China has released a documentary accusing the Dalai Lama of orchestrating a wave of self-immolations by Tibetans, in its most elaborate attempt so far to shape international opinion about the protests against Chinese rule.
The documentary, shown globally by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), features police surveillance footage of the fiery protests. Mostly lone Tibetans are seen ablaze on small town roads before being blasted by security forces with fire extinguishers or covered with blankets.
Tibetans interviewed describe contacting monks living in exile and sending them photographs of would-be protesters — evidence, the documentary says, of collusion. A narrator quotes comments supposedly made by the Dalai Lama in support of the self-immolations together with footage of Tibetans being treated in hospital for severe burns.
Photo: AFP
All told, the piece, titled The Dalai clique and self-immolation violent incidents, marks the government’s most extensive effort to cast blame on the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader for protests that have touched Tibetans emotionally and presented an image problem for Beijing.
At least 34 Buddhist monks, nuns and Tibetan laypeople have set themselves on fire in the past 14 months in what Tibetans see as an act of sacrifice to highlight China’s repressive policies on religion and culture.
DENIAL
A spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, said he had not seen the documentary, but denied that the Dalai Lama or exiled Tibetans have been instigating the protests. Instead, he said, Beijing’s policies are causing the protests.
“When the government stops this oppression inside Tibet, the self-immolations will stop. That’s what we hope and believe will happen. But it’s in their hands,” said the spokesman, Tashi, who like many Tibetans uses one name.
The program also shows how the government plans to use the newly acquired global reach of its state-owned news media. CCTV, the national broadcaster, runs programming in at least half a dozen languages, claiming to reach 219 million households in 156 countries.
Reached by phone, CCTV officials said that the documentary was aired on the network’s English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian channels twice earlier this month as well as on CCTV-4, the international Chinese language station.
However, later — possibly because it was becoming apparent that the documentary’s content was drawing scrutiny — one of them said they were not sure where, when or if it aired. A version has been posted on YouTube.
“They want to kind of foist their message, a one-sided message, on the rest of the world,” said David Bandurski, a researcher with the Hong Kong-based China Media Project.
“If they want to be part of the conversation internationally and influence public opinion, they have to see themselves as part of a kind of dialogue, but they’re not really interested in that kind of dialogue,” Bandurski said.
Tsering Woeser, a Tibetan poet and activist, said she saw the documentary on CCTV-4 when it aired at 2:20am on May 7. She found it a disappointing elaboration on the hardline position the government has taken since it poured heavy security into Tibetan areas after a mass uprising against Chinese rule in 2008.
“I am saddened to realize by watching this film that there are no signs of self reflection coming from the authorities, and that they are still continuing with the vicious cycle of ignoring the signals of despair sent out repeatedly by Tibetans,” Woeser said.
The documentary attempts to discredit the immolations, portraying everyone involved as misguided, deceitful and manipulative. In one example, it says two monks who set themselves on fire in January had hired a prostitute the night before the protest.
CHEN GUANGCHENG
In related news, for the second time in less than two weeks, blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng (陳光誠) has spoken by phone to a US congressional hearing and alleged persecution of his relatives.
Chen complained on Tuesday that his elder brother and nephew had both been beaten by Chinese authorities since Chen fled house arrest late last month.
Chen said a charge of homicide brought against his nephew was “trumped up” as he was acting in self-defense after being subjected to a three-hour beating that left him bleeding.
“This is a pattern,” Chen said. “This is not the first time it happened against my family.”
Rights activist Bob Fu (傅希秋), who translated Chen’s comments, earlier testified that Chen’s nephew, Chen Kegui (陳克貴), using a kitchen knife, had injured several people who had burst into his home without warrants.
Chen Guangcheng is awaiting Chinese permission to travel to study in the US. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Tuesday that visas for him, his wife and children are ready for them to go to the US once Beijing gives the green light. She said the visa processing was completed more than a week ago.
Chen’s call to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs subcommittee on human rights from a Beijing hospital was his second in 12 days.
Both hearings focused on the fate of Chen and his family, chaired by Republican Representative Chris Smith, a fierce critic of China and its one-child policy.
Smith and the witnesses who were testifying gathered on the dais and huddled around the microphone to listen to Chen’s crackling voice for about 25 minutes and pay tributes to him.
Meanwhile, a Shanghai lawyer yesterday said he is trying to visit Chen Kegui.
Si Weijiang (斯偉江) said he was trying to get permission from police to visit his client. It would be the first time a lawyer has been able to meet with Chen Kegui since he was detained in Shandong Province’s Linyi city last month.
Si said he and another lawyer, Ding Xikui (丁錫奎), have written permission from Chen Kegui’s family to represent him and there should be no legal impediment to their visit.
Other lawyers who have tried to take up Chen Kegui’s case say they have been threatened or been unable to renew their legal licenses.
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