On May the 8th, while at Shegar, I posed this question to Saya.
“Which do you think would have been better for Tibet? With the chinese government’s control, or without”
I feel that it’s really a double edged sword. What really matters is which edge would you prefer.
One one side, we have the chinese government, having taken over Tibet (unceremoniously, of course), start to pour in funds to develop the country. Naturally, they backed up their (rather brute force) actions by (blatantly) claiming that Tibet was part of the (mother) land, and they are only welcoming back what belongs. Such was (again blatantly) claimed by the horrifically distorted version found in the Anti-British Imperialist Museum. It’s surprisingly hilarious too, provided you devour all that is written with generous scoops of salt.
The fact is that with the chinese government in place, there are funds to pump in, in order to improve the country and to bring it up one notch in terms of development. The truth of the matter is that, it’s not just the funds being pumped in, but manpower too, is being pumped in, in the form of mainland chinese nationals – a fact which can be seen the moment you set foot into Tibet. Not just seen, but heard. All along, I assumed that while in Tibet, communication would be either via english, or bits of Tibetan, padded with english. It may sound odd, but as long as it gets the message across, that’s what matters. But no, when I arrived, communication was suddenly a breeze. Un-nervingly easy, in fact. No doubt it made the trip a whole lot easier, since I know a bit of mandarin, but in the process, the sense of adventure, and discovery is all lost. With a common language, little effort is made into learning little bits and pieces of their native language. Granted, I know the basic words for a greeting, and the necessary thank you, since they can be found in the guide book. Other than that, I don’t exactly know much else. I had initially wanted to learn the basic numbers, but in the end, I ended up using mandarin to get my message across. The sheer numbers of mainland chinese in Tibet is more shocking than astounding. All along the Jokhang, there there were numerous stalls selling (supposedly) traditional Tibetal corals, beads and other trinklets, one can see both Tibetans and chinese running them. The Tibetans would be at the small road-side type of street stall, while the chinese would be manning a proper brick and mortar shop. It’s quite obvious too, which one belongs to which. Even by looking, one can probably tell if the owner is a Tibetan or a chinese. I think I’m just turned off by the sheer numbers of chinese there, fighting with the local Tibetans for a living.
It’s not just the language, but the food too. Granted, that the taste of travellers tend to vary, as with their threshold level for what’s to be considered edible. It’s normal for foreign cuisines to be imported into a country. However, they should probably remain as that – exotic foods. When the imported food starts to become mainstream, it’ll begin to dilute what’s originally there. True, there were quite a number of Tibetan restaurants while in Lhasa. They served not only Tibetal dishes, but western ones too. However, once we left Lhasa and were on the road trip, we started to see more and more restaurants with chinese menus. At first, our group would eat at them. However, right now when I think back, I should have had my meals at the Tibetan restaurants. After all, that’s why I went to Tibet for, in the first place.
The pouring in of money is always good. However, pumping in funds to boost the infrastructure, standard of living and what not for the sole purpose of improvement, is good provided that the society improves along with it. While in Tibet, it’s kind of like a hot-pot of different cultures and habits all mixed into one. Along some streets, you can see (nice) modern looking rows of modern looking shops. Along the next street, you can sometimes see someone peeing just by the roadside. It’s just so weird. Lhasa is divided into two main sectors, with the western side being the modern looking chinese sector, and the east, the old traditional Tibetan sector. No prizes for guessing where I stayed at. The only time I was at the dhinese sector was when I visited the Potala Palace. Apart from that, I wasn’t there long enough to have a good look around.
On the other hand, let’s imagine that the chinese government and their (silly) ideas did not find their way into Tibet. Let’s just imagine that for one moment. There won’t be any money eing pumped in from the outside world. Of course, there is always the loan from the World Bank, or something of that sort. Still, it is a loan, and it’s something which will have to be repaid in the end. So, without any added funding, the only improvements infrastructure and living standard wise, will all have to come from the people themselves. The pace of development would be slow yes, but as the country develops itself, their economy and standard of living would improve in tandem. Much like lifting up a toothpick at each end, with a few Polo sweets threaded thru. If you lift both ends evenly, the whole system would be in balance. However, if you life only one side up, all the sweets would just slide out.
No doubt, had Tibet been left alone, their average lifetime may not have improved by much, but I’m pretty much sure that it will definitely improve. As with the case at anywhere else in the world, there will always be improvements, with the only difference being the rate at which it improves.
If you ask me, I think I’d very much prefer the old Tibet, thank you. The old Tibet as seen in the movie, 7 Years in Tibet. The streets may be old, but they have character. The place may stink, but at least it’s the real deal, though it can get really unbearable at times. It’s the Tibet of old, which is what’s worth seeing and experiencing. That’s what gives Tibet it’s rural charm. Frankly speaking, I was very much saddened when I first set foot in Lhasa. Saddened by the sheer numbers of chinese in there. And it’s set to get worse, with the railway (supposedly) preparing to begin operations in July of 2006. Just when I had initially thought that it’ll be at least 2007 before it goes into operation. With that, comes (probably) cheaper way to get into Tibet. Of course, it’ll boost tourism into Tibet, but the side effect of this is the increase in numbers of mainland chinese setting up camp in Tibet, with the added accessibility provided by the train service. With more tourists, the proverbial pie would grow. However, the number of Tibetans won’t grow as fast as compared to the amount of chinese from mainland china pouring in. In the end, what was an already unevenly cut pie would slowly become even worse. Things are starting to look rather bleak, at this point.
It’s the chinese government which is the big bully along. It has been one since the start, and I don’t foresee any change, anytime soon. Just as what happened to Tibet, china is apparently trying to strongarm Taiwan into following into the footsteps of Tibet. Only difference is that Tibet didn’t have a choice. Heck, I won’t be surprised that in the distant future, more and more mainland chinese will start pouring into Singapore. In no time at all, Singapore would probably be pulled under the wing of the motherland.
I think I’d better get out before that happens.
