Showing posts with label Lhasa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lhasa. Show all posts

Monday, April 28, 2008

Riots in Lhasa Aimed at Derailing Beijing Olympics

I.Citation

Riots aimed at derailing Games: Wen
3/19/08
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008npc/2008-03/19/content_6547815.htm




II.Summary


On March 19th, riots had taken place in Lhasa, capital of Tibet in China. Thirteen innocent civilians were either burned or stabbed to death in the aftermath of the event. At the time, the reason behind the riots were unknown. However, as of late the authorities and government of China have unveiled more about what was behind the occurrence. The riots were linked to the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Since it was announced that the games would be held in Beijing, many were opposed due to the suspected chinese involvement in the supposed Tibetan genocide. Premier Wen Jiabao denied all of these claims, and declared that the so named Tibetan genocide is nothing but slanderish lies. So, the riots are now suspected to have taken place as an attempt to stop the 2008 Olympic Games from being held, in order to make a stand against the suspected Tibetan genocide. The group most likely leading the riots is one naming themselves the Dalai clique, due to the Dalai Lama's shared opposition to the Tibetan genocide and refusal to rejoin China as a whole.



III.Reactions
{a}

I think that the article fits in most with second AP world theme: Impact of interaction among and within major societies. The quarrels, and riots in Tibet can certainly be called interaction among a major society (China) although it is negative interaction. These negative interactions have had a huge impact on the people of China, and have swayed several people's trust in the Chinese government, as well as causing fights such as the aforementioned riots.


{b}

Since it's separation from China, Tibet has been an area of suspected cultural genocide by the Chinese Government. China is accused of this because it is very opposed to Tibet's independence due to the fact that they gain very much from it economically speaking. So, some call this a perfect motive, and suspect China of foulplay in the form of a secret genocide. The recent riots that have taken place this past March are not the only acts of violence towards the games in Beijing. On it's journey to the stadium, the torch holders for the Olympics have been attacked and delayed in their arrival as well.


{c}

The article was written by Zhao Huanxin for the China Daily, most likely meaning he is chinese himself. There are also several points in the article hinting his support for the Chinese government. Huanxin is also most likely an insider on the issue because he is from China, and is first to hear about any goings on there.


{d}

Several aspects of the writing in the article certainly hint that he may be on the side scoffing the idea of a Tibetan genocide taking place. The author calls the Dalai Lama a hippocrit, deliberately insulting him. This shows he is no fan of the Tibetan leader, providing evidence that he also opposes his views on Tibet. The article also contains little to no quotes or opinions on the side supporting Tibetan independence, while the Premier is quoted and the government's views are provided several times. His reluctance to present all views on the issue again support the idea that he is on the side of the Chinese government.


{e}

The article fails to provide the view of the Dalai Lama. His opinion would help in my understanding of the event because he is the leader of Tibet and therefore is probably the most aware of what is taking place there. It would also provide us with a different side to the story, and give a different aspect of the riots, along with whether or not he supports the idea. The view of someone who survived the riot would also help, because it would give us a deeper look into what occurred, and the level of violence that took place.


{f}

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue of the Tibetan genocide. I certainly believe it is possible, however I don't think there is quite enough evidence to support the claim. But, I am very against the riots in Lhasa. Whether or not there really is a genocide in Tibet taking place, violence is never the right action, especially when the victims are innocent to the cause. There are better methods of taking action, such as negotiation, and peaceful rallies.