BEIJING BUTCHERING TIBETANS, SAYS BOB MACDONALD
By BOB MACDONALD
MAKE NO MISTAKE, this is genocide-the planned, systematic destruction of a people and the occupation of their lands. That’s what the giant communist police state of China is inflicting on six million Tibetans and their majestically beautiful mountain nation.
Just look at it: Red China invaded peaceful, religious Tibet in 1951, without provocation. Since then, the Chinese invaders have killed more than 1.2 million Tibetans by shootings, torture, rapes, imprisonment, forced labour and starvation.
UPRISING WAS CRUSHED
In 1959, Tibetans, despite few or no arms, revolted against the invaders. As that hopeless uprising was crushed, Tibet’s spiritual and political leader — the Dalai Lama — escaped with a small entourage over the Himalayas to India.
Since then, the Beijing Butchers — they slaughtered their own freedom-seeking Chinese youth at Tiananmen Square in 1989 — have done a real job on Tibet.
The occupying Chinese imprisoned and killed thousands of Buddhist monks and destroyed all but 40 of Tibet’s 6,254 monasteries. Thousands of Tibetans fled into exile.
Beijing added half of Tibet’s territory to adjoining Chinese provinces. And it flooded Tibet with 7.5 million Chinese to soon outnumber what was left of the Tibetan population. The Chinese run the place and are handed the best jobs.
What China has been doing to Tibet and its people is somewhat similar to what another communist police state — the Soviet Union — did to three small nations they had invaded and annexed: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Murder, imprison and disperse the locals — and flood their lands with Russians who received top jobs, housing, etc.
BALTIC STATES NOW FREE
Fortunately, the undaunted opposition of the Baltic peoples and collapse of the Soviet empire halted that genocide before it could be completed. Today, the three Baltic nations are not only free and democratic, but they recently joined NATO.
So, I emphasize what China is still doing to Tibet and Tibetans because too many people in the West are satisfied these days to look the other way.
Instead, they are paying most of their attention to the strong spiritual message of compassion and world peace that is such an attractive part of the Dalai Lama as the leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Hollywood stars embrace him, and many liberals have grabbed onto the warm, friendly message of the man who calls himself “just a simple monk.”
Of course, Beijing’s communist bosses have long condemned this monk and call him a political threat to their hold on Tibet. And they even threaten countries like Canada with possible trade penalties if our government talks politics to him — such as offering to broker talks with Beijing.
Of course that’s pure hogwash. China has increasingly flooded western nations such as Canada with low-priced goods made possible by its massive pool of cheap labour, including child and prison labour. It has had a fat $7 billion-plus annual trade balance with Canada in China’s favour.
MARTIN INTIMIDATED
Prime Minister Paul Martin should have thumbed his nose at the Beijing Butchers when they intimidated him into not talking about the Tibetan situation with the leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile. No way would China give up that Canadian market and fat trade balance.
However, Martin — desperate for votes — did actually meet the great man. But he made sure he didn’t invite him to Parliament Hill. And he bowed to Beijing’s threats by not talking about Tibet’s plight, except for a mention of human rights.
However, despite his Nobel Peace Prize and international star popularity, many Tibetans are increasingly impatient with the lack of positive results. The genocide of the Tibetan people, their culture and religion goes on. And I recall the Dalai Lama’s words of 10 years ago:
“We have had to place our hopes on international support and help in bringing about meaningful negotiations, to which I still remain committed. If this fails, then I will no longer be able to pursue this policy with a clear conscience.”
The Beijing Butchers prefer words, words, words — while their genocidal policies for Tibet proceed full speed ahead.
