The Big Brother is Watching You

(The following entries require editing and revision).  DJ

A Panel discussion at ICT last week was illuminating and insightful. Steven Marshall, a veteran expert on Tibet and China along with a  Chinese professor pitched in their analysis on the topic: "China's Fifth Tibet Work Forum and The Memorandum on Genuine Autonom" and the discussion was  moderated by Bhungchung K. Tsering of ICT appropriately.


 Both panelists highlighted the intensity of the Chinese authorities obession in maintaining stability in Tibet through economic development. Which the Chinese professor interestedly said to have failed to bring the desired order/ stability. Steven Marshall summized that the Chinese politibobrum meeting ended with heightend sense of awareness of what the issues is at stake. Chinese leaders took a while to fully comprehend the unprecedented scale of protest in Tibet. At the high level meetings, the Chinese communist leaders reasserted not to fulfill any wishes of the Tibetan people, while throwing all their weight to ensure supremacy of the Party and and the communisty party prevails.

Professor Yuo analyzed that the trojetory of all the Tibetan Work Forum  in the past, which in Chinese mean "to sit down and talk". (This is accorded to Tibetan only, no other minorities has this particular meeting).

Professor's Yuo's dissect of the past Work Forum on Tibet up to the  fifth, pointed to one striking issue.
The Chinese leaders have become harsher and harsher with each of the Tibet Work Forum on dealing with Tibet. I believe his analysis echo the ground reality in Tibet. Some of TAR Chinese officials labeling the Dalai Lama as " a monk in wolf's clothes, with the heart of beast" and as well as "Head of serf soceity". Under Hu's leadership, Taiwan and Tibet has become China's core issue.  Hu  is  considered as stragetic thinker, has even brought in Tibet issue as a part of Chinese international PR.

  Steven said the Dalai Lama is 74 now and if he is still around 40 or so then the Chinese will be more scared, but now they are waiting him to pass from the scene . And he said " this is the biggest misculculation of the Chinese leadership".  The Chinese have many times  are underestimating the loyalty of Tibetan toward Dalai Lama, ones the Dalai Lama pass away , no amount of PLA would be able to control and repress the Tibetans.  And Professor Yuo countered to this statement and by saying that  that even if the Dalai Lama passed away, the Tibet issue will still pass on to another leadership in exile.

The maps that Steve showed  of Chinese government 's plan for 2020 is very impressive.  The Chinese government has immense foreign reserve to build these rail way projects, and intend to complete by 2020.  Ones all the rail project completed, the vast web of railway network will encompass all the Tibetan areas from far east to the far west. Ones the entire railway way project completed by 2020, it will made movement of people and goods easy, all to the Chinese advantages. This state sponsored project for me signals a second wave of invasion of Tibet territory and possession by the Chinese.
The entire Tibet plateau is sorrounded by Chinese railways, and even posing a stragetic threat to the neighbouring country India.

To the question of the Sino Tibet dialogue helping or hurting the Tibetan freedom movement ? Steve responded by saying that the very fact of Dalai Lama's representatives going there and talk to Chinese comtempart means a lot.  As of now the Chinese have not got what they ask, and nor the Tibetans got what they want. Both sides have remained firm and unwavering. and then to the question Chinese government pandering to Chinese nationalism successful or not ?  Professor Yu said it has a double sword edge, in one hand, its appears to wiping up the Chinese nationalism, which at the same driving the Tibetans further away and this friction among nationalities is , in contrary to claiming Tibet  part of China and busted the Hu's slogan for building a "harmonous soceity".

It was a good evening talk and of course the afterward freshment,  is always stimulating .
But then I had an unexpected guest.  A young Chinese looking guy, reached out to me and greeted, asking if I work for RFA, (which I said at the meeting). Initially I didnt have an inkling of who is this fellow. I chatted with him for a while, and then his questions are started getting privy and more investigational. Like how many people at RFA, how we get the news from Tibet etc.  When I learnt then that he works for Legal newspaper, but report to this office in China. I started to suspect and no sooner, Buchung Tsering la, said that this guy is under watch list or in his word " he is little different guy" and there are one more like him.   And suggested not to reveal much to him . By then I have already exchanged our business cards. The fact that I am lured by a possible Chinese agent, is extremely disturbing, I lost all my sanity and feel loathed. After a moment of thoughts, I returned to the guy and asked him to return my business card, the reason " I dont feel comfortable giving my card to a Chinese from China".

He responded, "what is the problem we are colleagues".  While collegue or not, I have no good feeling of this  Chinese.  Even though , they cannt do anything to me personal, it can still impact my future and future of our family back in Tibet.  Meanwhile the other Chinese fellow is busy chatting with other Tibetans at the event, and I dont have a clue how that ended.

So it never occurred to me that even at ICT, the Big Brother is Watching you.

Revised. on April 13,2010