Burn baby burn

News today which folks may not notice in the wake of death of celebrity pop-stars and “inclusive, pro-poor” budgets.

Uighurstan’s capital Hurumqi is burning.

What is interesting is:

a) the resorting to synchronised violence in the distant, western colonised parts of the “China”. Regions that were traditionally and culturally outside the homegenous ethnicity of the Hans. We have seen in the past one year, similar demonstrations in Tibet. And now we have Uighurstan.

b) the usage in (western) media of “Chinese” as meaning something that belongs to the mainland and not being equivalent to the border regions. The wild wild west, that constant and perennial migraine for the People’s Republic of China. It seems to reflect a certain understanding of the innate differences in the people that most would glance over.

c) the definite and focused attack on Han Chinese and Hui Muslim groups (Hui are different from the Uighurs, and I would assume – considered to be more related to the Hans..despite the religion). This happened during the riots in Lhasa, Tibet too.

Interesting…the things that the actions of a herd can tell you. Very interesting..

In the meantime, here are some links to the story (accessible if you are outside the PRC) and personally I light a candle in the dark for the Uighurs.

Reuters and the Grand old dame [Especially listen to Michael Dillon's interview on the beeb- more on the "festering resentment" against the Hans/PRC and to what is being called the "second Tibet". Also available here ]

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Peace! (an oxymoron in our times)

The City is Dead. Long Live the City!!

While we sit here talking about how the recession is the worst crisis we have seen in our sheltered bourgeois lives (because 10 people in our close network lost their hitherto cushy, corporate jobs), a small city in Central Asia is being bulldozed to dust.

News reports in late May talked about the demolition of parts of the city of Kashgar, capital of Uighurstan (pron: “wee-gur-stan“). These parts may look like they deserve to be demolished, especially when viewed from the pristinely cool, air-conditioned cubicles of our lives. It may look like a pile of dust returning to a pile of dust, but it is not that simple.

We are watching the destruction of  human history.

A warren of ancient houses, some inhabited for centuries, defines old Kashgar. I have never seen it, but I can imagine an exotic version of the bazaars-within-bazaars that we see in our own old Delhi.

Why should we be concerned?
I believe we should be involved where-ever the common history of human kind is threatened by monolithic powers that be.
Imagine all of Chandni Chowk demolished under the guise of beautification. Imagine a mall facing the Old Fort. Ah! imagine sipping coffee under the glass replica of ancient minarets!! And imagine all the traders and artisans bundled off to the outskirts of the city to live in government built complexes.

Imagine that and then reflect upon the fate of the old Kashgarians. It could be us in some millenia. Mankind is unpredictably predictable.

This also reminds me of one of the books in the Dune series; was it God Emperor(?)- where the Fremenan (an ancient nomadic tribe on the planet Arrakis) have been reduced to a band of “Museum Fremen”. Descendants of the original people who now live in phony dwellings, wear replica costumes & live fake lives for the benefit of inter-galactic tourists. **scifi, incase anyone is wondering**

It could happen sooner on earth!

I end with the words of an Uighur, Rebiya Kadeer, president of the Uyghur American Association:
“By destroying Kashgar, the Chinese government will make all East Turkestan cities and towns look just like all other Chinese cities and towns along the east coast. Once Kashgar is destroyed, the unique Uighur and Central Asian character of East Turkestan will become history.”

50 years outside Tibet

Last weekend was the conclusion of a series of events to thank the Indian Government, and the people of India for the refuge offered to Tibetan exiles. Like a panelist mentioned- March marks the fiftieth anniversary of a number of events connected with Tibet; amongst others the years in exile, and the Tibetan People’s Uprising.

At the end of the day, after all the lectures and panel discussions, exhibitions and general immersions into the cultural life of Tibetans, there was an audiovisual of a pre-recorded song.

Composed by members of the TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts), the song is a pretty tune with lyrics thanking India for her refuge, and expressing the gratitude of the Tibetan people.

We have much to thank India for. India as expressed here is not the political definition but the cultural civilisation.

Beginning from the fact that Buddhism was preached by an Indian prince- Sakyamuni Gautam, to the mass exodus of the religion to the plateau, the tranfer and translation of an amazing collection of ancient texts from universities like Nalanda & Takshashila. Tibet also sent a scholar Thunmi Sambhoda to India to base the Tibetan script on Pali.

And like the song’s lyrics points out, it has become the “karma“* of the Tibetan people to be even more grateful to the Indians- for after 1959, many Tibetans were homeless and exiled.

It can get rather emotional, especially when I think how Tibetans have been reduced to being thankful for refuge when we have a homeland that is bigger than many other modern nations.

Like they say, such is our karma. How fatalistic!!

Anyway, here is a Youtube upload of the song. Unfortunately the subtitles are currently only in Tibetan! Essentially the song is about how grateful we are to India, “cradle of a civilisation” etc etc.
There is a slightly jarring bit when a little girl in a very loud voice starts rattling off platitudes in English, but I guess it makes sense (not to me though).

Note for curious onlookers: the beginning scenes show Tibetan men and women dressed in the distinct costumes of the three main regions in Tibet (something like how a south Indian wears a dhoti while a north Indian would be in a salwar kameez).

Will try to get the English subtitled translation later. In the meantime the song..

Credits:

Lyrics by Thubten Jinpa
Music by Loigar Norbu Samphel

Addendum: Found the complete version of the song, with English subtitles. Here.

 

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Karma:  (Sanskrit)-The buddhist philosophy of consequence for one’s actions. In Tibetan, we say “Lae“

Half a century of being pawns

A relative visited from Nepal yesterday, with tales of the growing influence of the People’s Republic of China in the erstwhile kingdom (now fledging “democracy” with maoist shades).

Unlike the journalistic pieces covered here and here ,these were the little tales of little people. Not typically the ones that make it to the mainstream media, but stories…

That many restaurants and retail outlets in Kathmandu’s tourist district – Thamil are changing ownership- from local to Chinese owners

That wearing a little Tibetan flag badge can get you arrested without any questions asked; especially in the “safe zone” around the Chinese embassy.

That top leaders of the Tibetan community have been identified by the Police, and while they may have escaped, a dozen others were rounded up at night and are currently in prison.

Are these authentic? Probably. In fact where do you think this picture is taken? No, no, not Lhasa…but the rather heavily guarded Boudanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal! Part of rebuilding the country I suppose?! By obliging them  who hold purse strings. Economics- it can make your head spin with its pragmatic approach to life. Nein?! 

In the meantime, South Africa has banned HH the Dalai Lama from attending a peace conference!

So, even more reasons to thank India. Again, I direct readers to the positive move organised this coming weekend.

Singlish-ese

I don’t know, but it seems to me that the Singaporean media is softly pro-PRC. For obvious reasons, and this is the latest example of it. Note the p.o.v used here, the facts quoted (all of progress, and the bewildered tone of “oh dear why do these savages we civilised have to riot”)

I stayed in Singapore for about three, clinical, years and have witnessed the state control of media. Sometimes subtle, buried in homilies; sometimes not so. But always amazing, because they were scarily nonchalant about how media can be used to make people “think” in the way you want.

Despite its much touted multi-ethnicity, there is a strong feeling that the government, given the choice, would rather ride the dragon than the Bengal tiger/elephant. Seriously! So I am not surprised.

I have added the link to illustrate that soft propaganda, that too from a supposedly unrelated country.