Comments on: The people of Tibet need help now

By: Dael Morris

Dael Morris — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:22:00 +0000

“At a guess I’d say it was a tossup between an authoritarian theocracy or civil war”

surely that’s up to Tibetans to decide?

By: Stephen W. Henkel

Stephen W. Henkel — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:36:00 +0000

Bunless hotdogs on fridays?

By: Jonas Le_Soleil

Jonas Le_Soleil — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:53:00 +0000

Solution would be that they allow everyone to go there and check things out independently. (At this point in time, you are not allowed to roam around freely and talk to the people)!

By: Jonas Le_Soleil

Jonas Le_Soleil — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:51:00 +0000

Then why is China STILL closing Tibet for foreigners? (Canadian ambassador, Australian ambassador, etc. check the news)? Is there any reason for that? I mean, what areas does your country seclude from foreigners to access? Military areas, nothing else, is there?

By: Jonas Le_Soleil

Jonas Le_Soleil — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:44:00 +0000

How do you know, that there would anyone want to have a theocracy? Who told you so? Take a look at the Tibetan Government (in exile) to know how a Tibetan Government (in Lhasa) could look like. – There is nothing like theocracy in there!

By: Stephan

Stephan — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:49:00 +0000

The middle way approach as mentioned in the article is the best way of action:

http://www.dalailama.com/messages/middle-way-approach

No independence but real autonomy.
This is achievable once the one party system in China transitions to a multi party system with real representation of the people.

How to achieve that? I guess nobody knows.

By: K-9

K-9 — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:35:00 +0000

Agreed, but exactly what “action” do you propose? The Chinese cannot be forced, bribed, bullied or shamed into capitulation. Even if they could be what would happen next? At a guess I’d say it was a tossup between an authoritarian theocracy or civil war. Are either of those an improvement? No way am I endorsing Chinese rule of a people who don’t want it, but what would a workable solution look like?

By: Stephan

Stephan — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:34:00 +0000

You mean like an exclusive holiday destination for rich people and closed to backpackers?
Not bloody likely.
Lhasa has American and Chinese hotel chains popping up everywhere to cash in on the ever growing Tibet travel boom among mainlanders and in anticipation of a full opening to foreigners from all over the world.

That was in response to the comparison of a hypothetic independent Tibet with Bhutan.
(Lrn2Disqus…)

By: Stephan

Stephan — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:22:00 +0000

For a start it would be helpful to not claim a genocide where there is none.

I know many Tibetans in Sichuan who married Han Chinese (the Tibetan region expands far into the bordering provinces of the autonomous province).

According to this often repeated genocide argument this would make my friends active supporters of a genocide (or even worse “race traitors”), which is a pretty backwards argument to make, to put it politely. I prefer people to mate with whomever they are attracted to for whatever the reason they chose to be the reason.

Also, just as a reminder, all Chinese citizens are second class citizens until there is better representation of the people in government in all parts of the country. Things have been improving steadily over the last three decades. It does not mean that there where no setbacks but there is a good argument for optimism to be made regarding the development of China.
This will positively affect the situation in Tibet and other ethnic minority regions.

By: Ferdinand Alexander

Ferdinand Alexander — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Bhutan would be a good example of what Tibet could have been and could be.

By: monkey

monkey — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:02:00 +0000

It’s a very sticky situation in Tibet. Tibetans are second class citizens there and those born there consider themselves Tibetan even though they are ethnically Chinese. Disinformation runs rampant in the country and few people care about what’s going on in the country because it does not garner front page reporting in a world that is more interested in celebrity lives and political sniping than genocide in an impoverished country on the other side of the globe.

If people were engaging in self immolation in Chicago, Miami or Boise, people would sit up and take note, demand action. Sadly, I am not so sure these immolations are from pure motivation but rather from frustration and the desire to make the biggest statement possible to people who are not really listening.

EVERYONE deserves basic human rights. Starting with basic human rights in Tibet would be a start.

By: Sam Ley

Sam Ley — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:44:00 +0000

While I see your point, I’m unsure about your attitude that somehow people must prove that they are able to create a perfect nation of peace and harmony in order to be granted cultural, religious and political freedom. Asking what someone has done to “deserve” basic human rights is an odd way to approach the situation. Give them their freedom – they won’t be perfect, just a bunch of humans, after all, but that is no reason not to give it to them.

By: Thebes42

Thebes42 — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:59:00 +0000

A 17-point agreement they were forced to sign on the 23rd of the 5th month?

Hail Eris, All Hail the Dalai Lama.