Separatist thug trying to grab the torch!

I am getting concerned what certain media in the west are doing in its Tibet and Olympics coverage.   CNN cropped its photo to get rid of the image of Tibetan rioters throwing stones at the military vehicles, which would make their story messy.  Certain German TV stations, for instance, use photos of Nepal police cracking down on monks and claim that Chinese police are doing that.    I am sure there are a lot of people out there who never actually know where Tibet is (hence the Nepal confusion), but they race to lofty moral grounds and liberally pass judgment against a China they know little about.   

Dr. Stephen Cooper of Marshall University wrote in a recent book (Who watches the watchdog) about the false memes that spread like a virus in the media, memes that confuse facts with values.  I think that is exactly what is going on now.   Bits and pieces of information and facts are strung in such combination or sequence that spell out an oversimplified story about the complex Tibet issue.

Tibet is called the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.  It is less a controversy domestically as it is internationally, because Chinese are used to identifying China as one with multiple ethnic groups, Tibetans being one of them.   The government has its faults in its minority policies and it should seriously reconsider ways to reform such policies.   One could blame the government for its religious policies, but it should also be noticed that cultural crackdown may be a dubious construct.  Some Tibetan separatists claim that the Han Chinese destroyed their life styles by building railways etc.  But if the Chinese government does not do a good job developing the Tibetan economy, then it gets blamed for prejudiced treatments in its economic policies.   So now the question is: which is a worse name to give to China in its treatment of Tibet?  One should also note that part of the change in Tibet happens because of globalization and modernization in much the same way a new Wal Mart changes the lives of a little town with mom-and-pop shops.   

Biased coverage in favor of the separatists is causing resentment from the common Chinese.  When that happens, some reporters claim that the Chinese are brainwashed, as if the Chinese are not capable of thinking for themselves.    There are numerous independent thinkers in China who have discussed the Tibet issue in much greater depth and sincerity.  I wonder why folks in media do not interview them for more insights?   Their views are freely available in the blogsphere.  

China as a nation is also reflecting what it has done wrong to cause the crisis.  I hope good things come out of such reflections.  The Chinese government too, is also rethinking its policies and practices in Tibet.  Wen Jiabao, the current premiere of our country, says he welcomes talks with Dalai Lama if he denounces Tibet separation.   That marked a certain level of improvement over the traditional hawkish talks against Dalai Lama.   I think there are opportunities for ethnic reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.   I believe in the good will of the Han and Tibetan peoples to find peaceful solutions.  I hope the media will stop fanning flames for confrontation through oversimplified portrayals of good vs. bad. 

I hope the media will develop nuance in its Chinese coverage.    They should triangulate their findings through different sources at a minimum to find facts, instead of jumping to one conclusion after another to present nice and neat stories that easily appeal to public sentiment.     I remember there is a country song in West Virginia called “40 shades of green” (Jonny Cash?).   I would say that there are more than 40 shades of truth in the Tibet issue.   

I am proud of the Marshall University student at the university newspaper who recently reached out to the Chinese faculty and staff for their input on the issue.    It is this kind of effort that will pave the way for better understanding.    Their counterparts in the main media should blush before these young students who have a greater yearning for truth.

For the main media, it may not hurt to hire some fact checkers.   It may also be helpful to consult independent thinkers in China too to gain a more balanced perspective.  China bashing may be cool, but it may not help anybody.  It is ultimately a lose-lose game to play.  

The Tibetan separatists are successful in tying the Olympics to Tibet.   To me, if people are seriously concerned about issues such as Tibet and human right records in China, they could perceive the Olympics as a catalyst for change, instead of a trump card to play against a country at crossroads.   The games will be over before you know it, but we all will have a long way to go after that.