Intellectuals in China Condemn Crackdown
By HOWARD W. FRENCH
Published: March 24, 2008
SHANGHAI ' A group of prominent Chinese intellectuals has circulated a
petition urging the government to stop what it calls a 'one sided'
propaganda campaign about Tibet and initiate direct dialogue with the
Dalai
Lama.
The petition, which was signed by more than two dozen writers, journalists
and scholars, contains 12 recommendations. Taken together, they represent
a
sharp break from the government's response to the wave of demonstrations
that swept Tibetan areas of the country in recent weeks.
Most of the signers are Han Chinese, China's dominant ethnic group. Their
petition accused the government of 'fanning racial hatred' in China by
blaming ethnic Tibetans for the violence and seeking to inflame passions
among the Han to sup****t the crackdown.
One of the signers, Wang Lixiong, is a prolific writer and leading analyst
of Tibetan issues. Others are better known for their liberal political
views and their willingness to speak out against government policies.
The Chinese government has sought to convey a sense of strong domestic and
international sup****t for putting down what is depicted here as a civil
disturbance by lawless people being instigated by the Tibetan spiritual
leader, the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing denounces as a secessionist,
or 'splitist.' In recent days, the state-controlled media have also
stepped
up their criticisms of the international news media for what they say has
been biased and overblown coverage of the Tibetan crisis. China has barred
international journalists from Tibet and expelled most tourists and other
foreigners from the region since the crisis began. As trouble has spread
to
neighboring provinces where many Tibetans live, the government has blocked
access to these areas as well.
'In our view, the current news blockade cannot gain credit with the
Chinese
people or the international community, and is harmful to the credibility
of
the Chinese government,' the petitioners wrote. 'Only by adopting an open
attitude can we turn around the international community's distrust of our
government.'
Given the government's stringent censor****p of the media, including the
Internet, it is not clear how widely knowledge of the petition will spread
in China. But many of its points directly challenge or dispute the
government line.
'We sup****t the Dalai Lama's appeal for peace, and hope that the ethnic
conflict can be dealt with according to the principles of good will, peace
and nonviolence,' it reads.
The petition cites accusations by the government that the unrest
was 'organized, premeditated and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai
clique,' and calls on Beijing to invite the United Nations Human Rights
Council to do an independent investigation of these charges.
It states, 'In order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the
future, the government must abide by the freedom of religious belief and
the freedom of speech explicitly enshrined in the Chinese Constitution,
thereby allowing the Tibetan people to fully express their grievances and
hopes and permitting citizens of all nationalities to freely criticize and
make suggestions regarding the government's nationality policies.'
Source:
New York Times
http://tinyurl.com/2etqh7
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