The Dalai Lama’s Challenge to the Chinese People on Tibet
It all began in October 2008—the latest round I should say—when during his address at the anniversary celebrations of the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama said, “I have not lost faith in the people of China, but my faith in the present Chinese government is thinning…”
Since then, the Dalai Lama has returned to this theme several times, the latest being his remarks to the media in Paris earlier this month.
These statements have raised eyebrows among certain observers of the Tibetan-Chinese issue, particularly given that the dialogue process with Beijing is at an impasse. More importantly, given an authoritarian society like that of China, how can the people directly impact the government’s policy on any issue?
I look at the Dalai Lama’s statement as a challenge to the citizens of a China that is increasingly asserting its status as a leading world power. The Dalai Lama is able to appreciate that today’s China has changed greatly from the time of the China whose rulers took over Tibet. More and more Chinese citizens are pushing the envelope at all levels of the society. One only has to read the reports of the internet discussions in China or to look at some of the lawyers and labor rights activists who are taking up the cudgel on behalf of the people. The Chinese leadership itself is changing its view of itself and of its relevance to the people. As such, and the Dalai Lama repeatedly draws attention to even the fact that the Communist Party of China today is so merely in its nomenclature. For all practical purpose, it is a capitalist party.
The Dalai Lama has said that China deserves to be a leading world power, but that the status comes with responsibilities. One such responsibility is dealing appropriately with the issue of Tibet. Through his statements, the Dalai Lama is challenging the Chinese people to take up the Tibetan issue with their leaders if they really want China to be recognized by the international community for what it wants to be.
I think the Chinese people are responding, although we have miles to go. The Tibetan leadership in exile and organizations like the International Campaign for Tibet have been launching specific outreach programs to the Chinese community for the past few decades. In recent years such programs have been targeted to the Chinese community within China. On account of this as well as developments within China, the Chinese people’s attitude towards Tibet is changing.
First, the perception among Chinese about Tibetans being a backward community, which used to be the officially sanctioned position of the past, is no longer there. Today, there is increasing appreciation of Tibetan culture, religion, medicine, etc., among Chinese in China.
More recently, there are increasing voices within China among Chinese intellectuals concerning Tibetan civil and political rights. We saw this first in the discussion among Chinese lawyers and activists concerning the sentencing of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche in 2002. Subsequently, some Chinese lawyers, for the first time in history if I recall correctly, volunteered to legally defend Rinpoche.
Even though the Chinese authorities refused to allow them as defense lawyers, this was a positive step on behalf of the Chinese civil society towards Tibetans. Since then, there have been more lawyers taking up cases of Tibetans who have been wrongfully detained or persecuted.
Earlier this month, we saw another significant development when a Beijing based Chinese Think Tank, the Open Constitution Initiative, published a report on the clashes in Lhasa on March 14, 2008.
While the content and conclusion of the report is extraordinary (as they are totally contrary to the official Chinese position of blaming the Dalai Lama and others for what happened there), the fact that this is the first time that any China based organizations have taken the time and the responsibility to study the Tibetan situation is equally important. It is yet another indication that responsible Chinese individuals are looking at the Tibetan issue from a different perspective and are trying to act on this.
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These are good news. My prayers and Love for free Tibet.
Long Live His Holiness The Dalai Lama!
In the snowy mountain paradise, you’re the source of good and happiness
Powerful Tenzin Gyatso Chenrezig may you stay until Samsara ends!
OM MANI PADME HUM!