China and the Olympics

Recently there has been a lot of media coverage focussing on China and the build up to the Olympics. The attention has been directed at China’s human rights record. Human rights organisations are using the Olympics to inform the world about the suffering of thousands of people. Take for example the situation in Tibet. There is nothing new about the plight of the Tibetan people, but the Olympics have brought their suffering into the public eye. In 1950 Chairman Mao’s troops invaded Tibet leading to a full scale rebellion in 1959 against the Chinese occupation. This resulted in thousands of Tibetan people being killed.

It was the anniversary of this rebellion on March 10th this year that the current protests against China are marking. Tibet achieved part autonomy when it unilaterally declared independence in 1913. However, China regards Tibet to have been a part of its land since the Mongol dynasty as far back as 700 years ago. Though Tibet is called an "autonomous" region, China controls this area as if it were part of China.

The 1960s and 70s marked the Chinese Cultural Revolution and for Tibet this meant the destruction of many monasteries and cultural artifacts. Tibetan monks felt then as they do now that Chinese control over autonomous Tibet was too strong. In the last two years, a railway link has been opened up between Lhasa and the Chinese city of Golmud. Direct and easy access into Tibet will result in increased numbers of Han Chinese arriving and many Tibetan people fear the further eradication of their culture and language.

The spiritual leader is the Dalai Lama who fled Tibet in 1959 and lives in the North of India. The Dalai Lama was made head of state at the age of 15 in the year China invaded the east of Tibet. At the age of 19 he was in Beijing unsuccessfully negotiating with Chairman Mao for a relaxing of Chinese involvement in Tibet.

From India, the Dalai Lama continues to work for genuine self rule in Tibet, receiving the Nobel peace prize for his efforts in 1989. Though his negotiations faltered in 1993, they were resumed in 2002. For his part, the Dalai Lama has said that he has given up the idea of actual independence but instead hopes for Tibet to be given cultural autonomy, leaving the central government in Beijing in charge.

The political future for Tibet will remain the same even if the Olympic protests and boycotts continue. Until genuine talks can be resumed between China and Tibet nothing will change. History has shown that China is too big an economic power for the world to stand up and take real action. The focus should not therefore be on the politics of Tibet but the human rights violations of all Chinese and Tibetan people living in China.

Is the Olympics a correct platform to address this? No. I don’t think any good will come from the boycotts and the protests. Genuine negotiations should have taken place before it was agreed that China would host the Olympic Games. Instead, what should be a time for celebration of the achievements of athletes has become overshadowed with military crackdowns and politics.

When the Olympics are over what will happen to Tibetan people living in China? Leaders who are boycotting the Olympics would be well advised to consider whether this is the most effective action that can be taken to help improve human rights in China. For over 50 years Tibet has not been of concern to powerful countries that could actually do something to help. As Tibet hits the main headlines today, let us not forget those who will continue to suffer after the Games are over. Let us also not forget the athletes who have worked so hard for these Games.