DHARAMSHALA, August 19: A Tibetan member of parliament has warned that China will use its recent anti-terrorism exercise in Tibet’s capital Lhasa as a ploy to launch “indiscriminate crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters, labeling them as terrorists.”
Lobsang Yeshi, author of the paper titled ‘Dragon’s Terrorist Designs– The myth of the Tibetan Terrorism’ told Phayul that since 9/11, China has employed the ‘war on terror’ as a “massive state strategy to crush the Tibetans as terrorists” and has launched a multi-lateral campaign to achieve this “vicious” objective.
“In order to falsely indict innocent Tibetans as terrorists, Chinese security forces concoct and stage terrorist attacks and incidences, forge documents and frame evidence, implant weapons and bombs, send agent- provocateurs and wage an unabated propaganda war,” Yeshi said.
China’s state-run Global Times reported earlier this week that Chinese security forces conducted an anti-terrorism exercise at the Gongkar airport and railway station in Tibet’s capital Lhasa.
The report said that the exercise named “Plateau Guards 2012” was held amid fears that “hostile forces” may attack the region in a bid to sabotage the 18th National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China, which will most likely be held in November to select the country’s new set of leaders.
The paper quoted one Xiong Kunxin, a professor with the Minzu University of China, as saying that “outside infiltrators and some people incited by the Dalai clique may launch terrorist attacks in the region.”
“Tibet faces terrorism threats from within and outside the country. The Dalai clique and hostile forces in the West hope to bring China into widespread chaos,” Xiong told the paper.
The Tibetan lawmaker noted that China’s repeated attempts at labeling Tibetans as terrorists is “undoubtedly the most ridiculous and ruthless accusation China has launched on Tibetans thus far.”
Yeshi, who is also a former youth leader, cautioned that the apathy shown by world leaders at China’s accusations could lead to the situation inside Tibet spiraling out of control.
“I strongly urge the governments, reputed scholars and researchers and human rights watchdogs to effectively intervene to stop China in its vicious campaign before this gross injustice on the Tibetans spirals out of control to the detriment of all,” Yeshi added.
Since the massive uprisings of 2008, Tibet has witnessed numerous demonstrations and protest against Chinese rule. Tibetans continue to burn themselves demanding freedom in Tibet and return of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.
