" I tried to find Him on the Christian cross, but he was not there;
I went to the Temple of the Hindus and to the old pagodas,
but I could not find a trace of Him anywhere.
I searched on the mountains and in the valleys,
but neither in the heights nor in the depths was I able to find Him.
I went to the Caaba in Mecca, but he was not there either.
I questioned the scholars and philosophers,
but He was beyond their understanding.
I then looked into my heart and it was there
where He dwelled that I saw Him;
He was nowhere else to be found. "
By Jelaluddin Rumi, a Persian poet of the early 13th century.
(Poem also appears on outer sleeve of Engima's second album, " the Cross of Changes")
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The Falun Gong Nuisance in Singapore
Two evenings ago, I was using the underpass that links the Yishun MRT to the bus station - 2 ladies were busy distributing Falun Gong (FG) pamphlets that claimed that the FG is very likely to win an on-going case against two of their practitioners in the Singapore courts.
The FG has been in the news before in Singapore - for being a utter nuisance, I think. They claimed that their organisation is nothing more than one that advocates healthy living through some breathing exercises. If that is really the case, why are they always getting involved in China politics? Why can't they simply focus on their exercises and quit being a nuisance in many countries outside China, including Singapore. They declare that they need to spread information of their imprisoned fellow members in China so as to awaken our conscience. I am quite sure that the China authorities have good reasons for incarcerating their members. Perhaps, something to do with their hidden political agenda?
If the FG members in Singapore were really and sincerely concerned about their friends in China, then they ought to take their protestations to China itself, perhaps outside the prisons where their friends are habitating. What's the point of conducting their "demos" here? They should take their battle to China and leave us alone and desist from their disturbing activities here.
They are simply and plainly a nuisance.
The FG has been in the news before in Singapore - for being a utter nuisance, I think. They claimed that their organisation is nothing more than one that advocates healthy living through some breathing exercises. If that is really the case, why are they always getting involved in China politics? Why can't they simply focus on their exercises and quit being a nuisance in many countries outside China, including Singapore. They declare that they need to spread information of their imprisoned fellow members in China so as to awaken our conscience. I am quite sure that the China authorities have good reasons for incarcerating their members. Perhaps, something to do with their hidden political agenda?
If the FG members in Singapore were really and sincerely concerned about their friends in China, then they ought to take their protestations to China itself, perhaps outside the prisons where their friends are habitating. What's the point of conducting their "demos" here? They should take their battle to China and leave us alone and desist from their disturbing activities here.
They are simply and plainly a nuisance.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Destroying the Happening Spots?!
Sometimes I think we are simply too efficient and orderly - the Singapore authorities will relentlessly trim every green patch along the roads, so much so, that the grass no longer dares grow beyong a certain height. Even trees and bushes are hacked to fit pre-defined shapes and spaces. All is spick and span and nothing is allowed not to get out of line. There is a disordinately great love for order - disorder is simply not allowed.
But to be become a real happening, touristy and high-fun place, there is a need for some disorder and less rules. Just look at Bangkok - it is just thriving in the range and scope of its entertainment and shopping. Its shopping surpasses ours at times. And they are good at reinventing themselves - they do not remain stagnant at all. Just look at MBK, a household name amongst Singaporeans - it has upgraded its external facade, looks and interiors to an all-modern glass and steel finish. The Thai tennagers and other locals continue flocking to MBK even in the face of competition from other newer and gargantuan shopping centres. MBK shopping is never a bore - there is always something to discover in its many nooks and crannies. The same goes for the weekend Chatuchak Market - a nightmarish, labyrinthine of rows and rows of small cubicle-like shops that carry whatever you need or may need or never knew existed. Browsing through all the shops can take more than a day but shopping there is simply delightful - you can never help but marvel at the creativity of the Thai craftsmen; and it is hard to find that kind of creativity here in Singapore. The seemingly chaotic disorder of the market in a somewhat ordered fashion is behind its success. You simply cannot imagine our Singapore authorities permitting such disorder to exist - though you can now find smaller and sanitised versions of the Bangkok market in the Heeren and Bugis Junction shopping centres.
Meanwhile, we continue razing the very corners of our city where some sparks of excitement exist - simply look at how the stretch of shophouses between Centrepoint and Orchard Point was converted to a sterile row which now includes, of all things, an S-11 food-court! The previous eclectic mix of bars with live music and restaurants is gone. Do the people who dreamed up the new and yawn-inducing mix of shops really know what draw the crowds? I doubt it. And to make things worse, it was in the papers, that the Sentosa authorities are going to revamp Palawan beach and guess what they are going to include - a food-court too. Sigh! Why can't a beach be a beach? It will be better to simply upgrade the beach and create on its fringes, nestling under the trees, small cafes and bars but, please, no kopitiam! I also remember they want to include a stream through which you can wade - but whatever for? The planners seem to be totally out of touch with beach culture dynamics.
Where is the creativity? the innovation? I just do not see it at all. It is no wonder we are losing the tourists.
But to be become a real happening, touristy and high-fun place, there is a need for some disorder and less rules. Just look at Bangkok - it is just thriving in the range and scope of its entertainment and shopping. Its shopping surpasses ours at times. And they are good at reinventing themselves - they do not remain stagnant at all. Just look at MBK, a household name amongst Singaporeans - it has upgraded its external facade, looks and interiors to an all-modern glass and steel finish. The Thai tennagers and other locals continue flocking to MBK even in the face of competition from other newer and gargantuan shopping centres. MBK shopping is never a bore - there is always something to discover in its many nooks and crannies. The same goes for the weekend Chatuchak Market - a nightmarish, labyrinthine of rows and rows of small cubicle-like shops that carry whatever you need or may need or never knew existed. Browsing through all the shops can take more than a day but shopping there is simply delightful - you can never help but marvel at the creativity of the Thai craftsmen; and it is hard to find that kind of creativity here in Singapore. The seemingly chaotic disorder of the market in a somewhat ordered fashion is behind its success. You simply cannot imagine our Singapore authorities permitting such disorder to exist - though you can now find smaller and sanitised versions of the Bangkok market in the Heeren and Bugis Junction shopping centres.
Meanwhile, we continue razing the very corners of our city where some sparks of excitement exist - simply look at how the stretch of shophouses between Centrepoint and Orchard Point was converted to a sterile row which now includes, of all things, an S-11 food-court! The previous eclectic mix of bars with live music and restaurants is gone. Do the people who dreamed up the new and yawn-inducing mix of shops really know what draw the crowds? I doubt it. And to make things worse, it was in the papers, that the Sentosa authorities are going to revamp Palawan beach and guess what they are going to include - a food-court too. Sigh! Why can't a beach be a beach? It will be better to simply upgrade the beach and create on its fringes, nestling under the trees, small cafes and bars but, please, no kopitiam! I also remember they want to include a stream through which you can wade - but whatever for? The planners seem to be totally out of touch with beach culture dynamics.
Where is the creativity? the innovation? I just do not see it at all. It is no wonder we are losing the tourists.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Tibet - The Lost Homeland
You can find many Tibetans residing outside their homeland - in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Switzerland, USA and Canada. These are among the 80,000 and more Tibetans who have fled the oppressive Chinese rule in their country. If you visit Nepal, you can never fail to see the many Tibetans there carving a life for themselves outside their country.
In Oct 1949, China invaded Tibet and occupied it. Since the invasion, over 1.2 million Tibetans were killed as a direct result of this ruthless invasion and persecution. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, fearing persecution, fled Tibet secretly and moved to Dharamsala in India, where he set up the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in 1960. Today, more than 8,000 Tibetan refugees consider Dharamsala their second home.
China has steadfastly refused to return Tibet to the rightful owners and has continued to occupy it till today. Recently, the young Chinese people demonstrated violently against the wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese army, particularly in Nanjing. They certainly have a right not to be happy about that. But China also needs to look at itself about what happened in Tibet and the atrocities committed there by the PLA.
The Tibetans have been hoping and praying for the return of their homeland. The previous colonial powers like the British, Spanish and Portuguese have, a long time back, returned their occupied colonies. And, it is now, about time, for China to do likewise.
In Oct 1949, China invaded Tibet and occupied it. Since the invasion, over 1.2 million Tibetans were killed as a direct result of this ruthless invasion and persecution. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, fearing persecution, fled Tibet secretly and moved to Dharamsala in India, where he set up the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in 1960. Today, more than 8,000 Tibetan refugees consider Dharamsala their second home.
China has steadfastly refused to return Tibet to the rightful owners and has continued to occupy it till today. Recently, the young Chinese people demonstrated violently against the wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese army, particularly in Nanjing. They certainly have a right not to be happy about that. But China also needs to look at itself about what happened in Tibet and the atrocities committed there by the PLA.
The Tibetans have been hoping and praying for the return of their homeland. The previous colonial powers like the British, Spanish and Portuguese have, a long time back, returned their occupied colonies. And, it is now, about time, for China to do likewise.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Whither Medical Care?
In this city, if you can afford to pay, you pay more for healthcare services; if you are poor, then the Singapore government provides a subsidy and you end up paying less at the hospital. This is a fair way of providing medical services in the public hospitals. That was what I believed was the original intent all along - you pay according to your ability to pay but you still receive the same level of care.
But it seemed to have changed over the years - the ones who can pay more are allowed to choose their doctor and logically they will select the renowned and experienced ones who can provide better care than say those who are relatively new and with fewer years of clinical experience. The poorer patients have no choice - they have to make do with whichever doctor is assigned to them.
And then, some hospitals started differentiating services one step further - patients without subsidy are being seen in newer and better facilities with nicer ambience while their lesser brethren are seen in the older clinics.
The hospitals do argue that everyone does get the same level of care - but can this be assured?
Should this be the way? Isn't it more ethical for everyone to be seen by the same group of doctors and in the same facility? That both group of patients be accorded the same level of privileges? That both groups be entitled to the same clinical and service experience?
Those patients who pay more do so as they can afford to pay - it does not carry an entitlement of privileges and differentiated services.
But it seemed to have changed over the years - the ones who can pay more are allowed to choose their doctor and logically they will select the renowned and experienced ones who can provide better care than say those who are relatively new and with fewer years of clinical experience. The poorer patients have no choice - they have to make do with whichever doctor is assigned to them.
And then, some hospitals started differentiating services one step further - patients without subsidy are being seen in newer and better facilities with nicer ambience while their lesser brethren are seen in the older clinics.
The hospitals do argue that everyone does get the same level of care - but can this be assured?
Should this be the way? Isn't it more ethical for everyone to be seen by the same group of doctors and in the same facility? That both group of patients be accorded the same level of privileges? That both groups be entitled to the same clinical and service experience?
Those patients who pay more do so as they can afford to pay - it does not carry an entitlement of privileges and differentiated services.
Trees and Shade
When Singapore decided to go green in the 70s, trees, bushes and all types of green foliage were planted along roads, at the road dividers and wherever there was space. The focus during this period was to plant trees that were large, grew high and whose green canopies provided much needed shade in our harsh sunny climate. The end result was simply pretty - roads, lanes and expressways shrouded beneath a green tunnel that simply went on and on. You can still see such vistas along the upper stretches of Sembawang Road and the older section of PIE near Boon Lay.
What about now? The new highways are still lined with trees but of a type that did not grow gigantic umbrella-like canopies that provided shade. They simply grew straight and tall leaving the roads exposed to the harsh sunlight. The thinking of the park authority had shifted - the branches of the trees previously planted easily broke especially during storms - so now they grew other tree species that have stronger branches. Alas! greenery without the shade.
Driving along the roads under the hot sun is now simply - hot and eye-scorching. No cool relief under a green shroud. Perhaps, the authority need to refocus on trees that do provide shade - so that we can have both the green and the shade and a cooler ride.
What about now? The new highways are still lined with trees but of a type that did not grow gigantic umbrella-like canopies that provided shade. They simply grew straight and tall leaving the roads exposed to the harsh sunlight. The thinking of the park authority had shifted - the branches of the trees previously planted easily broke especially during storms - so now they grew other tree species that have stronger branches. Alas! greenery without the shade.
Driving along the roads under the hot sun is now simply - hot and eye-scorching. No cool relief under a green shroud. Perhaps, the authority need to refocus on trees that do provide shade - so that we can have both the green and the shade and a cooler ride.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The Toilet Saga
Back in mid 2003, the environmental authority in this teenie-weenie city of Singapore plonked down about $4 million to upgrade the toilets all over the island, particularly those in the HDB coffee shops. About time too, as these filthy cubicles were usually dark, danky, stinky and grimy - one did not venture into such places unless one really needed to and even then, with the nose pinched shut!
For the next one year plus, there was a bustle of renovation work everywhere as coffee shops feverishly upgraded their restrooms - who would not with the government footing half the bill! The newfangled toilets came with no main door (great! - as one no longer had to touch that grimy germ-laden door handle anymore). They were clean and, for once, the toilet fittings did work, the flush did flush and there was even real toilet paper.
Fast foward to 2005, now. It's back to the dirty, old days again - the barely new toilets in most coffee shops are again becoming places to avoid at all costs. One should have realised that kopitiam owners will never bother about frequent and regular washing and maintenance of the toilets. They are only focused single-mindedly on collecting their rentals from the stall-holders. And do not even mention to them about getting a cleaner to wash and clean the place up!
The authority should ask for their money back and they need to clamp down fast on these errant coffees-shops. And fine them for not keeping their shops clean and hygienic. Perhaps, while we are it, get the Happy Toilet group of people to create the Dirty Toilet award - publicise and shame them widely and openly!
How are we ever going to progress to a first-world country with toilets in such a state?
For the next one year plus, there was a bustle of renovation work everywhere as coffee shops feverishly upgraded their restrooms - who would not with the government footing half the bill! The newfangled toilets came with no main door (great! - as one no longer had to touch that grimy germ-laden door handle anymore). They were clean and, for once, the toilet fittings did work, the flush did flush and there was even real toilet paper.
Fast foward to 2005, now. It's back to the dirty, old days again - the barely new toilets in most coffee shops are again becoming places to avoid at all costs. One should have realised that kopitiam owners will never bother about frequent and regular washing and maintenance of the toilets. They are only focused single-mindedly on collecting their rentals from the stall-holders. And do not even mention to them about getting a cleaner to wash and clean the place up!
The authority should ask for their money back and they need to clamp down fast on these errant coffees-shops. And fine them for not keeping their shops clean and hygienic. Perhaps, while we are it, get the Happy Toilet group of people to create the Dirty Toilet award - publicise and shame them widely and openly!
How are we ever going to progress to a first-world country with toilets in such a state?
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
The Infamous PSC Scholar
The PSC scholar who made some racist remarks in his blog attracted much attention from not only on-line forums which blasted him for his insensitive comments but also made news in last week's Sunday Times.
Poor chap! - he blamed it all on his alter-ego saying that he was not like that in real life ie life outside the net. His friends and family said the same - that this was the not the guy they knew. But who was he trying to hoodwink? Are we all such newborn babes not to know that a person tend to let loose his real feelings and thoughts while on the internet, counting on its cloak of anonymity. What was worse was that he betrayed his feelings of superiority over others in another post. Do we see shades of Hilterism here?!
Are these the kind of students being churned out by our so-called "elitist" schools (the independent schools, gifted schools, special stream pupils and whatever other segregations created by the education authorities in Singapore)? Students who only study and mix with their "kind" and who have little interactions with other student groupings. Students who need to have special events organised by the schools for them to learn about and mix with the minorities - are such one-off activities going to inculcate the right thinking? I doubt.
And frightheningly, these scholars are, one day, going to in the higher echelons of the civil service, laying down policies and making important decisions.
Poor chap! - he blamed it all on his alter-ego saying that he was not like that in real life ie life outside the net. His friends and family said the same - that this was the not the guy they knew. But who was he trying to hoodwink? Are we all such newborn babes not to know that a person tend to let loose his real feelings and thoughts while on the internet, counting on its cloak of anonymity. What was worse was that he betrayed his feelings of superiority over others in another post. Do we see shades of Hilterism here?!
Are these the kind of students being churned out by our so-called "elitist" schools (the independent schools, gifted schools, special stream pupils and whatever other segregations created by the education authorities in Singapore)? Students who only study and mix with their "kind" and who have little interactions with other student groupings. Students who need to have special events organised by the schools for them to learn about and mix with the minorities - are such one-off activities going to inculcate the right thinking? I doubt.
And frightheningly, these scholars are, one day, going to in the higher echelons of the civil service, laying down policies and making important decisions.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Pictures of WOW Buildings
Fuji TV Building, Tokyo
Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo
Umeda Sky Building, Osaka
Railway Station, Kyoto
Railway Station (1), Kyoto
Pictures of buildings that I refered to in my post on WOW buildings.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
WOW Buildings
Are there Wow buildings in Singapore? Sad to say, I cannot think of any.
The overall architectual landscape in this city is dull and uninteresting unlike in other major Asian cities like KL and Tokyo. KL can boast of its internationally well-known Petronas Towers which dazzles day and night. In Tokyo, there are buildings that simply make you gasp and literally go "wow".
The Tokyo Big Sight looks like inverted pyramids and includes escalators that climb steeply to dizzying heights. Not for someone who fears heights. Also in the same Odaiba area is the Fuji TV building - beautifully crafted with a gigantic sphere-like structure embedded in the middle. Kyoto city has one of the most remarkable train stations ever built - a modern structure with a cavernous hall with impossibly high roofs and with one end of the building totally open-ended with a steep flight of stairs that seem to go up forever. Climbing these stairs is certainly not for the faint-hearted. A glass-walled travellator straddles the building from one end to the other, up high near the roof. Equally mind-boggling is the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka city - going to the roof-top observatory in this building means having to use a glass-wrapped travellator that appears to float in space, high up there. Easy to get vertigo!
Whither Singapore? We nearly came close to an iconic building - what we affectionately call the Durian at the Esplanade. It looks good from afar but alas not so when you are right in front of it. The problem lies with the fact that the durian-like roofs are places on ugly rectangular blocks that do not impress.
What is stiffling our architects and designers? The 1o1 (or is 1001?) rules and restrictions laid down by our beloved rules-loving civil servants? Hopefully not. Perhaps, the architects need to engage designers to define the look while they focus on the form and structure.
The overall architectual landscape in this city is dull and uninteresting unlike in other major Asian cities like KL and Tokyo. KL can boast of its internationally well-known Petronas Towers which dazzles day and night. In Tokyo, there are buildings that simply make you gasp and literally go "wow".
The Tokyo Big Sight looks like inverted pyramids and includes escalators that climb steeply to dizzying heights. Not for someone who fears heights. Also in the same Odaiba area is the Fuji TV building - beautifully crafted with a gigantic sphere-like structure embedded in the middle. Kyoto city has one of the most remarkable train stations ever built - a modern structure with a cavernous hall with impossibly high roofs and with one end of the building totally open-ended with a steep flight of stairs that seem to go up forever. Climbing these stairs is certainly not for the faint-hearted. A glass-walled travellator straddles the building from one end to the other, up high near the roof. Equally mind-boggling is the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka city - going to the roof-top observatory in this building means having to use a glass-wrapped travellator that appears to float in space, high up there. Easy to get vertigo!
Whither Singapore? We nearly came close to an iconic building - what we affectionately call the Durian at the Esplanade. It looks good from afar but alas not so when you are right in front of it. The problem lies with the fact that the durian-like roofs are places on ugly rectangular blocks that do not impress.
What is stiffling our architects and designers? The 1o1 (or is 1001?) rules and restrictions laid down by our beloved rules-loving civil servants? Hopefully not. Perhaps, the architects need to engage designers to define the look while they focus on the form and structure.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Organisational Chaos
Organisational chaos is real! Let me tell you more about it.
It started way back in the early 1990s with the ISO 9000 standards. The benefits of implementing the standard in an organisation were of course obvious. And many industries and commercial entities in Singapore wasted no time in going for ISO 9000 certification particularly when it became a business pre-requisite. And then came along the ISO 14001 and much later the OHSAS 18001 standards. These were, in turn, also implemented by various industries.
Having a structured organisation framework makes sense and the benefits are many-fold. The industries could ensure and assure their customers that they could meet pre-determined quality parameters.
The problem started when the civil service organisations decided to jump blindly into the fray led and pushed along by the authorities which promised them pecuniary rewards if they could achieve the various ISO certifications. One often wondered how many of them were actually really interested in improving their internal systems rather than obtaining certificates for gold-plating. It did not help when another government authority started promoting excellence frameworks with the honourable intention of helping organisations attain so-called world-class status.
Another mad, helter-skelter rush to implement these frameworks started. And organisations now needed greater expanse of walls in their offices to display all the certificates they were accumulating.
But did all this really help the organisation? If the primary focus was on getting the certificate and shaking hands with some important government official while receiving the certificate, then it was simply that - another certificate! And the bulk of them fell in this category.
While the certificates accumulated on the walls, the various systems were seldom integrated and well established, leaving the staff confused and bewildered. Staff spent more time implementing frameworks and less on doing their jobs. Organisations went into various stages of stagnation and then the management could actually wonder why?
The focus was on looking good rather than doing good. And, sad to say, that is the focus of many governmental organisations in this small city-state.
That, in a nut-shell, is organisational chaos.
It started way back in the early 1990s with the ISO 9000 standards. The benefits of implementing the standard in an organisation were of course obvious. And many industries and commercial entities in Singapore wasted no time in going for ISO 9000 certification particularly when it became a business pre-requisite. And then came along the ISO 14001 and much later the OHSAS 18001 standards. These were, in turn, also implemented by various industries.
Having a structured organisation framework makes sense and the benefits are many-fold. The industries could ensure and assure their customers that they could meet pre-determined quality parameters.
The problem started when the civil service organisations decided to jump blindly into the fray led and pushed along by the authorities which promised them pecuniary rewards if they could achieve the various ISO certifications. One often wondered how many of them were actually really interested in improving their internal systems rather than obtaining certificates for gold-plating. It did not help when another government authority started promoting excellence frameworks with the honourable intention of helping organisations attain so-called world-class status.
Another mad, helter-skelter rush to implement these frameworks started. And organisations now needed greater expanse of walls in their offices to display all the certificates they were accumulating.
But did all this really help the organisation? If the primary focus was on getting the certificate and shaking hands with some important government official while receiving the certificate, then it was simply that - another certificate! And the bulk of them fell in this category.
While the certificates accumulated on the walls, the various systems were seldom integrated and well established, leaving the staff confused and bewildered. Staff spent more time implementing frameworks and less on doing their jobs. Organisations went into various stages of stagnation and then the management could actually wonder why?
The focus was on looking good rather than doing good. And, sad to say, that is the focus of many governmental organisations in this small city-state.
That, in a nut-shell, is organisational chaos.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
The Mystery of the HIV Spike
Many have written on this and I shall add my thoughts to it. Through the bright reasoning of some unnamed statistician working feverishly in the ivory towers of some government building in this red dot city, it was declared that gays were the cause of the recent spike in HIV cases. Although the data screamed otherwise - heterosexual contact was behind 2/3 of the cases! And in the same breath, it was also announced that gay parties, attended by many in the region, were the root cause of it.
The city's civil servants need to do better than this - instead of propagating widely and baselessly discrimination against this minority group, they need to get off their high horse (or ass?) and get to work on the real problem.
Meanwhile, the weekend migration of men for cheap nights of fornicatory fun in the pleasure islands off the southern coast continues unabated.
And perhaps, the same civil servants should not baulk at education on HIV and condom use. There needs to be more of these. Seems like they find it morally offensive to conduct such useful education.
The city's civil servants need to do better than this - instead of propagating widely and baselessly discrimination against this minority group, they need to get off their high horse (or ass?) and get to work on the real problem.
Meanwhile, the weekend migration of men for cheap nights of fornicatory fun in the pleasure islands off the southern coast continues unabated.
And perhaps, the same civil servants should not baulk at education on HIV and condom use. There needs to be more of these. Seems like they find it morally offensive to conduct such useful education.
China and Japan
The Japanese were wrong in continuing to depict history wrongly in the textbooks for their students. But the violent Chinese demonstrators were also very wrong - their riots in the streets of Beijing and Shenzhen did not endear them to the world who saw them, on their TV sets, behaving like hooligans, pelting buildings with stones and bottles and overturning and damaging cars. Their demos would have got the message across better if they were peaceful but alas that was not to be. The Japanese ended up as the nice guys here.
On TV, some of the Chinese students spoke out against the Nanjing massacre which has been mostly denied by Japan. But one must not forget, that once upon a time, in Oct 1949, the Chinese invaded Tibet ruthlessly and hundreds, if not thousands, of Tibetans died in their struggles in years to come, against the marauders. Many Tibetans fled overseas and to-date China has yet to return Tibet to the Tibetans. The Chinese need to look inwards at themselves too.
On TV, some of the Chinese students spoke out against the Nanjing massacre which has been mostly denied by Japan. But one must not forget, that once upon a time, in Oct 1949, the Chinese invaded Tibet ruthlessly and hundreds, if not thousands, of Tibetans died in their struggles in years to come, against the marauders. Many Tibetans fled overseas and to-date China has yet to return Tibet to the Tibetans. The Chinese need to look inwards at themselves too.
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