What happens when you jam the lid on a pot with contents ready to spill over?
Tibet.
The obscure Himalayan country that inspired a few Hollywood flicks was a lost cause just a few weeks ago. But not anymore. The snow lion's roar may well wake up the international community to the cause of Tibet. It is the latest in the string of uncomfortable situations that China has had to face.
First, it was Steven Spielberg. The acclaimed Hollywood director embarrassed China over its continued support to Sudan by refusing to be the artistic adviser for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing.
Even as China was controlling the public-relations damage caused by his exit, the Tibetans erupted against Chinese rule under the leadership of Buddhist monks. The timing couldn't have been better, and the heavy-handed repression of the protests has done no good to redress the situation.
China did the usual things. Lhasa and other parts of Tibet where trouble had spread were quickly declared off-limits to foreign journalists. Chinese citizens were barred access to online foreign media that carried reports about the developments in Tibet. The establishment underquoted the number of casualties in the region and, more importantly, the Dalai Lama was accused of remotely controlling the developments. All knee-jerk reactions, if one knows how cornered nations react.
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China's dreams of announcing its superpower status by hosting the Olympics - a privilege few non-Western nations have enjoyed - may turn into a public-relations nightmare. The developments in China's backyard - or its attic - have put the focus back on Tibet and the enduring repression of Tibetans by the Chinese government.
Many grouses of Tibetans against the Chinese government caused the protests. Prominent among them are the interference in the religious and cultural life of Tibetans, particularly the denigration of the Dalai Lama by the Chinese establishment and the pro-settlement policies, under which Hun Chinese and Hui Muslims are being encouraged to settle down in Tibet.
The rioting started as attacks on Chinese business establishment and transformed into full-fledged protests against Chinese rule.
The Qingzang railway line effectively ended the geographical isolation of Tibet and has helped more mainland Chinese settle down in Tibet. This has threatened the local population. Tibetan critics see it as a ploy at demographic engineering that will dilute the Tibetan culture and way of life.
The Tibetan government in exile in Dharamshala, India, remained cautious. The Dalai Lama, who has rejected calls for complete independence from China but clamored for increased autonomy for Tibet, conveyed his helplessness in containing the protests. But the Chinese government continues to hold the Dalai Lama responsible for engineering the disturbances.
The Dalai Lama's contention that the "cultural genocide" against Tibetans is the cause of all disturbances may not be farfetched, after all. But there is no reason to believe that China is going to change its policy of repression.
If anything, the guarded international outcry is only an indication of how countries that enjoy military and financial clout can get away with anything. India, which recognized China's sovereignty over Tibet for a de facto recognition of Sikkim as a part of India's territory, used all possible means to prevent Tibetans on its soil from protesting. Though the U.S. has paid lip service by insisting that China negotiate with the Dalai Lama, there is no indication that it will seriously pursue the issue. Contrast this with the international outrage when the Burmese military junta cracked down on the protests by Buddhist monks.
But the issue of Tibet is not going to go away anytime soon. Like in all such cases, increased repression will only lead to an increased yearning for freedom. And with media such as the Internet enabling muffled voices to be heard beyond censored borders, it will become imperative for the international community to hear Tibetans out.
You can conceal the happenings in the Roof of the World, but not for long. One thing is for sure, though: This Olympics, all eyes will be on China and what it does in Tibet.
Santhosh Chandrashekar is the opinion editor of the Daily Lobo.
