We had a fascinating day yesterday. What struck me the most was the huge increase in military presence. I was here last in 2001. There was a clear police presence, but nothing like we’ve seen this trip. On the way to the Jokhang, there were small military stations with six police with clear full-body shields and machine guns facing out in all four directions…about every 100 yards! On the Jokhang, there were PLA soldiers, People’s Armed Police, and some Tibetan police. You can feel a clear undercurrent of resentment among the Tibetans—noone’s saying anything hugely overt, but they’ll make comments like “there used to be a Medical Temple on that hill across from the Potala until the Chinese tore it down and put up a TV tower” or “everything’s been reversed since 1959 [when the Tibetans rebelled against the PRC and were crushed]” or “everyone in this traditional Tibetan office is Tibetan…except for the First Party Secretary who runs everything.”
I tried to line up several innocuous visits (to a health clinic, for example) but was told by friends of friends who very much wanted to help us that it was “against regulations.” Breaks my heart. The situation is always tense in Tibet, but particularly so since the March 2008 protests. Though the protests occurred in dozens of Tibetan counties and were overwhelmingly peaceful, the Chinese press (extraordinarily tightly controlled when it comes to issues of “ethnic unity” and “social harmony”) focused only on those that escalated into some physical clashes and the press, of course, entirely left out the underlying causes of Tibetan resentment (which we’re seeing clearly, by the way, in the shape of upscale car dealerships and businesses run entirely by Han Chinese and all party positions being headed by Han Chinese).
OK…our taskmaster…I mean fine study leader…has us heading out the door now for another full day. More later!
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