One World, Many dreams
Dharamshala: 26 March 2008-When you hear the four words "One World, one dream", what meaning does it have to you? Being a Tibetan web blogger, it doesn't convey proper meaning to me if the words are used by a hopeless state like China.
But if you explore the deeper definition of the phrase, it has extraordinary meanings. It defends mutual respect, rights, peace, friendship, and the stability of political power; however, it's also easy to say but hard to practice.
In today's world, all sentient beings appreciate peace, happiness, kindness, and compassion. Those important things are always part of freedom of politics, rights and power of sports etc. People who mention freedom of press and human rights in the context of the Olympics are often accused of mixing politics with sports. So what is the legitimacy of this linkage being made in case of 2008 Beijing Olympics?
To begin with, China, in buttonholing the IOC to host the Olympic Games and have argued over the years that it has become a modern global society. They argue that the freedom of the press and the human rights of its citizens and Tibetans in occupied Tibet will be markedly improved but at this period of time, the aspirations of IOC and the rest of the world seems blurred and unfulfilled.
The world was told "trust us" by China but the occupation of Tibet, which caused the deaths of 1.3 million Tibetans, and that the thousands massacred after abuses of the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square massacre were things of the past and banished to the annals of history, but even today there are a wide range of violations of human rights and merciless killings. Therefore, China stands first in violating International laws. At this juncture, how can the world in general and Tibetans in particular trust CHINA!
Still hoping, but no change
We were further told that the Chinese Communist Government would use the Beijing Olympics to advance the freedom of press and human rights of the people in China, particularly in Tibet and other occupied territories but the host itself is the only one merciless state who can be labeled as the enemy of press freedom and human rights and they have never listened to the voices and appeals of the people of the world.
Big eats smalls, even in animals, I don't think there are still heroes. How have the UN and EU contributed to the peace of Tibetan people, press freedom or human rights? It's no different than China giving only destruction and death to Tibet and its people. Then, when China was granted the right to host the Olympics, the government again affirmed its promise to live up to the Olympic spirit and uphold freedom of press and human rights. People are still confused whether it is Olympic spirit or communist spirit? Now we can see the true spirit of the IOC's offer to the people of the world! I don't want to say it was a great decision.
In fact, the major complaint made by Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International and other watchdog groups is that China has failed to keep the promise they made in 2001 when Beijing was a finalist for the games in regards to improving their freedom of press and human rights record. China always makes promises; the world has had enough of watching the dramas of its highly respected communist state.
The media and human rights in Tibet; Tibetan journalists and writers are jailed if they say or write the truth, Tibetan websites, forums and blogs are closed if they update or publish the truth. So "One world, one dream" doesn't apply to Tibetans in Tibet in any form from any angle. China's notorious record on human rights has continued to be a cloud over its Olympic preparations in Tibet. Over the years, the world watched, hoped and bought Chinese goods. World press and International human rights groups, celebrities and politicians question if any major improvements have in fact been made to Beijing's media policy and human rights record and many activist groups have even asked for countries to actively boycott the Games. But many of them couldn't leave the personal benefits they get from China in the form of "China's great offer". Tibetan people have never enjoyed press freedom and human rights under the merciless occupation of China in the last 49 years.
There are also those of us who believe - or hope - that such improvements, as promised to us, are still possible, yet I surely can say that you will not be guaranteed to enter the Beijing Olympic stadium for any purpose.
Freedom of press and Olympic spirit
Freedom of speech is a great part of the Olympic spirit and its human value to the sports. At main time, for centuries the Olympic spirit has been linked to human rights, civility and peace. This is expressed and granted in the Olympic Charter, which specifically prohibits any form of discrimination. Peace and human rights doesn't mean anything to a political system governed by a single individual, but the Olympic spirit and its freedom of speech to all mankind, I would like to say, one world, many dreams.
Back to our world Olympic history, it began in ancient Greece; a truce was annunciated before and during each Olympic spirit festival. During the armistice, wars were suspended, the carrying out of death penalties was forbidden and safety of visitors travel assured.
If that is required by the people of the world, so the question that needs to be asked is: Will China honor that ancient tradition of declaring and enforcing the truce in the Olympic year 2008? If it will be honored in an honest way, then "one world, one dream" will be a successful and meaningful event for mankind and China's history.
Responsibilities
In past two years, Chinese authorities closed down more than 18 Tibetan websites, blogs and forums including the famous Tibetan writer's blog (Mrs. Woeser's blog) and Tibetan youth forum. Tibetan media persons and writers including famous Tibetan writer Mr. Dolma Kyab are detained and jailed for three to ten years. There are hundreds of media related persons detained and jailed in China. All foreign and exile Tibetan websites, publications and radios are not accessible in Tibet and China. China never steps-down on freedom of press and human rights in Tibet. Even after all, China has definite human rights responsibilities under the international human rights law.
Since the early 1960s, China has said that they have actively sought to increase their participation in multilateral affairs, especially in Tibet and other occupied states. But imprisonments of Tibetans in Tibet never stopped. In fact, contemporary China had become party to a range of over 273 international treaties, of which 239 had become applicable to China only after 1979. These watershed decisions decisively showed China's acknowledgement of the universal applicability of international law. So, it seems in Chine there is no space for "One world, One dream."
Although in the Chinese record of participation in press freedom and international human rights the regime has been largely negative in Tibet and China itself, China always respects and regards its own personal stance and restricted press freedom and human rights in the country and after reviewing all these, China can never approve their slogan "one world and one dream"
The current situation in Tibet?
People around the world are concerned about the situation in Tibet; around 140 people have been confirmed killed in a Chinese crackdown on protests and unrest in Tibet. Tibetan communities-in-exile revealed to the world media around 70 photos of dead bodies of Tibetans published by the Tibetan media in exile. Kalon Tripa, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said, "We urgently appealed the international community to bring an immediate end to the repressive acts."
