World Tibet Network News Monday, April 20, 1998

The Financial Post, Toronto, Canada March 24th, 1998

By Diane Francis

DHARAMSALA India - High in the Himalayas the Dalai Lama "rules" in exile over Tibetans, He is a very warm man who lives in a magnificent ashram overlooking a forested valley. He is a good politician, too, who hosts audiences to promote the freeing of Tibet because of his people's plight under Chinese communism. Now Hollywood has taken up his cause with two hit movies about his life, Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet.

In mid-March on holiday in India. I joined a spiritual group that had an audience with him. The room was lined with aides, monks with shaved heads and bodyguards from Indian security forces. About 120 of us sat on chairs surrounded by yellow, red, blue and green tapestries, embroideries and banners. He sat cross-legged in his maroon robe on a pillow on a dais with a

microphone in front and translator beside him.

But he spoke English beautifully, turning occasionally to his translator when stumped for a word. He was totally charming and made jokes, giggled, preached gently about the importance of compassion in life then shook hands with all of us and posed for a group photograph. The next day there was a benefit concert with famous musical groups for the "Free Tibet" cause after a speech by the Dalai Lama.

He sees positive changes in China's leadership, a significant opinion because he is an astute China-watcher and an esteemed member of the global lobby to bringing about freedom in China "The sweeping changes across the globe have also embraced China", he told a gathering of several thousand in his temple.

"The reforms, initiated by Deng Xiaoping, have altered not only the Chinese economy, but also the political system, making it less ideological, less reliant on mass mobilization, less coercive and less stifling for the average citizen."

He noted that Beijing is becoming more decentralized and more willing to join international organizations and agencies, even those requiring obedience to the rule of law.

"A remarkable development and achievement has been the smooth transfer of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty last year and Beijing's subsequent pragmatic and flexible handling of issues." he said.

"Also recent statements from Beijing on restraining cross-strait negotiations with Taiwan reflect apparent flexibility and softening of its stance. In short, there is no doubt that China today is a better place to live in than 15 or 20 years ago."

But human rights violations are "grave" and the situation in Tibet has worsened, a message he has brought to world attention for 39 years since his exile culminating in his Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. And his public relations effort has come out of this remote, tiny village 2,300 meters above sea level.

An exile in India, his presence dominates this town of 5,000. Dirt streets and hostels are populated by his maroon-clad monks and nuns, as well as by spiritually minded westerners like Hollywood's Richard Gere, who flood the place.

"In Tibet human rights violations continue to be widespread. These abuses of rights have a distinct character, and are aimed at preventing Tibetans as a people from asserting their own identity and wishing to preserve it." He said.

"Human rights violations in Tibet are often the result of policies of racial and cultural discrimination, and are only the symptoms and consequences of a deeper problem."

Like the Soviet policy of "Russification," China has moved nearly seven million Chinese to Tibet to live beside the seven million Tibetans. Their language and religion have been banned, monasteries closed and looted, and clergy murdered. Seven years ago, the Chinese jailed a 12-year-old named as a future lama - making him the world's youngest prisoner.

The continuation of such atrocities juxtaposed with the Dalai Lama's softened line in his speech may mean China is actually changing.

European and U.S. strategies have been to entice China toward democratic reforms through trade while maintaining pressure for reforms. This seems to be working. Last week, the man who ordered the tanks into Tiananmen Square lost power, while reformer Zhu Rongji took over as premier.

All of which points to one of the biggest benefits of globalization: Free trade fosters international co-operation and provides carrots to countries like China that help to bring about reforms. Globalization means there is nowhere to hide. Most important, it means the message of a Buddhist monk on

mountaintop can be, and is, heard by millions.