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Dalai Lama's alliance with "pro-democracy" activists

Xinhua

A signed article Wednesday accused the Dalai Lama of creating a false impression that “Tibetan independence” is supported by Chinese people just because a group of so-called “pro-democracy activists” have joined his camp.

The article’s author, Yedor, said the real intention of the alliance of the Dalai Lama and “pro-democracy activists” of Chinese origin was to use each other to benefit themselves.

Their intention was to overthrow the leadership of the Communist Party of China and to split the People’s Republic of China. Such tactics were doomed to failure, said the article.

Following is an excerpt from the article:

After the 14 March riot last year in Lhasa (capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region), the Dalai Lama suddenly warmed relations with a group of so-called “pro-democracy activists” through frequent meetings. Now they reportedly will meet in Europe for an international conference on Tibetan and Han Chinese issues. Another meeting of these activists will also reportedly be held in Dharamshala, India.

The Dalai Lama has been well known for his consistent tactics trying to sow dissension and instigate hatred between Tibetans and Han Chinese.

He once said all Han Chinese should be driven out of Tibet and later he accused the Han Chinese of ruling his “country”.

But it seems the Dalai Lama is beginning to realise the Chinese people both at home and abroad do not believe him, particularly after a series of violent incidents in Lhasa and abroad, which targeted Chinese embassies and the torch relay of the Beijing Olympic Games. Angered by the incidents, the Chinese showed the world their solidarity by protesting “Tibet independence” to embarrass the Dalai Lama and his supporters.

This may motivate the Dalai Lama to try to win back sympathy from overseas Chinese communities. Just before the Beijing Olympics, he began to promote the concept of “friendship between the Tibetans and the Han Chinese”. In May this year, he again said he was making efforts to establish contacts with overseas Chinese communities and Chinese students in order to clear up “misunderstandings” among some Chinese people.

However, it is not easy for the Dalai Lama, who for decades has been involved in separatist activities, to brand himself as a spokesman of ethnic solidarity overnight. In fact, the so-called “Friendship Association between the Han Chinese and the Tibetans” has only had a sparse response in past months, except from some “pro-democracy activists”.

Most of these activists were actually leading organisers of unrest in China in the 1980s. After fleeing China, they stopped at nothing to label China as “a threat to the world”, in attempts to live on the support of anti-China forces in Western countries.

But internal power struggles and diminishing influence have made them a laughing stock in the international community and among the Chinese people.

The Dalai Lama has several times in his speeches called these “pro-democracy activists” abroad representatives of the Chinese people, because he knows these people, although having Chinese faces, actually oppose the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese nation.

Against this backdrop, several so-called “Friendship Associations between the Han Chinese and the Tibetans” already set up are supported by the “Tibetan government-in-exile”.

These associations are in reality platforms for the collaboration of extremely few separatists and they serve as a political mouthpiece for the Dalai group.

Scheme behind slogans of “Democracy”, “Freedom”

Since the Dalai Lama and his supporters fled abroad 50 years ago, they have learnt to use words such as “democracy”, “freedom”, and “human rights” to gloss over or sweeten their separatist nature.

In the Dalai Lama’s words, they are trying to build a united front for “justice and truth”, and only when various ethnic groups including Han, Tibetan and Uygur people unite to set up a democratic front can they finally push forward democracy for the entire Chinese nation.

The Dalai Lama’s call was positively responded to by some “pro-democracy activists” abroad with leaders of activist groups paying visits to him recently.

The Dalai Lama seems to have forgotten not long ago he claimed that he sought to solve problems “within the framework of the Chinese Constitution”, and was willing to “improve relations with the central government”.

The imminent conference on Tibetan and Han Chinese issues in Europe will discuss key issues including “Tibet’s future” and “China’s democratisation”, according to the Dalai group.

And a conference of the representatives of the Chinese “pro-democracy activists” will be held later in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala, according to a joint announcement by “pro-democracy activists”, the Dalai Lama’s personal secretariat, and the “foreign affairs ministry” of the “Tibetan government-in-exile”.

The agenda for the congress will include formally acknowledging the Dalai Lama as the spiritual leader of the so-called “China democratic movement”, forming a unified leadership, and preparing to return to China for its regime to take over.

It is now clear that the so-called “democracy” and “freedom” have been finally reduced to the objective of overthrowing the CPC leadership and the people’s democratic regime, splitting the People’s Republic of China, to enable this small group of people to come to power.

Doomed to failure

The biggest enemies of the “pro-democracy campaign” are themselves.

To gain financial support from the West and protect their vested interests, “pro-democracy activists” have resorted to mutual slander and vilification, which has resulted in a loss of support from western countries and led to wasting their own resources.

Forming a coalition with the Dalai group, “pro-democracy activists” brought with them low tactics.

Soon after “pro-democracy activists” paid a visit to the Dalai Lama last November, an online article called for the Dalai Lama to invest directly in China’s “pro-democracy cause.”

The Dalai Lama is considered the most influential name to back “pro-democracy campaigns.” For “pro-democracy activists”, as long as they do not intend personal gain and if they form alliances with the Dalai group, they can easily be granted millions of Australian dollars from the Dalai Group, according to this online article.

Another veteran “pro-democracy activist” called the Dalai Lama “nothing but a begging monk”.

“Had it not for the glamour of his Nobel Prize, I am afraid that he would spend his days and nights sitting by the butter lamps in his temple, ” said this veteran “pro-democracy activist”.

This veteran “pro-democracy activist” called for his counterparts to learn from the West in their treatment of the Dalai Lama.

“Coax the Dalai Lama only in times of need and do not treat him seriously the rest of the time,” the veteran said.

The Dalai Lama has been around the international arena for decades and knows the background of “pro-democracy activists”. He would definitely have a trick or two up his sleeve when dealing with them, the article by Yedor said.

In March, the Dailai Lama had a formal meeting with representatives of “pro-democracy delegations”. After the meeting, he said the meeting was held at the request of activists and declined to act as the “spiritual leader” of overseas “pro-democracy activities”.

As one overseas commentary pointed out, the Dalai Lama treated “pro-democracy activists” courteously but insincerely. The purpose of the Dalai Lama supporting “pro-democracy activists”, is not because they are powerful or strong, but rather making believe Han Chinese are backing the cause of “Tibet Independence”, says the article.

The article quoted an anonymous person who has long since quit the “pro-democracy campaign” as saying “pro-democracy activists” approaching the Dalai Lama in attempts to divide China, were making a big mistake, as these approaches would incur strong objections from Chinese at both home and overseas, and further divide “pro-democracy forces” within.

The Dalai group has some (financial) resources but would not easily pay the bill for “pro-democracy activists”, it said.

The “marriage” between the Dalai group and “pro-democracy activists”, based on political and economic interests, is obviously a self-deceiving scheme, the article said.

Copyright © 2009 Xinhua

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