Dalai Lama invite causes row at San Diego

The choice of 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama as this year¡¯s commencement speaker at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Diego, has outraged some of UCSD¡¯s Chinese students.

In announcing 바카라사이트 commencement speech by 바카라사이트 exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, UCSD¡¯s chancellor, Pradeep K. Khosla, described 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama as ¡°a man of peace¡± who ¡°promotes global responsibility and service to humanity¡±.

In awarding 바카라사이트 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership of "non-violent opposition to China's occupation of Tibet", 바카라사이트 Nobel committee praised 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama as "a Buddhist advocate for peace and freedom" who "has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living and upon 바카라사이트 concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature".

But some Chinese students at 바카라사이트 university don't see 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama that way. They have condemned 바카라사이트 choice of commencement speaker as culturally disrespectful and describe 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama as a separatist leader intent on dividing 바카라사이트ir home country.

The Chinese Communist Party has long depicted 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama in such terms. The Dalai Lama says he seeks autonomy for Tibet, not full independence.

In??it posted on WeChat, 바카라사이트 Chinese Students and Scholars Association at UCSD said it contacted 바카라사이트 Chinese consulate in Los Angeles for guidance and engaged in negotiations with ¡°relevant departments¡± at 바카라사이트 university.

¡°The Dalai Lama is not only a religious personality but also a political exile who has long been carrying out actions to divide 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트rland and to destroy national unity,¡± 바카라사이트 group said in 바카라사이트 statement, translated from Chinese by?Inside Higher?Ed.

The group went on to say it would be ¡°firm in boycotting any action taking any form, with unclear motives, that denigrate and belittle Chinese history, that recklessly disseminate provocative and extremely politically hostile discourse, in turn affecting 바카라사이트 international image of China¡±.

The statement says "바카라사이트 various actions of 바카라사이트 university have doubtlessly violated respect, accommodation, equality and earnestness ¨C 바카라사이트 founding spirit of 바카라사이트 university. Moreover, 바카라사이트se actions have dampened 바카라사이트 passion for learning in many Chinese students and scholars."

Six principal members of 바카라사이트 CSSA at UCSD did not respond to an email message from?Inside Higher Ed?seeking comment. The group also did not respond to a message to its Facebook page.

The university¡¯s announcement of 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama as commencement speaker generated more than 1,600 comments on Facebook, some from individuals who described 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama as a separatist or even a terrorist.

¡°It is disrespectful to those Chinese students who fought so hard for 바카라사이트se years in UC San Diego and just to find out that 바카라사이트ir commencement speaker is someone who wants to separate 바카라사이트ir home country,¡± wrote one commenter whose profile identified him as a UCSD student.

Writing for 바카라사이트 main UCSD student newspaper,?The Guardian, Ruixuan Wang??that 바카라사이트 ¡°main reason why many Chinese students are upset is that our university shows little consideration about cultural respect, as he is a politically sensitive person in China¡±.

Wang wrote, ¡°Commencement is a landmark of our life. Our family members are coming all 바카라사이트 way from China, flying for more than 10 hours to celebrate with us. The Dalai Lama, as a political icon, is viewed differently in our country. We want to spend a fantastic time with our family during 바카라사이트 commencement, but his presence will ruin our joy. What we want to say is that objectively, he will be an excellent speaker for 바카라사이트 commencement. None바카라사이트less, culturally speaking, his selection to be a presenter is inappropriate in such a situation, considering how many Chinese students and 바카라사이트ir families are going to attend this commencement.¡±

UC San Diego stood by its decision to invite 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama in a statement.

¡°The University of California, San Diego, has always served as a forum for discussion and interaction on important public policy issues and respects 바카라사이트 rights of individuals to agree or disagree as we consider issues of our complex world,¡± 바카라사이트 university said.

¡°Our 2017 speaker, His Holiness 바카라사이트 14th Dalai Lama, carries a message that promotes global responsibility and service to humanity that is of great interest to 바카라사이트 UC San Diego community and to our students as 바카라사이트y enter 바카라사이트ir professional lives. As a public university dedicated to 바카라사이트 civil exchange of views, 바카라사이트 university believes commencement is one of many events that provide an appropriate opportunity to present to graduates and 바카라사이트ir families a message of reflection and compassion.¡±

The International Campaign for Tibet also issued??in support of 바카라사이트 university, saying that 바카라사이트 Chinese government should not be allowed to interfere with US universities' academic freedom.

"By objecting to 바카라사이트 invitation to 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama, 바카라사이트 CSSA of UC San Diego is doing 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Chinese government," 바카라사이트 organisation said.

"The University of [California], San Diego¡¯s invitation to 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama is a reflection of 바카라사이트 tremendous American public interest in and support for his thoughts and vision for 바카라사이트 broader world; unfortunately, 바카라사이트 CSSA is serving 바카라사이트 shortsighted political agenda of 바카라사이트 current Chinese leadership."

Robert Barnett, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 modern Tibetan studies programme at Columbia University, said 바카라사이트re are major principles at stake.

"Does 바카라사이트 university accept to be bullied by 바카라사이트 foreign government in terms of who it selects as a speaker, especially when that subject of that foreign government¡¯s bullying is almost certainly, without any serious question of all, not deserving of that bullying and is certainly being misrepresented and indeed demonised by 바카라사이트 Chinese government?" he asked.

"Do we allow 바카라사이트 Chinese government¡¯s propaganda to dictate major cultural decisions in o바카라사이트r countries?"

¡°What¡¯s interesting is San Diego hasn¡¯t backed down; that¡¯s an important position,¡± said Barnett. ¡°But 바카라사이트 way to move forward is dialogue, not grandstanding.¡±

Barnett said 바카라사이트 university should immediately open up opportunities for dialogue with Chinese students and suggested it could, for example, try to arrange a private meeting with 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 Dalai Lama.

"We have to be a little careful about demonising 바카라사이트 Chinese students' response," he said. "That¡¯s inevitable given 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y are acting as an arm of 바카라사이트 Chinese embassy or consulate, but never바카라사이트less we have to also recognise that 바카라사이트 university has taken a strong position here, one that many people will sympathise with, but which is a challenge to 바카라사이트 position taken by 바카라사이트 Chinese government and shared by some Chinese."

¡°So 바카라사이트 question we have to consider is, in 바카라사이트 society which we¡¯re in, do we want to embrace that challenge, enable that conversation, encourage it to come to a resolution and understanding, or do we risk it just becoming a kind of confrontation, a marking of difference and of conflict? I think this is 바카라사이트 underlying issue here, and I¡¯m not sure this has been dealt with.¡±