By Phurbu Thinley
Phayul Correspondent
Dharamsala, January 13 – China has undergone a drastic change; socially, politically and economically. That we all know with some certainties. But how is this modern rising and rising China to be understood?
Does continuous rise of Communist China means an adverse effect on the Tibetan freedom struggle? Does that imply, in today’s money-oriented diplomatic world, Tibetan voice is getting diluted at the pace with which China’s economic influence is growing? Well, that may not necessarily be the case.
New China still means complete imperial ambitions, an assimilating agenda for minorities, rampant corruption, and power confined to a small inner circle. Hundreds of peasants in permanent poverty, the laid off state workers, the miners who risk their life everyday and the exploited factory workers are the true underlying realities of rising China.
The promise of wealth is the basis for the Communist Party’s rule, but the gap between rich and poor in China is ever widening. The current official slogans praising the Party as the source of “Three Represents” (scientific, progressive and prosperous) have no relevance to millions of Chinese still left in permanent and abject poverty. It is only the urban elites who are getting the real taste of modern China at the cost of the exploited masses. Evidence of the Party already facing enormous challenge in maintaining social stability is already becoming increasingly common across China.
A clear and proper understanding of factors driving China’s modernity and, the underlying realities hidden behind the look-good propaganda policies of the Communist Party of China can actually help open opportunities for greater Tibetan freedom.
To equip Tibetans with the better understanding of China, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) organisation today arranged a panel discussion themed “Understanding China” followed with a screening of a BBC documentary titled, “Changing China: China and the power of People”.
“By imparting such an understanding, we can make Tibetans better prepared, be more articulate and better organised in their activities, campaigns or, any programmes relevant to our freedom struggle”, said Tenzin Choeying, SFT’s National Coordinator for India.
Tenzin Tsundue, a free Tibet writer-cum-activist and also the General Secretary of Friends of Tibet (India), was also present during the discussion. “Since we are facing our challenge against China, an in-depth analytical understanding of China becomes very much relevant in our struggle for freedom”, Tsundue noted
Dawa Tsering from the China Desk, Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), Central Tibetan Administration and Lhukar Jam, a China expert are the two panelists of today’s discussion.
Stressing on the need to understand China’s long intention to bind with mainstream China, Mr. Dawa said, “There is a need to understand the carefully manipulated policies of China, which have the silent ability to slowly assimilate Tibetan nationality without being realised”.
Mr Dawa also said that knowing one’s own history and culture can be the main source of appreciating one’s own identity without giving in easily onto other influences. He cautioned of the every possibility that Tibetans might easily be embraced by other cultural influences in today’s fast changing world. “Tibetans in Tibet are already made vulnerable under the silent schemes of China to assimilate Tibetans”, said Mr. Dawa.
So there is a need to withstand from falling into the trap.
“All these requires an effectively formulated approach that enables Tibetans both in and outside Tibet, to co-operate and work together in a mutually supportive ways that will strengthen Tibetan livelihoods, language and culture”, Mr. Dawa opines.
“The pride of being a Tibetan national will spring up when you actually have reasons to appreciate and value your cultural and historical backgrounds”, Mr. Dawa asserts.
On the other hand, Lhukar Jam, spoke on the history, culture and, nature and aspirations of Han Chinese, the dominant ethnicity of China.
