Treachery in Tibet Read Free Page B

Tibet is under only a rather lacklustre form of suzerainty from Peking and I sense that the Russians see an opportunity there.’
    Scribbling away, Alice spoke without looking up. ‘So what do you propose to do about it?’
    ‘Well, I intend to put a stop to their little game. We must persuade the Dalai Lama to open up his country to us to counterbalance the Russian threat.’
    Alice put her pencil to her mouth. ‘As I understand it, the Tibetans do not wish to establish formal relations with their neighbours. For instance, I have read that the last – and so far only – Englishman to reach Lhasa was in 1811. Their religion promotes a way of life that is contemplative and quite self-contained. China more or less leaves them alone to toddle along in what is virtually a medieval form of living. How would you change this?’
    ‘Well, certainly not by a heavy-handed invasion. But we do have genuine grievances against the Tibetans, you know. In 1890, a Sikkim–Tibet Convention was concluded with China, whose suzerainty over Tibet we have always recognised. It was followed four years later bya set of trade regulations. The main purpose of these instruments, as far as we were concerned, was to secure formal Chinese recognition of our paramount rights in Sikkim, bordering Tibet, but they also dealt with matters of commerce, frontier delineation, etc. More tea?’
    ‘No, thank you.’
    Cuzon dabbed at his nose with a handkerchief clearly woven from the finest Egyptian cotton and leant back to ease his vertebrae. ‘You see,’ he continued, wincing slightly, ‘the Tibetans have never formally ratified that treaty. They have just gone on their merry way, ignoring it completely. As a result, grazing rights at the border have been infringed, trade obstructed, boundary pillars overthrown and an illegal tariff imposed on the trickle of goods imported from India.
    ‘The states that border Tibet – Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal – are important to us. We, of course, recruit our Gurkhas from Nepal and the other two enjoy an autonomy which is underwritten by treaties with the British government. We are very sensitive to any encroachments by Tibet on these countries. We do not wish even the thinnest end of the wedge to be inserted here.’
    Alice nodded. ‘I understand that, but surely Tibet is not really a threat, is it? As I understand it, it is not exactly an aggressive country. On the contrary, in fact.’
    Curzon frowned and a slight trace of irritation crossed his face. It was clear that he was not used to being contradicted, particularly by a journalist – and a woman at that! ‘That’s not the point,’ he said. ‘If the Russians are allowed to increase their influence in Lhasa, and without a presence there we have little chance of stopping them doing so, then Tibet, like the leopard, could change its spots. But there is another point. The Dalai Lama has shown great discourtesy to theBritish government. I have written to him twice on these matters and both letters have been returned unopened. We can’t be flouted in this way in this region. Our reputation would be harmed.’
    Alice stifled a smile. It was clear that he, Lord Curzon, was certainly not used to being treated like that. A case of
lèse majesté,
of course. But perhaps she was being unfair.
    ‘Of course,’ and she nodded. ‘I quite see that. It would encourage the malcontents in India. But even so, sending in troops … surely a step too far?’
    Curzon issued a viceregal sigh. ‘We have no intention of “sending in troops”, as you put it. I proposed to the government back home that we should send a commercial mission to Lhasa to begin negotiations of the widest possible scope, culminating, hopefully, with the appointment of a permanent British representative in that city.’
    He paused and his sharp features resumed their air of painful disapproval. ‘My colleagues in Whitehall took, ah, some time to consider this and, in the meantime, Russia protested