Tibet: An Inconvenient Occupation

A group of passionate protestors chant slogans denouncing the autocratic regime seeking to suppress their freedom of speech, culture and religion. It could be Syria, Libya, or Egypt, and it would, if reported, rightly engender robust diplomatic rhetoric from western democracies, and pressure to secure an illusive United Nations resolution. But what are the chances of chastisement when the aggressor is a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

Chinese security forces have been amassing in western regions of the Sichuan Province, ahead of the Tibetan New Year which begins on February 22^nd. So often a trigger for demonstrations against Chinese occupation, this year the protests are likely to be more potent than previously, with the pending 50 year anniversary of the Tibetan uprising in March. With state restrictions on the movement of foreigners, journalists in particular, it is hard to quantify the numbers involved, yet reports indicate that three Tibetans have set themselves on fire in as many days, making 15 such cases in the last year. The body of the most recent, a 42 year old monk called Sopa, was paraded through the streets, having been reluctantly released after protestors smashed the windows of the police station in Dari, to which he had been taken by officials.

This self-immolation, as it is called, is surely as shocking in nature as many of the routine human rights abuses in nations such as Iran, that elicit regular statements of indignation from whichever Home Secretary is manning the shop. The fact that this mutilation is self-imposed, a desperate act where other forms of expression are discouraged or actively suppressed, speaks to the impotence of a people whose voice has been regularly raised, yet rarely recognised.

China claims to have governed the region for centuries, which is partially true. Since the 7^th century, you could say Tibet has often fallen under Chinese rule, however, it’s fairer to say it did not “fall”, it was pushed, and hard. There has always been an attempt to maintain a cultural and political independence, culminating in the failed Tibetan rebellion, beginning in 1959, that saw the Dalai Lama flee to establish an alternative government in exile. The systematic erosion of Tibetan culture and rights has continued, with violent suppression of resistance to Chinese occupation, notably to the unrest seen in 2008.

With western governments keen to secure trade links with China, as an emerging super-power, the plight of the Tibetan people is an inconvenience, and largely ignored. For such countries, that mask military deployment to safeguard commercial enterprise with claims of humanitarian rationale, the deaf ear turned to the east is to our lasting shame. Tibet will celebrate its New Year come what may, but whether it’s a “happy” one will largely depend on the rest of us.

Send 'Arry In

 In a tale of two Harrys, Mr Redknapp senior was yesterday cleared on charges of tax evasion, while Captain Harry Wales passed his helicopter gunship training with flying colours. Two ginger haired gentlemen overcoming personal challenges, likely to lead to even headier heights of national service.

In the PR coup of the week, Tottenham Hotspur top dog Harry Redknapp walked free from Southwark Crown Court within hours of current England manager Fabio Capello resigning from his post. Flanked by his son Jamie, the bookies favourite to succeed the departing Italian said the trial had been “a nightmare”, and that he was looking forward to putting it all behind him. Heading home to wife Sandra, Redknapp will no doubt have slept more soundly than his current employer, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. Betting has been suspended, sweating maybe not.

Prince Harry, meanwhile, was being crowned top Co-Pilot Gunner after an 18 month course that has seen the third in line to the throne master the controls of a £46 million helicopter. Apache Force Commander Colonel Neale Moss described the course as “extremely challenging, teaching and testing students in their flying skills, decision-making and mental agility.” Now assigned to 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, Captain Wales’ previous deployment to Afghanistan in 2008 was cut short when a media blackout was broken. The Prince has now hastened his chances of returning, a prospect many would find as welcome as veal in a vegan’s vol-au-vent, and this time it seems unlikely his identity would be protected. We may have giggled and grimaced at his antics over the years, but considering the options and resources at his disposal, it speaks to the character of the man that he chooses to put himself in harm’s way, when many of his vintage only look past the end of their own nose if it is to focus on their X-Box.
After the departure of Senior Capello, the FA seems to oddly favour the appointment of a chief who speaks the same language as his charges, it might help. The Italian chose John Terry as the moral cause over which to fall on his sword, a paradox that leaves one wondering just how much else got lost in translation. Nothing that a bit of cockney charm can’t cope with of course, but with England Under 21 Manager Stuart Pearce holding the reigns for the interim, the FA will not hurry to Harry just yet. Apparently, a newly qualified co-pilot gunner will fly months of UK missions before any potential overseas deployment, so on both counts it may still be a little while before they send in the Harrys.

 

Don't Bank On It

Racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart claims Fred Goodwin was been made “a scapegoat”, following his friend being stripped of his knighthood for services to banking. When the Royal Bank of Scotland hit the buffers in 2008, to be publicly propped up to the tune of £45 billion, it could have been little worse if run by a real goat. Of course, bashing the bankers has become fun, fashionable, and a fresh way to let off steam, like roller-discos in the 80s, but without knee-pads. And yet, this de-knighting has been chastised and championed in equal measure. Simon Walker, the Director-General of the Institute of Directors warned that it “politicises the whole honours system”. It is political, and was even before Cash for Honours.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, welcomed the decision by the forfeiture committee, saying that “RBS symbolised everything that went wrong in the economy.” Taking the honours does nothing to negate a repeat of the banking crisis, and successive governments have failed to police any pernicious practices, so it is indeed a purely symbolic gesture. But will it stem the flood of public anger over the pension Mr Goodwin receives, and the bonuses currently up for grabs in a company that is 83% owned by the taxpayer? Surely the call to be competitive must be balanced with the restrictions of what is effectively now a public sector entity, and not getting the pension you were promised is part and parcel of that re-written reality.

In some ways, the current Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland has a lot in common with the Prime Minister. Stephen Hester took on a large organisation that had been grossly mismanaged, requiring an eye-popping amount of borrowing to maintain its very existence, and Mr Cameron took on Britain. Both work in results driven industries, geared to short term targets, and neither has probably taken a bus or bought a pint of milk in years.  Of course, a lack of familiarity with public transport and the purchasing of dairy produce need not preclude either from giving a competent account of themselves professionally. However, it speaks to the outrage at one being offered a million pound bonus, and the other seeming unwilling to prevent him taking it.

With belts audibly tightening across the country, the news that Mr Hester would forgo his shares must have elicited an even louder sigh of relief in Downing Street. Mr Cameron has hit the jackpot without even buying a ticket. It would be hard to credit his actions which precipitating this change of heart.  It was pressure from the media, the public, and the Labour party, in the form of an impending Common’s debate on the issue. A tenacious opposition leader might make plentiful political capital of that, although this one has shown a tendency to take the loaded weaponry that fate has handed him, and shoot himself in the foot with it.  

State of the Union

As the fag-end of the UK pantomime season smoulders to a close, the American equivalent takes centre stage. The only dame dropped out after the first audition, and the principle players are endeavouring to distance themselves from dodgy dialogue and unwise ad-libs from past productions, as the contenders to be Republican Party Presidential candidate for the US election vie to avoid being cast as the panto villain. The protracted process comprises a series of primaries and caucuses, regional votes in which Republican voters select preferred candidates. We whittle down the wish-list, as the results roll in, with candidates capitulating as their funding and fan-bases either enlarge or evaporate.

The contest kicked off in Iowa, with folks from “America’s Heartland” failing to deliver a decisive verdict. Having misplaced their copy of “Democracy for Dummies”, the organisers sent some votes through the wash in their jeans pockets, we’ve all done it, others slipped down the back of the sofa, and it was thought best to call it a split between former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney and “social conservative” Rick Santorum. But the farce did thin the field, with the notable withdrawal of the darling of the Tea party, but apparently not many others, Michele Bachmann. With former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich winning the South Carolina Primary, and veteran Ron Paul hanging on in there, in more ways than one at 76, it’s a four horse race, with the chosen candidate taking on President Obama on November the 6^th.

The mandatory mud-slinging may even get a tad dirtier this time out thanks to a new ruling. Any interested party can now find funding to launch an advertising campaign to compliment or condemn a chosen candidate, providing they are not working for one of them. But presumably you would have to produce a note from your mum to that effect.

In sporting terms, the race to the White House is more marathon than sprint, and tactics can be a long way south of cricket. The “birthers” have been reborn, questioning if the President is really American. Rick Santorum has been repeatedly cross-examined to see if he’s really as anti-gay/abortion/Palestinian as people feared/hoped, delete as appropriate. Mitt Romney has had to flash his tax return, proving he only coughed up 15% of the income from investing his $200 million fortune, and Newt Gingrich starts from the position of being the only Speaker of the House of Representatives to have been disciplined for ethics violations. Ron Paul probably has some skeletons in his closet too, but may have forgotten where he put them.

Although it will be a riveting contest for the neutral spectator, it is unlikely to be a good clean game. You’re guaranteed a few high tackles before the final whistle, but probably not a communal bath after it.   

War of Independence

After much sabre rattling on both sides of the border, it would seem that Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, will soon be holding talks with David Cameron regarding a referendum on Scottish independence. Despite an ICM survey, and an opinion poll for the Mail on Sunday, suggesting Mr Salmond was swimming against the tide in his preference for independence, his Scottish National Party hailed the proposed pow-wow with the big fish in Westminster a “very welcome development”. As with many potential break-ups, some of the rhetoric has been a tad acrimonious, with both parties taking legal advice, and on more than just who gets the CD collection.

The statistics suggest that English voters are more inclined to support Scottish independence than even the Scots themselves, but at 43% and 29% respectively, neither survey strongly support a separation. Scottish voices in Westminster have not been welcoming either. Former Chancellor Alastair Darling declared “the downsides are immense, the risks are amazing,” and he has lived next door to Gordon Brown. Regarding the slippery issue of currency, Darling pointed out that if an independent Scotland stuck with sterling, it faced the same situation as Euro-zone members. The prospect of using a currency whose central bank is in a foreign country, that controls your interest rates, is hardly mouth-watering to the independently minded. Alternatively, you could swallow hard and join the Euro, an option likely to leave you losing your appetite altogether.

When even the established currencies are barely buoyant, the start-your-own-scenario might also represent a ready-made recipe for disaster. The economic equivalent of home-brew heart surgery, and as likely to succeed, this third theory does, however, conjure up the Caledonian conundrum of which national treasure should grace the coinage in the manifest absence of monarchy. My money would be on Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, or Lulu. 

Labour leans heavily on a support base north of the border, but there are more pandas in Scotland than Tory MPs. Despite that discrepancy, cross party commitment to the union exists in the Commons, alongside the need to debate the when and the how of the proposed referendum. Cameron claims it should come in the next 18 months, Salmond says 2014, to coincide with the 700^th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. That was a significant victory for Scottish independence, but I wouldn’t put many Lulu dollars on another one. 

Leveson vs MacKenzie

When Kelvin MacKenzie left the High Court yesterday and struck a Christ-like pose on the steps outside, it can only be hoped that his tone was something approaching deeply ironic. Unless he was doing an impression of Wayne Rooney after the over-head kick wonder strike against Man City, but after more grazing than training. The former editor of the Sun had been giving evidence in the continuing Leveson inquiry into press ethics, and to the casual observer at least, he did not appear to have any.

Speaking of his editorship between 1981 and 1994, he said; “I didn’t spend too much time pondering the ethics of how a story was gained, nor over-worry about whether it was published or not.” This foreign policy sold papers, but was not always as popular with his proprietor. Having informed Rupert Murdoch of the need to compensate Elton John, to the tune of £1 million, for a fabrication too far, his telephoned-ticking-off lasted nearly three quarters of an hour. But one imagines the media mogul’s motives were more money than morality minded, needless to say, creative copy-writing was not curtailed.

In a customarily bullish defence of the tabloid press, Kelvin Mackenzie claimed that some much maligned methods were as prevalent on broad-sheet publications, but unfairly attracted plaudits in place of punishment. By way of example, he offered the scenario of phone hacking Tony Blair, to prove he was “circumventing the cabinet” to take the country to war in Iraq. “If you publish it in the Sun you get six months’ jail,” he said, “and if you publish it in the Guardian you get a Pulitzer Prize.” He may have a point.

Further to the divide between broadsheet and red tops, he concluded that “there is a tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism.” He may have a set of points. But from which sordid source did this snobbery spring? Well, if you edit out breasts and football, and stories about folk whose only talent is the possession of one, or playing the other, then certain papers would just be a TV guide. Snobbery? Not Jesus, not even Rooney, but right on this occasion Mr MacKenzie.

Mixed Messages

I missed the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day, buried as I was under an ocean of well-intentioned seasonal multi-tasking. Somewhere between the construction of complex offspring entertainment systems, each requiring a unique type of battery and a working knowledge of Chinese or Polish, and the military style co-ordination to ensure that edible offerings with 15 differing cooking times all hit the table looking equally burnt, I lost a large portion of my patience, most of my sobriety and any chance of commandeering the remote control.

However, I was among the 200,000 odd to watch the monarch’s message on YouTube, and also checked out other seasonal offerings from the great and the good. With the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee gracing the 2012 calendar, David Cameron, dressed for a funeral, urged us to “go for it”. But he acknowledged that we will be going for it on a greatly reduced budget, citing the rising prices that have “hit household budgets.” Closing with a call to the patriotic, the Prime Minister urged us to focus “on what this fantastic country does best”, although neglected to elaborate on what that elusive talent might be. Policy wise, he made reference to pursuing welfare reform and curtailing excesses in the City. Well, this year I plan to fix the leaking tap in the bathroom, and train the cat to speak Cantonese, and I can’t guarantee putting the same effort into the second task either.

Nick Clegg’s message proffered a policy buffet of tasty treats, from pupil premiums to tinkering with the tax-bands. The Deputy PM trailed a re-balancing of the economy away from the City, and for the stocking-is-half-empty type, he conceded the coming year “will pose great challenges”. The Queen too referred to current hardships, stressing the importance of family, and community in times of crisis. She closed with a call to find room for the message of the angels, do not be afraid, and for the love of God. Her Majesty also spoke about the power of forgiveness, and that sometimes “we need saving from ourselves, from our recklessness and greed,” at which point I’m certain I heard a member of the pinstripe posse choking on a sprout.  

Economically, it seems we start the New Year where we finished the last, on our knees. But, this should prove handy both for prayer, and searching for spare change under the sofa, and it looks as if we’re going to need plenty of both.