Ottawa can't afford damaged relations with China, says analyst

[tuvor]

Vancouver Sun
By Peter O'Neil,
CanWest News Service

Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose government has angered China by sending senior MPs to Vancouver to honour the Dalai Lama's visit, hasn't developed a clear policy towards Beijing, according to one of Canada's top China-watchers.

But Paul Evans, co-chief executive of the federal government-funded Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said Canada has too much at stake to let relations deteriorate over issues such as human rights and the future of Tibet.

"I don't think that the Conservative government has yet formulated an integrated China policy," Evans, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Liu Institute for Global Studies, wrote on Thursday in an e-mail to The Vancouver Sun. "There are some hints of a new tone and approach but nothing concrete yet."

Calgary MP Jason Kenney, Harper's parliamentary secretary and a frequent critic of China's human-rights record, will meet privately on Saturday with Tibet's exiled political and spiritual leader. Immigration Minister Monte Solberg will attend the Nobel laureate's public talk on "happiness" at GM Place later that day.

http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=13801&article=Ottawa+can't+afford+damaged+relations+with+China%2C+says+analyst&t=1&c=1

[MrPrax]

1. Agreed...

Unless there is a clear gain for Canada to 'host' the Dummy Lala-land, then why bother...he might be a religious leader, but he is ALSO the head of political movement and surprisingly the media never really approaches this subject and is more interested in his 'laugh' therapy. :eyes:

Com'on Media let's see someone actually ASK Mr. Lala what his POLITICAL ideas are, or his plans for Tibet if successful...apparently the fellow wants to install a theocracy, no?

Rather ironic that Canada is fighting to keep one theocracy out of Asia because we believe in social democratic values, but have no problem backing the plans of another one, inspite of the fact, the Lama has FAR more supporters in Hollywood than he does in Tibet...or are we lead to believe EVERYTHING is a chinese communist propaganda. Or is it more a situation where westerners don't bother to learn anything about the outside world and simply back things because it 'sounds good' to their ears.

Let's face it, the tibetan people are NOT really being consulted as to what they would like -- I understand they are not at all happy with ethnic chinese totalitarianism, but are they in favour of the restoration of a one-time CIA financed single ruler theocracy that used a non-traditional form of archaic Bhuddism to justify gold palaces while at the same time deny electrification?

Generally I could give two shits about what the business lobby thinks about human rights (they hate them), but they might have a point that IF there is a economic loss that MIGHT hamstring this country's future and cost workers their jobs.

Maybe we should be looking a little closer at Mr. Lama and his 'think tank' to make SURE we are backing the right horse rather than letting doe-eyed new age grifters do all the talking.

[Bragi]

2. Okay, I'll bite...

So what's a good online source about Tibet and Mr.Lama?

- B

[MrPrax]

3. Dunno...

Most of my info came from books...

BUT:

Dalai Lama's Links to CIA Still Stir Debate
Georgia Straight

Stripping the Gurus
(good read throughout, but Chapter 21 - Hello Dalai deals with Dalai Lama)

"Letter From Lhasa : the Silent Killing of Tibet," Vanity Fair, May l991 "
Letter from Lhasa -- a superb, but lengthy article about Tibet by Alex Shoumatoff

A less polite view of Tibet History (but well cited nonetheless)
Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth by Michael Parenti
Swans

Only peripherially related, but I always give her a credit coz she is one of the most fascinating women of the 20th century and a true oddball free spirit...in fact she got thrown out eventually because she keep breaking their 'men only' sacred place rules...heh...she was a little French anarcho-Bhuddist!

Alexandra David-Neel - "Magic and Mystery in Tibet · My Journey to Lhasa" is interesting if you are so disposed to visit the library.



You can find links to his various views on abortion, homosexuality, condoms, womens' ordination (ref:Bhudda - Ananda Dialogue about whether women can be enlightened), 'just wars', etc...he's against the first four and agrees with non-Bhuddist St Augustine on the latter. Not very progressive and something I think is ignored by his devotees.

:shrug:

When it comes to stuff like this, I let people try to find their own research -- the guy's career is quite lengthy and there are a lot of propaganda on the Net from ALL sides...including my side ;-)

But I hope that helps...