Militarization of the Tibetan Plateau -- India & Tibetans on China's Quest for Oil and Domination

[MP Deepak] Obhrai Challenges China on Tibet For immediate release: Thursday, April 21, 2005

OTTAWA – Deepak Obhrai, M.P. for Calgary East and the Official Opposition Critic for Multiculturalism as well as International Trade - Emerging Markets, today used the anniversary of the visit to Canada last year by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to call upon China to open dialogue with Tibet.

“One year ago this week, Canadians were blessed with a visit by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Just two weeks ago, I had the distinct honour of representing the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet during a visit to Dharamsala in India, the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. There I met with Tibetan leaders and discussed many issues of mutual interest,” Mr. Obhrai said in the House of Commons.

“It became clear to me during those discussions that China cannot stop the self-determination aspirations of the Tibetan people. Tibetans have a distinct identity and China’s attempt to force Tibet into assimilation will not be accepted by the freedom loving people of the world,” stated Mr. Obhrai. “While we welcome the new openness of China, we also hold them accountable for their human rights violations, especially in Tibet.”

“We call on China to immediately begin dialogue with His Holiness to resolve the Tibet issue. Nothing short of this is acceptable to the world community,” concluded Mr. Obhrai. [. . . . ]

Elephant-Dragon Dance -- Eric Margolis explains some dangerous sore points beween emerging giants India and China apr. 17, 05, Toronto Sun,

THIS WEEK'S good news: China and India, comprising 36% of the world's population, agreed to begin serious talks about their long-disputed, 2,250-km shared Himalayan border -- over which they went to war in 1962. Since then, Asia's two great powers have glared at one another across their ill-defined border, which has long poisoned relations between the neighbours and produced occasional tense confrontations. [. . . . ]

Last year, in a fine example of cynical realpolitik, India grudgingly recognized China's 1950 annexation of Tibet in exchange for Chinese recognition of India's little- noticed annexation of three other Himalayan kingdoms, Sikkim, Bhutan and Ladakh, once known as "Little Tibet." [. . . . ]

India believes China is trying to envelop it from Pakistan, Tibet and Burma.

TIBET PLATEAU MILITARIZED

Delhi is rightly worried that China's vast militarization of the Tibet plateau poses a major strategic threat to India. China worries India seeks to dominate Afghanistan, Central Asia, Burma and the resources of Malaysia and Indonesia. India frets about China's navy probing into the Indian Ocean.

Both giants are vying to secure oil supplies from the Persian Gulf and East Indies. Both nations are determined to eventually exclude the U.S. Navy from their waters. [. . . . ]