Tibet–time to step up

The tragic news broke this morning that an eighth Tibetan had self-immolated in protest against the repressive policies of the occupying Chinese authorities. Such acts, previously unprecedented in Tibet, underscore not only the desperation and hopelessness that Tibetans are now feeling, but also the extent to which they have been consistently failed by governments around the world.

Unlike dealings with South Africa under apartheid, Zimbabwe under Mugabe or Burma under the military junta, issues of human rights abuses, supressed freedoms and violent crackdowns have never been anywhere near central to other states’ dialogue with China.  Of course they have been raised; as recently as this year UK Foreign Secretary William Hague was praised for speaking out during his visit to China, whilst US President Barak Obama refused to bow to Beijing’s pressure and met with the Dalai Lama.  Yet such gestures remain dangerously close to tokenism and almost invariably futile when they only ever take place on the periphery, or as window dressing for the real focus of trade and economics.

Unarguably, it would be futile to expect governments to focus on Tibet first and trade second when dealing with the state so often dubbed “the worlds next superpower” – that would run completely against the realpolitikal grain of international relations.  But still, the fact that China occupies a nation the size of Western Europe, regularly subjecting its people to disappearances, massacres and a litany of other abuses, should merit far greater attention than tick-box statements and meaningless expressions of concern. 

The consistent lack of any serious diplomatic pressure on the Chinese government thus far, has given it an almost free hand in tyrannising the Tibetan people.  Notably, had the current succession of self-immolations not occurred, the Tibet movement would almost certainly have been focussing on the second anniversary of the execution of two Tibetan protestors, the first in more than half a decade, following rigged and politically charged trials.  That these came just eleven months after the UK’s Labour government recognised Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, in order to win Beijing’s favour, was a telling sign.  Then Foreign Secretary David Miliband had claimed that the move would strengthen external influence over the Chinese government on issues of human rights; in reality it did exactly the opposite by sending a clear signal that the UK, like its allies in Europe and North America, was willing to side-line and sell-out the Tibetan people, in order to progress its own economic goals.

It is hardly surprising then, that with peaceful protest routinely supressed through the barrel of a gun and appeals to foreign governments consistently falling on deaf ears, some Tibetans have eventually begun to see no option left open to them other than expressing defiance by sacrificing their own lives. 

Now – with eight young men dead in the Ngaba region, a harsh security crackdown there exacerbating tensions further by the day, and the nation on the brink of crisis, it is time for foreign governments to step up and make Tibet one of the central issues in their dealings with China.

Activist groups around the world are rapidly coordinating global action calling for urgent diplomatic intervention to save Tibetan lives.  Their countries’ leaders must listen if the current tragic situation is not to spiral further out of control.  A strong global call, through unilateral channels or at the upcoming G20 meeting in France, for the Chinese government to cease its crackdown in Ngaba, account for the whereabouts and wellbeing of those thought to have survived their self-immolation protests, and release all monks arrested in response to the incidents, is nothing short of essential if the international community is the avoid failing Tibet once more.

Time and time again Tibetans have suffered and died because of global political inaction.  This time around must be different.

CLICK HERE TO STAND UP FOR TIBET

Technorati Tags: Tibet,Ngaba,self-immolation,protest,Kirti,crackdown,China,global intervention,save Tibetan lives,monks,Tswewang Norbu,Lobsang Kunchok,Norbu Damdul,Lobsang Kelsang,Choephel,Khaying,Kelsang Wunchuk,Lobsang Phuntsok,Norbu Damdhul

The ANC: a problem deeper than China’s influence

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), the movement-turned-party that brought down apartheid, has been the somewhat unlikely focus of the global Tibet movement this week, following the outrageous decision to deny the Dalai Lama an entry visa to attend Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s eightieth birthday celebrations.

At a critical time for Tibet, with the fifth self-immolation protest since January, and an on-going military crackdown in response, the snub was seen as an appalling lack of support for the Tibetan people- not least by Tutu himself, who launched an unprecedented attack on the ANC, declaring it “worse than apartheid”, whilst comparing the rule of President Jacob Zuma to that of Hosnai Mubarak and Muammar Gaddafi.

Yet whilst activists around the world have rightly responded with anger and lobbying, pointing to the utter hypocrisy of a party founded in its own struggle against oppression, the narrative of an inspirational movement being corrupted by China’s economic and political influence fails to tell the full story.

Of course, no one disputes that the Chinese government pressured South Africa to deny the visa, just as it has done with every state that he has attempted to visit from the USA, to Ireland, to Russia.  However this is far from a solitary blemish in the ANC’s record on foreign affairs; rather it is simply the latest indication of a problem that runs far deeper.

Take for example, the decision to vote against a resolution condemning the Burmese junta’s suppression of opposition and massacres of ethnic minorities, when South Africa first took a seat on the UN Security Council in 2007.  On Tuesday, Aung San Suu Kyi, often referred to as “Burma’s Nelson Mandela”, cited the ANC’s poor record in supporting her people , pointing out that it has regularly fallen far short of the backing given by individuals such as Mandela and Tutu.

Yet the following day, South African representatives at the UN once again failed to support a people struggling for freedom, this time in Syria.  Abstaining on a resolution that had already been watered down in the (ultimately futile) hope of avoiding Chinese and Russian vetoes, the ANC categorically balked at the opportunity to stand behind those putting their lives on the line to take on Bashar al-Assad’s murderous regime.

Closer to home, the ANC has long been criticised for its appalling track-record in addressing the abuses committed by Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe.  Whilst Jacob Zuma has been marginally more critical than his predecessor Theo Mbeki, who stood idly by as his old friend had opposition supporters beaten and killed during the 2008 election, he still panders up to the tyrant and has no qualms about deporting thousands of Zimbabwean refugees back to face the horrors that await them.  The ANC position on Darfur has been arguably worse still, with officials not only vetoing a resolution condemning President Omar Al-Bashir’s genocide, but actively courting the war criminal and welcoming him to Cape Town, whilst vocally condemning those seeking to bring about his downfall.

Given this background, along with the previous denial of a visa for the Dalai Lama two years ago, the recent turn of events should come as no surprise.  China’s profoundly negative influence in Africa, including South Africa, must unequivocally be addressed and opposed; but so too must the fact that the ANC itself is rotten, abusive and utterly disregarding of human rights. 

Like the Paul Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front or Mugabe’s ZANU, it once fought a just cause…but today its dominant contribution to international affairs is to deny others the very same freedoms it first set out to achieve. 

Technorati Tags: ANC,foreign policy,human rights,Demond Tutu,Dalai Lama,visa,Tibet,Burma,Aung San suu Kyi,UN,veto,Syria,Bashar al-Assad,Zimbabwe,Robert Mugabe,Jacob Zuma,Theo Mbeki,Hosni Mubarak,Muammar,Gaddafi,refugees,apartheid,Darfur,Sudan,Omar al-Bashir

Smashing separatism? Not without a fight

Xi Jinping is still some two years away from taking over as President of China- but already he is playing up his xenophobic, colonialist credentials by publically threatening to “smash” separatism in Tibet.  Of course, by separatism Hu Jintao’s heir apparent is referring to any vocal condemnation of the Chinese government or the occupation, as well as any attempt to preserve Tibetan culture or raise awareness of the systematic human rights abuses that have been committed consistently since the ironically named People’s Liberation Army entered in 1950.  Tellingly, Mr. Xi’s statement came against the backdrop of two Tibetan teenage girls being savagely beaten, detained and denied medical treatment by the Chinese authorities – an illustration of the brutal suppression that fellow members of the political elite will expect him to maintain.

However, recent events have at the same time demonstrated that attempts to subdue Tibet will be met with strong resistance.  Already one of the most inspiring, well known and long-lasting non-violent liberation movements in the world – the Tibetan struggle is continuing unrelentingly both inside Tibet and elsewhere in the world, often bearing hard-won results. 

A single self immolation incident by a monk at Kirti Monastery in March triggered months of instability in the surrounding area – with the subsequent Chinese military crackdown strongly condemned on the international stage.  Last week, despite a fierce outcry from the powers-that-be in Beijing, Barak Obama refused to bow to pressure, meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House.  And on his recent tour of Europe, outgoing Prime Minister Wen Jiabao was constantly dogged by protesters, grabbing headlines and debunking his lies at almost every stop.  Of course few believe that the liberation of Tibet is imminent but events such as these have demonstrated that the Chinese government is not in control of the script and is failing in its attempts to portray Tibet as a harmonious part of China – a significant victory for the Tibet movement. 

And this is before even considering the added impetus of the Arab Spring, which has clearly boosted the confidence of activists and rattled the nerves of the authorities.  Perhaps the most important lesson from events in Tunisia and Egypt is that even the most entrenched and seemingly stable dictatorships can rapidly collapse – an optimistic note especially considering the internal and external resistance that Mr. Xi will inherit.

It is also important to take account of developments in other occupied and neighbouring nations.  The protests that rocked Inner Mongolia during May and June were the largest for two decades and though now largely supressed, reflected the on-going ethos of resistance held by the Mongol people.  Like so many other demonstrations across the world, they were sparked by isolated incidents, but unleashed years of resentment and determination with astonishing speed.  This week’s violence in East Turkestan –spun by the Chinese propaganda machine as extremist terrorism but more likely a case of state brutality against unarmed (if riotous) protests, similarly illustrates Beijing’s somewhat fragile grasp of control.  Meanwhile across the border in Burma, despite funding and arming their client military junta, the Chinese government is witnessing a growth in the actions of ethnic minority and democratic forces – a nightmare scenario for them considering Burma’s shared border with Tibet and Aung San Suu Kyi’s links to the Tibetan struggle as well as broader movements for democracy and human rights.

Again, none of this means that the Chinese government is on the verge of loosing control, ceding independence to the occupied territories or being forced into some kind of reform agenda- far from it.  However, the continued unrest and resistance illustrates the difficulties Mr. Xi is going to face- difficulties only exacerbated by an array of other issues including rising discontent in Hong Kong and ever more troublesome handling of China’s illegal Christian churches.

Ultimately those working to oppose the Chinese government’s colonialism and tyranny have cause to be proud and to be hopeful.  On the ground Beijing’s thugs are facing unyielding and ever changing pockets of resistance.  Out across the world they are facing a network that is becoming stronger, more influential and more co-ordinated by the day – as illustrated by the growing links between various causes and their success in shaming those responsible for occupation and oppression. 

Activists such as those gathering at the Students for a Free Tibet Action Camp in Germany this summer make up the newest generation to stand up for freedom and human rights in Tibet and across the region – and they have a huge momentum behind them.  Xi Jinping says he is going to crush separatism…..not without a fight.

Technorati Tags: Tibet,East Turkestan,Inner Mongolia,Activism,Students for a Free Tibet,China Xi Jingping,separatism,Hu Jintao,Wen Jiabao,Burma,Aung San Suu Kyi,freedom,democracy,human Rights,occupation,colonialisation

Ai Weiwei’s release–the challenge for activists

 

The release of Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei, after more than two months in detention on trumped up charges of tax evasion, has been welcomed around the world.  The most high profile victim of the CCP’s latest crackdown is now home–under tight restrictions and unable to talk to the media- but finally out of China’s infamous jail system.

Speculation is abound regarding the timing of the release; with some analysts suggesting that it was deliberately staged to coincide with the upcoming US-China diplomatic meeting in Hawaii and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s European tour –both beginning this Saturday.  Its easy to see how this conclusion is drawn, after all Ai Weiwei has received phenomenal support and attention from governments and citizens worldwide; his case would surely have featured in closed door discussions, and on placards outside, over the coming days. 

However, others challenge the theory that the CCP was simply pre-empting criticism –suggesting that Mr. Wen and his cronies care little what the rest of the world thinks when it comes to human rights.  Evidence of this is abundant, including the recent military crackdown at Kirti monastery in Tibet, a vicious attack on blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng last week and the escalating suppression of Christian groups.  Then there is the fact that the authorities were confident enough to detain Ai Weiwei in the first place- despite his international profile and support.

It is also important to remember that he is not yet truly free, simply on bail just as many other Chinese activists have found themselves before subsequent rearrest.  And whilst he is the most well known of the dissidents detained since the CCP launched its newest, vehement assault on freedoms in response to mass demonstrations elsewhere in the world, he is simply one of over one hundred.  These men and women remain in jail, in labour camps and in torture chambers, away from the eyes of the world and with little hope of liberty.    

So though there may have been an element of face-saving in today’s release, it does not reflect the CCP bowing to international pressure and certainly does not reflect the CCP changing its attitude towards human rights.  Whilst Ai Weiwei’s comparable freedom must by welcomed and celebrated, it should not detract from the bigger picture and the systematic abuse which he himself was detained for highlighting.

The challenge for activists now is to engage and build upon the popular support that his case generated.  Many artists, students and other members of the public across the globe were not previously involved in campaigns relating to China or even to human rights, but were motivated to act by this one unjust and high profile imprisonment.  It is imperative that their involvement does not end with a celebration tonight. Those working for Tibet, East Turkestan, Inner Mongolia, religious freedom and Chinese democracy must ensure that the message is loud and clear: Ai Weiwei has been released- but the fight goes on…and we need your support.   

Technorati Tags: Ai Weiwei,China,Wen Jiabao,Human Rights,Tibet,East Turkestan,Inner Mongolia,Jasmin Revolution

China's lapdog, Tibet's tormentor

On Tuesday thousands of Tibet supporters across the world will take to the streets; however, in a break from the norm, they will be converging on Nepalese embassies rather than Chinese ones. Their reason -captured in shocking footage by Radio Free Asia -is the confiscation of numerous ballot boxes for the election of the new Tibetan Prime Minister and Parliament in Exile, by armed Nepalese riot police in Kathmandu.

The order for the raids undoubtedly originated from Beijing and reflects two major political trends. Firstly, is the Chinese Government’s determination to disrupt this election, something that was already widely anticipated. In endorsing and encouraging the ballot, the Dalai Lama has shown himself to be the exact opposite of the despotic tyrant that the CCP portray him to be, so it is only natural they would want to scupper it. Furthermore, a democratically elected PM and Parliament with the unified support of the Tibetan community in exile will provide a legitimate and viable rallying point for the movement when the Dalai Lama is no longer here to provide his leadership and guidance. This too is a prospect that terrifies Hu Jintao and his fellow thugs.

The second and perhaps the wider reaching issue highlighted, is the level of China’s influence across South East Asia. The theft of the ballot boxes is merely the latest action of Nepal’s government in its role as China’s lapdog; following the suppression of Tibetan protests and the closure of the Dalai Lama’s Kathmandu office. Naturally, given that it is home to the second largest exile Tibetan population in the world, China has invested considerable resources in courting and coercing successive Nepalese leaderships both before and after the collapse of its dictatorial monarchy.

Yet such behaviour extends far wider. The Chinese government’s support of the Burmese junta prevents democracy and human rights from taking root on their doorstep; whilst their propping up of the North Korean regime (though partly for the practical reason of preventing the inevitable refugee influx should it collapse) allows further projection of their military and political muscle. Similarly a considerable degree of influence is held over Cambodia, from where China was able to successfully demand the return of twenty political asylum seekers last year, not to mention the communist-led states of Laos and Vietnam (both virtual black holes for human rights and civil liberties).

Ultimately, from the slaughter of protestors on the streets of Rangoon in 2007 (the bullets coming from Chinese guns), to the raid of polling stations in Kathmandu on Sunday (the orders coming from Chinese officials) – Beijing has exported its terror, tyranny and control across a huge swathe of South East Asia region in what now resembles something of a quasi-empire; bolstered further by its direct occupation of countries such as Tibet and East Turkestan.

However, every empire falls and one day -through the resistance of those in the region and their supporters across the globe- so too will this one.

Why Tibet will be free

I’d like to apologise for my lack of blogging activity recently- there’ve been two main reasons for this. Firstly I’ve been finishing up university, moving home and looking for jobs (which takes up a lot more time that you might think!) Secondly, over the last week I’ve been at a camp in New York meeting, networking, sharing skills and training with other Tibet activists from around the world.

The camp was incredible- the amount I learnt, the people I got to know and the speakers we heard exceeded all my expectations. But perhaps most importantly it reinforced my conviction that, within our lifetimes, Tibet will be free.

Why? Because the movement for freedom and human rights in Tibet is getting lager, more committed, better organised and better trained almost every single day. The level of education -both in terms of knowledge and skills is amazing and new people are constantly flocking to join the struggle. Just a few days after I got back from New York, the UK-based movement hosted a huge Tibet festival in central London to mark the Dalai Lama's birthday. Over a thousand people- many with no previous knowledge of Tibet, came through the gates and (whilst having a great day out) found out more.

This sort of thing goes on all around the world and as a result hundreds of thousands of people across every continent regularly take part in some way or another: from hanging banners off buildings to meeting with their MPs to utilising international law mechanisms in defence of Tibetan political prisoners. Meanwhile links are being built with Chinese democracy activists and the East Turkestan movement as well as broader human rights campaigns and freedom fighters from countries such as Burma. Crucially contact with those inside Tibet is also being improved – so that we can tell their stories to the outside world, and let them know that we are supporting them.

This sort of movement is a force to be reckoned with – even for a rising superpower. The Chinese Communist Party holds onto power in Tibet (as well as in China and the other occupied regions) by force and fear. This can only last so long. The constant damage to their image, strengthening of internal non-violent resistance movements and political pressure from around the world will ultimately make the occupation to costly to maintain- on both a financial and sociopolitical level.

It’ll take time, it’ll be a hard struggle and everyone has their part to play. But one day Tibet will be free. Just like Burma, Zimbabwe, Sudan and other such nations will be.

And for those who find this hard to believe just remember that many people could never envisage the end of the USSR, apartheid or the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but at their worst points it seemed that such regimes would last forever. Just as the Berlin Wall came down, Nelson Mandela walked to freedom and the Indonesian flag was lowered in Dili- so too will the Tibetans one day have their freedom, their human rights and their country back.

South East Asia: Ignore it at your peril

To anyone who's interested in foreign affairs last week's leaders debate was a let-down. Instead of ninety minutes of questions on the UK's place in the world, we were treated to 45 minutes on Afghanistan, Europe, climate change and (bizarrely, though not quite unexpectedly) the Pope - before the topic of conversation turned back to deficits, duck islands and the like.

Personally I'd been hoping for at least one question relating to South East Asia. Not just because it's a personal interest of mine but because it's a region that, over the next decade, is going to shape the world - and inevitably affect the UK - in ways that our politicians don't seem to head or even comprehend. Take the following scenarios....

1. The year is 2012- the political situation in Thailand has totally broken down, leaving the country in violent disarray. Next door in Burma civil war is raging between the ruling junta and ethnic rebel groups which were forced into conflict ahead of the 2010 election. This has left the Golden Triangle (one of the worlds largest heroin producing regions, spanning the Thai-Burma border) completely outside the control of any government and run by various militias. The inevitable price-wars that follow result in a flood of cheap heroin into the UK and Europe....

2. The year is 2015 -a continuing increase of ethnic and rural protests in China has begun to threaten the government's position. In a bid to generate national unity they order an invasion of the Senkaku Islands -an uninhabited territory of which both China and Japan claim ownership. Japan responds by pumping funds into its minimalist military and deploying war ships. Vietnam- which has its own island disputes with China - also deploys vessels. The US is more worried about Taiwan and puts its navy -currently stationed in the Taiwan straits - on high alert. India- which had fought several border wars with China and still disputes inland territory- mobilises its army. China responds in kind. Tension mounts....

3. The year is 2020 - Burma's nuclear programme (supported by Russia and North Korea) has come to fruition. Isolated and impoverished the erratic regime opts to sell the plutonium it produces to the highest bidder. The world reacts with panic as rumours of contact with terrorist groups spread. The solution is not clear- Burma is firmly within China's sphere of influence and any military action would surely antagonise the Chinese government. But Beijing seems to have little control over the regime's next move....

4. The year is 2025 - the effects of climate change, exacerbated by the Chinese government's damming projects in Tibet, have led to major water shortages in Bangladesh. Thousands of refugees head across the border into India- now one of the world's economic power houses - generating ethnic tensions and threatening the state's stability. Foreign businesses begin to withdraw a rate that threatens to trigger global economic chaos...

These aren't scare-stories: they are all very possible, even (in some cases according to some commentators) likely. The world's engagement with China, approach to the ongoing crisis in Burma, reaction to increasing violence in Thailand and stance on the occupation of Tibet is not just important because of the human costs today - but because of the huge political effects (for the whole world) tomorrow. Often it seems that Western government leaders ignore South East Asia....they do so at their peril.