Looks Worse Than It Is - Oh - It's Worse Than It Looks
Two issues looming large in China of late; the success of the Beijing Olympic Games and the need to eradicate "splittism" influences and tendencies in Tibet.The former was, along with other fears of human rights abuses in the country, a contentious issue of great note when the Olympics Committee was about its business of selecting a country to showcase the 2008 Summer Games, and in their great good wisdom they reached the conclusion that with the attention of the world focused on China, it would see the wisdom of ramping down its Tibet crackdown.
And then, of course, there was the matter of the country's dynamic economic engine creating ever more environmental carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric detritus through the reality of coal-fired energy besmirching the air and the health of China's citizens. As it would the lungs, the eyes, and the comfort of countless visitors to the country on the occasion of the Summer Olympics.
China pledged it would clean up its atmosphere, and remained mum on Tibet.
It could certainly not deny its environmental problems, there to be seen within the country and without, through the auspices of prevailing winds. But it could, would and most certainly did deny that it was exercising the politics of a cruel tyranny on the people of Tibet; China wanted nothing more than to ensure that all its citizens - including Tibetans - adhered to its prerogatives of universal rule.
Now, close to the opening of the Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee is biting its proverbial nails in anticipation of an opening and ongoing proceedings that may take place in a murky atmosphere of soiled pollution. Not so, claim China's officials, cheerfully pointing out that what outsiders see as a deep gray haze is merely "fog". It will clear off handily for the games.
Beijing has had a million or more fewer vehicles polluting its atmosphere for the past week, and heavily pollution-causing businesses have been told to take a holiday from production. Yet, amazingly, the air pollution index has increased, with levels above 100 ,reflecting "unhealthy" air quality, injurious to the lungs of children and the elderly.
Beijing's deputy director of its Environmental Protection Bureau chides international news reportage, for its specious reliance on blurry-air photographs; all is not quite what it seems. The international community has his assurance that air quality would more than meet the IOC's standards "We can guarantee good air quality during the Games", said he.
There will be many "blue-sky" days; those days when the sun can be made out through the terminal haze of the city and where the air pollution index falls gracefully under 100. Now, in the matter of the criminal intransigence of Tibetan monks who inspire in their people the mood to rebel, that's another matter entirely. It is an interior problem, not the world's to measure.
China cannot and will not put up with criminal subversion of her legal right to rule yet another province of her vast territories. Tibetan Buddhist abbots and other religious leaders who foment unrest and who fail to defer to Beijing's orders to "re-educate" their flock will be summarily replaced. This, to take place where some of the violent clashes between monks and security forces occurred earlier in the year.
This representing, evidently, the most propitious opportunity for Beijing to address the Tibet problem, concurrent with the opening of the Beijing Olympics. The monasteries, monks and nuns who continue to flagrantly defy government edicts by distributing splittist slogans and fliers, who hoist the Tibetan national flag and who encourage illegal demonstrations will be dealt with.
Those found guilty of "minor crimes" will be dealt with expeditiously and exposed to "re-education" techniques certain to make good citizens of them. Those deemed to be in the category of "masterminds" of the unrest, encouraging splittism will face the full force of the law. Details are quite unnecessary.
The climate-based environment is better than it looks, take their word for it. The political environment is more critical than it might appear to the casual onlooker; you have the word of government. All will be speedily and handily resolved.
Let the Games begin!
Labels: Conflict, Environment, Social-Cultural Deviations
posted by Pieface @ Monday, July 28, 2008
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