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Secondary: Rapid Response Assemblies

China and Tibet: Olympic Games protests
By James Lamont

Suitable for Whole School

Aim

To examine the issues between China and Tibet that are causing demonstrations against the Olympic Games.

Preparation and materials

You might like to download pictures of the demonstrations from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/08/torch.relay or http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7335871.stm

Assembly

In the build-up to this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, opposition has been rife. People oppose China’s shaky human-rights record, its trading with the genocidal regime in Sudan, and its expanding industries, which are causing increasing environmental damage. Yet the issue people have most difficulty with is Tibet, China’s most westerly region, often called the ‘roof of the world’.
China has long claimed Tibet to be a part of its territory, although many of the facts of the matter have become blurred into opinions and half-truths. It is known that by the mid eighteenth century Tibet was controlled by the Chinese Emperor Qianlong. However, struggles have taken place since then between Tibet, Nepal, China and the UK over dominance in the region.
In 1912, the Emperor of China abdicated and the Republic was born: in the same year, Tibetan forces ousted Chinese troops. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party took control of the country and forced the Nationalists, who had previously ruled, to the southern island of Taiwan, where they remain to this day. In 1950, having never renounced China’s claim to Tibet, the Communist People’s Liberation Army invaded and took control of the region. A year later Tibet became part of the People’s Republic of China.
The ruler-in-exile of Tibet is Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is both a religious and a political figure, and is held to be a reincarnation of one of the Buddhist Masters who became so enlightened that they escaped the cycle of death and rebirth to remain in the world to teach humanity.
Since a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, the Dalai Lama and his government have been sheltering in Dharamsala, India. He has often been praised for his peaceful nature and, in 1989, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his support for non-violent means to aid Tibetans, and his encouragement of others to do the same. He has been compared to Gandhi in this respect.
The issue of Tibetan independence remains a difficult one because there are strong arguments on both sides and a lack of accurate data regarding the matter. China’s state press is controlled by the political elite, so fairness and a lack of bias cannot be assumed.
However, the Communist Chinese claim to have dramatically improved the quality of life for ordinary Tibetans. They claim that prior to the invasion, Tibet was a medieval state, relying on peasant labour for rich landowners. On arrival, in line with usual Communist policy, the Chinese began redistributing land in favour of the poor. According to the Communists, the 1959 rebellion was started by the dispossessed aristocracy.
In January this year, large deposits of zinc, copper and lead were discovered. This has an estimated total value of $128 billion and will be a major asset for the People’s Republic in the twenty-first century. It is unknown whether the benefits will reach Tibet’s people or be taken to China.
The opening of the China–Tibet railway connecting the capital, Lhasa, with central China in 2006 has been seen by some as a strong economic gain for a region based in the Himalayas, and a real sign of China’s commitment to Tibet’s economic development.
But others see this railway – the world’s highest – as a further means of control and assimilation. It will be easier to transport soldiers and Han Chinese – the dominant racial group – into the once isolated area. Han Chinese, pro-Tibetans argue, receive better treatment than native Tibetans in Tibet, and are eroding an ancient culture.
Many of the targets of the pro-independence riots that took place earlier this year were Chinese business owners, suggesting a strong degree of resentment. China’s hardline crackdown on any form of protest, with allegations of torture and police brutality, has caused an outcry around the world. Yet China’s unreliable media prevent an accurate depiction of events. At present, foreign journalists are banned from Lhasa, making accurate reporting impossible.
It is clear that there are strong arguments on both sides, and that the issue is not as black and white as it is often made out to be. Perhaps the only lesson to be learnt is that we all share a common humanity, and that arbitrary division by race will not lead to gain.