"Miss Tibet" or ""Miss Tibet-China"?, Dilemma of a Tibetian Beauty Queen Options

[jareth_chong]

Tibetan beauty queen must wear "Miss Tibet-China" sash: Malaysian organisers

Mon Jul 11, 7:45 AM ET @ Yahoo! News

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - A beauty pageant in Malaysia will bar a Tibetan contestant unless she complies with China's demands that she competes as "Miss Tibet-China".

"We will not accept her entry if she participates as Miss Tibet," said Alaric Soh, the organiser of the Miss Tourism pageant in Kuching, the capital of eastern Sarawak state on Borneo island.

Soh said that in 2003 China complained about the involvement of another Tibetan beauty queen who took part as Miss Tibet in the pageant.

"This year we took precautions and consulted the Chinese embassy," he told AFP.

Soh said the contestant, Tashi Yangchen, could enter if she was billed as Miss Tibet-China, but Tibetan organisers have ruled that out as unacceptable.

"I do not want to offend anyone, including Tibet, but we do not want to have anything to do with their internal issues," he said.

"Our pageant is not about politics or religion. It is about promoting tourism and friendship."

Soh added that Miss China, Miss Chinese Taipei and Miss Hong Kong-China were also taking part in the beauty contest.

Tashi, who is currently studying for a masters in business administration at Huron University in London, was also ousted from the Miss Tourism World pageant in Zimbabwe in February following pressure from the Chinese embassy there.

Her spokesman said Sunday that she has was barred from participating in the Malaysian pageant after Chinese officials complained that a woman who lives in India cannot represent a part of China.

"To stand as Miss Tibet-China would be politically incorrect as the Chinese have not yet solved the political issue of Tibet," Ngawang Samdup said. "It is unfortunate that China is meddling in the event with political motives."

Tashi was crowned Miss Tibet in October 2004 in Dharamsala, the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile and main residence of the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama, who turned 70 last Wednesday, fled to India in 1959, nine years after China occupied Tibet.

The Malaysian pageant, with contestants from 32 countries began over the weekend and the final are to take place on July 23.

[JMAC]

the label should be "Miss China>Tibet"

China is getting a little territorial to such non-sense like a beauty pageant...

[葉兆峰]

Yeah. China is over-sensitive.

[caolucai]

yeah...PRC super anal about these kind of things. my gosh...most non-chinese don't even give a $hit

[freefallz]

What about Miss Hongkong? As opposed to Miss Hongkong - China.

[caolucai]

What about Miss Hongkong? As opposed to Miss Hongkong - China.

Hong Kong is less controversial cuz everyone knows HK was returned to the PRC in 1997

[freefallz]

So what about the case with Tibet? Not everyone recognise that Tibet is part of China?

[product_ako]

If she resides in India, why not just Miss India?

[Bhusam]

Innitially, there wasn't any issue with the "Miss Tibet" title from Malaysian organizers until Chinese government cried over it. Haha funny how Chinese leaders are extra sensitive about Tibet issue because they know the truth.

[product_ako]

More like the PRC government is ensuring that China remains in the rightful place and not any minority group can usurp the Statehood.

[damahu69]

Innitially, there wasn't any issue with the "Miss Tibet" title from Malaysian organizers until Chinese government cried over it. Haha funny how Chinese leaders are extra sensitive about Tibet issue because they know the truth.

RTFA, you peabrain.

It's clearly stated the organizer consulted the Chinese Embassy on their own, and Taiwan and HK participated with no problem.

Is lying part of your religion?

Also your Dalai "Hollywood" Lama has stated repeatedly that he recognizes and accepts China's sovereignty over tibet. Why are b!tching here if you disagree with your monk leader?

Plus, the so-called "miss tibet" has an indian passport, and like many tib exiles, she can't even speak Tibetan. what kind of sick joke is that?

She also tried to parcipate in the Miss Tourism World back in Feb in Zimbabwe, but China protested and they withdrew her. So they know exactly what would happen if they want to participate under a "miss tibet" title, and still they still. Now they act if they are surprised by the outcome!

The truth is they had no real intention to participate in the pageant. To them, this is a political exercise and a PR stunt from the begining. The tibs are famous media whores only good at protesting, hunger strikes that was never "hungry", walking etc.

The pageant organizer saw through it but media continue to buy their bullsh1t because it serves their anti-china purpose.

Soh said that in 2003 China complained about the involvement of another Tibetan beauty queen who took part as Miss Tibet in the pageant.

"This year we took precautions and consulted the Chinese embassy," he told AFP.

Soh said the contestant, Tashi Yangchen, could enter if she was billed as Miss Tibet-China, but Tibetan organisers have ruled that out as unacceptable.

"I do not want to offend anyone, including Tibet, but we do not want to have anything to do with their internal issues," he said.

"Our pageant is not about politics or religion. It is about promoting tourism and friendship."

Soh added that Miss China, Miss Chinese Taipei and Miss Hong Kong-China were also taking part in the beauty contest.

This post has been edited by damahu69: Jul 13 2005, 01:57 PM

[product_ako]

I think it is Malaysia's fault. They don't even like Chinese people.

[Suijen]

I think it is Malaysia's fault.  They don't even like Chinese people. 

That can't be true! Everyone loves Chinese people! We're cute!

[Red_AlertZ]

Innitially, there wasn't any issue with the "Miss Tibet" title from Malaysian organizers until Chinese government cried over it. Haha funny how Chinese leaders are extra sensitive about Tibet issue because they know the truth.

truth? truth is tibet is part of china, it's only right to say miss tibet-china, and it's true native malays don't like chinese much, sort of like those indonisians

[jareth_chong]

I think it is Malaysia's fault.  They don't even like Chinese people. 

That can't be true! Everyone loves Chinese people! We're cute!

Actually, ako was right. Malays (and Indonesians) generally do not like Chinese.

Singapore is a result of a series of anti-Chinese riots in the then Malaya. Singapore used to be a part of Malaya, and then it splitted off to become an independent Chinese nation because of the bitter relations between Chinese and Malays.

This post has been edited by jareth_chong: Jul 25 2005, 07:44 PM

[Yuje]

Forget Miss Tibet, she's not pretty anyways.



The Panchen Lama's daughter, on the other hand, is damn hot. (related link: http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=332 )

[Suijen]

They need to show the front of her face.

[GaleHarold]

Why does politics have to do with beauty pageants!???!!

This is a sad commentary to the powers that be that pageants, them supposedly non political and secular, get caught up in this non-issue.

In any case, if you think China is bad with "Chinese Taipei" and "HongKong China", look at some of the Middle Eastern countries. I think there was a contestant from Pakistan who was forced to compete as Miss Indus in some pageant somewhere.