Hu's China - III

In a despatch on October 21, 2007, the state-owned Hsinhua news agencyof China reported as follows: 

"For the first time in its history, the Communist Party of China (CPC)has mentioned the word " religion" in an amendment to itsConstitution, adopted on Sunday (October 21, 2007) at the closing session of the17th CPC National Congress. To insert CPC's guiding principles and policies inreligious work in the Party Constitution is conducive to their fullimplementation, according to a resolution on the amendment to the Constitution.It said the insertion has been made to meet the demands posed by the newsituation and new tasks. The CPC has been widely known as atheistic since itsfounding in 1921."

The actual text of the amendment has not been available so far. However, aresolution on the amendments passed by the Congress at its concluding session statedas follows: 

"The Congress holds that incorporating into the Constitution theprinciples and policies the Party has formulated for guiding efforts tostrengthen the armed forces as well as the work related to ethnic and religiousaffairs, the united front and foreign affairs in light of the new circumstancesand tasks is conducive to fully implementing these principles and policies andgetting better results in the work in these areas."

In the past, the reference used to be to "the work related to ethnicaffairs". The Tibetans and the Uighurs were treated  as ethniccommunities and not as distinct religious communities. The Catholics and theProtestants  were not treated as  distinct religious communities. Theywere identified with whatever ethnic group to which they belonged. Does thepresent reference to "ethnic and religious affairs" presage theirbeing treated as not only ethnic groups, but also distinct religious groups? Itwould be difficult to answer this question till more details become available.

The Chinese project every concept or idea as having unique Chinesecharacteristics. Thus, they have "socialism with Chinesecharacteristics" and "democracy with Chinese characteristics".Similarly, they have religious freedom too with Chinese characteristics, thoughthey do not openly use that expression. One could give the following examples ofthe Chinese characteristics of  religious freedom: 

• The Buddhists have the freedom of worship in their places of worship, but they cannot project the Dalai Lama as their leader or possess his picture. Nor can they speak of their faith in reincarnation. They have to accept the Panchen Lama  chosen by the Communist Party. When the Dalai Lama dies, they have to similarly accept the Dalai Lama chosen by the Party. Reports from  Sikkim say that local trans-border traders have complained of harassment by the Chinese police in Tibetan territory  for possessing pictures of the Dalai Lama.
  
  
• The Catholics and the Protestants  similarly have the freedom of worship in their churches, but the Catholics  cannot project the Pope as the head of the Catholic church or possess his picture. The Chinese look upon the Dalai Lama and the Pope as political and not religious figures.
  
  
•  The Muslims too have the freedom of worship in their mosques, but they cannot have madrasas to impart religious education to their children. There are also restrictions on how they worship in order to prevent large gatherings at the time of worship. To talk of jihad even in the benign sense (the inner struggle to make oneself a better Muslim ) is a crime.

The pre-Olympics angle is evident from the report on this amendment carriedby the Chinese media. To quote from a despatch of the Hsinhua news agency: 

"The CPC is atheistic but allows freedom of religious beliefs. China ishome to 100 million religious faithful, largely Buddhists, Taoists, Christians,Catholics and Islamites."The Party's secret in handling well China'sreligious issues lies in its principles and policies," said Ye Xiaowen,director of the state Administration of Religious Affairs. "Their insertionin the Party Constitution shows the Party is sincere, and capable, of itsimplementation of policies on the freedom of religious beliefs." He saidreligious problems are reported in many parts of the world. "But in Chinawe enjoy peace and quiet because we have the established policies andprinciples." With the new elaboration on religious work, Ye said the Partyis determined to enhance the active role of the religious circle and faithful inboosting social and economic development. Hao Peng, vice Party chief in Tibet,described the relations between the Party and the religious faithful as"united, cooperative and mutually respectful". The CPC's tenet ofbuilding socialism with Chinese characteristics, featuring prosperity,democracy, cultural advancement and harmony, reflect the common aspirations ofTibet's religious faithful, said Zhukang Tubdankezhub, president of the Tibetanbranch of the Buddhist Association of China. As the host country of the 2008Summer Olympic Games, China has pledged to offer religious services forforeigners arriving for the Games. "A large number of religious faithfulwill be arriving for the Games," Ye Xiaowen told reporters at a newsconference on the sidelines of the 17th Party congress. He said China is workingon religious facilities at its Olympic venues with the help of the InternationalOlympic Committee and referring to the practices at previous Games. "Ourreligious services will be up to previous standards." Ye also dismissedallegations that China restricted the printing and sale of Bibles, which he saidreceive state subsidies and other preferential policies. China, with 16 millionProtestant Christians, has printed 42 million Bibles, he said. "

In an article under the title GodAs A Threat To National Security written by me on  July 11, 2002, I hadstated as follows:

"The Chinese people have reasons to be grateful to their leadership,which has given them increasing prosperity and a well-run administration. People definitely have more money in their pockets now than in the past and thanthe people of India have in theirs.  Despite this, why are they attractedto God? Why this feeling of emptiness inside them despite a bulging money purse?Why more and more people seek solace in religion and spirituality, even at therisk of falling foul of the establishment? These are questions which continue toconfuse and haunt the Chinese leadership, which is not able to find an answer tothem.  The way they monitor religious and spiritual activities, one getsthe impression as if they feel that God is a major threat to their nationalsecurity.  The pragmatic and far-sighted Chinese leadership has handled theeconomy with aplomb.  The chances of political instability due to economiccauses are  low.  One wishes the leadership develops an equalunderstanding of the force of religion and spirituality.  If one day thereis serious instability in China and if its society comes unstuck, it will, mostprobably, be not due to political, economic or social causes, but due to the statecontinuing to come in the way of the religious and spiritual yearnings of thepeople."

Mr Hu's China may no longer see, to the same extent as in the past, God as amajor threat to national security, but they continue to see the Dalai Lama as amajor threat to their national security and to the smooth holding of theOlympics.  Their concerns have increased after the high-profile treatmentaccorded to His Holiness during his current tour of the US. Their concerns havealso increased  after seeing the recent massive demonstrations by theBuddhist monks in Myanmar in support of democracy. They are worried over thepossibility of the monks of Tibet emulating those of Myanmar. That is why theyhave been nudging the Myanmar Junta to make overtures to the pro-democracyactivists in order to keep the monks off the streets. Remember how the hugedemonstrations in Bulgaria, Romania and other Communist countries of East Europein the late 1980s spread like an European flu?  They don't want the Myanmarflu to spread to Tibet.

On the eve of the Congress, the Chinese authorities further stepped up theircampaign to denigrate His Holiness. They have been projecting the Dalai Lama notas a respected Buddhist leader, but as the leader of an evil sect comparable tothe Aum Shinrikiyo of Japan and the Falun Gong of China. They accuse all thethree of being evil birds of the same feather. Annexed is an article on theDalai Lama, which was carried by the People's Daily on October 9, 2007. 

To be continued

B. Raman is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. ofIndia, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies,Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai Centre For China Studies.