Call me a cock-eyed optimist, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. I can conceive of George Bush doing one right thing in his presidency--he could boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Gordon Brown is pledged to do it; in the tradition of Maggie and George Sr., why not? Even John McCain has said its OK:
"I deplore the violent crackdown by Chinese authorities and the continuing oppression in Tibet of those merely wishing to practice their faith and preserve their culture and heritage. I have listened carefully to the Dalai Lama and am convinced he is a man of peace who reflects the hopes and aspirations of Tibetans. I urge the government of the People's Republic of China to address the root causes of unrest in Tibet by opening a genuine dialogue with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, aimed at granting greater autonomy. I urge the Chinese authorities to ensure peaceful protest is not met with violence, to release monks and others detained for peacefully expressing their views and to allow full outside access to Tibet.
Am I a fan of John McCain? Nay. But this is not about partisan politics. This is about existential suffering, happening RIGHT NOW, in the Land of Snow. It could in fact be called a genocide, or at least a "culturecide", in progress. McCain continues, actually saying the right thing:
"I understand and respect Prime Minister Brown's decision not to attend the Olympic opening ceremonies. I believe President Bush should evaluate his participation in the ceremonies surrounding the Olympics and, based on Chinese actions, decide whether it is appropriate to attend. If Chinese policies and practices do not change, I would not attend the opening ceremonies. It does no service to the Chinese government, and certainly no service to the people of China, for the United States and other democracies to pretend that the suppression of rights in China does not concern us. It does, will and must concern us."
Genocide?
Culturecide?
These are strong words. What evidence do I present? Only anecdotal. A friend from Tibet who is in continual conversation with Tibet told me that in Lhasa, the Han people can move freely; but in the Tibetan side, it is martial law. Military occupation. People being arrested arbitrarily, for perhaps having a photo of the Dalai Lama. Or a Tibetan flag.
This is how genocide happens--invisibly. Even the New York Times failed to report on the nightmare in Germany as it unfolded in World War 2.
My Tibetan friend says that monasteries are running out of food. Very serious.
The torch, by the way, is in Indonesia now.
Have we already forgotten? Let us try to begin to not forget.
This is the kind of gesture that George Bush can understand--simple, symbolic. If he were to tweak the Chinese by abstaining from the opening ceremonies, it would be a quite powerful message to them that they cannot just steamroll along with their burgeoning power and get away with whatever the hell they want.
Tibetan culture holds the most complete store of what the Buddha taught--we all need this treasure now more than ever. Please try to find a way to do something positive--speak out, stay informed.
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