Eric Margolis

THE latest Tibetan rebellion against Chinese rule has captured world attention and sympathy. China’s government, which has been moving heaven and earth to prepare for its summer Olympic extravaganza in Beijing, has been deeply embarrassed.
Who is right about Tibet? Beijing claims Tibet is an integral part of China. The Dalai Lama, insists Beijing, is a dangerous ‘splittist’ fomenting rebellion with Western help. Chinese civilians have been attacked by Tibetan mobs. The Dalai Lama and his followers assert China invaded independent Tibet and is conducting ‘cultural genocide’ by bringing in settlers and wiping out its ancient Buddhist traditions.

Is Tibet historically part of China, as Beijing claims? Yes and no. Tibet was spiritually linked to China from about 1370 in a ‘priest-ruler’ relationship. Tibet’s Buddhist theocracy recognised the ultimate political mastery of China’s emperor, while he recognised the spiritual primacy of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa and Tibet’s total autonomy. Lhasa became the Vatican for the Mongol Empire and its successor, China’s Ming Empire.

In 1913, while China was in chaos, Tibet, backed by the British Empire, declared independence. But in October, 1950, China’s People’s Army invaded Tibet and declared it ‘reunited’ to China. A year earlier, Chinese troops had invaded and crushed the independent Republic of East Turkistan — today called Xinjiang — whose Turkic-Mongol Uighurs long fought Chinese rule and Han Chinese immigration.

The world laments for the Tibetan cause, but utterly ignores the unfashionable cause of Tibet’s northern neighbours, the Uighurs. After 2001, the Bush Administration even branded Muslim Uighur resistance movements ‘terrorists.’
How many Tibetans are there? China has obscured census figures. When I met with the Dalai Lama, who inspired my book, ‘War at the Top of the World’ — which is in part about Tibet — he told me there were over seven million Tibetans. About three million are in Tibet proper, and the rest in the neighbouring Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai, to which protests have spread.

A primary cause of the Tibetan ‘intifada’ is continuing settlement by Han Chinese. After what I call ‘ethnic inundation,’ ethnic Chinese settlers now outnumber Tibetans. The same process of inundation occurred in Inner Mongolia, whose people are ethnically close to Tibetans.

But China has also uplifted Tibet from frightful poverty and medieval superstition, brought education, hospitals, electricity, roads, and ended widespread serfdom. Last year, a remarkable new high altitude rail line linked Lhasa to Beijing.
When I last visited Tibet in 1993, people came up and begged me with tears in their eyes for a photo of their beloved exiled Dalai Lama. I saw anti-Chinese demonstrations in Lhasa, and regiments of Chinese paramilitary police and soldiers. Resistance has simmered for decades. Now, the pot has boiled over.

So far, China has been fairly restrained so far in suppressing the uprising. As of this writing, the uprising appears to be abating. But if it flares anew and gets out of hand, China will use much more force.

Another danger: China’s giant rival, India, would dearly like to drive China from the strategic Tibetan Plateau, which looms over northern India. China has built a score of air and missile bases in Tibet that deeply alarm India. Growing unrest could tempt India to back Tibetan resistance. So might the US. China would react with fury.
So what can the world do? Some EU members urge boycotting the Olympic opening ceremonies. Others demand trade sanctions. Such overt action won’t work. China will never voluntarily relinquish control of Tibet. No one is going to tell China what to do.

The best solution is the Dalai Lama’s: Beijing restores the old ‘priest-ruler’ relationship. Tibet recognises China’s political mastery, China accepts Tibet’s real internal autonomy, ceases Han immigration, and allows the Dalai Lama to return. As globalisation plays an ever larger role in China’s economy, its positive image abroad is extremely important. Stomping on Tibet is counter-productive. Beijing should respond with patience, and accord the Dalai Lama, a fierce pacifist and great soul, the same reverence and respect as did the Mongol and Ming emperors. Beijing may be listening to the world’s advice. Reports from Beijing suggest China may open a new dialogue with the Dalai Lama. So far, so good.

A senior US lawmaker, Nancy Pelosi, has called for an independent investigation into China’s claims that the Dalai Lama instigated the violence in Tibet. Ms Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, also called on the international community to denounce Chinese rule in Tibet.

She spoke out while holding talks in northern India with the Dalai Lama. The Chinese authorities are continuing to tighten security following days of protests by Tibetans.

The Tibetan government-in-exile - headed by the Dalai Lama, regarded by many Tibetans as their spiritual leader - says at least 99 people have died in the crackdown by Chinese troops.

Chinese officials have accused the Dalai Lama and his supporters of organising violent clashes in Tibet in an attempt to sabotage this summer’s Beijing Olympics and promote Tibetan independence. Correspondents say the protests have presented the biggest challenge to Chinese rule in Tibet in almost two decades.

Speaking in Dharamsala, seat of Tibet’s government-in-exile, Ms Pelosi said: “We call upon the international community to have an independent outside investigation on accusations made by the Chinese government that His Holiness [the Dalai Lama] was the instigator of violence in Tibet.”

She added: “The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world. “If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China and the Chinese in Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak out on human rights.”

Ms Pelosi said she was not seeking a boycott of the Beijing Olympics, but warned that the “world is watching” events in China. Ms Pelosi is one of the sharpest critics of Beijing’s human rights record in the US Congress. Her visit at the head of a congressional delegation was planned before the protests began. China is not allowing foreign journalists into Tibet. Troops have also sealed off towns in the surrounding areas where unrest has taken place, witnesses say.

But the BBC’s James Reynolds spent 24 hours in Hezuo in Gansu, where earlier this week Tibetan protesters tore down the Chinese flag.

Chinese security forces had swamped the town and the streets were full of police cars, check points and military trucks.

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