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China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

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Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#81

Post by coldtea »

bhouston wrote: post #30
auganov wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that the nature of almost every conflict with an ethnic context? If there's no clear weaker and stronger you usually end up with two independent states. The way Tibet was Incorporated into China, the nature of the Tibetan resistance, the way China governs Tibet, the reason China wants Tibet, the reason China represses Tibetans are all very very different from what's happening in Judea and Samaria. The Israeli A…

auganov wrote: > Isn't that the nature of almost every conflict with an ethnic context? If there's no clear weaker and stronger you usually end up with two independent states. Your statement is sort of weird in the above. It presupposes that subjugation of a weaker ethnic group by a more powerful ethnic group is acceptable -- that is how these conflicts are resolved. It is counter to the idea of universal human right…

>Your point of view, the powerful ethnic groups win and the weak lose and that is how the world works, justifies slavery, South African apartheid

Or a legal system, where blacks are hugely over-represented, the takeover of native american land, Puerto Rico, etc.

"Universal human rights" take usually less precedence to "my country, right or wrong".

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#82

Post by brador »

kweks wrote: post #29

I was there literally three days ago. The place is nothing short of breathtaking. Nestled at 4200km, it was a three day motorbike ride from Chengdu. Even at its foothills, you have no concept of the scale of the town hiding in the hills. This will truly be a tragic loss - the town is much more than the 'slum' it is represented as - it's arguably the most important Buddhist learning institution in the world.. Photos f…

It looks amazing, but it's still a slum. Unsafe structures, little to no policing, no sanitation or hygiene.

Rebuilding would destroy the history, but probably be better overall for the people living there.

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#83

Post by coldtea »

golergka wrote: post #44
toyg wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do your human rights diminish if you fight back in the "wrong" way?

If it's a choice between your human rights and someone else's life — obviously. Also, "fight back in a wrong way" is a very curious way to label brutal attacks targeting civilians that go on non-stop for the last hundred years — long before any of alleged grievances that you would be "fighting back" against even began.

>attacks targeting civilians that go on non-stop for the last hundred years

Those go on non-stop from BOTH sides.

And statistically the side you seem to be siding with has caused 100 times the casualties --doing those "brutal attacks targeting civilians" with full military force, not ad-hoc weaponry (plus they have amassed all this land areas they didn't use to have). Or is that just a minor detail?

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#85

Post by singold »

tim333 wrote: post #68
mhuffman wrote: post #4

Wow! It is amazing that we do not consider this a human rights violation. Oh well, gotta keep them prices low at Walmart!

While it's sad and I'm tempted to cry human rights, try building anything like that in UK or probably most developed countries without planning permission and they'd be straight on you.

Yes but China is not the UK and I don't think this is the only place in china without planning permission.

That's not how 3rd world countries work (I know because I live in one...)

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#86

Post by yashinm92 »

kweks wrote: post #29

I was there literally three days ago. The place is nothing short of breathtaking. Nestled at 4200km, it was a three day motorbike ride from Chengdu. Even at its foothills, you have no concept of the scale of the town hiding in the hills. This will truly be a tragic loss - the town is much more than the 'slum' it is represented as - it's arguably the most important Buddhist learning institution in the world.. Photos f…

Love the photos! Could you share info on what gear you used?

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#87

Post by nsomaru »

coldtea wrote: post #77
tim333 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>iPhone 6s It's a funny thing with monks. Quite a few are former businessman who want to try something more spiritual for a change but still are wealthy. I walked a bit with a young monk on the way to Tengboche Monastery and his main interest as we talked seemed to be designer sunglasses and which brand would be good to get.

> It's a funny thing with monks. Quite a few are former businessman who want to try something more spiritual for a change but still are wealthy. So mostly phonies being tourists in spiritual-land?

Renunciation is defined with reference to your mental attitude towards possessions, not the presence or absence thereof. See, for example the 'Royal Sage' (Raja Rshi).

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#88

Post by [deleted] »

brador wrote: post #82
kweks wrote: post #29

I was there literally three days ago. The place is nothing short of breathtaking. Nestled at 4200km, it was a three day motorbike ride from Chengdu. Even at its foothills, you have no concept of the scale of the town hiding in the hills. This will truly be a tragic loss - the town is much more than the 'slum' it is represented as - it's arguably the most important Buddhist learning institution in the world.. Photos f…

It looks amazing, but it's still a slum. Unsafe structures, little to no policing, no sanitation or hygiene. Rebuilding would destroy the history, but probably be better overall for the people living there.

[deleted]

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#89

Post by themartorana »

kweks wrote: post #29

I was there literally three days ago. The place is nothing short of breathtaking. Nestled at 4200km, it was a three day motorbike ride from Chengdu. Even at its foothills, you have no concept of the scale of the town hiding in the hills. This will truly be a tragic loss - the town is much more than the 'slum' it is represented as - it's arguably the most important Buddhist learning institution in the world.. Photos f…

Wow. Those are the most beautiful slums I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing!

Re: China issues demolition order on world’s largest religious town in Tibet

#90

Post by snnn »

jmknoll wrote: post #69

Your account has been active for 5 years. You should be aware that racism and non-constructive comments are not really acceptable here.

Sorry, I edited the reply and removed the description of shower. My remark was not meant as a slight on them. I just want to show you what I know about them. Most people do not have a chance to see how poor Chinese lives, because the information you can get is controlled by China propaganda machine. Beautiful Beijing, huge international airport, rich buyers. Even you already have a Chinese Visa, you can't travel to Tibet without special authorization. In most cases, the officer would reject your application and tell you Beijing already has a big Buddhism Lama temple in its heart so you can get everything you want to know at there.

And, as we are talking about human rights here, please take a look on another side: The Tibet itself. If there were no communists, would it get a better human right record? How do they treat women? Why male student can get a scholarship but females can’t? Could the U.S. government offer any help to this? The people in this news lives in another society, none of them has western education, so you can’t wish them conforming to western standards. How can you convince them in a peaceful way?

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