The Chinese Paradox

"Chinese Students Protest Against Tibet Media Coverage"

I do not have any problems against Chinese as they have not harmed me in any way. I do not object to their intentions of protecting their unity. Supporting ones nation against any allegation is a right guaranteed to every individual in a just society.

But I do want the Chinese students who protest against the portrayal of the Tibet issue, to compare themselves with their Tibetan counterparts.

I want them to picture themselves when they are trying to protect their nations sovereignty and pride, and replace the word 'China' with 'Tibet'. It is funny that there won't be a difference in appearance as well.

Well, I am asking them to do a very difficult thing. We have never been good at putting ourselves in other people's shoes. And I would like to point out that even India, which boasts herself to be a just and democratic nation is not guilt-free. Even if the stained human-rights record is overlooked, we still have to answer for the arms supply to the dictators in Burma and the apathy(if not something worse) for Sri Lanka's sovereignty. This was the nation of Gandhi, wasn't it?

The Paradox here is that people of Chinese origin who have come to the United States and elsewhere looking for opportunities and economical growth, in other words... freedom, are holding pubic demonstrations against the Tibetan claim of independence.

Read the previous sentence and you will find these words 'opportunities', 'economical growth', 'public demonstrations', 'freedom' put up against independence. I would like to point out, that nothing gives me the right to judge on what is going on in Tibet and China. I have been chronically ignorant of the whole issue and even though I have visited the country I never made an effort to find out what is happening to the people of Tibet from an average Chinese citizen. Hardly gives me any moral jurisdiction here.

But I am not questioning things that I don't know about.

What I know is that people living in a democratic setup are conducting demonstrations, tools of freedom to convey their disapproval of a freedom movement elsewhere.

I might anger any proud Chinese by asking this, but I want to know, doesn't living in United States rob you of that right to protest against a freedom movement. I do not question those who live in China, under the CCP rule who want to protect the integrity of their society.

What better could define hypocrisy than living in a democratic setup, leading a life laden with capitalist opportunities and having the freedom to express an opinion that goes against the principles(at least on paper) of the country you are living in and protesting against a freedom struggle.

Shouldn't your Tibetan counterparts get an equal opportunity to present their case? Rather, shouldn't the Chinese be denied as much opportunity to present their case as were the Tibetans?

Hypocrisy is an undefeated force and I think that will be the case for a long time.

To think about it, what right do I have, as an Indian when I know that the fact sheets do not speak well about my nation as well? What right do Americans have while their armies are occupying Iraq?(Come to think about it, the Chinese demonstrations in America do make sense considering the American occupation of Iraq, they ARE following the policies of their host nation!)

What right does anyone have to tell the other what is right when all of us are unscathed?

All of us are good at pointing fingers at others, and that is because all of us have reasons to be pointed at. But rarely do we ask ourselves of what we do. When our mistakes are pointed at, we question the credibility of the critic.

It is surprising(maybe not), that most complex social, ecological, economical and diplomatic problems have their roots in well-defined small words, stemming from something so abstract and yet so powerful. The human nature.

So what is the solution to this crisis? As bystanders to this situation we cannot do anything except voice our opinion and try to convince aggressors while knowing that we too have wronged in the past. Using force to right a wrong would only result in more wrongs. The only hope we have is when we try to stop ourselves while we are being unfair.

There is no punchline to this post.

All we can do is be a part of the struggle and play our roles, of aggressors, mediators and victims in the hopes that these events make us question our conduct so that we try to change ourselves and hope that a day comes when our existence is not threatened by our existence .

I think I was wrong about the punchline.