Letters to the editor

Readers with their minds in several places, mostly far away

Editor's note: I thank everyone who sent condolences, and the readers' patient toleration of the disruption of this past issue occasioned by the sudden death of my brother-in-law George Klein in a terrible and freakish traffic accident in Bejuco.

Fuel prices

Every two weeks, the price of combustible products changes. The government agency that publishes the changes always indicates that any change is due to the fluctuations of the price of petroleum on the world market. If this is so, then why is there such disparity between the changes in all the combustible products...(gas and diesel). Prior to the PRD taking power, these changes were more or less uniform across the board. In addition, there have been instances when one product increased while others decreased.

Lately, there seems to be a trend to increase the price of diesel at the expense of keeping the gas products lower. Here in Chiriqui, diesel is 5 cents cheaper than 95-octane gas, yet before the beginning of March diesel was about 30 cents a gallon cheaper. The recent change in prices this Thursday saw diesel increase by 27 cents a gallon, yet the gas prices saw very little increase.

This trend is becoming increasingly harmful to the Panama economy because the country runs on diesel. The prices of food are getting to the point that people here in the Chiriqui campo are hard pressed to make ends meet.

I think Panama needs to revisit the amount of tax they charge per gallon of combustibles and also ask the people who are importing the combustibles into Panama to take a smaller profit to help keep the prices down.

God knows, their profit margins have been astronomical over the years.

Jim Gaffrey
Potrerillos Arriba, Chiriqui

China's rule of terror

I congratulate the Dalai Lama for his "peaceful" condemnation of China’s communist government and its efforts to suppress religious autonomy.

China’s Marxist government falsely presents itself as the authentic spokesman for the hopes and aspirations of the people, and claims to be able, though by recourse to violent means, to bring about the radical changes which will put an end to the oppression and misery of people.

In truth, atheism and the denial of the human person, his liberty and rights, are at the core of Marxist belief, which requires a total subordination of the person to the collectivity. Marxism ultimately subsumes the autonomous nature of all spheres of existence: religious, ethical, institutional and cultural.

James Madison recognized religious freedom as a fundamental right that precedes the state and which cannot be severely curtailed or denied by it. Put more broadly, and as Pope John Paul II put it, religious freedom is the "first freedom." It is "the premise and guarantee of all freedoms that ensure the common good." The two spheres of Church and State are distinct, yet always interrelated to stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice --- to build a just social and civil order.

Paul Kokoski
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada

Graphic protest

Please help to pass these around to stop the Chinese Communist Party's killing in Tibet.

John S M
China

Golden opportunity for both China and the Tibetans

Though Tibetans have not accepted the claim of Government of China (GOC) that only 10 persons (30 to 100 as per Tibetans) have been killed in last week's violence in Tibet and that too not by the bullets of armed forces of China but in ethnic violence, the Han - Tibetan clashes --- but it certainly signifies a mindset of the GOC to project itself as human rights friendly regime and which is a matter of great satisfaction that the GOC will see to it that in future casualties do not take place at the hands of armed forces of China during the current Tibetan uprising.

Though the current Tibetan uprising is the result of alleged massive influx of Chinese to the Tibet region, which is feared to be an exercise by the GOC to change the demographic structure and cultural profile of Tibet, but otherwise also even a greenhorn Tibetan politician will not let this highly potent opportunity (of the mid-2008 Olympics in China) go without highlighting the Tibet issue. Therefore China need not be oversensitive to recent agitations in Lhasa, Gansu etc. in favor of so called independent Tibet whether or not this is allegedly (as per GOC) organized, premeditated and masterminded by Dalai Lama. After all many Tibetans (like displaced Kashmiri Pundits) who are living in exile can not be expected to live in peace, harmony and happiness unless they are at home by ensuring that either they are rehabilitated back in or feel free to go to their native place.

But unfortunately the way both Tibetans and GOC are handling this agitation (which, this time, is bound to reach its logical end) gives ample indication that the wider vision and the appreciation of political reality of contemporary world is simply missing in the approach of both. Whereas not only both China and the Tibetans but the entirety of mankind can benefit from this agitation if handled in view of and as given below for the realization of genuine globalization:

(1) First and foremost the Tibetans ought to realize that Tibet is an integral part of China. In the interest of coming in the mainstream, the Tibetans should also shed the prefix "Autonomous Region of China." Because in India also those regions are conferred or proposed to be conferred the status of an autonomous region (in the so called interest of preserving their culture or so called autonomy) which are tribal areas or intended to be kept as politically and economically neglected areas which powerful section of India wants to keep in eternal backwardness. Granting a special status (including Article 370 of The Constitution of India in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir) to any state or region is a sure recipe for keeping it in eternal backwardness.

(2) The Tibetans have devised an extremely effective strategy of marching to Lhasa, though it is frustrated by India arresting the marching Tibetans.

But for this, only Tibetans are to be blamed as they do not realize that India is merely interested (though without meaning it) in conveying a message to China that Government of India (GOI) is doing its best to avoid any embarrassment to China. Therefore Tibetan should invite Tibetans from all over India (may be the world) to assemble at one place (maybe at Dharmshala) and then move to Lhasa in a long march on an appointed day.

As for GOI's resistance (by taking an excuse of "valid travel document") to the human rights of Tibetan refugees to go back to their native land, the Tibetans can always move that the Supreme Court of India (or the National Human Rights Commission of India) may be petitioned to become an interested party with court's permission) to legally constrain GOI to allow the marching Tibetans to cross the international border for the purpose of going back to their native land. The Tibetans can first go to Lhasa to pay homage to these 10 or 30 or 100 martyrs and then to their native place in Tibet or anywhere in China. Of course by this time during their stay of 50 years in India the Tibetans must have learned / understood the Gandhian non-violent technique of offering arrest if these marching Tibetans are forcibly stopped by the GOC and such voluntary arrest will be enough to ensure the success of this Tibetan agitation.

(3) The Tibetans should also not be carried away by the propaganda of India (especially through its media) or of the USA and its democratic allies which tantamount to opposing communism in China.

After all Tibetans have lived for long enough in India to realize that human rights is the first casualty in fully civilian democratic India. Therefore Tibetans would do well if they give preference to human rights over democracy.

(4) On the other hand China has to realize that there is a fundamental difference between China and India, the two highly populated countries of this region. In the UN, it has economical and military power but lacks international approval (mainly on account of the popularly perceived threat to human rights in communism). Whereas in case of India it has international approval (due to established democracy) but lacks economical and military power. But fortunately for China, it can easily take on India and the USA and its democratic allies (who are very subtly leading a covert propaganda campaign against China during current Tibetan uprising while overtly feigning to be interested in peaceful dialogues and in the territorial integrity and political stability of China) on human rights front once China realizes its legitimate right to assume the leadership of a global human rights movement, which is nothing but "genuine globalization." If any body thinks that without first having political globalization the economical globalization can be achieved then he / she is simply living in his / her make believe world.

(5) This global human rights movement can be pressed by China, also as a veto wielding permanent member of the UN. This global human rights movement will (after the UN ensures a proper and elaborate mechanism for the implantation of human rights in its member countries and at UN where individual citizen can move this mechanism to secure his human rights even against the erring government of his country) will entitle UN to intervene militarily in any erring member country if that country blatantly violates human rights. Here the existing provisions of optional protocol OP1 should be done away with because this is the single most instrument which has done maximum harm to the human right credentials of the UN, which has been rendered impotent as according to this protocol unless the erring country itself authorizes the UN to intervene. The UN can't do it to correct the blatant violation of human rights in erring country (what an absurdity, where accused is given the right to decide the due course of justice!).

(6) Once China presses for a global human rights movement, it will be surprised to know that India and the USA and its democratic allies will be the first to oppose a global human rights movement because:

(i) India has a lot to explain on human right issues. Such as, apart from its communal history of minority massacres as recently in the Gujarat pogrom 2002, that the basic human rights of livelihood is not taken seriously by India as is evident from the fact that National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which is going to sustain half of poor India when implemented fully in another two years has been allotted a meager sum of Rs. 160 billion against minimum requirement Rs. 540 billion apart from the hopelessly poor implementation of this employment guarantee scheme even as per indicting report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

(ii) The USA and its democratic allies also have lot to explain on the violation of human rights by them in many parts of the world including in the post-9/11 era.

(7) The USA and its democratic allies will oppose a global human rights movement also for one more reason.

They are so arrogant and consider themselves so powerful that they think that any military intervention by the UN in case of blatant human right violations in their countries (or in countries under their possession or effective control like Afghanistan, Iraq, etc., and which are their responsibility as per international law vis-à-vis human rights in these possessed or controlled countries where the USA and its democratic allies are there precisely on the pretext of human rights with the acquiescence of the UN) will be below their dignity and against their self conferred special status amongst the world community in the UN. Once a global human rights movement comes into existence then the mankind will slowly come to know that these UN-pampered so-called champions of human rights are equally in need of basic lessons in human rights.

(8) As for India, it will oppose a global human rights movement especially if it is initiated by China for the simple reason that most of the social indicators in communist China are much better than in fully civilian democratic India (with whom China will be mostly compared). Some human rights (like free expression, political dissent etc.) which comes naturally to democracy and generally denied thus far in communist countries can be secured to reasonable extent if said "Genuine Globalization" is advocated and endeavored by China through a global human rights movement.

(9) Also China need not be oversensitive to the demand of Tibetans for preserving their cultural heritage as apart from its economical and political basis it is also a way to emphasis their identity. This happens even in democracy as happened in India also where currently Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are clamoring for getting especial status to Marathis, a lingual community.

Being an ancient civilization China must be aware that most of and major advancement in the life of a person or a nation comes only by exploiting the adversities to advantage. Therefore China and Tibetans ought to exploit this opportunity of the Tibetan movement to provide an epochal and historical leadership in order to realize the mission of a global human rights movement in the interest of the human rights of the entire mankind with its attended rewards to China (including Tibetans).

Hem Raj Jain
New Delhi
India

The mattress, humanity’s worst invention

He slept on a straw mat on bare floor that his side had all the markings, when he could have slept on silk. With so many falling asleep on empty stomachs, orphans, and disadvantaged, he just could not bear a full sleep.

He may not have been a king, an emperor, or divine, but he was the best that ever lived. Millions upon millions are insulted by his humbleness, are scared by his kindness, threatened by his passion, and terrified by his mercy.

Wars are waged and crusades are launched against him long after he passed yet his name continues on every tongue. His enemies call to him many folds more than his followers do, for his legacy is eternal.

My grandfather called his son after him, so did I, and billions others.

Attempts to insult him or humiliate his followers only increase him in status, for indeed he is the ever praised.

After you, my beloved, who taught us how to love, I named my son.

I named him “Muhammad.”

Nidal Sakr

opinion