Tibet in translation
It is the final day of our government-led tour of Tibet's capital Lhasa. I'm in a group of about 40 foreign journalists invited into Tibet on a trip to cover the Olympic torch relay. We're the first foreign reporters China has allowed into the capital, Lhasa, for almost three months.
First stop is the Sera monastery - one of the most important places in Lhasa to Tibetans and also to China's security forces. Monks here played a leading part in anti-China protests in March. Some were arrested, others went on hunger strike.
Our tour starts shortly after 0900. We're driven to the monastery in our official convoy (which is so large it's practically visible from outer space).
We're met by a senior monk who gives us a short tour of the monastery's main buildings. He speaks to us in Tibetan - his words are translated by government interpreters (more on this later).
About 550 monks live in this monastery. But on our brief tour we come across only about a dozen of them, none of whom look to be under 40. That's no great surprise. The last time China organised a foreign media trip to a monastery in Lhasa - at the end of March - the tour was interrupted by a group of young monks shouting "Free Tibet".
We are allowed to interview one senior monk - Lobsang Choepel, the Director of the Democractic Management Committee of the Sera Monastery.
We crowd around him - it's a first chance to ask the kinds of questions we've all been thinking about for months.
One reporter asks: "What do you think of the Dalai Lama?"
The monk replies in Tibetan. The government interpreter translates his words into English: "The Dalai is the head of the Gelupa sect and I, myself, when I was young, I also learned religious scriptures from Dalai. In terms of religion, we believe in Dalai, but I don't recognise or accept what he says and what he does."
Does he teach the younger monks about the Dalai Lama ?
Answer (through the interpreter): "I'm not introducing Dalai to the students."
An interesting small point - when Lobsang Choepel speaks in Tibetan we clearly hear him say the words "Dalai Lama". But the interpreter uses the single word "Dalai" - a term often used by the Chinese government, which can come across to Tibetans as derogatory.
We carry on asking questions.
"What does the Chinese government's re-education programme involve?" (Since the Tibetan protests in Lhasa in March, the government says it has sent task forces into monasteries to teach monks that they must obey the law.)
The answer (through the interpreter): "The content of the legal knowledge education is to help the monks to have a better understanding of the state law and constitution so that after we have this legal knowledge, in the future, we will not violate any laws."
And that's it. We're escorted back onto our buses. As we drive away, we pass a number of shops and stalls on the road leading to the monastery. Standing outside the shops are a number of men. We look closely and see that many of them have ear pieces and carry walkie-talkies. It's a pretty easy guess that they are plain clothes officers, deployed to make sure there are no disruptions to our tour.
After the monastery, we're taken to the Potala Palace which overlooks the heart of Lhasa. It was home to the Dalai Lama before he went into exile in 1959. It takes us all of about three seconds to ask the guide the question that's on all of our minds - can we see where the Dalai Lama used to live?
We're taken in and shown his old chapels and his old bedroom (we get to see the outer chamber - a curtain is drawn over the room that is said to contain his old bed). As we walk through the palace, we see two portraits of the Dalai Lama's immediate predecessor - but no pictures of the current Dalai Lama whatsoever (in Tibet, displaying a picture of the Dalai Lama is a punishable crime).
With that, the trip is done. We're driven to the airport. As we queue up to go through the security check, we pass a bit of paper stuck to a pillar - it shows photos of two Tibetan protestors wanted by the police.
The official doing the security check reminds us that cigarette lighters are not allowed on board. But, right now, it seems that there is an exception. A number of people waiting to get on the flight back to Beijing are carrying long cardboard boxes - printed with the logo of this summer's Olympic Games. Each of these people ran a leg of the Olympic relay in Lhasa. As a reward, they get to keep the torch they ran with (wrapped up carefully inside a cardboard box). We head onto the plane, take off, and Lhasa disappears behind us.
I wonder when we'll be allowed to go back.
I’m 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~03~RS~)
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hi James. The lighters have been taken away from the torches after being used in relay. just mementos. so there is no exception, trust me. A friend of mine joined the relay in another city last month. He'd like to show off to me.
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It was in 1950 that China first invaded Tibet. The world saw many changes in the last 58 years: the founding of the European Community, the independence of a number of erstwhile African colonies, the end of the policy of racial segregation in the US, the end of the Soviet Union as well as the end of Apartheid in Sout Africa. Such changes apparently ushered in an era of greater awareness and recognition of the centrality of human rights to the international community.
Alas, in Tibet the last 58 years have passed almost unchanged. Yes, there have been campaigns and protests for human rights and freedom of religion in Tibet by activits and celebrities in the western world but their impact on mighty China was - and is - negligible. Why is it so? One of the possible answers is: "We must not upset China as our main commercial partner".
Whatever happens in the next few years one thing remains clear: the Tibetan people and the Tibetan culture will not survive another 58 years of Chinese rule. And the western democracies which could indeed help to bring about a meaningful change to the plight of Tibetans in Tibet, by their inaction and blatant self-interest, are allowing for the death of an ancient culture which for centuries has enthroned universal compassion as its highest value.
The monk's reply to James Reynolds' question about the Dalai Lama is emblematic: "I don't recognise or accept what he says and what he does." His answer is essentially very similar to the attitude of western leaders to His Holiness, for if they did recognise what he says and does they would act accordingly.
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We have read in the history how civilizations and cultures were obliterated. How people were reduced to nothing after invasion. Well, we don't need to look at the history books. Its happening.. here in Tibet. Beautiful peaceful people who will lose their culture, heritage and motherland forever.
Now I see how economic might can smother other countries just like how it used to happen in the old days with military might. We are all guilty of not saving them by not being strong enough to stop china.
We have to just hope that china doesn't claim Bhutan one day.
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There are two points I wish to discuss with you (James Reynolds):
1, have you got any ideas about the title which you mentioned as an interesting point that Dala lama and Dalai ? DO you know whether there exiting differences? Have you got the kownledge about what lama is ?
2, At the airport, you stated that torch relay are allowed to carry their torch on broad wrapped up carefully in the box, but not your lighter . May I ask you :" would you ask this exception in Heathrow ?
Also, they are so many "guess" in your language, Would a london police accept people reports a crime with victims' guess ?
I somehow feel you have weared strong coloured glassed about china when you wrote this article.
I am looking forward to hearing from you,James Reynolds.
Thank you
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As you mentioned translation, I advise you to learn Tibetan and Chinese by yourself since you have doubt on our government's translation. And you can know Tibet and China and the people better by yourself too. I wonder why the majority of the people you interviewed seem not so friendly to the government and Han Chinese. Is it a problem of improper translation or are they carefully selected?
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Here's something requires no translation for you, James ...
"... and the first foreign visitors to Tibet were downright appalled at the feudal domination, and hideous punishments, that kept the population in permanent serfdom to a parasitic monastic elite."
-- Christopher Hitchens.
I would never go visit that kind of place myself. But, I hope you would be allowed to go back. Perhaps you would want to see how they used to punish people. I mean when Dalai was there.
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A shame you didn't have a sound recording of the interview so you could get an independent translation of what was said in Tibetan.
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Hi, James.
I think you maybe disappointed, because you found nothing relate to what you want - the scene that all Tibetan ask for independence!
From your report, we all know that, Dalai Lama only can control the a part of monks. And by visiting the Potala Palace, you must know that, Dalai Lama used to be a Slave-owner of Tibet. He is dreaming to be it again.
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James, Do you have other interest of China apart from Tibet and security system?
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Mr Reynold, you werent the first foreign reporter into Tibet for almost 3 months, that is a bit rich from you. A group of 30 mainly foreign journalists was invited to Tibet in April just a week after the unrest. Of course the BBC were not invited because of its bias reporting.
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I think this article was written very single sided and even misleading, everything has its two sides of the story. But this has been the case for western media to report on China and especially Tibet issue. Well, there are plenty of real cases that western media has chosen its political stand points even before reporting cases to the public. Take the current war for an example.
People should also visit Chinese state media's website and get somewhat balanced information about this issue.
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well, in this case, the best advice to you will be
learn some tibetan, perhaps start by respecting Chinese culture and learn some Mandarin?!
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James you said
Standing outside the shops are a number of men. We look closely and see that many of them have ear pieces and carry walkie-talkies. It's a pretty easy guess that they are plain clothes officers, deployed to make sure there are no disruptions to our tour.
Can you be quite sure that this is not licence and imagination regarding a few locals with Ipods?
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A sad report, as it reads. Sad in the sense that the journalists had not been allowed uncontrolled access to the locals, both Chinese and Tibetans. Perhaps both parties have different woe to tell the foreign journalists.
But it is understandable why such a tight security had to be arranged for. So no surprise. Things would have, perhaps, been different, if the recent riot had not taken place.
It is anyway good that a group of foreign journalist did see Lhasa this time and were able to report live from there freely.
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Hi James,
It's clear in this story that you suggests the Chinese government has tried to control what the monks say to the media through the Chinese translator. But I think it's real cheeky of you to have suggested it but not spell it out of what you think in plain English. The fact is, you’re not 100% sure if this is the case are you?
And it is this kind of "journalism" that gets me - you're a reporter, you ought to report what you see and let your audience to do the thinking. But it seems our James always have the tendency to deliberately find contrast and irony in your story, and through it suggest (in stealth) your own message to feed in to your audiences, and what's more, in your report you haven't actually said anything that made you accountable for your not always correct nor perfect suggestions. I couldn't think any other word but to say this is very cheeky indeed. It’s board-lining OK to publish this in this Blog, but if I ever see this report on live BBC news, I think this is gross miss-conduct because you should at least try and verify your story before publishing it.
In regards to this particular story, if I can assume that you and the rest of the media gang have recorded the conversation with the elderly monk and the Chinese translation, so if you have done your homework, you could have find an interpreter of your own and find out if the Chinese translator has incorrectly translated the monk's words. I mean come on, let's do the real journalistic research before come out here and make a suggestive story like this.
Personally I don't believe the translator had deliberately miss-translated, because I think it's very stupid to do so in front of the world media. But I think it is very plausible for them to have carefully selected an appropriate monk to answer the media's questions. and I won't blame the local government for doing so.
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I really wish one day you would remember to mention that 1/4 of the tibetan current population are state subsidized monks, who do not need to work at all. China is the only non-theocracy country in the world to sponsor a religion, which is in your opinion, an action to destroy the culture.
And for those who think that thier countries are not pressing China on Tibet because of China's economic might, know this: Tibet was not even a problem back when China was extreamly poor and absolutely not a threat to the western countries. Tibet became a problem only because now someone needs something to bash/disrupt China's development.
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Excuse me moderator, what did I say that break the house rules?? I was only suggesting that people who are so desired to learn the "truth" should at least learn some Tibetan or Chinese first, before they suspect the interpreter had twisted the translation and hence hidden the "truth". Don't you agree??
Was that irrelevant to the topic?? There was no swearing words, no websites/email addresses, no advertising, etc. etc. no nothing...
I just don't understand which bit of it broke the house rules, the moderator is really getting some attitude these days, could you please at least explain it?? Or, yeah, you might just as well remove this post...
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hviveka:
I doubt you have ever read the history book. Sikkim is already occupied by India and the Bhutan is actually controlled by India too.
If you care about the disappearance of old native civilizations. Please do not always use Tibet as a moral point. Please first return the occupied land to those natives in America and Australia and stop celebrating Columbus' day.
Hypocrisy makes people disgusting.
Thank you
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Dear James and fellow readers,
Tibet has to be free, or rather Tibetans should be given freedom. In fact, everyone in China regardless of their ethnicities should have freedom.
However free Tibet can be done if there are modernisation, increase in public infrastructures and improvement of economy. Liberation from feudalistic regime of the old Dalai Lama system is another kind of freedom all the Tibetans enjoy in recent years.
Freedom and Independence are not always equal. Independence can bring so much pain to Tibetans if the old feudalistic system is in place. More Tibetans are going to suffer if the Dalai Lama rules with iron fist.
Yes, the CCP is not perfect but at least the development in Lhasa is evident. Remember, the protest in March was carried out by the suppressed monks and not the civilians!
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Mr. James.
Factual report may not be to the liking of many Chinese. However that is the job of a reporter: to report truth.
Ruthless supression by Chinese government in Tibet is clear and visible for any person visiting Tibet. Staged tour of few foreign reporters at selected venues can not hide reality.
I don't understand why Chinese authorities feel that they can fool every one in this world . It is sad that truth can't be digested even by many Chinese who are writing on this blog.
Thanks for your bold and factual reporting.
Gonpo
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Given what I've read in this and your recent several posts, I am starting to sense your passionate attitude toward the Tibetan cause, human rights concerns and media freedom in China. These feelings and perceptions are reflected in many ways within your style of writing.
Your recent posts have used many assumptions and guesses that are impossible to verify. You have shown suspicion or cynicism toward any signs of unity or agreement toward the country. Despite being in China, you have referred to facts and figures from NGOs (eg. Amnesty International) more than from the locals you're supposedly immersing with.
Had the purpose of this blog been purely personal, I would have forgiven the emotional clouding of your posts, but the fact that these posts are actually referred to by the BBC as "news" and "analysis" poses deep concerns for the quality and objectivity of their news reporting.
James, I really hope that you would find time between your busy schedules to respond to some of the justified concerns from commentators, like myself. A clarification of your personal positions on matters concerning China would also be interesting. The accussations of "bias" comes up far too often in this blog to be left ignored.
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gonpola :
Are you kidding me when you said "Ruthless supression by Chinese government in Tibet is clear and visible for any person visiting Tibet"?
Just present some evidences to me first, ok? Coz you thought everyone who visited Tibet think like that, why I and my friends(including some foreigners) did not feel like that?
If you ask the civilians in Tibet, most of them will tell you how vast changes in Tibet. Do you know most of people in Tibet are slaves under Dalai Lama's rule 50 years ago? Now they have their own house, their own land.
I suggest you to visit Tibet by yourself. If you are so care about Tibetan culture, you can donate money to repair the monastery, thanks!
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In response to post No 2:
Just to quote some numbers to show whether or not Tibet has changed in the past 50 years or so:
1. the average life span of Tibetan was 35.5 in 1959, which has now increased to 67;
2. the fatality rate of pregnant women was 500 per one million in the early 1950s, which has now dropped to 24.7 per one million;
3. the population in Tibet was 1 million as of 1953, which has now increased to 2.8 million; over 92% of which is Tibetan;
4. in the 1950s less than 2% of school age children went to school, and over 95% of the population was illiterate; in 2008 98.2%, 90.7%, 42.96% and 17.4% of school age children were admitted to primary school, middle school, high school and college, respectively, and the illiterate rate dropped to 4.76%;
5. in the 1950s there was no high way in Tibet at all; the total length of high way in Tibet amounted to 48,611 km in 2008;
6. in the 1950s there was no modern communication in Tibet at all; as of the end of 2007 registered users of fixed line and mobile phones amounted to 144.29 million, with an average of 52 phones per 100 people.
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James, I believe that I meet with westerners like you every day. You have not mastered any language skills to understand the Chinese people, the government, Chinese history, Chinese cultures and the changes over the last 20 years. I understand that this would be very difficult for you or for any westerners. But, please remember this, every thing is a 3-D object. Looking at it from one angle only would not give you a whole picture of it. And before you get a whole picture of it better not to jump onto conclusions too quickly. I believe you are still in a culture shock that prevent you from observing things properly from your own angle not mention the other angles. Tibet is a long story. Many weaterners believe Tibet was an independent religious kingdom that was so pure and there was nothing bad about it. They have no knowledge that Tibet has been part of China for about 1000 years before 1950. They know nothing about what life was like for Tibetans under Dalai Lama. They know nothing about the slavery and serfs. James, do some independent research about Tibet's past. Talk with old people who knows Tibet's past. Talk with ordinary Tibetans and find out how much have changed over the last 20 years. James, since you talks about Dalai Lama's portraits/photoes, go bit further. All over China people no longer hang up any polititians' photoes like they did in the past because Chinese people know that all polititians/any great persons are all humans that make mistakes. In Tibet old people still keep Chairman Mao 's photo in a frame and hand it up in their rooms because he was the one freed them from slavery and gave them the land. Dalai Lama's photo has even higher status. Now, chairman Mao can not come back from his crystal coffine. But the holly Dalai Lama may be able to return one day. Tell me what will be Dalai Lama's new rule like after he gathers all the religious power and political power in one? Power corrups, what will Tibetans end up with? A religious and political dictator.
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What a pity that this report has to be censored in such a way that voice of the voiceless and ordinary Tibetans is not to be heard! This coverage would be pretty complete had the voice of the ordinary Tibetans in Lhasa included.
The only voice seem to be visible from the monasteries with, of course, authorization from the government is the monk from the so-called democratic management committee. Does that sound like a 'democratic' organ? Not at all, this is the very committee through which the government controls the monastic institutions. Every monastery has such an organ. The monk officials from this committee, unlike the majority of the monks, including the protesters, suppose to be more pro-government from the general Tibetan perspective.
The truth is not even the most pro-government monks will not vilify the Dalai Lama, coz. Tibetan's relation with the Chinese government is only 50 years (for better or worse) of age, but the bond between the Dalai Lama and Tibetans is spiritually eternal. What comes next is quite predictable...
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yes, what comes next is quite predictable: Tibet will remain, as it has remained in the past thousand years, part of China. Period.
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Hi Moderator,
What do you mean I broke the RULES? I simply tried to help Mr. Reynold to understand why he was selected by BBC to be its correspondent in Beijing while he has no knowledge of the country's languages and culture and using some unprofessional methods to REPORT to the rest of the world about something he has no idea about.
Please just delete this post if it makes you uncomfortable.
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i am curious to know, as a British person, have you ever learned the history of Tibet? one intersting thing is the relation between britain and tibet. tibet had never been a real independant country except during the early 20th century, supported by the UK, when China was tortured by opium and the Japanese. and did you ever know where the opium came from? when you are seeing Tibet, do not forget to look at its uglier background of tibetan independance.
my dear western friend, TIBETAN culture is not destroyed, or at least not as bad as Han culture is. if you want tibet to stay 'heaven' without modernization, you can find a cave yourself to lead a 'natural' life. Yes, the railway, the blue jean and KFC
changed Tibet, as it changed China.
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Hi James,
You are doing an amazing job. Let me tell you this there will be always evil people trying to spoil your efforts.
But this is no surprise becasue you have hundred and thousand of people admiring your great job.
I was wondering if those (Chinese) who comments here are better than you?
I bet they are not. They don't have knowledge like you and most important they don't have eye to distinguish right and wrong.Such people are subject of compassion.
Just chill buddy and keep doing what you are doing right now.YOU ARE THE MAN.
Cheers.
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Dear Mr Reynolds,
Thanks for these reports. Concerning the translations, if you do not have an original record of them, it will be difficult to know what they really said.
Anyway, Tibetans would never refer to the Dalai Lama as "Dalai Lama", they use instead more respectful terms like "Yeshe Norbu" or "Gyalwa Rinpoche".
If you heard the monk in Sera saying "Dalai Lama" it is, I suppose, because he did not want to use a respectful term in front of the translator, as he knew that he was carefully monitored. So, it does not make any difference between the monk saying "Dalai Lama" and the translator saying "Dalai"...
I hope that next time you will be able to take your own translator...
Best,
Tomka.
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some one say he/she doubt if tibetan culture will last for another 58 years. while i hope he/she will survie long enough to find out.
Things change, people change, their minds change.
I'm not a fan of government. But i really want to hear more of what tibetan people say, ordinary people not monks!
The issue of Xinjiang is also gaining popularity these days. People want a "free" Xinjiang. however, as i know a girl, of Tataer minority of Xinjiang, who strongly claim not all people want that and majority are ordinary people recognizing themself as chinese, I want to hear more of what ordinary tibetans say.
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BBC also made a documentary called ONE YEAR IN TIBET, i didn't see any crackdown of culture, at least form what's shown in it.
Tibet issue has so much political reasons behind it. it is helpless and too heavy for ordinary people to tackle.
Swiss media has made also a documentary film about tibet and dalai lama , however, its view is not gaining any popularity because it is not what want to be heard.
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One more suggestion to James and BBC: you don’t have to trouble yourself by trudging down to Tibet. Instead, you should visit Dharamsala where more observation can be made to your taste.
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“15. At 09:17am on 23 Jun 2008, Sampanviking wrote:
James you said
Standing outside the shops are a number of men. We look closely and see that many of them have ear pieces and carry walkie-talkies. It's a pretty easy guess that they are plain clothes officers, deployed to make sure there are no disruptions to our tour.
Can you be quite sure that this is not licence and imagination regarding a few locals with Ipods?”
Haha, haha! Well said Sampanviking!
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China is a country with very little self confidence. A pitiful condition despite their many past and present achievements. This results in their inability to take any criticism. A sad and pathetic situation. They should truly claim their great heritage and be willing to try and understand the non-Chinese points of view. After all neither they or the west are right all the time. I am hoping for a more mature country in the coming years.
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Hi,tommywang and tclm38
Bodh key shinkyi yoth pye? Guess,not!!
So according to your logic,you have no business to talk about Tibet..right?
c.tashi
NY
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James:
I respect your sensitive soul as a journalist. I personally lived through the "white terror" as a child who was told not to repeat what parents said at home. My heart goes out to the old monk who couldn't freely expressed (if he wished) addressing the Dalai Lama as "Yeshe Norbu" or "Gyalwa Rinpoche."
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