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Beijing's Sovereignty Ruse Blocks Tibet Negotiation

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The official narrative of benevolent PLA troops liberating uncivilized barbaric Tibet has fed the minds of many Chinese at least since 1949. Millions of Chinese still believe that they are doing the Tibetans a favor by their presence in Tibet. Little wonder that in the aftermath of the 2008 protests in Tibet the Chinese chat-rooms were filled with patronizing attacks against the "ungrateful blockhead" Tibetans." That the protests exposed the truth behind the official propaganda of "happy, prosperous" Tibetans never reached the domestic audience. Instead Beijing exploited this nationalistic mood to hit back at criticisms from home and abroad. Chinese nationalism thus feeds on the government views on Tibet and has become a potent political weapon. Beijing is least bothered about what the outside world thinks as long as it can maintain the artifice on Tibet intact. This constant struggle to preserve "liberation" tales includes the continued paternalistic and militaristic treatment of Tibet. For 60 years, China has tried all sorts of violent ideological and political maneuvers to make Tibet Chinese but each time, it has faced rejection and resistance. It is not that China is out of touch with reality in Tibet, it simply refuses to accept it. Acceptance would expose the lies beneath the stories. The stories the regime has ingeniously constructed over the years around the "separatist" Dalai Lama and the "splittist" Tibetans.

The proposal for genuine autonomy is perhaps the biggest challenge yet from a minority nationality to Beijing in implementing the rights and freedoms enshrined in Chinese constitution. The reasonableness of the proposal is evident in the kind of reactions and responses it engenders among the Chinese leadership. Without stating their reservations in concrete and logical terms, it rejected the Tibetan demands outright for threatening PRC's sovereignty and territorial integrity blocking in a few words the path to a meaningful negotiation on Tibet. Beijing knows going into the heart of the matter raised by the proposal would open the Pandora's Box in Tibet. Thus, rejecting Tibetan peace overtures with the broad strokes of sovereignty excuse provides the shortest escape route. When faced with questions it cannot and will not answer, China thinks this phrasal ruse does the trick. Still, if China really wants to settle the Tibet issue without losing face, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is their best bet.

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Tsering Tsomo is a Tibetan journalist based in New Delhi, India. She writes for exile Tibetan publications and other online media.
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