The China Teaching Web

Hmmm. I wonder what first words the Dalai Lama’s envoy will choose tommorrow when it meets with the Chinese government in Beijing? Could they be to effect of, “do you have to rub your torch in our faces by dragging it through our province and up the tallest mountain in the world which also happens to be in our province?” Probably not. If the meeting gets off on that ’sort of foot’, I’m sure it will be much briefer than even Tenzin Takhla, secretary to the Dalia Lama, predicted. However, there is no question that many Tibetan people are unhappy with the Chinese government’s plan to parade through their province what has become for them a symbol of opression and  heartbreak.

I think that the idea of carrying the Olympic Torch to the top of Mount Everest (Qomolangma as it is called in the Tibetan language) was a brilliant idea by the Chinese government. Although the mighty mountain is shared by just Tibet and Nepal, it has been for many years an international symbol of athleticism, bravery, and sacrifice. When I visited Base Camp a few years ago, there were many people from all over the world who were gathered there to admire the majestic peak as well as scale its heights. It is just too bad that the world’s tallest mountain happens to be located in Tibet. Otherwise, carrying the torch to its peak would be a fitting end to the Torch’s long and arduous tour. Unfortunately, if and when the Torch does arrive at the top of Mount Everest, most Tibetans will not view it as a shining beacon to the world. Rather, they will see it as a burning reminder of the Chinese government’s dominance over their land and over their culture. The ascent of the torch will not be a victorious one for the Tibetans; for them it will as if someone raised a flag on the tallest place in their province and shouted, “Tibet is and always has been ours! We establish that assertion again today!” It will be a slap in the face of Tibet.

The world will standby and ‘applaud’ politely. The torch will come down the North slope of the mountain and eventually find itself being adored at the Opening Ceremonies. The Games will and must go on. But what about Tibet? Will the people’s voices be extinguished along with Torch at the end of August?  I fear that this will be the case. The Olympics will come and go but the hearts of the Tibetans will continue to ache and by then few in this fickle world will feel their pain.

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