Ref: – China should exploit political weakness of India and USA & its democratic allies.
Dear Sir
Though Tibetans have not accepted the claim of Government of China (GOC) that – only 10 persons (30 to 100 as per Tibetans) have been killed in last week’s violence in Tibet and that too not by the bullets of armed forces of China but in ethnic violence, the Han – Tibetan clashes – but it certainly signifies a mindset of GOC to project itself as human rights friendly regime and which is a matter of great satisfaction that GOC will see to it that in future causalities do not take place at the hands of armed forces of China during current Tibetan uprising.
Though the current Tibetan uprising is the result of alleged massive influx of Chinese to Tibet region which is feared to be an exercise by GOC to change the demographic structure and cultural profile of Tibet, but otherwise also even a green horn Tibetan politician will not let this highly potent opportunity (of mid 2008 Olympics in China) go without highlighting Tibet issue. Therefore China need not be oversensitive to recent agitations in Lhasa, Gansu etc in favor of so called independent Tibet whether or no this is allegedly (as per GOC) organized, premeditated and masterminded by Dalai Lama. After all many Tibetans (like displaced Kashmiri Pundits) who are living in exile can not be expected to live in peace, harmony and happiness unless they are at home by ensuring that either they are rehabilitated back in or feel free to go to their native place.
But unfortunately the way both Tibetans and GOC are handling this agitation (which, this time, is bound to reach its logical end) gives ample indication that that the wider vision and the appreciation of political reality of contemporary world is simply missing in the approach of both. Whereas not only both China and Tibetans but the entire mankind can benefit from this agitation if handled in view of and as given below for the realization of “Genuine Globalization”:-
(1)- First and foremost the Tibetans ought to realize that Tibet is an integral part of China. In the interest of coming in the main stream, the Tibetans should also shed the prefix “Autonomous Region of China”. Because in India also those regions are conferred or proposed to be conferred the status of an autonomous region (in the so called interest of preserving their culture or so called autonomy) which are tribal areas or intended to be kept as politically and economically neglected areas which powerful section of India wants to keep in eternal backwardness. Granting a special status (including Article 370 of The Constitution of India in relation to the State of Jammu & Kashmir) to any State or region is a sure recipe for keeping it in eternal backwardness.
(2)- The Tibetans have devised an extremely effective strategy of marching to Lhasa though it is frustrated by India by arresting marching Tibetans. But for this, only Tibetans are to be blamed as they do not realize that India is merely interested (though without meaning it) in conveying a message to China that Government of India (GOI) is doing its best to avoid any embarrassment to China. Therefore Tibetan should invite Tibetans from all over India (may be the world) to assemble at one place (may be at Dharmshala etc) and then move to Lhasa in a long march on an appointed day. As for GOI’s resistance (by taking an excuse of “valid travel document”) to the human rights of Tibetan refugees to go back to their native land, the Tibetans can always move Supreme Court of India (where National Human Rights Commission of India) may be petitioned to become an interested party with court’s permission) to legally constrain GOI to allow the marching Tibetans to cross the international border for the purpose of going back to their native land. The Tibetans can first go to Lhasa to pay homage to these 10 or 30 or 100 martyrs and then to their native place in Tibet or any where in China. Of course by this time during their stay of 50 years in India the Tibetans must have learnt / understood the Gandhian non-violent technique of offering arrest if these marching Tibetans are forcibly stopped by GOC and such voluntary arrest will be enough to ensure the success of this Tibetan agitation.
(3)- The Tibetans should also not be carried away by the propaganda of India (especially through media) or of USA & its democratic allies which tantamount to opposing communism in China. After all Tibetans have lived for long enough in India to realize that human right is the first causality in fully civilian democratic India. Therefore Tibetans would do well if they give preference to human rights over democracy.
(4)- On the other hand China has to realize that there is a fundamental difference between China and India, the two highly populated countries of this region. In case of China, apart from being a veto wielding permanent member of UN, it has economical and military power but lacks international approval (mainly on count of popularly perceived threatened human rights in communism). Whereas in case of India it has international approval (due to established democracy) but lacks economical and military power. But fortunately for China, it can easily take on India and USA & its democratic allies (who are very subtly leading covert propaganda campaign against China during current Tibetan uprising while overtly feigning to be interested in peaceful dialogues and in the territorial integrity and political stability of China) on human rights front once China realizes its legitimate right to assume the leadership of “Global Human Rights Movement” (GHRM) which is nothing but “Genuine Globalization”. If any body thinks that without first having political globalization the economical globalization can be achieved then he / she is simply living in his / her make believe world.
(5)- This GHRM can be pressed by China, also as a veto wielding permanent member of UN. This GHRM will (after UN ensures a proper and elaborate mechanism for the implantation of human rights in its member countries and at UN where individual citizen can move this mechanism to secure his human rights even against the erring government of his country) will entitle UN to intervene militarily in any erring member country if that violates the human rights blatantly. Here the existing provisions of optional protocol OP1 should be done away with because this is the single most instrument which has done maximum harm to the human right credentials of UN, which has been rendered impotent as according to this protocol unless the erring country itself authorizes UN to intervene UN can’t do it to correct the blatant violation of human rights in erring country (what an absurdity, where accused is given the right to decide the due course of justice!).
(6)- Once China presses for GHRM, it will be surprised to know that India and USA & its democratic allies will be the first to oppose GHRM because:-
(i)- India, has a lot to explain on human right issues. Such as, apart from its communal history of minority massacre as recently in Gujarat pogrom 2002 also, the basic human rights of livelihood is not taken seriously by India as is evident from the fact that National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which is going to sustain half of poor India when implemented fully in another two years has been allotted a meager sum of Rs. 160 billion against minimum requirement Rs. 540 billion apart from the hopelessly poor implementation of NREGS even as per indicting report of Comptroller & Auditor General of India.
(ii)- USA and its democratic allies also have lot to explain on the violation of human rights by them in many parts of the world including in post 9/11 era.
(7)- USA & its democratic allies will oppose GHRM also for one more reason. They are so arrogant and consider themselves so powerful that they think that any military intervention by UN in case of blatant human right violation in their countries (or in countries under their possession or effective control like Afghanistan, Iraq etc and which are their responsibility as per international law vis-à-vis human rights in these possessed or controlled countries where USA & its democratic allies are there precisely on the pretext of human rights with the acquiescence of UN) will be below their dignity and against their self conferred special status amongst world community in UN. Once GHRM comes into existence then the mankind will slowly come to know that these UN pampered so called champions of human rights are equally in need of basic lessons in human rights.
(8)- As for India, it will oppose GHRM especially if it is initiated by China for the simple reason that most of the social indicators in communist China are much better than in fully civilian democratic India (with whom China will be mostly compared). Some human rights (like free expression, political dissent etc) which comes naturally to democracy and generally denied thus far in communist countries can be secured to reasonable extent if said “Genuine Globalization” is advocated and endeavored by China through GHRM.
(9)- Also China need not be oversensitive to the demand of Tibetans for preserving their cultural heritage as apart from its economical and political basis it is also a way to emphasis their identity. This happens even in democracy as happened in India also where currently Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are clamoring for getting especial status to Marathis, a lingual community.
Being an ancient civilization China must be aware that most of and major advancement in the life of a person or a nation comes only by exploiting the adversities to advantage. Therefore China and Tibetans ought to exploit this opportunity of Tibetan movement to provide an epochal and historical leadership in order to realize the mission of GHRM in the interest of the human rights of the entire mankind with its attended rewards to China (including Tibetans).
Yours truly
Hem Raj Jain
208, Supriya, plot 20, Sector 10, Dwarka, New Delhi – 110075
Mob: 09871194983, 09871365288
Submitted by Hem Raj Jain