NS Venkataraman
CHENNAI, India, 21 May 2020
The Chinese government considers as a number-one enemy, any country that recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign nation. Similarly, if any one country would demand that Tibet should be recognized as a sovereign nation, China would protest very strongly. As a matter of fact, China holds a vice-like grip over Tibet, and does not permit any foreigners to visit Tibet to see the conditions for themselves.
The ambition of China to annex Taiwan and to firmly hold on to its occupation of Tibet is definite proof of China’s expansionist plans.
There seems to be lot of similarity between the behavior of the present Chinese government and Hitler’s Germany before World War II. The present Chinese government and Hitler’s Germany have something in common, in their ambitious goal of dominating the rest of the world at any cost, with least concern for ethical or moral principles, or for fairness in dealing with other countries.
Just as many countries in the world are now trying to appease China, then British Prime Minister Chamberlain too visited Germany to appease Hitler before World War II. Churchill called the bluff of Hitler, which is a matter of history.
So far China could not annex Taiwan, since Taiwan is heavily protected by the US government and China knows that any move to annex Taiwan would lead to a war with the US.
On the other hand, China was emboldened to attack Tibet and aggressively occupy the region, and violently suppress Tibetan protesters, since the interests of Tibet were not supported or protected in a meaningful way by any country in the world. China continues to occupy Tibet and the world conscience remains suppressed as various governments want to appease China and keep it in good humour to protect their trade and business interests with China.
China now claims Arunachal Pradesh in India as part of China. It continues to occupy thousands of kilometres of Indian territory which it annexed during the 1962 Indo-China war. China now claims ownership of islands in the South China Sea and Senkaku island, and is adopting aggressive postures in spite of protests from Japan, Phillipines, Vietnam, and other countries.
So far, China has not been effectively challenged by any country in the world for its aggressive occupation of Tibet, and claims Indian territory and islands in the South China Sea as well as its claim on Taiwan.
Because of the non-caring attitude of most countries in the world, China is emboldened to carry on with its adventures to expand its territory and areas of influence.
While the voice of Tibetans is not being heard loudly around the world, there are countries which do speak in support of Taiwan occasionally.
Taiwan has revealed to the world information about the Chinese virus sufficiently earlier, but WHO ignored Taiwan’s warning, as Taiwan is not a member of WHO. Now, calls for including Taiwan as a member of WHO are being increasingly heard.
Neither Taiwan nor Tibet is a member of the United Nations Organisation (UNO), obviously implying that UNO does not recognize these regions as sovereign countries.
The claims of China on Taiwan, Tibet, and other regions indicate the mindset of the Chinese government and certainly represent a threat for stability in the world in the long run. With the free rein that China already has, it is likely that China may make claims on other countries too in the coming days. The world has to prevent this.
Taiwan and Tibet are two test cases of China’s unjustified territorial claims with little resistance from the rest of the world.
It is necessary that Taiwan and Tibet should be recognized as sovereign countries, which is a necessary step to curtail and defeat China’s expansionist ambitions.
The United Nations Organisation, in its present structure and functioning style, is not in a position to do justice for Taiwan and Tibet.
Today, there is increasing suspicion in the world about China’s methodologies and practices. The fact that China concealed the information about the Wuhan virus and did not forewarn the world at the right time indicates that China could exhibit irresponsible behavior. Today, the havoc that is happening in the world due to the COVID-19 crisis is directly attributed to China’s indifferent attitude towards the welfare of the world community.
Certainly, nobody should think or say that China should be destabilized. But certainly, the growing thought is that China should be prevented from destabilizing the world, and its aggressive methods of occupying other countries should be resisted.
The starting point to initiate such world-wide resistance to China’s territorial expansion plans is to recognize Taiwan and Tibet as independent and sovereign countries. This will show China its place.
About the author
NS Venkataraman is a chemical engineer as well as a social activist in Chennai, India. He is the founder trustee of Nandini Voice for the Deprived, a Chennai-based not-for-profit organisation serving the cause of the deprived and down-trodden, and working for probity in public life.
More articles by NS Venkataraman on Tibet Sun.
The recognition of Tibet as an independent nation has to start from India. It has the highest stake in its national security. Tibet is the frontline for India’s security. Tibetans put their hope in India in our hour of distress in the 1950s when communist China was beating the drums of war to threaten us just as it is doing to Taiwan today. To our heart wrenching regret. India’s leaders were more interested to cozy up with communist China than help defenceless Tibet. Even so, Tibetans are forever grateful for offering asylum to the Dalai Lama and eighty thousand Tibetans. But politically, instead of helping Tibet, India threw us under the bus. First, it was India who recognised Tibet as “part of China” when its colonial power Britain never did. India bartered Tibet for Sikkim which it had annexed in 1975 but the Chinese never accepted it as part of India. In June 2003, India “officially” recognised Tibet as “part of China” in exchange for Chinese “acquiescence to Indian control of the tiny state bordering Tibet, (Sikkim). PM Vajpayee “declared the era of mutual suspicion is dead”. This is the tragedy of Tibet. The very people we have reposed our hopes have betrayed us and sold us down the river to the most vile regime the world has known and responsible for the death of 50 million Chinese and .2 million Tibetans since the occupation. This act by the Indian PM Vajpayee is no different from the infamous Munich Pact of 1938 when the fate of Czechoslovakia was sealed by Mussolini, Edouard Daladier and Neville Chamberline by handing Czechoslovakia to Hitler in the name of making peace with Hitler. The leaders of Italy, France and Britain handed Czechoslovakia to Hitler to appease him and India did the same to appease communist China and gain control over Sikkim.
Tibet was an independent state through out its existence until communist China forcibly occupied it. If we look at Taiwan today, it’s an independent State with its parliament, its military, currency and control over its borders and yet the CCP continues to claim it. That’s what happened to Tibet. During the fifth Dalai Lama and Buddhist Qing Emperor, a relationship of priest and patron developed. This is a relationship of mutual respect as Lama would have for the benefactor and the chela would have for the Lama. There was no political subordination either way. But gradually it deteriorated when some Manchu rulers misinterpreted this for their selfish interest and Tibet found it hard to resist the Manchu machinations. The 13th Dalai Lama says in his declaration of Tibet’s independence in 1913 that the “Manchus tried to colonise Tibet but their evil designs evaporated like a rainbow” when Manchu dynasty ended in 1912. The Republican and the communists continued to claim just as the CCP is claiming Taiwan even though it has no jurisdiction since 1949. The Mongols and Chinese never ruled Tibet. Their influence waxed and waned according to the rulers. But this is natural with all neighbours. Which country can claim to have been not influenced by their neighbours? China itself was a part of Mongol Empire and ruled by foreign powers for 247 years. Therefore, Chinese claims over Tibet are a total fabrication and utterly baseless. If China’s claims have any veracity, India can claim Burma, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan which were dominions of the British Empire, ruled by the Viceroy from Delhi! Chinese claims over Tibet are no different from their claims over South China Sea. They occupied it by force because Tibet is rich in natural resources just like South China Sea.