What do you want Tibet?
There are a lot of stories out there right now about the protests, riots, murder, and cultural genocide going on in Tibet in the past couple of days. Most of them, understandably, have a hard time putting their finger on verified facts … but this New York Times article is a pretty good read if you want to know what’s going on.
I wonder if these Tibetans really realize what they’re up against. And I’m pretty certain that China has no real idea about the tenacity and voraciousness they’re facing. You may not read about it, folks, but this story is going to persist for a really long time.
April 13th, 2008 at 2:25 am EST
tibet riots
i wonder how you think about it? do you know something about “ANTI-CNN”?
April 13th, 2008 at 8:38 am EST
Yes, I’ve read about anti-cnn, and I think it’s wonderful to see the Chinese people seek out truth in reporting and news coverage. They have, for too long, blindly consumed the “news” that has been spoon-fed to them by their government-controlled media … so a voice of criticism and dissent, regardless of the focus, is a very good thing.
Overall, I’m sad. China and the West do not understand each other, and now the situation will only worsen. The western media has very little access to China … so their reporting will continue to be biased and inaccurate. And the current full-frontal assault on China’s human rights record, including talk of an Olympic boycott, is a terrible way to approach the situation and seek out a resolution. China, which sees all of this as a purely domestic issue, will continue to come down with a heavy hand, further exacerbating the deep-rooted hatred and resentment that the Tibetan people feel. The violence will continue but will not be reported accurately from any news outlet … and China’s ego and pride will cause heightened critique and a loss of face around the globe while spurring on nationalism and support within its borders.
It makes me sad, for I really do love China and its people. What do you think, feier?
April 13th, 2008 at 1:21 pm EST
If “the current full-frontal assault on China’s human rights record, including talk of an Olympic boycott, is a terrible way to approach the situation and seek out a resolution,” then I’m curious how you think it should be dealt with, having lived in that culture for a year. I would think that your perspective on the situation would be enlightening…
April 13th, 2008 at 2:43 pm EST
Yeah, that’s a great question … and I’m not really an expert in diplomacy or foreign relations, so I don’t really know. Here are some thoughts, though:
China’s tireless pursuit of economic dominance has, in recent years, included a pretty smart political policy … non-interventionalism. The official policy is to worry about domestic issues and avoid interfering with other countries’ business. So it’s very insulting to their communist party when we interfere with what they see as their internal matters … when we spin a story of “criminal activity” on its heels, criticizing their law enforcement and questioning their sovereignty. They think that they’re big boys who can handle their own affairs.
Even more, the people of China have been intensely proud of the Olympics for many years … it’s a coming-of-age for them, a chance to peacefully show the world how wonderful their beloved homeland is. To them, we’re interrupting this process with something loud, ugly, and violent … and it’s stirring up their national pride and desire to unify. We’re crashing their wedding feast with an out-of-tune marching band, and they’re ready to pounce.
I’m particularly interested to see how the Western and Chinese media present things during the Olympics themselves, to see the tone and language that they decide to end up using. It’s a big stage, that’s for sure …