Students for a Free Tibet knows that there are two sides to every story. Nonetheless, Tibetans and their supporters often face an uphill battle against the Chinese government and others, in trying to expose the truth about Tibet. In an attempt to help you understand some of the arguments on both sides, we have compiled this section on “Fact vs. Myth.”
People often ask us for advice on how to respond to China’s misinformation campaign on Tibet. You know – the classic “Tibet was a feudal society where the mean Dalai Lamas ruled over the enslaved and miserable Tibetan serfs” argument. More and more often these days, this type of propaganda is being forwarded not just by the Chinese leadership and well-known China apologists (like Tom Grunfeld and Mel Goldstein) but by a host of scholars, writers and other characters in the west. It’s also being pushed by Chinese state media, like Xinhua, which is expanding its reach into international news channels.
While it’s frustrating to hear state propaganda from Chinese sources, to some degree that’s understandable; many people brought up in China have only ever been shown the state’s view of history as the regime goes to great lengths to block other accounts being seen. But people living in countries with free (or relatively free) press can research the true facts for themselves so should know better!
But it’s important to converse with people on these issues. As a movement which promotes freedom, it’s important that people learn for themselves, so conversation is important. This approach in itself often throws CCP apologists; being given the opportunity to talk openly about these issues isn’t what they’re used to! You’ll often find state propaganda quoted back to you, often agrily, irrationally or the important points will be avoided. This is especially common when the issue of human rights and freedoms receives the response; ‘China has spent £X amount of money developing Tibet’. This is a typical state propaganda approach; quote back positive-looking statistics to avoid answering the actual question. The fact is that even if the ‘development’ was benefitting Tibetans, building a couple of schools and factories does not give an invading power the right to subject people to repression and torture.
There’s a document that can help illuminate where some of this wrong information may be coming from. On June 12, 2000 the Chinese government convened a meeting on “Tibet-related external propaganda and Tibetology work in the new era.” A leaked document from this meeting shows just how much China feels threatened by increasing support for Tibet in the world and how seriously they take our actions. In fact, the Chinese leadership has plotted a course of action, which includes using western intellectuals to “promote our views in western society.”
Overall, this is good news for Tibet. It is good news for the thousands of people around the world who have worked to bring the Tibetan struggle to the world stage. It shows that we are being successful, that China is sensitive to criticism and they are regrouping in order to fight us.
Remember the quote from Gandhi: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to keep up the good fight. And when you’re given impressive-looking, stat heavy reposts, ask three things; where do those statistics come from, do they tell the full story and do they actually relate to the real issues of human rights and freedoms in Tibet?
Leaked Chinese Government Propaganda Document
“China’s Favorite Propaganda on Tibet…and Why It’s Wrong”
“Friendly Feudalism” by Michael Parenti
“A Lie Repeated: The Far Left’s Flawed View of Tibet” by Josh Schrei
