China defying world by persecuting Tibetans

Published on nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com on October 6, 2006

-Pritam S Rana

Reports by news agencies (and those posted on local news portals in Nepal - e.g. "e-kantipur") outline unspeakable cruelty displayed by Chinese authorities against Tibetans attempting to escape flee China. Such acts of inhumanity cannot be permitte d to pass.

According to reports., agroup of about 70 Tibetan refugees including women, children and monks tried to cross into Nepal from the Tibet, on Saturday. Chinese soldiers having prior information of the flight "arrived with weapons and opened fire." According to published reports, about 40 refugees managed to cross into Nepal while two were reportedly killed. Additionally, 2 others have gone "missing."

While the world is focused on conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Sri Lanka and other hot spots, Tibet remains till this day, uder a brutal occupation. The Chinese entered Tibet with military forces in 1950 and consolidated it after 1959.

China's indifference towards the people of Tibet is refelcted by Staurday night's tragic event. In stark contrast to universally accepted standards, Chinese soldiers chose to mow down fleeing and unarmed Tibetans for what was termed a 'border violation'. Despite the modernity of their economic enterprise, the Chinese seem to wed to Stalinist dictum of keeping foreigners out and insiders within. The actions of China's border troops show parallels with the attitudes of KGB (border guards).

China may think its economic prowess and its capacity as the world's largest market gives it go ahead to suppress the Tibetan people. It is now established fact that Tibetans are now a minority in their own homeland.

Tibetans are in such a sorry predicament that no country in the world (including the United States) is openly willing to challenge China on its Tibet policy. The US needs China's vast market to sell its produce while other major European powers also do not want to natagonize China for fear of economic retaliation. China, as the world's largest holder of the US treasury's 30-year bond, exercises considerable leverage not just in bi-lateral regional trade, but truly in the smooth functioning of the entire global economy.

Owing to China's increasing economic might, the cause of Tibetan freedom is now championed only by individuals and diminishing groups. They do not receive government support, for fear of antagonizing China. And despite the Tibetan spiritual leader (the Dalai Lama's) heightened staure as a Nobel laureate, the cause he champions appears to be losing momentum.

China's reaction towards the Dalai Lama has been harsh. beijing puts pressure on foreign governments not to welcome the Dalai Lama in their countries. Such pressure is accurately felt in countries like Nepal which is forced to bow down to Beijing in the name of 'peaceful coexistence'.

beijing's propaganda in tandem with the aid it provides to Nepal has been consistent over the years. The leftist and communists in Nepal have steadfastly backed China's claim to Tibet. nepal has held a long relationship with both China and India. Nepal was a trade partner and cobelligerents in different wars of the past. nepal is one of the few countries besides India, which can trace the independence and soverignty of Tibet in the past through a careful study of history. Despite China's constant claim that Tibet was forever part of China, historical analysis reveals that Tibet was only an ally of China during it wars with Nepal. The Chinese simply decided never to leave.

It was a miserable decision by the former Nepali government to close the Tibetan contact offices in nepal. Tibetan people are Nepal's earliest neighbors. Many ethnic groups in Nepal (including the renowned Sherpas and Tamangs) are said to have migrated to Nepal from Tibet. Nepalis and Tibetans have fraternal relations that go back as the time of the Licchavi King Amshuvarma who married his daughter Bhrikuti to the Tibetan King Srong Chong Gampo.

The Chinese on the other hand, came to contact with the Nepalis only after the Tibetans felt threatened by Nepal's expansionist policies in the 18th century. Tibet sought military support from China, which brought them to Nepal's border at that time.
(to be continued...)