Imperialism in the Holy Land

In 1950, the People’s Republic of China invaded and occupied the peaceful mountain nation of Tibet. For 58 years, the Communist regime in Beijing has waged a quiet war against the Tibetan people and their unique culture. Their clandestine methods follow the guidelines established by their imperialist predecessors: hide Tibet’s holy relics, erode traditional Tibetan practices, and fill the vacuum with Chinese culture. The evil genius behind the Chinese plan—and perhaps the only reason why the suppression of Tibet has not garnered much attention in the Western world—is that the Chinese government has undertaken this attack under the guise of technology and progress.

First, to debase Tibetan culture and broadcast authority, the Chinese government has conspicuously placed signs of Chinese culture on top of Tibetan ones. The government has planted a television tower atop the Iron Mountain—a sacred landmass in the center of Lhasa, Tibet’s Holy City. This eyesore casts its shadow on some of the most important relics of the Buddhist world, belittling Tibetan identity both physically and figuratively. Centuries ago, the Iron Mountain served as a principal shrine for medical studies. Now, Tibetan identity comes second to Chinese cable.

Signs of subjugation even infiltrate the intimate spaces of Tibetan life. The streets outside Lhasa are lined with brand new houses and schools built by the Chinese government, a definite improvement from the old clay huts that used to stand there. However, each of these buildings was built with a Chinese flag on the roof. At the same time, the display of the Tibetan flag has been banned at many of these new buildings, especially the schools. When peaceful demonstrators in the Ma Ngoe township tried to replace the Chinese flag on their public school with a Tibetan flag, five truckloads of Chinese security forces arrived on the scene.

There is a hidden motive behind the technology and development that the Chinese government has brought to Tibet. Because of the television tower, the Tibetans cannot rebuild the shrine that used to stand atop the Iron Mountain. Because of the Chinese flags on top of their roofs, Tibetans can no longer decorate their homes and schools with prayer flags—one of the most important traditions of Tibetan life. Television and new homes are in themselves beneficial to the Tibetans, but the Chinese have used them to inhibit traditional Tibetan practices and make Chinese culture more visible.

While slowly creating a cultural void in Tibet, the Chinese government has also laid the groundwork for filling it. Thousands of kilometers of railway have been built connecting Lhasa to many major Chinese cities: The express train from Beijing was completed in 2006, and luxury cars will be running in 2009. Having erased Tibetan culture, China will pump in its own.

Not only can the Chinese get to Tibet fast, they have good reason to do so. Tibet is a fresh market for China’s rapidly growing economy, and its relative lack of indigenous capital makes it an easy target for predatory Chinese corporations. If that weren’t incentive enough, rampant housing discrimination makes Tibet a nice prospect for any Chinese entrepreneur. Most of the new subsidized housing—which the Chinese government made room for by razing thousands of Tibetan monuments—are given to new “Chinese settlers” to provide these new-age colonizers with the most comfortable facilities available. If current trends continue, the Tibetans may become a minority in their own homeland.

Many Tibetans have reacted against Chinese control. The “Free Tibet” movement is gaining publicity and popularity. Chinese atrocities toward the Tibetans are being uncovered daily. But this revolutionary contingent remains small. Most Tibetans still preserve their piety in the face of degradation. When a television tower is dumped on their shrine, most Tibetans simply smile and keep on praying. Their transcending peacefulness is inspiring, but it will not save their culture.

We cannot continue to ignore Tibet, nor can we continue to balk when human rights are in danger. The UN, NATO, the United States—any organization or nation with significant international sway—need to put pressure on the Chinese government to cease its suppression of the Tibetan people. The world learned the terrible consequences of imperialism long ago, and we must stamp it out entirely wherever it rears its ugly head. Tibet and its people are some of the world’s most beautiful remaining examples of piety, brotherhood, and peacefulness. But, if we wait much longer, Tibet will cease to exist.


Joe O. Masterman ’12, a Crimson editorial writer, lives in Thayer Hall.