All is not well in the Middle Kingdom

My article All is not well in the Middle Kingdom appeared in the Edit Page of The Pioneer


Here is the link...

Authorities in China have forgotten to provide a translation of the ‘friendship pillar’ which reads: Tibetans to be happy in the land of Tibet and Chinese in the land of China

In 821 AD, Tibet’s great emperor, Tritsuk Detsen and his Chinese counterpart entered into an agreement “seeking in their far-reaching wisdom to prevent all causes of harm to the welfare of their countries now or in the future.”
The Peace Treaty signed between Tibet and China was carved in Tibetan and Chinese language on a stone pillar which was placed in front of the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. A few years ago, the Chinese decided to restore the pillar describing the grand alliance; the communist authorities, however, forgot to give the translation of the ‘friendship’ pillar.
Last week, when the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Lhasa, he walked down to the stone pillar and affirmed that the monument was a model for unity between the Tibetans and the Chinese. Li probably did not read the Treaty:

Tibet and China shall abide by the frontiers of which they are now in occupation. All to the east is the country of Great China; and all to the west is, without question, the country of Great Tibet. Henceforth on neither side shall there be waging of war nor seizing of territory. If any person incurs suspicion, he shall be arrested. …Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese in the land of China. Even the frontier guards shall have no anxiety, nor fear.

This was forgotten when the communist troops walked into Tibet in October 1950.
Today, Tibet is an ‘unalienable’ part of China (and the frontier guards have shifted to the Indian border).

The ‘unalienable’ part was highlighted by Premier Li during his visit. It is the art of rewriting history with Chinese characteristics.
Interestingly, it was the first ever visit of a Chinese Premier to the Roof of the World. It is usually the Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, also a Member of the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo (presently Wang Yang) who visits Tibet, not the Premier. The head of the United Front Work Department also regularly ‘inspects’ the Roof of the World. One reason for this unexpected change might be that President Xi Jinping (who was then travelling in Africa) finally tries to delegate some of his responsibilities to Li Keqiang; rumors to this effect have recently been circulating in China.
The coverage of the visit is another sign that all is not smooth in the Middle Kingdom.
Usually such an important visit would be announced after the VVIP is back in Beijing; only then reports would appear in Chinese and later the English version would come out, tailored for the foreign public. This time, it was rather chaotic; some English websites broke the news on the first day of the visit, while Xinhua kept mum till Li was back in Beijing. Are there two voices of China?
Remember in March, after the legislative and consultative meetings, China decided to unify its voice. The State Council announced that the Government had formed the world’s largest media group called Voice of China, combining the existing China Central Television, China National Radio, and China Radio International under one unified umbrella and name. It was the responsibility of the publicity (ex-propaganda) department to manage it. But in the case of Li Keqiang’s visit to Tibet, China spoke incoherently. While the media affiliated to the State Council covered it nearly ‘live’; Xinhua waited for Li’s return to Beijing to report.

What were the visit’s highlights?
The atheist Premier went to the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa, he told some monks in attendance that he hoped that “Tibetan religious patriots could learn from the eminent monks in history, and devote themselves to maintaining the unity of the state, ethnic solidarity, a harmonious society and smooth religious affairs.”
All the monks are obviously not good ‘patriots’, a fact which worries Beijing. Li also urged “religious circles to continue to make contributions in safeguarding national unity and promoting ethnic solidarity as well as social harmony.”
China Tibet Online had reported earlier that Li Keqiang visited Southern Tibet on July 25. Apparently, Li went directly to Nyingchi prefecture, bordering Arunachal Pradesh where he visited a village in Mailing County; this is a new village inhabited by Monpas, who have been ‘relocated from impoverished areas’, located next door. Metok County is situated on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), north of Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Li went to a newly-built house of a Tibetan named Kunsang; he sat with the ‘migrant’ family and talked to the six members of the household about their daily life. Kunsang told Li that his family moved from Metok County, where “road travel is fairly difficult”. This is rather surprising considering that since 2013, when a tunnel was opened, the Chinese propaganda has been stressing the ‘changes’ in Metok, principally mentioning better communications. So why move people to a nearby County, if the situation had improved so much in the first place?
Li was said to have been really pleased “to see that the villagers have cast off poverty through the relocation programme and lived a prosperous life.” The Premier wished the family an even more prosperous life in the future.
It is difficult to understand why this family was ‘shifted’ from Metok to Mainling County in the first place. Were they creating problems for the Chinese government near the Indian border? It is possible. Metok, like several other places on the border, has been the focus of very generous investments from the Central Government, the local Government as well as different Provincial Governments. It is doubtful if ‘poverty alleviation’ was the reason for this transfer of population.
For the Tibetans, it should be worrying, considering that the Premier’s visit takes place just days before the yearly summer retreat of the party’s top bosses in Beidaihe, which is always the occasion to discuss ‘new’ policies. Will reallocation of Tibetans within Tibet (like it is happening in Xinjiang) from border areas be discussed?
Incidentally, Li met with the hard-core Old Guard: Phakpala, Raidi, Jampa Phuntsok, Legchok and Passang, who served in Tibet for decades; he praised their past work for the ‘stability’ of Tibet.
Has Beijing decided to return to ‘pure’ communist policies of the old days, symbolised by these cadres? It is quite frightening.

More on Li's Visit to Tibet

"Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet,
and Chinese in the land of China" says the Treaty of 821

The Two Voices of China?
Remember after the Two Meetings in March, China decided to unify its Voice.
A document of the State Council released on March 21, announced that Beijing had decided to form the world’s largest media group called Voice of China.
It was to combine the existing China Central Television, China National Radio, and China Radio International under one unified umbrella and name.
The Publicity Department was to manage it with the responsibility to “promote the Party theory and guidelines, organize major publicity and coverage, guide social hot topics, strengthen international communication capabilities, and publish positive news on China.”
Voice of China was to produce the Party’s propaganda program, copying the model of stations in foreign countries working with government funding using limited amount of advertising.
The website Chinascope observed that “China Central Television has at least 10,000 employees with over 70 branch stations overseas. China National Radio has over 2,100 employees and China Radio International has over 2,000 employees and broadcasts in over 60 languages.”
Following the consolidation, Voice of China was to become world’s largest media.
Well, it is not yet in place.
China spoke with two voices on Premier Li Keqiang in Tibet.
The coverage of the visit was interesting in this respect.
While some local websites mentioned the visit to Nyingchi and next day to Lhasa (Jokhang), most of the main Chinese-language media has not covered the visit as yet.
But there is an exception, the website of the State Council (Li is the Premier of the State Council).
It looks like that while the media affiliated to the State Council have covered it and it is not the case of the Party media. Two Voices?
Does this have an implication on the stability of the Middle Kingdom?
Worth watching.

Another issue
Another topic that I partially discussed in my previous post, why was Li delegated to ‘inspect’ Tibet?
My guess is that President Xi needs to be released from some of his duties/burdens.
Too many are presently gunning for him (including President Trump).
He needs to share more with Li.
It might be an explanation.

Meeting the Defense Forces?
So far, the State Council has not published any pictures or reports of Premier Li with the PLA/PAP/Border Forces.
Customarily during such a visit, the leader from Beijing should ‘congratulate’ the Forces for their ‘excellent’ job, while giving a lecture on the importance to secure the borders and promoting the ‘fusion’ with the local population.
Why was it not done?
It is possible that Li was told that it was not his job. But that would be surprising.
We may know more in a few days, when the main media will cover the visit (once Li is back home).

The Importance of Environment
On the first day, Premier Li Keqiang spoke of the importance of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau which is ecologically fragile, but has important water resources, “so more efforts should be spent to make it an ecological model,” said Li.
He was inspecting the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo River and Nyang River, not far from Bayi, the main garrison near the Indian border.
The Nyang chu is the main tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo.
Li urged the local government to construct Tibet into a beautiful place.

Random Shopping
He also ‘randomly’ visited a local store in Nyingchi and did some shopping.
When the owner of the store explained to the Premier about local food, such as Tibetan butter tea and sweet tea, which are popular among both local Tibetans and Chinese tourists, Li took his wallet out and bought one box of butter tea and one box of sweet tea for 116 yuan (US $17), at the ‘displayed price’ said the article.
No discount for the Premier!!
Li said that he hoped that more Tibetan products could be sold across China and all over the world.

Visit to Jokhang Cathedral
The atheist Premier also went to the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa.
An article observed: ‘Premier Li Keqiang visited Tibetan religious patriots at Jokhang Temple and extended his sincere greetings and best wishes on July 26.”
It added: “Built in ancient Tibetan times, Jokhang Temple was the holy hall of Tibetan Buddhism and a witness to the peacemaking marriage between Han and Tibetan ethnic groups and to the history of ethnic solidarity”.
Premier Li hoped that “Tibetan religious patriots could learn from the eminent monks in history, and devote themselves to maintaining the unity of the state, ethnic solidarity, a harmonious society and smooth religious affairs.”
He wished “religious patriots good health and good luck in everything.”
The Dalai Lama is obviously not included in the ‘patriots’.
While at Jokhang, Li affirmed that he  believed that "religious circles will continue to make contributions in safeguarding national unity and promoting ethnic solidarity as well as social harmony."

The Treaty of 821 AD
Another report mentioned the visit to the Stone Pillar ('doring’ in Tibetan, see picture above) near the Central Cathedral. Li cited this as a model for the unity between the Tibetans and the Chinese.
The Treaty of 821 AD is engraved on the famous Stone Pillar.
Li probably did not read the text of the Treaty (see my post on the subject, Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet and Chinese in the land of China?

Tibet and China shall abide by the frontiers of which they are now in occupation. All to the east is the country of Great China; and all to the west is, without question, the country of Great Tibet. Henceforth on neither side shall there be waging of war nor seizing of territory. If any person incurs suspicion he shall be arrested; his business shall be inquired into and he shall he escorted back.
…Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese in the land of China. Even the frontier guards shall have no anxiety, nor fear and shall enjoy land and bed at their ease.

Li visited a Hospital in Lhasa. He promised that Beijing would step up its support to hospitals and colleges of traditional Tibetan medicine, to meet the needs of local residents.
In Lhasa, Li also interacted with youngsters at a location dedicated to startups.
The Premier observed that entrepreneurship and innovation were important for a high-quality growth: "The country will create better environment to support the education of skilled workers and train more talented workers that are in high demand," he said.
At the Potala Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site, Li promised that the government's support for "research on precious documents and to push cultural inheritance and exchanges."
How this will translate concretely is not clear.


The Gang of Five
Incidentally, Li met with the Gang of Five, the hard core Old Guard (Raidi, Phakpala, Jampa Phuntsok, Legchok and Pasang). He praised the work that they have done in the past for the stability of Tibet.
The State Council website noted that on the afternoon of July 26, Premier Li Keqiang met with senior and retired Tibetan officials in Lhasa: “Premier Li affirmed the officials’ important contributions to the development and stability of Tibet, and extended greetings to them on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. He also wished them a happy and healthy life, and the long-term steady development of Tibet.”
Why did Li needed to meet them together?
Does Beijing want to return to the ‘Old Tibet Spirit’ of the first Communists?
Once again, no answer.
And there is no news of a meeting with the Chinese Panchen Lama, Gyatsen Norbu.

On the Roofs of the Jokhang

From the roofs of Jokhang

Meeting old officials

Meeting the monks in Jokhang

Inspecting the new Railway line Lhasa-Nyingchi

Spending 116 Yuans

Inspecting the railway work

Full moon night at the confluence
of the Yarlung Tangpo and the Nyang

The Return of the Princess?

The ‘Princess’, alias Rigzin Wangmo, the 10th Panchen Lama’s daughter has returned to Tibet.
Is it a move from the Communist Party to ‘promote’ the memory of her father?
In June 2013, I mentioned her earlier visit to Lhasa (see below).
Five years later, as she arrived at the Jokhang Cathedral, she encountered a huge crowd again; probably much larger than the previous time.
Rigzin Wangmo, accompanied by her mother, received a warm welcome from thousands of Tibetans assembled to have a 'darshan' of the Lama's daughter.
The Tibet Post International (TPI) quoting some sources inside Tibet, wrote: "the 10th Panchen Lama Rinpoche's wife and daughter on June 20, 2013 secretly visited the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, the heart of Tibet, a crowd of thousands of Tibetan people immediately gathered to give them a warm welcome and support."
Not so secretly, if thousands got to know about her visit.
A source in Switzerland told TPI: "Huge gathering of crows paid great attention to their pilgrim(age) to the two holy sites - Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple in the capital. Tens of thousands turned out en masse to pay a warm welcome and respects to Rigzin Wangmo, the daughter of His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama."
Many were disappointed as they could not see the ‘Princess’, due to tight security arrangements hurriedly put in place by the Chinese authorities.
TPI said: “The fear of huge public gathering, a large number of military personals immediately deployed in front of Jokhang Temple and near Ramoche Temple."
Wangmo also visited the Tashilhunpo, her father’s monastery in Shigatse.
There, she was seen with her son, paying homage to the photo of the 10th Panchen Lama and meeting lamas. What is not known is: did her visit have the blessings from Beijing?
Probably.
In which case, it means that the present regime is keen to promote the 10th Panchen Lama, who has often been critical of the Communist policies. Of course a media blank will be put on the Lama's 'patriotic' writings and speeches.
Seen the photos of the 'Princess' in Lhasa, one can imagine what would happen if the Dalai Lama or Samdhong Rinpoche were allowed to visit the Jokhang Cathedral.
But Beijing is too afraid of this; it will never be permitted.

In the Jokhang

In Shigaste

 

 

Extracts of my post on June 30, 2013

More interesting in my opinion, is the visit to Lhasa, a week earlier, of Rigzin Wangmo, the only daughter of the previous (the 10th) Panchen Lama.
According to The South China Morning Post, Wangmo, “travelled to Lhasa on her first visit for several years. Thousands of Tibetans greeted her outside Jokhang Palace before being dispersed by police.”
The Communist Party's United Front Work Department had stopped her from entering the region for many years.
In 2006, Rinzin Wangmo, sometimes called Renji, ‘Princess’ gave a long interview to The Southern People Weekly (Nanfang Renwu Zhoukan).
Thought the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party immediately blacklisted media coverage of Rinzin Wangmo to “avoid disturbing religious figures”, we have an English translation of the interview.
At that time, Wangmo gave several unknown details on her life-story to the Chinese publication: “I came into the world in June 1983. I’m sure a lot of people were surprised at my dad’s marriage and wondered how the Panchen Lama could marry and have a baby. Many people raised in mainland China aren’t familiar with the conventions of Tibetan Buddhism, which belongs to the Mahayana branch. …Having said that, my dad was the first Panchen Lama to marry. Six hundred years passed from the First Panchen Lama to my dad, so for me to be the daughter of the Tenth Panchen Lama makes me feel a deep relationship with the Buddha.”

The Panchen Lama, his wife and 'Renji'

Her mother Li Jie, was the granddaughter of a Kuomintang general, Dong Qiwu.
‘Renji’ recounted the origin of the ‘70,000 characters petition’, a long missive that the Panchen Lama wrote to Zhou Enlai and the State Council; she said: “This ‘Letter of 70,000 Words’ bluntly enumerated seven key points, which attracted serious notice from top officials in the central government. Although Premiere Zhou Enlai disagreed with some of the views in the letter, he agreed that my dad had raised some valid issues. But a little more than a year later, this ‘Letter of 70,000 Words’ was labeled as reactionary.”
The Panchen Lama was to spend more than 10 years in detention, in most difficult condictions, often been beaten and humiliated by the Red Guards: “The 10 years in prison wore my dad down physically and psychologically, and after his release he craved the comforts of a secular family life.”
She said that at the age of 44, the 10th Panchen Lama was blessed with a daughter; it was her, Rinzin Wangmo.
Now comes an even more interesting part of the interview: “One hundred days after I was born, the party elders Deng Yingchao [wife of Zhou Enlai] and Xi Zhongxun came to my home. Deng gave me my childhood nickname, ‘Tuantuan’ or ‘Circle.’ She picked me up and said, ‘This baby’s face is so round, you should just call her Circle!’The deeper meaning was a wish for an unbroken circle of solidarity and harmony between the Han and Tibetan peoples. In Chinese, the word ‘circle’ carries the meaning of solidarity.”
Xi Zhongxun is President Xi Jinping’s father. One can imagine the bond between the two families.
Wangmo then recalled the tragic (and very mysterious) death of the Panchen Lama in Shigatse: “In the past, we had always just accompanied my dad to the plane when seeing him off. But that time, my dad couldn’t bear to part from us, and had people call me into the plane’s cabin time and time again. He kept telling me things, like that I should study hard so I could assist in his work in the future, and that I must obey my mom. The Living Buddhas [Rinpoche] who were with my dad at the time later recalled that he was very emotional in his regret at leaving us, and that he asked the Living Buddhas to take care of his family as they had taken care of him.”
On January 28, 1989, the Panchen Lama suddenly passed away after having dared to criticize the Party.
Rinzin Wangmo later went to the United States to study. Though the Universities of Virginia and Columbia accepted her as a graduate student, she decided to come back to China, where the Communist Youth League admitted to a Ph.D. program at Tsinghua University.
What is fascinating and timely is the description of her return to Lhasa some ten years ago. She remembered: “The year I turned 18, the government arranged for me to return to Tibet. This was the first time I went back to my native land without my mom. Although communications and transportation are not too advanced, and living conditions are quite basic, news that the daughter of the Panchen Lama had arrived quickly circulated, and every day thousands of people, young and old, sometimes entire villages, came to see me.”
She continued: “All they wanted was to receive my blessing and to present me with a pure white khatag. As I gave them khatags in return, one after another, my arms became so sore that I could barely lift them.
“At the end of my 45-day visit, tens of thousands of Tibetan people gathered in the square of the Jokhang Temple to see me off. With tears in their eyes, they said, ‘Please come back often. We’ll miss you.’ Even as my car drove off, people continued to stand there, waving at me. At that moment, I felt that the responsibility I had taken on was heavier than the soreness in my arms.”
She concluded: “I know the spirit of my dad is blessing me, and that his eyes are watching me...”
The same thing seems to have happened again last week.
Isn’t interesting? Was the hand of some of the official who blessed her when she was born, behind the event?
Everything is possible when the climate start changing.
But it is difficult to know in which direction the wind will blow next political season.
Will it be the same cold Winter Wind or a more refreshing Spring Breeze?
It will probably be decided in Beijing.

Chinese tourists in Tibet ...and elsewhere

The official figures of Chinese tourists who visited Lhasa are out.
Tourism authorities in Tibet announced that the Tibet Autonomous Region witnessed a record numbers of tourists in 2013: 12.91 million Chinese tourists visited the Land of Snows.
Wang Songping, an official of the Regional Tourism Bureau told Xinhua that the total number of tourists who visited the region increased by 22 % compared to the previous year.
Even the number of overseas tourists increased by 14.5 % to reach 223,000  in 2013. Wang did not say from where these 'foreign' tourists came from.
Tourism in Tibet is a great business for China. Tibet's revenues from tourism have increased by 30.6 % compared to 2012. It reached 2.72 billion U.S. dollars. That is a lot money. The Chinese authorities in Tibet seem to have found the solution to solve the 'Tibet issue' once and for all.
Mr. Wang attributed the big rise "to nationwide promotional efforts, improved transportation access and an increasing number of individual trips."
It is true that that Tibet looks good (in the promotions); certainly better than foggy Beijing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main attractions, according to Wang are Tibetan Buddhism heritage sites, such as the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Catherdral or the Tashilhunpo monastery in Shigatse.
The Chinese press agency quotes one Ablikim, a dried fruit vendor from the Xinjiang saying that he has done sightseeing in Lhasa while doing business. Two birds with one stone: Ablikim explained that he walked along the [controversial] 'newly-renovated' Bakhor Street around the Jokhang Temple.
The article praises the reconstruction (without mentioning the destruction) of the heritage Bakhor area: "Vendors of various ethnic groups used to crowd the street, blocking the way to the temple. More than 3,000 stalls were relocated by November 2013 to the Bakhor Commercial Building, making the temple more accessible by tourists."
The Bakhor Commercial Building is a huge looking kitschy mall.

Interestingly, it seems than 330,000 Tibetans (11 % of the population of Lhasa), work in the tourism industry.
In a few years time, the majority of the Tibetan population will be either tourist guides, waiters or doorkeepers.
In the meantime, the regional tourism bureau expects to receive 15 million tourists in 2015.
The waves of Chinese tourists are not restricted to Tibet, Macau and Hong Kong are witnessing the same phenomena.
The South China Morning Post today writes; "A sense of frustration prevailed among Macau residents over the Lunar New Year as hundreds of thousands of mainland tourists swamped the city."
Can you believe it, according to the Hong Kong newspaper: "About 2.7 million people, mostly mainlanders and a smaller portion of Macanese, are expected to have crossed in and out of Macau at the main Gongbei Port checkpoint at Zhuhai by the end of the week-long holiday - more than five times the SAR's population of just over 550,000."
On Sunday alone, some 200,000 mainlanders crossed the border into Macau.
People; those who had tickets for the 11 am Hong Kong to Macau Turbojet ferry had to wait till 2 pm to cross over: "In Macau it was worse, with tickets sold at 11 am for ferries after 11 pm", says the report.
Every passing year, the situation is said to be getting worse.

Extreme Weather in Tibet

Mount Kailash and Rinzin Wangmo

Recently Xinhua reported: ‘Extreme weather reported in Nagri [Ngari], Tibet’.
The Chinese news agency affirmed that according to the Chinese Meteorology Administration, heavy rain storms have been reported since June 15 in the western part of Ngari Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region [north of Uttarakhand]: “It is a rare weather condition recorded at this time of year. In Burang [Purang] County, the precipitation hit a new record on June 17, to reach an all-time high,” asserted the agency.
The Purang County, north of Pittoragarh district of Uttarakhand had experienced moderate rainfalls till June 16, when it was struck by a very unusual rain storm with a precipitation of 73.6 mm, the strongest rainfall ever recorded in a single day in June.
The next day, the precipitation for Purang County reached 96 mm, creating a new record of precipitation for June. As the result of this extreme weather condition (due climatic change?), the first batch of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims reached the Tibetan border with a delay of six days.
On June 20, the fifty one first yatris finally crossed over to Tibet from 17,500 feet high Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
Ranvir Singh, an ITBP officer declared: “All members of the first batch are hale hearty and they braved the two km track on snow at the Pass to reach the Chinese territory."
Due to bad conditions of the roads and bridges en routes, the following eight batches of the ‘Kailash yatra’ were canceled by the External Affairs Ministry.
But Tibet seems to witness other ‘climatic change’, a political one.
Will it be remembered as the Tibetan Spring or will the Winter soon set again?
In this context, the interview of Prof Jin Wei of the Communist Party School generated a lot of speculations on the Net and in the world media.
So did the announcement that some monasteries would have received the permission to display photos of the Dalai Lama; further it would not be necessary anymore for the monks to criticize or demonize the Tibetan leader. What a big change!
I have also mentioned on this blog, the opening to public sight of the stone pillar on which is recorded the 821 CE Peace Agreement between China and Tibet.
You may think that there is definitively a climatic change for the best on the Roof of the World, but it may not be the case.
Read the recent reports of Human Rights Watch on the 'Grid System', 'Red Armband Patrols' or the relocation of nomads on the plateau.
The touring of Chen Quanguo, the TAR Communist Party boss in different Tibetan prefectures (Lhasa, Shigatse, Nagchu) does not herald a new era of peace and stability. It is still the old way of dealing with Tibet.
Recently, Chen Quanguo went to Shigatse and threatened the monks at Tashilunpo Monastery; he denounced the Dalai Lama, 'a splittist', according to him and told them that under the 10th Panchen Lama the monastery was patriotic. He said that he sincerely hoped that the monks would continue to be 'patriotic' under the 11th Panchen Lama.
Does it mean that some monks are not sincere patriots?
Apparently Chen also visited a number of Public Security posts to see if the lists of neighborhood residents were up to date, separating properly permanent residents, temporary residents and the ‘floating population’.
Chen would have checked if the ‘grid’ system was properly in place.
When he met the People’s Armed Police and the Public Security Bureau officials, he stressed the need to step up efforts to thwart cross-border plots (from India?).
All this is not very cool.

It sounds more like the continuation of the Tibetan Winter.

Cooler was the visit of Gary Locke, the US Ambassador to China who traveled with his family and some of his staff to Tibet to 'increase his familiarity with local conditions'
The three-day trip was organized by the local government (though Padma Choling, the senior most Tibetan official was touring in the United States at that time).
This was the first visit by an American official to the TAR since 2010.
More interesting in my opinion, is the visit to Lhasa, a week earlier, of Rigzin Wangmo, the only daughter of the previous (the 10th) Panchen Lama.
According to The South China Morning Post, Wangmo, “travelled to Lhasa on her first visit for several years. Thousands of Tibetans greeted her outside Jokhang Palace before being dispersed by police.”
The Communist Party's United Front Work Department had stopped her from entering the region for many years.
In 2006, Rinzin Wangmo, sometimes called Renji, ‘Princess’ gave a long interview to The Southern People Weekly (Nanfang Renwu Zhoukan).
Thought the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party immediately blacklisted media coverage of Rinzin Wangmo to “avoid disturbing religious figures”, we have an English translation of the interview.
At that time, Wangmo gave several unknown details on her life-story to the Chinese publication: “I came into the world in June 1983. I’m sure a lot of people were surprised at my dad’s marriage and wondered how the Panchen Lama could marry and have a baby. Many people raised in mainland China aren’t familiar with the conventions of Tibetan Buddhism, which belongs to the Mahayana branch. …Having said that, my dad was the first Panchen Lama to marry. Six hundred years passed from the First Panchen Lama to my dad, so for me to be the daughter of the Tenth Panchen Lama makes me feel a deep relationship with the Buddha.”

The Panchen Lama, his wife and 'Renji'

Her mother Li Jie, was the granddaughter of a Kuomintang general, Dong Qiwu.
‘Renji’ recounted the origin of the ‘70,000 characters petition’, a long missive that the Panchen Lama wrote to Zhou Enlai and the State Council; she said: “This ‘Letter of 70,000 Words’ bluntly enumerated seven key points, which attracted serious notice from top officials in the central government. Although Premiere Zhou Enlai disagreed with some of the views in the letter, he agreed that my dad had raised some valid issues. But a little more than a year later, this ‘Letter of 70,000 Words’ was labeled as reactionary.”
The Panchen Lama was to spend more than 10 years in detention, in most difficult condictions, often been beaten and humiliated by the Red Guards: “The 10 years in prison wore my dad down physically and psychologically, and after his release he craved the comforts of a secular family life.”
She said that at the age of 44, the 10th Panchen Lama was blessed with a daughter; it was her, Rinzin Wangmo.
Now comes an even more interesting part of the interview: “One hundred days after I was born, the party elders Deng Yingchao [wife of Zhou Enlai] and Xi Zhongxun came to my home. Deng gave me my childhood nickname, ‘Tuantuan’ or ‘Circle.’ She picked me up and said, ‘This baby’s face is so round, you should just call her Circle!’The deeper meaning was a wish for an unbroken circle of solidarity and harmony between the Han and Tibetan peoples. In Chinese, the word ‘circle’ carries the meaning of solidarity.”
Xi Zhongxun is President Xi Jinping’s father. One can imagine the bond between the two families.
Wangmo then recalled the tragic (and very mysterious) death of the Panchen Lama in Shigatse: “In the past, we had always just accompanied my dad to the plane when seeing him off. But that time, my dad couldn’t bear to part from us, and had people call me into the plane’s cabin time and time again. He kept telling me things, like that I should study hard so I could assist in his work in the future, and that I must obey my mom. The Living Buddhas [Rinpoche] who were with my dad at the time later recalled that he was very emotional in his regret at leaving us, and that he asked the Living Buddhas to take care of his family as they had taken care of him.”
On January 28, 1989, the Panchen Lama suddenly passed away after having dared to criticize the Party.
Rinzin Wangmo later went to the United States to study. Though the Universities of Virginia and Columbia accepted her as a graduate student, she decided to come back to China, where the Communist Youth League admitted to a Ph.D. program at Tsinghua University.
What is fascinating and timely is the description of her return to Lhasa some ten years ago. She remembered: “The year I turned 18, the government arranged for me to return to Tibet. This was the first time I went back to my native land without my mom. Although communications and transportation are not too advanced, and living conditions are quite basic, news that the daughter of the Panchen Lama had arrived quickly circulated, and every day thousands of people, young and old, sometimes entire villages, came to see me.”
She continued: “All they wanted was to receive my blessing and to present me with a pure white khatag. As I gave them khatags in return, one after another, my arms became so sore that I could barely lift them.
“At the end of my 45-day visit, tens of thousands of Tibetan people gathered in the square of the Jokhang Temple to see me off. With tears in their eyes, they said, ‘Please come back often. We’ll miss you.’ Even as my car drove off, people continued to stand there, waving at me. At that moment, I felt that the responsibility I had taken on was heavier than the soreness in my arms.”
She concluded: “I know the spirit of my dad is blessing me, and that his eyes are watching me...”
The same thing seems to have happened again last week.
Isn’t interesting? Was the hand of some of the official who blessed her when she was born, behind the event?
Everything is possible when the climate start changing.
But it is difficult to know in which direction the wind will blow next political season.
Will it be the same cold Winter Wind or a more refreshing Spring Breeze?
It will probably be decided in Beijing.

Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet and Chinese in the land of China?

Peace Treaty Pillar in Lhasa

China Tibet Online has just reported about a "Tablet witnessing Han-Tibetan friendship shown to the public".
Interesting news.
The Peace Treaty signed in 821 between Tibet and China is carved in Tibetan and Chinese on one side of a stone pillar in front of the Jokhang Cathedral in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. 
According to the historian Hugh Richardson (and first Indian Consul in Lhasa in 1947): "On another side is a historical introduction in Tibetan only; and on the other two sides are bilingual lists of the names of the ministers who witnessed it."
A Xinhua report explains: "As a key part of the maintenance project of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, an ancient tablet witnessing the Han-Tibetan friendship is shown to the public after its protective bounding wall is pulled down."
When  I visited Lhasa some 20 years ago, I looked for the stone pillar; it took me a long time to find it; it could hardy be seen, as it was surrounded by a high wall.
Now, the China Tibet online says: "According to historical data, the Tang Dynasty (618-917 A.D.) and Tubo Kingdom, or ancient Tibet kingdom, sent their envoys for a meeting to form alliance in 821. In 823, a tablet [pillar] was built in front of the Jokhang Temple in downtown Lhasa, engraved in both Mandarin and Tibetan with the close relationship between the two sides and the marriage of Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng to Tibetan kings.
The Chinese publication adds: "For a long time, the tablet has been protected by bounding wall. After the wall is pulled down, the tablet will be cleaned and protected with fence and glass cover to make it convenient for tourists' sightseeing."
The Communist authorities have however forgotten to give the translation of the 'friendship' pillar: "Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese in the land of China."

Let us hope that 12 millions expected Chinese tourists this year, will ask for a modern Mandarin translation of the Treaty.
During the next two days, Shivashankar Menon, the Indian National Security Advisor will meet his Chinese counterpart. The Mandarin-speaking Menon should give State Councilor Yang Jiechi a copy of the text of the Treaty and point out to him that at that time, it was decided that "even the frontier guards shall have no anxiety, nor fear and shall enjoy land and bed at their ease." Of course, it was about the Sino-Tibetan border, but the Spirit of 821 could be extended to the Sino-Indian border.

Chinese tourist in front of the Pillar

Treaty between Tibet and China AD. 821-822
(Translation from the Tibetan text)

The Great King of Tibet, the Miraculous Divine Lord, and the Great King of China, the Chinese Ruler Huangdi, being in the relationship of nephew and uncle, have conferred together for the alliance of their kingdoms. They have made and ratified a great agreement.
Gods and men all know it and bear witness so that it may never he changed; and an account of the agreement has been engraved on this stone pillar to inform future ages and generations. The Miraculous Divine Lord Thri-tsug Detsen and the Chinese King Wen Wu Hsiao-te Wang-ti, nephew and uncle, seeking in their far-reaching wisdom to prevent all causes of harm to the welfare of their countries now or in the future, have extended their benevolence impartially over all. With the single desire of acting for the peace and benefit of all their subjects they have agreed on the high purpose of ensuring lasting good; and they have made this great treaty in order to fulfill their decision to restore the former ancient friendship and mutual regard and the old relationship of friendly neighbourliness.
Tibet and China shall abide by the frontiers of which they are now in occupation. All to the east is the country of Great China; and all to the west is, without question, the country of Great Tibet. Henceforth on neither side shall there be waging of war nor seizing of territory. If any person incurs suspicion he shall be arrested; his business shall be inquired into and he shall he escorted back.
Now that the two kingdoms have been allied by this great treaty it is necessary that messengers should once again be sent by the old route to maintain communications and carry the exchange of friendly messages regarding the harmonious relations between the Nephew and Uncle. According to the old custom, horses shall be changed at the foot of the Chiang Chun pass, the frontier between Tibet and China.
At the Suiyung barrier the Chinese shall meet Tibetan envoys and provide them with all facilities from there onwards. At Ch’ing-shui the Tibetans shall meet Chinese envoys and provide all facilities. On both sides they shall be treated with customary honour and respect in conformity with the friendly relations between Nephew and Uncle.
Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese in the land of China. Even the frontier guards shall have no anxiety, nor fear and shall enjoy land and bed at their ease. All shall live in peace and share the blessing of happiness for ten thousand years. The fame of this shall extend to all places reached by the sun and the moon. This solemn agreement has established a great epoch when Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese in the land of China. So that it may never be changed, the Three Precious Jewels of Religion, the Assembly of Saints, the Sun and Moon, Planets and Stars have been invoked as witnesses. An oath has been taken with solemn words and with the sacrifice of animals; and tile agreement has been ratified.
If the parties do not act in accordance with this agreement or if they Violate it, whichever it be, Tibet or China, nothing that the other party may do by way of retaliation shall he considered a breach of the treaty on their part. The Kings and Ministers of Tibet and China have taken the prescribed oats to this effect and the agreement has been written in detail. The two Kings have affixed their seals. The Ministers specially empowered to execute the agreement have inscribed their signatures and copies have been deposited in the royal records of each party.

[Richardson's comments]:
The translation of the Tibetan text of the treaty proper is a revision of the somewhat clumsy, literal rendering given in the above-mentioned publication.
The King of Tibet named in the treaty is better known as Ralpachen (815-841); and the Chinese Emperor is Mu Zong of the Tang dynasty (821-821). The frontier appears to have been not far to the west of the Kansu-Shensi border.
Two translations of the Chinese text of the treaty can be seen in G. Timkowsky's Travels of the Russia, Mission through China, etc. London 1827 and one by S.W. Bushell in JRAS 1880.