Ask Questions on Tibetan Protests

The PRC seems to have mobilized its formidable propaganda apparatus to portray the unrest as violent acts by criminals and secessionists perpetrated against innocent Han Chinese, all instigated by "the Dalai Clique." No foreign media have found evidence of such claims. China has invested huge amounts of real and symbolic capital in the Summer Olympic Games, and to the extent that the games become an embarrassment for the PRC, Tibetans will suffer the consequences.

Based on the evidence of previous demonstrations in 1987 and 1989, the consequences of protest include the mass arrests and long prison sentences that follow in their wake. These arrests have already begun. In the short term, one might implore the various American corporations who have invested heavily in the Beijing Olympics to press the Chinese government to negotiate with the Dalai Lama and improve the human rights environment for Tibetans. In the long term, however, deep-seated attitudes of Han Chinese (both in and out of China) will have to change in order for significant progress to occur.

A very tough question to answer. The Chinese see Tibet as an internal issue, one closely tied to domestic stability and national security. The Chinese leaders are not greatly moved by international protestations when it comes to issues of this kind. Witness the persistence of Chinese practices more generally with regard to human rights that have been sharply criticized from abroad, but which the Chinese leaders say they will reform at their own pace without regard to the views of outsiders.

What can be done? While the Chinese do see this as an internal issue, they also care about their international image. Expressions of concern by foreign governments, foreign non-governmental organizations and foreigners generally, while they do not produce immediate results, provide an incentive for Chinese leaders who crave international respect and acceptance to change their policies. There also are international organizations, such as the UN Human Rights Council, that have responsibility for global human rights issues, so it is appropriate for them to look into the Tibet issue. Foreign journalists can cover the issue more thoroughly, if they can get access to Tibetan areas. Foreign visitors to China, and particularly foreign officials, can tell their Chinese hosts of their concerns.

I believe the key to communicating concern to the Chinese about Tibet is to persuade Chinese that we are approaching them not as adversaries but as friends who wish China well. If they are approached as adversaries, they will have the natural reaction of people in any country, namely to circle the wagons and reject outside scrutiny. They will see criticism and suggestions as part of a broader plan to embarrass, humiliate, or even destabilize their country. We should acknowledge that every country has problems in relationships between ethnic groups, and between majority and minority populations, that issues involving religious conflicts, territorial claims, and disparities of income such as Tibet presents are not easy. Therefore, our suggestions and even our criticism should be offered in the spirit of trying to help them help themselves, not in order to judge them as morally deficient.