Jun 10, 2004

Tibet: UN ignores Tibet genocide


Editorial in the Taipei Times on the failing of the UN in protecting Human Rights
Untitled Document

Having failed to prevent genocide in Rwanda, and having stood aside as genocide was committed in Srebrenica, one would think the UN would have learned its lesson. Apparently not so. Mired in hopeless political fantasy, the UN is utterly incapable of protecting the world's besieged.

Right now in Sudan, Muslim extremists attempting to eradicate the indigenous black Africans in the western Darfur region are butchering tens of thousands of people. The UN will not speak out, it will not act. It cannot. It is a weak and toothless old fool.

But there is also genocide that has literally been going on for decades. The fact that genocide is being committed in Tibet every day by the Chinese Communist government is indisputable. China has for 40 years been engaged in a relentless program to destroy the Tibetan people, their culture and religion. Little or nothing has been done about it, particularly by the ever-impotent UN.

Today, even if a national leader attempts to meet with the Dalai Lama, there is an uproar from the cowards in Beijing. Whether Tibet is an independent nation (as many believe it is) or a province of China (as the imperialistic Chinese Communists would have the world believe), Beijing's intent is to erase Tibetan culture in a policy of "ethnic cleansing" masquerading as Beijing's "economic reform" of Tibet.

The cowardice of the Communists is apparent. How truly timid and insecure they are to fear monks and a child. Fearful of Tibetan culture, fearful of Taiwan nationalism, fearful of Hong Kong democracy, fearful of the truth, of information, and of another political party. The Chinese Communists resemble hyenas, tails between legs, growling on the sidelines, fearful and ignorant.

As long as the world is content to make money in China and ignore its human rights violations and the commission of genocide, China will thumb its nose at the UN. But appeasement is dangerous. The power of knowing they can simply destroy a people while the world checks its wallet will only encourage the Chinese Communists to pursue other plans of aggression.

Who will speak out against this genocide? There isn't much time. The voice of Tibetan culture is now merely a rasp in the wind, its colorful history merely a shadow of the past. Before long, we will hear nothing of Tibet save another UN report on its failure to stop another genocide, with mea culpas from [UN Secretary-General] Kofi Annan and company. What a record of sorrow. What tragedy. What is next? Taiwan? Hong Kong? Japan?

Lee Long-hwa
United States

Source: Taipei Times, Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004