Recently, news that the Chinese government is preparing to open negotiations with the Dalai Lama has been disseminated through many channels. But different sources are producing differing reports. The tone of the formal announcement from Xinhua News Agency is something like "preparing to resume negotiations with the Dalai Lama's personal representative," but the given condition is that the Tibetan people halt all protest activities. But when Wen Jiabao met with European Commission’s President Jose Manuel Barroso he indicated that these were formal negotiations. Furthermore, through diplomatic efforts a location for the negotiations has already been arranged in Japan.

These two somehow different messages shares one similar point: it pours cold water on the flames of the extreme nationalist sentiment that the CCP itself incited, for those real and put-on patriotic Chinese it is like a slap in the face. For these people, whether their patriotism is real or put-on, they feel deeply betrayed at having been sold out by these leaders in power. At this point they ought to discover: the reason the authorities incited nationalism was for their own benefit -- so that they would have greater bargaining power -- it has nothing to do with patriotism. After these angry youth have been manipulated, they would not even get credit for their help, instead the police and jail time could be ready for them.

Regarding the negotiations, the tone published by Xinhua News Agency represents the message of the highest authorities, Hu Jintao and his group. Their so-called negotiations are just playing the same game they have been playing for the last ten plus years. What Xinhua published was very clear; to the outside world they say negotiations, that way they can gain the trust of the international community. In reality, their intention is thus: through contact and consultation, put a stop to all the activities of the Tibetan people, especially activities aimed at the Olympics. The announcement did not say a word about negotiations. It is evident they are just playing the old tricks of Jiang Zemin and his time: force the Tibetan people to halt all of their protests, and then just leave the matter unresolved as it was.
Will the Tibetan people and the international community, who have already been tricked before, be tricked once more? Even if the Dalai Lama willing to be tricked, will everyone else willing to be tricked?

So they are also preparing for actual negotiations, which would only be under the supervision of the international community. But they have also left themselves a loophole, it is called "negotiations with the personal representative of the Dalai Lama." They do not acknowledge the negotiation position of the Tibet government-in-exile to represent the Tibetan people. And then they accept the Dalai Lama back into the country and give him a high position and attend to him, just like what happened with the Panchen Lama in the past. This way they can position the Tibetan people so that they can ignore Tibetans'power and achieve their goal of splitting up and dissipating the Tibetan people's opposition activities. This whole set conspiracies despite their differences, are all trying to accomplish one goal: to erode the movement to boycott the Olympics, and to undermine the influence of the Tibetan opposition, so as to continue the dictatorship of one party rule.

If the CCP's plan succeeds, will it fulfill the goals of the angry patriotic youth? It definitely will not. Think about it, will the Tibetan people's wish to cast off the tyranny of the CCP be given up just because the Dalai Lama has been controlled? Not likely. The angry patriotic youth should ask themselves: will your desire to end one party rule be changed just because one of the leaders of the democracy movement capitulates to the CCP? Of course it will not. You will continue to strive toward your objective, continue to move ahead and bypass those leaders who can no longer lead you. The Tibetan people are the same. They will continue to resist until they achieve their objective.

The Dalai Lama's many warnings are not to frighten people. If the Dalai Lama’s group which represents the Tibetan people willing to compromise loose their political power, then the radical political body that represents a majority of the Tibetan people will loose restraint. The upheaval in Tibet will then initiate upheaval throughout China. The consequences will be extremely serious. Not only will the blood flow like rivers, when they sit down to negotiations afterward the conditions will probably be that they have no choice but to recognize the independence of Tibet. These are the consequences of Hu Jintao's clique only concerning itself with its own interests and ignoring the interests of the country and the people.

The CCP has much experience dealing with the domestic democracy movements and rights defending movements. When striking a rider, first strike his horse; in catching bandits, first catch the ringleader.
They believe that by controlling and eliminating a leader the opposition will just naturally dissipate. But what they have not thought about is that the opposition is not the result of the will of a few leaders, rather it is the will of the people who can no longer bear the tyranny. It is a spontaneous movement that will continually renew its leaders and political lines. Only by fixing things up according to the wishes of the people will there be a long-term solution. Otherwise the people will at any time select their own leader, causing the opposition to continue. The opposition of the Tibetan people is like this; the opposition of every Chinese ethnic group is like this as well.

The result of the CCP’s suppression of the democracy movement and the rights defending movement, is it anything but a failure. When the former leaders were killed off, they will be new leaders produced to follow. Leaders are only a tool by which the people express their determination. I hope those within the CCP with a bit of vision will think about this carefully.

Wei Jingsheng
(Written on April 25, 2008.)