What are the issues?

What are the issues?

It has been both interesting and disheartening to see the massive divide emerge between China and other nations following the March protests. Chinese media, in particular, has taken a defensive stance in regards to Tibet’s heritage and an offensive one in terms of defining what the issues are regarding Tibet today. Media from other developed nations (I am American so I primarily follow English language news – BBC, NY Times, Washington Post) has presented a different set of issues or, at least, presented the events in a very different light.

At the outset of this blog I want to move the lens out of the heat of the past 2 months events and ask: what are the issues? Neither Chinese nor Western media have given any real consideration as to WHY Tibetans might be acting the way the are (regardless of whether you think they are terrorists or oppressed people’s fighting for their rights). Similarly, there is no discussion from primary Western sources as to why China might feel compelled to act as it has. In parallel, Chinese media, and as far as I can tell, it’s government and people, seem to be woefully unable to understand why “wei guo ren” (outsiders) say what they do about Tibet. Since no one is trying to get at these core issues, the divergence deepens and each side becomes less rational and more defensive. So now we find ourselves with people being beaten up at Carrefour stores and Olympic flags being taken away from a woman in a wheelchair. Those actions are just ridiculous.

So what are the issues that should be discussed and debated and RESOLVED? Here’s my list:

1. Tibet and China’s Historical Relationship – Has Tibet been Chinese for the duration of China’s 5000 year history? Was it a free country until Mao ordered troops to invade in 1951? Or has Tibet been governed largely independently with a strong political influence and guidance from China through intermittent periods of the last millennium?
2. China’s Current Policies Toward Tibet – What exactly are these policies, particularly in regards to Buddhism? Are they helping or hurting Tibet? Is economic development benefiting and liberating normal Tibetans? Has China created a set of policies that amount to “cultural genocide”? I strongly believe that very few people know or understand the reality and complexity of these policies.
3. Human rights vs. Intervention – China has contended that this issue is an internal one an should be dealt with internally. Other nations, particularly in Europe, state China is committing human rights violations and oppressing the Tibetan people and that they should intervene on behalf of those people? I think this issue is far larger than simply the scope of Tibet and goes deep within the consciousness of the Chinese psyche. Western governments, media, and citizens should seek to understand the Chinese manner of thinking in this area. (To my Chinese friends: Why do you think China has taken more effort than any nation or culture on the history of the planet to keep people out?)
4. China’s Emergence as a World Power – Many have viewed the Olympics as Chinas “coming out party”. If this is so, then the current turmoil says a great deal about how China wants to act on the international stage and how it will be received by other developed nations. What influence does China want to have? (It’s impossible for that influence to be restricted solely to economics – indeed, Marx himself told us how all life is economic.) How does the West want to work with, restrict, and accept China? On what terms?
5. Media Use and Principles – China is the largest censor on the planet. All media is state owned and run. European, North American, and many other nations have a press that is free from the direct hand of government direction. China has accused companies like CNN of manipulating the truth. At the same time, China has banned all foreign reporters from Tibet. THE MECHANISMS FOR FINDING AND REPORTING THE TRUTH ARE DEEPLY CONSTRAINED HERE. This atmosphere is dangerous – we cannot find the truth, nor spread it, so how can we have a legitimate discussion of the issues?

I suggest the following: If Chinese media is state governed and if Western media are indeed “biased”, then we cannot get a legitimate report of what is happening in Tibet. In fact, we should expect to be manipulated. To avoid this, we must examine the interests of each group doing the reporting. We must do this in our own heads and seek to be as objective as possible. This allows us to develop a certain “filter” for the news coming from each side.

6. The Desires of Tibetans – inside and out of China - What do Tibetans in Tibet want? What does the Tibetan Government In Exile want? What do other expat Tibetans want? Are these desires unified? Are they the same across ages? Are the same regardless of what job people have? It seems to me that anyone who cared, be it an outside and concerned Westerner or a Chinese person being patriotic about his or her nation helping, would focus on the expressed desires of Tibetans themselves.

IF CHINESE, AMERICANS, EUROPEANS, INDIANS, OR ANYONE ELSE DOES ANYTHING BUT PUT TIBETANS FIRST THEN THEY ARE BEING SELFISH AND ACTING FOR THEIR OWN GAIN.

Well that’s a little longer than I would like to write. As this blog grows, I invite you not only to comment on the ideas being discussed but also on how I, we might best put the idea out there.