March 22, 2008
Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation by Some Chinese
Intellectuals
1. At present the one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is
having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an
already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of
safeguarding national unity. We call for such propaganda to be stopped.
2. We support the Dalai Lama¹s appeal for peace, and hope that the ethnic
conflict can be dealt with according to the principles of goodwill, peace, and
non-violence. We condemn any violent act against innocent people, strongly urge
the Chinese government to stop the violent suppression, and appeal to the
Tibetan people likewise not to engage in violent activities.
3. The Chinese government claims that ³there is sufficient evidence to prove
this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the
Dalai clique." We hope that the government will show proof of this. In order to
change the international community¹s negative view and distrustful attitude, we
also suggest that the government invite the United Nation¹s Commission on Human
Rights to carry out an independent investigation of the evidence, the course of
the incident, the number of casualties, etc.
4. In our opinion, such Cultural-Revolution-like language as ³the Dalai Lama
is a jackal in Buddhist monk¹s robes and an evil spirit with a human face and
the heart of a beast ² used by the Chinese Communist Party leadership in the
Tibet Autonomous Region is of no help in easing the situation, nor is it
beneficial to the Chinese government¹s image. As the Chinese government is
committed to integrating into the international community, we maintain that it
should display a style of governing that conforms to the standards of modern
civilization.
5. We note that on the very day when the violence erupted in Lhasa (March
14), the leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region declared that ³there is
sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and
meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique.² This shows that the authorities
in Tibet knew in advance that the riot would occur, yet did nothing effective
to prevent the incident from happening or escalating. If there was a
dereliction of duty, a serious investigation must be carried out to determine
this and deal with it accordingly.
6. If in the end it cannot be proved that this was an organized,
premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated event but was instead a ³popular
revolt² triggered by events, then the authorities should pursue those
responsible for inciting the popular revolt and concocting false information to
deceive the Central Government and the people; they should also seriously
reflect on what can be learned from this event so as to avoid taking the same
course in the future.
7. We strongly demand that the authorities not subject every Tibetan to
political investigation or revenge. The trials of those who have been arrested
must be carried out according to judicial procedures that are open, just, and
transparent so as to ensure that all parties are satisfied.
8. We urge the Chinese government to allow credible national and
international media to go into Tibetan areas to conduct independent interviews
and news reports. In our view, the current news blockade cannot gain credit
with the Chinese people or the international community, and is harmful to the
credibility of the Chinese government. If the government grasps the true
situation, it need not fear challenges. Only by adopting an open attitude can
we turn around the international community¹s distrust of our government.
9. We appeal to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese to be calm and
tolerant, and to reflect deeply on what is happening. Adopting a posture of
aggressive nationalism will only invite antipathy from the international
community and harm China¹s international image.
10. The disturbances in Tibet in the 1980s were limited to Lhasa, whereas
this time they have spread to many Tibetan areas. This deterioration indicates
that there are serious mistakes in the work that has been done with regard to
Tibet. The relevant government departments must conscientiously reflect upon
this matter, examine their failures, and fundamentally change the failed
nationality policies.
11. In order to prevent similar incidents from happening in future, the
government must abide by the freedom of religious belief and the freedom of
speech explicitly enshrined in the Chinese Constitution, thereby allowing the
Tibetan people fully to express their grievances and hopes, and permitting
citizens of all nationalities freely to criticize and make suggestions
regarding the government¹s nationality policies.
12. We hold that we must eliminate animosity and bring about national
reconciliation, not continue to increase divisions between nationalities. A
country that wishes to avoid the partition of its territory must first avoid
divisions among its nationalities. Therefore, we appeal to the leaders of our
country to hold direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama. We hope that the Chinese
and Tibetan people will do away with the misunderstandings between them,
develop their interactions with each other, and achieve unity. Government
departments as much as popular organizations and religious figures should make
great efforts toward this goal.
Signatures:
Wang Lixiong (Beijing, Writer) Liu Xiaobo (Beijing, Freelance Writer) Zhang
Zuhua (Beijing, scholar of constitutionalism) Sha Yexin (Shanghai, writer,
Chinese Muslim) Yu Haocheng (Beijing, jurist) Ding Zilin (Beijing, professor)
Jiang peikun (Beijing, professor) Yu Jie (Beijing, writer) Sun Wenguang
(Shangdong, professor) Ran Yunfei (Sichuan, editor, Tujia nationality) Pu
Zhiqiang (Beijing, lawyer) Teng Biao (Beijing, Layer and scholar) Liao Yiwu
()Sichuan, writer) Wang Qisheng (Beijing, scholar) Zhang Xianling (Beijing,
engineer) Xu Jue (Beijing, research fellow) Li Jun (Gansu, photographer) Gao Yu
(Beijing, journalist) Wang Debang (Beijing, freelance writer) Zhao Dagong
(Shenzhen, freelance writer) Jiang Danwen (Shanghai, writer) Liu Yi (Gansu,
painter) Xu Hui (Beijing, writer) Wang Tiancheng (Beijing, scholar) Wen kejian
(Hangzhou, freelance) Li Hai (Beijing, freelance writer) Tian Yongde (Inner
Mongolia, folk human rights activists) Zan Aizong (Hangzhou, journalist) Liu
Yiming (Hubei, freelance writer)
footnote : In the mid 90s, Liu Xiaobo once openly urged the Chinese
government to comply with the constitution and respect the civic rights of
Tibetans. In less than 24 hours he was shipped off to Laogai without a trial
and he spent 3 years there. Liu is, again, one of the signatories of the
petition below. A very heroic move.