<o.t.> Dear Yiwu - I'd certainly agree with you regarding the damage done to the native americans. This is no excuse there. However, for China - a nation who has seen suffering and humiliation - to commit similar act is far more poignant. Certainly, you ve read about the unequal treaties, the sphere of influence, the nanking massacre etc.. Certainly, then, the proverb, "if one doesn't want it, don't do it unto others," should come to mind. It is b/c our generation, or generation of our parents, has lived through such infamy.
To backtrack a bit and be pragmatic, PRC is caught between a rock and a hard place. There are obvious reasons for her to be concerned about the rise of tribal fervor of the minorities after witnessing the dissolution of the former USSR into chao. So, I am not totally naive about that. Having said that, some of the things done to the tibetans will no doubt go into the darker chapters of history. Of course, the cultural revolution and all that aren't something to write home about either. Besides, the tibetans [ok, the Tibet govt in exile official position,] has actually abandoned the idea of independence for quite sometime, so the PRC should not have any worry about the possibility of fractionalism.
Ultimately, let's bygone be bygone. I am actually hopeful that there is rumor of *unofficial* negotiations going on. To use your point of US history as an example, slowly but surely, there have been restitutions made to the native americans in the US by the recent generations of US govt.. So, it is also possible that similar meeting of minds will happen between Beijing and Dharamsala.
best, Bosco |
