Tibetan justice
Published Wednesday, March 26, 2008
March 18, 2008
To the editor:
Years ago, Fairbanks’ leading elected official replied to a question, asking, “What’s a Tibet?” Sadly, typical.
As an anthropologist, I’ve studied Tibet for more than 30 years, and as a representative of the U.S. Tibet Committee, I’ve learned that Tibet is little-known. Today’s news shows Tibetans rebelling against Chinese occupation, but few know why.
China invaded its western neighbor soon after its 1950s Communist revolution and took over completely in 1959. Tibet’s leader, the Dalai Lama, fled south into India. Some 100,000 Tibetans followed. Several million Tibetans lost their lives as many were executed by occupying Chinese forces.
In the 13th century, a Mongol khan, Godan, converted to Buddhism and offered a special treaty with the central Asian country’s leader: In exchange for protection, the Tibetan monastics would serve as teachers to the Mongol people. Asian scholar and historian, T.V. Wylie, wrote (l977, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies) that this treaty has been the basis for China’s claim that Tibet has been a part of China since then.
The British representative to Tibet, Hugh Richardson, wrote (1984, Shambala, London, Tibet and Its History) that the arrangement was with Mongols, who later conquered and ruled China.
Separately, each country ultimately recovered independence from Mongol rule. Thus, Richardson explained, there was no basis to the claim by China today that Tibet had been under Chinese rule since the time of the “Yuan” or Mongol dynasty.
China never “ruled” Tibet, and in fact, neither did the Mongols. It was a “patron-priest” relationship.
United Nations committee investigations have determined that Tibet was an independent country. Since China’s occupation, major human rights organizations have shown that genocide programs of sterilization and relocation of Han Chinese to Tibet has resulted in Han outnumbering Tibetans. Traditional ways of life are forcibly altered, any criticism may result in torture and imprisonment and religion is suppressed, regardless of tourist propaganda.
Tibetans have suffered more than 50 years of brutal oppression. Outside Tibet, supporters plead with China to honor commitments to U.N. human rights treaties, while Tibetans plead for justice.
Comments
There is a very rare and ancient breed of dog known here in the West as the Tibetan Mastiff. In Tibet, the Tibetan Mastiff is known as the Dho-khyi, meaning 'tied dog.'
They were bred by the nomadic tribes in the Himalayas where they were used to guard their encampments and very rarely ever seen outside the borders of Tibet.
The close relationship of the Tibetan Mastiff with man throughout the centuries has given the dog a almost uncanny "human" understanding. Generations of working as a guardian of yak, sheep and, more importantly, women and children, requiring always a protector and not a killer, has produced a disposition and temperament of controlled strength, initiative, and fearlessness, tempered with patience, loyalty, and gentleness.
Over the years dogs bearing similarities to TMs were found throughout the Himalayan region and some such dogs have found their way into breeding programs in the West, but the true Tibetan Mastiff or Dho Khyi was still only found in Tibet.
The Dho-khyi is a guardian. When the British invaded Tibet in 1903, many of them were shot on sight. When the Chinese invaded Tibet in the '50's, they so feared this massive and ferocious dog, that with guns drawn on their family members, the nomads were ordered to bludgeon their dogs to death.
The Chinese used this intimidation tactic to slaughter nearly every Dho-khyi in Tibet. Only a few fortunate dogs survived by crossing the borders with Monks into India, Bhutan and Nepal and only a handful that were carefully guarded at the few monastaries the Chinese did not destroy.
This is where Savannah and Karma come in, our beloved Tibetan Mastiffs. Savannah comes from lineage via Europe that came out of Tibet by way of India. Karma comes from lineage that was smuggled out of Nepal by an Alaskan fellow that lived down the road from us. There are only about 3000 Tibetan Mastiffs in the world today and two of them live with us.
This is a story you won't hear about Tibet. Millions of people were killed, 6000 monasteries were destroyed, natural resources were raped and the rich culture of a country and religion was plundered when China invaded Tibet.
Yet to me one of the most inhumane acts of aggression were bringing this ancient, noble, historic breed of dog to the level of near extinction.
BTW, dog breeding in China is now a big business. The Chinese breed them to skin alive and eat (skinning them alive is said to enhance the flavor).
Enjoy the Olympics, but know the truth about China.
I'll be outside playing with my dogs, tyvm.
I am sorry Sam, but did you just make this about a dog? I like dogs, but this breeds plight during a time when millions of humans are being oppressed isnt a real concern. Lets try to keep things in perspective.
Great story by the way.
Of note, Business Week magazine has long reported about the US moving it's manufacturing base to communist China. The communists opened areas for foreign investment, and corporations hopped in. They reduce their labor costs to zip as the Chinese work for slave labor wages. Business Week reports at US CEO's are considered doing a disservice to their shareholder is they DON'T move their manufacturing there. Factories that were moved to Mexico have been moved again to China.
I used to work for a manufacturer in Detroit in the 1970's called Federal Mogul. They were a Fortune 500 company at the time, but filed for bankrupcy in 2000. The Chinese then bought their transaxle plant and moved it brick by brick to China. They got not only the plant, but all the technology involved.
This is happening all over. I believe that the U.S. will be hurt by losing it's manufacturing base, not only in jobs but as a defensive measure. David Cay Johnston in his book "Free Lunch" describes (pp. 37-52) how the US developed powerful, lightweight magnets from neodyminum. These magnets are used in smart bombs, computer hard drives, etc. The factory and technology was sold to China. The US now has neither the technology nor the mine (it shut down) to continue this technology.
The Chinese have no human rights, no safety for their workers, and little inspection of exported goods. Remember the poisoned dog food, the lead paint toys, and the deaths from heparin. Today, the Chinese are shooting Tibetians for protesting. Yet we treat them as a favored trading nation. Our jobs go to China, and we get cheap goods back.
How can US companies complete against Chinese companies that have virtually no regulation and use what amounts to slave labor? If the democrats get their way, US companies will be taxed more and get hit with expensive environmental guidelines that do little to clean the air. Yet they are also the ones screaming about the outsourcing of American jobs. I am not on of the "rich white men" running this country, (In fact, Obama is closer to being that guy than me, and he's black) but I do understand who signs the paychecks in America.
I really dont have an answer to these questions. How can Americans maintain this standard of living, these wages, these prices when our competion is what it is? I dont think we can....
As for Tibet, I think they are screwed. Europe is full of peaceniks who would suffer any injustice themselves than to go to war, and the US cant do it all alone.
The Dalai Lama has offered to meet and speak with Chinese officials.
The fractured country of 'Palestine' wishes to meet with Israel.
The oppressed wish a dialogue with the present landholders...
A peace process in N. Ireland required a cease-fire and discussion. A friend had a brother involved in IRA negotiations, he was a priest. The conflict, most believe, was about religion, Catholic and Protestant. Nothing is further from the truth...it's about money and property, and possession is 9/10's of the claim to continue false ownership. The island of Ireland has 2 time zones, 2 currencies, and six counties in the north claimed by the UK.
The Good Friday Agreement requires devolution of policing and justice in May of this year. If this deal arranged at St. Andrews in Scotland falls apart, don't hold much hope for Tibet or Palestine, as I said it is not about religion.
Aum mani padme hung
During gold old days, we all drive American Made Cars, those FORD represents 'fix or repair dailly'.
Inflation rate will be around 15%. Do you still remember what the mortgage rate was?
There were no Wal-Mart or SAM's Club, because they only import from China (Or maybe Vietnam, plus Indonesia)
If we only can live in those GOLD OLD days.
One may want to read works by Melvyn C. Goldstein, a serious researcher, to know more about Tibet.
In Michael Crichtons book RISING SUN he referanced an age old chinese philosophy that relates to the comments from Batman- ak, it goes "if you dont want us to buy it then dont sell it". The same thing goes for consumers, if you dont want to support these people then quit buying there products. The reality is that our own consumerism stops us from doing this and the free market system that we have institued all around the world makes it so. My question though is this, what does companies that move over seas and dogs have to do with Tibetan PEOPLE? Joe Vogler questioned the vote that made Alaska a state instead of a territory and he won the right to have the case argued in front of the United Nations over a decade ago. Because possession is 9/10th's of ownership, the cultures indigenous to Alaska could easily be classified in the same category as the Tibetans. I have a line of thought I heard somewhere that I will share but not argue with people that seems tandem to this issue, 3% of the world population holds over 95% of the money.
"JB", The Alaska Native cannot be classified as Tibetans. Why? because the Alaska Natives made a real-estate deal with the U.S. and State of Alaska called ANCSA in the early 1970's. This allowed the right of passage for the oil pipeline which comprises of 80% of the total Alaska State revenue.
Furthermore, this goes to show that Ak. Native did not lose their land in war, they exchanged it for 900+ million while keeping approx. 40 million acres of land in Fee title. Do Tibetans have this?
Also, The Natives could have not agreed to any pipeline crossing their lands by our endless appeals system involving 220+ tribes. Hence, no pipeline means no revenue meaning no infrastructure. This also means it was up to the Alaska Native at one time if there was going to be any progress for this State to ever grow. That is fact and it is now Alaska History just as the late great Tibetan era which is only made of hope now.
JB, my comment was relevant as the Chinese are repressing the people of Tibet as well as their own Chinese. And, we do massive business with them. You may recall that the Vietnam war was fought over communism, and now we send our manufacturing to this communist country.
the deal that was made in the seventies was well after the vote for state hood and I suggest that you read up on it. The people of Alaska that were indigineous to the region could have found any number of people (buisness people from all over, like a British group, uh BP perhaps?) to build a pipeline that they would have owned and the US would be buying oil from them and there would not have been a vote. Really, go read up on how that vote came about and how come it will be argued in front of the United Nations; if you dont read history we will repeat it.
Batman- my point may have been missed by the comment I made and then the rhetoric that followed but I actually was trying to agree with you and add to it that if people are really upset with what China is doing, then quit buying there products and boycott companies that are sending work over there if you can.
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