Unspun

Tibet, China, the Olympic Torch and the White Man’s Burden


Unspun’s often wondered about the rightness of foreigners taking up causes in other people’s countries.

Unspun wonders if the Dutch citizen arrested in today’s pro-Tibet-anti-China Olympics rally ever thinks of the following questions:

  • what if the majority of Indonesians are indifferent or support the Olympics?
  • what if the majority of Indonesians can’t give a toss about the tiff between those protesting on behalf the Tibetans and China?
  • what if Indonesians feel that its their home and if anyone is to do the protesting it should be them rather than some Dutch guy with a self imposed White Man’s Burden on his shoulders?
  • what if Indonesians, and for that matter citizens of any country, resent misguided do gooders coming into their country to ride their hobby horses?
clipped from www.thejakartapost.com

Police detained eight people, including a Dutch citizen, and seized flags from pro-Tibet activists in Indonesia on Tuesday as the Olympic torch relay staggered its way through Asia.
Security was tight with water cannons and 3,000 police officers deployed around the main sports stadium in the bustling capital, Jakarta, where the relay was held before a small, invitation-only crowd, said deputy police chief Herri Wibowo.
China had hoped the journey of its Olympic flame worldwide would be a showcase of solidarity and support for its games, which begin in August. But criticism of Beijing’s human rights record has turned the relay into one of the most contentious in recent history.
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6 responses to “Tibet, China, the Olympic Torch and the White Man’s Burden”

  1. Romy Avatar
    Romy

    ALL that I have to say is who cares !? Are you really going to base doing good for your fellow human beings on what the majority thinks ???? THATS ABSURD REALLY.

    It’s like saying :

    what if the majority of white people didn’t give a shit about the inhuman rights of minorities today and decades ago ( which is true if you didn’t know) even though a small minority of whites did care ??

    oh well we probably wouldn’t have such better rights as we do today for minorities in America.

    So it doesn’t matter what the majority. If it’s right, do it becauase its right. Not because only the majority is doing it..

    Thats all I have to say thanks. =]

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  2. Achmad Sudarsono Avatar
    Achmad Sudarsono

    Unspun,

    Sorry, gotta comment.

    * How many times have you spoken out on right, wrong, desirable, and not-so ?

    Whilst technically you’re in the borderless world of cyber-space, there are rumours on this site, you yourself might be a foreigner. Where does the line fall between opining and protesting ?

    * “Other people’s countries…” A tricky one. Alot of our problems are global — do we all have to stay quarantined in the 16th century (or post-45) boundaries of the nation-state ? What about Eskimos or PNG islanders losing their very homes due to global warming caused mostly by industrialized countries (some say) ?

    Not everyone likes the nation-state, and if Indonesia wants to suckle on the teats of globalization – as it seems to – shouldn’t it have to put up with smelly, unwashed and annoying global rent-a-crowds, like Washington, Rome, Melbourne and anyone else who’s hosted WTO talks has to ?

    Where coloured burden were the Philippines rubbish activists deported from Indonesia ? How ’bout the Korean farmers in Hong Kong for the WTO ?

    I can understand wanting to wind up the likes of Jakartass with the race-card (I’ve used the old white-man’s burden line myself), but hasn’t it been a bit loose in this neck of the blogosphere lately ?

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  3. colson Avatar
    colson

    Ah, at last a possibility to disagree.

    In my book eight individuals arrested minus one Dutch national, equals seven non Dutch nationals ( they perhaps are Turkish, perhaps Inuit, perhaps Brazilians, but most likely Indonesians).

    The real question is not whether those who did not demonstrate opposed a non- compatriot participating in the demonstration, but if the other demonstrators appreciated his/her company. Obviously they did. And unspun, the police and the authorities didn’t.

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  4. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    Nothing like playing the race card to bait the white fellas into a response…You’re stirring the pot but whatever gets your statistics up I guess. In any event you are in PR so you should be a pretty good spinner of the facts into favourable positions, kind of like statistical analysis really…

    1. Perhaps the majority of Indonesians are indifferent and perhaps there are those that support. My guess the majority of farmers and other fringe dwellers scratching out a living don’t care much about the olympics or Tiber as they have their own more pressing issues to deal with, like getting a feed for example! Yet, interest changes particularly if Indonesia scores badminton gold!

    2. Just because Indonesians don’t give a toss about China or Tibet or the claims of human rights abuses in that part of the Himalaya does not mean that protests wherever the issue can be raised are automatically invalid. Simply, if your position is correct most Indonesians probably do not give a toss about a lone Dutchman being arrested for something that they do not give a toss about anyway.

    3. What if Indonesians feel that it is their home and if anyone is to defend them from a fella with a white man’s burden complex it should be an Indonesian and not some Malaysian bloke with an Asian Man’s Burden…just a thought!

    4. What do citizens of a country who resent do-gooders riding hobby horses coming into their country and telling them what must be done do? Well, they arrest them, then they prosecute them to the full extent of the prevailing laws and regulations, and then deport them! Which by the sounds of things is what the Indonesian authorities are doing or have done.

    The China – Tibet squabble was always destined to play out in the media in the lead up to the Olympics, it was almost one of those inevitable inevitables.

    In any event my position is that human rights are universal and therefore human rights protests can be held anywhere and at anytime. I am also for non-violent protest and do not consider the unfurling of flags and the carrying of banners to be particularly threatening to Indonesia’s sovereignty…but then again I am a white man and therefore obviously in possession of the white man’s burden complex and consequently probably not sufficiently separate from the issue to make comment…

    As usual Unspun a thought provoking piece aimed at stirring the pot!

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  5. Global Voices Online » Indonesia: Olympic torch relay

    […] to the detention of a Dutch citizen after joining a pro-Tibet Olympics rally in Jakarta, Unspun wonders “about the rightness of foreigners taking up causes in other people’s countries.” […]

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  6. Portal kredytowy Avatar
    Portal kredytowy

    Chwilówka z dostawą do domu dla osób bez dochodu.

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