Troubles in Tibet? It's All the Dalai Lama's Fault, Just Read the "China Daily"

Monday April 07, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Have you been seeing the fictitious problems of the symbolic Olympic torch that supposedly needs a huge protective guard as it starts its journey around the world? Have you been reading about the riots and suffering in Tibet? Pure fabrication says the "China Daily." The world is much too sympathetic to the incorrectly reported plight of Tibetans. Such were the findings of my trip across the Taiwan Strait this past holiday weekend into China, the land which specializes in freedom of the press or is that freedom to oppress? There in the Middle Kingdom of Pollution, Poison and Propaganda, the media presented the real scoop, it is all the fault of the Dalai Lama.

I should have suspected that the villain was that nefarious prankster, the Dalai Lama. Doesn't everyone know that heads of religious churches and organizations should only be appointed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)? Otherwise there will be trouble. After all, who better than an atheistic organization has the right to appoint religious leaders? Thus my education started with a copy of Friday's (April 4th) edition of the ever reliable "China Daily" on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. A key article spelled it out with the headline "Dalai Lama has never done anything good." That said it all as the article quoted Basang Wanggdui, a Tibetan researcher with the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences. A little background check illustrated that Basang is a hired gun that China trots out whenever it needs some pro-China, anti-Tibetan quotes.

The letters to the editor continued in the same vein under the heading "Not a true preacher of Buddhism." First was a statement from Rick from Australia. Good old Rick, he said nothing about Buddhism or the Dalai Lama but his words were still placed under that heading. Rick is sickened by Western media reports which badmouth China. Rick's best friend is Chinese. Visit the beautiful country he states. Since 16 of the top 20 polluted cities of the world are in China, I am not sure which one Rick wanted me to visit, but maybe he wanted me to venture into the SARS and bird-flu ridden countryside. Anyway, as the "China Daily" put it, the Dalai Lama is not a true preacher of Buddhism. Is there some logic I am missing here?

Rick's comments were joined to those of Alagan Elavalagan of Canada whose comments better fit the title of "Not a True Preacher of Buddhism." Alagan wanted the Dalai Lama to realize that the Chinese central government would protect Tibet and its values better than the Dalai Lama's political and Hollywood friends. How all this makes the Dalai Lama not a true preacher of Buddhism and anoints the atheistic CCP as the more reliable preacher of Buddhist values I am not sure but there it was in the "China Daily" so it must be true.

Yes, I am glad I had the chance to go back to the land of freedom to oppress to find the true version of what is happening in the world; unfortunately the paid hacks of the CCP outside China have been slacking off on their responsibility to keep us informed.