You may run into a woman dressed in colorful Tibetan costume, wearing her hair in braids on the street of China Town in Belgium's Antwerp. And from time to time, you may find dark faces with Tibetan characteristics turning up in the downtown of Zurich, Switzerland. They are the so-called "Tibetan exiles" living in western countries.

Apart from India – the base camp of "Tibetan exiles", there are Tibetan communities scattered across Europe, North America and Australia. The clear blue skies of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the crystal snows of the Himalayas bestow on the Tibetan people a purity of heart. However, those Tibetan exiles, due to the endeavors of the "Tibetan government-in-exile" and its back-up organizations, have cast off their ethnic distinctiveness.

Ignoring Han people

Compared with their kindred dwelling in India and Nepal, the Tibetans in North America and Europe enjoy a life in paradise.

According to Indian laws, "Tibetan exiles" are not permitted to own lands or property. They are lifetime vagrants unless the laws make exceptions. However, Tibetans in Western countries are allowed to own property, giving them a better life. It is therefore understandable that the "Tibetan government-in-exile" selected the applicants for American migrant visas by lot in the 1990s.

Tibetans living in Western countries usually receive higher education and serve in the local industrial or service sectors. Some of them have become citizens of their countries of residence. At several Tibetan assemblies in Europe, the International Herald Leader reporter found that the younger generation of Tibetans had cast off the "plateau red" – a typical facial trait of plateau residents – from their cheeks.

Having been immersed in years of one-sided views and arguments, they often turn their backs on Chinese people, especially the Han. In contrast, the officials of the "Tibetan government-in-exile", who speak English fluently, tend to make contacts with Chinese media. One of the examples is Kelsang Gyaltsen, Dalai Lama's special envoy to Europe, who speaks English and German as well as a native speaker. He served as a "private advisor" during Dalai Lama's recent trips to Europe.

But the younger generation has little command even of its mother tongue, let alone Mandarin Chinese.

The same people protest in different places

The overseas Tibetan communities are the main target of the "Tibetan government-in-exile" to build up their influence outside Chinese territory. Last October, Dharamsala began to organize the "Europe Tibetan Congress" among the Tibetan communities in Europe in a bid to strengthen its influence. However, the Tibetan youth growing up in the West are more open-minded and hold a variety of political attitudes.

Based on their public declarations, the young generation of "Tibetan exiles" can be classified in three categories: "The Tough", where the "Tibetan Youth Congress" is rooted – they proclaim "Tibetan independence" by any means; "The Middle Way", whose support Dalai Lama seeks to garner – most overseas Tibetans are in this category; thirdly, "The Status Quo" - people who support the current situation and seek to bring about necessary improvements in Tibet.

The "Tibetan government-in-exile" always gather overseas Tibetans to protest in front of Chinese embassies in Europe when "sensitive" days like March 10 draw near. Interestingly, we tend to find that these protests never happen on the same day. As there are not enough people to support their activities, they have to gather their followers in different countries to demonstrate in turn. One of the reporter's Dutch friends said he found the Tibetans who protested in front of the Chinese Embassy in Holland were the same people who had been demonstrating in Belgium the day before.

Back-up organizations: Budget comes first

The Dalai Lama and the "Tibetan government-in-exile" have more than 380 back-up organizations worldwide, led by the "International Campaign for Tibet", the "Free Tibet Campaign", and the "Tibet Commission".

However, most of these organizations, in the name of "human rights" and "Tibetan Independence", invest much of their effort in seeking to attract private donations and financial support from Western governments. One pamphlet distributed by the "International Campaign for Tibet" reveals that the organization received direct financial support worth US$7.35 million from the US government in 2006.

The reporter once witnessed a female official of the organization weeping as she spoke to a television camera. But after the media left, she laughed and danced in joy as if more than satisfied with her "performance".

The reporter also talked with an official from the "Tibetan Center" which planned to invite the Dalai Lama for a visit. The official was so unfamiliar with Tibet that she did not even have a general idea of the region. What concerned her most was "the budget" – as long as the Dalai Lama was there, the funds would continue to flow.

(International Herald Leader, translated by Huang Shan for China.org.cn, March 30, 2009)