Dear Mr. Xi Jinping,
I think I shouldn’t say, how are you? Because for the past few years you are sleeping with your one eye opened. I heard through the Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, that you have earned more enemies than friends, more death-wishers than well-wishers, and more fear than respect from your party members. I believe, no one can sleep soundly, if one has made a habit to disturb the sleep of one’s neighbors. I believe these days like you, China is also getting lonelier.
Do you know? That these days every human on the streets know that Coronavirus has originated from China. Instead of accepting the fact, you have allowed your Wolf-Warrior diplomats to spin conspiracy theories from time to time. All these have further tarnish China’s image. Findings from Pew research and the Gallup would tell you the ground realities around the world. While in Asia, the constructions of endless dams in Tibet and the recent approval from National People’s Congress (NPC) to build mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (river) in Tibet have further created a cloud of fear among the Asian people over their water and food securities. Like the Belt and Road Initiative, it would be a good initiative to share the water with the downstream Asian countries. Because sometimes, to realize your dream, you need to share your gifts with others.
In Tibet, despite spending millions of renminbi, the resentments and aspirations of the Tibetan people are expressed in the form of peaceful uprisings in the 1987-1989, 2008 and later in a series of self-immolations all over Tibet. The recent peddling of the poverty alleviation campaign in China, including in Tibet would not guarantee stability, if Tibetan people are in constant fear of being persecuted to learn their own language and practice their own religion. I think you need to implement fear alleviation program in Tibet. By letting the Tibetan people to do what is close to their hearts and minds, by doing this, I believe you may earn their respect in the near future.
Recently Tibetans all over the world has commemorated the 62nd anniversary of the March 10 1959 Uprising. I believe in Tibet all the policemen and soldiers had to cancel their holidays and leaves to secure Tibet. I am guessing, like the officials of Tibet, you also haven’t slept on March 10.
Dear Xi Jinping la, you cannot realize yours or China’s Dream, if you keep on destroying the dreams of Tibetans, Uighur people, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolian people and also the dreams of our Chinese brothers and sisters.
In short, you cannot change what happened in the past, but you have the power to change for the better future.
Your well-wisher
Tenzin Tsultrim, PhD
Visiting Research Fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute, Dharamshala, India.
P.S. In Tibetan language, Xi means to die. I don’t want you to die, I want you to do good works before you die of a natural death.
Dr. Tenzin Tsultrim is a visiting fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute in Dharamsala, India. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Tibet Policy Institute. The article was published in Apple Daily on 24 March 2021.