The Guardian 2 April, 2008
The failed "independence" push
Once again the western powers are beating the drum of fear and hatred against the People’s Republic of China. They fear China because of its rapidly growing economy and influence in the world; hatred because of their own impotence and not knowing how to deal with China’s calmness when facing western threats and condemnation.
As part of the western campaign Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited the Dalai Llama in northern India to find "the truth" but is not reported to have attempted to visit China to hear its side of recent events. She also demanded that the United Nations conduct an international investigation into events in Tibet. The Tibetan demonstrators greeted Pelosi waving American flags showing that they hope that the "all powerful" US would somehow come to their aid and help them win "independence", organise a boycott of the Beijing Olympics and force China to accept a so-called "independent" team of investigators.
At the same time as Pelosi was making her demands, President George W Bush announced that he would attend the Olympic Games.
Demonstrators inside Tibet were obviously led by teams of Buddhist monks who do no work and add nothing to the otherwise booming Tibetan economy. They were the first to cause loss of life by burning shops and incinerating inmates and attacking Chinese citizens in the streets of the capital, Lhasa. They then claimed that it was the Chinese police who were responsible for the deaths.
The Tibetan demonstrations occurred one week before the presidential elections in Taiwan. Perhaps they hoped that their demonstrations would help the cause of Taiwanese independence. The separatists were heavily defeated in Taiwan’s presidential elections.
The drive to excise Tibet from China is part of a wider strategy by imperialism. The break up by war and invasion by NATO troops of Yugoslavia has been followed this year by the illegal recognition by a handful of countries of an "independent" Kosovo. The US and European leaders want their "independence" campaign to spread to many other countries. It has been estimated that there are up to 2,000 potential such conflicts which the western colonial powers are adept at promoting in pursuit of their centuries old "divide and rule" policies.
However, the violent and often hysterical campaign of Tibetan refugees and those who slavishly follow the Dalai Llama have already failed.
There will be no boycott of the Olympic Games.
Tibet already has autonomous status and is not going to be separated from the rest of China again. Tibet has been recognised as a part of China for centuries.
There is not going to be any UN investigation.
During the Taiwanese Presidential election campaign the US Navy stationed two aircraft carriers off the coast of Taiwan as some sort of warning and former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, a reliable US puppy dog, paid a visit to Taiwan. It is not likely that he was on a sight-seeing tour but was there to support the separatists which the Howard government, together with the Bush administration, supported while dishonestly talking about their commitment to one China.
The much more restrained comments of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd indicate that the Labor government recognises the reality that Australia’s present and future economic interests are dependent on mutually beneficial trade with China and that friendly political relations are needed to underpin these economic interests.