What is supposed to be a majestic, almost esoteric and cultural procession of the Olympic torch from Athens to the site of the Olympics has, this time, as never before, been hazardous, chaotic, disgraceful. It has even been extinguished. The blame cannot be laid on any specific group. Actually there is excuse for the protests which as of now can only be demonstrated against the flaming symbolic torch that has traversed the globe by all manner of transport, but essentially held aloft by chosen runners.

Monday April 7 in Paris, saw thousands gathered from all over Europe with Tibetan flags massed, not to see the torch go by but to protest and disrupt its passage. The torch was extinguished several times, an unheard of occurrence. Police officers had to bring it into a bus to protect it as demonstrators converged in a very angry mood. Finally the torch which was scheduled to lap across Paris was taken surreptitiously in a bus! So indicative of how volatile feelings can get.

Words of the Dalai Lama’s Chief Rep

Just as you have, I have followed this harrowing tale in local and foreign newspapers. Sympathies from me go definitely to the Dalai Lama and his followers, since the Dalai Lama signifies peace and has acted with restraint and is willing to go more than halfway to obtain religious and cultural freedom in Tibet. He does not ask for separation from the Chinese nor independence. Sympathies are with the Chinese too, great people, since this is their mammoth opportunity to be completely centre stage with their ability, technology and sports might.

I wish to this week quote from what Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari says about the trouble. He has written under the title Turning Point for Tibet in the International Herald Tribune, under its running series Dealing with the Dragon.

Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari is the Dalai Lama’s chief representative in talks with Beijing since 2002. We believe the discussions are still on-going.

Gyari writes: "On more than one occasion during our six rounds of discussion with representatives of the Chinese government, I emphasized that Beijing’s policies were driving Tibetans into a corner. I have been deeply fearful that such events would come to pass. But none of us imagined the scale of the protests, given China’s tight control in Tibet."

"Tibetan exiles were once the dominant voice calling for change, as repression forced many citizens in Tibet to remain silent. Now the opposite is happening. Our brethren in Tibet are inspiring the Tibetans in diaspora." He continues: "Even in such a tragic situation, His Holiness has not compromised his principled stand on nonviolence. He also believes that both the Tibetan and the Chinese sides should not give up hope, but rather take the crisis as a challenge to find a mutually beneficial solution to peace and stability in Tibet. He ends by addressing Chinese President Hu Jintao direct: ‘Rather than listening to vested interests whose actions have led to the downfall of quite a few leaders in the past, it will be beneficial to all concerned if he were to heed saner voices within China which are calling for a review of China’s Tibet policy. The world is watching.’"

To be there or not to be

Boycotting the Olympics is not on the agenda of any country, apparently. And that is sane and good. But boycotting the opening ceremony is being considered. US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has advocated this. The saner advice is for President Bush to attend so as to wet blanket any strong Chinese nationalist fervour that may conflagerate due to his absence.

Articles read have drawn stark similarities between the two countries. Both are big, self absorbed and insular. "Both are entrepreneurial overachievers, both are infused with nationalism and yet tread clumsily on the nationalism of others – whether in Vietnam or Iraq, or Tibet." Both are petulant and refuse to talk where talk will do good: America with Cuban and Iranian leaders and the Chinese with the Dalai Lama. China has denounced the Dalai Lama wickedly " …a monster with a human face and animal’s heart." Others think he is the last hope for reaching an agreement that would resolve the dispute over Tibet forever. After all he truly advocates nonviolence and agrees to accept autonomy, rather than independence. He also has the moral authority to persuade Tibetans to accept a deal.

So very sad these conflicts around the world and at home too, on all fronts.

I dipped into Vikram Seth’s From Heaven Lake: travels through Sinkiang and Tibet. He writes about his hitchhike from China to New Delhi via Lhasa but comments on what he saw and the people he met. Kindness all the way, but Tibet being willfully colonized by Han Chinese. He ends his introduction to the 1990 edition of his travel book first published in 1983, by speaking of the gatherings in May and June 1989 of students to mark the 200th anniversary of the great 4th May student led movement in China and the 40th anniversary of Liberation. They gathered in Tiananmen Square about which Seth writes: