Comments on: “Τibet always a part of China”: Chiang Kai-shek and the China Daily http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/ A Qing historian reads the newspaper... Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Amethyst http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/comment-page-1/#comment-1875 Amethyst Thu, 15 May 2008 14:09:35 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/#comment-1875 I agree with BuKen. China has tried to cruelly assimilate the Tibetan peoples into a culture that was never theirs. I find it a sad realisation that such brutal controll tactics are still being used in the 21st century. There is a serious issue surrounding human rights violations towards Tibetan people. The currant protests in china have left many Tibetans severely injured and being refused medical treatment -- among other things. This is heartless discrimination at its worst. As to the questioning of whether or not Tibet was ever an indipendent country? I find the sheer fact we even have to ask the question a plain reminder of the brainwashing of the Chinese media. Tibet was, untill the 1950's invasion, an indipendent country in fact and in law. End of story. I agree with BuKen. China has tried to cruelly assimilate the Tibetan peoples into a culture that was never theirs. I find it a sad realisation that such brutal controll tactics are still being used in the 21st century.
There is a serious issue surrounding human rights violations towards Tibetan people. The currant protests in china have left many Tibetans severely injured and being refused medical treatment — among other things. This is heartless discrimination at its worst.
As to the questioning of whether or not Tibet was ever an indipendent country? I find the sheer fact we even have to ask the question a plain reminder of the brainwashing of the Chinese media. Tibet was, untill the 1950′s invasion, an indipendent country in fact and in law. End of story.

]]> By: BuKen http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/comment-page-1/#comment-1737 BuKen Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:40:23 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/#comment-1737 How legal or binding regarding Tibet are the Qing monarchic entries or Communist writings as they have no Tibetan co-signatures on them? No matter what wishful thinking the Chinese leaders may have, Tibet is like a kidnapped bride, heart broken, humiliated, violated, culturally robbed....That is exactly how they feel. Never mind some footnotes from the feudal past, one needs to look forward on how to undo the suffering of a whole people. Nothing is ever cast in stone; what it takes is imagination, wisdom, open-mindedness, humanity and sensitivity to fellow men -- and fellow cultures. How legal or binding regarding Tibet are the Qing monarchic entries or Communist writings as they have no Tibetan co-signatures on them? No matter what wishful thinking the Chinese leaders may have, Tibet is like a kidnapped bride, heart broken, humiliated, violated, culturally robbed….That is exactly how they feel.

Never mind some footnotes from the feudal past, one needs to look forward on how to undo the suffering of a whole people. Nothing is ever cast in stone; what it takes is imagination, wisdom, open-mindedness, humanity and sensitivity to fellow men — and fellow cultures.

]]> By: Terry http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/comment-page-1/#comment-1733 Terry Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:14:43 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/#comment-1733 Froog, I think you comments are very perceptive and well balanced in the face of many different inferences and speculations on your views that didn't match what you wrote. As a broadly focussed forever student of China since the 70's, I really appreciate you intelligent comments. Froog,

I think you comments are very perceptive and well balanced in the face of many different inferences and speculations on your views that didn’t match what you wrote. As a broadly focussed forever student of China since the 70′s, I really appreciate you intelligent comments.

]]> By: Froog http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/comment-page-1/#comment-1727 Froog Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:32:27 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/#comment-1727 Thanks, Zhuoyi. I hadn't been following all the shifts in the official rhetoric on Taiwan. However, I have still heard the 'province' tag being used quite recently; even if it's dropped from official statements, you still encounter it in daily life; and in subtle but significant ways like Taiwan always being listed among China's 'provinces' (which of course includes the SARs and the 'autonomous regions') in maps, atlases, guidebooks, etc. I hope we don't see terrorist movements in Tibet. I rather think, if it were going to happen, it would have happened already. Whereas Xinjiang has ready access to Russia and central Asia and can obtain arms from established Islamic terror groups elsewhere, Tibet is extremely geographically isolated, and has no close ties (that I know of) to any other country or militant organization. Also, it has a very strong tradition of non-violence in its national religion. Even without the development of an armed resistance movement, continuing mass discontent and occasional outbreaks of violent protest will render Tibet virtually ungovernable. Rule by military occupation is never tenable in the long-term; in the modern world, it is just too goddamned expensive. China's policies have engendered this resistance; they have made it progressively more extreme in its demands and more violent in its expression; and they may yet lead to the emergence of terrorist movements. China needs a new approach to this problem very soon, or Tibet will become a festering sore in its side - far worse than Iraq or Chechnya. I think calling an end to the "demonize the Dalai" strategy would be a good start. Thanks, Zhuoyi. I hadn’t been following all the shifts in the official rhetoric on Taiwan. However, I have still heard the ‘province’ tag being used quite recently; even if it’s dropped from official statements, you still encounter it in daily life; and in subtle but significant ways like Taiwan always being listed among China’s ‘provinces’ (which of course includes the SARs and the ‘autonomous regions’) in maps, atlases, guidebooks, etc.

I hope we don’t see terrorist movements in Tibet. I rather think, if it were going to happen, it would have happened already. Whereas Xinjiang has ready access to Russia and central Asia and can obtain arms from established Islamic terror groups elsewhere, Tibet is extremely geographically isolated, and has no close ties (that I know of) to any other country or militant organization. Also, it has a very strong tradition of non-violence in its national religion.

Even without the development of an armed resistance movement, continuing mass discontent and occasional outbreaks of violent protest will render Tibet virtually ungovernable. Rule by military occupation is never tenable in the long-term; in the modern world, it is just too goddamned expensive. China’s policies have engendered this resistance; they have made it progressively more extreme in its demands and more violent in its expression; and they may yet lead to the emergence of terrorist movements. China needs a new approach to this problem very soon, or Tibet will become a festering sore in its side – far worse than Iraq or Chechnya.

I think calling an end to the “demonize the Dalai” strategy would be a good start.

]]> By: Zhuoyi http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/comment-page-1/#comment-1725 Zhuoyi Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:27:20 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/03/29/%cf%84ibet-always-a-part-of-china-chiang-kai-shek-and-the-china-daily/#comment-1725 You are right. I think "Taiwan is a province of the PRC" view (台湾是中华人民共和国一部分) is aggressive. It is hard (if not impossible) to be accepted by Taiwanese. So Beijing stopped using that sentence since 90s (I forgot exactly when). Beijing has switched the bottom line to "台湾和大陆同属一个中国" - Taiwan and mainland China belong to the same China. President Hu Jintao reemphasized that statement after the new president of ROC (Taiwan) was elected this March. Beijing also had lowered its position for quite a while that even country name and national flag are negotiable. That means, after Taiwan and mainland China reunify, the country name could be renamed to ROC or something else. Tibet is different. With so much violence going on - innocent people killed, local businesses and schools buried down, Tibet independence movement will soon become terrorism and will be treated as terrorist. You are right. I think “Taiwan is a province of the PRC” view (台湾是中华人民共和国一部分) is aggressive. It is hard (if not impossible) to be accepted by Taiwanese. So Beijing stopped using that sentence since 90s (I forgot exactly when).

Beijing has switched the bottom line to “台湾和大陆同属一个中国” – Taiwan and mainland China belong to the same China. President Hu Jintao reemphasized that statement after the new president of ROC (Taiwan) was elected this March. Beijing also had lowered its position for quite a while that even country name and national flag are negotiable. That means, after Taiwan and mainland China reunify, the country name could be renamed to ROC or something else.

Tibet is different. With so much violence going on – innocent people killed, local businesses and schools buried down, Tibet independence movement will soon become terrorism and will be treated as terrorist.

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