BBC tries to legitimise a "Tibetan government in exile"

Posted on MEDIALENS by RMS, Email on March 17, 2008

All morning BBC news has been quoting a "Tibetan government in exile" when no such body exists, apart from [in] the minds of a group of self appointed Tibetan exiles headed by a despot millionaire.

Not one single country in the world recognises such a government including the UN. Who ever elected this "government"? When and where? As usual the BBC has rushed to sensationalise the orchestrated events of the last few days and dredge up the usual "experts" to give their jaundiced views.

It was refreshing however to listen to Professor Barry Southman on R4 this morning who spelt out his views on the reality of the situation regarding Tibet. He made it clear that the trouble has been fermented mainly by the violent "Tibetan Youth Organisation" based in the US and largely funded by the CIA. He cited an interview in the "Chicago tribune" by this group who said they would use the Beijing Olympics to stir up trouble including the "use of violence".

Prof Southman also stated the situation in Tibet was complex, there is a lot of ethnic tension between Tibetan merchants who are opposed to Han Merchants, Chinese Muslim Merchants and others. Also groups of monks have been engaged in activities associated with the violence. Most of the businesses that have been attacked and those killed were Chinese.

He also said quite sensibly, as many on this board have said, that creating smaller "independent states" (e.g.Kosovo) leads to violence and instability. He made it clear that no government in the world has ever recognised an independent Tibet including the UN.

The claims of cultural ethnic cleansing made by the Dalai Lama he said were wildly exaggerated and he has seen "no evidence of it at all".

The BBC has reported Dalai Lama claims of 100 people killed by the Chinese police, there is not a single shred of evidence of this, where are the bodies? After all a few days ago the BBC was proudly broadcasting pictures from Tibet, if there were a 100 bodies lying about does not any one think that someone, somewhere, would have been taking photos?

Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth

Read it here