By Tedi Elliott
China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama; all three have been in the news again recently. China’s preparations for the Olympic Games and its efforts to become an accepted world power are contrasted with protests and demonstrations against China as Tibetans call attention to China’s ongoing violations of their human and national rights.
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, forced into exile in 1959 during the Chinese take-over of Tibet, continues his attempts at non-violent reconciliation between his beloved home country and its giant, powerful neighbor. Now at 72 years of age, after a lifetime of striving for even a partial freedom for Tibet, could all the complex circumstances be aligning to create a window of opportunity for this possibility to finally become a reality?
One of the striking aspects in these stories on the increased unrest between China and Tibet are China’s repeated attempts to disparage the Dalai Lama himself, accusing him of maliciously and intentionally stirring up protesters, planning demonstrations, or secretly plotting suicide attacks against China. These accusations are difficult to believe, considering the fact that as a Buddhist monk, the Dalai Lama advocates peace, non-violence and loving-kindness towards all.
In recent accounts, he has repeated that if his followers or any Tibetans resort to violence in their actions against China, he will immediately step down as the spiritual and cultural leader of Tibet. He is a universally recognized peacemaker, yet China continues to insist that he is behind the worst of any protests that turn violent.
A Look Back in History
There is some historical precedent for this type of distortion of truth used by the Chinese government against the Dalai Lama and Tibet. In “Reflections from the Journey of Life – Collected Sayings of the Dalai Lama”, 2001, edited by Catherine Barry, a look back at history makes it very clear that China has used these techniques before:
“Relations with China were always complex and subtle, but had never been one of total conquest and annexation of one people by another. At one time the Dalai Lama was the spiritual guide of the Chinese emperor, exchanging a spiritual protection on one side for a military protection on the other. But beginning in 1910, the Chinese progressively attempted to distort the history of these bonds in a colonialist propaganda which denies the truth that the two have always been separate and independent countries, geographically, culturally, and politically.”
“Reflections” also provides a helpful timeline of some important dates in modern Tibetan history:
“End of 1949: Invasions of Tibet by the People’s Liberation Army of China. During the occupation, Mao promises Tibetan autonomy. The beginning of the total destruction of the historical entity of Tibet.
1951: The Seventeen Point Agreement joins Tibet to its giant neighbor. Several provinces are occupied by Chinese forces, and Tibetan autonomy is reduced by half, in violation of the treaty.
1959: The uprising of March 10 th, which marks a pivotal defeat for the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama is forced to flee to India at the last minute. Over 100,000 Tibetans follow him into exile.
1966-76: The Cultural Revolution in China, a period of extremism which also began its genocidal policy against Tibetan people and culture. Thousands of temples and monasteries are pillaged and destroyed, women are forced to have abortions and sterilizations, sometimes en masse. Chinese is declared as the first language of the country and the language of its schools. It is forbidden to practice Buddhism. And the very land itself is attacked: huge deforestation projects are undertaken, so that the Roof of the World (Tibet) may serve as a strategic site for missiles and other military installations. This also is the beginning of the pollution of Tibet’s rivers, which are the source of some of the greatest rivers of Asia.
1965: The first riots in Lhasa, capitol of Tibet.
1988: The Chinese government breaks off all dialogue with Tibetan representatives.
1989: Institution of martial law in Tibet, lasting until 1990. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the Dalai Lama.”
By looking back at what has actually transpired between the two countries, it is not difficult to determine which country has been the aggressor in acts of war and in a war of words to support it’s actions. China’s current descriptions of the Dalai Lama as a “splittist” in relations between the two countries more accurately describes its own actions. The use of propaganda is intended, among other things, to shape outside opinions, but a few things have changed since 1910, when it must have been a lot easier to publish misleading information that simply went unchallenged.
It is doubtful that China’s rather clumsy attempts to paint the Dalai Lama as an evil “wolf in monks’ clothing” will work in its favor and may result in destroying the good will it hopes to create by hosting the Olympics this summer. Case in point, as of this writing, protesters in San Francisco just unfurled a banner from the Golden Gate Bridge reading “Free Tibet” in advance of the arrival there of the Olympic torch.
What it Takes for Change
In an interview with Robert Thurman, conducted in 1997, the Dalai Lama was asked what he thought it would take for China to change its policy toward Tibet.
The Dalai Lama responded:
“It will take two things: first, a Chinese leadership that looks forward instead of backward, that looks toward integration with the world and cares about both world opinion and the will of [China's] own democracy movement; second, a group of world leaders that listens to the concerns of their own people with regard to Tibet, and speaks firmly to the Chinese about the urgent need of working out a solution based on truth and justice. We do not have these two things today, and so the process of bringing peace to Tibet is stalled.
But we must not lose our trust in the power of truth. Everything is always changing in the world. Look at South Africa, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East. They still have many problems, setbacks as well as breakthroughs, but basically changes have happened that were considered unthinkable a decade ago.”
Could the Olympic Games be the catalyst to help China look forward rather than backward, and make it care more about world opinion and democracy? The leadership of the United States and other countries could play an immense role in facilitating China’s movement toward democracy for both China and Tibet. Now, thanks to the internet, even individual voices from all over the world can come together to influence China and demand such a movement. (AVAAZ.org [1])
The Elders
Finally, the Dalai Lama himself has said,“It is imperative that we establish a group of persons, a kind of ‘world council of sages,’ who are humanistically oriented, free of prejudice and special interests, and who give top priority to human welfare. Current governmental representatives strive only on behalf of their own countries, caring little for the needs of others. This is why it is necessary to set up a council of unselfish and responsible people who will make it their task to protect all peoples.”
What a wonderful idea! And how interesting to read this news account, dated April 2, 2008:
A group of former world leaders called ‘the Elders [2],’ including Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela have urged a dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama to address the political unrest in Tibet. This group, comprised of several Nobel laureates, was formed last year in an effort to reduce conflict and despair around the world. It was the 72-year-0ld Dalai Lama’s idea to reach out to the Chinese government this way.
With regard to this group of Elders [3], it appears that the Dalai Lama has manifested into reality what began as his thought, and was then expressed in his words.
Taking his entire life and writings as a whole, it becomes rather clear that this is not a man who operates from an evil lair. On the contrary, he continues, through adversity and opposition, to focus on his goal, working alone and with others to find peace for Tibet as well as for China. And if one good thing could come out of his heartbreaking life-long separation from his home, it is perhaps that we in the West have been given more access to the life and teachings of this simple Buddhist monk from the Roof of the World.
Tedi Elliott is a freelance writer and massage therapist. She can be contacted at telliott79 {at} hotmail {dot} com
References:
Reflections from the Journey of Life – Collected Sayings of the Dalai Lama edited by Catherine Barry, Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2001.
Excerpt from “The Dalai Lama” an interview by Robert Thurman. Published in Mother Jones Magazine, November/December 1997 issue [4].
Reuters article, “Veteran Leaders Urge China to talk to Dalai Lama [5]”, April 2, 2008
AVAAZ.org [6], The World in Action
The Elders, www.theelders.org [7]