The entry below is by Terry Li ’14. Terry is a Brandeis-India Initiative Fellow who worked in Dharamsala, India this summer with Love Volunteers.
graffiti in McLeod Ganj
As a Chinese student, I spent ten years studying at government schools in China. Since elementary school, our teachers told us that Tibet was, and would always be, part of China. No one ever doubted this statement. It seemed that all of us believed that the 14th Dalai Lama was a betrayer of our country because he tried to divide Tibet from China and dictated the Tibetans. I was furious when I heard from the Chinese news that he provoked a storm of protest in Lhasa in March 2008 which eventually killed some innocent Han Chinese people. It was not until I studied at an international school in Myanmar when I realized that the information I received before might be extremely biased and misleading.
I never thought about why the Tibetan protested. I also had no idea what their living situations were. If the Tibetans lived happily and had freedom of religion, why would they protest? I wondered if there was some misunderstanding between the Han Chinese and the Tibetans. I started to look for reports that could reflect the real Tibet, but it was hard to find a neutral source. Therefore, I hoped to meet some Tibetans in person and to hear what their actual opinion on the Han Chinese and the Chinese government.
The display at the puppet museum in Norbulingka. The background of the display is the famous Potala Palace in Lhasa.
With a lot of questions in mind, I took the bus that ran from Palampur to Lower Dharamshala. From Lower Dharamshala, I took another bus to Upper Dharamshala (McLeod Ganj), home to the Tibetan Government in Exile and more than 20,000 Tibetan refugees. McLeod Ganj was a town packed with tourists. I heard people talking in different languages in the street, and more than one person recognized the word “Brandeis” in Hebrew on my t-shirt. I visited the Tsuglag Khang Temple, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s residence, Tal Lake, Norbulingka, and the Tibetan Children Village.
A temple located inside Norbulingka.
In Tsuglag Khang Temple, I met some monks who recently fled to India. When they knew that I was from Mainland China, they were surprisingly friendly and they even talked to me in fluent Mandarin. Norbulingka was an institute for Tibetan studies which was located near Lower Dharamshala. It had a lovely museum which uses puppets to display Tibetan history, and also had a grand temple and an exquisite shop. Many of the Tibetan refugees worked in the institute. To my surprise, the songs that they played in the working area were all Chinese pop songs, and the DVD stalls outside the institute even sold Chinese TV drama. It seemed that many of the Tibetans did not reject all the Chinese products.
The prayer wheels at the Tsuglag Khang Temple. Turning it clockwise will bring one good luck.
In McLeod Ganj I met Tenzin Dhonyo, a Brandeis alumnus who worked as a planning officer in the Tibetan Government in Exile. He gave me a lot of information on the Tibetans, both inside and outside of Tibet. He told me that many of the Tibetans were not satisfied with the Chinese policy on religion and were irritated by Beijing’s negative propaganda of the 14th Dalai Lama. He also told me that many Tibetans’ jobs were taken by Han Chinese who immigrated from mainland, and much of Tibetan culture was either damaged or abandoned. However, he praised Beijing’s achievement on improving Tibet’s infrastructure, and said there was no hatred between Han Chinese and Tibetans. Most Tibetans only abhorred the Chinese government but not the Chinese people.
There were certainly some mistakes regarding Chinese government’s religious policy on Tibet. The “patriotic re-education,” for example, interrupted the normal order of temples. From Tenzin’s speech, I got to know more about on why these Tibetans fled from China to India. If I was a Tibetan, I would also be frustrated if my spiritual leader was criticized as “betrayer” or “deceiver.” Some of the things I heard were so much different from the information I got from Chinese media. For example, he mentioned that the Dalai Lama did not intend to separate Tibet from China. The Dalai Lama wanted Tibet to be part of China, but he suggests the Tibetans should have more religious freedom and the Tibetan culture should be well protected. However, the Dalai Lama also wanted Tibet to have equal right as Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, where special permissions were required for mainlanders to enter, but I did not think that would ever be possible.
The lamas at Tsuglag Khang Temple.
I visited McLeod Ganj every weekend. It was a strange town. Although only three kilometers above Lower Dharamshala, it felt like another world. I could see “Free Tibet” labels almost everywhere, but I did not feel that I was being treated differently. When I visited the Tibetan museum near Tsuglag Khang Temple, I saw many visitors leaving their messages on the guestbook. Some of the messages were filled with hatred or simply insulted China, but I wanted to write something more moderate. In my message, I prayed for the peace between Tibetans and Han Chinese. I wished people from both sides could have more understanding of the other side, and I hoped that these Tibetans refugees could return to Tibet some day in the future.
Read Terry’s first article here and see his photo collection here.
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Hey Very well written and well researched. I hope many Mainland Chinese student will do the same and truth should be out sooner or later. H.H. Dalai lama said 1 Billion Mainland Chinese people has every right to know the truth behind CCP false propaganda. We have long history between Tibet and Chinese. I was born in India and but my family came from Tibet 1959. Tibetan people don’t hate han chinese, we are friend and has to remain ever as long as this planet lives. Keep up ur good work and spread the truth. Thanking you.
As a christian I could understand Tibetans’ feelings. Sometimes pressures from gov may actually provoke more passion among people who hold on to their religion, wish those people good luck~
It’s interesting to go through your stories of how you encountered Tibetans and how enriched your true knowledge about Tibet! Wish more Chinese people will come out beyond what CCP says about Tibet. I love Tibet and I love china. Let Tibet and China be two different nations but good neighbours.
Here are some videos to help understanding of Tibet, China:
http://english.cntv.cn/program/newshour/20110522/103115.shtml
http://english.cntv.cn/program/rediscoveringchina/20110729/101530.shtml
As a Tibetan, I admire you for your feelings towards us Tibetans but I, as a Tibetan, want independence for Tibet so that we do not have to live under foreign rule. It is judiciously and internationally illegal, besides being morally incorrect, for a country to occupy another country. We Tibetans just want to live in peace with China as two separate but neighborly and brotherly nations.
“If the Tibetans lived happily and had freedom of religion, why would they protest?”
Mostly for same reason that black parents here in the USA protested against forced busing of their children to integrated schools. Ethnic parents have a very intrinsic fear of assimilation and a yearning to preserve a traditional culture through one’s children. The urge to protest may have nothing to do with objectively how well the Tibetans are treated in China; fear of assimilation is entirely subjective. Objectively, assimilation is the best for all and traditional culture is not necessary for happiness. What minorities want, ultimately, is the chance to become a part of the majority. (How you looked at Tiger Woods alleged mistresses? All white women.)
One may think that after centuries of virulent racism, blacks parents would really rejoice at the chance of mixing their kids with white kids and the chance of having a white son or daughter-in-law, but they choked at the moment. 85% of black parents chose to send their kids to segregated schools. The US Supreme Court ordered busing, ruling that the goal of assimilation must prevail over the freedom of association.
Some Tibetans in China want to isolate their kids from the majority. Can China allow this segregation? Should the US have allowed segregation of blacks and yielded to the wishes of 85% of black parents who wanted segregation?
One motto for forced busing was “separate is inherently unequal”. Do you think separate is inherently unequal? I don’t think so. Whites could have paid reparation to make segregated schools equal. Another was “Separation instills a feeling of inferiority on black children” Wouldn’t separation also instill a feeling of inferiority on Tibetan children?
It is not always about right, but doing the right thing socially from an elitist perspective, as the US Supreme Court ruled.
Objectively, the best for all minorities in the world is assimilation.
You should also study how the US Senate, citing the American “tradition of assimilation”, rejected the Akaka Bill of 2000, which could have granted cultural autonomy to the Hawaiians. There were protests in Hawaii for the passage of the Akaka Bill, for the same reason. Was the US Senate right to reject the Akaka Bill?
Great videos Sir Percy, thanks!
actually most of times i try my best to understand some truth,however, all the times, it is hard and difficult for me to understand given my poor knowledge and view. I am a Han Chinese, but i stayed in Tibetan areas for almost 5years which is not Tibetan Autonomous province and is Tibetan areas in other cross provinces such as Yunnan and Sichuan . I was fascinated in Tibetan culture mainly relating with Buddhism. l love Tibetan people and Chinese people with my true heart. That five years experience located in Tibetan areas is my most memorable period in my life up to now and it will continue to influence my life. Usually, i enjoy talking with them and enjoy their lives and really let myself be one of them. I have many Tibetan friends who are working and living there for all their lives. Most of them are originate from Han areas. But in history they were born there following their parents. So they are totally Tibetan culture lifestyle. However, usually, some people will ask some silly questions such as do you believe Dalai Lama. I was not surprised by this kind of questions because i understand some education and system of Buddhism. Otherwise, the police which CPC put out in Tibetan areas is times better than inland other provinces of China. Central government try their best to improve their life and social conditions. March,2008 and May 2008 are two hard periods in this areas. I experience these two periods in Tibetan areas. But i don’t like talking too much. I let myself work there to help them. May,2008, the Earthquake destroyed some of Tibetan areas heavily. I was there.
Sometimes, I thought that religion always had the conflicts with politics. It is true that many regions in this world have this kind of problem. However, sometimes, before we come to see and before we want to learn each other, we talk about these issues with a bias view.That’s what we learn from the religion and from the culture where we are grown up. It’s born with us. Such as, sometimes, most of Tibetan areas students or people overseas usually told other people that they are Tibetan not Chinese. Sometimes, being part of Chinese people, I have some uncomfortable feeling at that moment although i could understand their true feelings. Maybe this is the view we were inborn. When they told they are Tibetan not Chinese, it seemed that Tibetan almost is not part of China. In this point of view, how could all the people understand and believe that Tibetan is not willing to depart from China? How could i understand the change and beneficial polices for Tibetan areas? Sometimes, i think it is hard to understand.
On the other hand, i disagree with some polices implementing in Tibetan areas but not totally. It seems not the problem of the polices in Tibetan areas, almost all over China have the similar problems. All the same polices are implemented in different provinces. However, given what i know and understand, I disagree that religion belief in Tibetan areas is not free. Actually, they can organize their religion activities without any disturbs. But after March,2008, there are many restrictions for them. So it’s still a problem.
Sometimes it is also hard and terrible for me to understand why they are doing like this? However, i don’t want to let the gap and bias between Han and Tibetan people far away each other. I want both of them can truly understand and believe each other. In big cities and inland China, sometimes, when i am coming across some people talking about Tibetan people with a bias, i will try my best to let them know what really Tibetan people are. That’s what i can do. Also, my work in Tibetan areas is meaningful for me. I work with local people to protect their tradition culture for instance dancing, language, tradition knowledge also including religion belief. So doing the things and you will see some changes. That’s what i value and what i think is more important than always talking who is right and who is wrong and talking about the politics and religion.
History is not history in books or in videos. History is what we believe and what we do now and what we create.In my perspective, CPC and central government will try their best to protect one policy and one China. So the isolation from China is impossible. At the same time, let Tibetan area have the same police as Hongkong. It sounds impossible too. This is one basic principle of politics.
We are too wise to learn and analyze a lot from history and from media or the government. Why don’t we do what we value and make the people in these areas better off ? The most important thing is doing what i can do to help and serve the country and people. What the future they will go, let themselves determine.
I think the repression and eradication of buddhism is long term policy of cpc, this happened not only in Tibet, but also in the rest province across China, the loyalty of Tibetan to HH Dalai Lama is viewed as most dangerous threat to cpc policy, which means even succeed in eradicate Buddhism in rest province in China, they failed in Tibet will result in failing in the rest province across China, everything simply can revive, their lies can not last.
As to one people, one nation and independence of Tibet, I have to say it’s a dream rather than reality. During Yarlung King times, Tibetan reach zenith in it’s influence and it can be viewed as an independent nation, but unfortunately in 10th AD, this nation dissembles, afterwards, in what now claimed Big Tibet, many local power exist, yes, it’s still one people, but not one nation. HH Dalai Lama hold cultural and religious influence across the Tibet, but politically, his influence is restricted, I think this is the reality before 1950. Maybe now you can really discuss one nation, based on the destroy of social structure in old Tibet by cpc, in fact removed a huge obstacle laid in front of your claim of one nation.
I don’t think independent will favor normal tibetan, maybe other measure should be taken.But I agree this totally rely on the judgement of whole Tibetan , with in depth understanding of the meaning of this independence.
Economically speaking, I don’t think independent from China bring any good to Tibetan.