Stirring Dragon

Suddenly  people just appear  from everywhere ever willing to spoil the party. The current Tibet-Olympics  episode is more than meets the eye.

China is supposed to be stepping out in August to show the world she has arrived with the Olympics.  She only needs to take a deep breath and take a bow, even then, many people are not happy with this. They want to contain her and  they want her to be docile and subservient ,if possible, forever.

Out of the blue, the world is splashed with Tibet stories. The timing is  so well timed to make China lose face.

Many people believe that China did the Tibetans a favour when she invaded the country in 1959. From a backward country , steeped in Buddhist traditions, where the people were slaves to the ruling elite, she has moved on keeping with the times.

Of course, the Tibetans have to pay a price. Their language and their traditions have been diluted, then, the apologists for China will tell you nothing in this world is static,  the only constant is change.

Watching the events ,  people like us who believe in multi -culturalism are  perturbed with China's forced assimilation policy in Tibet as well as the ways they handled the recent unrest there. Why do you want to kill a fly using a sledge hammer?

Many believe that  traditions and heritage  of a people make you what you are , minus them, you are nothing .We can symphatise with the Tibetans in that respect.

Then, how genuine are certain sectors of the western society for highlighting the  issue now? Do they really care for the freedom and the rights of the Tibetans?

 The  answer is  obvious, the west is planning on to stay as the most influential power of the universe and it will not tolerate any competition.

 Samuel Huntington, the famous author who wrote "The Clash Of Civilisations" has identified that two civilisations, namely Islam and Confucianism which will give the West many sleepless nights. In other words, Islamic militancy and China's assertion will challenge the West's supremacy.

Islamic militancy can be contained to a degree as Muslim countries are too diverse and the militants prefer to work from caves. But, a strong, cohesive economic powerhouse like China is something else.

So, Japan is encouraged to re-arm and India is   being strengthened.

If we look at the map of Asia, most of the counties in the region come under   Western influence with the exception of a few countries . Basically, China is encircled by countries which are potentially hostile to her.

Important sea lanes like the Straits of Malacca ,which is the trade lifeline for China, is under close watch by these interested groups. Being close neighbour of China, it should not surprise us why  some important South East Asian politicians are being cultivated by these parties to ensure that  when they lead their governments  they will be on their side.

The independent streak showed by former PM Mahathir  in our foreign policy matters can be a thing of the past if we don't have a clear  understanding of the chess game being played by interested parties to perpetuate their grip of the world.

So, when we choose our leaders, we must reflect  deeply and  see the big picture clearly.