Catching Fire: Political Unrest and Oppression in Tibet

I think those two photos sum it up best. Tibet is burning and tensions are beginning to mount. According to the BBC currently 21 monks have set themselves on fire in the past few months in protest of myriad of issues concerning Tibetian Chinese relations, but, in this situation at least, there are two of cardinal importance. As I mentioned last time the recent restrictions in the area around Tibet 'proper' has sparked this second wave of protest, but what are the restrictions? Well that's the second point many of the monks, nuns, and Tibetans in general feel that China is deeply restricting their freedom of expression, religion, speech, and movement.  China's response to these claims? 

Notice the fire extiquisher 

There are dozens of photos and this post could could become a photo journal from here on out, but that would miss the point. China is cracking down hard against the Tibetians labeling them separatists and terrorists and they will continue to do so until their goal of security is reached. Regardless of who you think is right in this situation people are being beaten, restricted, watched, and (perhaps most importantly) dying by their own hand or otherwise. And China's actions aren't helping. But then again China has dealt with religious protests similar to this before and in a similar manner I might add. 

Each time China has successfully put down the protests and, for the most part, managed to eradicate the memory of what happened from the public's mind. So, in many ways, this crackdown makes a lot of sense it worked before so it will work again, at least that's what the Chinese government is banking on. And while a large part of me if fearful that this will be a replay of what's gone before part of me is hopeful for some change.After all if you'll remember Chinese geomancers did predict that several Party officials would wind up behind bars by years end.

Take away questions? Well this time I guess I'm very interested to see how this situation develops and I'll be watching it as closely as I can in the days and weeks to come.

In loving memory of the dead, may you find what you seek:

Jacob 

Further Reading:

A good profile of Lama Sobha (one of the first to light themselves on fire) warning the article contains graphic images of his body: http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/ict-news-reports/photos-lama-sobha

Articles mentioned

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17153328

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17134560

Video courtesy of the Guardian 

The Dragon at Midnight

Happy New Year! Again!

That's right folks although the first round of holidays is over for this season we have just entered the second wave of new years. Earlier this week China, South Korea, and other portions of the world influenced by Chinese culture roared in the year of the Dragon, which is a most auspicious year indeed.

In fact so much so that everyone throughout this region is trying have as many babies as possible and several of the governments are encouraging them to do so. Take Singapore for example the PM Lee Hsien Loong said, and I quote, "I fervently hope that this year will be a big Dragon Year for babies... This is critical to preserve a Singapore core in our society,"

The family with the most will be able to associate with
them  in public for a year with out being imprisoned 

And for those of you who find the encouragement of reproduction a silly purusit because the world is going to end on December 21st worry not because some Chinese geomancers are convinced that shits going to get real this year to. To the point that one predicted that some government officials would be stepping down...I can just smell a who new dimension of time wave zero conspiracy theories brewing as I write this.

I really hate that man

So what does this have to do with religion? Well everything really. Unlike here in the United States where we have completely commercialized our New Years celebrations there is still an element of the religious that permeates the other new year celebrations that are sprinkled through out the year from the Four Jewish New Years (one of which is coming up in two weeks) to the Chinese Lunar New Year. And while many of these celebrations have been changed to fit out more materialist mind set (many Chinese took the day off to go shopping in Japan) it is interesting to notice the difference in tone between the contexts of various new year celebrations. The fact that multiple major governments are bracing for a baby boom year because of the ascendance of the Dragon is evidence enough of this. But what is ever more interesting in my opinion is the vary same conspiracy theory i just bashed. While I might disagree with the western doom profits who combine things like the I-Ching and the Mayan calander and declare that the end is nigh in December, I would like to point out that its rather interesting that many people are proclaiming the importance of this year. And I think I agree with that. From the social uprisings all around to the continuing police brutality in Oakland

Yesterday!

the effects of 2011 are still panning out in an unpredictable way and something very very big is going to happen. And if doesn't? Well I guess I'll just go live in the desert.

In terms of what I'd like to learn next? How does the Chinese Calendar work? Cause I have no goddamn idea.

Till next time, when we actually will talk about Daoism
Jacob

Don't know who Terrence Mekanna is? Good! You're much happier.

P.S. My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic is better than you think it is:

Articles mentioned today:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/01/201212383631437487.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/29/us-oakland-protests-idUSTRE80S00520120129