Bush should resolve China-Tibet crisis

By John C. Bersia

WASHINGTON — Although I sympathize with the Tibetans here who have protested President George W. Bush’s plans to attend the Olympics’ opening ceremony in Beijing this August, the options for world leaders go well beyond the two extremes of gleeful participation in and angry avoidance of the games.

In an attempt to justify his decision, Bush has turned to the seemingly noble goal of keeping politics out of the international sporting event. Truth be told, the two are never far apart. In fact, I would argue the opposite: Politics and the Olympics are inextricably linked.

Thus, why not attend and make dual use of the opportunity to underscore discontent for China’s brutal suppression of demonstrations in Tibet?

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has chosen to announce his desires in advance and make them conditions for his participation. Even if he may have acted for his own political reasons, Sarkozy certainly has caught everyone’s attention — especially Beijing’s. According to Rama Yade, France’s human-rights minister, for Sarkozy to attend the opening ceremony, there must be an end to the violence against the population, the release of political prisoners, an investigation of the events in Tibet and the opening of a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. In addition, Yade insists that the proposed talks be directed toward recognizing Tibetan autonomy, as well as the people’s spiritual, religious and cultural identity.

Of course — and this should be Bush’s plan, if it is not already — pressure to end the crackdown in Tibet also may be conveyed in a quieter but still useful manner.

During a briefing by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, coincidentally on the very day that the Tibetan protests started near the White House, I asked what else might be done about Tibet. Negroponte traveled to China a few months ago and met with the Dalai Lama here last fall. In his view, the Tibetan spiritual leader is not a trouble-maker, has no desire to seek independence for Tibet and is primarily interested in protecting the region’s culture. Once things settle down and the threat of violence subsides, Negroponte said, a process leading to talks between China and the Dalai Lama or his representative would be beneficial.

But nothing encouraging will come of the Tibet situation without other countries’ high-level insistence on change. Here is what I would do as America’s president:

UKeep a steady spotlight on the Tibet issue, stating unequivocally that Beijing’s heavy-handedness there must end.

UPush for and offer to facilitate a discussion between China’s leaders and the Dalai Lama.

UCoordinate a strategy with like-minded heads of state considering travel to the Olympics to focus on the Tibet issue.

UEnsure sufficient time during the period of the opening ceremony to discuss Tibet seriously with China’s President Hu Jintao.

UVisit Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, and speak about the importance of human rights.

By extending his hands to engage China in a proactive manner on Tibet, Bush would send a much stronger signal than he would by sitting at home, arms crossed, in an Olympic boycott.

X John C. Bersia, who won a Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing for the Orlando Sentinel in 2000, is the special assistant to the president for global perspectives at the University of Central Florida. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.