Tsering Namgyal

Asia Times, April 10, 1997

History has kept Tibet and Taiwan apart. While Tibetans have sought independence, Taipei, which claims to be China's sole legitimate government, has considered Tibet an inalienable part of the country. The differences between the two sides were irreconcilable and highly political.

But during his recent visit to Taiwan, the Dalai Lama repeatedly intoned that "the past is past", suggesting that a thaw might now be possible.

The visit represented a breakthrough in relations between Taipei and the Tibetan government-in-exile, the first such trip by the Tibetan spiritual leader to an island that refers to itself as the Republic of China and still claims Tibet and Mongolia as provinces.

The political climate in Taiwan, however, has evolved over time. Last year's first direct presidential election marked continuing trend toward democracy and self-determination, a development fed by the rise of native Taiwanese within the island's government.

At the same time, the Dalai Lama, recognizing the situation in Tibet, has abandoned his demand of independence for the Himalayan region, opting instead for "genuine autonomy and self-rule" as stipulated in the five-point peace plan he presented to the European Parliament in 1988. The spiritual leader clearly reiterated this position in March 1995, when he said that in the past he had "deliberately restrained" himself from emphasizing the historical and legal status of Tibet. "Theoretically speaking," he said, "it is not impossible that the six million Tibetans could benefit from joining the one billion Chinese of their own free will, if a relationship based on equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect could be established."

Despite a fair amount of confusion on this point among foreigners, and even among Tibetans, this has been the consistent position of the Dalai Lama and of the Tibetan government-in-exile since 1979, when direct contacts were established with the Chinese leadership in Beijing as the first concrete step toward realizing this objective.

That year, the Chinese government invited Gyalo Thondup - the Mandarin-speaking elder brother of the Dalai Lama and also a member of his entourage in Taiwan - for talks. Deng Xiaoping, who completed his consolidation of power in Beijing that year, told Gyalo Thondup that the new Chinese leadership was willing to discuss all the issues relating to Tibet except the question of independence. The exiled Tibetan leadership, in response, sent a number of fact-finding delegations to Tibet through Beijing.

The delegations then made specific suggestions to Beijing for improving conditions in Tibet.

Several offers of assistance, such as sending volunteer teachers from among the Tibetans in exile, were made as the Tibetan leadership believed they would not only help improve conditions in Tibet but also be important confidence-building measures that would help develop a meaningful dialogue with Beijing.

On March 23, 1981, the Dalai Lama wrote to Deng expressing his pleasure at politburo member "Hu Yaobang's efforts to make every possible attempt to right the wrongs by frankly admitting to the past mistakes after his visit to Lhasa".

China should have been pleased by the Dalai Lama's suggestion that "we must improve the relationship between China and Tibet as well as between Tibetans in Tibet and outside Tibet". But despite the apparent pragmatism of the spiritual leader's "Middle Way" approach, the Chinese were unwilling to discuss anything short of the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet.

Although it would be simplistic to analyze the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan in purely political terms, one might wonder how Tibetans reacted to the visit by their leader to a place that still claims Tibet as a part of China.

Most Tibetans fully respect his decision, believing that it can only help the Tibetan cause, though some minority activist bodies see the Dalai Lama's recent actions as too conciliatory.

Such differences of opinion are understandable, as the 62-year-old Tibetan leader has attempted to run his government-in-exile as a democracy, complete with a cabinet and a legislature - located in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala - comprised of representatives from all of Tibet's different regions and religious sects. The Tibetans are considered one of the most successful refugee groups in Asia and a lot of credit for this goes to the community's leadership and its efforts to preserve Tibetan language and culture.

Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui has publicly expressed respect for the Dalai Lama's pacifist approach in the past, and has pledged on numerous occasions support for Tibetan freedom - something unprecedented from a Taiwanese president. Lee's earlier overtures, which went largely unnoticed at the time, are now being interpreted by the community as overwhelmingly positive.

During a meeting with Tibetan residents in Taiwan on March 25, the Dalai Lama said he looked forward to meeting with Lee and lauded his contribution to democracy in Taiwan. He also said he wanted to open a representative office in Taipei, which would act as a medium to enable cultural and religious exchanges.

The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) - a Cabinet-level body - is currently charged with administering Taiwan's relations with the two regions, on the assumption that they are provinces of the Republic of China. The Dalai Lama's proposal could be aimed at pushing the MTAC to the backstage, as the group has a history of lending financial support to various alternative Tibetan groups - both when the Dalai Lama still lived in Tibet and after his voluntary exile in 1959 - creating misunderstandings among the exiles.

Most recently, in 1994 some members of the MTAC signed a joint declaration with Chushi Gangdruk, formerly a Tibetan guerrilla organization that had fought the communists, saying that the MTAC would declare Tibet an autonomous region and recognize the Dalai Lama as its head after the reunification of China. This declaration was reportedly signed in exchange for financial benefits.

Though on the surface the declaration may not seem to run counter to the interests of the Tibetan government-in-exile, since it complied with the Dalai Lama's official policy of "no independence, but genuine self-rule", it was an unnecessary agreement that many analysts believe was intended to split loyalties and sow the seeds of division among Tibetan exiles.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan's largest opposition party and a supporter of independence for the island, is also advocating the abolition of the MTAC and has vowed to do away with it should the party come to power. Indeed, the Dalai Lama met with key DPP leaders during his visit to Taiwan and told them that the MTAC had "spoiled your [Taiwan's] reputation among the Tibetans".

One of the most interesting but largely ignored developments in the evolving relationship between Taiwan and Tibet is the increasing level of solidarity that exists between the DPP and the government-in - exile. In a show of support for Tibetan independence, for example, the DPP ordered its offices all over the world to hoist the Tibetan national flag throughout the Dalai Lama's stay in Taiwan.

Much to the dismay of those on Taiwan who favor reunification with China rather than independence, a large Tibetan flag flew over Taipei city headquarters during the Tibetan leader's visit (Mayor Chen Shiu-bian is a DPP politician).

Neither Tibetans nor Taiwanese had imagined there would be such a level of solidarity, and some analysts believe the DPP's unprecedented support for the Tibetan cause may simply be a pretext for presenting once again the case for Taiwan's independence.

The Tibetan issue has gained much more international sympathy than Taiwanese independence, mainly because of the Dalai Lama's towering personality. Referring to himself often as "a Buddhist monk", the Tibetan leader has won praise by refusing to show ill-will toward Beijing, despite reports from supporters and non-governmental organizations that China is continuing to systematically destroy the Tibetan religion and culture.

The Dalai Lama's visit has brought the issue of Tibetan autonomy to the fore in Taiwan, and has also highlighted both areas' aspirations on a global stage. Both face a common foe, China, and a common predicament - international isolation. The Dalai Lama said during a stopover at Fujen Catholic University that his supporters should sympathize with Beijing as much as they did with Tibet - for the Tibetans will not remain victims forever.

He seems to be equally optimistic about the future of his new friends in Taiwan.