NY Times columnist calls for your opinion

Nick Kristof of the New York Times wrote a column on the crackdown in Tibet, but remarkably managed to write it almost wholly from the American and Chinese perspective.  He was quite dismissive of Tibetan views.  In fact, when he solicited readers’ opinions prior to writing his column (in a post called “Calling China“) he asked specifically for Chinese opinions, not Tibetan ones.

We can’t even begin to respond to Kristof’s disappointing column, which the Hold Fast blog noted “presented a Very Serious discussion of Tibet that succeeded in preaching inaction, proposing a solution to the Tibet question predicated on an infantilized version of Tibetans and Tibetans conceding basic human rights, libeled a major nonviolent Tibetan support group, and failed to pass moral judgment on China’s disappearance of a six year old.”

Now Kristof is calling for opinions on his colum (click here).  At last, he calls for Tibetan as well as Chinese opinions.  Why the change of heart, Nick; did you realize how one-sided you were being?

In any case, Kristof still can’t get away from his pro-China tendencies when it comes to Tibet.  For example, he recommends Mel Goldstein as a “a first-rate scholar of Tibetan history who knows the language and culture intimately.”  How about suggesting Tsering Shakya’s work, who is actually Tibetan and who managed to get both the Chinese and Tibetan governments upset with his “Dragon in the Land of Snows.”  It’s cultural imperialism to suggest that a China-leaning westerner knows Tibet and its history better than a highly-regarded Tibetan scholar. 

In any case, please go to Kristof’s blog and register your opinion.