Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Red-Eyed Rhetoric

This remarkable, unretouched photo of Padma Choling, from Chinese sources, clearly shows the red eyes normally associated with spirit-possession by the tsan, or red rock furies -- destructive spirits of deceased angry monks.
 
LHASA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tibet's top government official on Monday said the fight against the Dalai Lama clique is meant to be lasting, intense, complicated, and sometimes fought vehemently.

"'We are still facing an arduous task to fight secessionists and maintain stability in the region,' Padma Choling, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said in his first government report submitted to the local legislature for review on Monday.

"The secessionist forces led by the 14th Dalai Lama were blamed for provoking the deadly riots in Lhasa and other Tibetan regions in March 2008.

"On another subject, Choling said the government's goal in achieving rapid development and long-term stability in Tibet also faces challenges from lagging infrastructure construction, development gap between urban and rural areas, and lack of a system to ensure long-term growth of residents' incomes.

"Further, Choling noted that the region's economy grew 12.2 percent in 2010. Additionally, incomes for both urban residents and nomads continued to grow and efforts to tame environmental hazards were strengthened while new roads and airports were built.

"The central government has been pouring vast funding, personnel, and resources to assist Tibet's development over the past decades. Much of these efforts can be seen in the complete makeover of Lhasa and other cities and towns in the region, along with their improved transport links - including the landmark Qinghai-Tibet Railway which began connecting the region by rail with the rest of the country in 2006."

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7 reader comments:

Stephen said...

This report fails to mention that Mandarin is being imposed as the "official" language.

Anonymous said...

Dude,

he probably just rubbed his eyes.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Stagnant hot blood in the liver, and a lot of it. Poor guy. Is the liver feeding the anger or the anger choking the liver? either way it doesnt look like it wants to move.

Ngakpa Pema said...

Isn't accusing someone of being possessed...rhetoric? Conjunctivitis, uveitis, vasculitis, auto-immune disorders, and a number of well-known diseases can cause the redness you see in his eyes. Don't adopt your enemy's tactics.

Jin B said...

In response to Ngakpa Pema's comment, I will just ask (rhetorically): Where would one draw the line between having any of the aforementioned medical conditions AND the condition of being possessed by the soul of a disceased, angry monk?

Anonymous said...

That looks rather uncomfortable.