Customer Reviews

History As Propaganda: Tibetan Exiles versus the People's Republic of China

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This book clearly shows that history has been - since ancient times - interpreted differently by the two sides, and that this is still very much the case in the modern era.

The main conclusion that can be drawn from the book is that the views held by both the Chinese government and the Tibetan government-in-exile are inherently biased owing to the different cultures, recorded histories, and world views of these two groups - a situation which is further compounded by the current political rivalry.

One example that the book mentions - and which stuck in my mind - is that of the marriage between a Tibetan king and a Chinese princess. This historical fact is then examined from the points of view of both Tibetans and Chinese. Unsurprisingly, significant differences exist in how this historical fact was interpreted, recorded, and transmitted down the ages by the Tibetans and Chinese.

I found this a very worthwhile read. Potential buyers should, however, be aware that the author obviously feels more connected with Tibet than with China. I would classify this as a minor bias towards Tibet that is noticeable in the writing style of the book. Importantly, I do not feel this bias has significantly undermined the quality of the book as both the Tibetan and Chinese points of view are given due consideration.

The author wanted to be neutral in his position presenting and commenting on the arguments from Chinese government and Tibetan government-in-exile. He criticizes the stupid propaganda made by Chinese government, but he seldom criticizes the deceitful propaganda by Tibetan government-in-exile, which uses "democracy" and "human rights" to plead their case of pursuing independence. Were there any "democracy" and "human rights" under Dalai Lama's regime, a manorial serfdom, where the peasants lived on the estates of the aristocratic landowners and they were bound to their lord from birth, and worked his land, not unlike the peasants in medieval Europe?

The author's experiences make him biased in this topic inevitably, though I believe he tried not to be. From the last 2 paragraphs of his book: "During my tenure in graduate school and in subsequent research trips to South Asia, I lived in Tibetan communities and developed friendships with a number of Tibetans. In this situation, my exposure to Tibetan history was heavily conditioned by their perspective, ..."

I recommend the book "The Snow Lion and the Dragon" authored by Melvyn C. Goldstein to readers interested in Tibet Question.

A readable, painfully balanced presentation of the issues surrounding the Tibetan exiles vs the Chinese government conflict.