open Democracy News Analysis - china & the world - Comments

Anthony Barnett on "Tiananmen: the legacy of 1989"

Anthony Barnett — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:40:37 +0100

Great article - thanks

Hosting Dlya Seo on "China's Olympics: a view from Brazil"

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TeeNorbu on "China’s political tunnel"

TeeNorbu — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:49:02 +0100

Lets hope that the long awaited time for people stuck at home and outside be soon over in a peaceful transition..

Tibet&ChinneseWilliveTogeher on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Tibet&ChinneseWilliveTogeher — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 05:52:43 +0100

Tsering Shakya lak

Thank you for bringing such a thouroughly crafted expertise into such simplified intellectual artistic article. This art captures soul and the heart of Tibetan people's everlasting sun light of trust in truth and reflect the Chinese Communist party's stubornness toward seeing a Pure Land of Connectedness with Higher forces.

Tibetan leadership will one day will raise again one day soon, to become once again the voice for living withine higher realities for mutual benefit. concious living, and the fundamental dependencies of all life forms...................
In Short, Tibetan people will strengthen our unity and out struglle to achieve basic human right because they are trying to chose Blind Approach from the Chinese Communist paty.....................
But If the Chinse Communist party will research the History again.,...... they will find out, that People Will Never Loose,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, So Tibet Will Live For Ever Stronger.

Not logged in on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Not logged in — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:00:36 +0100

This kind of lopsided critique towards China's Tibet policy is no help for anybody. It only makes overseas Tibetans and admirers of Dalai Lama in the West further misunderstand China, and make Chinese people become even more hostile to anybody sympathizing Tibetan cause. It's a vicious circle only result in deeper mistrust between overseas Tibetan and mainland Chinese, which in turn makes revolving Tibetan question even more remote.
If anybody really want to help Tibetans, please be objective and constructive.
Any cool mind that has some knowledge about Tibet history would recognize that no government in Beijing, whether it's communist or not, will ever cede Tibet to Tibetan themselves or anybody else, not to mention the rising China today. So stop whining and be realistic.

Jigme on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Jigme — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:59:01 +0100

Excellent article. I particularly liked this quote

"without consideration of culture, which essentially has to do with people's control over their destinies, their ability to name the world in a way which reflects their particular experience, development is simply a global process of social engineering whereby the economically and militarily more powerful control, dominate, and shape the lives of other for their purposes"

ilnewgnay on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

ilnewgnay — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:41:26 +0000

I totally agree with what Mr. Tenzin Rigden said.

To Tibetans, Chinese are outsiders. No doubt. There are lots of similar instance occured in the history.

To Native Hawaiians, Americans are outsiders. Hawaii Kingdom was invaded by the U.S. in 1894 and was occupied completedly in 1898. The native people have no right to issue opinion on the invasion.

To Corsicans, French people are outsiders. Corsica was invaded by France in 1769 and the Corsica democratic independence struggle has never stopped since the invasion.

To the people of Bayern, Germans are outsiders. Bayern was invaded by Germany in 1871 and its democratic independence struggle has continued in the following 200 years.

As an outsider, the Chinese government is too soft. China is a student and has lots to learn. The U.S. is definitely a teacher on being an outsider. The U.S. slaughtered 90% Indians within 100 years after its foundation. Is there any North American Indian awarded Nobel Peace Prize? No. Is there any politician in the world condemning the American government against the Indians slaughter? No. That's really the ultimate perfect behavior of being an outsider: we snatched all what we wanted and no one would blame us.

Meanwhile, I should say I like this article, absolutely. Especially this paragraph:

"There are many parallels too in China's presentation of the protests of March-April 2008. The bloodiest early incident of these protests occurred on 14 March in Lhasa, when a number of civilians (official reports say eighteen) were killed, twelve of them after rioters set off fires in Chinese shops. It's not clear if the arsonists had any idea that there were people hiding in the shops' upper floors or backrooms, or that they were unable to escape."

That's what I want!

It's not clear if I have any idea that there were people hiding in the shops' upper floors or backrooms, or that they were unable to escape. Then I have legitimate excuse to fire the shops.

I like the powerful logic.

tibetan on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

tibetan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:01:36 +0000

If you want to know about Iraqi occupation do you go to Fox news? No, you ask Iraqi people.

Similarily, Mr. Costello should stop reading imperialist and colonial depictions of Tibetans (written by westerners or chinese alike) and listen to Tibetans (both inside and outside Tibet).

Not logged in on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Not logged in — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:35:29 +0000

Tsering Shakya's article provides with conclusions that should be considered very attentively. An outstanding writing of the excellent analyst.

Tenzin Rigden on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Tenzin Rigden — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:17:21 +0000

Re: Jane Tse's comments

You say "there is no need for stories of outsiders". First of all, to Tibetans, Chinese are outsiders. There is no word in thousands of year old Tibetan vocabulary that shows Tibet as a part of China. China (Gyanak) is completely different word, exclusive of Tibet (Bod). And you are calling a Tibetan scholar talking about Tibet a "foreigner"?

Second, and more importantly, there are a lot of free thinking, critical minded people who appreciate viewpoints like those of Tsering Shakya. Shutting other people simply because their viewpoint is different shows the quality of "brain-washing" you have received.

Reflect! Think!

Not logged in on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Not logged in — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:28:34 +0000

Whether there were serfs or not in traditional Tibet is irrelevant. What about traditional China and today's China? Did it not have social ills? Does it not have problems today? Is it right for a stronger country to invade and occupy China in the name of righting these wrongs? All countries in the world, both historically and today, have various problems and the world will be a very dangerous place if every stronger country used the excuse of some one else's problems to invade, occupy and oppress.

Yes, there was a form of feudalism and inequalities in traditional Tibet, but like any other society, the Tibetans were and are capable of reforming their own society. To deny this, as the Chinese do and you seem to be doing, is to practise exactly what Shakya deplores in that article.

This is what the Western imperialists did in the past in Asia, Africa and the Americas. This is what Japan did to China and other Asian countries. Are you justifying their atrocities?

Ronald Johnson on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Ronald Johnson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:57:12 +0000

Costello is completely wrong. First of all, Tibet was not "ruled" by South American camelids. Second, the vast majority of Tibetans were happy with the way things were or if they were not would never, ever, have opted for the changes that Chinese colonialism wrought. I have ived and worked with Tibetans for over 35 years and have been there 5 times. For Tibetans, the place is a prison; they have no real freedom. Tsering Shakya's piece is right on.

jane tse on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

jane tse — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:38:59 +0000

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It is the job of governments all over the world to cultivate national
solidarity, patriotism and particularly a docile populace with festivals or
special occasions. Both government of
the East and the West have been brain-washing their people. Some are washed in communist ways, others are
washed in socialist ways and there are still more washed in capitalist ways,
there are also some who are washed in Dalai or falongong ways. China might be more maladroit in doing this. Can we not see that
after one decade, the Bush administration have been using the 911 to invade
other countries. After 30 years of China's
reform and opening to the global economy, the US
is still fabricating "China
threat" and using Tibetian people to disrupt the internal peace of the
Chinese people. Many foreigners who have not been visiting the other part of the world would be surprised to see how different the real China is from the description of many Western media. Our author of this "well written" article might wish to disclose what was the last time of his/her visit to Tibet for any well written article needs to quote their sources of information clearly with dates. The competition of power
is always the same. Even though Tibetian
people on exile, they do not have free will. They are just puppets financed by
foreign government hoping that one glorious day to reclaim their serfs and Tibet.

Information and communication technology and the many foreigners in Tibert allows us to know everything easily and visions can be put on You tube. We
can go and see things in Tibet. There is no need for stories from outsiders
who are repeating stories of Dalai and other exile people who are receiving
foreign aid for living for half the century. We see real things with our own eyes not with ears.

Tenzin Rigden on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Tenzin Rigden — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:32:38 +0000

Tsering Shakya is not writing an academic paper here. He is providing a personal critique of Chinese policies in his homeland. Does one have to sound "balanced" in criticizing a brutal government that has exiled him and continues to suppress his people?

Iraqi's oppose American invasion, that doesn't mean they want Saddam Hussein back. Foreign invasion and colonialism have a stronger flavor than internal inequality which is present in every society. Shakya is acutely aware and critical of inequality in traditional Tibetan society, it is apparent in his book.

Not logged in on "Tibet and China: the past in the present"

Not logged in — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:17:37 +0000

Michael C. Why bother writing when you don't have any idea what you are talking about? You don't even know the difference between a two-l Llama and a Tibetan bLa-ma. We really don't give a silk pajama about what you have to say. Please do be quiet now.

Dave