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The American and Tibetan Terrorists in China
Written by Robert Vance on May 7, 2008 – 12:03 am“When I first heard about the explosion on the bus in Shanghai, I immediately thought it was America or some terrorists from Tibet trying to attack us,” one of my Chinese students recently remarked to me. The explosion, which claimed the lives of three people in Shanghai on Monday, is reported to have been caused by flammable products brought on board by a passenger. As of yet, the Shanghai government and the police officials investigating the case have not ruled out terrorism which has prompted some of my students and friends to engage in seemingly wishful thinking that terrorism was involved in the tragedy.
I am not surprised to hear Chinese people suggest that America was somehow involved with the explosion. After having lived abroad for so long, I am accustomed to people making wild accusations against my country. I do not take such comments personally especially knowing that they are fueled by a Chinese government that wants its people to think that the whole world is against them. However, I was a little taken aback by my students’ and friends’ harsh comments about their ‘fellow’ Tibetans. Until recently, the label that I had heard most frequently applied to the Tibetan protesters was ’seperatists.’ The word ‘terrorists,’ my students now explain to me, can be also applied to the Tibetans involved in the March uprisings because of the ’coordinated’ protests and the 5 girls who died in Lhasa after their shop was set on fire. Some of my students also said that they considered the label appropriate because of a March hijacking of an plane in XinJiang province.
Their claims about links between the XinJiang hijacking and Tibet are simply erroneous and barely worth responding to in this post. My students and friends, in their hatred for Tibetans, have muddled two separate political movements into a convoluted rage that has them convinced the Tibetan protesters are responsible for all that has gone wrong inChina of late. Such crazy rhetoric is evidence that too many people in China refuse to think on their own about these events.
However, what my friends and students said about the fire in Lhasa is true. There were five young ladies who died horribly in a fire that was reportedly set by Tibetan protesters. Assuming that the fire was set by Tibetans, can they really be labeled as terrorists for their actions? There is no doubt that the actions of the mob resulted in the horrific loss of innocent lives but I am not convinced that the Tibetan protesters intended to kill anyone. There is also nothing in news reports to suggest that the protesters knew that there were people inside the shop when they set it on fire. Is this any excuse for their actions? No. They killed people. They should be punished; they have been punished. To suggest,however, that the people who took part in the riots are terrorists because of this tragic fire is ludicrous. These acts of violence were not premeditated; they were reactions that ocurred ‘on the spur of the moment.’
Anyone who has travled in the beautiful province of Tibet knows that the Tibetans are peace loving people. None of my friends or students have ever visited the region. The only information that they have about the remote province is what they hear and see from the state owned media. It is shameful the way that Tibetan people are being ‘insulted’ in the rest of China. They have always been looked down upon; now they are being called terrorists? It is no wonder that they seek more autonomy (and in some cases independence) from a country that tramples on their culture and makes little attempt to listen and understand their needs.
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There are few old news you may want to check. One was about an explosion in Indian a few weeks ago, three Tibetan died while making bombs, I found that story on BBC. Another one was reported by XinHua, police found some weapons and dynamites at lama temples in Tibet. You may doubt if Xinhua tells the truth, BBC might be one you can trust. Most Tibetan are peace loving, but I think the three who making bombs can be titled as terrorists, right?
Hi Yonder,
Actually, if you look at the BBC story about the bombing you will notice that the headline is Three Dead in ‘Tibet’ Bomb. The marks around the word ‘Tibet’ indicate that there is uncertainty about whether or not the bomb was actually related to Tibetan activities. Also, if you read the story and have knowledge about that area in India, you will realize that there are other ‘rebel’ groups there. In truth, while the Chinese government would like the world to think that the bomb killed three ‘Tibetan terrorists’ not much evidence has been produced to back that claim up. And no, I wouldn’t trust the news just because it comes from the BBC. They also get their story wrong sometimes like any news organization.
As far as the Xinhua stories are concerned, their information comes from the police officials and the Chinese government. These sources do not usually produce any evidence to back up their statements so it is hard to take them at their word. I think that we need to see more evidence before we start labeling these people as ‘terrorists.’
Robert,
My bad, “misled” by the BBC news as you suggested. Indian news show that three dead are Nepalese, not sure if that’s true, since Maoist do not need to use bomb in Nepal again.
regards
Actually, the BBC was only quoting sources in India. Rarely do these news organizations ‘make their own news’ as people like to suggest. Most of the news reported in the US coming out of China is taken directly from Xinhua. As far as the Maoists not needing ‘to use bomb in Nepal again,’ I wouldn’t count my chickens before they’re hatched.
Some of you obviously needs to be reminded bout CIA’s connection with the Dalai Lama. According the declassified CIA document, the Dalai Lama was paid US$186,000 a year for his service to the United States.
http://www.intellnet.org/documents/700/040/744.html
CIA conducted a secret war in Tibet lasting nearly 30 years and got thousands of people killed. Why should anybody be surprised that CIA is back in business again?
As for the recent violence in Tibet. It was obviously well planned ahead.
=====================
BEIJING, China (CNN) — James Miles, of The Economist, has just returned from Lhasa, Tibet. The following is a transcript of an interview he gave to CNN.
Q. What you say you saw corroborates the official version. What exactly did you see?
A. What I saw was calculated targeted violence against an ethnic group, or I should say two ethnic groups, primarily ethnic Han Chinese living in Lhasa, but also members of the Muslim Hui minority in Lhasa. And the Huis in Lhasa control much of the meat industry in the city. Those two groups were singled out by ethnic Tibetans. They marked those businesses that they knew to be Tibetan owned with white traditional scarves. Those businesses were left intact. Almost every single other across a wide swathe of the city, not only in the old Tibetan quarter, but also beyond it in areas dominated by the ethnic Han Chinese. Almost every other business was either burned, looted, destroyed, smashed into, the property therein hauled out into the streets, piled up, burned. It was an extraordinary outpouring of ethnic violence of a most unpleasant nature to watch, which surprised some Tibetans watching it. So they themselves were taken aback at the extent of what they saw. And it was not just targeted against property either. Of course many ethnic Han Chinese and Huis fled as soon as this broke out. But those who were caught in the early stages of it were themselves targeted. Stones thrown at them. At one point, I saw them throwing stones at a boy of maybe around 10 years old perhaps cycling along the street. I in fact walked out in front of them and said stop. It was a remarkable explosion of simmering ethnic grievances in the city.
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Yugung,
I highly doubt the CIA has much interest in Tibet. I would have to see irrefutable evidence they paid the Dalai Lama anything, just doesnt make much sence. How has he helped the US? Years of service you say? What service?
Also lets not forget about the recent rash of Chinese spies caught in the US…
Lastly you say the CIA has conducted a secret war in Tibet for the last 30 years? If you know this to be true, then it’s not actually a secret is it?
Being an x US soldier I would find the remark of the US using terrorism highly offensive. We us our technology and military when we want to attack, or defend ourselves against other nations.
Terrorism was invented by those who could not met foreign forces on the battle feild and win…period.
The US would never put ourselves in the situation to be veiwed as terrorists in the true sence of the word. Despite what many anti-US folks feel about my country…..it is a fact that the US contributes more charity to other countries than any country on Earth, even those countries who have a general negative opinion of our country, would China do the same?
Jason:
Being an x US soldier I would find the remark of the US using terrorism highly offensive. We us our technology and military when we want to attack, or defend ourselves against other nations.
Terrorism was invented by those who could not met foreign forces on the battle feild and win…period.
The US would never put ourselves in the situation to be veiwed as terrorists in the true sence of the word. Despite what many anti-US folks feel about my country…..it is a fact that the US contributes more charity to other countries than any country on Earth, even those countries who have a general negative opinion of our country, would China do the same?
Yugung:
US have been backing terrorism all over ther wolrd. “Terrorism” may be offensive to some people, but there is a way around it. Just call them “freedom fighter”. Problem solved. Americans are very creative, aren’t they?