I never expected that my second blog would also be about censorship and blocking, but life is full of little surprises. As I speak, security forces are patrolling Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in the west of the People’s Republic of China. Again, they bring the issue to the common person. With the blocking of YouTube, those within China who use the service are automatically aware that they are doing so as part of their declared “people’s war” of security and propaganda (at least they’re calling a spade a spade) launched against the Dalai Lama.
Maybe they [the ruling Communist Party] are correctly banking on the people’s ignorance to back them, because they certainly aren’t trying to hide the reality from the Western world. They blatantly and defiantly declared that they will not heed international calls for restraint. Within the Chinese news, they are acknowledging the situation, but it is not front page news. It is second or third page at best and is shown as a group of criminals who are trying to upset the security of Lhasa; it is always noted that the government, the implicit heroes, have swiftly and successfully held the security of the region.
The average Chinese citizen seems oblivious to what is going on and why should they care? In their reality, Tibet is a part of China and belongs to China, end of story, full stop. The international propensity for a complete lack of understanding of China’s reasoning and rationale can be seen by their further calls that China somehow commence a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Someone needs to inform the global community that that dialogue will only begin the day after hell freezes over. Not only can they not begin, but China cannot even broach the subject as if it exists, because it doesn’t. To admit the avenue even exists is to admit that their hegemony over the region is anything less than 100% just and founded.
With America’s recent indebtedness to China through their bankrolling of the the Iraqi war, their [American] teeth are virtually non-existent. Indeed, with China emerging as ‘the place to be’ economically, no nation has stepped up to even suggest anything more than the rhetoric of “please be gentle” (which, as I said, has already been rebuked).
To all the Han Chinese in China, Tibet is a part of China, and that is the line they have been spoon fed since the occupation. In a country where current university students are oblivious to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, expecting anyone to remember a time when Tibet was anything other than 100% a part of the People’s Republic of China, is just lunacy. The only way to try to get an understanding is to suggest that they imagine now living under Japanese rule since World War Two. When put in those terms, and when they understand that the Tibetans, and indeed Uyghur, dislike Han as much as Han dislike the Japanese — and indeed view them as occupiers — can they understand the situation even in part.
Again, had they not blocked YouTube, I most likely would be watching some random cute Japanese girl saying something unintelligible and not posting this dissident blog. If their actions are just, they have nothing to fear. Only when you fear truth do you try to hide something. Indeed, all Chinese policy is based on ‘fear’. What a way to live; what a way to rule.
Tags: censorship, China, Communist Party, Dalai Lama, government, riots, Tibet, unrest, youtube
