Protests in Tibet

karuna

Thanks dzibead, Dilliwalla and Yogagal for comprehensively answering my question! I just gotta be sure what I'm supporting before I support it.

Still disagree that the Free Tibet cause is less represented than others of its ilk, like f'rinstance Burma.

Sorry, unable to contribute any Three Stooges, know nothing about them, but the famous Abbott and Costello "Hu's on first" routine springs to mind.

edwardseco

Saw tons of shows by them! It was my shona baba's favorite entertainment..

dzibead

I agree with you. I think the Tibet cause has had tremendous PR and "cachet" compared to a lot of other horror stories. Where I live, I sometimes think about every third car has a "Save Tibet" bumper sticker (as compared to zero for "Save Rwanda" or "Save Darfur" etc.)

But nevertheless, the PR has not led to concrete results. Today, the head of the Tibetan Youth Congress, which takes a harder line than the Dalai Lama in demanding complete independence for Tibet, was interviewed on National Public Radio, and when the interviewer asked him what their future action plan was, he sort of bumbled around and hemmed and hawed and eventually said more or less that they were going to do letters and petitions. Yawn. That's been SO effective so far. Essentially, there IS no action plan, except the aforesaid letters and petitions, and demonstrating at Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on March 10th and the Dalai Lama's birthday and the Panchen Lama's birthday, etc. And the Chinese don't really give a rat's ass about that, except when it occasionally leads to some Western government making a proclamation in support of the DL's quest for a non-violent solution to the situation -- phew! that let's them off the hook; can't be seen to be supporting someone who might actually espouse stirring up trouble --, and then China gets to express its "displeasure" about that ... in a never-ending cycle. Sad. And lame.

capt_mahajan

Agree with dzibead.

The Chinese also wait for the next elections, as in the US and India now... and there we go again

dzibead

A Sino-Tibetan "Groundhog Day" (as in the Bill Murray movie ... which, by the way, is the most "Buddhist" movie ever made, IMHO...and also hilarious!)

capt_mahajan

Andie MacDowell is never hilarious.

dzibead

'snerk'

karuna

Also agree with dzibead.

This isn't limited to Tibet, though. Despite mass protests in Burma hitting the headlines worldwide last year, nothing's changed there either. In fact a UK Foreign Office Minister said just this week:
"We are concerned about the lack of progress (in Burma) and, indeed, in some respects, matters have gone backwards".

I'm no expert in either cause, but as far as I can tell China's the biggest culprit in Burma, too. No amount of PR in the west will make a blind bit of difference while China (and..ahem...India) prop up the regime with trade and investment.

I should start a new thread, sorry. Not downplaying the Tibet cause in the slightest.

Nick-H

The Chinese might react if the Olympic games are noticably affected --- but probably by blaming everybody else and hitting Tibet even harder.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

capt_mahajan

Too add to what karuna posted, many other countries too, mainly in SE and South Asia.

This is the aspect of the whole Chinese attitude I find worrying - it's intransigence. A world military power, a world economic leader in the making which shrugs off world opinion too damn easily, so far.

And is allowed to.

Munivar

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...326?hub=Canada

The Dalai Lama is now Hitler...also a slave owner and a serial liar.

He also eats babies for breakfast.

__________________
Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kaelir !!!

dzibead

In line with this item (which is about statements made by China's ambassador to Canada), see the following article about the Chinese media in Canada stirring up anti-Tibetan feelings - one of the major Chinese-language newspapers mentioned is majority-owned by the supposedly reputable Toronto Star:
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-3-27/68105.html

I just love the "accusation" that before the Chinese take-over, Tibet was "like medieval Europe"! Ooo, horrors! Medieval Europe! You mean that period when the Book of Kells was created, Chartres Cathedral was built, the Canterbury Tales were written? Gosh, NIGHTMARE!

Yes, Tibet used to be a feudal aristocracy - but what was China itself? And what is China now? And how about during the Cultural Revolution? The Great Leap Forward was a great leap forward into the abyss. I think a lot of people might prefer Medieval Europe. China's level of denial and historical revisionism makes the former Soviets look like pikers in this regard. On this issue - China's version of "history" -- again, I highly recommend the Powers book I've mentioned before: History as Propaganda: Tibetan Exiles vs. The Peoples' Republic of China. Brilliant!

(P.S.: By the way, I hear the DL only eats Han Chinese babies.)

Sama

Monday is a Global Action Day for Tibet

__________________
My India, 2005-2008
BE THE REVOLUTION

edwardseco

Machiavelli: "...and has to be".

The attitude or chauvinism is extremely worrisome. Its pervasive even among overseas Chinese who see their country as rightfully inheriting world dominance from the decaying powers such a Britain and the US. Thousands of years of development in isolation may be coming to fruition in an unfortunate fashion..

Dilliwala

Three Stooges? Never heard of 'em.
Rather heard of 'em, but not seen. We didn't get to see much American TV in pre-cable days.