Tibet – Historical Lense

Posted on April 19, 2021 by bugsy122019

Hong Kong Update 😢

You may remember several months ago I spoke about the current crack-down on Hong Kong by the Beijing government. A number of democracy activists had ben thrown into prison for their involvement in an unauthorized protest on August 18, 2019 involving more than 1.7 million people. In April 2020, 72-year-old Jimmu Lai, the owner and publisher of the Apple Daily News, and 82-year-old Martin Lee, the founder of Hong Kong’s democracy movement and one of the people who put together the original Hong Kong constitution, and seven others, were jailed. In May, the Communist Party announced that it would try to pass a new National Security Law. Despite more protests and pushback from the Hong Kong legislature, they “passed” the new laws just before midnight on June 30, 2020.

The trials of the original nine individuals were relatively short, and everyone expected the outcome. On Friday, April 17, District Judge Amanda Woodcock passed the sentences–8 to 18 months. Mr. Lee and three other people got a suspended sentence because of their age, and as long as they didn’t commit any other crimes for the next two years. Mr. Lai, however, received a 12-month sentence. And that’s the least of his problems. While in jail awaiting his sentence, Beijing added new charges of foreign collusion and additional counts. That could end up with a life sentence.

Recently, Hong Kong’s prosecutors (the phrase Quisling— a person how collaborates with an enemy force that’s occupying that country–comes to mind) have charged 47 additional democratic activists with a variety of offensives, again using the National Security Laws. They tend to be younger individuals and it’s possible that they may receive longer terms. And of course, many of the young people who took to the street during the protests, are still waiting for their day in court. Many Hong Kongers have already left. Others are making their final arrangements ,to leave, but they know that the noose is getting tighter by the week. Still others have decided to stay and do what they can continue the insurrection–though largely underground.

It’s difficult to watch one of the most prosperous, beautiful cities turned into simply another large, grey, Chinese city. Have we done anything to help? Well, we’ve passed resolutions, and President Biden has said that the US seriously disagrees with Beijing’s behavior. Okay. Beijing doesn’t care. They’ve ignored the 1997 treaty with Great Britain. They haven take Tibet. They’ve put Uighurs in in slave-labor or concentration camps. They’ve decided they want Hong Kong and are in the process of absorbing it. And we’ve done nothing. How about we lobby for Mr. Lai? Lobby the Nobel Peace Prize for Mr. Lee? Make it clear that any Hong Konger goes to the head of the line when asking for asylum in the US. There is much we can do short of bullets to help.

A logical questions is, what’s next. Well, if we paid attention we’d see that what Beijing really wants is Taiwan. They’ve made that very clear. Taiwan understands that. Two weeks ago, the Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, announced that the nation will defend itself “to the very last day” if attacked by Beijing. And It’s good to see that the US, UK, and Australia seem to be paying attention. But this reminds we of Poland 82 years ago. The Poles intended to defend Poland to the end. And France and Great Britain signed treaty agreeing to come to their rescue if Germany attacked. What happened? Basically nothing. Are we going to help Taiwan in its time of need?

Posted on February 24, 2021 by bugsy122019

Time for an Update

It’s been a while since I discussed current events in Hong Kong, the Uighur’s and other Turkic peoples in Xinjiang province, as well as Tibet, so like I said, it’s time for an update. What’s been going on? Sad to say, very little good news.

Jimmy Lai at a meeting of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy

Remember Jimmy Lai–the billionaire entrepreneur from Hong Kong who owns the Apple Daily News, and who is a pillar of democracy? Well he was jailed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in December 2020 because he had been involved in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020. He was originally given bail–more like house arrest, but at least not in jail. A few weeks ago, he was re-arrested and the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal denied his bail because they believe he had committed crimes against the state, and colluded with foreign forces. They also said that he has the means to flee which, in fact he does, but he’s made it very clear to everyone that he will never leave Hong Kong. He could have left at any time in the past 30 years, but stayed to fight for freedom.

Ultimately, the CCP is trying to use Lai to intimidate the Hong Kongers, making an example of what can happen to people who defy the government. But this very well might backfire for Beijing because Jimmy Lai may be willing to become a martyr for liberty. He grew up on the mainland and knows how the Party works. As things stand now, he’s stuck in prison until his first court appearance in April. Want to bet that it turns into a show trial? Many Hong Kongers support Lai and democracy, but the CCP tends to take a difference view. They hope that keeping Lai in prison will suppress the Hong Kongers. After all, if someone like Lai can be jailed, what would happen to them?

Many families are having serious discussions about whether to stay or leave Hong Kong. Many have already left, and as the noose tightens, more are trying to move ASAP. Here too, the CCP is trying to set up road-blocks. For years, Hong Kongers have held British National (Overseas) Passports, the BN(O), issued since 1987. On January 29th, Zhan Lijian, the Chinese Foreign Minister announced that China wouldn’t recognize the BN(O) for people boarding flights out of Hong Kong as of January 31st. They would require the Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID). Great Britain has already changed its policies to make it easier for Hong Kongers become citizens of the UK, but when media broke the news about the newest restriction, the US, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Japan and Taiwan, in addition to the UK, announced that they would recognize the BN(O), in an effort to help Hong Kongers.

Remember, though, that Hong Kong is just the latest attempt of the CCP to suppress a people. We’ve talked about Tibet, where the Dalai Lama had to flee, temples have been destroyed, and the people basically enslaved. We hear more about the Uighur’s these days, because it’s clear that they have been forced into concentration camps, are raped, starved, beaten, and forced into “re-education” camps, while many others end up slave laborers making everything from sneakers to soda.

One of the very few rays of sum light in all this misery is that both former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and current Secretary of State Anthony Blinken are harsh critics of China’s horrifying human rights policies. It’s early days for the new administration–here’s hoping that they take their current comments seriously. I, too, understand real politik pretty well, but there’s something more important. Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury’s belief that “When principle is involved, be deaf to expediency.” Think about that before you buy a pair of sneakers.

Posted on July 4, 2020 by bugsy122019

WOLF WARRIORS

In 2015 the movie, “Wolf Warrior,” about an elite unit of the PLA, was a box-office smash in China, followed in 2017 by Wolf Warrior II. These days, the term “Wolf Warrior” describes an extremely aggressive approach that China is using around the world. While most nations are focused close to home, Beijing is expanding its tentacles in numerous parts of the world. There are no interesting pictures today, just serious words which we should not forget, even as we deal with problems in our own backyards. (I promise pictures next time!)

South China Sea. In March and April, China carried out training exercises in the South China Sea around one of their artificial island. They have increased the size of one, and created several new ones. They built installations on Woody Island, and currently dispute both the Spratly and Paracel Islands. They unilaterally banned summer fishing in disputed waters in Vietnam, and are causing serious issues with the Philippines. Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines are pushing back, and are working with the US to maintain the international freedom of the seas.

East China Sea. China is disputing not one or two, but eight islands there. Japan recently discovered a Chinese submarine sailing around both the Mayakovsky and Senkaku Islands, both owned by Japan. Tension has grown, and both countries have ramped up their radar and others military activities in the area.

Hong Kong. Sadly, things in Hong Kong have gone from bad to worse. Once the new laws and so-called security measures were passed by Beijing, it only took a few weeks for them to move security forces into Hong Kong. Well over 500 people have already been rounded up. More is coming. Police have told restaurant owners to get rid of pro-democracy posters. City officials have offered 1 Million Hong Kong dollars to anyone who helps in the arrest of a “subversive.” Despite significant US and UK sanctions, Beijing is taking Hong Kong apart. The UK has offered 3 million visa to Hong Kongers, though Beijing will not make it easy for the best and the brightest to leave. There’s an uneasy quiet in Hong Kong—most of the protests have gone underground. Many China-watchers expect that they’ve moved on to insurrection.

Tibet. Mao Zedong seized Tibet in 1949. In 1976, at the end of the Cultural Revolution, PLA troops built several roads up the high plateau to Tibet. Hundreds of men died along the way—didn’t matter. As soon as the PLA arrived in Tibet, they squelching any unrest at all, and started to close monasteries. Resentment built until there were riots against the Chinese in 2008. Beijing upped it’s game. Since 2011 virtually everyone has been barred from entering Tibet. Tibetans may only speak Mandarin Chinese anywhere outside the home. Beijing has been moving a great number of Han people into Tibet as teachers and virtually everything but the most menial laborers. Anyone wanting to become a monk has to pass stringent requirements to become a “patriotic, pious, expert.” Buddhist are badly mistreated on a daily basis.

Uighurs. The Uighurs are Muslims living in the area called East Turkmenistan, Uighuristan, or Xinjiang province which Mao grabbed in 1949. In the past twenty years, Beijing has destroyed Uighur mosques, and been more repressive than even in Tibet. Currently 1.3 million people are held in more than 85 massive detention camps—basically concentration camps with slave labor, torture and death. Those Uighirs who are not in the “reeducation camps” work under the harshest conditions with drones and massive cypher-security keeping track of everyone all the time. Currently, Beijing has started, preemptive pregnancy checks, forced sterilization, abortions, and forced birth control. Ultimately, it’s genocide

Sino-Indian Skirmishes. The short India-China War lasted from October 20, 1962, to November 20, 1962, leaving the Line of Actual Control in the area around Ladakh and Sikkiman near the Galwan Valley. Recently India has begun some large infrastructure projects, and in a preemptive move the Chinese sent troops to the area. On June 15, 20 Indian soldiers were killed, and 10 were held by the Chinese until June 18. It’s unknown how many, if any, Chinese were killed or wounded because Beijing refuses to divulge the information. The entire Indian nation is infuriated on every level because it’s become clear that Beijing wants to encroach on Indian sovereignty. India is pushing back. Interestingly, they have stopped using about 50 apps, including the seemingly fun TikTok, because those apps provide a back door for a huge amount of data that goes straight to Beijing. At the same time a number of nations are sending weapons and materiel requested by India, making it clear to China that it’s in for a fight if it goes any further.

As if all that wasn’t enough, China is doing its best to get involved in Venezuela, parts of Africa, Iran and areas in the Middle East. And don’t forget Taiwan!!

So, why would I start discussing China on a national holiday? Because this is 4th of July weekend, and I’ve been rereading something George Washington wrote in 1799. “…make them believe that offensive operations, often times, is the surest, if not the only means of defense.” Beijing understands that. Even before the pandemic, China’s had serious economic problems, problems with the “belt and road,” problems in Hong Kong and Taiwan, etc. Now, most of the world is angry with China because even if it didn’t invent Covid-19, it didn’t alert anyone until it was much too late. What to do? Personally, I’d apologize profusely and do everything I could to be helpful. (But I’m a dog lover.) Xi Jinping is smarter than I am. And he’s a Wolf Warrior. When in doubt, attack—economically, culturally or militarily—especially when people are otherwise occupied. At the very least you can buy time. Best case, you get more of what you wanted in the first place. … Something to ponder.