China continues to throw it’s economic weight around and seems to have been successful in ensuring that other countries ignore it’s deplorable human rights record.
When Secretary Clinton went on her first overseas trip to Asia, she managed to appease a nervous Chinese Government by declaring that China’s worsening human rights, rigid communism and toxic exports (literally) would not get in the way of what Clinton presaged would be a beautiful future together. And now, South Africa has bent over and grabbed it’s ankles to appease China by, get this, denying a VISA to the Dalai Lama, who was slated to attend an international peace conference:
South Africa has refused the Dalai Lama a visa to attend an international peace conference in Johannesburg this week, a presidential spokesman said.
The Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Laureate did not receive a visa because it was not in South Africa’s interest for him to attend, said Thabo Masebe.
South Africa thinks that, if the Dalai Lama attended the conference, the focus would shift away from the 2010 World Cup — the global soccer championship it will host next year.
“We cannot allow focus to shift to China and Tibet,” Masebe said, adding that South Africa has gained much from its trading relationship with China.[snip]
A representative of the Dalai Lama said he was not surprised by the decision. The Tibetan government in exile thinks that China has pressured many countries to refuse a visit by the Dalai Lama, according to Chhime Chhoekyapa, an aide in Dharamsala, India.
To the credit of former South African President, F.W. De Klerk and Archbishop Desmund Tutu, they are boycotting the conference and hopefully others will too. The question is, how many other countries will buckle to China’s thuggish tactics?
UPDATE: Maybe China’s latest economic posturing will give the the administration (and in particular, the State Dept.) cause to question China’s intentions with respect to the US.
UPDATE II: The website Foreign Policy has a good column discussing how South Africa may be shooting itself in the foot by slamming the door in the face of the Dalai Lama.
Stumble It!
7 responses so far ↓
1 tehehehe // Mar 23, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Congrats to Tutu and the others.
Sorry for the Dalai Lama.
This is shameful that a once persecuted South Africa would succumb to the pressures of a dominant regime that is a minority (Chinese) occupying another nation (Tibet). It is so much like Aparthied, yet the South Africans are choosing to ignore it.
2 stacyb // Mar 23, 2009 at 9:24 pm
To not allow the Dalai Lama into the country for a *peace* conference is unbelievable. But this is the tactic China has been using for years- I am sure China let SA know very explicitly that if they recognized the Dalai Lama by allowing him to speak at the conference, there would be an economic price to pay. Sometimes you have to stand up to bullies, even if just symbolically. George W. Bush, to his credit, stood up to China when they threatened him after he announced he would present the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Medal of Honor- he basically told them to go screw themselves. I honestly don’t think Obama or Hillary would have held such a firm line with China had it been them in GW’s position- I hate to say that I have to wonder given some of the things I have seen from Clinton and Obama thus far.
And as you point out, it is particularly shameful of SA to deny the Dalai Lama given their own history of apartheid. Hopefully, people will spread the word about this and others will follow the courageous lead of Tutu and DeKlerk.
While I understand the economic realities, by caving to China, I worry the US runs the risk of diminishing it’s own power when it comes to speaking out on human rights.
3 Tyler // Mar 23, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Stacy,
The problem with Bush’s firm line attitude is that it lead to human rights violations rivaling those committed by the CCP. Hopefully Obama’s ability to disagree agreeably can help facilitate some kind of peace between the CCP and Tibet. A Congressional Medal of Honor is a great thing, but thumbing your nose at the CCP will not convince them to stop killing monks.
4 Jake // Mar 24, 2009 at 3:26 am
The Native Americans fought back when they were being colonized but a couple hundred years later I’m sure they are happy to be Americans.
The same will happen with the Tibetans but probably at a faster rate. Soon, as their standard of living increase, they will be happy Chinese citizens as well.
China has a good teacher in America… unless you guys are thinking of giving this country back to the natives?
5 Seti // Mar 24, 2009 at 7:30 am
Tyler- I know your comment was directed at Stacy but I’d like to weigh in- when Hillary went to China the government put people under house arrest and cracked down on the monks and monesteries pre-emptively – China will worsen it’s iron grip whether the US speaks out or not- Hillary gave China a big huge pass on human rights and they STILL arrested (and likely tortured) people they feared might protest China’s rule.
6 Stacy // Mar 24, 2009 at 7:36 am
Tyler- I see what you are saying and that puts the US and other countries in a bind with respect to what to do. That said, acknowledging the Dalai Lama as a man of peace sends an important message- the people of tibet celebrated when he won the nobel prize and when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor even though they knew the Chinese would likely retaliate. To constantly buckle to China’s bullying tactics is essentially giving in- now it’s easy for me to say that as I am not the one who will be dragged into prison and tortured and thus I look to what the people of Tibet think about this, for guidance.
Jake- I don’t think you’ll find many Americans rationalizing the horrendous treatment of the Native Americans and as an American, I understand that the US can be quite hypocritical when it comes to human rights, but I also understand we can try to hold BOTH the US and countries like China accountable on the issue of human rights rather than just sit back and go “well, we in the US do some shitty stuff, so I better keep quiet.” That accomplishes nothing. I am also wondering Jake, what country are you from?
7 Update on South Africa and the Dalai Lama // Mar 24, 2009 at 9:13 pm
[...] I blogged about South Africa’s refusal to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama to attend an international peace [...]
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