Free Tibet

Sorry I've been remiss in my blogging. I got to Daramshala (actually, it's Mcloed Ganj--Don't know why everyone says that they are going to Daramshala when no one goes there) on Tuesday. The train ride was long but enjoyable. Breif background on this place: this is the home of the Tibetan government in exile (the Dalai Lama and his cohort), and most of the people who live here are Tibetans in exile, who escaped from China's oppressive rule in Tibet. Most of them walked on foot across the himalayas with minimal supplies to get here. And then when they got here, they found the biggest tourist hotspot in India; the street is full of tourists and whote people. This is because Buddhism has become (tragically) trendy in the west, and this is the only place in India where people are actually buddhist. I feel that many western tourists come to India to find buddhist-style spiritual enlightenment, and are sort of surprised that no Indians are buddhist, and so they all flock to this place, where the buddhists make a good buisness out of selling themselves and their sacred traditions to them.

Spent the first night here in a mountain retreit place, slept under the stars and had a campfire. Last night was the second night in my brand new homestay. My host family here is really amazing--it's a young couple of Tibetan refugees, who have been in India living in exile since around '95. They have a five year old son who is a huge spaz--I've never seen a kid with such unstoppable energy. They live in a room that's about the size of a conservative dorm room single, with a tiny kitchenette attached. they really don't have enough room for me, much less all my crap. We all live and eat and sleep together--there are two small cots at right angles to each other which convert to couches during the day, and I get one of them and the man and son get the other one, with our heads almost touching. The wife gets the floor. I tried to sleep on the floor last night but they wouldn't let me. I'm lucky I'm short or else I wouldn't fit at all. But they are amazingly nice, open people. I also like that some of the customs of India which make me uncomfortable aren't present in this family; we all eat together, including the wife (she's not stuck in the kitchen providing the men with hot roti). I really like tibetan people in general.

This is the first time I have bothered to educate myself about the Tibet situation, and I am seriously disturbed by what I have learned. China's blatantly imperialistic colonization of Tibet is one of the biggest crimes against human dignity and the right to soveriegnty and self rule of our time. The international community is completely silent about it because China is in such a position of economic and political power. But to me, the truly tragic part of it is the response of the Dalai Lama and his government. They have adopted a "middle way" policy which is basically a policy of giving China as many consessions as possible until they feel inclined to negotiate. However, there is no reason for China to negotate with them; there is almost no international pressure on China, no accountability. They have stopped asking for Tibetan independance ten years ago. These are the Dalai Lama's demands of China:
"Without seeking independance for Tibet, the Central Tibetan Administration strives for the creation of a political entity comprising the three traditional procinces of tibet....Until the time Tibet is transormed into a zone of peace and non-violence, the Chineese governmetn can keep armed forces in Tibet for it's protection" etc, etc.

This weakness of the Dalai Lama is seriously ill conceived. China has no imputus to negotiate. They have no compassion, no ideology of individual freedom to uphold, and no international pressure to improve their human rights. Non violence does not mean submission and cooperation, it means an aggressive fight against injustice. However, any civil disobediance by Tibetans will simply result in their swift execution. Meanwhile, China is flooding tibet with an influx of China's populaition. In a matter of years, the issue will be a moot point because there will be so few tibetans in tibet compared to the number of chinesse. The entire noble tradition and culture of Tibet will move into exile, where it will simply wither and die out. And then that is the end of that. Time is running out in a really serious way. However, the Dalai Lama commands the absolute and unquestioning respect of most Tibetans--he really has the power in his hands to either challenge the Chinesse or continue to be submissive and let his people die out either at the brutal hands of the Chinese or to be assimilated into western culture in exile. Although there is a growing youth movement which is demanding independance, in order to actually launch the movement, the Dalai Lama must grow a spine. He is using non-violence as a mask for cowardace and weakness. I know that sounds strong, but it is the real situation, and it is so obvious that even after 48 hours here, it becomes blatantly clear. Everyone can see it, and the Tibetan people are just waiting to die.
peace
jed