There was a very nice article in the PI today (3/10/00) by Keri Murakami, with the headline "Geneva sounded WTO warning that wen unheeded in Seattle." It seemed as if the reporter was trying to go beyond "conventional wisdom," and say something. Given what made it past the sensibility censors at the paper, I can only imagine what the reporter might have actually written.

Not that the article was explosive or even particularly deep digging. It still pretty much summed up the situation from the perspective of "officials," and civic boosters. Treating the subject as if 50,000 or so people in the streets was an unfortunate occurrence, to be tolerated at best. No indication that maybe the celebration of defiance was, in itself a marvel of equal stature to the WTO itself. As if the whole purpose of bringing the Ministerial to Seattle was solely to bask in the "world class" glow of all those bigshots toting their "Northwest Gift Baskets." No thought that maybe, just maybe, we the ordinary people, can do anything but mess up an otherwise pristine world where the clean, shiny trains run on time.

It's what the article doesn't say that I found enchanting. The unspoken conclusion provides the justification for the demonstrations it regrets. That the leaders of Seattle just aren't paying attention. So single-minded in their search for the limelight they can't be trusted with international politics. That needs to be left in the hands of the people, who are paying attention.

The article starts out, "In May of 1998, 40,000 protesters took to the streets of Geneva...in protest of the World Trade Organization." The civic leaders who engineered the WTO coming to Seattle were ill prepared to deal with the traffic problems that ensued because, the article points out, "The riots had not been big news in the United States. Neither Seattle paper carried articles about them." No surprise that, as, so far as "both" Seattle papers are concerned, the rest of the world is only relevant if it happens to be coming here, or is here, or was here.

Anyway, the article describes in excruciating hindsight how, during months of careful preparation, Seattle officials were always looking precisely the other way when the hint of possible "trouble" came up. "The city became involved after Port of Seattle Economic Development Director Don Lornetz" in Geneva during the 1998 WTO conference, heard "that President Clinton wanted to host the next WTO conference." Lorentz promptly left Geneva, visions of a world class plum dancing in his head. Had he remained in Geneva another day, he'd have seen what 40,000 uncredentialed delegates look like. "[Lorentz] said he heard about it later, and didn't think much of it."

"Back home, Business leaders...hurriedly wrote the bid." Cliff Triasman, the city's intergovernmental affairs director explains the boosters' myopic view. "You have to remember 40 cities were going after the WTO. Why would any of them have pursued the WTO if they expected what was going to happen?" As it turns out, Honolulu, one of the 40 cities, promoted their strategic isolation as a perk for the teargas weary WTO. "It was all over the international news and CNN." Said Brenda Foster of Hawaii's Governor's office. "Anybody watching the news and in particular paying attention to the international news would have known about it." (That excuses Seattle. We try to look out there, really, but the mountains block the view.) The powers that be chose, here, where "anarchists" can "just drive five hours up the freeway." For that matter, they can just hop on the number 7 bus, or just stroll on over from the hill. For goodness sake Seattle, don't you even know where you're living?

Guess not, as we learn by reading. Ray Waldman, executive director of the WTO Seattle host organization, "had lived and traveled in Europe for decades and was aware of a core of radical students and activists who can be mobilized for various causes." He told "investigators" that, "We don't have anything like that in the U.S." At least, there's nothing like that in either Seattle paper. Port Commissioner Pat Davis, "one of the authors of the bid proposal," said the crack team of salespeople "might have been aware of Geneva's riot, but didn't think much about it at the time." Thinking about it while conducting a promotional blitz is just negative energy and counterproductive.

The Feds are either, likewise ignorant of American history, or possibly, simply more circumspect. Former coucilmember "Martha Choe said they were unaware of the street violence in Switzerland when they pitched Seattle to the White House in September 1998." Presumably, the Feds did not inquire into the city's stockpile of tear gas or police state readiness. Didn't so much as suggest that the WTO conference might not exactly boost latte' sales, nor that gift baskets would not be the delegates' lasting memory of Seattle's hospitality. The Feds aren't the Feds by accident. Then again, given that the spontaneous reception thrown by the exuberant masses was not to president Bill's liking, and that the defenseless Madeleine Albright was trapped in her luxury suite for fear of mingling with a not insignificant portion of her boss's natural constituency, why didn't the Feds didn't pick Honolulu, in November/December no less. Is it possible the U.S. government is unfamiliar with both CNN and the Weather Channel?

The people left out of the article (apart from the mythical Eugene crowd floating though in proper ghost in the machine form) were the members of the other host committees: the teach-ins, the forums, the faith groups, the unions, the citizens participating in democracy. The ones who pay attention to international news, despite the mountains, despite the blackout.

As the article so clearly points out in what it doesn't say, the city's inability to recognize the importance of the WTO was not an aberration. It's policy.--Troy Skeels

Young Lama's Escape from Tibet Arouses Cautious Statements and Wise Silence

The 17th Karmapa Lama, 15-year-old Ugyen Trinley Dorje, arrived unexpectedly in Dharamsala, India on January 7th. The sudden arrival of the head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism has sparked an international flurry of studied silences.

China, embarrassed by the boy's escape from The Workers' Paradise of Tibet, neglected to mention the Karmapa's absence until he appeared in Dharamsala. The authorities quickly produced a letter purportedly left by the youth. The letter said that the Karmapa had gone away to retrieve his ceremonial "black hat," which belonged to the previous Lamas of his lineage and to collect "the musical instruments of the Buddhist mass." The Chinese government wishes everyone to know that the Karmapa made it clear he wasn't out to "betray the state, the nation or the leadership." Especially after they had wined and dined him and set him up as a possible replacement for the troublesome Dalai Lama in the hearts and minds of Tibetans. Like all good Tibetan monks, Ugyen Trinley Dorje puts the motherland above religion. He's just gone to get his hat. Then he's coming right back.

The unusual moderation of the Chinese government suggests they remain hopeful of enticing his return. Their treatment of the Tibetans who remain in their clutches has not been so benign. Immediate after discovering the Karmapa's disappearance from Tsurpu Monastery, near Lhasa, the People's Armed Police arrived at the Monastery in force. The monks were put under house arrest and forcefully interrogated. At least two monks have been arrested so far. These monks may be the "bad elements" who gave him "wrong advice," who the Chinese blame for this wayward prank. Assuming that the two arrested monks are treated with the same considerations given other Tibetan arrestees, cattle prods are just one of the torture techniques to which they have been introduced. The forgiving motherland has adopted a "wait and see" attitude toward this one young Tibetan, while continuing its "stomp and destroy," program against Tibet in general.

The 15-year-old head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, one of the oldest and in the west, most popular, slipped away from Tsurpu Monastery, on December 28, along with five companions, including his 24 year old sister. The group walked for seven days. After traversing the deadly winter passes of the Himalayas, they arrived in Katmandu, Nepal. From there, to Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama and seat of the Tibetan Government in Exile.

The Karmapa has requested refugee status from the Indian Government. The Dalai Lama officially supported his request in a letter to Prime Minister Vajpayee urging that the young monk be allowed to stay in India and continue his education. The Dalai Lama's government has studiously not requested any sort of political asylum. A request that could put India in an uncomfortable position. India has a difficult relationship, at best, with China already. The Tibet issue is just one of many points of contention among the two rivals for south Asian dominance. Both sides are at present anxious to improve their relationship and don't wish to let this relatively minor matter get in the way.

China foreign ministry, in their own impenetrable poetry announced, "We hope that the Indian side will strictly honor its own commitments on relevant questions so as to make China - India relations continue to improve and develop." Experts interpret this as China's way of reminding India of its promise to prevent political activities by the Dalai Lama as long as he is a refugee on Indian soil.

Which is to say, it doesn't say very much at all, which is the way India takes it. India's spokesman said that India regards the statement as "non-threatening." As for questions of whether India would send the boy back if China asked, the spokesman pointed out that, India "had not sent back" any Tibetan who came voluntarily.

India, sympathetic to the Tibetans, have announced that they are studying the matter. The Indian Ministry of Internal Affairs has requested the Chinese government provide clarification of "the circumstances and the consequences of the sudden arrival of the Lama in India. China has not yet responded. Absent an outside force of astounding weight, India is capable of studying the matter for quite some time.

The 17th Karmapa is unique in that the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government agreed on his installment. This is not the case with other prominent lamas, notably the Panchen Lama. In that case, the Chinese have elected their own reincarnation while the Dalai Lama's choice has been taken from Tibet and is being held somewhere inside China. The Communist Chinese of course, don't officially believe in reincarnation, or lamas, but they are willing to meddle in the Tibetans' own selections for purposes of cultural enrichment.

It is unlikely that the government in Dharamsala was taken by surprise at the Karmapa's arrival. The Chinese have even hinted that they may have instigated. But the Chinese government also attributes everything that happens in Tibet that they don't like as being the machinations of the "Dalai Clique." The Dalai Lama had however, gone into "retreat" days before the Karmapa's arrival. He then broke his seclusion to meet with the Karmapa, but no one else. The retreat, in any case was fortuitously timed to keep the spotlight low on the whole affair.