US, Tibet, China, Ogaden and Ethiopia

By: Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
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[ Posted On: 2007-10-19 ]

For the Tibetan people, the present official visit of his spiritual and political leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, in the US is an excellent opportunity to highlight a long and rightful struggle for National Self-Determination and Independence, preservation of National, Cultural and Spiritual Identity, and demand for respect of the Human Rights in the vast mountainous plateau of Central Asia that was invaded by the Chinese Communists in 1969.

There is no doubt that, following Dalai Lama's recent visit to Germany and meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the US red carpet treatment of the embodiment of Tibetan National Identity underscores the West's commitment to the defence of Human Rights in an area the Chinese have viewed only through a standpoint of geo-strategic considerations for almost half a century. It is therefore only a positive signal, coming from the present US administration. Meeting the Tibetan leader in the White House, G. W. Bush was the first sitting US president to do so.

Earlier today, the Dalai Lama accepted the Congressional Gold Medal, and along with President Bush and the leaders of Congress reminded the Chinese administration of the need for sheer demonstration of China's concepts of harmonious society and peaceful rights. As a leader in exile, the saffron-robed Tibetan monk become the 146th recipient of the most prestigious award bestowed by the US Congress. Known for his modesty and reason, the Dalai Lama urged reconciliation, repeating his demand for Autonomy for the people of Tibet, not Independence from China.

President Bush described the Dalai Lama as a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people."
Defending religious freedom, Bush said that "America cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close their eyes or turn away", before personally handing the medal to the Tibetan leader in exile.

Great relief for the Oppressed Tibetans

Losing nothing from his self-sarcasm and frankness, the 72-year-old Buddhist leader laughed at his own mistakes of English, and in a general remark about the politicians stated that they, despite their good intentions, sometimes tell "a little lie here and there."

The entire visit offered the oppressed Tibetans a great hope and satisfaction, signaling to them that they are not alone in their dark moments; Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama's special envoy, said that pictures of President Bush standing next to the Tibetan spiritual leader would send a clear message that "people do care about Tibet. We have not been forgotten." He went on saying: "I have no doubt this will give tremendous encouragement and hope to the Tibetan people" and that the event sent "a powerful message to China that the Dalai Lama is not going to go away."

Chinese Reactions

China's diplomatic machine had long been mobilized to prevent this blatant and adamant denunciation of their country's undemocratic practices; but they failed. First of all, China had demanded that the US cancel the celebrations altogether. Then, they threatened with collateral damages; a few days ago, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the events "seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China's internal affairs." Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said that China "seriously urged the U.S. side to correct such wrongdoing and stop interfering in China's internal affairs in any forms."

Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Bush rebuffed the Chinese reactions, saying "I support religious freedom; he supports religious freedom. ... I want to honor this man…. I have consistently told the Chinese that religious freedom is in their nation's interest. I've also told them that it's in their interest to meet with the Dalai Lama and will say so at the ceremony."

Once more, U.S. legislators criticized Beijing for human rights abuses and a massive military buildup, claiming that China ignores abuse by unsavory foreign governments in Sudan and Myanmar in its pursuit of energy and business deals.

Oppression and Tyranny in Tibet

Increasing Han settlements in Tibet, railway connection geared to help further de-tibetanize the vast territory, immense practice of anti-Tibetan discrimination, and appalling practices of oppression and torture in Tibet have been repeatedly denounced by statesmen, intellectuals and activists allover the world without result.

The very preoccupying situation is better described through the lines of an Executive Summary published in the official Tibetan portal (of the Tibetan government in exile - http://www.tibet.com/Women/twdiirrpt.html#A2). We quote a selected excerpt:

"Under the Chinese Communist regime, the Tibetan people have suffered and continue to suffer inconceivable atrocities. Tibet and the Tibetan people are victims of military occupation, human rights abuse, and discrimination. Reports received from Tibet, including reports from Amnesty International and other human rights groups, testify to massive violation of human rights in Tibet. Discrimination is cast large over the Chinese policy in Tibet. Violence and torture are often used in silencing Tibetans. It is against these larger problems of the Tibetan people that this report concerning Tibetan women both inside occupied Tibet and in exile must be seen.

Tibetan women suffer from two kinds of violations: those that are shared by all Tibetans, regardless of gender; and those that are specific to women.

As Tibetans, they are victims of occupation, arbitrary arrest, torture, violation of freedom of speech and assembly, restrictions on freedom of religion, and on freedom of travel. As women they are subjected to forced birth control, abortions and sterilization against their wishes or without informed consent. Tibetan women are the victims of a coercive birth-control policy aimed at reducing the Tibetan population in Tibet into an insignificant minority. This is done on the one hand by increasing the number of Chinese settlers inside Tibet and on the other hand by decreasing the number of Tibetan inhabitants through birth-control policy. They are arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured in custody for peaceful expression of their political beliefs. They suffer rape and sexual violence while in police custody which sometimes results in deaths. Three custodial deaths of Tibetan women have been recorded in this year alone. Tibetan women are discriminated in the field of education, employment, and health.

The Chinese occupation of Tibet has also placed Tibetan women in a low socio-economic class, where before they were economically stable. It is true that before the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the position of women in Tibet was not one of equality. But compared to most of our Asian neighbours, especially China, the position of Tibetan women was considerably good if not one of equality. There has been some improvement in the relative position of women in Tibet in the past forty years, but progress has been much slower than elsewhere in the world and definitely much slower than the Tibetan community in exile Tibetan women's access to education is limited: first, because the medium of education is the Chinese language, and secondly, the price of education in Tibet is very high."

Tibet and Ogaden: Parallel Dramas

It would be of the utmost benefit for the US to pursue similar policies in every case a tyrannical regime occupies the invaded territory of another nation, disrespecting the indigenous culture, language, religion, and national identity; it would bear witness to unbiased and impartial political approach and diplomacy, thus emphasizing once more that America remains still in 2007 the Lighthouse of Humanism, Freedom, Democracy, and the lofty Ideals of the Founding Fathers.

One should urge US legislators and administration to proceed so; the most direct comparison one can draw with the triangular US – Tibetan – Chinese relationship is with Africa's most explosive region, occupied Ogaden.

In the same way China invaded Tibet, Abyssinia – fallaciously re-baptized Ethiopia – occupied Ogaden.

Tibet has a population of 2.8 m people, but counting the Tibetans dispersed in other parts of China and in the Diaspora, the Central Asiatic Buddhist nation totals approximately 5.5 m people.

Ogaden is inhabited by 4.4 m Ogadenis, but if we take into account the Ogadenis living in Harar, Diredawa and Finfinne (the original Oromo name of Addis Ababa), plus the Ogadenis of the Diaspora (Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, other African countries, Europe and America), the Horn of Africa Muslim nation totals ca. 5. 5 m people.

Tibet's surface (1.2 m km2) is larger than Ogaden's (280000 km2) in the same way China's surface is greater than Abyssinia's.

Tibetans are ethnically different from the Chinese, in the same way Kushitic Ogadenis differ greatly from the Semitic Amhara and Tigray, Abyssinia's ruling tribes that invaded and annexed Ogaden.

In the same way, China 'invented' geo-strategic reasons to perpetuate its presence in Tibet, 'Ethiopia' fabricates historical threats going as back as the early 16th century to justify the illegal occupation of Ogaden and the criminal exploitation of its rich natural resources.

China practices in Tibet cruel policies of oppression and tyranny earlier tested by the successive Abyssinian (monarchical, communist and pseudo-republican) totalitarian regimes in Ogaden.

Chinese is the official language in Tibet, although it is foreign to the local populations; Amharic Abyssinian is the official (Semitic) idiom in Ogaden, despite the fact that it is absolutely alien to the quasi-totality of the Kushitic Ogadenis.

Ethnic hatred, settlements targeting exodus and subsequent ethnic cleansing, arrests, tortures, and extrajudicial killings have been attested in either Tibet or in Ogaden for decades.

Severe cases of violation of Religious Freedom, as denounced by President Bush in Tibet, must also be condemned by the US in Ogaden.

In the same way, Atheist, Communist China finds its security threatened by few millions of peaceful Buddhists, Monophysitic Abyssinia considers the tolerant, traditionalist African Islam practiced in Ogaden as national menace.

Summon Ogadeni sheikhs in the White House and the Congress

The current deterioration of the Human Rights condition in Ogaden makes it urgent for the Bush administration to summon to the White House a college of selected Ogadeni sheikhs and the representatives of the ONLF and the OHRC.

In the same way, free practice of Buddhism in Tibet is important for all of us, we should all care that Ogadeni citizens have the chance to practice their Islamic religiosity free and unhindered.

The US legislators and administration must understand that in the same way the Chinese tyranny must end with the liberation of Tibet, Eastern Turkistan, Inner Mongolia and Manchuria, the Cemetery of Peoples 'Ethiopia' – the only African colonial state – must split in 10 pieces, and its tyrannized nations must become realms of Freedom, Democracy, Prosperity and Progress.

Once forever, president Bush, the entire US administration, and the American legislators must accept the same measures and the same weights; and as they support the Great Cause of Tibet, they must embrace the Noble Cause of Ogaden.

Before all the rest, the American establishment must accept and understand the Great Statement of their Illustrious and Wise Visitor. During a two-hour session at the Jacob Javits convention centre in New York, the Dalai Lama said: "The Tibetan cause is a cause of justice, and that's something that cannot fade away. That is the nature of truth - that it cannot die with time and with the change of generations."

Reading through the lines of these words, they will find the strength to admit that the Ogaden cause is also a cause of justice, and that's something that cannot fade away. That is the nature of truth - that it cannot die with time and with the change of generations.

The sentence will also be said to them by a college of Ogadeni sheikhs; it will bear witness that between the God of Muhammad and the God of Buddha there was never any real difference.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 49, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages.

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