China opens door to talks with Dalai Lama representative

China opens door to talks with Dalai Lama representative

I'm confused. Why is this new news? And when I listened to the report on the CBC radio, the reporter seemed to be crediting Western pressure for a change of heart on the part of the Chinese. And, looking at news.google.com, it is not only the CBC but many many Western news outlets are picking up on the story.

The reason I'm confused is that it isn't new. Shortly after the separatist riots this year, amid reporting the Chinese government calling the Dalai Lama a liar, Xinhua also reported the government's affirmation that they are willing to talk with him. March 20, 2008, the Chinese Foreign Ministry affirmed that "the door is always open" as long as the Dalai Lama gives up on "his stance for Tibet independence and completely stop activities to separate China."¹ Searching more, I find on January 28, 2004, Chinese President Hu Jintao, while in Paris, stressed that "Tibet is an inseparable part of Chinese territory and the channel for contact between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama is open as long as the latter abandons his stand on Tibetan independence and stops separatist activities."²

Don't misunderstand me. I think it is a good thing that there might be talks. I just find it curious that the West can claim any sort of credit on pushing the Chinese side to the table when their door, with conditions, has been open for a very long time.

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¹ 2008-03-20, FM: China's principle on dialogue with Dalai Lama unchanged

² 2004-01-28, Tibet an inseparable part of Chinese territory: Hu

I have my suspicions

Appeals court upholds search of laptop at LAX

What is the purpose of security at airports or other border crossings? National security, of course. And you thought it was your security. But this story is really isn't about security, it's about customs, the part that happens after you've landed and you're about to enter the country. But no, I'm wrong again. The article notes that the legal experts are not surprised by the opinion. "They found it consistent with both court rulings in similar cases and the government's emphasis on border security - especially in the wake of 9-11." So, the story is about security and terrorism. But no, I think I'm wrong again because it is about child pornography. Terrorism and child pornography... I'm wondering why Mr. Arnold isn't being shipped off to Guantanamo Bay for some enhanced interrogation techniques.

Of course Judge Dean Pregerson's ruling was overturned on appeal. His ruling relied on a notion that our memories and thoughts "cannot be legally searched without reasonable suspicion." Justice Diarmuid O'Scannlain is correct when he says that the search of laptops and brains is not "logically any different from the suspicionless border searches of travelers' luggage that the Supreme Court and we have allowed." Okay. I've added the "and brains." And, to be literal, Pregerson said that the electronic storage devices were an extension of our memories and thoughts. Quibbles really.

I think we'd eliminate a lot of misunderstandings if they would just admit that crossing borders is suspicious behavior. The fact that you are getting on a plane or crossing a border means that you are suspicious. And once you've been deemed suspicious, notions of you having privacy fall away cleanly. We'll all be much more comfortable knowing that the see-through-clothing scanners will put a stop to those child pornographing terrorists.

This really does open new and exciting doors to investigations of any kind. Just give the suspect a plane ticket. Once he's past the security line, feel free to take whatever evidence you might find such as DNA. And, as a bonus, because it is a matter of national security, his normal rights do not apply. Hold him as long as you like. Remember, you can easily swap that ticket for one to Guantanamo Bay for some enhanced interrogation. And investigators, don't forget, you can lock the deal by slipping the suspect a USB memory key with lots of incriminating images.

But the potential for our nation's security only starts at the security or customs' gate. If planning on getting on that plane or being in customs is suspicious, I'd say having a passport is clear indication of a citizen's intent to be suspicious. The passport is the authorities' license to search you at will. And those who don't have a passport? Naturally the question is: what are they trying to hide?

Mr. Li

Mr. Li, Myself, Fred, and Jimmy

Recently, I have been thinking about Mr. Li. In November of 1985, he arrived from Nanjing to the University of Alberta where he was one of my roommates in HUB for more than a year. Mr. Li was born in the early 40's. He came to the U of A as a visiting scholar. The three of us greeted him with an enormous amount of respect. At the same time, his modesty was profound. "Mister" was sufficient for him. He refused "Professor" or "Doctor". He was simply 李先生 - Mr. Li.

Up until this point, my contact had been with people from Hong Kong or Taiwan. In 1985, Mao had been dead for less than 10 years. China had its current constitution for less than 3 years. Things were changing. But in 1985, I wasn't that politically aware. What I did know was that Mr. Li's study at the U of A was significant. He was very focused on his work. We didn't talk a lot as I had my schedule and he had his schedule. Occasionally, the roommates would gather for a grocery run to Superstore. What I remember of Mr. Li was that he was a quiet and humble man with a gentle smile and a family that he missed.

Fred, Mr. Li, and Me

There was sense of something more to him than what he presented, a history. I've often wondered what stories he may have had to tell and regretted not asking more about his life. In May 1987, he returned to China.

Fast forward to 2008. Most of the people I have contact with are from the People's Republic of China. Many of them are also students at the U of A. They are young, eager to explore Canada, and earnest in their studies. Some are looking to immigrate or to continue to work in Canada but most are looking forward to bringing their education back to China. All are proud of their heritage and love their country very much. In this respect, they are very much like students from the USA or Europe.

Reflecting on Mr. Li, I think of the change in context over the 20 years. I can't help but think it was the Mr. Li's of China that enabled my friends of today to be here as they are. Without the foundation of people like Mr. Li, I doubt if the progress that I've witnessed would have happened.

Tibet Separatism on Edmonton AM

This morning on Edmonton AM, a CBC Radio One show, I heard a local lawyer make statements about China and Tibet. Unfortunately, the show prefers to take controversial drive by shots as the transcript of the commentary is not available. Without the transcript, I have to rely on memory and I am bound to do the lawyer a disservice by quoting him wrong. Without the transcript, I am unable to adequately respond directly to what he said. And this is unfortunate as he made comparisons between China and Nazi Germany that should not go unredressed.

Did China kill millions of Tibetans after China reclaimed the territory in the 50's? In 1959, the population of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) was about 1.3 million. Millions of dead would mean a negative population. What the separatists are talking about is also including a large area to the east of the TAR. They look to almost all of Qinghai Province, a bit of Gansu and Yunnan Provinces, and a chunk of Sichuan Province. At this point, the differences in numbers seem to be more a case of methods of counting rather than genocide. In fact, the population in the TAR has about doubled. The portion of non-Tibetans in the TAR is small, less than 7%.

The separatists claim of the larger territory is a bit bold. The Tibetans were unable to maintain their borders in face of Nepalese invasions in the late 18th century without Qing military support. Even at the start of the 20th century, Tibet was just a piece in a larger game between the British and the Chinese. Yet the separatists lay claim to a territory beyond what they sat on in 1951 when they couldn't even maintain that bit. There is a reason Canadians should be concerned about having at least a presence in our northern seas. If you can't defend a border, it really wasn't yours. This is something to keep in mind when the separatists speak of territory or demographics, their idea of Tibet extends well beyond the TAR.

It could also be that the lawyer speaking on Edmonton AM was alluding to the millions and millions who perished during the "Great Leap Forward" or the "Cultural Revolution". I've seen this before in other separatist messages. However, they don't mention that the period of time was during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution. Instead they talk about how the Chinese came and changed how they grew food, forcing them to adopt non-traditional methods. The implication is that the Chinese were out to decimate the Tibetan people through starvation. The Tibetan narcissism is staggering. The Great Leap Forward that resulted in 10's of millions of deaths from starvation across China was all about them. I expect that the Cultural Revolution was all about how to destroy their monasteries as well. It would seem that the separatists reach extends beyond territory and demographics into claiming nationwide historical catastrophes as their own.

It was a difficult time across China. I have listened to stories about people migrating from Eastern China, where they were landowners, to Western China, where they had nothing, in the hope of finding life. It was an experience shared across China. I can't imagine any corner left unscathed. It is something that, when I spend more time there, I will want to understand better.

Is there room for improvement in China? Of course there is. But I am optimistic about China's future because of China's past.

Ottawa - Thousands rally for China

Thousands rally for China

Former Tibet serfs say they cherish present happy life more than ever

As I've mentioned before, I don't know a lot about Tibet. But, when I get the chance, I'll be sure to visit. I want to see for myself this place. While I was in Beijing, it was one of the places my friends mentioned, proudly, as a must see place. Yet, now, it has become a focal point for every criticism of China.

In many respects, looking at its history over the last hundred years, the Chinese government ought to be able to hold up Tibet as a shining example of their progress. In 50 years, the Chinese have doubled the life expectancy, radically reduced infant mortality and promoted literacy in Tibet.

I do hope that the fashionable students who marched in the face of the pro-China demonstrators in Ottawa over the weekend with clear intentions, complete with props and fake blood, of provoking a confrontation have the opportunity to visit Tibet one day. I also hope that they check the racist rhetoric. Mr. Hillier, as quoted in www.canada.com, seems to think that his fellow Canadians do not hold to "the ideals of freedom and justice that Canada is built on" by virtue of their Chinese heritage. And, Ms. Demers, you and your 14 friends showed up to detract from the pro-China message. Moreover, by virtue of your props, you were hoping for more than just detraction; you sought provocation. You wouldn't let them be thousands of people voicing their opinion in a free country.

Is the Dalai Lama pro-democracy or pro-theocracy? What does he say about the human rights abuses under his theocracy? Serfdom. I am confident that the young people of Students for a Free Tibet don't understand what that word means. Hell, I'm almost 48 years old, and I don't fully understand what it means. What does it mean to be property, to be so much human trash? When Mr. Hillier and Ms. Demers march for a "Free" Tibet, how do they reconcile that the Dalai Lama represents a system of governance that, in the past, treated human life in such a way?

Giving Truth the Gere

Driving home, listening to the CBC, I heard a news clip. I think it was Richard Gere speaking. Regardless, the speaker made the statement that the genesis of the March 10th riots in Lhasa had nothing to do with the Olympics. Ha - I found the speech on YouTube and it was Gere.

He's saying that the protests had nothing to do with the Olympics. Just spontaneous. Bullshit. From the first step, it was about capitalizing on the world attention that would result from disrupting the games. In fact, back in September 2007 Gere called for the boycott of the 2008 Olympic games. Spontaneous? Those words can come out of his mouth?

And then Gere goes on to speak of Tibetans as "forgetting their heritage and manifesting anger and some violence". Some violence? A lot of violence was manifested by some Tibetans at that time. They killed people. Gere seems to have bought the James Hilton version of Tibet.

What extraordinary experiment is he talking about? I wonder if he means the last 5 years or so in Tibet when the economy has been growing by 12% per year. Or over the last 50 years when life expectancy went from about 36 years to about 67 years, literacy rates have increased dramatically, and so on. I have a hunch he's not talking about that period of time.

Rather Gere is talking about the glory years of serfdom in a theocracy. Expecting to be dead before your 36th year because life is so good. And you know life is really good when your baby has about a 50/50 chance of living. Good times. Does Gere understand what serfdom means? No rights. Practically slaves. And the theocracy were not above abusing that position. Nor were the aristocracy.

No. Gere is talking about a fiction. The beneficiary of the fiction is the exiled theocracy. When I first heard the Chinese leadership accusing the Dalai Lama of lying, I thought it was a bit harsh and not very politically astute. But the more I hear the pro-Tibetan position, the more sympathetic I become to the Chinese frustration.

Gere goes on to talk about harmony. I was in Beijing during the time leading up to the Spring Festival (春节). I went to the Beijing Station to look for ways to get to Hong Kong by train. I watched the news. I talked with people. There were hundreds of thousands of people stuck in train stations for days and days. They were cold, hungry, and very very eager to see their families for this extremely important holiday time. I watched the leadership on TV coming to personally view the situation. I watched as soldiers and police mobilized to feed, help, maintain order and to clear snow by hand. Social Harmony. I also watched the Western news reports, seemingly, at times, eager to find the crack in the crowd that would spill out as chaos. The big story. Their big story didn't happen. I was very impressed by the Chinese leadership during that crisis. I think Gere needs to understand better the things he talks about.

Is China a socialist utopia? No. Of course not. Utopias are a fiction, just like Gere's idealized Tibet is a fiction. The truth is that China has changed a lot over the last 20 years. There's been a lot of improvements, with a few very rough spots, along the way. But, unlike Gere, I've been to China. I think they deserve some respect while they host these games.

祝北京奥运顺利进行圆满成功!

China can depend on us - Canadian Olympic Committee

Canadian Olympic Committee vows our athletes will be there when Games open in Beijing in Edmonton Journal.

I'm very happy that the Canadian Olympic Committee has come out strongly in favor of the games in Beijing.

The Olympic Torch is a lightning rod for activism as it goes on its international tour. Instead of being a time to celebrate the athletes and the ideals of the Olympics, it becomes beacon to gain instant international attention. A flame of infamy.

I'm not saying don't protest. March, parade and chant peacefully. You have a right to your expression. But, there needs to be a degree of respect for not only the athletes but also the thousands of people who are working hard to make the games a success. I personally know a few people in Beijing who are working hard, being trained, to be the world's hosts in August.

I also remember the 1980's games. A friend of mine was selected for the Olympic Boxing Team after winning the gold in the 1978 Commonwealth Games and bronze in the 1979 Acropolis Cup in Greece. Not getting to go to Russia in 1980 had a huge impact on my friend as well as on many many other athletes.

Hansen wants us to cook with gas.

Earth in crisis, warns NASA's top climate scientist in the Edmonton Journal.

AGW is a multibillion dollar concern and James Hansen is a key player in the AGW play. When he talks about the greasing of scientists palms to get them to say cigarettes don't cause cancer when talking about the "well oiled" administration, I'm thinking how ironic.

But he's got to be concerned because what doesn't concern the people (global warming coming in 25th) will hit his funding, eventually. If not funding then his fame.

What is odd about reading Hansen right now is that not only has 2007 been pretty cold but CO₂ measured at Mauna Loa has taken a bit of a dip. Click here for the blog concerning the image above
The peak this year isn't higher than the previous year. I don't know what this means to global warming, aside from entrenching my skepticism about anthropogenic factors being the dominant influences on climate change.