N.S. Venkataraman
With China’s strong economy and military power, most governments in the world do not want to antagonize China. As China gives them tremendous trading opportunities, these governments take extra care not to do anything that will displease China. These conditions are so ridiculous that the government of a Buddhist country like Sri Lanka refused to give visa to the Dalai Lama fearing China.
While many governments across the world seem to think that Tibet will permanently remain under China, there are two entities who believe otherwise.
One entity is Chinese government itself, which has a huge fear that it’s immoral and unethical aggression of Tibet and suppression of Tibetan people will not remain unchallenged for long, and it will have to pay the price. This fear makes China react aggressively to any country welcoming the Dalai Lama or praising him for his lofty standards with malice for none. Today, it appears that the only person that China fears in the world is the Dalai Lama and his moral authority.
The other entity is the Tibetan people living in Tibet and exile, who are confident that they will get their motherland back sooner or later. They have great faith that the moral power that they have will force the military and economic power of China into silence.
When the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh a few days back, China sent several protest letters to Government of India which ignored such unethical objection, and the Dalai Lama’s visit was completed with satisfaction for one and all in Arunachal Pradesh.
Now, a few members of the U S House of Representatives met the Dalai Lama at his main temple in Dharamshala a few days back, which has been objected by China as usual. China lodged a protest with the US government against the meeting of the members of the US Congress with the Dalai Lama as if the US House of Representatives should get permission from China to meet the Dalai Lama. Of course, such protests have been ignored by the members of the US House of Representatives who told the Tibetans ” You will not be silenced. The brutal tactics of the Chinese government to erase race, culture, and language of Tibetan challenges the conscience of the world. We will meet the challenge “.
Many observers are now surprised that President Trump’s rhetoric on China has been considerably softened down and US government like many other governments in the world appear to be appeasing China. The members of U S House of Representatives who met the Dalai Lama have clearly highlighted the fact that people of US do not approve the changed approach of President Trump towards China.
The very fact that China is so sensitive about any positive reference to the Tibetans or the Dalai Lama anywhere in the world clearly indicates that China thinks that the last word has not been said about China’s occupation of Tibet. The fear of China is not about the world governments but about the citizens of the world who realize that Tibetans have been wronged and the world view that China is an aggressor. China understands that even after six decades of China occupying Tibet, the world is still concerned about its occupation. It has no way to silence the conscience of the world.
The Tibetans have to keep the spirit high and clearly be conscious of the fact that the world conscience remembers the Tibetans, in spite of China’s efforts to erase Tibet as a country in the world history.
The members of the US House of Representatives had listened to their conscience and reflected the conscience of the world when they openly condemned the role of China in suppressing Tibetans during their visit to Dharamshala.