Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
D66
D66 is rising.
They have gathered in, some hundreds of members the last few months.
So here it comes: a very warm applause for the charming members of the Democratic Political Party of The Netherlands.
They have gathered in, some hundreds of members the last few months.
So here it comes: a very warm applause for the charming members of the Democratic Political Party of The Netherlands.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Issue Tibet belongs to China only (Translator's note included)
SEE ALSO THE TRANSLATOR'S NOTE AT THE END
No invasion, no occupation and no mistreatment (newspaper NRC-Next)
Dutch media gives a one-sided image of Tibet and forgets that the region is just a part of China
By D. Wang
Translated by F. Aryanfar
The Dutch media gives a one-sided image of the issue Tibet. Over and over again, it has been claimed that China “invaded Tibet”. How can the word “invasion” be used, if it is in its own territory? Tibet has been part of China since the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). There was a war against the Mongolians in the first years of this dynasty, which leaded to a conquest of Mongolia and Tibet. After the fall of the Qing-dynasty (1911), the nationalists took over the power. Around 1945, the nationalism made room for the communism, under the leadership of Mao Zhe Dong.
Before that, there was a civil war between the nationalists under the direction of Tsjang Kai Tsjek, who wanted to keep their power, and the upcoming communists. During this combat, Tsjang Kai Tsjek had mobilized all armies from different areas, also Tibet, among others. That implies that all armies were put into action, there, where the communists were located. After the fall of the nationalism – instead of nationalist armies –, communist armies returned to the deserted areas. This is always confused in the western world, with the occupation of Tibet. In my eyes, there is no doubt: Tibet was part of China then, and still is now.
Also, the Tibetans and the western media complain about the large number of Han-Chinese (ethnic Chinese) that live in Tibet, which is not so crazy, since it is China’s territory. As a Chicago citizen, one may also live in Washington[1]!
The Dutch media show mainly the pitiful, belittled and protesting Tibetans, which are harshly mishandled by Chinese agents. That Han-Chinese are just as much the dupe of Tibetans, is not showed.
Yes, it all began with peaceful protests. But if they are not legitimized, they are then against the law. Therefore it is not that out of immagination that the protesting Tibetans get arrested. If I organize a protest here in The Netherlands, without permission, I would also get arrested. And if I resist, the Dutch agents will also use violence.
Furthermore, I would like to point out that the Dalai Lama does have something to do with the protests. Up until now he has always denied that. But how is it possible that he does not know what his own people are doing? What is a better moment to alert the world about Tibet than now? When the West did not stand on his side immediately, he threatened to resign if the situation of Tibet got out of hand. Now I will ask you: why did the Dalai Lama offer to resign if he had nothing to do with the protests? By the way, the protests have not stopped yet and has he resigned? No.
The western countries press on conversations between China and the Dalai Lama. In the past there has been various conversations with him. But every time the Dalai Lama got support from the western world, he stopped keeping his word. Well now it is imaginable that China is fed up with it.
Finally, I want to attract your attention to the human rights. The Tibetans insist that they are being mistreated by the Chinese government. That is not true. The Chinese authorities treat Tibetans not worse than the Han-Chinese. There is an ethnic minority law in China. This implies that the ethnic minority have privileges compared to Han-Chinese. By this, the ethnic minority is protected, as to speak. Thereby the Tibetans get a much milder sanctions for the same crime than when a Han-Chinese commits it. Also the young Tibetans can score less on their GED[2] to get accepted at the universities, compared to Han-youths. Above all, the one-child politic does not concern the Tibetans.
It is true that China still falls short at the human rights’ area. The Chinese people are doing what they can to resist these limits. And they battle already against the authorities for more freedom. Changes should progressively carry out. China has no need of outside “help”. The issue-Tibet is something that China has to solve, by itself, like issue-Taiwan.
The Olympic Games have nothing to do with politics. It does not matter where these games are held. There have been talks about a boycott, but the issue-Tibet and the human rights’ issue did not instantly happen just now.
On the day that China was chosen as the host country, these issues were known. Why was China chosen after all?
Translator's footnote:
I do understand making a comparison between "not having a permission to protest, leads to arrests, even in the western countries" and "China's violent acts while arresting the protestors", is not entirely logical. The ratio of violence is not the same, when in the first case, we deal with light injuries and cash penance and in the second case major payment by people's lives.
I also understand there is not much difference between conquering and invasion, even if it is from a century ago (I liked the comparison of this case with "colonisation" very much, which was made by some of my readers that was e-mailed to me). I am not trying to justify these two problems mentioned.
But I am trying to make other points by translating and putting this article on my site. First of all, I "desperately" was looking for another side of the story which I daily see and hear from people that (either still, or have) live(-ed) in China. I hear from many Chinese that "west is exaggerating" or "they don't understand" etc.
Secondly, Chinese authorities don't ONLY arrest Tibetans, they arrest other political activists (Han-Chinese) even more. They are not racist in that respect! They kill any protester in China who is against the system somehow. But what happenned to protecting the other Chinese communities, and standing for their rights? Are Tibetans more important because they have the Dalai Lama who represents them in making tours around the world and especially getting into the White House?!
As an ex-human rights activist, I think it is shameful that instead of protesting against China's government as a whole, people are just making an issue of Tibetans. Civil problems between different races and communities in a country is their own business, in my opinion. But it is a real shame that there has not been a single protest or demonstration (in occasion of this Olympic Games event) for the sake of political activists in China.
It is like knowing this family who we are friends with, and knowing that the parents of that family mistreat the kids, but just stand up for the rights of that latest kid who has been addopted by the familly!
Now this is what I call a RACIST act.
-------------------------------------------------
[1] Originally it said as a Citizen of Groningen one may also live in Friesland. Groningen and Friesland are two districts in Holland, but to make it more understandable for any international reader, as this is translated to an international language, English, I changed Groningen and Friesland, to Chicago and Washington respectively.
[2] The GED Tests measure high school-level skills and knowledge.
No invasion, no occupation and no mistreatment (newspaper NRC-Next)
Dutch media gives a one-sided image of Tibet and forgets that the region is just a part of China
By D. Wang
Translated by F. Aryanfar
The Dutch media gives a one-sided image of the issue Tibet. Over and over again, it has been claimed that China “invaded Tibet”. How can the word “invasion” be used, if it is in its own territory? Tibet has been part of China since the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). There was a war against the Mongolians in the first years of this dynasty, which leaded to a conquest of Mongolia and Tibet. After the fall of the Qing-dynasty (1911), the nationalists took over the power. Around 1945, the nationalism made room for the communism, under the leadership of Mao Zhe Dong.
Before that, there was a civil war between the nationalists under the direction of Tsjang Kai Tsjek, who wanted to keep their power, and the upcoming communists. During this combat, Tsjang Kai Tsjek had mobilized all armies from different areas, also Tibet, among others. That implies that all armies were put into action, there, where the communists were located. After the fall of the nationalism – instead of nationalist armies –, communist armies returned to the deserted areas. This is always confused in the western world, with the occupation of Tibet. In my eyes, there is no doubt: Tibet was part of China then, and still is now.
Also, the Tibetans and the western media complain about the large number of Han-Chinese (ethnic Chinese) that live in Tibet, which is not so crazy, since it is China’s territory. As a Chicago citizen, one may also live in Washington[1]!
The Dutch media show mainly the pitiful, belittled and protesting Tibetans, which are harshly mishandled by Chinese agents. That Han-Chinese are just as much the dupe of Tibetans, is not showed.
Yes, it all began with peaceful protests. But if they are not legitimized, they are then against the law. Therefore it is not that out of immagination that the protesting Tibetans get arrested. If I organize a protest here in The Netherlands, without permission, I would also get arrested. And if I resist, the Dutch agents will also use violence.
Furthermore, I would like to point out that the Dalai Lama does have something to do with the protests. Up until now he has always denied that. But how is it possible that he does not know what his own people are doing? What is a better moment to alert the world about Tibet than now? When the West did not stand on his side immediately, he threatened to resign if the situation of Tibet got out of hand. Now I will ask you: why did the Dalai Lama offer to resign if he had nothing to do with the protests? By the way, the protests have not stopped yet and has he resigned? No.
The western countries press on conversations between China and the Dalai Lama. In the past there has been various conversations with him. But every time the Dalai Lama got support from the western world, he stopped keeping his word. Well now it is imaginable that China is fed up with it.
Finally, I want to attract your attention to the human rights. The Tibetans insist that they are being mistreated by the Chinese government. That is not true. The Chinese authorities treat Tibetans not worse than the Han-Chinese. There is an ethnic minority law in China. This implies that the ethnic minority have privileges compared to Han-Chinese. By this, the ethnic minority is protected, as to speak. Thereby the Tibetans get a much milder sanctions for the same crime than when a Han-Chinese commits it. Also the young Tibetans can score less on their GED[2] to get accepted at the universities, compared to Han-youths. Above all, the one-child politic does not concern the Tibetans.
It is true that China still falls short at the human rights’ area. The Chinese people are doing what they can to resist these limits. And they battle already against the authorities for more freedom. Changes should progressively carry out. China has no need of outside “help”. The issue-Tibet is something that China has to solve, by itself, like issue-Taiwan.
The Olympic Games have nothing to do with politics. It does not matter where these games are held. There have been talks about a boycott, but the issue-Tibet and the human rights’ issue did not instantly happen just now.
On the day that China was chosen as the host country, these issues were known. Why was China chosen after all?
Translator's footnote:
I do understand making a comparison between "not having a permission to protest, leads to arrests, even in the western countries" and "China's violent acts while arresting the protestors", is not entirely logical. The ratio of violence is not the same, when in the first case, we deal with light injuries and cash penance and in the second case major payment by people's lives.
I also understand there is not much difference between conquering and invasion, even if it is from a century ago (I liked the comparison of this case with "colonisation" very much, which was made by some of my readers that was e-mailed to me). I am not trying to justify these two problems mentioned.
But I am trying to make other points by translating and putting this article on my site. First of all, I "desperately" was looking for another side of the story which I daily see and hear from people that (either still, or have) live(-ed) in China. I hear from many Chinese that "west is exaggerating" or "they don't understand" etc.
Secondly, Chinese authorities don't ONLY arrest Tibetans, they arrest other political activists (Han-Chinese) even more. They are not racist in that respect! They kill any protester in China who is against the system somehow. But what happenned to protecting the other Chinese communities, and standing for their rights? Are Tibetans more important because they have the Dalai Lama who represents them in making tours around the world and especially getting into the White House?!
As an ex-human rights activist, I think it is shameful that instead of protesting against China's government as a whole, people are just making an issue of Tibetans. Civil problems between different races and communities in a country is their own business, in my opinion. But it is a real shame that there has not been a single protest or demonstration (in occasion of this Olympic Games event) for the sake of political activists in China.
It is like knowing this family who we are friends with, and knowing that the parents of that family mistreat the kids, but just stand up for the rights of that latest kid who has been addopted by the familly!
Now this is what I call a RACIST act.
-------------------------------------------------
[1] Originally it said as a Citizen of Groningen one may also live in Friesland. Groningen and Friesland are two districts in Holland, but to make it more understandable for any international reader, as this is translated to an international language, English, I changed Groningen and Friesland, to Chicago and Washington respectively.
[2] The GED Tests measure high school-level skills and knowledge.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Week of Poetry (what do you think?)
(Published in Univers and Iranian.com)Do you think I don’t miss?
Do you think
if your voice is not caressing my restless heart
and if the melody of your sentiments
are not leading the symphony of my heartbeats,
I have any peace?
Do you think it has any importance
if the fox, the leopard and wolf,
stem from the love birds
or have the quality of daily opportunists’ daggers?
Passing by the seconds,
the sad hearts of violets
become more nostalgic
for the absence of sun shine.
Do you think that violets
at night
in deficiency of light
buy a gleam of moon?
and open their petals
in coquetry to seduce?
Do you think I am made of sharp deceit
or am as the delicate piece of silk, deceptive?
I think I am thirsty
before I start begging
give me a glass of kindness…
Do you think love is like thirst?
that if you fulfill me with your sips of affection
I will no longer drink your love?
Do you think that because my adorations have no Allah
I don’t know how to worship?
Didn’t I kneel to the freedom Soorahs of life
and pray in the name of love?
Do you think like every other bird
in a season of year
I take off?
Believe me
I stem from the tenderhearted
From the long lost tribe of devoted
A translation of my farsi poem "che fekr mikoni?" for the poetry week
~Fari Naz
Do you think
if your voice is not caressing my restless heart
and if the melody of your sentiments
are not leading the symphony of my heartbeats,
I have any peace?
Do you think it has any importance
if the fox, the leopard and wolf,
stem from the love birds
or have the quality of daily opportunists’ daggers?
Passing by the seconds,
the sad hearts of violets
become more nostalgic
for the absence of sun shine.
Do you think that violets
at night
in deficiency of light
buy a gleam of moon?
and open their petals
in coquetry to seduce?
Do you think I am made of sharp deceit
or am as the delicate piece of silk, deceptive?
I think I am thirsty
before I start begging
give me a glass of kindness…
Do you think love is like thirst?
that if you fulfill me with your sips of affection
I will no longer drink your love?
Do you think that because my adorations have no Allah
I don’t know how to worship?
Didn’t I kneel to the freedom Soorahs of life
and pray in the name of love?
Do you think like every other bird
in a season of year
I take off?
Believe me
I stem from the tenderhearted
From the long lost tribe of devoted
A translation of my farsi poem "che fekr mikoni?" for the poetry week
~Fari Naz
P.S. Like always, dear Stijn has answered to this poem as follows:
I think, Farinaz, you are of delicate sharpness
I think, Farinaz, affection doesn't fulfill, it makes you long for more
I think, Farinaz, like every bird, you'll eventually land
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