Dear China, Money Cant Buy You Love in Tibet

From day one China has struggled to win over the Tibetan population. Sixty one years later they are still struggling and missing the beat at every turn. In the early days of China’s occupation of Tibet they handed out silver coins and helped the farmers with harvests. Later that helpful demeanor turned into brutality, torture and murder as the CCP sought to gain increased control over the population. This in turn did nothing to endear China in the hearts of Tibetans and instead led to dissent, protest, freedom fighters, and guerilla warfare in the form of CIA backed Chushi Gangdruk and eventually the uprising in 1959.

Consistently and with fervor the CCP creates policies for Tibet that are not in alignment with the characteristics of Tibetan culture. Why then would they be at all surprised that Tibetans continue to be dissatisfied with the rule of China? The problem with these policies rooted in hegemony is that they do not provide the basis for self-rule and autonomy,  part of China’s constitution. Instead policies are shaped based on what the CCP believes is best for Tibetans, which actually means it’s best for the CCP and the true well-being of Tibetans is only a tertiary if even that, consideration.

A recent study from Human Rights Watch illustrates very clearly why there has been so much dissent in Ngaba prefecture in the past several months. The information shows that security or police expenditures have risen since 2005 to the highest rates in all of China. This means that Tibetans are living on a daily basis with the pressure of intense security. It is with the false belief that increased security creates a peaceful society that China continues to build its oppressive presence in the lives of Tibetans. Instead what this kind of security intrusion creates is the feeling of being in a sort of prison. It creates feelings of paranoia, distrust, anger, fear, and eventually those who are under this sort of pressure will explode. It’s a given and only a matter of time.

Instead of creating unified communities based on peace, China’s policies have created communities of dissent and discontent. People who feel they have no freedom or control over their destiny will eventually rebel. Couple that with economic disparity and you have a recipe for disaster from increased resentment and dissatisfaction.  Andrew Fischer writes about the economy of Tibet calling China’s government subsidies boomerang aid. His studies point out some very valuable information in regard to the vast amounts of money being funneled into the TAR. Most notably that the bulk of the subsidies go to Han owned businesses operating outside of the TAR and government agencies in the Tibet Autonomous Region. While there is some trickle down for Tibetans, the bulk of the money benefits non-Tibetan populations.

Economic disparity between Tibetans and Han migrant’s fuel a lot of tension, which is then exacerbated by the increased security and the forced celebrations of China’s so called success. For instance during this past summer’s celebration of “60 Years of the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet”, much of the Tibetan regions were closed to foreign travel in the months leading up to the main celebration in Lhasa. During the actual celebration Lhasa itself was under undeclared Marshall Law, with heavy military presence throughout the city. Tibetan’s were told to act happy and smile and many were told to stay away from the celebration staging area altogether, except for a select few filmed during the proceedings. In an act of true media spectacle a thousand actors were brought in to don sinicized costumes and participate in a parade that depicted happy, appreciative Tibetans.

The main problem with this celebration is that there was no “Peaceful Liberation” at least not in the eyes of Tibetans. How does 40,000 PLA troupes against 13,000 Tibetan troupes represent peaceful? How do the deaths of thousands of Tibetans represent peaceful liberation? China was not asked to enter Tibet. They were not asked to liberate Tibetans. They were not welcome in Tibet especially once their true intentions became clear to the majority of the population. Deep down in the collective unconscious of CCP members, they know this is the truth. They know they are wrong, but their ego’s will not be moved to do the right thing.

More recently in response to immolations China has made some utterly stupid moves. One was imprisoning Tibetans accused of being responsible for immolation of Phuntsok.  As if they had conspired with Phunstok to set himself on fire. Secondly the initial news reports implied that Phuntsok’s immolation occurred because he was epileptic; an outright lie to defer any possible thought of something being wrong in Tibet. As the immolations continued the CCP then attacked the Dalai Lama and western reactionaries for stirring up trouble. Once again not confronting the possibility that perhaps China’s overall policies in Tibet are amiss and need to be assessed or changed. China constantly refuses to take personal responsibility for anything that happens among Tibetans.

Most recently China has decided that buying clergy will encourage them to stop burning themselves and will instead ignite love and respect for the CCP. Providing monks and nuns with money, health insurance and what essentially amounts to welfare assistance will not change the minds and hearts of Tibetans. Throwing money at the problem of Tibet will not make the problem stop, at what point I wonder will China realize this? As the Beatles sang so long ago, money can’t buy you love.

China’s policies in Tibet will continue to create dissent, they will continue to globalize Tibet, and forever change the landscape of a once sacred remote and unique place and culture. Tibet as it once was will become but a memory and cease to exist except in fragments across the globe.