[Marxism] Pierre Rousett (Fourth International) on Tibet

[glparramatta <glparramatta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article9652
(Unofficial translation)
In solidarity with the people of Tibet
Pierre ROUSSET
March 18, 2008
The demonstrations which began on March 10, 2008 in Tibet, and which 
turned to the riots since March 14, are remarkable both for their 
breadth and their radicalism. Far from being confined to the capital, 
Lhassa, they have spread to the bordering provinces of China, where 
communities Tibetans reside: witnesses report important mobilisations in 
Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan.
These riots sometimes have taken an quasi-insurrectionary turn. They 
testify to the despair of a population, of their feeling of oppression 
and dispossession. Indeed, Beijing continues in this ``autonomous area'' 
a systematic policy of colonisation by settlement: the development of 
infrastructure (such as the creation of a fast-rail link) is used for 
this purpose. Thus, Han (the dominant Chinese ethnic group) have become 
a majority in Tibet; it is they who, moreover, profit most from the 
``development'' in Tibet. This is the source of the revolt of the 
Tibetans, threatened by forced acculturation and assimilation. It also 
explains violence expressed by some ``rioters'' against Han passers-by 
or workers.
The reaction to events in Tibet are particularly sharp in South Asia. 
But in Nepal and in India -- where Dharamsala is the seat of the 
``government in exile''and where the Dalai Lama resides, manifestations 
of the Tibetan community were repressed by the police force.
Gatherings denouncing the Beijing's policy were also held in various 
countries, including France, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland. Many 
human rights associations have mobilised. It is the time for solidarity. 
It is past the time when Tibetan nationalism can be used by the West 
against the Chinese revolution. The survival of Tibetan people is the 
issue. The Chinese army has entered the action. According to sources, 
repression could have already caused scores or a few hundred deaths. 
Beijing does all that it can to censor information. The truth of the 
situation in Tibet must be established by an independent commission.
The right to self-determination of the people of Tibet must be 
recognised - including by governments and the United Nations. March 18, 
2008

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