Lobsang Sangay, Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on 22 November 2016. Reuters/Chris Wattie
By David Ljunggren | Reuters
OTTAWA, Canada, 23 November 2016
The Canadian government can show China how to treat a region seeking autonomy and should use its experience in dealing with Quebec to press for improved human rights in Tibet, the Himalayan region’s political leader said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister in exile Lobsang Sangay, like Tibetan spiritualist leader Dalai Lama, backs the so-called middle way that seeks autonomy within China. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a “splittist” seeking independence. Talks between the two sides broke down in 2010.
Sangay’s visit, guaranteed to upset Chinese authorities, coincides with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attempts to improve economic ties with China.
“The Canadian government is on very high and moral ground and they can say with confidence and share the Canadian experience, and say ‘This is how we treat our people, how we solve the issue,'” Sangay said in an interview.
English-speaking Canada has spent years negotiating with separatists in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, a quest for autonomy that began in the 1960s.
Although Canadian voters turned down constitutional changes to give Quebec special recognition in a 1992, the province enjoys broad powers of self-governance, including the right to insist that French be the official language.
Asked what would happen if China did not listen to such a message, Sangay replied: “Then you have to press a little bit more, as a friend, and say ‘This is the right approach, we have done it at home.'”
In a statement, the Chinese embassy said “Tibet-related affairs fall entirely within the domestic affairs of China which allow no foreign interference.”
The Dalai Lama has met both Canada’s last two prime ministers – Liberal Paul Martin and Conservative Stephen Harper – and hopes to sit down with Trudeau on his next visit, which might be next year, said Sangay.
Trudeau’s father, former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, was in power when Canada accepted refugees from Tibet in the early 1970s.
“His father has a good track record on the issue of Tibet and I hope the son will continue the same legacy,” said Sangay.
Foreign Minister Stephane Dion has raised Tibet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi twice this year and will continue to have frank discussions with Beijing on human rights, said spokeswoman Chantal Gagnon.
Sangay, who is due to meet legislators, declined to say whether he would be talking to government officials.
China has much to do at home before taking on global leadership. It should restore rule of law and treat minorities with greater respect, and also heal the deep wounds it has inflicted upon ethnic minorities for over fifty years.
China’s continuous persecution of Tibetans and denying them religious and cultural freedom is not acceptable to the international community. A country that doesn’t respect and treat its own people kindly and doesn’t accommodate pluralistic views in society is not fit to be a global player.
Our prevailing position should improve because China is showing every sign of taking a much wider role in global politics, while the United States is drifting further into isolationism, further reiterated by president-elect Donald Trump.
It appears it’s going be a whole different ball game now as the United States is posturing more toward leaving the TPP, while China is on overdrive cementing mutually-conducive relations with various Latin American nations, as clearly evidenced by Xi Jinping’s current visits to the region. This further validates Secretary of State John Kerry’s statement two years ago that today the Monroe Doctrine is obsolete, to say the least.
The question is can China accept the baton from the United States and work toward a more harmonious world, which certainly necessitates China cleaning their own house first before venturing into uncharted seas to achieve means. We’ll see. We’ll overcome.
I don’t know about China accepting the baton from the United States. But definitely, India is emerging as the fastest-growing major economy.
China’s economy isn’t doing as good as leaders and policy makers expected. There’s volatility in commodity markets and financial turbulence prevails. India has outpaced China’s growth, with 7.5% growth per annum. And according to World Bank and IMF it is expected to maintain that growth for some time. Economic growth in India under Prime minister Modi’s leadership has a lot of political pundits wondering whether India could be the world’s next super power.