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The Forum > Article Comments > Misty-eyed westerners need a Tibetan history lesson > Comments

Misty-eyed westerners need a Tibetan history lesson : Comments

By Brian Hennessy, published 27/1/2009

Without understanding China's perspective, western criticism of its policy in Tibet is an exercise in self-righteousness.

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Of all the patronising articles I've ever seen in Online this one wins first prize.

Why not just state facts?
Posted by Seneca, Tuesday, 27 January 2009 10:58:30 AM
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The question is, is the continued occupation justified by the Han Chinese Communists?

Interestingly, Tibet ran its own Government, Civil Services, its own Army, fought its own wars, issued its own Currency, Postage Stamps, Passport, negotiated Treaties with many countries, had Representatives from many countries in Lhasa, evicted the Mission from the Nationalist (Chinese) Government, was invited, not ordered or told to surrender, but invited by this Nationalist (Chinese) government to join “China”, Mao negotiated with the Tibetans as an independent Nation while invading it and forced them to sign this infamous ’17 point agreement’ well now was that an independent country or a integral part of something called “China”.

“China” of course is a retrospective invention by the Han Chinese to justify their occupation and annexation of all the minorities’ lands, including Tibet.
And also to restore their "pride", after having been ruled by foreign rulers for 4 centuries.
First by the Mongols, and then by the Manchus.
Just make these emperors “Chinese” and voila, you can instantly claim that you've ruled yourself all along ……..

These imperial, colonial Empires have disappeared and there is no legal trace back to these dynasties, and therefore claiming them to be “Chinese” is just utterly untenable, or as most respectable historians put it, “nonsensical and absurd”.

“Chinese history” is the biggest con ever pulled off.
There was a succession of empires on the territory now called “china”, which were ruled by rulers of various ethnicity; over a mix of ethnicities, yet Tibetans were never amongst them.
By contrast Tibet was ruled by Tibetans all along.

There is a body of “historians” who profess to represent the ‘true facts’ of history, and on which the CCP relies on, ahem.

The problem however is that this is putting the horse before the cart, and in fact these so called historians are fed by the CCP with their invented, fabricated and distorted accounts of history.
Posted by Veracity, Tuesday, 27 January 2009 11:33:11 AM
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You have for instance a guy like Li Tieh-tseng, who duplicitously argues that all the Tibetan sources, all the Mongol sources, all the Nepalese sources and just about all other sources bar the “Chinese” are too unreliable to employ in reconstructing historical accounts.

Yes indeed. Chinese accounts straight form the CCP’s printing press.

He sites his Ph.D. from Columbia University as verification for his credentials, yet at the same time disparages these so called bourgeois academics from the west as having ulterior motives in ‘misrepresenting’ Tibetan history.

In his warped view, just about every single conclusion made about Tibetan history, by every respected historian, which invariably is in complete disagreement with his own version, is completely wrong and ‘duplicitous’.

Indeed, and there is a whole body of these so called Chinese scholars who’re fed the data by the CCP Propaganda Lies Unit, and who then claim that only Chinese sources are reliable.

E.g. Princess Wen Cheng is the source of just about every aspect of Tibetan culture that’s notable and great!

Most every temple in Tibet was built by the Hans; even Buddhism was sourced from Chinese monks!

And the Dalai Lama is an institution bestowed by the Hans, and the selection of every Dalai Lama was controlled by the Hans.

And in any case, Tibet was “ours” all along, just that we were too kind and let the Tibetans believe that they’ve governed themselves!

Tibet was not Tibet, it was, ahem, just part of china or the Yuan, T’ang, Ming, Qing Dynasty.
And on it goes……………

That’s how you learn Tibetan history in china!

http://one-just-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/does-tibet-really-have-historical-claim.html

As for today’s situation in Tibet, well, that’s another horror story, for the Tibetans at least…………
Posted by Veracity, Tuesday, 27 January 2009 11:34:13 AM
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It is good to read a piece that doesn't just follow the usual simplistic media line on Tibet: China - evil and bad, Tibet and Dalai Lama: pure and spiritually beautiful!

I am a supporter of Tibetan self-determination and oppose occupations in Tibet, Palestine and elsewhere but like all historical disputes we do, as Brian argues, need to understand the history of China's occupation of Tibet and try to get our heads around China's refusal to negoatiate with the Tibetan leadership.

Judging from the comments from the others who have posted here it seems that Brian has a point in his statement that "western criticism of China’s policy in Tibet" is "an exercise in useless self-righteousness."

Tibet's long term interests won't be served by sycophantic kow-towing to the Dalai Lama's version of history
Posted by BigAl, Tuesday, 27 January 2009 1:34:04 PM
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Dear Veracity... I like your style!

I'd love to see how you handle the Israeli/Palestinian situation and the competing versions of history....

why not join in the 'ethical war' or.. 'war crimes' threads and see what you can make of it?

I personally agree that Tibet was not part of China..and you have argued superlatively for that case.

As with most conflicts.. the 'starting point' in the historical discussion is the key. If it can be shown that Tibet was independant and was not a willing participant in any 'Greater China'..then you win.
Of course.. my view is that even IF they can be shown to have been part of any Greater China in the past...they have every right to opt out of such a thing when it was imposed on them.
Posted by BOAZ_David, Tuesday, 27 January 2009 8:41:36 PM
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Let's not forget the facts when apologising for China brutal policies toward Tibet. In the past, Tibet was independent and never threatened China. To draw comparison between Tibetans with Japanese during WWII is simply far fetched. 40 years ago both countries were backward and to single out Tibet for criticism is simply opportunistic.
The reality is that currently Tibetans cannot use their own language in their schools and government offices. On 18 January 2009 Chinese authorities in Tibet have launched a 42-day "strike hard" campaign in Tibet rounding up thousands for questioning. According to Chinese local newspaper, within three days of the launch of the campaign, the Lhasa municipal public security bureau had deployed 600 officers and around 160 police vehicles, and had conducted raids on seven housing blocks, 2,922 rented houses, 14 guest house and hotels, 18 bars and three Internet cafés in Lhasa. The police had rounded up 5,766 suspects for questioning. In addition, the Lhasa municipal government is now requiring all outside visitors wishing to stay for more than three days and less than a month in Lhasa to apply for a temporary residence permit from the police, or face legal action.
Let's focus on facts and not appologies for China brutality.
Posted by China Expert, Tuesday, 27 January 2009 11:13:43 PM
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