Simple Setting ‘Befitting’ for Stateless Activists, Atsok Lukar Jam says after Occupied Peoples Forum

DHARAMSALA, 19 Nov: Former Tibetan political prisoner Atsok Lukar Jam, based in Australia, says the way the Occupied Peoples Forum (OPF) was conducted and the activists’ courage, determination and continued commitment to resisting oppressive authoritarian regimes left a lasting impression on him after returning from the conference held in Auckland, New Zealand from 11-13 November. Lukar took a special liking to the simple, basic, non-luxurious setting that he says was exactly right for a conference of stateless peoples. 

“No fancy hotel conference rooms with lavish meals and drinks, just activists sitting on floors, sharing stories of occupation and resistance, I had fun and it was befitting of a conference of stateless peoples,” Atsok told Tibet Express reflecting on the conference which he said he attended as an advocate of Tibet’s independence.

He adds that he was impressed by the courage, determination, and continued commitment to resisting oppressive authoritarian regimes he saw from the nearly thirty activists, including both in-person and online participants, from countries and regions, including Palestine, West Papua, Western Sahara, Kurdistan, Māori Activists, Sami people activists, international solidarity activists, and Black activists from America.

Throwing light on his address about the issue of Tibet at the conference,  Atsok said he highlighted how China tries to evade responsibility for its illegal occupation of Tibet by redirecting the international perspective claiming the issue of Tibet is is merely about about deities and spirits or religious fanaticism, like “the issue of the Dalai Lama and a few people around him.”

And that “when we here also speak strongly on the issue of reincarnation, it becomes exactly what China wants.”

He said he spoke of how generally speaking, people are deeply disgusted with the histories of religious fanaticism and debates over gods and demons. “Therefore, I have stated that I am a person striving for independence, completely unrelated to religion or deities and spirits and in fact an atheist.”

Additionally, though somewhat unsure how well this particular message of his was received, he said that at the conference, he identified his political ideology as socialist, and that the Tibetan independence struggle should not be seen as a tool of bureaucratic capitalism or mere ethnic chauvinism.” 

He adds that “Ideally,  it should address the real problems faced by the masses, or the working class/proletariat,” conceding that this was at least his aspiration. 

 On his analysis of China’s policies, he said he discussed Chinese expansion from two perspectives: “Peaceful Rise” and “Force/Coercion.”

Lukar noted that since China’s forceful invasion of Tibet, Beijing has effectively co-opted  valuable aspects of Tibetan culture by labeling them as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of China.”

He articulated that the primary objective of all the Chinese government policies toward Tibet is the complete elimination of the Tibetan race. ”As long as the name Tibet hasn’t been completely erased, they live in fear that one day there will be another uprising.”

 Atsok said he warned the conference that today’s detention camps in East Turkestan will be the future fate of Tibet. And highlighted how the Chinese government is encouraging intermarriage between young Tibetans and Han Chinese.

He concluded that these two assimilation policies are being openly and blatantly implemented by the Chinese government in Tibet.

Cautioning the world at large, Atsok added that China’s international expansion strategy, which operates under the banner of “Peaceful Rise,” primarily relies on disinformation and economic manipulation. 

He cited the COVID-19 pandemic, fentanyl trafficking, and intelligence operations (including the “Honeypot Strategy”) as examples of such threats to the international community. 

Atsok said he urged activists, upon returning to their respective countries to raise awareness about China’s growing influence, particularly as it positions itself to replace the US leadership in international institutions amid shifting global alliances – which he says poses an even greater danger to the world.