Tibet: The Shangri-La that exists only in the West's imagination
By Kevin Deluca
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:09/01/2008 11:33:21 PM MDT

With the Olympics over, I hope the Western sport of bashing China over Tibet might stop.
Working in Beijing during the Tibet riots and the preparations for the Olympics gave me a unique perspective. Growing up with Western media and Hollywood, I am used to our embrace of the Dalai Lama. Being in China, I saw the Chinese point of view.
Seeing both sides suggests the need to abandon simplistic political stances in favor of some self-reflection and historical context.
Although we should criticize China's censored media, the Tibet riots revealed some troubling blindness among our own media. While the causes of Tibetan unrest are complex, it is clear that the March riots were started by Tibetan protesters and that they were quite violent. Indeed, they were violent enough to lead the Dalai Lama to threaten resignation if his followers did not stop the violence.
Since "violent Tibetan" does not fit our stereotype, our media fixed the news. While Chinese media showed extensive footage of violence and interviews with Chinese and Tibetan victims, Western media manipulated images and even showed footage from other countries (Nepal and India) in order to paint a picture of ruthless oppression by China's government.
Chinese media exposed the Western media manipulations, forcing the BBC, N-TV and RTL-TV to apologize. Not surprisingly, the American media has yet to acknowledge its bending of the truth. The point is that while the Chinese know their media is censored and do not trust it, we believe our news is objective and end up being righteous while misinformed.
If we had seen the violence of the Tibet riots, our condemnations may be more nuanced. Quite simply, no government, democratic or not, allows such violence within its own borders. Providing peace and stability, even by force if necessary, is what governments do.
Large and powerful countries tend to have regions that were not always part of the country. In America, we proudly call it Manifest Destiny and never trouble ourselves with how we got much of California and Texas from Mexico, never mind the rest of the country and our sordid history with Native Americans.
On the Chinese flag there are five stars commonly interpreted as representing the five major ethnic groups in China. One of those stars represents Tibetans. China's claim to Tibet spans centuries and it is a claim that the United States and the rest of the world recognizes.
To Chinese people, removing one of those stars is akin to removing one of our states, such as Hawaii. Our history with the native people of Hawaii has been relatively brief and quite brutal and there exists a tenacious independence movement. Still, there is no talk in the mainstream media and among the Hollywood celebrity activist circuit of Hawaiian independence, not to mention Puerto Rican independence or the American Indian movement.
Government repression of these movements also escapes media scrutiny. Before we lecture China, we may want to tend to our own backyard.
Amid cries of "free Tibet" and calls for religious freedom, the question is what does freedom have to do with Tibet? Under the Dalai Lama, was there religious freedom? Was there any freedom? Actually, no.
We would recognize the Dalai Lama's Tibet as a medieval religious theocracy with a small elite class served by a large and oppressed serf population. The Dalai Lama ruled a region with no religious freedom, no political freedom, indeed, no human rights of any kind. The rulers were ruthless. Torture and mutilation were widespread. Poverty and starvation were rampant. It was Shangri-La only in the West's imagination.
Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and other Hollywood devotees may be surprised at their idol's current positions. The Dalai Lama condemns abortion and homosexuality while accepting prostitution. For decades the Dalai Lama secured millions of dollars from the CIA and runs his government in exile like a monarch.
Despite its shortcomings, Chinese rule has provided the Tibetan region with infrastructure and public schooling and provides Tibetans with widespread opportunities and a degree of personal freedom unheard of under the feudal theocracy of the dalai lamas.
China is far from perfect and deserves honest scrutiny and criticism. To expect China not to act like a large and powerful country, however, and to throw stones from our glass house, proves nothing but our own ignorance.
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* KEVIN DELUCA is an associate professor of communications at the University of Utah and author of "Image Politics."

Dear Will D,

I am not a Chinese person but a Westerner who has investigated the Dalai Lama's actions - as others have said on here, he's not what he seems. He has a genial face for Westerners but the iron fist of a religious dictator for his own people.

I sincerely hope that people will begin to see that the Dalai Lama is a very clever politician who is using his status as a 'monk' to mix religion and politics to disastrous effect.

Well, first of all, I am a Tibetan. Here are people who take upon themselves to represent Tibetans and defaming HHDL, I think you are just another self-deluded person. Dalai Lama is a Boddhisattva to us Tibetan. Therefore, have some good times with your own mind instead of being poisoned and destroying your self-happiness.

The other charges about CIA, I am tired of arguing with Chinese online and in person. Chinese are like machinary robotics they will throw out anything about Tibet from salvery to theocracy to the ultimate point: Tibet has been part of China since time immemorial. When asked more questions, they blush and just rhetorics, nothing substance.

Their sources are either leftist writer Michael Parenti or misguided Melvin Goldstein with ulterior motives and of course, their own communist regime. Melvin Goldstein is even cherished by Chinese communist regime and his so called revisionist and anti-Tibet books are highly valued by Chinese government and quoted by many western scholar who are completely ignorant on sino-Tibet interactions. We named Melvin Goldstein as the Mother of all running-dog-propagandist!

If you want to debate in a spirit of friendship and humane exchange of view, email me at palden_kyab@yahoo.com

Have a good day folks!

Palden

A full text of the Dalai's 1951 telegram to Mao:

"Chairman Mao of the Central People's Government:

This year the local government of Tibet sent five delegates with full authority headed by Kaloon Ngapoi to Beijing in late April 1951 to conduct peace talks with delegates with full authority appointed by the Central People's Government.

On the basis of friendship, delegates on both sides concluded the Agreement on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet on May 23,1951.

The local government of Tibet as well as the Tibetan monks and laymen unanimously support this agreement, and under the leadership of Chairman Mao and the Central People's Government, will actively assist the People's Liberation Army in Tibet to consolidate national defence, drive imperialist influences out of Tibet and safeguard the unification of the territory and the sovereignty of the motherland. I hereby send this cable to inform you of this. “

Your article highlights an interesting, but often over looked fact: Because the Dalai Lala is the very embodiment of the union of religion and politics he is actually the biggest obstacle to the granting of religious freedom for Tibetans. All the Chinese care about is political control of Tibet. Because in Tibetan society religion and politics are completely interwoven (it is, after all, a theocracy), the Chinese cannot grant religious freedom (which they would be willing to do, within limits) without granting political power (which they will never do). If the Dalai Lama were truly concerned about the interests of Tibetans and he is as flexible and guileless as this article states, then he should have realized long ago that HE is the stumbling block to religious freedom in Tibet. If he stepped down, completely separated religion and politics, then he would be in a position to actually gain some freedom for Tibetans. Yet, for 60 years he has hung on to political power (how many world leaders have a 60 year stint in power???). If Tibet is to be free, the Dalai Lama must renounce any political power and become exclusively a religious leader. The extent to which he does not do this is the extent to which he values his own position and power over the interests of his people.

I'm glad to hear that Dr. Ekman has had such positive experiences with the Dalai Lama. It's unfortunate that those experiences have not been shared by millions of people living in India, Tibet, and elsewhere, who are suffering because of his implementing a ban on their religious practice of Dorje Shugden. There are many videos of him talking to large audiences and making veiled or not so veiled threats against anyone who continues to follow this religious tradition. Some such videos are here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqsrHiSa7Zc

Repeatedly he has stated that all (4 million) Shugden practitioners are being supported by China, despite the fact that there is not even a single shred of evidence to establish this ... these are simply people who wish to practice their religion and they are now being treated like outcasts, and denied basic human rights. Perhaps Dr. Ekman would like to examine the Dalai Lama's facial expressions in these videos and let us know whether he thinks the Dalai Lama is lying or not. If it doesn't look like the Dalai Lama is lying, perhaps it is simply the case that (as Dr. Ekman says) "The Dalai Lama is ... trusting almost to a fault, in the sense that a ruthless person could exploit him." and he has not been able to discern the lies of the people who are advising him.

Anyway, this whole situation is tremendously sad for the world. To call the Dalai Lama "trustworthy" is a huge affront to millions of people who are suffering from his deception.

Also, how can we reconcile Dr. Ekman's statement that the Dalai Lama is "flexible not dogmatic" with the Dalai Lama's statement, "There will be no change in my stand. I will never revoke the ban. You are right. It will be like the Cultural Revolution. If they (those who do not accept the ban) do not listen to my words, the situation will grow worse for them. You sit and watch. It will grow only worse for them." ?( http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/en/chronicle/1999-and-after )

Beijing, please move on. The next guy in line is London. I hope London can respect the minority rights and grant full autonomy to Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Gibraltar, Wales and Scotland. And this is from USA, the country who committed mass murder of native indians and completely wiped out many tribes in their entirety.

Free Hawaii !
Free Texas !!
Free Guantanamo Bay prisoners!!!

Paul,

Thank you for writing the article. I wish that you would look at all the Dalai Lama's actions, not just the personality that he shows in the west. He is a very clever, calculating man, saying one thing to Westerns and doing completely different actions with his own people. Yes, he has some amazing qualities, but don’t be fooled that he is only using them for goodness and benefit.

Why is it so difficult to see his dictatorial behavior? Is it because we romanticize what he represents? We like his giggle, his appearing to not understand or speak English as well as we do? He's like a little puppy dog we want to care for. Look closely - he's piddled on the floor.

The Dalai Lama talks about love and compassion and tolerance, but he does not exercise these minds with his community in exile. He is an un-elected dictator and he governs a refugee camp. He has them under an iron fist. No one questions him.

He is destroying the Tibetan culture and the Buddhadharma by his actions. He has created a system in India that is worse than the pass system that existed in South Africa (there is now an identity card system where you have to give up your spiritual practice and swear allegiance to the Dalai Lama's view in order to get food, get spiritual or material support, be able to live in the monasteries, get medicine or education). Is this the actions of a compassionate man? A holy man?

The west is mesmerized by the Dalai Lama. They stop checking his actions and credentials when he opens his mouth. Why won’t we look closer at his actions with the exiled community? There is plenty of evidence of the harm he has instigated. Please look more objectively and thoroughly. Don’t be fooled.

I think the Dalai Lama has Dr. Ekman somewhat fooled. How can the Dalai Lama be "the epitome of flexibility" when he's enforcing a ban of a centuries-old spiritual practice for what seem like completely irrational reasons? Right this moment in India and in New York where I live, hundreds of Tibetans, monks and lay, are being ostracized in gross (deprived of basic needs, expelled from their monasteries) and subtle (friends, families, communities split) ways. The Dalai Lama is encouraging, if not advising what looks like the beginning of a civil war among his own people. The Dr. Ekman's of the West need to investigate more fully their icons of spiritual greatness. Flexible? Buddhist? No way. http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/

I am extremely surprised by the findings of guest voice, Paul Ekman, as my own and many others' experience has been the exact opposite of what he has discovered in his 40 hours with the Dalai Lama. It either shows that the Dalai Lama is better at hiding his true emotions and intentions than I thought or that Paul Ekman may have started with a bias that he was not able to shake off.

The Dalai Lama is one of the most hubristic leaders alive, perhaps not surprising after 68 years of unelected rule, where his every decision has remained and must remain unquestioned by his Tibetan public.

He has banned the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden, a 400 year old spiritual practice that has great meaning and value for generations of Buddhist masters and practitioners, including his own precious teachers. This has led to massive segregation and religious persecution. He has done this by abusing his political power, with scant or no regard for the people he is oppressing, and with no willingness whatsoever to dialog.

AS reported by the news team France 24 recently, (http://www.france24.com/en/20080808-dalai-lama-demons-india-buddhism-dorje-shugden), that is the truth on the ground. As it does not personally affect the life of Paul Ekman in the way that it is destroying the daily life and happiness of thousands of Tibetan monks and lay people in the Tibetan exile community in India and elsewhere, perhaps he can be excused for being so deceived by the body language of one of the greatest of Hollywood actors, the celebrity monk and savvy politician.

A house divided cannot stand. The Dalai Lama is undermining his own ability to negotiate with the Chinese by mirroring their own oppressive actions within his own community and causing a schism. He has alienated people who might otherwise have followed him but who now find themselves in opposition to him over their spiritual lives.

For more information, please see www.aboutwss.com or www.WisdomBuddhaDorjeShugden.org

Center, you are ignorant about the facts.

The Chinese have been living in China for thousands and thousands of years. They allow many minorities to live with them in peace. So the Chinese are not the invaders such as your ancestors who came to the America continent conducting cultural and human genocide against Native Americans.

So you are the greedy one not the Chinese. Or you are the descendents of the greedy ones but seem to be greedy also.

Dr Zinj said the Chinese cannot match Dalai Lama in negotiation therefore must use force.

The Chinese are the most peace loving people in the history and contrary to the USA which is one of most war mongering nation in the world

I am amazed by the racists who conducted world wide cultural and human genocide now and in the recent past dare to attack a peace loving country like China.

Please wipe clean the blood in your hands first.

To call these people hypocrites is a gross understatement.

As our Lord Jesus said: “ Thou hypocrites, first cast the beam out of thou own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye.”

China is greedy. should leave Tibet alone. as a matter of survival, i believe china's different ethnic groups should have their own independent states.
China of today is a totalitarian state that is a threat not only to its neighbors, but also to the world.
Tibet lives!

Dalai Lama is sponsored by CIA, Hollywood racists, Media racists and is not a peace maker or a boy scout. Rather, he talks peace but is spreading hatred against Chinese with lies. He and his followers attack the Olympics torch tours.
He instigated a small group of Tibetans in Lhasa starting riots including arsons, lootings, murders which have been documented by video.

Dalai Lama and followers have been infected by the western racists’ hatred virus which was absented in the Chinese culture.

Tibet was part of China for hundred of years. Dalai Lama is not entitled to any talk until he repents from his hostility against China and stop working for CIA.

Dalai Lama and followers must be quarantined and detoxicated and to show sincere atonement before they can step their feet into China

These days every body can open his mouth to attack China and feels good about himself. I hope the Chinese will not return the hatred to the racists one day.

The Chinese don't want to sit down to a meaningful dialog with the Dalai Lama. AS you say, he is the ultimate boy scout with a concentration and focus second to none. The Chinese have noone capable of standing against him in a peaceful negotiation. Which is why they prefer the use of force.

Physically, Chinese are smaller and takes longer to develop their bodies. Particularly for girls. There is no advantage to go to Olympics at a younger than 16 age since it means less time to train.

I admire all the Olympians without regard to their race or origin.

There is no way those Chinese gymnasts are 16 years old. That says it all right there.

The following news was reported by NEW YORK TIMES ON OCT 2, 1998.

October 2, 1998
World News Briefs; Dalai Lama Group Says It Got Money From C.I.A.
The Dalai Lama's administration acknowledged today that it received $1.7 million a year in the 1960's from the Central Intelligence Agency, but denied reports that the Tibetan leader benefited personally from an annual subsidy of $180,000.

The money allocated for the resistance movement was spent on training volunteers and paying for guerrilla operations against the Chinese, the Tibetan government-in-exile said in a statement. It added that the subsidy earmarked for the Dalai Lama was spent on setting up offices in Geneva and New York and on international lobbying.

The Dalai Lama, 63, a revered spiritual leader both in his Himalayan homeland and in Western nations, fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against a Chinese military occupation, which began in 1950.

The decade-long covert program to support the Tibetan independence movement was part of the C.I.A.'s worldwide effort to undermine Communist governments, particularly in the Soviet Union and China.

I could take the Chinese apologists a lot more seriously if they were to confine their anti-Lama propaganda to the vaguely plausible.

I have a wonderful image of the CIA recruiting the pre-pubescent Lama, perhaps initially tempting with a box of Cocoa-Puffs cereal.

Come on guys, you really need to work on your disinformation tactics. No one outside your circle is going to believe the CIA recruited the Dalai Lama as a child. You give the CIA way too much credit for foresight.

// PatrickInBeijing wrote: What a clever idea!!! Perhaps President Bush could meet with the Ayatollah of Iran, or the religious leaders of Hamas and Hesbollah. Sigh. //

I agree with Ekman that China and Dalai Lama should enter into a dialog.

I know Chinese are civilized because they understand better that anyone, the value of negotiation, mediation, dialog, friendliness, team work, courtesy and so on.

What a clever idea!!! Perhaps President Bush could meet with the Ayatollah of Iran, or the religious leaders of Hamas and Hesbollah. Sigh.

It is lovely that Americans (who after all, have ALL the answers to peace) want other countries to give away their land and peoples (except, for, umm, Georgia, which is somehow different, or and Israel, and ah, yes!! America!).

Mr. Ekman is like the man who's property is a garbage dump, who always has time to explain to the neighbors how they should improve their properties. Why not begin at home, sir?

Now what? The old monk is OK for Communist to run in Tibet. Is it a deal? Well, the game is over. Sorry, wolf. No one is back up for him and even they try to stay away from him because it's too much trouble, instead of bargain.

Dalai Lama has been a CIA operative since childhood. His so called operations in exile have also been financed by the CIA. You can do a Google search on “Dalai Lama CIA” to find out more facts.

Racial discrimination and persecution of the people of the color is the trade mark of the Western Societies. Despite there are things the Chinese government can improve. Discrimination against the Tibetans is not one of the faults that they have erred. Just the opposite, the Chinese has set the Tibetans free from the Dalai Lama Monks’ Serf Slavery system. The Tibetan Chinese in Tibet today have more freedom, higher standard of living, better education than ever before.

As China become an ascending power, the racists in the USA and in Europe could not allow the Olympics to become a symbol of success and coming out party for China to join the family of nations. They fiercefully spreading lies to tarnish the Chinese reputation.

The Chinese government committed Cultural and human genocide? Those are crimes committed by USA, Europeans against the third world people in the not too distance past. Just the opposite, the Chinese have always protected and nourished all the minorities in China. What a chutzpah to accuse the Chinese for something they have not done but were committed by the accusers.

Many Hollywood actors, directors and Medias have joined the attacks. They have made up the fictions and lies about the Chinese to instigate racial hatred and have the foreign Tibetans to expect a fantasy fairy land in their future.

The Tibetans in India have been suckered in by the lies form CIA, British Opium pushers and Hollywood. Worshipping racists and attacking the Chinese who have been always helpful to the Tibetans in China is a foolish thing.

Tibet is an autonomous province in China. The majority of the government functions are already managed by the loyal Tibetan Chinese. For example, one policeman died in the recent gun battle against a rioter was a Tibetan Chinese. There is no chance for the Chinese central government to punish the great majority of loyal Tibetan Chinese and turn over the government to a bunch of foreigners who have been constantly lying and attacking Chinese people and the government.

If Dalai Lama and his followers want to retrun to China, they need to do the following:

1. They must stop attacking and lying about China;
2. They must apologize to the Chinese about the lies that they have been spreading;
3. They cannot work for and to receive money from CIA or any similar organizations;
4. They must declare allegiance to China;
5. They must understand they have no right to run any government functions in China. They are just an ordinary citizen like anybody else. They may want to learn some Chinese if they want to move ahead.
6. The Chinese government should provide assistance to help them return home financially and in job training to become a productive citizen.
7. Tibetan culture has been and will be preserved. In Lahsa, building code will be established to limit commercialization.
8. There will be a quota on how many Han Chinese can migrate to Tibet each year.
9. There is already affirmative action from the Chinese central government to help the Tibetan Chinese in education, job training. But the Central government should work with the provincial Tibetan officials to double the effort in promoting Tibetan Chinese in all kind of positions. Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) and other programs should be encouraged to share ownership of business.
10. Separations of Church and State. Dalai Lama is free to be a religious leader but cannot have any say in government functions.

There will be no Hollywood fantasy land for the oversea Tibetans just the opportunity to be home as proud Chinese citizens.

For the racists who attack the Chinese, you are either ignorant or vicious. You are not righteous but only self righteous. It takes love and hard work to be righteous. Just open your mouth to attack on someone based on false information and hate will make you a bigot.

MAY I OFFER AN AGREEMENT WITH DJMBAE MAKITA, BUT QUALIFY IT WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSEPCTIVE?
ANYONE WHO IS UP WITH SERIOUS WORLD TRENDS AS CLEARLY OUTLINED IN AT LEAST 1 WEB SITE, [www.green-agenda.com] WILL KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS FAST MOVING TO A 'ONE WORLD GOVERNANCE'PROGRAMME, WHICH IS CLEARLY BASED ON A ONE WORLD RELIGION WITH THE SAME PHILOSOPHY AS THE DALAI LAMA'S.
WHILE IT SEEMS ALL SWEETNESS & LIGHT, IT IS ACTUALLY SINISTER WITH THE WORSHIP OF GAIA BECOMING AN ENFORCED RELIGION. IT SEEMED THE QUESTION OF WORLD UNITY UNDER THE PROPHETIC FUTURE ROLE OF A PERSON LIKE THE DALAI LAM MIGHT BE DIFFICULT IN THE LIGHT OF DISAGREMENTS AVRE THE ISSUE OF TIBET.
THANKYOU FOR ALLERTING US TO ANOTHER BARRIER BEING REMOVED IN THE PLOY TO UNITE THE WORLD IN THIS KIND OF PHILOSOPHY.
SINCERELY, SUZANNA

His & ye SuperStupidStitious (un) holy Dali Lama is a Satan!

America I.R.S., Please Remove their Dali Lama, International Monks-Army [a Religio Front For U.S.A. Spy agency9s)) 'Tax-Exempt Status' in Sweet Sweet America!

Stay in india & get the Hell out of A M E R i c a!

really nice to read such a positive and uplifting interview/article.

nice one nice one nice one lots of love peace joy and have a brilliant life

gram

Thanks Paul,

I am both a 20 year student of His Holiness and a psychologist and strongly concur with your viewpoint of him.

He is without doubt the finest individual I have met and never wavers in being genuinely humble, compassionate (even more so with his enemies) and extraordinarily wise. While I do not always agree with him, I always deeply respect his thoughtful approach and sincerely wish for a genuine resolution to this seemingly intractable situation for the people of Tibet, many of which live in daily misery and only more so since the Olympics, and Tibetans throughout the world.

His Holiness is no fool. He sees people and sees into their hearts. He is not in any way a pushover and I am convinced that he can easily hold his own with the Chinese leadership.

It amazes me how much restraint and wisdom the Dali Lama has shown though out the years. He is clearly a good person and it is saddening to read the negative comments posted here. (Given the sentence fragments, it's obviously a non-english speaking person ... most likely Chinese.)

It's also saddening that the rest of the world has not been more forthright when dealing with the Tibetan issue. Clearly, China has been in the wrong. After all, Tibet is a sovereign nation with it's own language and distinct customs and has been this way since at least the 7th century.

Hopefully, this agreement will bring some peace and normality back to the Tibetans.

"The Dalai Lama is without guile; he is not only trustworthy, but also trusting almost to a fault, in the sense that a ruthless person could exploit him."

"The Dalai Lama is the ideal person with whom to negotiate in good faith to find new solutions...
What better way for China..."

Yeh - great for China; not so much for Tibet. The Dalai Lama may be trustworthy but the Chinese are not. The Olympics have proven it for all to see. here have been no demonstrations because they are not permitted. People who apply for permits to demonstrate are jailed. Even the public face of the Olympics is a scam - from the faked fireworks, the fake pretty little girl lipsynching to the real singing of a little girl deemed "unattractive" by the state, to Chinese gymnasts as young as 13 competing in events with an minimum age limit of 16.

Yes, maybe the Dalia Lama is so trusting as to be easily exploited by dishonest people. Why then recommend he meet with the nefarious Chinese leadership?!?

DOWN with the [un]holy Lame Duck LAMA,

DOWN with Mr. Anti-Olymics , aka TENZiN GYATSO!

PS: The (un)holy Lamma & His Monks-Army Hath BLOOD ON His/Their Hands!

Please, Go Liver in Saudi Arabia! Or Iran, not WEST! NOT Sweet Sweet AMERiCA!

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Promoted by the "AMERiCAN JOKTAN-ian NATIONALiS 2013+"

VOTE: NO-Lahasa, NO-Tibet, NO-MONKS-ARMY!

can we believe what he says ? he has said so many things and just look like that he just want to say what the listner wish to hear... starting from Mao, german nazi leaders... and so on so on