Hu Failed Tibet

Hu Failed Tibet Hu Jintao has had ten-years in which to address Tibetans’ legitimate grievances, but instead of using his term as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party to stand on the right side of history, Hu Jintao has stuck rigidly to the path he began as Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, implementing the hard-line policy he called “grasping with both hands”; a combination of economic development and a brutal crackdown on separatism. For over ten-years Hu has failed Tibet, just as China has failed Tibet for over six decades: decades in which to win Tibetan hearts and minds, to weaken the influence of the exiled Dalai Lama, and to assimilate Tibet into mainland China. Yet Tibetans in 2012, just as they have over the decades before have rejected and continue to actively resist Chinese rule, through protests, non-violent direct action, maintaining (better word) their loyalty to the Dalai Lama or by fleeing into exile. In 2002 during the “celebration of the 50th anniversary of peaceful liberation of Tibet” in Lhasa, just months before Hu Jintao became China’s General Secretary he said, “Over the past 50 years, the ancient and fascinating land of Tibet has undergone unrivaled changes and worked unprecedented miracles on earth. Tibet has achieved a leap forward in the historical development of social systems and embarked on a socialist road. Today people of all ethnic groups are fully enjoying political, economic, cultural and other rights and having complete control of their destiny. Over the past 50 years, Tibet has made substantial headway in its economic development, and the living standards of its people have improved markedly. Through democratic reform, socialist transformation and reform and opening-up, the social productive forces of Tibet have been emancipated and developed in an unprecedented manner (a). Within a few years of these sweeping declarations, Tibetans across the plateau once again rose up in the most widespread and resolute protests yet; a clear denunciation of Chinese rule. The overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations of 2008 (b) were characterized by the participation of young people, many carrying photographs of the Dalai Lama and calling for his return. Despite a savage crackdown, protests and other more subtle forms of resistance continue today. The Tibetan national identity is stronger than ever. As part of a cultural renaissance in Tibet, Tibetan singers and writers are calling on Tibetans to be unified across the provinces of Kham, Amdo and U’Tsang. Their lyrics foretell the return of the Dalai Lama, and the unification of Tibetans in Tibet and in exile; arguably Tibetans are more united as a nation now than ever before. 60 years of Chinese rule has far from crushed the Tibetan spirit and in spite of all the suffering, the Tibetan resolve persists. This report details Hu’s failed policies, or ‘17 Points of Disagreement’ between China and Members of the International Tibet Network, a global coalition of 185 Tibet groups dedicated to campaigning to restore the rights of the Tibetan people. It has been written to counter China’s propaganda drive, as Hu Jintao seeks a “soft landing” at the end of his term at China’s helm. (a) Hu Jintao, Lhasa, 19 July 2001. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/16/content_10205324.htm (b) The 230+ largely peaceful protests are often collectively, and erroneously, referred to as “riots”, despite only a tiny minority involving violence. Abbreviations:TAR – Tibet Autonomous Region; PRC – People’s Republic of China; CCP – Communist Party of China; PLA – People’s Liberation Army

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