Bush Remains Silent Over Tibet Crackdown

Bush Remains Silent Over Tibet Crackdown

New York Times   |  SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and SOMINI SENGUPTA   |   March 22, 2008 03:27 PM


stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust

China's violent crackdown on protesters in Tibet is having powerful political reverberations in Washington, where the White House is weighing how far to go in condemning the Chinese government, even as it defends President Bush's decision to attend the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Mr. Bush has long said the United States and China have "a complex relationship," and that complexity was on full display this week. While his administration has called for an end to the violence, and his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, phoned her Chinese counterpart to urge restraint, Mr. Bush himself has remained silent.


 
 

Comments
43
Pending Comments
0

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)

Bush can't say diddle squat to China! It was Bush inalienable right to invaded Iraq a sovereign country and bomb the bejezuz out of the place. Israel's also had inanienable right to invade and occupy Palestine and turn the place into another Holocaust . It was also Israel inalienable right carpet bomb Lebanon with millions of cluster bombs, killing innocent Lebanese men, women and little kids.

Now China with trillion of dollars in American IOUs can tell Bush to go Cheney himself, It's now their inalienable right to invade and occupy Tibet.

The Tibetans, like the Palestinians and like Iraqis have no inalienable right to expect the UN, now a toothless tiger, to protect them. We are back to the laws of the jungle because Bush single handedly emasculated the UN with his unauthorized war against Iraq and with each and every veto against numerous UN resolutions demanding Israel cease and desist it's illegal occupation of Palestine. Not until Bush and his cabal are hauled before la Hague to answer for crimes against humanity will the UN have its credibility restored.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:16 PM on 03/22/2008

The Tibetans don't hate us for our freedoms. There is absolutely no reason for Bush to say anything. The Chinese are more important, we need to pander to them. Or who will pay our mortgage?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:38 PM on 03/22/2008

Bush is quiet because Cheney reminded him that the Chinese hold over a trillion dollars of our currency that they would dump if we annoy them - besides Bush probably expects the Chinese government to contribute money to the Bush "library" and we all know you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:35 PM on 03/22/2008

Hit the nail on the head with that one, China can go after Taiwan right now and America could do nothing. We could have had Ron Paul but now we have this and the next ones are going to do nothing better. They are all cut from the CFR/AIPAC cloth.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:36 PM on 03/22/2008

Yeah, Bush is silent because the Chinese are sitting atop a mountain of U.S. dollars. That's what free trade and globalization has brought us -- servitude, subjugation and forced deference to those with the cash. Pathetic.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:33 PM on 03/22/2008

Bush is a coward and will not stand up for the common man / typical citizen of any nation. He doesn't believe in civil or human rights and can only be counted upon to act in his self interest and the interest of his handlers.

republicans are a threat to world peace and prosperity.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:01 PM on 03/22/2008

He's being really quiet because he just can't figure out how to pronounce the words "Dalai Lama."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:48 PM on 03/22/2008

Good. Keep his mouth shut. Every time he opens it disaster follows. Shut him up the rest of the year. Worst President Ever.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:17 PM on 03/22/2008

AIPAC is silent, Bush is silent. It all depends upon your "friends" as to who will be your "enemy". Next round: Iran.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:15 PM on 03/22/2008

What is left to say. The man isn't aware of the conflict and murder of the most peaceful people on earth. "Is gas $4.00 a gallon? - I didn't know that.".

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:53 PM on 03/22/2008

Bush is a cheerleader for his NANNY STATE FOR THE RICH & corporate welfare queens that middle-income Americans are paying for.

Tibet? What's THAT? Bush flunked GEOGRAPHY , remember?
Bush thinks "a Tibet" is a Spanish appetizer.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:37 PM on 03/22/2008

updated 8:27 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2007
WASHINGTON - President Bush, raising Beijing"s ire, presented the Dalai Lama on Wednesday with the U.S. Congress" highest civilian honor and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.

The exiled spiritual head of Tibet"s Buddhists by his side, Bush praised a man he called a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people."

"Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away," Bush said at the U.S. Capitol building, where he personally handed the Dalai Lama the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal.

Bush on Tibet/China
May 12, 2003

In the first-ever presidential report to Congress on the status of Tibet negotiations, President Bush has affirmed that encouraging substantive dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership is a key objective of his administration's policy and that lack of resolution of the Tibetan problem will be a stumbling block to fuller political and economic engagement between the United States and China.


President Bush declared his "strong support for the Dalai Lama's tireless efforts to initiate dialogue with the Chinese government" after meeting with the Dalai Lama in May 2001, and, according to the White House report, Tibet was on the agenda of every 2002 meeting between Presidents Bush and Jiang and during then-Vice President Hu Jintao's May 2002 U.S. visit. Additionally, in Secretary Powell's meetings with Foreign Minister Tang and President Hu, Powell consistently urged the Chinese officials to engage in a substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

From September 9 to 24, 2002, envoys of the Dalai Lama led by Lodi Gyari visited Beijing, Shanghai and Lhasa and met with Chinese leaders, renewing face-to-face contact between the two sides after an impasse of nine years.

On September 30, 2002, the Tibetan Policy Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush as part of The Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2002-2003. It is the most comprehensive Tibet legislation yet to be passed by Congress, combining programmatic initiatives with a firm expression of political support for the Dalai Lama's efforts to find a negotiated solution for Tibet.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:17 PM on 03/22/2008

Duct tape over month provided by Wal*Mart.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:23 PM on 03/22/2008

Bush admires the Chinese who can throw people in jail and punish them without answering to anyone. They, like Bush, have no conscience. Except in their ruthlessness they don't always show the glee and joy that W does.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:08 PM on 03/22/2008

Wake up people, he's taking notes on how to squash insurrection-

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:02 PM on 03/22/2008

he won't say anything and mess up his free trip and photo op at the Olympics---not this bottom feeder!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:52 PM on 03/22/2008

If we criticize them they might not loan us any more money.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:46 PM on 03/22/2008

Bush is such a religious sort of fellow. But he doesn't want to fight with China. He didn't fight in Vietnam either. yet, the CIA sends money for the "resistance." Hmmm...double standards again. Hypocrisy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:29 PM on 03/22/2008

Bush is gutless, as well as clueless, so don't expect anything from him especially not advocacy of human rights. You've seen what he's done in Iraq, haven't you?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:20 PM on 03/22/2008

Yes, its true, we torture just like the China. So W will not say a word. Its like peas in a pod. By the way, China owns about 80% of us so bitching at them will do no good. They will simply say "show me the money" and we will say "oops!"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 PM on 03/22/2008

I want to know whether Sen Clinton--who has strongly criticized Obama as naive and inexperienced for declaring his intention to talk to Cuba and North Korea et al (without first setting conditions for democratization and human rights)--will refuse to talk to the Chinese until and unless they first democratize and withdraw from Tibet?

Will she also refuse to talk to Saudi Arabia until and unless that country grants women their full measure of civil and human rights?

Given her criticism of Barack Obama, should we infer that Hillary Clinton will be as true to her word with regard to China and Saudi Arabia?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:18 PM on 03/22/2008

Hillary isn't one of those "women's libbers" so if the Taliban or the Saudis throw acid in young women's faces, it is none of her concern so long as we get oil or the pipeline deal.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:31 PM on 03/22/2008

While his administration has called for an end to the violence, and his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, phoned her Chinese counterpart to urge restraint, Mr. Bush himself has remained silent.

This is because Bush rather agrees with the Chinese take on civil disobedience and how to best respond to it. Just like he admires Putin. Men like George Bush and Dick Cheney think governments coddle their people too much. It's high time law and order was brought to bear. You see to George or Dick the phrase "those who would oppose freedom" could easily apply to a protester carrying an anti-war sign.

I think if the truth were to be told George Bush may just be admiring China's ordered and growing society where you can even dictate how many kids couple's are allowed. Leaders like to lead. And proclaim. And order. This appeals to George's sense of entitlement.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:10 PM on 03/22/2008

China OWNS Bush.

The bought up so much of his debt that he doesn't dare criticize them.

He'll do what they say and he'll like it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:53 PM on 03/22/2008

Why would Bush criticize China?

China is declaring people terrorists, throwing them in jail without trial, holding them indefinitely, torturing and killing them them if they want and without any accountability, and forcing the government sanctioned beliefs on Tibet.

Its the "democracy" Bush dreams of!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:53 PM on 03/22/2008

He's too busy taking notes now that Karl isn't around to tell him how to fuck things up even more. Watch out, America, you're next!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:51 PM on 03/22/2008

of course bush is silent. he has put us so much in debt to china, we don't have a leg to stand on

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:46 PM on 03/22/2008

Scum !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:34 PM on 03/22/2008

From what moral high ground could George W. Bush say anything to ANYBODY? He has none. He is a war criminal who at best sat passively by while his administration decided to wage an unprovoked war of aggression. That is a crime against humanity, for which he should be removed from office and sent to the Hague for trial. Period.

Maybe in 20 years the United States could be restored to a position to call China on their b.s. Maybe 50. And btw, once the Olympics are over, give it 3-4 weeks, and GOODBYE TAIWAN.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:28 PM on 03/22/2008

Of course, you are completely correct. And I also believe it's only a matter of time before China invades Taiwan. It is tragic and myopic that the Taiwanese people just voted in a man who will only strengthen ties to China. What are they thinking? Is Taiwan so dissimilar from Tibet? No, not at all.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:40 PM on 03/22/2008

heretical_eggs is correct that the Tibet situation is nothing like Taiwan. In Taiwan there are at least two groups, one which believes in political reunification with China (but on Taiwan's terms) and the other which would like independence. The genesis of the first group are exiles from the 1949 Communist revolution and the second are the locals that were living in Taiwan before the exiles arrived. The first group brutally crushed the second (who had been living under Japanese rule for 50 years) when they first arrived, and established a military dictatorship while they planned military counter-attacks to retake the Mainland. The U.S. supported this first group with military aid and sales from the 1950's to the present day. Martial law prevented the emergence of political opposition. One of the Taiwan presidents Chiang Ching-guo (who was Soviet-educated and a hated enforcer against the second group) lifted martial law in 1987 and is now seen as a hero to many today). Meanwhile an export-oriented economy from the 70's onward created an island of entrepreneurs. The second group suffered under the rule of the first group, but also prospered, and their children became well-educated and eventually, pretty well-off. Taiwanese (from both groups) are some of the wealthiest people in Asia. China has presented both problem and opportunity for Taiwan. The political separation meant that Taiwan avoided the excesses of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, but since China has opened up, Taiwan has also lost some of its economic oomph. These days, there are many Taiwanese living in the Mainland - 500,000 Taiwanese (out of a population of 20+ million) live in the Shanghai region alone. The presence of Taiwanese workers and Taiwanese investment is welcomed on the Mainland. The economies of both countries are heavily linked, and getting closer by the day. The younger generation increasingly wants to put the political baggage of the earlier generation behind them and get on with life. This means ending the political discord with China.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:14 PM on 03/22/2008

Tibet's situation is nothing like Taiwan. Formosa had an indigenous population, but it was quickly absorbed by mainland Han Chinese quite some time ago. Tibet has been invaded several times by Chinese Dynasties over the years, and China has this claim that Tibet is part of it. However, the Chinese have always withdrawn effectively leaving Tibet to its own devices.



The Tibetan people are not Han Chinese. They are not ethnically, culturally or linguistically related to them though each has influenced the other over the centuries. Tibet is an independent land and culture. After WWII and the rise of Communist China, it was invaded by the Chinese who claimed it as part of China and claimed they were liberating it from imperialistic forces. They claimed they were going to modernize Tibet.



Well, it has been modernized to some extent, but over one million ethnic Tibetans have died due to the Chinese occupation. During the 1960's Cultural Revolution much of Tibet's rich cultural heritage was lost due to the destruction of almost all of the monasteries. China has sold much of the art and antiques it stole to the West. China has further tried to undermine the culture of Tibet by importing thousands of Han Chinese families to live in Tibet. This is the cultural genocide that many speak of.


Also, China has done much damage to Tibet's natural resources. It is also noticed that the waters of the great Indian rivers emerge from the Himalayas already polluted to some extent.


Many argue that Tibet was a brutal theocracy. It was in many ways. HH the Dalai Lama does not deny this. However, it was HH the Dalai Lama's intention to institute political and cultural changes. Tibet was never allowed to grow into the 20th C. China took that away from it by imposing its own idea of modernization which basically meant destroying the country and absorbing what was left into the People's Republic of China.


China has NO business in Tibet. It never has. However, nothing will be done about it since China now holds the purse strings of many countries and the profit of doing business WITH China far outweighs NOT doing business with it.


I am glad that Tibet is being noticed, though I am not happy with violence and death. I am glad that some of our leaders such as Nancy Pelosi have at least acknowledged the problem in Tibet. I am not surprised that our executive remains silent. It is a sad situation, but Tibet is now part of China for the foreseeable future.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:47 PM on 03/22/2008

I hope the history of Tibet and its historical relation with Imperial China is as simple as you put. It is true that Tibet has maintained an independent entity but it never not cover all the areas that Tibetan resides, much of those regions was under direct control of the Chinese Emperor rather than Dalai Lama. Unfortunately, the 1959 uprising starts from those region and a lot of exile are from there too. This is exactly why Dalai Lama and Beijing government have not reached an agreement although they have made multiple contacts over the last 50 years. Given the current political climate, it is easier for Chinese government to agree on a resolution that is similar to the status quo between 1750 and 1911 under Qing Empire, with Dalai Lama given administrative (i.e. taxation) controls over central Tibet, and China maintains more direct control over other Tibetan areas through many smaller local Tibetan nobleman. (but in late 1800 central government started effort to establish direct administrative controls) However, for the reasons as I mentioned before, such resolution is hard to swallow by many Tibetan exiles from those area. but ceding those areas to a great Tibet is simply not possible for Chinese.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:18 PM on 03/22/2008

I used to be supportive of autonomy for the Tibetans, heard the Dalai Lama speak, shook hands with him and got a blessing from him (this was back in the 80's before he became a rock star), taken part in a 'Free Tibet' rally (even got a good glimpse of Richard Gere rallying the crowd!) and generally had a high opinion of Tibetans as a kind of people who deserve the special attention and protection of the world. However, in recent days as I do more research, I have begun to question that view, as I'm afraid I've been sold a phony bag of goods through a slick and manipulative marketing campaign (remember the lead up to the Iraq war folks?), funded by U.S. tax dollars. Admittedly, this will be hard for some to stomach, but this is the age of manufactured consent, the neocons have the money, power and purpose, and there is a need to question stories that are Too Good To Be True. See Tibet Uprising and U.S. Government Grants (http://www.moonofalabama.org/2008/03/tibet-uprising.html), Tibet - A Reality Check (http://www.flonnet.com/fl1718/17180040.htm) and Friendly Feudalism - The Tibet Myth (http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html). Unless you prefer to take the blue pill...and believe whatever you want to believe.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:45 PM on 03/22/2008

I would agree with nearly everything you've posted, except, perhaps, your characterization of Tibet as a "brutal theocracy." I think their history is a bit more nuanced than that. What about, for example, the great King Songsten Gampo, who is credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet? Or King Trisong Detsen, who was a patron of Buddhism and is responsible for building Tibet's first monastery, Samye? Or King Ralpachen, who is responsible for the first dictionary, a Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon that made the translation of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan possible? Not to mention the Dalai Lamas, especially the great 13th.

Yes, Tibet's history is peppered with political intrigue and violence, but Tibet is also a country transformed in a good way by the advent and cultivation of Buddhism over the centuries.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:19 PM on 03/22/2008
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)
Comments are closed for this entry

You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in