Recent declarations signed by outgoing President Trump supporting the Tibetan tradition of selecting the Dalai Lama and demanding non-interference in that process have no doubt offered comfort and encouragement within the exiled Tibetan community. Political solidarity however has its shelf-life, and changes or is abandoned according to events of economics and politics.
With that in mind, as China’s regime is covertly engineering a plastic figure to propose as the rightful next Dalai Lama, we wonder what response will be forthcoming from future US Administrations and the State Department when faced with the following inevitability.
Having carefully constructed its bogus Dalai Lama every effort will be made to exploit this creation for political and propaganda purposes. For example we envisage the plastic figure will be sent on global tours spreading its message of ‘harmony’ and ‘good will’. A key destination for such orchestrated deception will of course be the USA.
So what will the reaction be from US authorities to a request from the Chinese regime that every diplomatic courtesy and support is extended to its plastic representative? Would the Secretary of State decline a meeting with this polymer puppet and declare support and recognition only to that Dalai Lama chosen by exiled Tibetans in accord with genuine tradition?
Or would the ever-present pressure of trade with China reassert itself? These are sobering questions that need to be raised as a reality-check against the integrity and motives of a US political establishment. Which since 1972 has betrayed the just cause of Tibet’s people for national freedom.
This post was originally published on TIBET, ACTIVISM AND INFORMATION.
