03-17-2008, 07:10 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Tibet in ferment </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Hu Jintao should learn from history
The rioting in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet that followed the commemoration of the 49th anniversary of what Tibetans refer to as their 'National Uprising Day' could not have come at a worse time for Beijing. Mr Hu Jintao, preparing for his second term as President of China, would not have wanted such a distraction from the proceedings of the National People's Congress, not least because they were supposed to set the tone and tenor of his fresh five-year tenure. The bloody clashes between Tibetans led by monks and the police, which have surpassed the skirmishes of recent times, have ensured that the world's attention is now focussed on Lhasa and not Beijing -- this is bad news for a man who is eager to lead China to the pre-eminent position it aspires for and to attain which much effort has been invested. The immediate impact of the spring uprising in Tibet could be felt on the Summer Olympics through which China wishes to showcase its admirable achievements -- a call to boycott the Games is inevitable, though it is anybody's guess as to how successful it will be in garnering international support. But irrespective of the fallout of the violence in Tibet -- which reports suggest is yet to be controlled by the security forces -- the Government of China needs to step back and ponder over its policy to contain dissent in the 'Roof of the World'. It is evident that the use of force and repressive measures to silence critics of Beijing, as well as the settlement of Han Chinese in Tibet to dilute the region's cultural identity, have not delivered the results China expected. Had this not been true, Tibet would not have been in fervent today. Mr Hu Jintao should have known this better than any of his comrades in the Communist Party of China. After all, two decades ago he had been given the task of suppressing another Tibetan uprising; he fulfilled that responsibility with remarkable efficiency, earning the admiration of his senior colleagues. But surely he would agree that what he had succeeded in achieving then was at best temporary -- it was neither a final nor a lasting solution to the issue of Tibet.
For that, Mr Hu Jintao must look at other options which are less dependent on the use of force. He could begin his new tenure by acknowledging the need to allow diversity in a country as vast as China, more so in Tibet. By seeking to forcibly stamp out the unique identity of Tibet, the Government of China has only helped strengthen the resolve of the Tibetans to preserve -- and assert, regardless of the consequences -- their identity. This is not to suggest that China should retreat from Tibet or accept the demand for Tibet's independence; these are issues that belong to the realm of China's internal affairs. Indeed, how it chooses to handle situations similar to that witnessed over this past weekend, too, is nobody's business. It would also be in order to point out that the outrage voiced by individuals and institutions in Western countries is contrary to the official policy of their Governments, which are happy to do business with Beijing. At the same time, repressive measures are bound to elicit adverse comment abroad, especially in this age of instant communications when events cannot be kept hidden from the world. Joseph Stalin tried to use force to stamp out national identities at a time when details could be kept under wraps; in the end, he failed in his endeavour. Mr Hu Jintao would do well to learn from history.
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Harshvardan,
I know, how Indian mamey/thuley looks like. Sorry for my north Indian street language.
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Hu Jintao should learn from history
The rioting in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet that followed the commemoration of the 49th anniversary of what Tibetans refer to as their 'National Uprising Day' could not have come at a worse time for Beijing. Mr Hu Jintao, preparing for his second term as President of China, would not have wanted such a distraction from the proceedings of the National People's Congress, not least because they were supposed to set the tone and tenor of his fresh five-year tenure. The bloody clashes between Tibetans led by monks and the police, which have surpassed the skirmishes of recent times, have ensured that the world's attention is now focussed on Lhasa and not Beijing -- this is bad news for a man who is eager to lead China to the pre-eminent position it aspires for and to attain which much effort has been invested. The immediate impact of the spring uprising in Tibet could be felt on the Summer Olympics through which China wishes to showcase its admirable achievements -- a call to boycott the Games is inevitable, though it is anybody's guess as to how successful it will be in garnering international support. But irrespective of the fallout of the violence in Tibet -- which reports suggest is yet to be controlled by the security forces -- the Government of China needs to step back and ponder over its policy to contain dissent in the 'Roof of the World'. It is evident that the use of force and repressive measures to silence critics of Beijing, as well as the settlement of Han Chinese in Tibet to dilute the region's cultural identity, have not delivered the results China expected. Had this not been true, Tibet would not have been in fervent today. Mr Hu Jintao should have known this better than any of his comrades in the Communist Party of China. After all, two decades ago he had been given the task of suppressing another Tibetan uprising; he fulfilled that responsibility with remarkable efficiency, earning the admiration of his senior colleagues. But surely he would agree that what he had succeeded in achieving then was at best temporary -- it was neither a final nor a lasting solution to the issue of Tibet.
For that, Mr Hu Jintao must look at other options which are less dependent on the use of force. He could begin his new tenure by acknowledging the need to allow diversity in a country as vast as China, more so in Tibet. By seeking to forcibly stamp out the unique identity of Tibet, the Government of China has only helped strengthen the resolve of the Tibetans to preserve -- and assert, regardless of the consequences -- their identity. This is not to suggest that China should retreat from Tibet or accept the demand for Tibet's independence; these are issues that belong to the realm of China's internal affairs. Indeed, how it chooses to handle situations similar to that witnessed over this past weekend, too, is nobody's business. It would also be in order to point out that the outrage voiced by individuals and institutions in Western countries is contrary to the official policy of their Governments, which are happy to do business with Beijing. At the same time, repressive measures are bound to elicit adverse comment abroad, especially in this age of instant communications when events cannot be kept hidden from the world. Joseph Stalin tried to use force to stamp out national identities at a time when details could be kept under wraps; in the end, he failed in his endeavour. Mr Hu Jintao would do well to learn from history.
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Harshvardan,
I know, how Indian mamey/thuley looks like. Sorry for my north Indian street language.