Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday, November 28, 1997

Calgary Sun November 27, 1997

By JOE WARMINGTON -- Calgary Sun There was laughter at the Palliser Hotel yesterday as Chinese President Jiang Zemin was `white hatted' in perhaps the shortest ceremony in Calgary history.

It was probably fitting they left the `Yahoo' part out. On a day with so much laughter, I thought it was amusing how a few minutes after being all smiles, Jiang turned his head away as I asked him about his new hat. How dare I ask him a question was the look he gave me. Granted there's a language barrier here, but most world leaders would have said something humorous.

I was waiting for the tank to run me over. A few steps later, I found out what Jiang finds funny. As a crowd protested Tibet and Tiananmen Square, Jiang merely smiled. But once in the backseat, I saw how he really felt. He was laughing again. He sure can turn it on and off.

I suspect he was probably also laughing at Canada. What a country, he must have been thinking. Imagine a guy with such heinous human rights violations in his past and we are bestowing him with our highest honor?

The white hatting didn't go over well with many people. At the mayor's office later, Ald. Barry Erskine stuck his head in and asked: "Did the Chinese leader get white hatted today?"

"Yes," said a mayor's assistant. Erskine shook his head in disgust. "That's going way too far," he said, noting the honor is supposed to be for the "good guys." He's right.

Ald. John Schmal said while he believes a reception is necessary for such a figure, the white hatting wasn't. He's also right. Maybe they should have given him a black hat. But before we dump over Mayor Al Duerr -- who has never hidden the fact that he's pro-China and still won three terms -- it must be said the white hatting is just the latest in a series of sellouts going on for years.

I don't like it, I wouldn't have done it, but I realize the damage was done a long time ago when we didn't stand up to the Beijing Butchers in 1989. Our political leaders then, and now, are gutless opportunist.

I think it's time we look at ourselves. I just wish we as a North American society would admit the truth that we don't collectively care about human rights in this world -- especially when a buck is at stake. We don't collectively care about a lot of things. Just look at all the compromises we make with our environment. The truth is we only care about money.

If we as a world were really serious about protesting the Tiananmen slaughter or what happened in Tibet, we would have made our mark then -- and I'm not talking about holding off on a white hat. I am talking about no further trade with China. That's the statement.

Jiang also laughs because he knows many of the protesters were wearing Chinese products, made by people whom we would consider slaves. Check the tag of your shirt. Where was it made? The one I'm wearing says "Made in China." I wish I wasn't but I was wearing it at the time I spoke to him.

White hat or no white hat we are all part of the problem when it comes to stopping human rights violations. If we really wanted to change things, we'd have to purchase no products from China, have no diplomatic dealings and charge its leaders with crimes against humanity to be tried before the world court in The Hague.

What's that I hear? Is that Jiang laughing again