China closes Tibet to Foreigners
 

After just finishing "Lost on Planet China" I find this particularly interesting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...oreigners.html
"The Chinese government has banned foreigners from entering Tibet and large swathes of its surrounding provinces ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's flight into exile."

sigh...

One of the many reasons to add to the list of why I don't plan to visit China anytime soon. It's a shame, since I really long to see much of that beautiful country. The government and their policies, though, makes my stomach turn.

Another sign of an oppressive China stomping on the basic rights of Tibetans. When peace loving monks start to protest like they did last year, you know their basic rights have been trampled on for years, and they are finally sick and tired of the military communists.

I will not be visiting China anytime soon, to say the least.

Another reason China sucks

More sighs...

I know this sounds puny and impotent but, confronted with the horrors of the Tibet situation, and uncertain that my boycotting my very infrequent travel to China will accomplish much, I am just trying to educate myself about Tibetan culture as much as possible.

Small gestures. Very small. We had a special family function that arose during the 08 Olympics. We held it at a Boston-area Tibetan restaurant which gave me the chance to divert my children's attention away from the 'all China all the time' messages they were getting from mainstream American culture and focus them on the Tibet question. We watched the film WINDHORSE, a very moving story about how several young Tibetans are coping with Chinese oppression.

I know that this is border-line insignificant but it seems worthwhile. Foreigners can be banned from entering Tibet but not from learning about Tibetan culture and treatment under the Chinese government. To that end, if any of you can recommend other films and books like WINDHORSE, please do.

I do not buy into the notion that visiting the people and culture of a country is somehow showing implicit support for the government of that country. Were those people who visited the U.S. in recent years showing support for, say, pre-2009 US foreign policy?

I find many different cultures and peoples to be interesting and will continue to visit them. If you wish to take those visits as a vote for those peoples' governments, or if you believe that my not visiting those countries will help change their internal policies, then I believe you to be both mistaken and naïve.

marya: It's not about recent events, but Martin Scorsese's KUNDUN is an incredible film about the Dalai Lama's early life.

I sort of agree with all the opinions expressed here so far... but China doesn't suck, China is awesome. It's the Chinese government that sucks.

Thanks, JohnH. The film does sound wonderful. I just moved it to the top of our Netflix queue.

marya, there's Dialogues Tibetan Dialogues Han, my travelogue from Tibet in the form of dialogues with Tibetans.

http://www.amazon.com/Dialogues-Tibe.../dp/9889799936

Not too difficult to write as i've chatted with hundreds of Tibetans in Tibet, but not too easy to publish.

How extraordinary! I look forward to reading your book -- thank you for providing the reference, Hannue.

JohnH,

Thank you for the wonderful recommendation (above) of Scorsese's KUNDUN. It is magnificent.

I recently became aware that Singapore is one of the most popular & successful organ transplant venues in all of Asia. Their suceess rate is attributed to their use of only "Young donors." So where do all these young donors come from - Jails in China. The Chinese execute the convenient grower of nice, young, fresh organs which go to Sin for re-sale (retail?). I like China, but I think those who think they know China, ought to penetrate below the surface a little more. I think organ theft and murder for the sake of "harvesting" (yeech, what a term) organs is an international disgrace & action needs to be taken, but China is at the front of the line for greed and bloodiest hands.