Wednesday, April 09, 2008

The difference between Tibet and Palestine

Hey! Take your hands off me! Not you! You!!!" - the voice of a young woman in the darkened cinema, an old joke.

By Uri Avnery


"Hey! Take your hands off Tibet!" the international chorus is crying out, "But not from Chechnya! Not from the Basque homeland! And certainly not from Palestine!" And that is not a joke.

Like everybody else, I support the right of the Tibetan people to independence, or at least autonomy. Like everybody else, I condemn the actions of the Chinese government there. But unlike everybody else, I am not ready to join in the demonstrations.

Why? Because I have an uneasy feeling that somebody is washing my brain, that what is going on is an exercise in hypocrisy.

I don't mind a bit of manipulation. After all, it is not by accident that the riots started in Tibet on the eve of the Olympic Games in Beijing. That's alright. A people fighting for their freedom have the right to use any opportunity that presents itself to further their struggle.

I support the Tibetans in spite of it being obvious that the Americans are exploiting the struggle for their own purposes. Clearly, the CIA has planned and organized the riots, and the American media are leading the world-wide campaign. It is a part of the hidden struggle between the US, the reigning super-power, and China, the rising super-power - a new version of the "Great Game" that was played in central Asia in the 19th century by the British Empire and Russia. Tibet is a token in this game.

I am even ready to ignore the fact that the gentle Tibetans have carried out a murderous pogrom against innocent Chinese, killing women and men and burning homes and shops. Such detestable excesses do happen during a liberation struggle.

No, what is really bugging me is the hypocrisy of the world media. They storm and thunder about Tibet. In thousands of editorials and talk-shows they heap curses and invective on the evil China. It seems as if the Tibetans are the only people on earth whose right to independence is being denied by brutal force, that if only Beijing would take its dirty hands off the saffron-robed monks, everything would be alright in this, the best of all possible worlds.

There is no doubt that the Tibetan people are entitled to rule their own country, to nurture their unique culture, to promote their religious institutions and to prevent foreign settlers from submerging them.

But are not the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria entitled to the same? The inhabitants of Western Sahara, whose territory is occupied by Morocco? The Basques in Spain? The Corsicans off the coast of France? And the list is long.

Why do the world's media adopt one independence struggle, but often cynically ignore another independence struggle? What makes the blood of one Tibetan redder than the blood of a thousand Africans in East Congo?

Again and again I try to find a satisfactory answer to this enigma. In vain.

Immanuel Kant demanded of us: "Act as if the principle by which you act were about to be turned into a universal law of nature." (Being a German philosopher, he expressed it in much more convoluted language.) Does the attitude towards the Tibetan problem conform to this rule? Does it reflect our attitude towards the struggle for independence of all other oppressed peoples?

Not at all.

What, then, causes the international media to discriminate between the various liberation struggles that are going on throughout the world?

Here are some of the relevant considerations:

(i) Do the people seeking independence have an especially exotic culture?

(ii) Are they an attractive people, i.e. "sexy" in the view of the media?

(iii) Is the struggle headed by a charismatic personality who is liked by the media?

(iv) It the oppressing government disliked by the media?

(v) Does the oppressing government belong to the pro-American camp? This is an important factor, since the United States dominates a large part of the international media, and its news agencies and TV networks largely define the agenda and the terminology of the news coverage.

(vi) Are economic interests involved in the conflict?

(vii) Does the oppressed people have gifted spokespersons, who are able to attract attention and manipulate the media?

From these points of view, there is nobody like the Tibetans. They enjoy ideal conditions.

Fringed by the Himalayas, they are located in one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. For centuries, just to get there was an adventure. Their unique religion arouses curiosity and sympathy. Its non-violence is very attractive and elastic enough to cover even the ugliest atrocities, like the recent pogrom. The exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, is a romantic figure, a media rock-star. The Chinese regime is hated by many - by capitalists because it is a Communist dictatorship, by Communists because it has become capitalist. It promotes a crass and ugly materialism, the very opposite of the spiritual Buddhist monks, who spend their time in prayer and meditation.

When China builds a railway to the Tibetan capital over a thousand inhospitable kilometers, the West does not admire the engineering feat, but sees (quite rightly) an iron monster that brings hundreds of thousands of Han-Chinese settlers to the occupied territory.

And of course, China is a rising power, whose economic success threatens America's hegemony in the world. A large part of the ailing American economy already belongs directly or indirectly to China. The huge American Empire is sinking hopelessly into debt, and China may soon be the biggest lender. American manufacturing industry is moving to China, taking millions of jobs with it.

Compared to these factors, what have the Basques, for example, to offer? Like the Tibetans, they inhabit a contiguous territory, most of it in Spain, some of it in France. They, too, are an ancient people with their own language and culture. But these are not exotic and do not attract special notice. No prayer wheels. No robed monks.

The Basques do not have a romantic leader, like Nelson Mandela or the Dalai Lama. The Spanish state, which arose from the ruins of Franco's detested dictatorship, enjoys great popularity around the world. Spain belongs to the European Union, which is more or less in the American camp, sometimes more, sometimes less.

The armed struggle of the Basque underground is abhorred by many and is considered "terrorism", especially after Spain has accorded the Basques a far-reaching autonomy. In these circumstances, the Basques have no chance at all of gaining world support for independence.

The Chechnyans should have been in a better position. They, too, are a separate people, who have for a long time been oppressed by the Czars of the Russian Empire, including Stalin and Putin. But alas, they are Muslims - and in the Western world, Islamophobia now occupies the place that had for centuries been reserved for anti-Semitism. Islam has turned into a synonym for terrorism, it is seen as a religion of blood and murder. Soon it will be revealed that Muslims slaughter Christian children and use their blood for baking Pitta. (In reality it is, of course, the religion of dozens of vastly different peoples, from Indonesia to Morocco and from Kosova to Zanzibar.

The US does not fear Moscow as it fears Beijing. Unlike China, Russia does not look like a country that could dominate the 21st century. The West has no interest in renewing the Cold War, as it has in renewing the Crusades against Islam. The poor Chechnyans, who have no charismatic leader or outstanding spokespersons, have been banished from the headlines. For all the world cares, Putin can hit them as much as he wants, kill thousands and obliterate whole towns.

That does not prevent Putin from supporting the demands of Abkhazia and South Ossetia for separation from Georgia, a country which infuriates Russia.

If Immanuel Kant knew what's going on in Kosova, he would be scratching his head.

The province demanded its independence from Serbia, and I, for one, supported that with all my heart. This is a separate people, with a different culture (Albanian) and its own religion (Islam). After the popular Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, tried to drive them out of their country, the world rose and provided moral and material support for their struggle for independence.

The Albanian Kosovars make up 90% of the citizens of the new state, which has a population of two million. The other 10% are Serbs, who want no part of the new Kosova. They want the areas they live in to be annexed to Serbia. According to Kant's maxim, are they entitled to this?

I would propose a pragmatic moral principle: Every population that inhabits a defined territory and has a clear national character is entitled to independence. A state that wants to keep such a population must see to it that they feel comfortable, that they receive their full rights, enjoy equality and have an autonomy that satisfies their aspirations. In short: that they have no reason to desire separation.

That applies to the French in Canada, the Scots in Britain, the Kurds in Turkey and elsewhere, the various ethnic groups in Africa, the indigenous peoples in Latin America, the Tamils in Sri Lanka and many others. Each has a right to choose between full equality, autonomy and independence.

This leads us, of course, to the Palestinian issue.

In the competition for the sympathy of the world media, the Palestinians are unlucky. According to all the objective standards, they have a right to full independence, exactly like the Tibetans. They inhabit a defined territory, they are a specific nation, a clear border exists between them and Israel. One must really have a crooked mind to deny these facts.

But the Palestinians are suffering from several cruel strokes of fate: The people that oppress them claim for themselves the crown of ultimate victimhood. The whole world sympathizes with the Israelis because the Jews were the victims of the most horrific crime of the Western world. That creates a strange situation: the oppressor is more popular than the victim. Anyone who supports the Palestinians is automatically suspected of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

Also, the great majority of the Palestinians are Muslims (nobody pays attention to the Palestinian Christians). Since Islam arouses fear and abhorrence in the West, the Palestinian struggle has automatically become a part of that shapeless, sinister threat, "international terrorism". And since the murders of Yasser Arafat and Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the Palestinians have no particularly impressive leader - neither in Fatah nor in Hamas.

The world media are shedding tears for the Tibetan people, whose land is taken from them by Chinese settlers. Who cares about the Palestinians, whose land is taken from them by our settlers?

In the world-wide tumult about Tibet, the Israeli spokespersons compare themselves - strange as it sounds - to the poor Tibetans, not to the evil Chinese. Many think this quite logical.

If Kant were dug up tomorrow and asked about the Palestinians, he would probably answer: "Give them what you think should be given to everybody, and don't wake me up again to ask silly questions."

NOTE: On the wise advice of a reader I have deleted all those anonymous long-ish comments, which are suspected of being nothing more than deliberate 'obstacles' to convenient reading - apparently this tactic is typical of cybertroopers (presumably in this posting, of Israel's or pro Zionists'). Those genuinely wanting to share large tracts of information should post only links.

35 comments:

  1. Aims of Gush Shalom

    The primary aim of Gush Shalom is to influence Israeli public opinion and lead it towards peace and conciliation with the Palestinian people, based on the following principles:

    Putting an end to the occupation,

    Accepting the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent and sovereign State of Palestine in all the territories occupied by Israel in 1967,

    Reinstating the pre-1967 "Green Line" as the border between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine (with possible minor exchanges of territories agreed between the parties); the border will be open for the free movement of people and goods, subject to mutual agreement.

    Establishing Jerusalem as the capital of the two states, with East Jerusalem (including the Haram al-Sharif) serving as the capital of Palestine and West Jerusalem (including the Western Wall) serving as the capital of Israel. The city is to be united on the physical and municipal level, based on mutual agreement.

    Recognizing in principle the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees, allowing each refugee to choose freely between compensation and repatriation to Palestine and Israel, and fixing by mutual agreement the number of refugees who will be able to return to Israel in annual quotas, without undermining the foundations of Israel.

    Safeguarding the security of both Israel and Palestine by mutual agreement and guarantees.

    Striving for overall peace between Israel and all Arab countries and the creation of a regional union.

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  3. Ktemoc, your support for the palestinians FAR outweigh whatever support you may have of other oppressed people in the world. Stop justifying your tunnel vision and perhaps you will be less of the hypocrtical, racist bastard which you so conveniently accuse others of being. Given your bias the Palestinian cause has become a less worthy cause. Give others a chancse to support the Palestinians by being less defensive with regard to your biased views of the Palestinians. We are all biased in one way or another but to brood no criticism and to even quote rubbish such as "Clearly, the CIA has planned and organized the riots, and the American media are leading the world-wide campaign." is utter contempt fot the sufferings of the Tibetans. People like you and Uri Avnery will never win the hearts of non-Muslims in Malaysia with your skewed view of the world.

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  5. just some further reading for those who are able to see things from a more neutral perspective, check out these sites:


    http://www.takungpao.com/news/08/03/20/ZMTG-880387.htm

    http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html

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  7. Nobody gives a shit to Tibet or Palestine. Tibet and Palestine has no economic value to anyone in this world including USA.

    However Tibet and Palestine are useful political pawns for the USA. Everyone love to talk about Tibet and Palestine but does anyone "Walk their Talk?"

    So the conclusion is this..."Tibet and Palestine offers no economic assets(Oil) to USA but both are political pawns in the political strategy of USA"

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  8. On the contrary, with very few almost irrelevant exceptions, most of the world's governments have shamelessly turned their backs to the Tibetan people. Malaysia included.

    Of course, due to fear of antagonising China, the world's fastest growing economic power.

    It is easy (or more likely convenient ?) to forget that prior to the China invasion in 1951, there was a NATION called Tibet. There had been a NATION called Tibet for centuries before the Qing occupation. The Tibetan rulers paid tribute to China's emperors, simply in recognition of China's regional hegemony, but they were, nevertheless, separate kingdoms.

    "Clearly, the CIA has planned and organized the riots, and the American media are leading the world-wide campaign"
    Hohohoh...I think the CIA is too preoccupied with Iraq and Iran right now.

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  9. I'm prepared to respect Socialism as a valid Political and Economic movement, but a "loony" like Uri Avnery really gives The Left a bad reputation.

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  11. Anon 5.15pm said...

    "Ktemoc, your support for the palestinians FAR outweigh whatever support you may have of other oppressed people in the world. Stop justifying your tunnel vision...."

    Aiyah, ask him how much many barrel of oil he got ler, for his effort, Anon. Am I being cynical? I don't think so! He would first have to be loony to do all that spin and fudge for free and getting all the flak for them!

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  12. ‘Tunnel vision’ hardly describes Ktemoc on a single note that he puts up with those colourful adjectives describing him. There is more to be said of this sunny personality who speaks his mind to provoke a debate.

    Dennis Prager, Jewish historian and talk show host, recently commented on differences between the Palestinian issue and Tibet.

    Tibet is an ancient culture with a definitive language which China is trying to dismantle, while no nation called ‘Palestine’ ever existed in history. The bald fact is that Palestinians were always part of the larger Arab community who asserted statehood in the aftermath of the failed Arab wars against Israel.

    He asked then, why do Palestinians who never existed as a nation in history have observer status in the United Nations but Tibet, a nation in existence for over 1000 years, does not.

    Prager asked, why does attention on Tibet pale in comparison to the Palestinian issue when proportionately more Tibetans are being killed in their quest for independence from China than Palestinians in theirs for statehood.

    The answer is ‘terror’. Generations of Palestinian terror has effectively galvanized world attention to their cause.

    Hypothetically Prager said, if the Dalai Lama and Buddhist culture within Tibet allowed suicide bombings of innocent civilians and hijacking of airliners in the name of Tibetan nationalism, world attention would have probably galvanized on Tibet and like the Palestinians, it would have a voice in the U.N.

    Thankfully, for the world at large, Tibetans are cut from a different cloth.

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  13. I agree with you absolutely this Western bias in the media, protesters, and even governments, are detestable.

    Their hypocrisy and double standards and implied racism, is just unbelieveable and unacceptable.

    Why don't the British people get out of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Belize, the United States of America, and other parts of the world now colonised and conquered by them? And the Frenchies and the other Western European powers from their colonised or annexed territories. Why don't they return the lands to the rightful native owners and get out of those places?

    These Westerners have a bloody history of killing and massacring the local natives and destroying their culture; Even subjugating some to slavery. Where is the worldwide protests and condemnation against such acts? Mankind's history is still short. The atrocities inflcited by Westernia in the 15th to 18th centuries still has to be accounted for. Not conveniently swept under the carpet.

    History written by the winners? Not bloody ok if you ask me. About time Easternia whack Westernia especially its establishments - mass media and governments in particular - and other activists.

    Time for Easternia to rise. And may Westernia quake in their boots and pee in their sleep!

    Why pick on China? Why continue to try and humilate China? She is not perfect but that doesn't mean the Western world have to continue to humilate her.

    Yes, the 19th, 20th, and
    21st century still remains Pax Westernia. Yes, it is clear they are rabidly jealous of anyone, or any country who threaten or compete with them over their power and control of planet Earth.

    I think China should should dig their heels in and tell Westernia to fly kite". Get lost! I think China should go all out and build its armed forces and threaten Westernia. If they want to be a bully, then China should be a Ghengiz Khan.
    The hell with niceties with these people. Raze their economy, their land, their people to the ground. Make slaves out of them for a change. Time to stop sand being kicked in your face.

    Long live Easternia.

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  14. "Tibetans are cut from a different cloth."

    Definitely, hate is not a cultural virtue.

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  15. (hmm .. first time I have seen a complete post scambled upon publication!!)

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  16. zionists are very sensitive - their cybertroopers are the most virulent ;-) I am quite familiar with them, and can recognize their swastika tattoos ha ha ha.

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  17. SS,

    A nation from Easternia once tried to raze the economy of Westernia, the land, and their people. But what happened?

    Other neighbors in Easternia were decimated & destroyed by this country, examples such as Nanking, Manilla, and the Sook Ching Massacre.

    In the end, this nation had two superweapons dropped on them by a nation from Westernia.

    The point is, before China starts to become hostile with the West, it will definitely get hostile with its neighbors first, just like Japan in the 1930s. Taiwan would be the first on the list. Then, perhaps SE Asia, or rival India?

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  18. China should have the right to host the Olympics, but the critics should also have the right to peacefully protest & highlight the plight of the Tibetans and Uighurs (as seen in Turkey). Drama like trying to grab the torch or rush the runners, however, will not do anything to help the cause.

    KT, speaking of how the international media consistently harps on the Tibetan issue, I've noticed your coverage on oppressed persons worldwide has been mostly (if not all) skewed towards the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

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  19. because the Palestinian story is one of the gravest, if not the gravest injustice in history - a people whose land was arbitarily given away by Britain and a guilt stricken Europe to European Jews, and whose land continues to be plundered by a Nazi-like Israeli.

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  20. Why not Free Kashmir, Free Assam, Free Pattani, Free Moro or Free Tamil Elam ? The people there have stronger grievances given the greater bloodbath in those area ?


    The fact is that the Tibetan unrest and the media cries are just part of Western attempts to humiliate China before Olympics. This will only serve to unite Chinese people all over the world, in the face of blatant biased and provocations by the West.

    I'm sure everyone wants to be free and live among their own kind only so that they can practice their culture freely. Even the orang Asli of West Malaysia, the Ibans, the Kadazans and other indigineous people should be allowed to be independant, if one is to follow the logic of the Free Tibetan people to its conclusion. But that is not the reality.

    Free Tibet movement is strong and well coordinated because of Western (CIA ) support as part of attempt to subvert China. We know that Tibet has been a Chinese territory for years before the White settlers arrive in Australia.

    Also in todays context, no culture will be affected bu outside influence. The biggest threat to indigenous culture today is globalisation. The young people become more attracted to Western consumption habits, like eating Big Mac and drinking coke. It is not Han Chinese influence only.

    Also, to keep out Han Chinese form Tibet is just racist. Citizens of China should be allowed to go anywhere in China !

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  21. It is OK for the Americans to bomb Iraqis and Afghans, but a NO-NO for Chinese to shoot Tibetan arsonists and killers

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  22. Cut the conspiracy theories crap. China has no business being in Tibet.

    http://fernzjoefernandez.blogspot.com

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  23. Neither has India in Sikkim! Tell them to cut the crap and get out of Sikkim, Assam and other lands neighbouring Burma!

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  24. Aye, why the undue focus on China and the Olympics?

    IMHO America and Europe has no respect for the East. The current scenario being played out is but part of a larger picture of global realpolitiks - ala (as Silver Surfer rightly points out) of "Westernia" versus "Easternia"; of their strategy, their forward policy to thwart China rising in the East.

    And what better way than to brand them ALL as cold dangerous slit eye inhuman incompassionate beings. Ho hum .. just part of our usual jolly warfare you know, in terms of hearts and minds. (Yes, without these sort of PR, heaven helps you if you are a white person caught and convicted of crime and thrown into one of those "uncivilized Easternia's" jail! God to heaven how we whites should be allowed to kept captive by these insidious Easterners!)

    No need for me to say the West should look at their own backyard and their delporable history first. It's irrelevant in the here and now. Its pyschological warfare and don't you doubt it. The West controls the globalised mass media. And the recipe for global psychological control is simple : Throw in a few surreptiously government (aka CIA, MI6 etc.) sponsored agitators, plus a few weakling wind bending political opportunists, and you have a wave of "livid world opinion" carried by the mass media against China.

    Aye,! What better way to destroy your competitior or potential competitor than to destroy their good name? And what better opportunity than the Tibetan Independence issue?

    Fairplay from the West? Only if you are a small potato; a small red dot like Singapore which doesn't threathen the West!

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  25. Manchuria was carved up into 3 provinces after WW2-- Heilungjiang, Liaoning and Jilin. The same should be done to Tibet so as to get rid of any thought that Tibetan "independence"

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  26. Is it possible that the Palestinians may have sabotaged their own efforts at achieving nationhood due to the stand of sizeable numbers of their own people who vociferously and uncompromisingly demand for the complete destruction of Israel and the expulsion of all Jews from that region?

    If these people had been more accommodating and less extreme in their demands, perhaps there would have been much greater headway in bringing about an amicable solution to this problem.

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  27. China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia should send their warships off the costs of U.S.A and other European countries each time they wish to send a message they do not condone the actions of these governments. See how they like it!

    I think China, Russia, North Korea, and North Vietnam should help put up missiles in Cuba and other Caribbean countries. Afterall the threat from Al Qaeda is world wide. honest to jeepers, we need protection from these terrorists! A missile defence emplacement in the Caribbean is what the doctor ordered!

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  28. This is quite a nice opinion piece you have written. As expected, it also provoked some rather heated responses from readers. Good of you, KT, to allow these comments to stand despite they calling you rude names! Truly this is democracy at work, and certainly makes for lively and interesting reading when you have opposing viewpoints as is the case here.

    On a dull day it is a pleasant way to spend the time coming here to read all these.

    Keep going KT, please don't stop! ;)

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  29. "And since the murders of Yasser Arafat and Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the Palestinians have no particularly impressive leader - neither in Fatah nor in Hamas."

    Yasser Arafat murdered? Stretching it a bit too far ain't it?

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  30. `Yasser Arafat murdered? Stretching it a bit too far ain't it?`

    You are a zionist and will deny the Jews poisoned the freedom fighter.

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  31. i guess alot of protest going on now was due to the media coverage which was very biased..somehow i think the people who insulted this whole Tibetan independence movement the most was the media when they published all these untrue pictures of police violence that was taken in nepal and india and by distorting the news and the photographs that their journalist took in tibet.

    to be honest i was in the bandwagon of most people who wanted independence in tibet..but then again, one have to realize its going to be quite impossible to achieve..no country in the world will do that in the modern times, let alone the chinese communist regime who usually has low regards when it comes to human lives..wht we are witnessing now is just part of a political power play..

    i mean look at how the french dealt with the algerian minorities riots last year..i think theres not much difference with whats happening in lhasa..the only difference is the rioters in paris was rioters while the rioters in tibet was called demonstrators..if im a han chinese in lhasa and rioters are coming to burn my house i would expect the government to do something..

    i remembered in the 97 i've seen pictures of chinese families being massacred in indonesia and but i don't remember anyone from the 'international community' saying anything..i had a friend who married an indonesian chinese who escaped to penang and she confirmed the stories of how hundreds if not thousands were killed..and raped..

    what about the armenian genocide done by the turkish?some said almost 1mil killed but most people have not even heard about that..why is turkey still welcomed in the EU when they have committed some of the worst crimes in history without having even to acknowledge it let alone apologize? and are still doing the same thing to the kurdish at its borders with iraq..

    lets be practical about it..tibet to china is very important to them..tibet is buffer state for china against india..so giving up tibet is not an option for china..and i bet they are willing to go to war for it..so the worst case scenario is u.s or eu intervened and with india as a backup...4 nuclear powers in a full scale war..thats bad news to the world ya...and then everyone can forget about preserving the tranquility and cultures of tibet...

    we all know what the west wanted..to bog china down with a serious domestic upheaval and put them 50 years backwards..but we as asians we have to understand that like it or not any major disturbance in china will affect us greatly..not only in economics but social politics as well..i mean the last time something like that happened there we ended up having millions of dead chinese and some of them ended up here..the last thing i want for my country is to have 1 million or so of chinaman boatpeople at my shore...no country is ready to deal with that..

    i dont like china's human rights records just as much as i hated u.s foreign policies since the vietnam war..what worries me is the number of the general public jumping into the protest bandwagon just for the sake of so called human rights without thinking deep into the issue..i guess its fair to say that we do what we can and we protest when we can..and theres no point debating whether tibet belongs to china historically coz most countries in the world has invaded some other over the course of history..and comparing one evil to another doesnt make one better..

    theres no clear answer to this issue..everyone can have a different say n there will be enough of 'moral' points to back it up..it all depends on where we are coming from..for me, i agree with kt..protesting n boycotting the olympics will only make things worse..china seems quite quiet now coz they have an olympics to run and a taiwan to work on..but it doesnt mean they wont react to it..for example the french should prepare to loose china's 150 airbus deal worth US10billion after 08/08/08..

    and we should always watch out for biased western media..

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  32. ktomac,
    Your writing itself looks like a doctoral thesis.

    But there is one fundamental flaw in your analysis and it is rather simple.

    That is there is simply no basis for comparison between Tibet problemwhich is buddhist and Palestine, Kurds, chechnya, kashmir, etc which are Islamic.

    For America,and the west ... it is natural they focus on what they consider a threat for them. And tibetan buddhists are hardly a threat.

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  33. here is a news item ... it is in context and explains why the world reacts the reason it does.

    Have a look at this news item.

    Mgr Saldanha slams murder of Hindu, killed for alleged blasphemy

    http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11971&size=A

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  34. I'll give the victory in San Francisco to the protestors. They managed to force the organizing committee to cut short the torch running ceremony, abort the closing ceremony in San Francisco, as well as install two of their agents as torch-runners, who pulled out Tibetan flags next to the torch. If their aim was to disrupt the torch run, they succeeded.

    Well, its San Fran...

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  35. Well...All I can say is that I typed in the search engine "which is worse the Tibet or the Palestinian issue?"
    And this article came up...
    Well....I rest my case....
    Thanks for the information and the insight.
    Boy the things I d'ont miss living in the U.S. ( lived there all my life until end of 2007)

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