A "new olive branch" from the Dalai Lama has staggered to the public by a western guy through a piece of western newspaper.
Nicholas D. Kristop has published an article on New York Times on August 7, the day before the opening of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and for the first time, the Dalai Lama is willing to state that he can accept the socialist system in Tibet under Communist Party rule while "the main thing is to preserve our culture, to preserve the character of Tibet, That is what is most important, not politics", according to that article.
What's the matter with Tibet and what crisis Tibetan characteristic is facing? What kind of problem makes the Dalai Lama sacrifice so much, even to compromise a lot to be willing to accept the socialist system to "preserve them"?
This topic is too gigantic and Tibet is also too far away. Let's just come to the details. A few days ago, I went to Dongdan and near the Xiehe Hospital I found a small shop with a lot of Tibetan Buddhism figures in its shopwindow and lots of Thangka and monks pictures on its wall. At that time, I really wanted to take some photos just for my western friends to tell them how the Tibetan culture is in today's Beijing. It's a pity that the shopkeeper refused me. So for as I know, there are many other kinds of such shops in Beijing run by Tibetans or local residents. Whether it can be run for long or not, it only depends on the business. Can this phenomenon reflect an aspect of current Tibetan culture?
Yesterday, I went to China Tibetology Research Center for some work. Two kilometers east away from the Bird's Nest where the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony was just held, the Tibetan-style building is next to some other Tibetan-style buildings, such as Tibet Mansion, Tibet Middle School, Tibetan Medicine Mansion and also the newly-finished Tibet Folk Custom Museum. Painted in deep purple, a kind of characteristic color for the top of Potala Palace and some Tibetan Buddhism monasteries as well as the color of Tibetan monks' robe, those Tibetan-style buildings gather together just like a Tibetan village in Beijing. In deed, the Tibetan culture has special characteristics and we can touch the characteristics only from the Tibetan buildings which we can easily find on street. We can definitely say that the Tibetan culture has never boomed in today's Beijing as there are so many Tibetan books and newspaper, literature and art, music and etc. What is the problem with protection and development of Tibetan culture? If there is, there is only one problem, that is after so many distort words from the Dalai Lama and some western media, how can the Chinese Government make more and more westerners believe that the Chinese Government has no genocidal policy for Tibetan culture.
As for the Tibetan characteristics, there are some Tibetan characteristics in the long history including elite and draff. There are some uncultured and outdated "characteristics", such as the feudal serf system under the combination institution of politics and religion and the feudal dictatorship of Tibetan Buddhism monasteries and large numbers of monks. Yes, all those dictatorship have disappeared and of course there is no measure to keep such "characteristics". Once there was such characteristic in the history of different ethnic groups and different countries, why should Tibet keep such "characteristics" while most of the westerners weren't keen on the medieval inquisition, the tithe and the indulgence.
The "olive branch" also mentions the disquieting future:" much of Tibet is likely to have been drowned in a sea of Chinese migration" and also delivers some "prescription":" to restrict migration into all Tibetan areas, inside and outside the “autonomous region,” through China’s existing system of residence permits. The Chinese authorities would stop issuing resident permits, known as hukou, to non-Tibetans for any Tibetan area..."
The fact is that the Chinese Government has no policy that the Dalai Lama said to encourage large numbers of immigration to Tibet, but with the economic development and social life progress of China, it is an indisputable fact that the population flow between western and eastern China is increasing. There is other ethnic people in Tibet while there is also some other ethnic people including Tibetan in eastern China. Many countries have experienced or are experiencing the nationalities flow. All the ethnic people are equal in China and if we don't allow other ethnic people to enter Tibet, will we allow Tibetans to go to the inland cities? If the restriction is only effective to some ethnic people, does it mean that there is one or some nationalities has or have special rights? And how about the others? While if we set some restriction to all the nationalities, will there be some so-called "Human Rights Issue"? In fact, we can find paper material recording that 1,300 years ago in the beginning of Tang Dynasty, there was Han-Tibetan intermarriage and intermarriage with other nationalities is an important characteristic of Tibetan culture. If there is some restriction for population flow, don't you be afraid of losing this "Tibetan characteristic"? Can all the different ethnic young people in Tibetan-populated areas fall in love according to their will? Or they can only enjoy their separation life? How about those "Tuanjie Zu", second generation or third generation with half, a quarter even eighth blood of Tibetan? In my opinion, there is no capable leader in China can solve such complicated problem and I'm afraid that we should hire some advisors from western countries.
There are some words confusing me in that article and I can't distinguish it is from the Dalai Lama or just from Nicholas. But it mentioned so-and-so institution won't take part in the talk with the representative of the Dalai Lama or such and such secretary in Tibet transfers to some other post, I believe he has put his foot in it.
Yes, the Dalai Lama expressed his will of returning home again, so please admit your fault and see clearly of the situation to drop your bargaining with the Central Government. In last half century, you have done too many things to distort the history of Tibet, spoil the image of our country, harm Chinese people's feeling and demolish the unification of our country and keep such situation is really not the best choice.
