of Tibetan uprising, was to expose China’s lie-that the Tibetans in China already enjoy autonomy. To the Tibetans it is the ultimate insult, a “thousand cuts with the sword”. What happened in Lhasa on March 10 and 11 is release of pent up emotions and the sense of betrayal of the Dalai Lama by the Chinese government. Hence the intensity of emotion was higher than before.
It must be taken into note that this time the protests spread to Tibetan area outside TAR. Even about a dozen Tibetan students in Beijing’s Minzu (Minority) University protested, something unprecedented. The Chinese authorities may like to take note of these new developments.
The Chinese security force took over the situation in Lhasa and other places by sheer show of force. It does not matter if 19 people died, or one hundred in Lhasa. Sad as it may be, body counts do not really the issue. The cause and its reasons are.
Although the Tibetan protestors have been calling for a boycott of the August Beijing Olympics this year, it is only symbolic. The cold war is over by long, and nobody wants a repeat of the 1980 Moscow Olympics boycott, or that of the 1984 games in Los Angeles.
The Dalai Lama is on record, repeatedly, that he supports the Beijing Olympics. He has said that China, as the most populous country in the world, deserves to host the Olympic games. But the Chinese authorities are distrustful of the Dalai Lama. Or, is the distrust a way to present to the world that the Dalai Lama is against international events which bring the world together?
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao took to the podium to declare his governments view of the Dalai Lama in a press conference in Beijing on March 18. Wen charged that the riots in Lhasa was preconceived, planned and executed by the “Dalai”, and that the “Dalai” was a “Liar”. This, after the Dalai Lama not only declared his support for the Beijing Olympics, but his declared position if the Tibet movement adopted violence he would resign from his position.
The words spoken by Premier Wen Jiabao does not behove that of a head of State of growing world power. The Chinese boast of four thousand years of civilization. Wen’s words were less than civilized. He attacked the Dalai Lama in the most derogatory terms, which will not help in winning the hearts and minds of the Tibetans. The world “Dalai” and not “Dalai Lama” is an insult to the entire lineage of the spiritual leaders of the Tibetans. This will have its consequences.
The Chinese leaders have been extrapolating and giving modern interpretations of ancient philosophers like Confucius and the great strategists. But when under pressure, they seem prone to emulate the first Han Emperor QinShi Wandi, who decided to bury intellectuals alive because they disagreed with his bloody ways to rule.
The Chinese may be making a mistake by trying to drive the Dalai Lama out of the scene. They feel that with him out of the Tibetan issue, the Tibetan resistance will melt away. They may be wrong. The Dalai Lama is their best bet for a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue.
Premier Wen Jiabao’s insult of the Dalai Lama is not going to make the smallest of difference to the Tibetan spiritual leader.
Unfortunately, the senior communist leaders do not appear capable of understanding the strength depth of religions and spiritualism. The father of communism, Karl Marx had said “religion is the opium of man”. Marx had said in a context that could, perhaps, be applied to the old Tibet of spiritual leaders, landlords and the exploited serf. The Chinese Emperors and war lords had not exactly glorified themselves where their subjects were concerned. That is one of the reasons that the Chinese had failed to understand the extreme interpretation of Islam by Muslim terrorists. This is, of course, the other end of the religious spectrum.
The Chinese insults would get lost in the vast ocean of the Dalai Lama’s spiritual embodiment. But for the lay Tibetans who believe in the Dalai Lama, these insults from the Chinese may be unpardonable.
The Chinese have quelled the protests in Lhasa and Tibetan areas in adjoining provinces by force. Both sides claim different number of deaths, with the Chinese claiming their security force did not resort to shooting and the dead were victims of Tibetan rioters. But the Chinese must understand, at least politically, that following the Dalai Lama’s declaration that he will resign from his spiritual seat if the Tibetans chose violence to achieve their, demonstrations calmed down. That is the power of the Dalai Lama exercises over his people both outside China and inside. But this, also, has a limit.
The Chinese are not known for negotiations where internal problems are concerned. They have always resolved protests and demonstrations through the barrel of the gun.
To counter and quell the Tibetan protestors they have gone beyond the boundaries of their country, this time. According to a reporter for the news agency AFP, Chinese security officials in plain cloths moved inside Nepal to monitor Tibetan protests there, and prevent them from trying to cross over to Tibet from Nepal. This was confirmed to the AFP by Nepali officials in the border areas. They reportedly said Nepal was a weak country and could not do anything. The AFP reporter also said he and his photographer were prevented from doing their work on Nepal soil by the Chinese security officials who were armed. India made an official statement calling for restraint from both sides and peaceful dialogue to resolve the issue. It was a cautious and neutral statement which meant no offence and did not question either side. The “either side” was a problem for the Chinese who wanted all support Chinese actions and demonise the Tibetans. India has another problem. It does not want more Tibetan refugees coming into the country because of the Chinese crackdown.
India cannot remain unconcerned with such a significant development involving the Chinese. India’s policy is not to turn away destitutes and refugees on humanitarian grounds. It not only accepted the Dalai Lama and roughly 150 thousand Tibetan refugees who fled Chinese state discrimination. During Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971, 10 million Bangladeshis took refuge in India to escape the atrocities of the west Pakistan army. Perhaps apart from the Afghan refugees in Pakistan following the war in that country, India hosts the highest number of refugees in the world. Such humanitarian acts have not prevented New Delhi from seeking friendly relations with countries from which these refugees came to India.
Most democratic countries in world host refugees escaping political, religious and ethnic persecution from the countries of their origin.
Therefore, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s press statement (March 18) assumes importance in this context. While acknowledging the Indian governments action to “handle” the “Tibet independence”, he went on to say the Tibet issue was “sensitive” in India-China relations underscoring “ I hope the Indian government can follow the agreements reached between the two countries and handle this situation in a correct way”. For good measure, he answered a planted question on the Sino-Indian border issue, saying “This is a complex issue left from the past (AW) cannot be expected to be resolved over night”. Wen also said “new progress in the (border) negotiations will be made as long as the two sides show sincerely and work on the principle of treating each other equally and making mutual accommodation”. He made no reference to the 2005 India-China agreement on the principles and modalities of resolving the border issue which accepted no transfer of populated areas.
It can be well understood that the Chinese leadership is highly concerned over the smooth holding of the Beijing Olympics. The world supports China fully on this. The splendour that China plans to display is emphasised by the fact the preparation till recently was being headed by President Hu Jintao, and now handed to his approved successor Xi Jiping. The Olympics, therefore, translates into a very important political domain. The “Band master” will be held to account if anything goes wrong. A quiet power struggle in China is still very much alive.
But waging “people’s war” and “do or die battle” on the Tibetan protestors, perhaps, may not be the successful way to win the “minds and hearts” of Tibetans. Much as the Chinese authorities may like to claim, almost all Tibetans secretly or openly revere the Dalai Lama and free Tibet.
The more the Chinese use force on the Tibetans and keep the world in the dark, more the world will question the sanctity of the Beijing Olympics. The President of the European Union has already cautioned Beijing’s intransigence on the Tibetan developments could affect the games. Han-Gert Pottering added “If these continue to be no signals of compromise, I see boycott measures as justified”. Taiwan’s President – elect, Ma Ying-Jeou, has welcomed the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan any time.
Premier Wen Jiabao’s press statement on India with regard to the Tibet issue has internationalized the Tibet question. Specially for India, it has held out other threats. It has also violated Nepal’s sovereignty. It has, however, been more cautious with the United States, proving the Chinese popular saying “blackmail the weak, respect the strong”.
Tibet is no longer an internal issue of China.
(The author is an eminent China analyst with many years of experience of study on the developments in China. He can be reached at grouchohart@yahoo.com)
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