Dalai Lama is a Card Already Dealt

Published in Wen Wei Po
(Hong Kong) on 9 October 2009
by Liu Xilu (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Kate Leung. Edited by Robin Silberman.
The Dalai Lama card is indeed depreciating deeply. This is the world of politics. It’s only a card, it’s been dealt, it’s depreciated. Just like a dish mop, it’s used, and it’s ready to be thrown away. Obama wants to implement strategies for wider cooperation with China. This is the mainstream. Of course, America and China are opposite sides in a chess game on many fronts, but the human rights card has really depreciated significantly. Right-wing America needs to think of a new card to play.
 
The Dalai Lama, who has been away from his home country for over 40 years, is just a card. Forty years is neither long nor short. What can be certain is that these 40 years has been a process of depreciation of the Dalai Lama card.
 
For Taiwan’s “88 Typhoon,” Chen Ju, a small potato as the mayor of Gaoxiong, thought of using the Dalai Lama card. The Dalai Lama was willing to be used by a small mayor from the green camp and went to Taiwan. However, many who were originally close to him either kept him at bay, or avoided him like the plague. The Dalai Lama was restricted everywhere he went. The prohibition on talking about politics – that’s a sign that this card has depreciated. During his visit to America this time, he was not granted with a meeting with Obama; this was a break from tradition. This is a further sign of the depreciation of the card. The time when the Dalai Lama card depreciates to zero is probably not far away. If you don’t believe it, just you wait.
 
As to a discussion on why the Dalai Lama card has depreciated, it may take a Ph.D. thesis. This little column can only touch on the topic.

The Dalai Lama Becomes the Dog without a Home
 
Originally, the Dalai Lama’s visit to America had a somewhat important “meaning.” The U.S. Congress is giving him a human rights award. Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, emphasized in the award ceremony that if America did not speak about human rights of Tibet with China, then it had no right to talk about human rights anywhere else in the world.
 
Not to talk about China’s human rights means a disqualification to talk about the world’s human rights. This fully elaborates the meaning of the Dalai Lama card. However, President Obama did not treat the Dalai Lama as such. He did as he promised about protecting China’s core interests on issues involving Tibet and Xinjiang when he met with President Hu Jintao earlier. One should say that this is the exact reason why Obama did not meet with the Dalai Lama this time.
 
Naturally, just as Pelosi has stated, not to talk about China’s human rights means that one has no right to talk about the world’s human rights. As long as the Dalai Lama lives, he symbolizes hostility against the Chinese people. Therefore, the U.S. Congress gave a high level reception to the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, who failed to meet President Obama, and awarded him the Lantos Human Rights Prize. This prize was set up by the U.S. Congress to commemorate Lantos, America’s fighter for human rights and member of the House of Representatives who died in February last year. The Dalai Lama was the first recipient since the prize was set up.

All the Cards to Check and Balance China have Depreciated
 
Nevertheless, the international media are not interested in this prize at all; there is barely any mention of it. This cruel reality reflects a fundamental issue – the Dalai Lama card is indeed depreciating significantly. In the past, the value of human rights advocates who went to America from China has depreciated, and most of those who had their moments are now thinking about how to spend the rest of their lives in peace.

“Taiwan Independence” advocates, including Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian, have also had their value depreciate significantly. In the past, the “father of Taiwan independence” and the “son of Taiwan independence” were so arrogant that they took the “orders” from Americans stationed in Taiwan directly. But in the end they have ended up where they belong. And the many cards that once helped America check and balance China have all had their moments, but ended up being nothing, and all inevitably went through a tragic depreciation process.
 
This is the world of politics. It’s just a card. It’s been dealt, it’s depreciated. Just like a dish mop, once it’s used, it can be dumped.
 
Of course, the White House could not admit that Obama is bowing to China’s pressure, and said that President Obama did not refuse to meet the Dalai Lama, and that it was only a postponement. However, America’s media has revealed that American officials informed representatives of the Dalai Lama that America needs to work with China on many important topics, and does not wish to irritate Beijing.
 
In fact, it is a mainstream fact that Obama needs to implement strategies of wider cooperation with China. Indeed, America and China are still opponents in a chess game on many fronts. However, the human rights card has really depreciated significantly. America’s right-wing needs to think of some new cards to play.


達賴牌為何貶值?

達賴牌的的確確在深度貶值。世界政治就是這樣,既然不過是張牌而已,打過了,貶值了,就如同擦桌布一樣,用過了就可以扔了。奧巴馬要實行和中國更廣泛的合作的政策,這是主流。誠然,美國和中國還有博弈的一面,但是,人權牌真的是大幅貶值了,美國右派要玩,也要動動腦筋去尋找新的牌。

 達賴,離開祖國40多年來,無非就是一張牌。40年說長不長,說短不短,可以肯定的是,40年來就是達賴牌不斷貶值的過程。

 台灣88風災,小小的高雄市長陳菊也動了打達賴牌的念頭,而達賴也甘願為小小的綠色市長所使所用,也去了台灣湊熱鬧。但是,原來和他親近的許多人或敬而遠之,或如避瘟神,達賴處處受掣肘,不能談政治。這,就是這張牌貶值的表現。這回他到了美國,奧巴馬破紀錄的不見,更是貶值的標誌。相信,達賴牌價值歸零,也不需要太長時間。不信,拭目以待。

 至於要講清達賴牌為何貶值,恐怕是篇博士論文,小專欄只能蜻蜓點水,點到即止。

達賴漸成喪家之犬

 本來,達賴這回到美國的「意義」不能說不重要,美國國會頒給他人權獎。美眾院議長佩洛西在頒贈儀式中強調:「如果我們不談中國和西藏人權,我們就沒有權利去談世界任何其他地方的人權。」

 不談中國人權,就沒有資格談世界的人權,這種說法幾乎將達賴牌的意義說到了極致。不過,奧巴馬總統則沒有這樣看待達賴,他兌現了日前和胡錦濤會見時作出的在涉及西藏和新疆問題上維護中國核心利益的承諾。應該說,這是奧巴馬這回不見達賴的直接理由。

 自然,正如佩洛西所言,不談中國的人權就沒有權利去談世界的人權。達賴只要不死,還是敵視中國人民的一張牌。所以,美國國會高規格接待未能與奧巴馬總統見面的西藏精神領袖達賴喇嘛,並頒贈「藍托斯人權獎」。「藍托斯人權獎」是美國國會為紀念去年2月去世的美國人權鬥士、聯邦眾議員藍托斯所設。達賴喇嘛是美國國會設立這項獎章以來的首位得獎人。

制衡中國的牌全都貶值

 但是,國際輿論對這個獎沒有任何興趣,幾乎不提,這一事實殘酷地折射出一個本質的問題:達賴牌的的確確在深度貶值。之前,大陸到美國的民運人士貶值過,過去二十年風光過的人多數在想如何安度晚年。「台獨」分子包括李登輝、陳水扁也大幅貶值了,曾幾何時「台獨之父」、「台獨之子」是那樣張狂,直接聽從美國駐台人士的「指令」,到頭來還是要去他們該去的地方。還有過許許多多一度為美國制衡中國的牌,也都是風頭一時無兩到頭來甚麼都不是,都無可避免地經歷悲慘的貶值過程。

 世界政治就是這樣,既然不過是張牌而已,打過了,貶值了,就如同擦桌布一樣,用過了就可以扔了。

 當然,白宮不能承認奧巴馬屈服中國的壓力,說奧巴馬總統並未拒絕會見達賴喇嘛,只是稍後再見。但是美國媒體透露,美國官員告訴達賴代表,美國在許多重要議題上需要中國的合作,美國不希望刺激北京。

 事實上,奧巴馬要實行和中國更廣泛的合作的政策。這是主流。誠然,美國和中國還有博弈的一面,但是,人權牌真的是大幅貶值了,美國右派要玩,也要動動腦筋去尋找新的牌。
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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