h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Tibet - Why the Chinese are there. - A2231344
Author: HNM Chaiwallah. Take Action for Tibet F19585?thread=363119 - U219914


It is fairly obvious from this that Tibet, whose name in Chinese, Xizang, means "western treasure basket," will never be relinquished by China, unless there is a major change of regime in Beijing.

Hi Chaiwallah

Surprised this hasn't had any feedback before this.
It seems to be a very well-written and informative precis of Chinese 'involvement' in Tibet that matches quite well the only other sources I've come across, which were both novels, and thus dubious in terms of accuracy.

Are there any reliable sources researchers can go to to find out more?

Pimms

Sure, there's lots of information on the web. You might want to start with some information we've put together at h2g2 Friends of Tibet - A2170982.

Don't be shy if you have any questions or comments.

JTG

Missed this when it was first posted. It's a very useful contribution to understanding a much neglected topic.

Noggin

Excellent!

The only suggestion I have (really inspired by Pimm's post) is that you include some links, such as,

http://www.tibet.com/
http://www.tchrd.org/
http://www.tibetinfo.net/
http://www.freetibet.org/
http://www.tibet.org/
http://www.savetibet.org/

JTG

OK, good stuff, JtG, I'll see if I can add those links in.

Quick work Note: GuideML for links. To insert a working hyperlink to the other sites, take the address and enclose it in LINK tags thusly: A good Tibet site The TITLE bit is optional (and determines how the link appears elsewhere on the page), and the bit between the opening and closing tags 'A good Tibet site' is the text that will be used as a hyperlink in the body of the entry (so you must have *some* text or you won't see a link) The only significant exception to this format is when you are linking to other h2g2 EG entries, when instead of HREF="http://xxx" it reads H2G2="A123456" Hope this helps. I've read the first entry you wrote now, so I know where this one had its origin. Pimms

Thanks for the tip, it's really good to have some simple instructions, for technoplodders like meself. Guide ML terrifies me!



Chai

It's easy once you know how (using brunel as a skin can make editing the GML simpler as it provides buttons to insert often used formatting on the edit screen)

Pimms

Read this days ago and meant to come back and congratulate you - but forgot.

People often ask questions like 'what can I do ?' and here is a good example, publicise the actions of the oppressors. The world has quietly sat back and accepted the actions of Tiannemmen Square, pretended a change of ruler is some sort of answer - (when his acolyte has taken over) - and fought to kiss his butt to get the most favourable trading concessions.

While the Western World looks upon China as the world's biggest market, instead of the Worlds Greatest Oppresors, it needs articles like this in as many places as possible to open people's eyes.



(And don't start me on The Olympics - what an insult to an ideal - however tainted that ideal may be.)

You'll need to dispense with the first two heading, Chai and put a couple of lines in front of 'Chauvinism' to comply with house style.

Otherwise you've split the previous entry well. The structure makes sense.

Hi McKay,

Thanks for your kind words. Indeed, the question "What can we do?" is best answered by one word,"inform." The only effective tool we have against the power of the big guys is information. God knows, it ain't much, and it may be very slow, but it's funny how it operates. The class action against the tobacco industry in the USA showed that. And funnily enough, I think it's the power of information ( plus the internet ) that will help Falun Gong, ( on whom I've just finished a guide entry ) albeit unwittingly, to bring an end to the present regime in China. As will the information, slowly percolating through, that China is not the world's biggest market, just because it has the most people. Not to outsiders anyway.

The domestic market, which is what all the corpos have their eyes on, is pretty well impenetrable. For one thing, the Chinese are brilliant at supplying their home market with pirated clones of whatever foreign goods they fancy, as Marlborough cigarettes discovered to their cost. And then, of the 1.2 billion people, 900 million are relatively impoverished ( which I may have said before???) 350million in absolute poverty. They may be making the Nikes, Reeboks, computer accessories ( have a look under your keyboard, 90:1 it's "made in China") but they sure as hell won't be buying them.

As to Hu Jintao, people forget that for all,he's supposed tombe a liberal, he was effective overlord of Tibet during the "merciless repression" of the 1980's. And, since he took over from his master, Jiang, the use of torture, imprisonment without trial, and labour camps has increased, not diminished.

But China's maltreatment of humans is reflected in their maltreatment of the environment, but Tibet's and their own, But that is material for another entry. Hopefully next week.

For all that h2g2 is a kind of cosy corner of internet fun, it's also a brilliant information pool ( but with some gaps I'm trying to fill, esp. about China. Tibet, thanks to John the Gardener, is pretty well covered.)


Cheers,

Chai

OK, Zarq, I've changed the format as requested. Since getting to grips with GuideML last week, the article looks sadly under-referenced, but I'm seriously pressed for time at present, so I think I'll just leave it as is. There are now plenty of other sources in the guide on Tibet ( thanks to JtG ) and plenty of links at the bottom from where the interested can pursue any perceived lack of info in my piece.

Again, an excellent piece. I knew next to nothing about this,now I know enough background to do some digging for myself.



I wouldn't worry about it covering everything, the links look pretty comprehensive. I can't remember, did you put the internal link to the h2g2 Tibet group in there too?

You can't have links to unedited entries, so no h2g2 tibet group link.

Dang!

You can have links to external sites, though, if you use this coding:

Name of link

That's not a hint that I should pack up and go, I hope.

JTG

I doubt it JTG. I'd suggest finessing the point by starting a conversation on the Edited Guide version of this (when it is picked), and providing the link there. I've been given similar advice when I wanted to give a link to something not standard practice in EG entries.

Incidentally Chaiwallah there are a few typos and minor grammar points that could be corrected. I hope you don't mind me pointing them out:

abover the altiude > above the altitude

sq.kms > km2 (perhaps better)

heighest > highest

makes one ask,"Why are the Chinese so desperate to hold onto Tibet?"
> makes one ask, 'Why are the Chinese so desperate to hold onto Tibet? ' (space after comma and change double to single quotemarks - the single quotemarks is just standard formatting for EG entries, I prefer doublequotes myself )

Autuonomous > Autonomous

name for Tibet,'Xizang Zhizou,' means 'western treasure basket.' > name for Tibet, 'Xizang Zhizou', means 'western treasure basket'. (commas and spaces)

devatstation > devastation

tunnelled > tunneled

http://www.tibet.com/ >
tibet.com

ooops, I meant to mention that all your referenced links need to be adjusted to this format, not just the first.

Pimmsaloonie