Protests in Tibet

vistet

.. it also highlights an extremely shallow level of historical knowledge from the people parroting them . I´n on another thread now , where first princess Wencheng was offered as an argument for Chinas historical role in Tibet , and said to be contemporary with Marco Polo - misplacing her with five hundred years , and mixing up two different empires.

Another absurd theory offered , and bashed, is the Chinese introduction of Buddhism in Tibet. The last attempt to save this is to predate it before Srongtsen Gampo , to the Yarlung era , which well might be true, but doesn´t really explain why these Chinese missionaries would use Sanskrit...

Then there are the few , but hopeful exceptions : today I stumbled across and will order this book , by Tsering Shakya and Wang Xiolong (who I´m still jealous of , but that´s another story) .

I´m also waiting for Power´s book - is it restricted to modern Tibetan history interpretation , or does it go further back in time ?

__________________
high road to ..

Shiver me Timbers

I for one wouldn't approve of the Tibetans using the IRA's tactics of bombing civilians. Operations against the Chinese Army, no problem, but when you deliberately target civilians, you cross a certain line, and lose your moral high ground, becoming as bad as the enemy you seek to defeat.

I would also point out that the IRA never actually achieved their goal of a united Ireland, and went on with their 'struggle' long after Catholics had secured, at least in principle, equal civil rights.

Finally, I would also agree with Edwardseco - while the British were capable of much brutality and oppression, they did have a conscience, and there were always voices of criticism back in London of their actions all over the Empire - criticisms that were not repressed. Such criticism is not tolerated in China, at least in public.

So where does all this leave Tibet? Realistically, only the US army is capable of liberating them - hands up who wants to see that happen?

__________________
Europe to India Overland / Andaman's Tips / Pakistan Tips / Flickr Photos / IM Photos

Sama

I've heard both the Dalai Lama and my own Tibetan teacher say that that will never happen because Tibet has nothing the US wants.

__________________
My India, 2005-2008
sama: Pali/Sanskrit: that state of consciousness which reflects neither attachment nor aversion

Nick-H

It would mean World War Three, wouldn't it?

I don't think I see many hands up.

I think Tibet has vast natural resources, but not oil, and that seems to what America wants, more than anything. It's been suggested that if Tibet had oil, USA might have been interested.

(It's a vast country: is it true they do not have oil?)

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Sama

China has already been looting the natural resources of Tibet for years

tacita

and now they have the new rail system to make the whole process that much more efficient. china's land resources ministry recently announced huge "new" resources across tibet. turns out that "surprising" discovery was the product of a years-long, 1000-man, secret survey that preceded the railway construction. what exactly did they find? billions and billions of dollars worth of mineral resources, including potentially massive oil reserves.

regarding the claim that the US would do more to help tibet if it had oil, i suspect that the US (namely, US oil drilling companies) actually stands to gain more by taking a softer line, benefiting more from chinese exploitation of the region than from protecting tibet.

regarding the protests and growing pressure (such as it is) on the chinese government, i read this morning that president hu jintao seems to be wagering that china can hunker down, keep a tight lid on tibet through the olympics, and wait out the dalai lama's death.

__________________
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. ~Helen Keller

Sama

exactly...as if the train was merely for "tourists"

the last time I saw the Dalai Lama he acknowledged that he knows that people want him dead and that there were Chinese spies in the audience, wherever he goes throughout the world

edwardseco

Lets ask the CPI if they would approve passage across India assuming Iraq settles down..

Munivar

CPI(M) - is fondly known as Chinese Puppets in India (Morons).

__________________
Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kaelir !!!

Dilliwala

Heheh

Sama

I thought the Peoples' Republic of China didn’t believe in making the Games political?

1976, Montreal: The People’s Republic of China pressured Canada to bar the Taiwanese team from competing under the name Republic of China (ROC). The ROC refused the compromise that was suggested and did not participate again until 1984, when it returned under the name “Chinese Taipei"

Olympic boycotts --

1956, Melbourne: Boycotted by the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, because of the suppression of the Hungarian Uprising by the Soviet Union. Cambodia, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon boycotted the games over the Suez Crisis.

1972 and 1976, Munich, Montreal: African countries threatened the IOC with a boycott, asking it to ban South Africa, Rhodesia, and New Zealand. The IOC conceded in the first 2 cases, but refused in 1976. Twenty-two countries (Guyana was the only non-African nation) boycotted the Montreal Olympics because New Zealand was not banned.

1980, 1984, Moscow, Los Angeles: Cold War opponents boycotted one anothers’ games. Sixty-five nations refused to compete at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, protesting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The boycott reduced the number of competing nations to 81, the lowest number since 1956. The Soviet Union and 14 Eastern Bloc nations (except Romania) countered by boycotting the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

hmmmmm....I guess that was then, this is now

capt_mahajan

The Economic Times, India

The autocrats in Beijing will not ease their crackdown unless international pressure is brought to bear on them. The world has no second option.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2885987.cms

Dilliwala

Couple of good articles in today's TOI

The legion of Betrayed Warriors

The Monk Who Sold A Story

Shiver me Timbers

Here's the 'anti-imperialist' George Galloway on the Olympics....

China's Olympics Will Light The World

For me, the support of the far-left for China regarding Tibet is more sickening the the apparent indifference of the right.

edwardseco

Dead on. The French communists supported French colonialism in Vietnam..