Confusing Nepal with Tibet

Stephen Hadley is the national security adviser to President Bush, and is paid a good salary to keep the White House abreast of trouble around the world.

Yet he appears not to know the difference between Tibet and Nepal.

Hadley appeared on the Sunday talk show ABC’s “This Week” (see the clip at this site at huffingtonpost.com) where he confused Nepal for Tibet no less than five times. In fact, he never mentioned Tibet.

Host George Stephanopoulos asked Hadley whether Bush would attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics, and Hadley then riffed on the issues surrounding protests in and around Tibet, the Olympic torch and the Dalai Lama. Only Hadley seemed too think the protests related to the Dalai Lama revolve around Nepal, a neighboring country that is largely Hindu, not Buddhist.

“If countries are really concerned about Nepal, we shouldn't have this sort of non-issue of opening ceremonies or not. They should do the hard work of quiet diplomacy to urge the Chinese government -- in their interest -- to take advantage of this opportunity to do something,” Hadley said.

He continued: “What he’s doing on Nepal is what we think the international community ought to be doing, which is approaching the Chinese privately through diplomatic channels and sending a very firm message of concern for human rights, concern for what’s happening in Nepal.”

Nepal? Wake up, Stephen.

Maybe he got confused earlier in the morning reading a briefing on the Maoists capturing the constituent assembly in Saturday’s elections in Nepal, and had a synapse lapse. After all, the Maoist leader Prachanda is now a lawmaker in Nepal.

Or is that Tibet?

Comments

[A B]

Give him a break.

At least he doesn't think Beijing is the same as Hanoi and order up another round of B-52 strikes.

Many of the protesters couldn't care if its Sudan, tainted dog food, heparin, lead in toys, or Tibet as long as they have an evil empire to legitimize their behavior.

If it wasn't China for some of these people, they would be out spiking trees, sabotaging logging equipment, or mailing home made bombs to people.

[Y]

He continued: “What he’s doing on Nepal is what we think the international community ought to be doing, which is approaching the Chinese privately through diplomatic channels and sending a very firm message of concern for human rights, concern for what’s happening in Nepal.”

Jim, it seems to me that this comment is probably about what Jim Cater, the former US president, is doing in Nepal. Maybe I am wrong.

[Y]

Hehe, Sorry, Tim.

Just listened to the video clip. That guy was, somehow, confused Nepal with Beijing Olympics in the two minutes clip. But still caanot believe this is really his intention.

Maybe, it was because the interviewer was pushing him too hard on whether Mr Bush is going to attend the openning ceremony or not.

[nanheyangrouchuan]

Seeing as how China is building highways up to the Nepalese border and a railway into Nepal's capital USING PLA TROOPS, don't be so sure about Beijing not equating Tibet with Nepal. Those heathens equate part of northern India with Tibet as well.

This is the true nature of China's ugly bloggers:

http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1145&Itemid=31

http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1148&Itemid=31

[Junhui]

I find it kind of funny that this adviser didn't know the difference between Nepal and Tibet. This reminds me of a humorous video I was watching on youtube about protesters not knowing where Tibet was on the map.

In response to nanheyangrouchuan's first blog link: How come everyone seems to be questioning China's "terrorist" interception? What if they were really terrorist? It's better to be safe than sorry. Besides; it's not like they were trying to justify a war. When the United States claimed Iraq had WMD everyone knew it was a lie; but the war still went on. So I say to you, would you rather a plane blow up before you believe the truth? Why would China want to bring more unnecessary attention upon itself? They are not as stupid as some of you would have them out to be.

In response to his second blog link: The Xinjian region was apart of China during the Tang dynasty (silk road). So what if Chinese built some infrastructure and reclaimed the territory. It was a harsh and barren territory and now it is livable. Would you have rather they purchased it like the Louisiana Purchase?

Everyday we in the western world preach equality but yet we seek to divide each other because of differences in our race and religion. We preach unity but speak to separate others. We should stop asking how we are different; but instead ask how we are the same. This game of divide and conquer is getting old.

[Y]

Another human right issue with China - The treatment of North Korea refugees.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7340000/newsid_7345500/7345510.stm

It really reminds me of a chinese saying: shu da zhao feng.

Perhaps there will be a day when China is blamed for WWWII --- those chinese invented gun powder. Otherwise, nations will stll be fighting each other with fists and teeth, and there won't be any casulty.

[Daveyboy]

Junhui.
The western world is now half socialist or more. We are no longer the land of freedom and individual responsibility we once were. Democracy is only equality under the law, all men are not created equal, do not have equal desires or motivations, so only in the world of controlling government can we try to make people equal. Funny how the government leaders get to be a little more than equal in the socialist/communist countries.

[Daveyboy]

Junhui.
The western world is now half socialist or more. We are no longer the land of freedom and individual responsibility we once were. Democracy is only equality under the law, all men are not created equal, do not have equal desires or motivations, so only in the world of controlling government can we try to make people equal. Funny how the government leaders get to be a little more than equal in the socialist/communist countries.

[A B]

While you are at it.... would you mind telling the Chinese Ambassador to the US that he is negligent in his duties in not complaining about the arrest of Americans for peacefully dancing at the Jefferson Memorial on Jefferson's birthday?

China should consider banning the issuance fo visas for US officials coming to the Olympics unless progress is made with human rights in America.

See:

http://theamericanscene.com/2008/04/13/dc-monument-menaced-by-libertarian-dancers

[me]

Maybe he is the same guy that thought Iraq was Afghanistan.

[DW]

Majority of Nepalis are Hindu but there is significant numbers of Buddhists as well. After all Buddha was born in Nepal.

Plus, uttering Nepal five times is a silly mistake. But US has kept quiet regarding Maoists landslide victory in the April 10 polls of the Constituent Assembly.

[Paul Carr]

Oh, I wrote about this already over at crooksandliars. I'm too lazy to write another post on it. I copy it over here:

****************************

This just underlines one thing. “America” doesn’t give a toss about Tibet. Bush’s National Security Advisor doesn’t even know the difference between Tibet, a part of China, and Nepal, a separate country sandwiched between China and India. I bet the majority of the Congressmen and women who gathered for the Dalai Lama’s speech on October 17th I think last year don’t even realise that about 4 times more Tibetans live in neighbouring Qinghai province in China than live in The Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.

http://english.aljazeera.net/N.....E1BEAE.htm

This is not about Tibetan self-determination or Tibetan freedom. This is about USA imperialism. This is about divide and rule. Or as the Chinese government accurately says, “splitting the motherland”, something that would be a welcome part of any USA imperialist’s calculus.

Don’t you remember Ahmed Chalabi? He had a government-in-exile too, just like the Dalai Lama. His was in Washington DC. His government-in-exile was for Iraq. He told the Neo-Cons a fib that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The neo-cons were conned. And the neo-cons, in turn, conned the rest of the US population to go to war against Iraq on the false pretext of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Don’t be fooled a second time!!!

Do you think that because the Dalai Lama receives a Congressional Medal of Honour, has received a “Nobel Prize for Peace” and is addressed as “His Holiness” The Dalai Lama, you should trust him any more than you trusted Ahmed Chalabi?

[otiwa ogede]

The Dalai has no problem receiving baubles from a US government responsible for the illegal war in Iraq and the murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

He's off to Israel to celebrate its anniversary, despite the siege and pounding of Gaza civilians.

Please spare us this ridiculous hypocrisy.

[RY]

US or the West has no interest in Tibet or its "independence", its an aggitator on China on the world stage under the disguised of "human rights". US conveniently not disclosing thir close association and funding Dali Lama via CIA since the 50s.
How about discussing human rights with gov't of Saudi Arabia and Israel. Shouldn't Hugo Chavez receive a Congressional Medal of Honor as he has been the champion of the poor in Latin America?