The Thursday talks between Obama and Dalai Lama is nothing but a long drawn out and boring drama over Tibet in which India and China have also made their equal contribution in muddying the water since 1950 when Chinese troops marched into Tibet and when Dalai Lama fled in 1959, after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, and took asylum in India.
Though neither USA nor India nor Dalai Lama questions the territorial integrity of China (with Tibet its integral part) but China(a permanent member of UN) and Dalai Lama who are directly involved in dispute and India on whose soil Dalai Lama is carrying out his activities and USA (also a permanent member of UN) on whose soil the head office of UN is situated have practically done nothing worthwhile to solve the problems of Tibetans who have suffered a lot in the last half century.
Therefore instead of paying a ritualistic concern for suffering Tibetans, China should be persuaded / constrained by well wishers of Tibetans to take the lead for GHRM in order to solve the Tibet problem as given below:-
(1)- Government of China (GOC) should realize that
(i)- Many Tibetans (like displaced Kashmiri Pundits) who are living in exile can not be expected to live in peace, harmony and happiness unless they are at home by ensuring that either they are rehabilitated back in or feel free to go to their native place.
(ii)- Alleged massive influx of Chinese to Tibet region which is feared to be an exercise by GOC to change the demographic structure and cultural profile of Tibet needs respectful response from GOC, also in view of UNInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UNICCPR) and UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UNICESCR).
(2)- Unfortunately the way both Tibetans and GOC are handling these issues gives ample indication that that the wider vision and the appreciation of political reality of contemporary world is simply missing not only in the approach of both but also in the response of USA, India and international community. Whereas not only both Chinaand Tibetans but the entire mankind can benefit if China is persuaded / constrained to take the lead for GHRM
(3)- For this, first and foremost the Tibetans ought to realize that Tibet is an integral part of China hence in the interest of coming in the main stream, the Tibetans should not be oversensitive over "Tibet an Autonomous Region of China".
Because in India also the regions which are conferred the status of an autonomous region (in the so called interest of preserving their culture or so called autonomy) have remained politically troubled. Granting a special status (as to the State of Jammu & Kashmir or to North-East India) to any State or region is a sure recipe for keeping it debilitated and in eternal backwardness.
(4)- The Tibetans should also not be carried away by the propaganda of India (especially through media) or of USA & its democratic allies which tantamount to opposing communism in China. After all Tibetans have lived for long enough in India to realize that human right is the first causality in fully civilian democratic India. Therefore Tibetans would do well if they give preference to human rights over democracy.
(5)- On the other hand China has to realize that there is a fundamental difference between China and India, the two highly populated countries of this region. In case of China, apart from being a veto wielding permanent member of UN, it has economical and military power but lacks international approval (mainly on count of popularly perceived threatened human rights in communism). Whereas in case of India it has international approval (due to established democracy) but lacks economical and military power.
But fortunately for China, it can easily take on India and USA & its democratic allies on human rights front onceChina realizes its legitimate right to assume the leadership of GHRM which is nothing but "Genuine Globalization" (If anybody thinks that without first having political globalization the economical globalization can be achieved then he is simply living in his make believe world and like other countries China is also a victim in ongoing globaleconomical crises due to this merely an economical globalization)
(6)- This GHRM can be pressed by China, also as a veto wielding permanent member of UN. This GHRM will (after UN ensures a proper and elaborate mechanism for the implantation of human rights in its member countries and at UN where individual citizen can move this mechanism to secure his human rights even against the erring government of his country) will entitle UN to intervene militarily in any erring member country if that violates thehuman rights blatantly.
Here the existing provisions of optional protocol OP1 should be done away with because this is the single most instrument which has done maximum harm to the human right credentials of UN, which has been rendered impotent as according to this protocol unless the erring country itself authorizes UN to intervene UN can't do anything to correct the blatant violation of human rights in erring country (what an absurdity, where accused is given the right to decide the due course of justice!).
(7)- Once China presses for GHRM, it will be surprised to know that Government of India (GOI) and USA & its democratic allies will be the first to oppose GHRM because:-
(i)- India, has a lot to explain on human right issues. Such as, apart from its communal history of minority neglect and massacre as recently in Gujarat pogrom 2002 also, the basic human rights of livelihood is not taken seriously by India as is evident from the fact that National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (NREGP) which is going to sustain half of poor India when implemented fully (as per promise of GOI to Parliament, the NREGP in all districts for every adult for 300 working days by 2010) is being allotted a meager fund apart from the hopelessly poor implementation of NREGP
(ii)- USA and its democratic allies also have lot to explain on the violation of human rights by them in many parts of the world including in post 9/11 era.
(8)- USA & its democratic allies will oppose GHRM also for one more reason. They are so arrogant and consider themselves so powerful that they think that any military intervention by UN in case of blatant human right violation in their countries (or in countries under their possession or effective control like Afghanistan, Iraq etc and which are their responsibility as per international law vis-à-vis human rights in these possessed or controlled countries where USA & its democratic allies are there precisely on the pretext of human rights with the acquiescence of UN) will be below their dignity and against their self conferred special status amongst world community in UN. Once GHRM comes into existence then the mankind will slowly come to know that these UN pampered so called champions of human rights are equally in need of basic lessons in human rights.
(9)- As for India, it will oppose GHRM especially if it is initiated by China for the simple reason that most of the social indicators in communist China are much better than in fully civilian democratic India (with whom China will be mostly compared). Some human rights (like free expression, political dissent etc) which comes naturally to democracy and generally denied thus far in communist countries can be secured to reasonable extent if said "Genuine Globalization" is advocated and endeavored by China through GHRM.
(10)- Also China need not be oversensitive to the demand of Tibetans for preserving their cultural heritage apart from their economical and political rights because it is a way to emphasis their identity. This happens even in democracy as is happening in India also where currently Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are clamoring for getting especial status in some jobs / profession in Mumbai (capital of Maharashtra where Marathis are in minority) to Marathis, a lingual community.
(11)- The ageing and hardly-dynamic leadership of the Dalai Lama (though he is very useful for general international goodwill & respect for Tibetan cause) is now incapable of solving Tibet problem. Therefore GOC should encourage other organizations also of Tibetans to help GOC in evolving a permanent, just and peaceful solution to the problems of Tibetans through GHRM with the instrumentality of UN.
(12)- There is one question for Obama also. Would the entire world which is looking towards him (being the President of USA, the global primary power for promoting just and peaceful world order) be wrong if it expects Obama to be a politician / statesman with integrity, who believes in walking the talk.
(13)- Where was the need for Obama for talks with Dalai Lama when the problems of Tibetans can easily be solved by enforcing UNICCPR and UNICESCR in Tibet part of China? Especially given the fact that both USA and China are permanent veto wielding members of UN without whose consent UNICCPR and UNICESCR could not have been passed in UN.
Hence like three other permanent members of UN, China and USA, more than other countries of world, have primary responsibility to enforce UNICCPR and UNICESCR not only in their own countries but also in rest of the world. Also it is intriguing that why India (who is providing asylum and shelter to Tibetans) does not ask USA, China and other permanent members of UN to enforce UNICCPR and UNICESCR in Tibet part of China.
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