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Tibetan-ness and the job of the media
By Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche
With the major onslaught of mass communication in this scientifically and technologically advanced modern world, media plays an undeniably important role in making the world smaller, and people smarter, through dissemination of information. Through clear comprehension of the nature of the Tibetan goal, one can define the role of media which in exile Tibetan context entails enormous responsibilities. What our press people can do is set fixed goals to generate unbiased awareness in the face of ongoing sinocisation, deprivation of rights and related situations in Chinese-occupied Tibet, not only among the general Tibetan masses but also to the outside world.
The press freedom in Tibet being limited, the news ambit is largely restricted to government-sanctioned reports and glorification of Chinese communist government. In terms of Tibetan goals, there are three main objectives requires serious considerations from Tibet people, including people from the press and media.
Till we unite with our brethen in Tibet, our first and foremost responsibility should be to preserve the Tibetan identity. This two words - Tibetan identity - should be the premise on which our struggle for any goal should be based. Preservation of Tibetan-ness is far important than establishing political policies for procurement of rights and freedom, hence our struggle should not be confined only to accomplishing political ends. If, devoid of unique Tibetan identity, Tibet gains complete political freedom or autonomy, it would be akin to mere disintegration of China and nothing more.
Politically changes are unpredictable as a human life itself. We need to take into account political changes in China, favorable transformation in the mindset of the Chinese leaders towards the Tibetan issue and changing world-view on Sino-Tibet relation in international arena, especially of the cogent countries.
As every citizen of the world is entitled to politically rights, no one should be deprived of the rights thereof. The answer to the Tibetan problem cannot be achieved by Tibetans alone, nor could this be achieved by total reliance and dependence on others. Initiatives by Tibetan with sincere support from the outside world can make a huge impact on our national struggle. Any political accomplishment without the effective preservation of Tibetan-ness is tantamount to no accomplishment at all. If in the coming days independence or autonomy is granted, but the governing officials and the subjects supposedly sinofied to the very core of their being, such a state of affairs would dilute the Tibetan essence thereby vindicating (unknowingly) the current Chinese theory of Tibet being a part of the Chinese mainland.
The second Tibetan goal is generation awareness of our truthful political facts. Based on fundamental rights of every individuals, His holiness ceaseless struggle on one hand for autonomy of satisfactory nature, as explicit in the Strasbourg Proposal, and on the other hand if this is denied then the possibilities of working towards complete independence