Josh Schrei has a phenomenal article up at Dissident Voices wherein he looks at the tendency of apologism for China’s occupation of Tibet by some Leftist scholars. Much of this sort of writing relies on Chinese propaganda and argumentative, anti-historical histories about “old Tibet.” Schrei runs through many of these lines of argument and either disproves them or disassembles their logic. It’s a long, thoughtful piece and one that is tremendously useful for anyone who encounters sophistical arguments about what Tibet was like before China invaded in 1950 and why the invasion was a good thing. Go give it a read.

Jamyang Norbu, one of the most prolific writers and committed advocates for Tibetan independence, has a piece up on Phayul (the main Tibetan exile news site) discussing the ongoing events in Tibet. Norbu describes what has happened and continues as nothing short of a revolution.

Norbu offers a scathing critique of how the Tibetan Government-in-Exile has handled this revolution. He makes a convincing case that the TGIE’s active involvement in diminishing the scope and nature of protests going on around the world has damaged the power of this moment. Echoing Thomas Paine, Norbu challenges the TGIU to “step out of the way” since they have failed to lead this revolution closer to independence for Tibet.

Jamyang Norbu’s piece is worthy of repeated, thorough readings. It succeeds in capturing the true power of the revolution going on in Tibet and rightly differentiates what has happened over the last month as far greater in scale than the 1989 uprising. His piece gives voice to the possibility that the TGIE has tragically misplayed the meaning of the events in Tibet and undercut Tibetans’ commitment to freedom. This is a heartbreaking realization, but it speaks to the profound strategic disagreements that exist within the Tibetan exile community about what should be sought and how it can be achieved.

You can read Jamyang Norbu’s essay, “Don’t Stop the Revolution” on Phayul.

From the Students for a Free Tibet press release:

Four Tibet independence activists were detained this morning after two activists abseiled off Westminster Bridge and unfurled a 74 square meter protest banner reading, “One World, One Dream: Free Tibet 2008,” mocking China’s Olympics slogan “One World, One Dream.” The action took place on the eve of the controversial arrival of China’s Olympic torch relay in London, amidst mounting pressure on the International Olympic Committee to remove all Tibetan areas from the relay route. Pema Yoko (25) of Greenwich, Conall Hon (26) originally from Belfast, Peter Speller (23) of Cambridge, and Dan Burston (22) of Birmingham were detained for their involvement in the action. Over a thousand Tibetans and supporters are expected in the streets of London tomorrow to condemn China’s ongoing crackdown on freedom protests inside Tibet. Reports have just emerged from Tibet that on April 3rd Chinese paramilitary forces opened fire on a crowd of unarmed monks and laypeople in southeastern Tibet, killing at least 8 people.

“The Chinese government wants the British public to celebrate China at a moment when Tibetans are being gunned down by Chinese forces for doing nothing more than speaking out for freedom,” said Pema Yoko, National Coordinator of Students for a Free Tibet UK, a British born Tibetan and one of the activists detained. “With Tibetans being rounded up, brutalized and killed, it is unconscionable for the International Olympic Committee to allow China to take the Olympic torch through Tibet.”

Chinese authorities in Tibet have stated their intention to ensure stability during the torch relay ‘at all costs,’ which means increased militarization of Tibetan areas. According to the Chinese authorities’ own figures, thousands of people have been detained in recent weeks, with speedy show trials promised before May 1st. China’s attempt to politicize the London leg of the torch relay was heightened this week when China’s ambassador to Britain, Fu Ying announced her participation in the relay. Also, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is scheduled to officially receive the torch at 10 Downing Street.

“It is appalling that Gordon Brown plans to receive the Olympic torch tomorrow. As someone with Chinese and British roots, I feel strongly that Britain must take a firm stance against China’s abuses in Tibet,” said Conall Hon, member of Students for a Free Tibet and one of the people to abseil off the bridge. “If the Chinese government wants acceptance from the international community, it must immediately stop its baseless attacks on the Dalai Lama and start working toward a meaningful solution to the Tibetan issue.”

Awesome. Pema, Conall, Peter and Dan should all be proud to have stood up for Tibet while the Olympic spotlight shines on London. These Games are political and the IOC and China now get to watch as more voices make themselves heard around the world.

China is using rapid-fire sham trials for Tibetan political prisoners:

The Chinese government is planning quick show-trials for over 1,200 Tibetan protesters just in Lhasa alone.  (Why do they bother, when we know the verdict will be “guilty?”)  There are 26 days left until May 1st so this means over 46 trials a day, every day, in just one city.  Forget about defense attorneys, international observers, transparency, or any semblance of fairness and impartiality… this is wholly the government’s desperate attempt to pretend that this messy business of Tibetan freedom protests is swept under the carpet.

I suppose that  Nick Kristof would say we have to be as quiet as possible and keep our fingers crossed while waiting until the very last minute before the Olympics to not do something about this. After all, Kristof’s greatest concern is that protests inside and outside Tibet harms China’s national image. The last thing he would want is that we demand the rule of law be followed in Tibet. I wish Kristof would tell his readers why he so fervently defends this totalitarian government from criticism.

http://p.castfire.com/Xu7m0/video/9676/bbtv_2008-04-03-223708.flv

Xeni Jardin of Boing Boing interviewsh Tibetan human rights worker Lhakpa Kyizom, who reports on events at Kirti Monastery. This is the same monastery that I posted on earlier, where Chinese paramilitaries murdered at least eight protesters.

Jane Macartney of the Times Online (UK) reports that Chinese soldiers killed 8 people and wounded many more last night while trying to stop a protest that begin in response to Chinese troops raiding a monastery to confiscate and destroy pictures of the Dalai Lama.

Chinese paramilitary police have killed eight people after opening fire on several hundred Tibetan monks and villagers in bloody violence that will fuel human rights protests as London prepares to host its leg of the Olympic torch relay this weekend.

Witnesses said the clash – in which dozens were wounded – erupted late last night after a government inspection team entered a monastery in the Chinese province of Sichuan trying to confiscate pictures of the Dalai Lama.

Officials searched the room of every monk in the Donggu monastery, a sprawling 15th century edifice in Ganzi, southwestern Sichuan, confiscating all mobile phones as well as the pictures.

When the inspectors tore up the photographs and threw them on the floor, a 74-year-old monk, identified as Cicheng Danzeng, tried to stop an act seen as a desecration by Tibetans who revere the Dalai Lama as their god king.

A young man working in the monastery, identified as Cicheng Pingcuo, 25, also made a stand and both were arrested.

The team then demanded that all the monks denounce the Dalai Lama, who fled China after a failed uprising in 1959. One monk, Yixi Lima, stood up and voiced his opposition, prompting the other monks to add their voices.

At about 6.30 p.m., the entire monastic body marched down to a nearby river where paramilitary police were encamped and demanded the release of the two men.

They were joined by several hundred local villagers, many of them enraged at the detention of the 74-year-old monk Cicheng Danzeng, who locals say is well respected in the area for his learning and piety.

Shouting “Long Live the Dalai Lama,” “Let the Dalai Lama come back” and “We want freedom”, the crowd demonstrated until about nine in the evening.

Witnesses said that at around that time, as many as 1,000 paramilitary police used force to try to end the protest and opened fire on the crowd. It was not known if the demonstrators had been throwing stones at the police.

In the gunfire, eight people died, according to a local resident in direct contact with the monastery. These included a 27-year-old monk identified as Cangdan and two women named as Zhulongcuo and Danluo.

Witnesses said a 30-year-old villager, Pupu Deley, was killed, along with the son of a villager named Cangdan, and the daughter of villager Cuogu. Two other people, whose identities were not available, were also killed and dozens were wounded, the witnesses said.

They said about ten people were still missing today, including another monk, identified as Ciwang Renzhen.

Armed paramilitary police patrolled the streets of the village today and surrounded the monastery. All communications had been cut.

The latest upsurge of violence highlights the difficulties the Chinese authorities are facing in trying to end nearly a month of protests across the Tibetan region and the depth of anti-Chinese sentiment among a deeply Buddhist minority loyal to the exiled Dalai Lama.

But Nick Kristof told me things would work best if Tibetans gave up all efforts for independence and rights in exchange for the privilege of practicing their religion freely! Why do Tibetans still resist? Haven’t they read Nick Kristof’s column? Why are Tibetans still forcing the Chinese to damage their international image by protesting for freedom and human rights?

China continues their violent crackdown, completely and totally seeking to isolate Tibetans and break them through abuse, torture, and violence. The Tibetans are responding as you would expect any oppressed people to respond: by petitioning their oppressor for their rights. Tibetans reject China’s occupation, to the point that Macartney reports two monks committed suicide rather than continuing to live in an occupied Tibet.

China’s murderous crackdown and military occupation of Tibet have real consequences. That may be unsettling for armchair pundits and Western Sinophiles like Nick Kristof, but it doesn’t make it any less true.

function pictureGalleryPopup(pubUrl,articleId) { var newWin = window.open(pubUrl+’template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?id=’+articleId+’&&offset=0&&sectionName=WorldAsia’,’mywindow’,’menubar=0,resizable=0,width=615,height=655′); }