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Trouble in the land of snows By
Leon D'souza and Chen Jianwu
Tibet, or Xizhang, as it is called by the Chinese, is one of five autonomous regions in communist China. A land of high plateaus and massive mountains, this "Shangri-La" has long fascinated the Western world. Tibet is mysterious in a way that few other places are. For decades, the beauty of this "Land of Snows" could only be imagined, not experienced. The region was finally opened to tourism in the mid-1980s. However, sadly, by that time Tibet was no longer the magical Buddhist kingdom it used to be. Today, Xizhang is the seat of political conflict between an ousted theocratic Lamaist Buddhist regime and the Chinese Communist Party. It is one of several global political hot spots complicated by the entwinement of religion and politics. Buddhist Bastion Tantric Buddhism -- the Indian brand of Buddhism -- reached Tibet in the third century. Here, it had to compete with Bon, the animistic religion of the region. Tibetan Buddhism evolved out of a combination of Buddhist and Bon rituals. By the seventh century, the religion had spread throughout Tibet. Secular authority waned, and the power of the Buddhist clergy increased. After the ninth century, the monasteries became increasingly politicized. In 1641, the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat sect used the support of the Buddhist Mongols to crush their rivals, the Red Hats. The leader of the Yellow Hats adopted the title of Dalai Lama, meaning "Ocean of Wisdom," and with that religion and politics were joined in unholy matrimony. With the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Tibet became an independent, but highly repressive theocracy based on serfdom. Tibetan "Liberation" Tibetan independence ended with the invasion of the People's Liberation Army of Communist China in 1950. China sought to annex Tibet, and the region's repressive regime seemed like the perfect excuse. The Dalai Lama sent a delegation to Beijing. An agreement was reached. The PLA was allowed to occupy the rest of Tibet, but existing political, social and religious organization was to be left intact. The agreement was honored till 1959. Then, rebellion broke out. The 14th Dalai Lama and 100,000 Tibetans fled to Dharamsala, India. What followed has been described by some, including the Dalai Lama himself, as cultural genocide. Over one million Tibetans were killed, and most of Tibet's splendid heritage was destroyed. Religious Politics The Chinese, during the Cultural Revolution, dealt a severe blow to Tibetan Buddhism. In 1959, there were at least 1600 monasteries in Tibet; by 1979 there were just 10. Monks were either executed or sent to work in fields and labor camps. The CCP has tried to undo some of its past wrongs. The Maoist Communist Party chief was relieved of his responsibility in 1979. Rural communes were disbanded and land was returned to private farmers. Taxes were reduced and state subsidies to the region increased. Some monasteries have been restored, and the Chinese government is fervently wooing the Dalai Lama in the hope that he might return home. However, as his status and the popularity of his cause continues to improve, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that he will heed the Party's call, as doing so would give legitimacy to Chinese rule. Tibet through the eyes of the average Chinese I learned about the Tibetan crisis largely through newspaper accounts. Most of the agencies that reported on the situation were headquartered in the West. I had read that the Chinese had convinced themselves that in holding on to Tibet, they were in fact acting selflessly for the greater good of the Tibetan people. The Chinese, according to these accounts, did not believe that they were damaging the Tibetan social fabric. I set out to discover for myself the Chinese view on the Tibet affair. As always, Chen Jianwu -- "Jim," my enthusiastic friend from the Kunming Guanghua School -- offered me his opinions on the issue. This time, I suggested that Jim pen his thoughts in the form of an article. Jim's piece echoes the Communist line. It is, however, an insight into the way the average Chinese thinks about Tibet. Jim's piece is plainly titled "About Tibet." About Tibet Toward the final days of the Yuan Dynasty, the Dalai Lama and the Banchan Lama became the spiritual leaders of Tibet. During the regime of Kang Xi of the Qing dynasty, the central government of China accepted the religious and political leadership of the Dalai Lama in Tibet. The Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, and each Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of the previous Lama. It was decided that every time the region had a new Lamaist ruler, the same would have to be reported to the Chinese government in order for the regime to be recognized. In 1951, after the Chinese Liberation Army liberated most areas of China, the Dalai Lama sent the Banchan Lama and minister Apeiawangjinmei to conclude and sign agreements with the Chinese Communist Party. Thus, Tibet was peacefully liberated. The government of the autonomous region replaced the Dalai's political leadership. The Central Government continued to recognize the spiritual leadership of the Dalai Lama. During the several hundred years of dynastic rule, the army was never stationed in Tibet. However, due to hostility from the West and the countries around China, the army had to be positioned there. In 1959, war broke out between China and India. Because of the instigation of some countries outside China, the Dalai grew dissatisfied with being merely the spiritual leader of Tibet, and he escaped from Tibet to India, taking along with him thousands of followers. There, they organized an exile government. Today, the Central Government provides a large amount of financial appropriation to Tibet. With this appropriation, the upper class of Tibetans are able to lead a comfortable life. Commoners live happily as living materials are delivered straight into their hands. Even in the most remote areas, the Chinese Government has made life comfortable for the average Tibetan. If Tibetans residing in rural areas visit large towns and cities, they can take as many things as they can from the local government for free. Tibetans enjoy tax benefits if they run industry. Even if a person who is not a Tibetan marries a Tibetan girl, the company he operates also enjoys tax benefits. Sometimes I wonder why we spend so much money on Tibet. If the Tibetans really want to be independent, let them do as they please. But Tibetans do not want independence. They merely endorse the Dalai's line. No good will come from Tibetan independence. For example, when Mongolia was independent, it was a puppet in the hands of the USSR. After the Cold War was over, who cared for the Mongolians? In my opinion, it is not right for the West and the Vatican to interfere in the Tibet issue. The Dalai Lama is a very selfish man - a despotic ruler. Under his leadership, Tibet was only a society of slavery. There were no human rights. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, however, the most basic human right -- the right to live comfortably and peacefully, has been restored. What's more, the central authority has developed a strategy to speed up economic development in the Great Northwest. I believe that Tibet has a bright future as a province of modern China. Last Words The truth about Tibet is that the Tibetans are a nation. They should ideally be allowed to decide their own future. The Chinese, however, believe otherwise, as Jim's writing suggests. The solution to the Tibetan crisis is not uncomplicated, primarily because of the mixing of religion and politics -- a deadly combination. The Tibet issue is one of the most sensitive political quandaries facing modern China and the international community. However, economics stands in the way of international intervention in the affair. Any discussion of the Tibetan situation in global forums might anger mainland China and hurt Western business interests. Hence, the Tibetans must struggle alone. In the final analysis, the answer to this problem is perhaps the same as the answer to most political problems. Consensus and Compromise.
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