Report on Zhu Rui's Press Conference
On February 28, 2009, the Tibetan Women's Association was pleased to launch a new book by Chinese journalist, author, and activist, Zhu Rui. A response and refutation to the 'White Paper on Protection of Tibetan Culture' released by the Press Department of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, her Response to the White Paper sought to address the numerous fallacies officially sanction by the Chinese government. Published by the TWA, Zhu Rui's work includes much groundbreaking research and represents an important step towards promoting cultural and historical understanding between Chinese and Tibetans. In a question and response session following the book launch, Zhu Rui was given the opportunity to explain and elaborate on a range of points, from her original motivations in writing to her views on the current political situation and beyond.
Directly prompted by the government 'White Paper', Zhu Rui was disgusted and angered by the officially endorsed distortion of reality presented as objective fact. She unequivocally stated that Tibet was not historically a feudal backwater as the Chinese regime would suggest, that the flourishing of Tibetan medicine, art, philosophy, and culture directly contradict any attempt to portray pre-occupation Tibet as entrenched within the 'Dark Ages'. Zhu Rui also called into doubt Chinese long-standing claim that the 1949 invasion brought hope to an oppressed land, wondering aloud how any country could serve to propagate freedom and security when they themselves were reeling under failed Maoist policies and the Great Famine.
Zhu Rui also sought to disprove the vehement rhetorical attacks launched against His Holiness the Dalai Lama, stressing his numerous accomplishments both within Tibetan society and world at large. Citing His Holiness’ consistent and well-documented commitment to democracy, peace, and human rights and freedoms, Zhu Rui painted a portrait completely at odds with Chinese government doctrine.
Zhu Rui emphatically condemned the current realities on the ground in Tibet, calling it, in no uncertain words, a clear-cut case of "cultural genocide". Citing from her own extensive travels, she recalled that of over 500 historical heritage cites once located within Lhasa, only 33 remained in 1997. She further stated that the destruction of the Tibetan identity is intensifying, that what was formerly an attack upon culture and traditions now also includes shocking environmental degradation that threatens to destroy the very matrix of Tibetan existence.
She finds that any future solution to the Tibetan crisis hinges upon developing greater understanding between the two cultures. Zhu Rui found that this artificial creation of an 'old' vs. 'new' Tibet dichotomy served only to breed conflict. The rhetoric of an ancient, feudal, barbarian Tibet offset by the glitz of modern Lhasa fosters dissension and is a purposeful misleading of Chinese nationals by the government.
As such, educating Chinese regarding the history and culture of Tibet is an essential step towards creating the honest communication that forms a necessary pre-condition to any resolution. To this end Zhu Rui has pledged to continue to write the unadulterated truth, and work to build awareness within China. Printed in Chinese in this First Edition, Zhu Rui’s Response is thus aimed at reaching primarily a Chinese audience, both on the Mainland and the international Diaspora abroad.
When asked about the possibilities of Chinese and Tibetan co-existence that is peaceful, substantively free, and fundamentally equal, Zhu Rui cited the success of Canada's decentralized governmental framework. She finds that a multiethnic society is possible where democracy is fully implemented. While she stated explicitly that such a solution was impossible under the current political regime, Zhu Rui was also optimistic. Citing an increasing trend of educated Chinese demanding greater and greater democratic freedoms, she found that as increasing numbers of Chinese nationals push for full democratic reform, that a systemic political shift would be possible.
And as a final retort to those Chinese detractors that would label her a 'traitor', Zhu Rui remarked that many critics are chronic negators of everything and anything, from Falun Gong, to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to Taiwan and democracy. Finding this mentality of negativity to be self-destructive and self-defeating, she reiterated the necessity of refusing condemnation in favour of mutual understanding, and that the only way to improve any situation is to build communication and create solutions, not to languish in blame and censure.
About the Author
Writer Zhu Rui, who was born in northeastern China, lived and worked in Tibet for several years as both editor and journalist but is now based in Canada. She has published several novels, poems, essays, and a number of short stories. Most of her work is related to Tibet. In March 2008 after the uprising in Tibet, Ms. Zhu Rui published many articles on the Internet, including "Why Tibetans Want to Protest", "The Army, Machine Guns, and Bullets, Not Control the Hearts of Tibetans", "Write to Some Chinese", "Invite The Dalai Lama ", "Extreme Nationalist Sentiment on both Chinese and Tibetan Communities Are Disadvantaged", "A Letter to His Holiness the Dalai Lama", "Hope the One in Power Doesn't Miss This Opportunity ", "Hope of Tibet", "Exclusive Interview with Arjia Rinpoche", "Exclusive Interview with the 17th Karmapa Rinpoche", "Exclusive Interview with Mr. Thupten Lungrig, the Minister of the Department of Education", "In the End, Han is Han" and other articles.
China Issues White Paper on Protection of Tibetan Culture; a Summary
From Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2008
China issued a white paper on Thursday to acquaint the world with its efforts on the protection and development of Tibetan culture, refuting the charge of the so-called "cultural genocide" in Tibet. It is "published to give the international community a better understanding of the reality of the protection and development of Tibetan culture" and "to further the protection and development of Tibetan culture", the white paper on Protection and Development of Tibetan Culture said.
The white paper consists of six parts, "Foreword", "Learning, Use and Development of the Spoken and Written Tibetan Languages", "Inheritance, Protection and Promotion of the Tibetan Cultural Heritage", "Religious Beliefs and Native Customs Respected", "All-round Development of Modern Science, Education and the Media" and "Conclusion". It is "citing facts to expose the lie about the 'cultural genocide' in Tibet fabricated by the 14th Dalai Lama and his cohorts", and "exposing the deceptive nature of the 'cultural autonomy of Tibet' they clamor for".
Over the past half century, and especially since the adoption of the reform and opening-up policies in 1978, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the protection and development of Tibetan culture, it said.
"With great enthusiasm and a highly responsible attitude... the Chinese government has dedicated a large amount of manpower, materials and funds to the protection and promotion of fine traditional Tibetan culture, and vigorously developed modern scientific, educational and cultural undertakings in Tibet, bringing about unprecedented protection and development of Tibetan culture," it stated. "Dalai Lama and his clique and the anti-China forces in the West conspire to force the Tibetan ethnic group and its culture to stagnate and remain in a state similar to the Middle Ages, in effect to become living fossils, while they themselves enjoy the fruits of modern civilization and culture," said the white paper released by the Information Office of the State Council, which is the seventh of its kind on Tibet.
Tibetan culture is a lustrous pearl of Chinese culture as well as a precious part of world culture. "The Tibetan people have developed their culture by means of interaction ad fusion with other cultures, especially that of the Han people. Over the centuries, Tibetan culture has remained a spiritual pillar for the Tibetan ethnic group," it said.
Before 1959 the 14th Dalai Lama monopolized both political and religious power. The serf owners, accounting for less than five percent of the total population of old Tibet, possessed all the means of production and cultural and educational resources in Tibet, monopolizing the material and cultural wealth of the region.
The Democratic Reform in 1959 abolished theocratic feudal serfdom, while ending the monopoly of the minority of nobility and senior monks over culture and education. The broad masses of serfs and slaves were politically, economically and mentally emancipated, and became the real masters in protecting, developing and enjoying Tibetan culture, according to the white paper. "The reform made Tibetan culture a people's culture, and inaugurated a promising future for its development," it said.
The white paper said facts show that there has been no "cultural genocide" in Tibet at all over the past half century and more.
On the contrary, the traditional culture of Tibet has been appropriately inherited, effectively protected and vigorously promoted, while modern Tibetan culture, oriented toward modernization, the future and the rest of the world, has opened up to the outside world and achieved rapid and all-round development propelled by Tibet's economic and social development, it said.
"It is safe to say that the situation concerning the protection, prosperity and development of Tibetan culture in any historical period of old Tibet bears no comparison with the situation in Tibet today, and the achievements in this regard are undeniable to anyone who respects facts," it stated.
The 14th Dalai Lama and his clique fled abroad nearly half a century ago, and have never made any efforts for or contributions to the protection and development of Tibetan culture, said the white paper. However, they absurdly claim themselves to be "protectors of Tibetan culture."
They have clamored about the "cultural genocide" in Tibet for the sole reason that their cultural despotism and cultural system along with their cultural privileges and vested interests have been irretrievably destroyed due to the irresistible development of Tibetan culture, said the white paper.
It said that the 14th Dalai Lama and his clique's clamor for "cultural autonomy of Tibet" is essentially a political conspiracy to restore theocratic rule over the culture of Tibet and other Tibetan-inhabited regions, and thus realize the "independence of Greater Tibet."
"Such a scheme of historical retrogression is bound to fail," concluded the white paper.
Book in Chinese
You can read the Zhu Rui's book in Chinese on the following links.
Tibet Post
Peace Hall
Zhu Rui's Blog