On Thursday, April 7, I presented "China, Tibet, and the Human Rights Debate: Why Can’t the Dalai Lama and China find Common Ground?" at the University of Wyoming International Scholars Lectures Series. An engaged crowd of 100 or so students and professors attended.
The gist of the lecture was this:
The Dalai Lama fled a pursuing Communist army in 1959 after the People’s Republic of China invaded Tibet. The Tibetan spiritual leader has lived as a refugee since, setting up a Tibetan government-in-exile in India, and today traveling the world as the spokesperson for the Tibetan struggle for freedom. He is one of the most recognized persons in the world, a Nobel Peace Laureate, and constant voice on the world stage advocating for non-violence and promotion of harmony among religions. Why, then, is the Dalai Lama so reviled by the Chinese government today that they ban his photograph in Tibet or imprison monks and nuns for praying publicly for his long life? Why does the Communist Party prohibit the Dalai Lama, from returning to his home in Tibet after more than 50 years in exile? In short, why can’t the Dalai Lama and Beijing find common ground? Matteo Pistono, author of In the Shadow of the Buddha, who has made more than fifteen trips to Tibet and China, will delve into these questions including why resolution to China’s problem in Tibet is dependent upon face-to-face negotiations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan struggle is one of the few in the world that has remained principally non-violent—its centering force has been the Dalai Lama’s leadership. Pistono will discuss how the Tibetan struggle could spiral into violent opposition if the Tibet issue is not resolved before this Dalai Lama dies. Time is against Beijing; the Dalai Lama is 75 years old. The possibility that the Tibetan struggle could turn violent not only threatens China’s drive toward creating a harmonious society, but will likely fuel other movements for independence throughout China.
The gist of the lecture was this:
The Dalai Lama fled a pursuing Communist army in 1959 after the People’s Republic of China invaded Tibet. The Tibetan spiritual leader has lived as a refugee since, setting up a Tibetan government-in-exile in India, and today traveling the world as the spokesperson for the Tibetan struggle for freedom. He is one of the most recognized persons in the world, a Nobel Peace Laureate, and constant voice on the world stage advocating for non-violence and promotion of harmony among religions. Why, then, is the Dalai Lama so reviled by the Chinese government today that they ban his photograph in Tibet or imprison monks and nuns for praying publicly for his long life? Why does the Communist Party prohibit the Dalai Lama, from returning to his home in Tibet after more than 50 years in exile? In short, why can’t the Dalai Lama and Beijing find common ground? Matteo Pistono, author of In the Shadow of the Buddha, who has made more than fifteen trips to Tibet and China, will delve into these questions including why resolution to China’s problem in Tibet is dependent upon face-to-face negotiations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan struggle is one of the few in the world that has remained principally non-violent—its centering force has been the Dalai Lama’s leadership. Pistono will discuss how the Tibetan struggle could spiral into violent opposition if the Tibet issue is not resolved before this Dalai Lama dies. Time is against Beijing; the Dalai Lama is 75 years old. The possibility that the Tibetan struggle could turn violent not only threatens China’s drive toward creating a harmonious society, but will likely fuel other movements for independence throughout China.