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POLITICS: Fear of China Makes Japan Snub the Dalai Lama

Catherine Makino

TOKYO, Nov 25 2007 (IPS) - Ignoring the fact that Japan is an Asian country with a sizeable Buddhist population, the government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda cold-shouldered the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, during a ten-day visit that ended on Friday.

Not one government official met one of the world&#39s best-known personalities either at the airport or at his prayer sessions and meetings where he confined speeches to spirituality.

The official ignore contrasted sharply with the Dalai Lama&#39s visit in October to the United States where he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award. U.S. President George W. Bush attended the ceremony and personally handed over the medal.

Interestingly though, Yukio Hatoyama, secretary-general of the opposition Democratic Party, pointedly met the Dalai Lama before he left the country and expressed support for the Tibetan’s leader’s concept of ‘greater autonomy’ for Tibet within China.

The 72-year-old Nobel peace prize laureate was in Japan, at the invitation of a Buddhist group, to tour the famed Shinto shrine of Ise Jingu, visit local schools and give speeches on spirituality. In fact, he was allowed to visit the country on condition that he would not engage in political activities.

China, which sent troops into Tibet in 1950, objects to the international travels of the Dalai Lama. It accuses him of fomenting Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama escaped from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, in 1959, after a failed uprising and crossed the border into India after a 15-day journey on foot over the high Himalayan mountains.

Thanks to the official aloofness, most Japanese were not even aware of the spiritual leader’s presence in their country. "I didn’t know the Dalai Lama was in Japan," said the head priest of Ichijoji Buddhist temple in Tokyo Jushoku Kaneko. "I don’t understand why the Japanese government refuses to accept the Dalai Lama as a VIP."

He was rarely mentioned in the national newspapers or shown on television. The reason, according to Koichi Nakano, an associate professor of political science at Sophia University in Tokyo, is that, unlike in the West, there are no celebrities in Japan promoting the Dalai Lama.

"Western stars often champion political causes, while Japanese celebrities almost never take controversial political positions publicly," Nakano says. "Nobody of prominence in Japan is drawing any importance on the Dalai Lama, whereas in the U.S. there are celebrities who are instrumental in raising public awareness about Tibet."

Human rights issues, particularly those in foreign countries, rarely ever draw the attention of the ordinary Japanese. "Criticism of the Burmese dictatorship, for example, has been very muted even when a Japanese journalist was shot dead recently. Nobody goes about supporting the human rights of the Tibetans at the risk of antagonising the Chinese,’’ says Nakano.

But there was another reason for the indifference. The Japanese government under Fukuda is strenuously trying to mend relations with China, soured during the tenure of Fukuda&#39s predecessors Shinzo Abe and, before him, Junichiro Koizumi.

However, according to Gregory Clark, vice-president of Akita International University in Akita prefecture, many observers make the mistake of thinking that Abe wanted better relations with China because he flew to Beijing soon after becoming prime minister. "They were wrong. Abe was always anti-China. Like the hawks around him and on whose ideologies he was raised, Abe has a virulent dislike of the Chinese regime – and North Korea – and was relying on the U.S. to be equally anti-China. He proved this with his hurried efforts to cement an anti-China alliance with the U.S. (over Taiwan), Australia, India and even NATO.’’

"The rushed China visit was simply to get rid of the damaging block to any China relationship caused by Beijing&#39s one-sided obsession with the Yasukuni issue. The block was unpopular with both the electorate and within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party,’’ Clark said. ‘’Fukuda clearly wants to move to a more balanced U.S.-China policy.’’

China has expressed regret about Japan&#39s decision to allow the Dalai Lama to visit the country. "We expressed our regret over Japan&#39s permission of Dalai&#39s entry into Japan and his visit to the country,’’ Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao was quoted as saying at a regular press conference.

As he prayed at Ise Jingu, western Japan, the Dalai Lama said he only wants "autonomy," not independence for Tibet and will not accept China&#39s allegation that he is a "separatist," local newspapers reported. "But the Chinese government officials still continuously accuse me of being a separatist,&#39&#39 he was quoted as saying.

Lhakpa Tshoko, a representative of the Dalai Lama&#39s liaison office in Tokyo, said they understand the Japanese government&#39s diplomatic principle, but it was sad that the Dalai Lama was not given the respect he deserved in an Asian country with a sizeable Buddhist population. Japan has 93.5 million Buddhists, including a high percentage of important people in education and public affairs.

Buddhism was brought to the country in the 6th century and has had a profound influence on its intellectual, artistic, social and political life. Most funerals are conducted by Buddhist priests, and many Japanese visit family graves and Buddhist temples to pay respects to ancestors.

Unlike his previous trips, Japan did not offer him security this time. The Dalai Lama’s liaison office was forced to hire private body bodyguards.

Fukuda, who succeeded Abe as prime minister in September, never talked about the Dalai Lama&#39s visit to his country. Instead, he often speaks of improving Japan&#39s ties with China and has already built a close relationship with top Chinese politicians.

"Japan is too conscious of China’s reaction and it is losing its solvency and independence," commented Pema Gyalpo, a former representative of the Dalai Lama and professor at Torin University in Yokohama. "Among the democratic nations Japan is the only one that refused to meet His Holiness."

China replaced the U.S. as Japan&#39s largest trading partner, which signifies Beijing&#39s growing economic influence and the role that the flourishing Chinese market plays in the global economy.

In January 2005, Japan&#39s finance ministry indicated that China had surpassed the U.S. as its largest trade partner for the first time since 1947. This year, Japan’s trade with China stood at 25.4271 trillion yen (230.61 billion dollars), while its trade with the US was about 25.1608 trillion yen (228.10 billion dollars).

Japan&#39s relations with China deteriorated during the tenure of Abe’s predecessor Koizumi. A major reason was Koizumi&#39s insistence on making regular visits to Tokyo&#39s Yasukuni Shrine, which honours 14 convicted war criminals among Japan&#39s 2.5 million war dead. Japan&#39s neighbours see the shrine and visits as glorification of the country&#39s militaristic past.

Fukuda has said he would not visit the shrine. He has even suggested removing the irritant of Yasukuni altogether by building a new memorial.

‘’Fukuda realises that Japan needs better relations with China not only for its own sake but also for U.S.- Japan ties," says Robert Dujarric, director of contemporary Japanese studies at Temple University in Tokyo. "Bad relations with China make some Americans think Tokyo is responsible for tensions in the region. Japanese officials worry the U.S. is making China an important partner/stakeholder in Asia.

‘’For Japan to play a role in the region it now needs better ties with China as well as good relations with the U.S,’’ Dujarric said. "Fukuda historically has been more of a China guy than his immediate predecessors.’’