Saturday, December 5, 2015

Cocktail For Overseas Chinese

The Office of Tibet, Washington D.C hosts a cocktail party for overseas Chinese. It was intended for Chinese outreaching efforts. The guests invited are predominantly Chinese intellectuals, activists and writers and journalists. Other distinguished guests include representatives of various campaign organizations and human rights activists of capitol hill. It was a  night of empowering speeches, entertainment, networking and revelry.

Kydor Auktsang in his welcome speeches stressed the office's outreach effort with the Chinese dissidents and this gala evening is the first step of much more in the offing. He outlines the nature and critical issues of Tibetan struggle, by stressing on the common ground of the Tibetan people and Chinese.  The evening is intended to bring together like-minded people and to deepen the rapport and good will amongst Tibet supporters, and it serves that purposefully.

With the departure of  Chinese liaison officer, the Office of Tibet is left with a vacuum. The Chinese outreach initiative suffered owing to this significant figure as a go-go person in strengthening and expanding people to people contact with the overseas Chinese. To a predominantly Chinese guests, the best way to communicate with them might be their mother tongue Chinese. Kydor la's  well-meaning speech on the significance of middle path and the policy of CTA is all delivered in English. Thus, the impact of it might not be felt as strongly as it would have for the Chinese only speaking if parleyed in Chinese.

Present at the meeting is another prominent Chinese dissident, Wenjing Chen, the father of Chinese democracy or Nelson Medal of China. His speech delivered in Chinese and translated into English consecutively was very critical and provocative. He stresses the importance of having a plurality of thinking and views and political ideology in exile Tibetan democracy. Such a well-represented democracy that is tolerant of other views will be a tremendous example for the Chinese democracy activists.  I believe he is among those few Chinese who indeed support Tibetan people's right to self-determination and freedom. He bashed against those who emphasizes on conformity and uniformity of approach and thinking.  The speech has a strong element of dissatisfaction at the state of affairs in regarding the Chinese and Tibetan.  Mr. Wen blasted Chinese President Xi saying that under his leadership, the rights of Chinese and Tibetan people have gone down the hill.   He busted the myth of Chinese President Xi's leniency and progressiveness and bold reform initiatives.  He made it a point that there is not telling sign of such a change shortly.  


It is a fun-filled event, with all the representatives of Tibetan communities and NGOs, and such exchange of Tibetan and Chinese should be organized more frequently.